Efficacy of hyperimmune bovine colostrum for prophylaxis of cryptosporidiosis in neonatal calves.
Twelve neonatal calves were experimentally infected with oocysts of Cryptosporidium parvum. Six calves in group A fed hyperimmune colostrum at birth had significantly less diarrhea and shed oocysts for less time than did 6 calves in group B fed colostrum from cows that were not hyperimmune. Calves in group A had diarrhea for 0-4 days (means = 2.3 days), whereas calves in group B had diarrhea for 4-6 days (means = 5.0 days). Calves in group A shed oocysts for 4-9 days (means = 6.2 days), whereas calves in group B shed oocysts for 7-11 days (means = 8.5 days). These findings indicate that passive lacteal immunity conferred partial protection against cryptosporidiosis. Whether such protection was provided by the immunoglobulins that were highly elevated in the colostrum (greater than 1:200,000 for IgG1, IgM, and IgA) and constituted a large part of the circulating antibody in the calves, or by other biologically active factors, such as cytokines, is undetermined.
Fayer
R
R
Livestock and Poultry Sciences Institute, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland 20705.
Andrews
C
C
Ungar
B L
BL
Blagburn
B
B
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003044:Coccidia / Q000276:immunology*; D003126:Colostrum / Q000276:immunology*; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007112:Immunity, Maternally-Acquired; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M