The protective use of plasma powder from cattle and swine against experimen
tally induced neonatal E. coli diarrhoea in colostrum-deprived calves was e
xamined. Diarrhoea was induced with a strain expressing F5(+) fimbriae and
a strain expressing F17(+) fimbriae. In all groups supplemented with bovine
plasma powder, diarrhoea and fever a-cre less severe than in the control g
roups. For the groups infected with the F5(+) E. coil strain, a reduction i
n excretion of the challenge strain by 2-4 orders of magnitude and by 1-2 o
rders of magnitude was seen when supplemented with bovine plasma powder at
a dose of 25 g/l milk and 10 g/l milli, respectively.
The bovine plasma powder showed also beneficial effects in the F17(+) infec
ted groups. No mortality, no septicaemia and no severe clinical signs were
observed. Concerning the excretion of the E. mii F17(+) strain in the faece
s, no significant difference with the control group was found.
Swine plasma powder showed little beneficial effect on E. coli diarrhoea in
calves in this study.