title: Association between anti-F. hepatica antibody levels in milk and production losses in dairy cows.
abstract: This study was conducted to determine: (1) the associations between anti-Fasciola hepatica antibody levels in milk and some productive and reproductive parameters in dairy cattle, and (2) the threshold antibody level associated with loss of productivity, at both herd and individual level. Anti-F. hepatica antibodies were analysed by MM3-SERO ELISA in milk samples from the bulk tanks of 490 dairy farms and from 686 lactating cows. The results of general linear model analysis revealed a significant (P<0.05) negative association between the F. hepatica infection status at herd level, determined by analysis of specific antibodies in bulk tank milk, and the average herd milk production. Highly positive herds (MM3-SERO ELISA result>0.405) produced an average of 1.5 kg milk/cow per day less than the negative herds. At cow-level, the mixed model analysis also revealed a significant (P<0.05) association between anti-F. hepatica antibody levels and milk yield. A significant (P<0.05) average reduction of 2 kg milk/day was observed in cows with highly positive ELISA results (>0.762) in relation to cows with negative results. The results of the study led us to conclude that MM3-SERO ELISA is a powerful tool that can be successfully applied, if appropriate "economic thresholds" are established, to identify herds and cows suffering from milk production losses associated with natural infection by F. hepatica.
authors: Laboratorio de Parasitología, Centro de Investigaciones Agrarias de Mabegondo, Instituto Galego de Calidade Alimentaria-Xunta de Galicia, Carretera AC-542 de Betanzos a Mesón do Vento, Km 7, CP 15318, Abegondo (A Coruña), Spain. mercedes.mezo.menendez@xunta.es
authors: Mercedes
authors: M
authors: Mezo
authors: Marta
authors: M
authors: González-Warleta
authors: José Antonio
authors: JA
authors: Castro-Hermida
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Muiño
authors: Florencio M
authors: FM
authors: Ubeira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000032:analysis*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000469:parasitology*; D003612:Dairying; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005210:Fasciola hepatica / Q000276:immunology*; D005211:Fascioliasis / Q000191:economics / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth