Page 2 - Cryptosporidiosis in neonatal calves

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Cryptosporidiosis in neonatal calves

Cryptosporidiosis: An important enteric protozoan disease in newborn calves

Frequency of Enteropathogens

23% Cryptosporidium
The relatve frequency of Rotavirus
enteropathogens identfed on post-
mortem submissions of calves less Salmonella
than one month of age to DAFM RVLs 50% Ecoli K99
during 2012.
19% Coronavirus
Source: All-island Animal Disease None Detected
Surveillance Report 2012:
A joint AFBI / DAFM Veterinary
Laboratories publicaton 2% 3% 4%

Causal agent: Cryptosporidium parvum, a small single cell
organism which causes damage to the cells of the distal
end of the small intestne, resultng in mild to severe
diarrhoea. It is highly infectous and is very difcult to
eradicate once established as the oocyst infectve stage
is resistant to inactvaton by many of the disinfectants
commonly used on Irish farms.

Age of afected animals: 1-4 week old calves (infected
calves may or may not show signs of disease)

Typical disease in: 7-13 day old calves
In afected herds with a pure C. parvum infecton morbidity
is high but mortalites are usually low. However, severe
cases may result in death. In situatons where there is
concurrent infecton with another neonatal enteric
pathogen, usually rotavirus, mortalites are high. Mixed
infectons are partcularly common amongst calves and
disease tends to be more common in calves that have
received inadequate colostrum.

Clinical signs of disease:
a. Lethargy/weakness
b. Profuse watery diarrhoea with strands of
mucus; scouring may last 5-12 days. Typically
it is 6 days before calves recover their appette
for milk. Scouring from a mixed infecton is
usually more severe and ofen fatal

c. Dehydraton