title: Microbiology of diarrhoea in young beef and dairy calves in Argentina.
abstract: Rotavirus, Cryptosporidium sp, and Salmonella spp. were investigated in the faeces of 452 diarrhoeic calves from 36 beef and 33 dairy herds. Animals surveyed were from a few days of age up to approximately 1 month of life. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) was studied in 212 calves, aged 15 days or less. The animals were from the Provinces of Buenos Aires (59% of the calves), Córdoba (18%), Santa Fe (16%), Entre Ríos (5%) and La Pampa (2%). A minimum of 4 calves were sampled on each farm. In beef calves rotavirus was excreted by 45.1% of the animals. Cryptosporidium by 30.5% and Sàlmonella serovars Arechabaleta, Livingstone, Panama and Typhimurium by 1.9%. In dairy calves Cryptosporidium was excreted by 29.6%, rotavirus by 23% and Salmonella serovar Dublin by 1.6%, ETEC was not detected in any calf. Rotavirus was the most widespread agent, detected in 32 (88.9%) beef herds and excreted by more than 50% of the calves in half of these herds. In contrast, rotavirus was only detected in 19 (57.5%) dairy herds and was excreted by more than 50% of the calves in 6 of these herds. Crytosporidium oocysts were identified in 27 (75%) beef and in 23 (69.7%) dairy farms. Salmonellosis due to serovar Dublin was associated with diarrhoea in 2 dairy herds. Concurrent infection with two or three agents occurred in 36 (8%) calves and 38 (55.1%) farms; the combination rotavirus-Cryptosporidium was found in 32 (6.9%) calves an in 33 (47.8) farms.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Virología Animal (CEVAN), INTA, Balcarce, Argentina.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Bellinzoni
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blackhall
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Terzolo
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Auza
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mattion
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Micheo
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: La Torre
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Scodeller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology