NEW ASPECTS IN ORAL IMMUNOPROPHYLAXIS FOR THE PREVENTION OF INFECTIOUS DIARRHEA OF NEWBORN CALVES - A FIELD-STUDY WITH SPECIFIC EGG ANTIBODIES

To investigate the effect of oral immunoprophylaxis in diarrhea of new born calves egg powder with antibodies specific to E. coli K99 (ETEC) and rotavirus were used in a field trial in south west Germany. Fourte en farms with a total of 105 calves were selected. Egg powder (21 g pe r day) was fed as a supplement to the regular diet for the first 14 da ys after birth. Animals of the control group received egg powder deriv ed from hens not immunized with the antigens. Frequency, duration and severity of diarrhea, fecal dry matter and weight gain were examined i n order to evaluate the influence of the specific egg powder. Using a Lactovac(R) test kit pathogens were detected in the feces of 76,2 % of the calves, with 24,7 % infected with E. coli K99, 39,1 % with rotavi rus, 19,0 % with coronavirus and 32,4 % with cryptosporidia. An overal l reduction in diarrhea frequency from 68,5 % to 52,9 % was observed i n calves fed with specific antibodies. Animals with an E. coli K99 inf ection showed a reduction from 92,3 % to 30,7 % and those infected exc lusively with E. coli K99 from 83,3 % to 0 %. The duration of diarrhea was significantly reduced (42 h) in animals fed with specific antibod ies in comparison to the control animals (60 h). With the exception of animals infected with coronavirus a marked reduction in the severity of diarrhea was observed in antibody treated calves. During the first 14 days after birth antibody treated calves showed a weight gain of 5, 6 kg on average in comparison with 3,5 kg in the control group. Taking these results together a significant prophylactic effect of egg powde r with specific antibodies against newborn calf diarrhea could be demo nstrated.