31 World Buiatrics Congress 2022

ABSTRACT BOOK
31st World Buiatrics Congress

September 4th to 8th, 2022
Madrid, Spain
Organizers:
The National Association of Spanish Specialists in Bovine Medicine

(ANEMBE)
The World Association for Buiatrics (WAB)
WBC 2022 Congress Technical Secretariat:
Marià Cubí, 4, 08006,

Barcelona, Spain.
Email: [email protected]
WBC2022 ABSTRACT BOOK
LIST OF THE BIENNIAL “WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESSES”
Year Venue Year Venue

1 1960 Hannover (Germany) 17 1992 St Paul (USA)
2 1962 Vienna (Austria) 18 1994 Bologna (Italy)
3 1964 Copenhagen (Denmark) 19 1996 Edinburgh (Scotland)
4 1966 Zurich (Switzerland) 20 1998 Sydney (Australia)
5 1968 Opatija (Yugoslavia) 21 2000 Punta del Este (Uruguay)
6 1970 London (UK) 22 2002 Hannover (Germany)
7 1972 Philadelphia (USA) 23 2004 Quebec (Canada)
8 1974 Milan (Italy) 24 2006 Nice (France)
9 1976 Nice (France) 25 2008 Budapest (Hungary)
10 1978 Mexico City (Mexico) 26 2010 Santiago (Chile)
11 1980 Tel Aviv (Israel) 27 2012 Lisbon (Portugal)
12 1982 Amsterdam (The Netherlands) 28 2014 Cairns (Australia)
13 1984 Durban (South Africa) 29 2016 Dublin (Ireland)
14 1986 Dublin (Ireland) 30 2018 Sapporo (Japan)
15 1988 Palma de Mallorca (Spain) 31 2022 Madrid (Spain)
16 1990 San Salvador da Bahia (Brazil)
WORLD ASSOCIATION FOR BUIATRICS
President Honorary President

Emile Bouchard, Canada H.J. Breukink, The Netherlands
Vice-presidents Honorary Secretary General

Luis Poo, Chile M. Stöber, Germany
Motoshi Tajima, Japan P. Lekeux, Belgium
President Elect Honorary ExCo Members

Arcangelo Gentile, Italy R.G. Eddy, UK
K. Hamana, Japan
Secretary General H.R. Han, Korea
Gatz Riddell, JR., USA W. Hofmann, Germany
A.D. Weaver, UK
Treasurer
David H. Black, UK
Committee Members
Saïd Alali, Morocco Bo Han, China
Ricardo Spacagna Jordao, Brazil Peter Heimberg, Germany
Francois Schelcher, France Norman Bruce Williamson, New Zealand
Octavio Campuzano, Mexico Thomas Wittek, Austria
Juan V. Gonzalez-Martin, Spain Inhyung Lee, South Korea
Przemyslaw Sobiech, Poland
31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

5
WBC 2022 ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Ángel Ávila Coya Juan Carlos González Fernández
Juan Manuel Cainzos Cagiao Francisco Jose González Rodríguez
Fernando Criado García Juan Carlos Marco Melero
Gumersindo de la Riera Díaz Joaquin Ranz Vallejo
Jorge Eseverri Azcoiti Marco Aurelio Sánchez Moreiro
Manuel Ángel Fernández Sánchez
WBC 2022 SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

President: Gumersindo de la Riera
Honorific President: Alfonso Monge
Ángel Abuelo Ronald Erskine Antonio Natale

Saïd Alali Jorge Eseverri Ian Ohnstad
Marta Alonso Manuel Ángel Fernández Georgios Oikonomou
Julio Álvarez Klibs Galvão Luís Miguel Ortega
Miguel Ángel Aparicio Tobar Álvaro García Guerra Simon Peek
Rob Atwill Joseba Garrido Francisco Peñagaricano
Ángel Ávila Coya Tom Geary Ana Pico
Mohamed Aziz Darghouth Arcangelo Gentile Luis Poo Kutscher
Mário Balaro Giovanni Gnemmi Luis Ángel Quintela
Jesse Barandika Arturo Gómez Joaquín Ranz Vallejo
Pietro Baruselli Adrián González Michela Re
Joaquim Baucells Juan Carlos González Gatz Riddell
Lindert Benedictus Francisco González Rodríguez Carlos Risco
David Black Marcello Guadagnini Juan Miguel Rodríguez
Javier Blanco Murcia María Guelbenzu-Gonzalo Allen Roussell
Gabriel Bo Juan Pablo Gutiérrez Jonathan Rushton
Calvin W. Booker Bo Han Marco Aurelio Sánchez
Émile Bouchard Peter Heimberg José Eduardo Santos
Sebastian Buczinski Luis Miguel Jiménez Galán Ynte Schukken
Juan Manuel Cainzos Vicente Jimeno Adlai Schuler
Luis Octavio Campuzano José Luis Juaristi Geof Smith
Antonio Cantalapiedra Delia Lacasta Lozano Przemyslaw Sobiech
Jude L. Capper Alfonso Lago Odon Sobrino Abuja
Octavio Catalán Ryan Law Ricardo Spacagna Jordão
Ricardo Chebel Inhyung Lee Motoshi Tajima
Peter-Henning Clausen Luis León Aurora Villarroel
Jill Colloton Jaime Llena Robert Wijma
Fernando Criado García Fiona Lovatt Norman Williamson
Gumersindo de la Riera José Mallo Peter Windsor
André Desrochers Xavier Manteca Vilanova Ruth Zadoks
Albert DeVries Juan Carlos Marco Melero Daniel Zeledón
Trevor DeVries Daniel Martínez Bello
Fernando Diaz Royón Alfonso Monge

7
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Exhibitors
INDEX
VOLUME 1
KEYNOTE LECTURES................................................................................................................................................................15
VIP PRESENTATIONS.....................................................................................................................................................17
K01 – K04 Animal Health....................................................................................................................................20
K05 – K08 Internal Medicine & Toxicology.........................................................................................................21
K09 – K12 Immunology and Vaccines.................................................................................................................24
K17 – K20 Buffaloes and Camelids.....................................................................................................................28
K21 – K24 Small Ruminants.................................................................................................................................31
K27 – K29 Reproduction in Dairy Cattle.............................................................................................................33
K30 – K33 Udder Health and Mastitis.................................................................................................................34
K38 – K41 Lameness...........................................................................................................................................36
K42 – K45 Genetics and Breeding......................................................................................................................39
K47 – K49 Teaching & Continuing Education.....................................................................................................41
K51 – K53 Nutrition & Metabolism Diseases......................................................................................................42
K55 – K58 Infectious Diseases............................................................................................................................43
K59 – K62 Cattle Welfare....................................................................................................................................46
K65 Feedlot..............................................................................................................................................48
K67 – K70 Diagnostic Imaging............................................................................................................................49
K71 – K74 Sustainable Cattle Productive Systems..............................................................................................51
K76 – K79 Surgery...............................................................................................................................................53
K80 – K83 Biotechnology....................................................................................................................................56
K84 – K85 Pharmacology & Therapeutics...........................................................................................................59
K87 – K90 Epidemiology....................................................................................................................................61
K91 – K93 Public Health, Food Security and Antimicrobial Resistance..............................................................64
K94 – K97 Parasitism...........................................................................................................................................66
WORKSHOPS............................................................................................................................................................................71
W01 – W03 ECBHM WORKSHOP.........................................................................................................................73

W04 REPRODUCTION IN BEEF CATTLE WORKSHOP.............................................................................74
W05 – W07 REPRODUCTION IN DAIRY CATTLE.................................................................................................75
W08 REPRODUCTION WORKSHOP.........................................................................................................76
W09 GENETICS AND BREEDING WORKSHOP........................................................................................77
W10 CONTINUING EDUCATION WORKSHOP........................................................................................77
W11 – W12 UDDER HEALTH WORKSHOP (IN FARM)..........................................................................................78
W14 CATTLE WELFARE WORKSHOP........................................................................................................79
W15 DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING WORKSHOP..............................................................................................80
W16 – W18 NUTRITION AND BIOTECHNOLOGY WORKSHOP.........................................................................81
W19 – W21 BIOTECHNOLOGY WORKSHOP......................................................................................................83
W22 EPIDEMIOLOGY WORKSHOP...........................................................................................................85
W23 SURGERY WORKSHOP......................................................................................................................86
W24 – W27 APPLICATION OF SYSTEMS THINKING DISCIPLINE IN BEEF
CATTLE VETERINARY MEDICINE......................................................................................................87

11
ORAL PRESENTATIONS............................................................................................................................................................91
Animal Health (AH)........................................................................................................................................................93
Buffaloes and Camelids (BC).......................................................................................................................................116
Biotechnology (BT)......................................................................................................................................................122
Cattle Welfare (CW).....................................................................................................................................................125
Diagnostic Imaging (DI)...............................................................................................................................................145
Epidemiology (EP).......................................................................................................................................................153
Feedlot (FE).................................................................................................................................................................158
Genetics and Breeding (GB)........................................................................................................................................164
Herd Health Management, Smart Farming and Economics (HH)................................................................................177
Infectious Diseases (ID)................................................................................................................................................212
Internal Medicine and Toxicology (IM)........................................................................................................................255
Immunology and Vaccinology (IV)...............................................................................................................................267
Lameness (LA)..............................................................................................................................................................290
Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases (NU).......................................................................................................................307
Parasitism (PA).............................................................................................................................................................325
Public Health, Food Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance (PH)...................................................................................336
Pharmacology and Therapeutics (PT)..........................................................................................................................351
Reproduction in Beef Cattle (RB).................................................................................................................................354
Reproduction in Dairy Cattle (RD)...............................................................................................................................359
Sustainable Cattle Productive Systems (SP)................................................................................................................377
Small Ruminants (SR)...................................................................................................................................................383
Surgery (SU).................................................................................................................................................................403
Teaching and Continuing Education (TE)....................................................................................................................406
Udder Health and Mastitis (UH)...................................................................................................................................412

13
KEYNOTE LECTURES
VIP PRESENTATIONS
KEYNOTE LECTURES
K01 - K04 Animal Health

K05 - K08 Internal Medicine & Toxicology
K09 - K12 Immunology and Vaccines
K17 - K20 Buffaloes and Camelids
K21 - K24 Small Ruminants
K27 - K29 Reproduction in Dairy Cattle
K30 - K33 Udder Health and Mastitis
K38 - K41 Lameness
K42 - K45 Genetics and Breeding
K47 - K49 Teaching & Continuing Education
K51 - K53 Nutrition & Metabolism Diseases
K55 - K58 Infectious Diseases
K59 - K62 Cattle Welfare
K65 Feedlot
K67 - K70 Diagnostic Imaging
K71 - K74 Sustainable Cattle Productive Systems
K76 - K79 Surgery
K80 - K83 Biotechnology
K84 - K85 Pharmacology & Therapeutics
K87 - K90 Epidemiology
K91 - K93 Public Health, Food Security and Antimicrobial Resistance
K94 - K97 Parasitism
KEYNOTE LECTURES — VIP PRESENTATION
Monday, September 5th, 2022 Tuesday, September 6th, 2022

Men-animals relations. Historic aspects and evolution Why do many veterinarians no longer use the clinical
examination of ruminants on a regular basis?
Bernard Vallat.
Walter Baumgartner.
FICT, Paris, France.
University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.
The benefits of animal domestication for humanity evolu-
tion is widely recognized Objectives: Clinical propaedeutics provides the prelimi-
Domestication has been based on commitment from an- nary knowledge for diagnosing diseases, their therapy and
imal owners to protect animals from predators, to provide prophylaxis. In the clinic, the diseases are discussed and the
conditions for appropriate feeding, disease prevention and aetiology (cause of the disease), pathogenesis (development
treatment and housing when necessary . Men owners always of the disease) or pathophysiology, specific symptoms, dia-
exerted rights on their domestic animals. Indeed, domestica- gnosis and differential diagnosis, prophylaxis and therapy
tion led to genetic selection linked with the needs of human are dealt with. This then results in the prognosis (prediction),
communities: mainly work, protection and war, animal origin which is important for the animal owner, i.e. the veterinarian‘s
food, cultural events, soil fertilization. statement about the further course of the disease (duration,
outcome, treatment costs).
A majority of domestic animal cannot survive without own-
ers protection and care. Material and methods: Diseases in animals and humans
are recognised due to particular changes in the state of life.
Many voices at global level are advocating for an evolution
These deviations from the physiological state are the disease
of the historic deal between men and domestic animal and
manifestations or symptoms.
some so called “antispecists”are proposing to ban the concept
of man superiority and even the right to have domestic animals A distinction is made between 1. subjective symptoms,
for any purpose. which the patient feels and reports to the doctor and 2. ob-
jective symptoms („signs“), which the doctor detects without
In addition to philosophical controversies, antispecists are
the patient influencing them. Since animals usually lack the
using other arguments linked with health and environment
ability to communicate subjective sensations, the veterinarian
based on scientific publications often supported by activist
has to deal mainly with symptoms that have to be objectively
NGOs. In front of these controversies the answer must be sci-
recorded.
ence based, using sources with full independence.
Most misdiagnoses are not so much due to technical in-
However, it is always recommended to recall the strong
ability, lack of experience or wrong thinking, but simply due to
benefits of domestic animal for mankind.
forgetting to exhaust a number of diagnostic possibilities.
• Food and high-quality nutrition.
There are existing different types of diagnosis:
• Soil fertilization versus chemical products.
1. Aetiological diagnosis: not only an organ localisation,
• Cultural and sport key partners. but also the cause and type of disease (e.g. inflam-
• Providers of leather, wool and skin clothes. mation, degeneration) could be established without
• Companions of billions of families. difficulty.
• Key factor of poverty reduction in developing countries. 2. Provisional diagnosis (tentative diagnosis): The disea-
se cannot be identified with certainty.
• Unavoidable element for scientific research for human
and animal health. 3. Functional diagnosis: A dysfunction of one or more or-
gans is established without proving the exact nature of
• High genetic diversity.
the organ disease in question.
4. Organ diagnosis: Localisation of the disease in a spe-
cific organ.
5. Symptomatic diagnosis: Cause and affected organ
could not be established, therefore only a specific,
concise symptom is cited as diagnosis.
There are two principles regarding the type of examination:
Examination by organ system (gastrointestinal tract, res-
piratory tract, circulatory and lymphatic systems, etc.) and
topographical examination (includes all organs and organ sys-
tems in each region of the body).
General examination: This covers all organ systems and
should always be carried out at least during the initial exam-
ination of a patient. In intensive animal husbandry, the basic
examination procedure is modified and the points of anamne-
sis and environment are dealt with in particular detail (check-
list).

17
Special examinations: If the general examination leads to introduced into northwestern Europe in 2006. The influence
the suspicion that a certain organ system is affected (e.g. skin, of modern infection epidemiology, new diagnostic methods
sexual apparatus or nervous system), this organ system is ex- and new vaccines on the control of such infectious diseases
amined in more detail in a special examination. The special is described, as well as the influence of non-medically indicat-
examinations supplement the simple examinations with speed, but rather eco- and trade policy-driven choices of control
cial diagnostic procedures that are usually technically complex measures. The causes of failures or new outbreaks are also
and are only used in certain cases (e.g. urinalysis, blood tests, discussed.
diagnostic imaging procedures, ECG). Results: Due to their zoonotic and/or economic impor-
Results and Conclusions: The importance of clinical ex- tance, the control of the most important infectious diseases in
amination of cattle directly in the barn during the first visit of cattle is now regulated by the World Organisation for Animal
a sick animal to determine the disease is shown with the help Health (WOAH / OIE), the European Union animal health law
of some specific examples (including use of percussion to dif- and other supranational and national regulations. Irrespective
ferentiate respiratory diseases; differentiation of all different of this, the following basic principles should always be ob-
forms of mastitis; differentiation between primary and second- served with regard to the infectious diseases to be controlled
ary enteritis in calves, etc.). and the choice of control strategy: Zoonotic and economic
Once the prognosis has been established, a targeted ther- importance of the infection and its prevalence, characteristics
apy (e.g. much less use of antibiotics and other drugs; more of the pathogen, the severity and course of the diseases, its
sustainable and cheaper way of treatment) can be carried out. etiology and transmission routes, potential reservoir of the
The successful therapy process thus achieved cannot be ex- pathogen (examples: paratuberculosis, tuberculosis), involve-
pected from experts via telephone without a clinical examina- ment of vectors (example: bluetongue), presence of latently
tion (unfortunately, nowadays one finds widespread telephone or persistently infected animals, predictive value of available
service in many countries of the world). test methods, availability and efficacy of vaccines, prospects
of success of control or eradication programs and their accep-
References:
tance by livestock owners, and their cost-effectiveness. This is
BAUMGARTNER, W., WITTEK, T. (2018): Klinische because the attainability of a control target is often based on
Propädeutik der Haus- und Heimtiere. 9. Aufl., Enke, Stuttgart. overly optimistic assumptions, and likewise, verification of the
BAUMGARTNER, W, WITTEK, T. (2018): Diagnostyka kli- efficacy of such intervention strategies has been rare. In addi-
niczna zwierzat. 9th ed., Edra Urban & Partner, Wroclaw. tion to the existing infection prevention measures, breeding for
disease resistance is likely to become much more important in
the future in connection with marker-assisted selection in the
cattle sector as well.
Conclusions: As in the days of the first modern veterinary
Controlling epidemic bovine diseases in the last decades: schools, the control of animal diseases will remain an import-
What can we learn from it? ant veterinary task in the future. For despite all the progress
made, there are still numerous challenges in this field that
Klaus Doll.
have not yet been satisfactorily resolved, such as the control
Clinic for Ruminants, University of Giessen, Germany. of bovine tuberculosis or paratuberculosis in some countries.
In addition, there is always the risk of pathogen introduction
(example: foot-and-mouth disease) into disease-free countries
Objectives: The main reason for the foundation of veter-
or the emergence of new diseases. However, the field of in-
inary schools in the middle of the 18th century was, besides
fectious disease epidemiology as well as clinical buiatrics is
the need of veterinarians for the horse stocks of the armies,
obviously neglected at some veterinary schools in the course
the control of the then raging infectious animal diseases. First
of shifting the focus of education to companion animals. But
and foremost, rinderpest threatened the economies of Europe.
farm animal medicine is more than laboratory diagnostics and
In many areas, the disease destroyed up to 75% of the cattle
microbiology, because especially in the early detection of a
population. The Netherlands even lost almost its entire cattle
disease outbreak, the recognition of the first clinical symptoms
population to the disease between 1711 and 1717. As a fierce
is and remains of crucial importance.
and rapidly spreading disease, rinderpest usually occurred in
the wake of large campaigns, as at that time the armies often
carried large herds of oxen as living provisions. Nowadays,
international trade in animals and animal products, the spread
of vectors with other traded goods, and due to climate change,
and international travel, threaten cattle populations. The aim of
this paper is to show, with some examples, the measures tak-
en in recent years in countries with intensive milk production
to control or eradicate the main epidemic infectious diseases
in cattle.
Materials and methods: The main focus is on the con-
trol of tuberculosis, foot-and-mouth disease, bovine viral diar-
rhea/mucosal disease, paratuberculosis and, as an example
of an arthropod-borne viral disease, bluetongue, which was

18
Wednesday, September 7th, 2022
Successful dairy farming

Jack Britt.
Jack H Britt Consulting, Etowah NC, USA.
Demand for milk and dairy products will double in the next
50 years according to the United Nations. Increased popula-
tions in Africa and South Asia will increase demand for milk and
dairy products in regions where milk yield per cow is among
the lowest worldwide. Climate change will make it more chal-
lenging to meet this demand, and cattle that are more heat
tolerant will increase in warmer regions. Milk yield per cow
globally needs to increase from 3,000 kg in 2020 to 6,000 kg
in 2072. Half of this increase will be associated with improved
genetics of dairy cattle, particularly through application of ge-
nomic technologies across breeds. This will require better re-
cords of ancestry and greater use of artificial insemination with
semen from superior bulls. More genetic emphasis will be on
changing milk constituents rather than volume produced per
cow. Increased milk output will require improved feeding and
management and an increase in average herd size, because
yield increases as cows move into larger herds, which typi-
cally provide better feed and management. Novel breeds and
crossbred cows will become more productive, particularly in
areas where increased temperatures will subject cows to more
stress. Health of dairy cow will improve through development
of better vaccines and novel health products that will replace
antibiotics. There will more focus on understanding and man-
aging epigenetics of dairy cattle, with particular focus on body
condition scores and specific periods, including development
in utero, the first 3 months after birth, during the onset of pu-
berty and during first pregnancy. All of this will evolve into com-
ponents of genetic evaluation systems. There will be more em-
phasis on managing microbiomes of dairy cows, particularly
microbiomes of the rumen, digestive tract, udder, and uterus.
For example, specific microbes may be injected, using ultra-
sound-guided technology, into the amnionic sac of the fetus to
provide it with the desired microbiome before birth. Technolo-
gies developed for dairy cows will be applicable to dairy buffa-
lo, goats, sheep, and other dairy mammals. A major challenge
to improving milk production worldwide will be changing the
culture of dairy farming in countries where output per cow is
low. This will require improved genetics, improved feeding, im-
proved healthcare, and often will require dairy farmers to pool
milk cows into jointly owned herds to acquire and apply more
advanced technologies. More details are available at Britt et
al. 2018. J. Dairy Sci. 101 (5): 3722-3741 and Britt et al. 2021.
Animal 15 (2) 100298.


19
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Animal Health
Animal Health K04
Precision technology in dairy calves: new technology with

K01
a new direction
Getting the right balance-managing the animals “health David Renaud.
maintenance system”
University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Christopher Chase.
Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, South Dakota There has been a tremendous increase in the number of
State University Brookings SD USA technologies that have become available to dairy producers
over the last few decades. This has led to the adoption of pe-
Homeostasis is an important function of the immune re- dometers, rumination collars, and in-line milk sensors in dairy
sponse to maintain health. Homeostasis- the animals “health cows; however, there has also been precision technologies
maintenance system” is dependent on the integration and that have been developed and integrated in calves. Automat-
regulation of the mucosa and lamina propria of the respira- ed milk feeders have increased substantially over the last few
tory and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) along with continuous years, where in a survey of Canadian farms, the number of au-
interaction with the microbiome. The mucosa epithelium of tomated milk feeders went from none being reported in 2007
respiratory and gastrointestinal (GI) system is the largest im- to more than 16% of farms using an automated milk feeder in a
mune organ of the body provides the barrier, “the kill zone” 2015 survey. The main reasons for this change, as highlighted
that eliminates 99.9% of all infections. The kill zone integrates by producers by the survey, were it helped raise better calves
all the components of the immune system; 1) barrier compo- and offer more milk to calves while reducing labor. Beyond
nents (mucous and mucins, tight junctions); 2) innate immuni- these reasons, automated milk feeders can aid in disease
ty (macrophages, defensins, neutrophils, interferon, cytokines identification, both diarrhea and respiratory disease, through
and 3) adaptive immunity (secretory IgA and IgG, and T and B reductions in the level of daily milk consumption, drinking
lymphocytes). This system is very susceptible to dehydration speed, and number of rewarded and unrewarded visits. In
and changes in microbial populations. In addition, the mucosa addition, declines in these behaviours can often be seen in
epithelium along with the lamina propria is the immune “fire the days prior to the development of disease which is spurring
wall”, the immune regulatory system that provides “homeosta- on new research evaluating non-antimicrobial interventions to
sis” mechanisms that balance the immune system to provide a prevent disease or reduce the duration of disease. In fact, a re-
stable healthy internal environment to minimize inflammation. cent study has found that providing colostrum at an automated
Once the mucosa epithelium is breached, the innate system milk feeder alarm led to a reduction in the development of re-
is the first to be activated and responds almost immediately. spiratory disease. Beyond automated milk feeding machines,
The adaptive response follows up 10-14 days later in naïve tracking calf activity through pedometers to predict disease
animals. The immune system is regulated to prevent an over has become a possibility. Specifically, differences in activity
response (too much of a good thing). The cumulative effect of levels have been found in several studies where a greater ly-
these anti-inflammatory response is to regulate the immune ing time, fewer lying bouts, fewer step counts, and a smaller
system, maintain homeostasis and to direct the immune re- acceleration activity index have been observed in calves with
sponse away from the memory response to the short-term an- respiratory disease compared to healthy controls. Collective-
tibody immune response. At the same time, over expression of ly, this research highlights that activity monitors could play an
pro-inflammatory cytokines from infectious agents, feed intake important role in aiding producers to detect disease earlier.
issues (acidosis, ketosis) and stress can result in immune dys- Temperature monitoring devices have also been assessed
function and an over reactive immune system that can result in to identify disease in calves; however, additional research
immunopathology and disease. ”. The microbiome- the micro- is needed to further understand their ability in a commercial
organisms in the respiratory and GIT, is essential for immune setting. Precision technologies have great potential to be ap-
development, immune response, and maximizing ruminant plied in the management of dairy calves, especially in early
productivity. Microbiome provides essential signals to enhance disease detection, and further research is ongoing on how to
the kill zone and the anti-inflammatory state. Stressors along use changes in behaviour for early interventions to mitigate or
with the intake of feed and hydration affect the microbiome prevent disease.
and the intestinal epithelial cells resulting in important immune
interactions.

20
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Internal Medicine & Toxicology
Internal Medicine & Toxicology aborad manual massage of the identified clots as the pre-
ferred treatment. In over 100 cases we have an approximately
K05 60% discharge rate from the hospital (combining surgery with
catharctics, high dose pencillin, flunixin, and fluid therapy). In-
Jejunal Hemorrhage Syndrome traoperatively, if cattle have extensive devitalized intestine, if
the clots cannot be broken up and dislodged, or reform almost
Simon Peek.
immediately - these are poor prognostic signs. Most cattle
University of Wisconsin, USA. that do well post-operatively produce feces with clots within
1-2 hours (sometimes much less!) of surgery, and importantly
continue to do so over the following 12-24 hours. Importantly,
Session Objectives: To briefly review the literature on the
there is a lifetime recurrence rate of up to 25% in cattle fol-
condition covering the last 30 years (1). Provide retrospective
lowed long term.
information on approximately 100 cases seen at the University
of Wisconsin in the last 20 years to help guide clinical decision Prevention: Given the uncertainty over etiology and
making (2). To present information regarding risk factors, herd known risk factors, success with prevention and management
management and prevention (3). continues to be frustrating. Surveys of affected herds in the US
reveal that cattle tend to be in the first 5 months post-partum
Introduction: Jejunal hemorrhage syndrome (JHS) is now
and the median parity is the third lactation. We have observed
a worldwide disease of predominantly dairy cattle, first docu-
an increased prevalence in Brown Swiss. Problem farms ex-
mented in the US in 1992. It has since been identified in other
perience quiet periods interspersed with “outbreaks” when
parts of North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. It
clusters of new cases occur. Energy and protein rich diets that
is characterized by rapid, occasionally substantial, obstructive
are frequently being adjusted alongside immune and other
jejunal clot formation that causes affected individuals to be-
physiologic stresses associated with early lactation are the
come colicky. The condition can clinically mimic other causes
predictable scapegoats for these outbreaks. Vaccines against
of small bowel obstruction. Most affected individuals will pass
Clostridium perfringens type A, commercial or autologous, and
blood clots in feces over the ensuing 12-24-hour period but
mold inhibitors have been used extensively but no controlled
significant bowel devitalization, necrosis and peritonitis may
studies exist examining their efficacy. However, transition and
accompany intraluminal hemorrhage and obstruction.
early lactation cows undoubtedly benefit from optimizing intes-
Etiology: Much interest regarding etiology has centered tinal health as consistently as possible whether one is referring
on Clostridium perfringens type A, based upon studies identi- to JHS or other enteric/metabolic diseases.
fying the organism in blood clots within the jejunum and feces
References: Available on request.
of affected cattle. Additionally, pathologic investigations have
histologically identified large numbers of gram positive rods
adjacent to the typical areas of intestinal necrosis. However,
attempts to fulfill any of Koch’s postulates with isolates ob-
tained from clinical cases, even in immunocompromised ex-
perimental animals, have failed and it is worth remembering K06
that this organism is a commensal. There has also been in-
terest in a possible role for the mold Aspergillus fumigatus, Recent advances in the treatment of calf diarrhea
commonly present in livestock environments and feedstuffs. Geof Smith.
Similarly, no definitive role has been proven for this organism
but mold inhibitors are frequently used as feed additives. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA.
Clinical Signs: Affected cattle usually present with per-
acute colic ranging from moderate to severe. Two retrospec- Calf diarrhea remains the leading cause of mortality in
tive studies have identified that cows tend to be in the 3rd to 5th both beef and dairy calves prior to weaning. Although farm-
month of lactation. Rarely, bulls, dry cows and beef animals ers need to focus on prevention, some diarrhea is inevitable.
are affected. Fecal production and character can be informa- Therefore, veterinarians need to be able to work with produc-
tive and helpful in distinguishing JHS from other causes of ers to recognize disease promptly and institute successful
peracute colic; initially cattle will have scant to absent manure treatment programs. Goals of therapy in the diarrheic calf are
production but over a few hours often develop “tarry” feces to 1) restore dehydration; 2) correct acid-base abnormal-
with fresher clots mixed-in. Continued, complete absence of ities; 3) replenish electrolytes and 4) provide nutritional
fecal production is uncommon but most cattle become visibly support to prevent starvation. Key principles of therapy
distended. Dilated loops of small intestine are visible on ultra- are as follows:
sound examination, sometimes with detectable echogenic ma- 1. A metabolic (or strong ion) acidosis is common in calves
terial consistent with intraluminal clots. Detectable small bowel with diarrhea- Research has shown that calves produce signif-
distension on rectal examination is an inconsistent finding. icant amounts of D-lactate in their gastrointestinal tract during
Treatment: Although occasional success using purely diarrhea and lose large amounts of sodium. Together these
medical treatment with flunixin, catharctic laxatives or lubri- produce a decrease in blood pH (acidosis) which is one of
cants (usually Epsom salts or mineral oil), Clostridium perfrin- the most significant reasons for mortality in diarrheic calves.
gens type C and D antitoxin and antibiotics (procaine penicillin In contrast, children don’t frequently develop acid-base dis-
or ceftiofur) is reported, our approach is to combine medical turbances with diarrhea necessitating different approaches to
therapy with surgery. Via a right flank approach, we employ treatment between calves and humans. Fluid therapy is criti-

21
cal and the primary goal should be to rehydrate and prevent/ K07
correct acidemia.
Flotation Tank Use in the Management of the Down Cow
2. Oral electrolyte therapy is the backbone of a treatment
program- Significant advances in our understanding of oral Simon Peek.
electrolytes has occurred in the past 10 years. We know now
University of Wisconsin, USA.
that oral electrolytes designed to treat calves with diarrhea
should look significantly different than those used in children.
We have learned a lot about the importance of including an al- Session Objectives: To briefly review the causes of re-
kalinizing agent (such as bicarbonate or sodium acetate) and cumbency and indications for flotation tank use in dairy cattle,
having a product with a proper strong ion difference (SID). providing context for downer cow management on US dairies
3. Intravenous fluid therapy can be done easily on farms- (1). Provide retrospective information on approximately 200
Even with the widespread use of quality oral electrolytes, recumbent dairy cattle managed by flotation tank over the last
some calves will still need intravenous fluids to survive. While 20 years at the University of Wisconsin in the last 20 years (2).
this is traditionally difficult to accomplish on farms, the advent Introduction: Over roughly the last two decades, flotation
of hypertonic saline and hypertonic sodium bicarbonate has tanks have become more widely available as a management
simplified fluid therapy protocols. Veterinarians and producers tool for non-ambulatory cattle. Multiparous dairy cattle are
can effectively rehydrate calves and restore a normal blood pH the most common candidates for flotation, in whom the well-
without placing intravenous catheters and administering small- known peri and post-parturient metabolic conditions are the
er volumes (200-400 ml) of fluids IV. most significant causes of recumbency. Dystocia related injury
4. Nutrition is important- Many calves with diarrhea starve to the pelvis, spine and lumbosacral spinal cord, especially in
to death. While milk is expensive, multiple studies have shown primaparous heifers, in addition to musculoskeletal injury in
that increased rates of milk feeding within the first week of life cattle of any age are also potential causes of initial recumben-
are critical to not only reduce the incidence of diarrhea but cy that can result in an individual becoming non-ambulatory.
reduce the duration of diarrhea and improve survival rates. Whereas flotation tanks were once the exclusive province of
Farmers can improve the plane of nutrition their calves receive university teaching hospitals they are now widely available
either by increasing the volume of milk calves receive or by im- through private practices, and commercial businesses, espe-
proving the quality (protein) of milk replacer (or both). Not only cially in dairy dense areas of the US. Their appeal lies in the
will calves be in better body condition and better able to toler- buoyant, evenly distributed support that water provides. Of
ate diarrhea, but they have a more robust immune response to direct relevance to the topic of non-ambulatory cattle are con-
the pathogen causing disease. cerns over animal welfare. Non-ambulatory dairy cattle can
be a major challenge on any dairy farm, particularly on larger
5. Antibiotics have been overused with calf diarrhea in the facilities where their housing and nursing needs make them
past- For years the dairy industry would feed antibiotics such labor intensive. Surveys on health and management practices
as tetracycline and neomycin to treat and/or prevent diarrhea. across the United States highlight that whilst approximately
Although there is little scientific evidence to support this prac- 70% of all dairy operations had at least one down cow (defined
tice, most countries now prohibit the routine feeding of anti- as a non-ambulatory individual for greater than 24 hours), that
microbials to young calves in an attempt to practice judicious proportion increased with size of operation; 81% of operations
use of drugs and limit the emergence of resistant bacteria. It between 100 and 499 head, and 97% of farms with greater
is also important to point out that rotavirus and Cryptosporidi- than 500 head had at least one individual so affected. Collated
um parvum remain the leading causes of diarrhea around the data from owner responses report that approximately 60% of
world and are not susceptible to antimicrobials. Therefore, cattle recumbent for more than 24 hours fail to survive, consis-
most calves with diarrhea don’t need antibiotics to be treated tent with other studies that identify recumbency as not only a
successfully. However, a certain percentage of calves with di- health and welfare issue but a significant contributor to culling
arrhea will develop septicemia (usually E. coli), which can be losses.
a significant cause of mortality. In conclusion, antimicrobials
Previous Literature and Retrospective Study: There
are indicated only in selected calves that indicate diarrhea plus
have been two notable previous retrospective studies from
other clinical signs suggestive of septicemia (for example fe-
North American teaching hospitals (Cornell University (Burton
ver, blood in the manure, severe depression, etc).
et al 2009) and University of Montreal (Puerto-Parada et al
6. Manipulating the gut-brain axis- The next frontier in 2021) examining the use of flotation tanks in the management
treating calf diarrhea will be effectively exploiting the gut-brain of down cows. These identified survival rates to discharge
axis to develop therapeutic strategies for preventing and/ of 37% and 55% respectively with comparable referral dairy
or treating diarrhea. Although probiotic research to this point cattle caseloads to our own at the University of Wisconsin.
hasn’t been extremely successful in treating diarrhea, studies Other important findings in these papers included the obser-
with fecal microbiota transplantation or feeding rumen fluid to vation that cattle who could stand after the first flotation event
calves have shown promise in reducing the severity and dura- were 5 times more likely to survive as those that could not
tion of diarrhea. Moving forward, research to figure out how to (Burton et al 2009), alongside an increased odds of non-sur-
effectively and economically manipulate the gut-brain axis or vival when cattle were referred only after an extended period
microbiome of calves to limit diarrhea will be critical. Or said of recumbency, or when they demonstrated specific clinical
another way – what can I feed a calf to prevent or treat diar- or clinicopathologic abnormalities suggestive of a worsened
rhea effectively. status including tachycardia, tachypnea, hypothermia, elevat-
ed muscle enzymes or increased creatinine (Puerta-Parada

22
2021). Our own recent investigation into almost 200 cases calves responding appropriately to treatment and which calves
identified a comparable survival rate of 47% to discharge from have chronic lung damage and need to be culled. Ensuring
our hospital. We were also able to identify differences in out- that veterinarians work with farmers to establish some type
come according to cause, specifically cattle recumbent due to of system to recognize pneumonia early is critical to ensure a
calving paralysis or metabolic derangements (hypocalcemia good outcome.
and ketosis for example) being approximately 10 and 22 times 2. Culture and sensitivity data from nasal swabs or calves
more likely to survive respectively than those with certain or- that have died from BRD are likely unreliable- For years we
thopedic/musculoskeletal conditions. Appetite and the ability have used culture and sensitivity data to help establish treat-
to walk out of the flotation tank after the first floatation session ment protocols for various farms which often come from na-
were variables retained in a final multivariate variable model sal swabs or lung cultures taken from dead calves previously
in our study. treated with antimicrobials. It’s becoming clear that these data
Conclusion: In many countries worldwide, intensification may be unreliable. Studies show that bacteria in the upper air-
of the dairy industry is leading towards a smaller number of way may be quite different than what is actually in the lungs
larger dairy farms. The US experience suggest that this in- and either transtracheal wash or bronchoalvelolar lavage tech-
creases the likelihood that non-ambulatory cattle will be en- niques are much more reliable. Furthermore, the practitioner
countered – one method of management includes the use of often finds resistant pathogens in lung cultures from calves
flotation tanks. This equipment has dramatically increased in treated with antimicrobials, however these organisms are of-
availability in the US within the last 25 years. Prompt and ap- ten not representative of the actual bacteria causing disease
propriate use, alongside timely identification of cattle with poor within the herd. There is extremely limited data present in
prognostic indicators can reduce unnecessary animal suffer- calves that shows diagnostic testing and susceptibility results
ing and treatment costs. Large referral based studies suggest are positively correlated with treatment outcome. While deter-
that survival rates of 40-55% are achievable, and that rela- mining which pathogens are present in a herd is still helpful,
tively easy to identify parameters within the first 24 hours of establishing goals for treatment success and monitoring out-
flotation can be used to guide decision making. comes of therapy may be more effective than relying on sus-
References: Available on request. ceptibility testing to design protocols.
3. We need to consider treating calves longer for BRD-
Several studies using ultrasound have shown that many calves
treated for BRD continue to have lung lesions despite an ap-
parent resolution of clinical signs. There is also an increasing
K08 prevalence of Mycoplasma bovis found in dairy calves asso-
ciated with BRD. We know that Mycoplasma is able to persist
BRD Diagnostic and Treatment Approaches in Dairy Calves for weeks after calves are initially infected. It is able to evade
the immune system and survive in necrotic areas of the lung.
Geof Smith.
With the development on long-acting macrolide antibiotics, it
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA. has become common that calves receive a single antimicrobi-
al treatment lasting 7-10 days. New research would suggest
that many of these calves would do better with 2-3 weeks of
BRD remains an economically significant disease in dairy
therapy and perhaps as long as 30 days.
calves and multiple studies have shown that it has a significant
long-term economic impact on the future productivity of that 4. Minimizing stress is critical- There is a significant body
heifer. Calves that have been treated for pneumonia have a of data showing that various causes of stress including weath-
greater age at first calving, a higher cull rate and lower milk er, transport, nutrition, overcrowding and other diseases (like
production than calves from the same herd that were not treat- diarrhea) significantly increase the risk for BRD. Data also in-
ed for BRD. While prevention of respiratory disease is critical, dicates that some calves are able to tolerate stress better than
veterinarians need to be able to work with producers to recog- others. For example, one study demonstrated that calves with
nize disease promptly and institute successful treatment pro- elevated cortisol concentrations upon arrival to a veal farm
grams. This presentation will highlight research over the past had a significantly increased risk of developing severe pneu-
10 years on key approaches to diagnosing and treating respi- monia as compared to calves with lower levels of cortisol upon
ratory disease in the dairy calf. Key principles are as follows: arrival. We can use this information to limit stress but also as
a way to potentially genetically select for calves that may be
1. Early diagnosis is critical- The earlier BRD can be rec-
more resistant to developing BRD over time.
ognized, the higher the chances of treatment success. With
early treatment we also hope to minimize the long-term dam-
age done to lung tissue which may further reduce the animals’
potential for milk production in the future. There have been
a number of clinical scoring systems developed that farmers
can use to identify calves that need treated. In addition, lung
ultrasound of dairy calves has been developed which can
easily be implemented on farm. Ultrasound can be utilized to
answer several questions such as which calves need treated
for pneumonia, how effective are farm employees at identify-
ing pneumonia, what age is BRD beginning in the herd, are

23
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Immunology and Vaccines
Immunology and Vaccines auction markets between the years of 2015 and 2020. Blood
was collected on arrival via jugular venipuncture and was
K09 stored Tempus Blood RNA Tubes at -80 C. Cattle received
conventional management, with some groups receiving vac-
Bovine Immune System and the Implications for Disease cines or antimicrobials at arrival for BRD control. Cattle were
Resistance examined daily for clinical signs of BRD and were treated if
needed per standardized protocols. After 60 – 85 days, cattle
Ángel Abuelo Sebio.
that had been treated 0, 1, or 2 or more times, or died or were
Michigan State University, Dewitt, USA. euthanized due to BRD (Healthy, Treated_1, or Treated_2+)
were identified, and a sample of each group (n = 5 to 115)
was selected for RNA sequencing or NanoString nCounter
The ability of cows to resist the establishment of mastitis
gene expression profiling of banked blood samples. All RNA
is related, in part, to the efficiency of their immune system.
was isolated with Tempus Spin RNA isolation kits via manu-
However, many aspects of bovine innate and acquired host
facturer’s instruction. RNA sequencing and NanoString probe-
defenses are suboptimal in the transition period that contrib-
based expression analysis were performed with captured and
utes to increased severity and duration of diseases. Health
prepared polyadentylated mRNA. After data processing of
disorders occurring during this time may greatly impact the
sequenced reads via a HISAT2/StringTie pipeline, differen-
productive efficiency of dairy cattle in the ensuing lactation.
tially expressed genes (DEGs; FDR < 0.05) between Healthy,
Therefore, it is not surprising that considerable research ef-
Treated_1, and Treated_2+ cattle were identified using edg-
forts have focused on defining how host defenses change as
eR +/- DESeq2 likelihood ratio testing. NanoString gene ex-
a consequence of the lactation cycle and understanding those
pression output was normalized and statistically analyzed
factors that may contribute to immune dysfunction during this
with nSolver Advanced Analysis Software v4.0 in accordance
critical period. The immune system consists of a variety of bi-
with the nSolver Gene Expression Data Analysis Guidelines
ological components and processes that serve to protect dairy
(p<0.05). The relationship between DEG and treatment group
cows from pathogens. The primary roles of the mammary
was evaluated with multiclass receiver operating characteris-
immune system are to prevent microbial invasion, eliminate
existing infections and other sources of cellular injury, and re- tics (ROC) curve analysis, and development of a decision tree
store tissues to normal function. In cows, the immune system model based on expression of 6 genes (HERC6, IFI6, ISG15,
utilizes a multifaceted network of physical, cellular, and soluble MX1, LOC100297044, and CFB).
factors to facilitate defense against a diverse array of microbial Results: Over all seven groups of cattle, genes related
challenges. This integrated system of defense mechanisms is to production of specific proresolving mediators (SPM) and
highly regulated to maintain a delicate balance between the antimicrobial peptide production were upregulated in Healthy
activation of immunity needed to prevent the establishment of cattle relative to Treated_1 and/or Treated_2+ cattle. Genes
disease and resolution of activity once the threat of invasion related to type I interferon production, complement factor B,
has passed. This presentation will provide a brief overview of and proinflammatory processes were upregulated in Treat-
the bovine immune system, describe how suboptimal immune ed_2 cattle relative to Healthy and/or Treated_1 cattle. Ex-
responses can fail to prevent infections, and outline current pression profiles in Treated_1 cattle were similar in some ways
strategies to optimize immune responses in dairy cows during to Healthy, and in some ways to Treated_2+, suggesting that
times of increased susceptibility to disease. clinical diagnosis may have misclassified some Treated_1 cat-
tle. The decision tree model classified Treated_2+ cattle with
90% accuracy.
Conclusions: Analysis of whole blood transcriptomes in
cattle at arrival reveals differential expression of genes that
K10 consistently differentiate cattle that go on to stay healthy, or
require BRD treatment. To date our analysis has most reliably
Transcriptomics to define mechanisms of bovine respiratory predicated Treated_2+ cattle; this may be due to misclassifi-
disease (BRD) resistance cation of some Healthy and Treated_1 by clinical diagnosis. In
Amelia R. Woolums1, Matthew Scott2, Cypriana Swiderski3, Andy future research we plan to evaluate blood and airway gene ex-
Perkins1, Bindu Nanduri1, Brandi Karisch1. pression simultaneously in cattle with BRD, or at risk for BRD,
to refine our understanding of the relationship between DEG
Mississippi State University, USA; 2Texas A&M University VERO,
1
in blood and lung inflammation. Specific proresolving mediator
USA; 3University of Arizona, USA. expression may protect cattle from BRD; this hypothesis war-
rants further investigation.
Objectives: Our objectives were to define gene expres-
sion profiles identified in transcriptomes from whole blood
collected from beef cattle at high risk for bovine respiratory
disease (BRD) on the day they were received after purchase
(“at arrival”) and develop a disease prediction model from BRD
occurrence within 28 days after arrival.
Materials and Methods: Seven groups of mixed-breed
beef cattle weighing 182 – 273 kg were purchased from local

24
K11 er-vet relationships and flock health and welfare.

Materials and methods: Qualitative and quantitative data
Impact of Oxidative Stress on Inflammation and Immunity
were collected from veterinary surgeons and sheep farmers
Ángel Abuelo Sebio. by means of interviews and electronic surveys to assess the
impact of Flock Health Clubs.
Michigan State University, Dewitt, USA.
Results: Since May 2018, 115 veterinary surgeons have
Increased incidence of several economically important
reported running an active Flock Health Club, predominantly
diseases (i.e., mastitis, metritis, displaced abomasum and ke-
in UK but also in Ireland, Canada and Norway.
tosis) cause significant pre-harvest production losses in tran-
sition dairy cattle and decreases the availability of safe and Both farmers and veterinary surgeons are positive about
nutritious food for a growing global population. A major under- the contribution their Flock Health Club has made towards im-
lying factor responsible for the development of transition cow proved farmer–veterinary surgeon relationships and commu-
disorders is metabolic stress, which occurs when cows fail to nications with respect to sheep health and practices, resulting
adapt physiologically to an increase in energy requirements in more opportunities for veterinarians to work proactively with
needed for parturition and the onset of copious milk synthesis sheep farmers.
and secretion. Metabolic stress can be characterized as result- Positive changes in management practices included re-
ing from the combined effects of altered nutrient metabolism, ducing flock lameness, increased farmer confidence in their
dysfunctional inflammatory responses, and oxidative stress. ability to deal with lameness and a reduction in inappropriate
Together, these factors form destructive feedback loops that medicine use.
exacerbate metabolic stress and cause health disorders in Conclusions suggest that setting up a Flock Health Club
transition cows. A better understanding of how nutrition and within a practice has significant and measurable flock health
immunology interact to influence metabolic stress will facili- benefits which result from its ability to transform the relation-
tate the development of control programs to improve transition ship between sheep farmers and veterinary surgeons to im-
cow health. The ability to detect signs of metabolic stress early prove mutual confidence and motivation. They are considered
enough in the dry period to implement needed management to be constructive environments for both farmer peer to peer
adjustments prior to calving will be the key to successive mon- learning and veterinary-based knowledge exchange.
itoring and intervention programs. This presentation will focus
on the impact of oxidative stress has on inflammation and im-
munity and how controlling oxidative stress can assist in im-
proving dairy cattle health during the periparturient period.
K13
Effect of Estrus Expression and Estradiol Exposure on

pregnancy rates in Beef Cattle
K12
Gabriel Bo.
Sheep farmer-vet engagement - maximising mutual value Instituto de Reproducción Animal Córdoba (IRAC), Zona Rural
Fiona Lovatt. General Paz, (5145) Córdoba, Argentina. Instituto de Ciencias Básicas,
Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Villa María, Villa del
Flock Health Ltd., Barnard Castle, UK.
Rosario, Córdoba, Argentina
With over 15 million breeding ewes in the UK, the sheep in-
Synchronization of estrus and the timing of fixed-time
dustry is a significant livestock sector that fits well on the mar-
artificial insemination (FTAI) and ovulation are reproductive
ginal uplands or alongside arable rotations or other agricultural
technologies that have been utilized successfully to improve
enterprises. However historically, there was the danger of a
reproductive performance in beef herds. The main advantage
‘downward spiral’ in which sheep farmers perceived that veter-
of FTAI in beef cattle has been the possibility of obtaining high
inarians were expensive and neither sufficiently interested nor
pregnancy rates to AI (P/AI) without the necessity of estrus
expert enough to contribute to the success of the sheep en-
detection, which has been a challenge that has affected the
terprise. Further research suggested that many veterinarians
widespread application of AI in beef cattle world-wide.
did not have much contact with their sheep farmer clients, they
do not believe themselves to be sufficiently knowledgeable or There are basically two types of FTAI protocols current-
expert enough to be proactive and they do not necessarily be- ly used in beef cattle; gonadotropin realizing hormone (Gn-
lieve that farmers will pay for their services. RH)-based and estradiol-based, both of which are combined
with the use of progesterone (P4) releasing devices. Although
Sheep farmers who did see the benefit of regular veter-
FTAI is usually done without estrus detection, low pregnancy
inary involvement, suggested that a proactive veterinarian
rates have been reported when expression of estrus was low
might work with groups of smaller flocks and this initiated the
in beef cattle treated with GnRH-based protocols. In South
launch of the concept of Flock Health Clubs.
America, estradiol/P4-based protocols are commonly used to
Objective 1: Can this spiral could be reversed to the ben- synchronize follicular wave emergence and ovulation for FTAI
efit of both sheep farmers and sheep vets. in beef cattle. Ovulations are usually induced in these proto-
Objective 2: Are Flock Health Clubs beneficial to farm- cols with a low dose of estradiol cypionate (ECP) administered

25
at the time of removal of the P4 device. Although ECP may K14

induce expression of estrus in some cattle, the occurrence of
estrus at the time of FTAI after P4 device removal has been Presynchronization strategies in beef cattle: Optimizing
associated with greater P/AI. The failure to show behavioral hormonal response and fertility to FTAI
estrus after the removal of the P4 device in cows induced to A Garcia-Guerra, E. Rojas Canadas, A. E. Crist
ovulate with ECP may be because of low production of es-
tradiol associated with a small dominant follicle. Furthermore, Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus,
elevated preovulatory estradiol concentrations have been re- OH, USA.
ported to have a positive impact on subsequent conceptus
development, with cows exhibiting estrus having a greater In many countries, ovulation synchronization protocols for
conceptus length when compared to those not exhibiting es- fixed timed artificial insemination (FTAI), rely solely on the uti-
trus. We performed three experiments to evaluate the effects lization of GnRH for the control of follicle development. Devel-
of expression of estrus and gonadotropin releasing hormone opment of GnRH based synchronization protocols hinges on
(GnRH) treatment on pregnancies per AI (P/AI) in beef cattle the premise that administration of the initial GnRH will induce
that were treated with an estradiol/P4-based protocol for FTAI. ovulation resulting in the emergence of a new follicular wave
In Experiment 1, ovulation, as determined by ultrasonography, ~ 2 days later, and therefore, ensuring the presence of a new,
occurred earlier in cows that showed estrus (68.0 ± 2.5 h) than synchronized, dominant follicle at the final GnRH administra-
in cows that did not (82.0 ± 2.1 h, P < 0.05). Furthermore, tion. Results from research on suckled beef cows indicate that
cows that received GnRH ovulated earlier (78.0 ± 2.6 h) than cows in which ovulation occurs after initial GnRH have a larger
those that did not (86.0 ± 2.0, P < 0.05). Experiment 2, P/ dominant follicle and increased circulating estradiol (E2) con-
AI was greater (P < 0.01) in animals that were observed in centrations at the time of the final GnRH. Despite the afore-
estrus by 48 h (56.4%) than in those that did not show estrus mentioned benefits, the proportion of cows that have ovulation
(46.5%). Likewise, animals that did not show estrus but were in response to the initial GnRH rarely exceeds ~60% and can
treated with GnRH had greater P/AI (53.8%, P < 0.04) than be as low as ~25%. Ovulatory response after GnRH adminis-
those that did not receive GnRH (37.9%). Experiment 3 was tration in cattle is affected by follicular size and maturational
designed to determine the effect of delaying GnRH treatment status, as well as circulating concentrations of both proges-
to the time of FTAI (at 56 h) in cows not showing estrus by terone (P4) and E2. In this regard, elevated circulating P4 re-
48 h after P4 device removal. Cows that showed estrus by duces the magnitude of the GnRH-induced LH surge and the
48 h or 56 h had greater P/AI (62.3%, P < 0.05) than those resulting ovulatory response. As a result, presynchronization
did not show estrus (51.5%). Furthermore, when cows that did strategies have been designed, mainly for dairy cattle, to im-
not show estrus by 48 h were analyzed separately, P/AI were prove ovulatory response to the initial GnRH by promoting the
greater (P < 0.05) in those that received GnRH at 48 h and presence of a growing dominant follicle or reducing circulating
were FTAI by 56 h (64.9%) than in those that received GnRH P4. Thus, we conducted a series of studies to evaluate the ef-
concurrent with FTAI by 56 h after device removal (54.6%). Fi- fect of a presynchronization strategy designed to promote the
nally, another experiment evaluated the effect of expression of presence of a growing dominant follicle and reduced circulat-
estrus on pregnancy rates to embryo transfer (P/ET) and preg- ing P4 in order to maximize ovulatory response to GnRH and
nancy loses up to parturition in recipients synchronized with consequently improve synchronization and fertility to FTAI.
two estradiol-based protocols. In this experiment, pregnancy The presynchronization strategy utilized consists in the inser-
was determined at 30 and 60 d by ultrasonography, and all tion of a P4 device for 6 days, and PGF administration at the
pregnant recipients were followed until parturition to determine time of P4 device removal 48 hours before initiation of a 6-day
pregnancy losses during gestation. Overall, 88.0% (357/407) CO-Synch protocol (P4 Presynch + 6-day CO-Synch). The
of the recipients synchronized showed estrus and a greater P/ 6-day CO-Synch utilized was as follows: d-9 (insertion of a
ET (P = 0.05) was found in the recipients that showed estrus P4 device + GnRH); d-3 (P4 device removal + PGF); d0 (FTAI
(39.0%) vs. those that did not show estrus (26.0%). Pregnancy + GnRH). Utilization of the P4 Presynch + 6-day CO-Synch
losses were lower (P = 0.01) and the calving rate was higher in suckled beef cows improved (P<0.01) pregnancies per AI
(P = 0.01) in recipients that showed estrus (25.0% and 29.3%, (P/AI) compared to utilization of the 6-day CO-Synch without
respectively) than in those that did not (88.8% and 2.9%, re- presynchronization (64.4% vs 54.8%, respectively), despite
spectively). In summary, expression of estrus was associated no differences (P>0.20) in estrous expression (65% vs 62%,
with earlier ovulations and resulted in greater P/AI. Further- respectively). Yearling beef heifers that were presynchronized
more, the studies performed in embryo recipients have shown had greater estrous expression (84.9% vs 72.4%; P<0.01) and
that expression of estrus was also associated with a greater P/ tended to have greater P/AI (55.4% vs 47.5%; P=0.07) than
ET, lower embryo/fetal losses and greater calving rates. heifers receiving the 6-day CO-Synch alone. Subsequent-
ly, we evaluated the effect of a simpler presynchronization
strategy consisting of PGF 48 h before initiation of the 6-day
CO-Synch (PGF Presynch + 6-day CO-Synch). Suckled beef
cows and yearling heifers were randomly assigned to one of
the following groups: P4 Presynch + 6-day CO-Synch; PGF
Presynch + 6-day CO-Synch; or 6-day CO-Synch. Cows in the
P4 Presynch + 6-day CO-Synch group had greater (P<0.01)
P/AI (66.1%) than cows in the PGF Presynch + 6-day CO-
Synch (56.7%) and 6-day CO-Synch (51.5%) groups. Simi-

26
larly, heifers in the P4 Presynch + 6-day CO-Synch group expression of steroidogenic enzymes (P450scc, 3β-HSD and
had greater (P=0.02) P/AI (67.6%) than heifers in the PGF StAR) in the CL. Other studies have shown beneficial effects
Presynch + 6-day CO-Synch (53.4%) and 6-day CO-Synch of eCG in fixed-time AI (FTAI) programs in Bos taurus (200 IU)
(54.4%) groups. In conclusion, incorporation of presynchroni- and Bos indicus (200 IU) prepubertal heifers, and in grazing
zation strategies using a P4 device and PGF before initiation dairy cattle, administration of 400 IU eCG resulted in increased
of a CO-Synch treatment regimen significantly improves fertili- pregnancy rates after the first and second breeding, especially
ty to FTAI in suckled beef cows and yearling heifers. in AA cows. Although most of the reports on the use of eCG
were in cows synchronized with estradiol and progesterone
releasing devices, the use of eCG has also been reported to
benefit standard GnRH-based synchrony programs in suckled
beef cattle. The addition of eCG was shown to increase preg-
K15 nancy rates in Bos indicus cows in postpartum anestrus treat-
ed in a Co-Synch plus progesterone protocol, in primiparous
Using eCG to increase pregnancy rates in Beef Cattle Bos taurus cows in Canada and in Bos taurus in Ireland during
Gabriel Bo. the spring breeding season. However, there was no improve-
ment in pregnancy rates in older Bos taurus cows in good
Instituto de Reproducción Animal Córdoba (IRAC), Zona Rural BCS. In another study performed by our group in Argentina,
General Paz, (5145) Córdoba, Argentina. Instituto de Ciencias Básicas, the use of eCG in a 5-day Co-Synch plus progesterone proto-
Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Villa María, Villa del col was evaluated in comparison to the standard 8-day estra-
Rosario, Córdoba, Argentina. diol/progesterone protocol in 801 suckled beef cows in post-
partum anestrus and 183 suckled beef cows that were cycling.
Cattle are managed differently in different parts of the Cows in the 5-day Co-Synch group were treated with two PGF
world. Pastoral systems (usually in New Zealand, Australia, and half of the cows received 400 IU of eCG at progesterone
some European countries, South America and beef cattle in device removal. Cows in the estradiol-based treatment group
North-America) usually require the maintenance of a seasonal received 400 IU of eCG and 1 mg of ECP at progesterone
calving interval of ~12 months. Cows that do not maintain this device removal on Day 8. Cows were FTAI 52 to 56 hours
calving interval are usually culled as not pregnant, or if two after device removal in the estradiol group and 72 hours after
mating seasons are used, they are often moved to next breed- device removal in the 5-day Co-Synch groups. Although no
ing period. Although this may seem straightforward, the reality differences in P/AI were observed in the cycling cows, P/AI in
is that it is difficult to impregnate cows shortly after calving so cows in postpartum anestrus were higher in the groups receiv-
as to maintain a consistent calving interval without aggressive ing eCG (5-day Co-Synch: 46.3%; estradiol: 54.5%) than in
interventions. Several hormone treatment protocols have been the 5-day Co-Synch group that did not receive eCG (26.8%).
developed to control the timing of the first breeding, especially
in cows in anovulatory anestrus (AA). Postpartum cows that
are AA have insufficient pulsatile release of LH to support the
final stages of ovarian follicular development and ovulation,
limiting the effectiveness of fixed-time AI (FTAI) protocols. Ex- K16
ogenous progestins have been shown to increase LH pulse
Doppler ultrasonography for pregnancy diagnosis: Setup
frequency during and after treatment leading to ovulation;
and utilization in FTAI programs
however, the efficacy of such treatments can be compromised
in herds with a high proportion of AA cows and those with low A. Garcia-Guerra, S. R. Wellert.
body condition scores. Thus, gonadotropins are often included
Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus,
in synchronization protocols to improve FSH and LH support.
OH, USA.
One of the gonadotropins that has created much discussion is
equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG). This hormone is a large
molecular weight glycoprotein produced by endometrial cups Reproductive management programs in beef cattle em-
in the mare. In the mare, eCG has primarily an LH activity, ploy pregnancy diagnosis to identify animals which have failed
but in the cow it has either FSH or LH activity, depending on to conceive in order to make culling decisions or commence
the receptor populations in the ovary. Although eCG has been re-breeding. A short interval between breeding and pregnancy
been used to induce superovulation in a variety of species, the diagnosis is essential to the intensive utilization of fixed time
application of eCG at the time of removal of a progesterone artificial insemination (FTAI) programs. The earlier non-preg-
releasing device has been used extensively in fixed-time AI nant animals are identified, the sooner steps can be implement-
(FTAI) programs in Bos indicus (300 IU) and Bos taurus (400 ed for re-insemination and thus increase overall reproductive
IU) beef cattle. The most important effect of eCG is the stim- efficiency. Direct methods of pregnancy diagnosis are based
ulation of the growth of the dominant follicle which increases on the identification of conceptus components using transrec-
ovulation rate, especially in cows in postpartum anestrus and/ tal palpation or B-mode ultrasonography. Conversely, indirect
or with low body condition scores (BCS). However, treatment methods are based on the identification of hormones or con-
with eCG also increases circulating progesterone concentra- ceptus-specific substances such as progesterone and preg-
tions in the subsequent luteal phase with an associated in- nancy associated glycoproteins, respectively. Ultrasonographic
creased in CL diameter and increased progesterone produc- evaluation of the corpus luteum (CL) and the identification of
tion. It has been shown that treatment with eCG increases the luteolysis can serve as an indirect method of non-pregnancy

27
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Buffaloes and Camelids
diagnosis. The reduction in circulating progesterone character- Buffaloes and Camelids

istic of CL regression is temporally associated with a marked
decrease in CL perfusion which can be identified using color K17
flow Doppler ultrasonography (CFDU). Thus, CFDU of the CL
has the potential to be used for early pregnancy diagnosis in Development of an alpacas breeding program in Peru
order to improve reproductive efficiency and increase the use
of FTAI in beef cattle. A series of experiments were performed Juan Pablo Gutiérrez García.
to determine the diagnostic performance of CFDU in beef cattle UCM, Madrid, Spain.
and its utilization in a resynchronization program for FTAI. In ex-
periment 1, beef heifers and cows were submitted to FTAI using
a 5-day CO-Synch. At d21, post AI, CFDU of the CL was per- Alpaca is a South American camelid specie bred mainly to
formed using different settings for Color Flow Mapping (CFM) produce noble fiber for the textile industry. Suri and Huacaya
and Power Doppler (PWD) which differed in pulse repetition fre- are the two genetic types clearly differentiated in their mor-
quency (PRF) as follows: CFM720 (720 Hz); CFM960 (960 Hz); phology and fiber characteristics, with a higher proportion of
CFM1500 (1500 Hz) and PWD960 (960 Hz). Cows and heifers the second one due to its higher robustness. The Suri has long
were diagnosed pregnant if color pixels covered >10% of the and lustrous fibers that hang down against its body, while Hua-
periphery of the CL, and contained at least two, color internal caya fiber is crimp and grows perpendicular to the skin. Paco-
tracts penetrating towards the center of the CL. Sensitivity and marca is an experimental farm founded to act as a selection
specificity of CFDU were not different (P>0.50) between differ- nucleus from which basic genetic improvement of alpaca fiber
ent PRF settings, however, the sensitivity (100%) and specificity can spread throughout the rural communities in the Peruvian
(87.7%) for CFM960 was numerically greater. In experiment 2, Altiplano. State-of-art techniques in animal science, such as
beef heifers were submitted to FTAI using a 5-day CO-Synch performance recording and genealogical control are applied to
and randomized to receive a CIDR or remain as untreated con- demonstrate their usefulness in improvement programs under
trols on d15 post AI. Transrectal CFDU of the CL was performed the Altiplano conditions. Searching for new ways of improving
at 15, 17, 20, and 22 d post AI to determine pregnancy sta- the performance of alpacas both technically and scientifically
tus. There was no effect of treatment (P=0.49), day (P=0.99) is continuously carried out while training courses for farmers
or treatment by day interaction (P=0.99) on CFDU sensitivity are organized. Pacomarca has developed useful software
(>95%). Conversely, CFDU specificity was different (P<0.01) (PacoPro) to carry out the integral processing of production
between days, although no treatment (P=0.91) or treatment and genealogical data. Mating is carried out individually, and
by day interaction (P=0.82) was identified. Specificity was less gestation is diagnosed via ultrasound. Mechanized shearing is
on d15 (20.5%) and increased to reach its maximum at d22 carried out under a specific own developed normative that has
(74.4%). In experiment 3, we evaluated the reproductive per- been adopted as national norm, so as the animal is protected
formance of beef cattle submitted to an early resynchronization and the fleece value is maximized. Breeding values predicted
program for 2nd service using CFDU of the CL for early preg- from genetic evaluation are used for selection. Selection ob-
nancy diagnosis. Beef heifers and suckled cows were submit- jective is decreasing or removing the prickling of the alpaca
ted to a 6-day CO-Synch for 1st service and assigned to begin fiber, and decreasing fiber diameter has been used as the
resynchronization for 2nd service at d16 (Resynch-16) or d25 main selection criterion during the last decade. Morphological
(Resynch-25). Cattle in the Resynch-16 group received a CIDR traits have also been partly considered as part of the selection
at d16 post 1st FTAI. On d22, CIDRs were removed, pregnancy criterion. Genetic parameters have been precisely estimated
diagnosis was performed using CFDU (CFM960) and non-preg- from the data concerning these and other candidate traits to
nant cattle were administered PGF. Cattle in the Resynch-25 selection as well as genetic correlations among them. Fiber
group received a CIDR and GnRH at d25 post 1st FTAI. On traits heritabilities estimated were moderate to high, those for
d31 CIDR were removed, pregnancy was diagnosed using morphological traits being moderate, those for reproductive
B-mode ultrasonography and non-pregnant cattle were admin- traits low, and those for weight traits high. Genetic correla-
istered PGF. In both groups, non-pregnant cattle were submit- tions among different type of traits were not relevant except
ted to 2nd FTAI and administered GnRH at 60 (heifers) or 72 h those between fiber and weight traits that were high and un-
(cows) after CIDR removal. First service P/AI at d31 tended to favorable, showing that both productive aptitudes are at odds.
be greater (P=0.07) for Resynch-25 (60.9%) than Resynch-16 Successful genetic trend has been observed by a reduction of
(53.5%) cows, while there was no difference (P=0.52) between fiber diameter from 22.5 to 17.9 microns from 2007 to 2019.
groups for heifers (47.2%). Fertility to 2nd service was greater Selection objective continues being removing the prickling of
(P=0.01) for cows submitted to Resynch-25 (28.6%) than Re- the alpaca fiber, but selection criterion has been moved to re-
synch-16 (10.4%), however, there were no differences (P=0.25) ducing the percentage of medulated fiber in the last four years.
between groups for heifers (52.1%). Cumulative P/AI (1st and After 20 years of intense selection, the variability among the
2nd service) was greater (P<0.01) for Resynch-25 (72.1%) than best 36 sires was still very high concerning different propor-
Resynch-16 (57.0%) in cows and tended to be greater (P=0.09) tions of medullation and fiber diameter, which results promis-
for Resynch-25 (76.5%) than Resynch-16 (66.1%) in heifers. In ing. Selection work continues while the farm remains involved
conclusion, CFDU performed at d22 after FTAI has high sensi- in high research standards for alpaca genetics.
tivity and moderate to high specificity. Although, use of CFDU
and early resynchronization allows for faster re-insemination of
non-pregnant cattle, overall fertility is less than with later resyn-
chronization strategies

28
K18 increased the proportion of viable oocytes for culture and

embryos produced per OPU-IVEP session, suggesting that
Assisted reproductive technologies in buffaloes: techniques the use of FSH treatment may be a strategy to improve the
and outcomes efficiency of OPU/IVEP in buffalo. In addition, another fact to
Pietro Baruselli Sampaio, Lígia Mattos Rebeis, Laís Ângelo De Abreu. be considered when evaluating the efficiency of IVEP is the
bull effect. The semen of certain bulls shows high blastocyst
USP, Sao Paolo, Brasil. rates and improve the efficiency of the ET programs. The use
of calves as oocyte donors is an important strategy to accel-
Buffaloes present reproductive seasonality and become erate genetic gain by decreasing generation intervals. We
sexually active with decreasing days (short days) during compared the embryo production of calves (2 to 4 months) in
the late summer to early autumn. The use of assisted re- relation to prepubertal heifers (13 to 15 months) and lactat-
productive technologies (ART) such as artificial insemination ing buffaloes. Although the embryo rate was lower in calves
(AI) and embryo transfer (ET) are important alternatives for compared to prepubertal heifers and lactating buffaloes, the
maximizing the genetic gain and productivity of this species. P/TE was similar between categories (around 35%), which
This review aims to elucidate some aspects of the ART and demonstrates the feasibility of this technique for donor buffa-
their outcomes in buffalo production system. The use of AI lo calves. Therefore, synchronization protocols are designed
has already proved to be a reliable technology in increasing to control both luteal and follicular function and permit fixed-
genetic progress in buffalo herds. However, the low efficien- time AI with high pregnancy rates during the buffalo breeding
cy of traditional estrus detection system makes this biotech- (autumn-winter) and nonbreeding (spring-summer) season.
In addition, the application of OPU/IVEP is showing promis-
nology difficult to be used in this species. Buffaloes present
ing results and has become an alternative to superovulation
poor manifestation of the symptoms of estrus, mainly due to
for in vivo embryo production. Therefore, nowadays AI and
low frequency of homosexual behavior. The use of hormonal
ET can be implemented commercially in buffalo farm to in-
treatments based on GnRH plus PGF2a (Ovsynch protocol)
crease the meat and milk production.
for timed artificial insemination (TAI) present satisfactory re-
sults in cycling buffalo. However, studies have shown that
anestrous buffaloes synchronized with Ovsynch have a lower
P/AI when compared to cycling buffaloes (20.0 vs. 65.3%).
In contrast, research carried out by our group showed that
the use of protocols based on P4, E2 and eCG can pres- K19
ent favorable P/AI both in the non-breeding (high presence
of anestrous) and in the breeding season (66.7 vs. 62.7%), Diagnostic and surgical approaches in Italian mediterranean
enabling the application of AI throughout the year. ET is an buffaloes in the field
effective technique in accelerating maternal and paternal ge- Antonio Natale.
netic gain with a consequent increase in herd productivity. In
buffaloes, however, the production of in vivo-derived (IVD) Freelance, Italy.
embryo has low efficiency. Studies carried out by our group
show that despite responding to superstimulation (average of Objectives: In the last 70 years in Italy, precisely in Cam-
15 follicles > 8 mm at the end of FSH treatment) with a moder- pania and in the DOP area “(Mozzarella di Bufala Campana
ate ovulation rate (approximately 60%), the embryo recovery DOP)” the management and managerial techniques of buffalo
rate (number of embryos and ova recovered per ovulation) breeding (Italian Mediterranean Buffalo) have undergone an
is low (34.8%). While IVD present low efficiency in buffalo, intense acceleration, leading to a profound transformation of
in vitro production (IVEP) has been studied as an alterna- the buffalo breeding, with a numerical increase and genetic
tive and positive results have been achieved in recent years. improvement of this species, with appreciable both productive
Historically, the association of follicular aspiration (OPU) and reproductive results.
with IVEP presented low results in buffalo when compared It should be noted that the dairy buffalo (Italian Mediterra-
to cattle. However, recent studies show that is possible to nean buffalo) and the dairy cow belong to the same suborder,
select buffalo donors using different technologies to improve but are to be considered as two DIFFERENT SPECIES. For
the ET efficiency. Antral follicle population (AFP) is directly this reason, the approaches to nutrition, reproduction and pro-
associated with the number of oocytes recovered by OPU for duction require different strategies and operations.
IVEP and the number of embryos produced per procedure.
Specifying that buffalo milk represents the most important
Furthermore, strong relationship between AFP and anti-Mul-
economic aspect for the farmer, and bearing in mind that the
lerian hormone (AMH) was found in buffalo. Studies carried
milk itself has dairy processing as its sole destination, it has
out by our group suggest that AMH can be considered an
become necessary in recent years to improve both quantity
endocrine marker to predict the performance of IVEP in buf-
and quantity in a uniform and substantial way.
faloes. Recently, superstimulation with FSH prior to OPU has
been used successfully in IVEP programs in buffalo, resulting To this end, to obtain the protein and lipid increase in milk,
in the increase of total embryos produced per OPU session. a higher yield, it was essential to make a substantial change
We found that FSH treatment prior to OPU increased the in the forage / concentrate ratio in the diet, resorting more and
proportion of medium and large diameter follicles available more to the concentrates in the ration to meet the needs of the
for OPU procedure in all buffalo donor categories (heifers, species (Italian Mediterranean buffalo).
primiparous and multiparous). Furthermore, FSH treatment This new nutritional concept has led to the appearance of

29
those metabolic pathologies typical of high-production dairy in the forage / concentrate ratio in the diet, resorting more and
cattle in the buffalo species (Italian Mediterranean buffalo). more to the concentrates in the ration to meet the needs of the
That is, technopathies that lead to pathological situations re- species (Italian Mediterranean buffalo).
sulting from the alteration of the normal homeostatic balance This new nutritional concept has led to the appearance of
of the buffalo. those metabolic pathologies typical of high-production dairy
The topics covered by “(BuBoVet srl)” concern the most cattle in the buffalo species (Italian Mediterranean buffalo).
important pathologies of metabolic origin which have an evo- That is, technopathies that lead to pathological situations re-
lution of surgical interest with the relative operative techniques sulting from the alteration of the normal homeostatic balance
to be applied in the field: breech pathologies (pododermatitis, of the buffalo.
phlegmon, white line diseases, etc.). ) but above all left and The topics covered by “(BuBoVet srl)” concern the most
right abomasal dislocation, dilation-dislocation of the cecum, important pathologies of metabolic origin which have an evo-
post-partum uterine prolapse, prolapse of the rectum. Further- lution of surgical interest with the relative operative techniques
more, “(BuBoVet srl)” describes the most commonly used sur-
to be applied in the field: breech pathologies (pododermatitis,
gical treatments such as: caesarean section, abdominal sur-
phlegmon, white line diseases, etc.). ) but above all left and
gery in heifers and calves, resolution of distal limb fractures in
right abomasal dislocation, dilation-dislocation of the cecum,
buffaloes (Italian Mediterranean buffalo).
post-partum uterine prolapse, prolapse of the rectum. Further-
Conclusions: The topics covered by “(BuBoVet srl)” con- more, “(BuBoVet srl)” describes the most commonly used sur-
cern the most important pathologies of metabolic origin which gical treatments such as: caesarean section, abdominal sur-
have an evolution of surgical interest with the relative opera- gery in heifers and calves, resolution of distal limb fractures in
tive techniques to be applied in the field: breech pathologies buffaloes (Italian Mediterranean buffalo).
(pododermatitis, phlegmon, white line diseases, etc.). ) but
Conclusions: The topics covered by “(BuBoVet srl)” con-
above all left and right abomasal dislocation, dilation-disloca-
cern the most important pathologies of metabolic origin which
tion of the cecum, post-partum uterine prolapse, prolapse of
have an evolution of surgical interest with the relative opera-
the rectum. Furthermore, “(BuBoVet srl)” describes the most
tive techniques to be applied in the field: breech pathologies
commonly used surgical treatments such as: caesarean sec-
(pododermatitis, phlegmon, white line diseases, etc.). ) but
tion, abdominal surgery in heifers and calves, resolution of dis-
above all left and right abomasal dislocation, dilation-disloca-
tal limb fractures in buffaloes (Italian Mediterranean buffalo).
tion of the cecum, post-partum uterine prolapse, prolapse of
the rectum. Furthermore, “(BuBoVet srl)” describes the most
commonly used surgical treatments such as: caesarean sec-
tion, abdominal surgery in heifers and calves, resolution of dis-
tal limb fractures in buffaloes (Italian Mediterranean buffalo).
K20
Diagnostic and surgical approached in Italian

Mediterranean Buffaloes in the field (II)
Antonio Natale.
Freelance, Italy.
Objectives: In the last 70 years in Italy, precisely in Cam-

pania and in the DOP area “(Mozzarella di Bufala Campana
DOP)” the management and managerial techniques of buffalo
breeding (Italian Mediterranean Buffalo) have undergone an
intense acceleration, leading to a profound transformation of
the buffalo breeding, with a numerical increase and genetic
improvement of this species, with appreciable both productive
and reproductive results.
It should be noted that the dairy buffalo (Italian Mediterra-
nean buffalo) and the dairy cow belong to the same suborder,
but are to be considered as two DIFFERENT SPECIES. For
this reason, the approaches to nutrition, reproduction and pro-
duction require different strategies and operations.
Specifying that buffalo milk represents the most important
economic aspect for the farmer, and bearing in mind that the
milk itself has dairy processing as its sole destination, it has
become necessary in recent years to improve both quantity
and quantity in a uniform and substantial way.
To this end, to obtain the protein and lipid increase in milk,
a higher yield, it was essential to make a substantial change

30
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Small Ruminants
Small Ruminants condemnations were again diagnosed at the slaughterhouse,

reconfirming the presence of A. ovis in affected animals. The
K21 percentage of condemnation in affected flocks is usually close
to 40% during late spring.
Ovine anaplasmosis, an emerging disease in Europe A study about possible antibiotic treatments to control an-
Delia Lacasta Lozano. aplasmosis in affected lambs was carried out in 2021. Oral
and injectable doxycycline and oxytetracycline were used in
Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain. A. ovis infected lambs. It was concluded that injectable oxytet-
racycline and doxycycline reduce the bacterial load of A. ovis
Ovine anaplasmosis, an emerging disease in Europe, is in blood. However, oral doxycycline does not reduce condem-
being spread quickly through sheep flocks, causing relevant nations of jaundiced carcasses at the abattoir.
economic losses. This disease was described in tropical and Further studies are needed in treatment and prevencion of
subtropical countries as a mild disease that did not produce this emerging disease.
relevant clinical signs. However, when this bacterium enters
a naive population, the clinical picture can be much more se-
vere. Since 2014, when an outbreak of ovine anaplasmosis
was diagnosed for the first time in Spain, the number of severe
clinical cases of anaplasmosis has increased. K22
Anaplasma ovis is an obligate intraerythrocytic Gram-neg-
ative bacteria that belongs to the family Anaplasmataceae. Responsible use of medicines in sheep flocks - antibiotics,
This species is primarily transmitted by ticks, particularly the anthelmintics, supplements
genera Ixodes, Dermacentor, Rhipicephalus and Amblyomma Fiona Lovatt.
and can infect sheep, goats and wild ruminants. The bacterium
replicates by binary fission within the erythrocyte and leaves it Flock Health Ltd., Barnard Castle, UK.
using a not well-defined mechanism, but apparently not lytic,
to infect new erythrocytes. Thus, the haemolytic anaemia as- Responsible use of medicines has been described as us-
sociated with this disease results from the immune response. ing the ‘right product for the right condition in the right animal
During the acute phase, the number of infected erythrocytes in the right way and at the right time’ or ‘as little as possible but
doubles every 24-48 hours. However, this is a chronic pro- as much as necessary’.
cess, and the destruction of the erythrocytes is slow and pro-
However arguably, responsible use of medicines is not
gressive, and the animal begins to show noticeable changes
necessarily about how to use treatments at all but about how
around 30-40 days after infection.
to ensure good health. To achieve this, the mantra Plan Pre-
Depending on the naïve immune system, age, and other vent Protect (Lovatt et al., 2019) has been increasingly widely
still unknown factors, there are animals in which anaemia goes adopted to encourage responsible use of medicines. This is an
unnoticed and others in which this disease causes severe clin- encouragement to the veterinary surgeon and farmer to plan
ical signs. The acute phase of the disease is characterised ahead, to prevent unnecessary disease, for example though
by nonspecific weakness, depression, a marked loss of body the provision of a good environment, good hygiene and good
condition, fever peaks, progressive anaemia and finally, the nutrition and to protect the flock through appropriate vaccina-
death of the animals due to secondary infections. Severely tion or via the provision of sufficient quality colostrum to neo-
affected animals that do not die often have to be culled due nates.
to lack of production. There are some flocks where the num-
Improvement in practical antimicrobial stewardship is es-
ber of affected animals can be very high, causing significant
sential, with clear motivations from both the One Health and
economic losses, especially since the most commonly affect-
human health perspective. The emergence of antimicrobial re-
ed sheep are yearlings. The infected animals that survive the
sistance (AMR) is widely recognised as a leading global health
infection remain infected for life, maintaining a high bacterial
threat with significant implications for the future of both human
load in the blood for at least seven years.
and veterinary medicine.
Until 2020 the disease had only been diagnosed in adult
It has been suggested (O Neill, 2016) that, by 2050, there
sheep in Spain, with the highest incidence in one or two-year-
will be 10 million global human deaths annually due to AMR.
old animals. However, in 2020, an outbreak of ovine anaplas-
This projected figure is backed up by a Lancet report (Mur-
mosis was diagnosed for the first time in fattening lambs. After
ray et al., 2022) that estimates that, in 2019, there were 1.27
the slaughter of apparently healthy three-month-old lambs,
million human deaths directly attributable to, and 4.95 million
34.84% showed jaundiced carcasses. All tested lambs with
associated with, bacterial AMR.
icteric carcasses had severe regenerative anaemia just be-
fore slaughter and showed positive A. ovis PCR with a high Already we know that there are flocks and farms as well
bacterial load in blood. During the spring of 2020, similar clin- as individual people and animals that carry bacteria resistant
ical cases were diagnosed in different geographical areas of to many of the commonly known antibiotics (eg. Duncan et
Spain, reaching percentages close to 2% of lamb carcasses al., 2019) and we know that AMR can pass between differ-
condemnation due to jaundice at the Mercazaragoza slaugh- ent bacteria with no respect of species barrier or geographical
terhouse (Zaragoza, Spain), causing very relevant economic boundaries.
losses. In the spring of 2021, cases of jaundiced carcasses From a veterinary point of view, practitioners are increas-

31
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Small Ruminants
ingly finding common conditions that are resistant to available microorganisms have been associated with ORC:
antimicrobials with implications that compromise animal health Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Biber-
and welfare and have consequential impacts on the mental steinia trehalosi and Mycoplasma sp., usually in mixed
well-being of veterinary practitioners, their wider practice team isolations. The ORC has three clinical forms of pre-
and their clients. sentation: hyperacute, causing sudden deaths, acute,
In the UK, the responsible use of antimicrobials throughout with fever, anorexia, depression, lethargy and severe
the livestock sectors have been a focus for the last six years, respiratory clinical signs and the chronic form, causing
though arguably it has followed the sustainable use of para- mixed dyspnea, cough and chronic weight loss.
siticides, which led the charge in 2003 via standards set by • Ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA) is a conta-
the multi-stakeholder group SCOPS (Sustainable Control of gious lung cancer of sheep caused by jaagsiekte sheep
Parasites in Sheep). retrovirus (JSRV). OPA-affected sheep show signs of
Worm control on sheep farms is a particular challenge due an afebrile respiratory condition associated with loss of
to the ready availability of cheap anthelmintics. However, in- weight. Initially, mixed dyspnoea and moist respiratory
creasing anthelmintic resistance means that sustainable lamb sounds (crackles and rhonchi), caused by the accumu-
production requires a more complicated model than worked in lation of fluid in the respiratory airways, are detected.
the past. Sheep farmers are no longer able to stick to rigid for- In the final stages, variable amounts of frothy seromu-
mat of three weekly dosing with the cheapest drench and there cous pulmonary fluid are discharged from the nostrils
is increasingly a need for them to work with trusted advisors when the sheep’s head is lowered (wheelbarrow test).
such as veterinarians to future-proof their enterprise, to devel- • Aspiration (gangrenous) pneumonia is caused by
op sustainable worm control plans and only to treat based on inhalation of foreign materials, producing inflamma-
diagnostic evidence. tion and necrosis of the lung parenchyma. Most of the
For sustainable progress in the responsible use of all med- microorganisms producing gangrenous pneumonia
icines, it is essential that veterinarians, the gate-keepers of are normal inhabitants of the nasopharynx or the en-
animal health and welfare, are empowered to make good de- vironment, being Trueperella pyogenes, Pasteurella
cisions, to communicate well and to work collaboratively with multocida and Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, the most
both farmers and colleagues. frequently isolated microorganisms. Respiratory signs
may include coughing, mixed or expiratory dyspnea,
crackles and rhonchi when the process progresses
sufficiently; abnormal breath odour can be detected
suggestive of the necrotising exudates.
K23 NON-PRODUCTIVE DISORDERS:

• Pulmonary form of lentivirosis. The respiratory clin-
Differential diagnosis of lower respiratory tract diseases in ical form of lentivirosis (SRLV) is the most prevalent,
adult sheep and it is generally seen in adult animals (≥2 years old).
Animals with pulmonary lentivirosis show dyspnea and
Delia Lacasta Lozano.
tachypnea, weakness, loss of weight and delay in walk-
Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain. ing with the flock. No cough, nasal discharge or fever is
observed in uncontaminated cases. However, multiple
concurrent diseases such as OPA, CRO or gangre-
Due to its particular anatomy and physiology, multiple
nous pneumonia can be present, thus complicating the
diseases settle in the respiratory system of small ruminants,
clinical diagnosis of the disease.
which entails wide and varied differential diagnoses of these
disorders. This, coupled with the difficulties involved in differ- • Visceral form of Caseous lymphadenitis (CLA), is
entiating the clinical signs, makes the differential diagnosis of caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. In
respiratory diseases challenging. In this context, diagnostic the visceral form, most of the affected animals had le-
imaging techniques become a very useful tool to reach the sions in the respiratory system. For that reason, this
final clinical diagnosis of these conditions. disease is also included in the differential diagnosis of
lower respiratory tract diseases. Respiratory clinical
As most of the diseases that settle in the lung produce
signs associated with CLA are often not readily rec-
very similar clinical signs, it is crucial to perform a comprehen-
ognised because only dyspnoea is detected without
sive clinical examination of the respiratory system. Depending
audible sounds of the thoracic cavity.
on the severity of the process, mixed or expiratory dyspnea
and tachypnea will be common clinical signs of all lower tract • Verminous pneumonia. The main pulmonary para-
diseases. The cough and the adventitious sounds (crackles, sites of sheep are Dictyocaulus filaria, Protostrongylus
rhonchi, and wheezes) will help us differentiate if it is a produc- rufescens and Muellerius capillaris.
tive or non-productive disorder, which will be critical to guide a In productive disorders with moist cough and adventitious
proper diagnosis. sounds, the wheelbarrow test must be carried out to confirm
PRODUCTIVE DISORDERS: or rule out OPA. In addition, the exhaled air after coughing
must be smelled to detect necrotising processes associated
• Ovine Respiratory complex (ORC) is a complex dis-
with gangrenous pneumonia. If both diseases are ruled out,
ease process involving a range of host-pathogen-en-
the most likely cause of the disease will be ORC. In the case
vironment interactions (HPE). Several commensal

32
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Reproduction in Dairy Cattle
of non-productive disorders, the symptoms are pretty inappar- Reproduction in Dairy Cattle
ent, and the clinical diagnosis is challenging. Ultrasonography
is an advantageous diagnostic technique that can be easily K27
applied in farm conditions. The etiological diagnosis can be
made in living animals by bronchoalveolar lavage or after nec- The implications of spontaneous versus synchronized
ropsy with an aseptic sampling of affected lung tissue and me- ovulations on the reproductive performance of high-
diastinal lymph nodes. producing dairy cows
Paul Fricke.
University of Wisconsin – Madison, USA.
K24 In species classified as induced ovulators, the LH surge

is induced by the act of coitus thereby precisely timing insem-
mRNA therapy to induce passive immunity in ruminants ination relative to ovulation. Lactating dairy cows are sponta-
Amelia R. Woolums1, Merrilee Thoresen1, E. Heath King1, Santiago neous ovulators. Thus, the LH surge is induced by a cascade
Cornejo1, Hannah E. Peck2, Daryll Vanover2, Philip J. Santangelo2. of endocrine events beginning with an increase in follicular
estradiol in the absence of luteal progesterone, a GnRH surge
Mississippi State University, USA; 2Emory University, USA.
1
from the hypothalamus is then followed by an LH surge from
the anterior pituitary, followed by ovulation. Increased estra-
Objectives: Our objective was to determine whether mes- diol in the absence of progesterone causes behavioral estrus
senger RNA (mRNA) treatment of a ruminant mucosal surface which is manifested by increased physical activity and stand-
could lead to rapid expression of antibody, which could provide ing to be mounted. Detection of behavioral estrus either visu-
passive immunity to infection within hours of treatment. ally, through the use of estrus detection aids, or via automated
activity monitoring systems is widely used to determine tim-
Materials and Methods: Initial studies were conducted
ing of AI. Cow-related factors that limit service rates include
in sheep. Yearling non-pregnant Kathadin-cross ewes were
the association of high milk production and duration of estrus,
treated intravaginally with a topical spray of mRNA encoding
ovulation failure after estrus, ovulation in the absence of be-
a broadly neutralizing antibody to human immunodeficiency
havioral estrus, and anovular conditions which affect 20% to
virus. Subsequently, Holstein calves weighing 127 – 172 kg
30% of dairy cows at the end of the voluntary waiting period.
were treated by respiratory aerosol with mRNA encoding a
One factor that limits fertility to spontaneous estrus is the high
neutralizing antibody to influenza. At 24 hours or later times
variation among cows in the timing of ovulation relative to in-
post treatment, animals were euthanized to evaluate expres-
creased activity resulting in imprecise timing of AI relative to
sion of antibody on treated mucosal surfaces.
ovulation. Another factor is the high rate of hepatic metabo-
Results: In both sheep and cattle, expression of neutral- lism of estradiol and progesterone associated with high feed
izing antibody on treated mucosal surfaces was confirmed intake in high-producing cows. Under this endocrine milieu,
within 24 hours after treatment. In cattle treated by respira- development of preovulatory follicles from deviation until ovu-
tory aerosol, expression was widely evident in the treated lation occurs in a prolonged low-progesterone environment
lung. Microscopic evaluation indicated that mucosal epithelial marked by high frequency LH pulses that overstimulate the
cells were transfected by the topically applied mRNA and then oocyte and compromise fertility similar to a persistent follicle.
expressed antibody. Treated animals showed no adverse re- Development of the Ovsynch protocol turned dairy cows into
actions during treatment, and no evidence of inflammation in induced ovulators, which allowed for increased service rates
treated tissues was evident postmortem. and precise timing of AI relative to ovulation. Subsequent
Conclusions: While studies to date have evaluated ex- modifications of the Ovsynch protocol, including presynchroni-
pression of antibodies to human pathogens, they nevertheless zation strategies and complete induction of luteal regression,
demonstrate that ruminants can be induced to produce spe- lead to fertility programs that yield greater fertility than that of
cific neutralizing antibodies rapidly after topical treatment of a detected estrus in high-producing dairy cows.
mucosal epithelia with mRNA. This approach merits further in-
vestigation as a method to provide rapid local protection from
a variety of infectious agents.
K29
Optimizing use of sexed and beef semen in dairy heifers

Paul Fricke.
University of Wisconsin – Madison, USA.
Our objective was to evaluate reproductive management

programs for submission of Holstein heifers for first insemina-
tion with sexed semen. Nulliparous Holstein heifers (n = 736)

33
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Udder Health and Mastitis
from three commercial farms were randomized within farm Udder Health and Mastitis
to one of three treatments for first AI with sexed semen: 1)
CIDR5 (d -6, GnRH +CIDR; d -1, PGF2a -CIDR; d 0, PGF2a; d K30
2, GnRH+TAI); 2) CIDR6 (d -6, GnRH +CIDR; d -1, PGF2a; d
0, PGF2a -CIDR; d 2, GnRH+TAI); and 3) EDAI (PGF2a on d 0 How the milking machine influences mastitis
followed by once daily estrus detection and AI). Heifers detect-
ed in estrus 24 h before TAI (d 1) were inseminated and the Ian Ohnstad.
protocol was discontinued. All heifers were inseminated with The Dairy Group (UK).
sexed semen (ABS Sexcel™ Sexed Genetics, DeForest, WI)
from sires that were randomly allocated between treatments
within each farm, and AI technicians were blind to treatment Objectives: A fully functioning milking machine, correctly
at AI. Heifers were followed for 84 d after first service to de- installed, maintained and operated will milk the vast majority
termine days to AI and pregnancy. Actual farm costs (US$) of cows effectively, efficiently and with minimal adverse effects
were used for hormonal treatments, detection of estrus, se- on udder health and cow behaviour.
men and AI, pregnancy diagnosis, and feed ($1.70/heifer/d) Although we continually improve our understanding of the
to calculate cost per pregnancy. Feed costs for nonpregnant relationship between the cow, machine and operator, there re-
heifers or heifers moved to a bull pen during the 84-d breeding mains room for improvement. Although the milking machine is
period (n=112) were allocated to the feed costs for heifers that often blamed for high somatic cell counts and clinical mastitis
became pregnant during the 84-d breeding period. Pregnan- only 6 to 20% of new mastitis infections were related to the af-
cy outcomes were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure fects of the milking machine, either directly or indirectly (Mein,
of SAS with farm included as a random effect in the model. 2004).
Costs were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS with Materials and Methods: However, poorly operating milk-
treatment as a fixed effect and farm as a random effect in the ing equipment can lead to sub-optimal teat conditions and, but
model. Delaying CIDR removal decreased early expression not always, lead to udder health problems (IDF Bulletin, 1994).
of estrus before scheduled TAI (0.004%vs. 27.8%); howev-
In addition, our scientific knowledge of the impact of machine
er, CIDR5 heifers tended to have more P/AI at 35 (52.9% vs.
milking and its use on udder health has often not been passed
45.3% vs. 45.8%) and 64 (51.8% vs. 44.8% vs. 44.9%) d after
down to the milking staff.
AI than CIDR6 and EDAI heifers, respectively. Overall, CIDR5
and CIDR6 heifers had fewer days to first AI and pregnancy The essential elements of a milking machine are the cre-
than EDAI heifers which resulted in less feed costs than EDAI ation of vacuum, regulation of that vacuum at an appropriate
heifers due to fewer days on feed until pregnancy. Despite level for the milking system and a means to alternate vacuum
greater hormonal treatment costs for CIDR5 heifers, costs per and atmospheric pressure in the pulsation chamber.
pregnancy were $16.66 less for CIDR5 than for EDAI heifers. Continual exposure to vacuum leads to teats becoming
In conclusion, delaying CIDR removal by 24 h within a 5-CI- congested with circulatory fluids leading to cow discomfort and
DR-Synch protocol suppressed early expression of estrus compromised milk let down. The former leads to lowered re-
before TAI, but tended to decrease P/AI for heifers inseminat- sistance of the teat canal to bacterial invasion (Teat Club Inter-
ed with sexed semen. Further, submission of heifers to a 5-d national, 2001). When atmospheric pressure is applied to the
CIDR-Synch protocol for first AI tended to increase P/AI and pulsation chamber the milking liner closes around the teat and
decrease the cost per pregnancy compared to EDAI heifers. vacuum at the teat end is relieved and the teat is massaged,
resulting in the maintenance of blood circulation and minimis-
ing congestion. However, the closing liner applies a compres-
sive load on the teat that can lead to excess keratin production
near the teat end (Reinemann, ????), which in itself can impair
the first line of the udder´s defence against bacteria.
When vacuum is applied to the pulsation chamber the liner
opens and milk flows from a positive to negative pressure. A
complete pulsation cycle is from the start of liner opening to
the end of liner closing. The frequency varies between manu-
facturers, being typically 55 to 62 cycles per minute for milking
cows.
Regardless of whether cows are milked in a high- or
low-level system, the vacuum level at the teat end during peak
flow rate should be in the range of 32.0 – 42.0 kPa (ISO 5707:
2007) to milk cows gently and efficiently.
How the milking machine influences udder health
Although the machine can cause short, medium or long-
term changes in teat condition, environmental factors can also
induce same. In practical situations, it will often be the combi-
nation of both that leads to increased levels of sub- and clinical
mastitis.

34
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Udder Health and Mastitis
The milking machine can affect mastitis infection rates by thelial cells that surround the milk ducts, which then squeeze
acting as a: the milk down towards the teats. The two important points
• Vector – liner slip causing teat end impacts or transfer- about this oxytocin release are enough stimulation (at least
ring bacteria from teat to teat (IDF Bulletin, 1987) often 10 seconds of actual physical touching) of the teats and the
causing mastitis. Liner slip can be operator induced, duration of the latency period, that is, the time interval between
such as by machine stripping or by incorrect matching when teats are first stimulated until the cluster is attached—lag
of a liner to herd average teat size, incorrect vacuum time is the time between unit attachment and milk ejection.
level, inadequate effective reserve, poor cluster posi- Unfortunately, with increasing herd size, the number of cows
tion and worn liners. Plus, liners can spread mastitis that can be milked through parlors per hour, or parlor turnover
causing bacteria from cow to cow, if not disinfected. rate, is often identified as one of the choke points of herd ca-
The machine can also spread bacteria if incorrectly pacity. Thus, parlor efficiency, measured by cows milked per
cleaned and sanitised between milkings; hour, milk produced per hour, parlor turnover per hour, etc., is
emphasized at the expense of adequate milking preparation
• Adversely affecting the first line of the udders defence.
for the cow.
This includes physical teat damage by the milking ma-
chine or not maintaining teat skin in a soft and supple con- Results: Review of milking dynamics from over 60 Michi-
dition so influencing the first line of the udders defence. gan dairy herds found that a mean of 25% of cows had bimod-
al milk ejection (range 0 to 75%) at the time of unit attachment.
Not only is it essential for the milking installation to be cor-
However, when the time of milk letdown after attachment (la-
rectly installed, it must be correctly maintained and used prop-
tency period) was compared to the milking unit on time in over
erly. Many checks can be readily carried out by the operator
3,800 milkings, there was no correlation between these two
on a daily and weekly basis (IDF Bulletin 396, 2005), with the
variables Thus, milking time did not increase because of bi-
plant fully serviced by a suitably trained engineer.
modal ejection.
Monitoring teat condition and factors affecting it (as rec-
In a follow up study of over 600 cows in a herd with a 50%
ommended by Teat Club International) has a great influence in
frequency of bimodal milk ejection, delayed milk ejection of 30
minimising adverse udder health and leads to more effective
to 60 seconds in duration resulted in a loss of 1.5 kg of milk per
and timeliness of the milking operation.
milking, and a delayed ejection of over 60 seconds resulted
Conclusion: Udder health can be significantly improved in a loss of more than 3 kg of milk per milking. This outcome
by applying the knowledge we have of how the machine, cow was from a single milking for each cow on the trial, the impact
and operator interact. Thorough and effective milk harvesting of delayed milk ejection over longer periods, such as a week
is a combination of correct operation of the milking machine are not yet fully understood. However, preliminary work sug-
and an effective milking routine, with benefits to udder health. gests that 1) for any given milking routine, there is a range of
frequency of bimodal events between cows, and 2) cows that
have bimodal milking ejection more frequently will also have
greater losses in milk yield over time.
Conclusions: A proper premilking routine should allow for
K31 90% of cows with immediate milk let down after cluster attach-
ment, and milk should be flowing 95% of the time while the
What is milking efficiency? Why is it important? cluster is attached. Despite the drive to fully utilize a milking
Ronald Erskine1, Rhyannon Moore-Foster2. parlor in terms of cows per hour, if parlor efficiency is stressed
to much over milking efficiency, it is possible to increase the
Michigan State University, USA; 2Colorado State University, USA.
1
amount of milk gained from a parlor each day. However, the
law of diminishing returns comes into play at some point,
Objectives: This seminar will present potential pitfalls of where maximum is no longer the optimum, and the actual milk
stressing parlor efficiency as the overarching goal in a herd per cow per day is decreased.
milking routine. The concept of milking efficiency will be dis-
cussed, especially as it relates to milk ejection and milking rou-
tine. Finally, the potential negative impact of bimodal (delayed)
milk ejection on milk yield will be presented.
Background: Most dairy farms have their milking equip- K33
ment evaluated and maintained on a routine basis. Although
proper equipment function is necessary for milking perfor- Who is teaching your employees?
mance, it does not guarantee it. Two management areas that Ronald Erskine.
can lead to poor milking efficiency are: 1) milking routines that
don’t achieve consistent milk letdown and 2) overmilking. Ei- Michigan State University, USA.
ther one of these problems can leave cows ‘high and dry’ and
expose teats to high vacuum levels. Objectives: This seminar will review and discuss the sta-
During stimulation of teats before milking, a neuro-reflex tus and challenges of the changing employee structure in the
arc stimulates the pituitary gland to release oxytocin into the dairy industry. Insight from employee and manager perspec-
blood, then to the udder. It takes about 1 to 2 minutes for oxy- tives as to the gaps in traing will be reviewed, and a potential
tocin levels to increase in blood to optimally contract myoepi- model of employee education presented.

35
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Lameness
Background: Many dairy operations worldwide are in- Lameness

creasingly relying on hired labor, especially foreign-born
workers. However, many dairy managers have limited human K38
resource knowledge and experience; this often leads to frus-
tration with protocol drift and a sense that employees are not Dairy cattle lameness; where does recent research take us?
motivated to enhance the success of the farm beyond pre-
Georgios Oikonomou.
scribed instructions. Yet, a large majority of dairy managers
state that hiring and retaining employees is a top priority of University of Liverpool, UK.
their dairy enterprise, even though employee turnover varies
widely between dairy operations. Taken together, these gaps
Introduction: Lameness is undoubtedly one of the most
in dairy farm labor can be described as a cultural lag. That
critical challenges the dairy industry faces today. The condition
is, there is a gap between the human resource needs within
is painful, and described as one of the clearest indicators of
the industry’s labor force and the capacity of producers and
compromised welfare in dairy cattle (Bicalho and Oikonomou,
managers to address them. Herds that believe that ‘mastitis
2013). This talk will be focused on how research currently
was a problem in their herd’ or ‘had difficulty with compliance
conducted at the University of Liverpool and elsewhere is at-
of milking protocols’, are more likely to have higher BTSCC.
tempting to fill gaps in our understanding of lameness. We will
Thus, employee management and training, as well as produc-
discuss new research regarding the aetiopathogenesis of claw
er values and attitudes regarding mastitis, are also related to
horn lesions (CHL), the role of the foot skin microbiome in the
milk quality.
development of digital dermatitis lesions and developments in
Results: When herd owners or managers were asked in a the field of automatic lameness detection.
survey, “Who trains new employees how to milk cows?”, 90%
Aetiopathogenesis of claw horn lesions: Despite the
responded that they perform the training. However, when the
importance of CHL, their aetiopathogenesis is not yet fully un-
employees were asked the same question, only 23% stat-
derstood. We have enrolled 2,352 Holstein dairy cows from
ed they learned how to milk from the managers or owners;
four farms in the UK and recorded presence of foot lesions
78% said they learned from other employees, or they just
at four time points from before calving to late lactation. Cows
“learned on the job”. Employee responses examined by lan-
were also genotyped. Measurements of foot angle, heel depth,
guage (Spanish-speaking and English-speaking) showed that
backfat thickness, longissimus dorsi thickness, digital cushion
only 14% of Latino workers said they learned the milking pro-
thickness, and sole and foot skin temperature were taken from
tocols from managers or owners, which was lower than En-
all studied animals to assess their role in CHL development.
glish-speaking workers. Additionally, focus group discussions
Additionally, measurements of the serum concentration of
found that employees strongly expressed their appreciation
beta hydroxybutyrate, non-esterified fatty acids, insulin, re-
for education, which helped them better understand why they
laxin, proinflammatory cytokines, and endotoxins have been
do their tasks and the importance of those tasks. Separately,
obtained on a subset of animals as potential contributors to the
dairy producers also noted the positive attitude of employees
brought about by veterinarian-initiated education and cited aetiopathogenesis of the disease.
several examples of improved interest and team effort on the The role of the foot skin microbiome in the develop-
part of the employees in the work they performed. ment of digital dermatitis.
Conclusions: We believe that engaged employees take Digital dermatitis is a painful, infectious, foot skin disease
the initiative and work to get the desired result for the dairy that compromises the welfare of hundreds of millions of pro-
operation, beyond just “doing the job.” We further believe that duction and wild ruminants. Disruption of the healthy skin mi-
“on-farm education”, facilitated by “science teachers” who pro- crobiome has been associated with several diseases in hu-
vide hands-on training, such as veterinarians, can positively mans. Associations between host genetics and skin integrity
impact employee engagement and thereby improve produc- and/or skin microbiota profiles have also been described. We
tivity on dairy operations. Proactive, routine, training, followed have recently showed intriguing interactions between host ge-
by 1) accountability and performance metrics, and 2) a farm netics and the foot skin microbiota profiles in cattle but the
culture that promotes employee feedback—such as milking significance of host–microbiome-pathogen interactions in the
efficiency analysis of a milking protocols as described in an development of DD lesions has not yet been studied in depth.
earlier paper (Erskine) at this congress—can result in better Automatic lameness detection.
employee engagement, more consistent protocol compliance, Early lameness detection has been shown to be an im-
less employee turnover, and improved farm productivity. portant aspect of lameness management in dairy herds
(Groenevelt et al., 2014) and yet for the most part relies on vi-
sual mobility/ locomotion scoring by farm staff or trained scor-
ers. This process, albeit useful, can be time consuming and
subjective even when agreement within the same experienced
assessor is examined. CattleEye Ltd has recently developed
and commercialised a system for automatic lameness detec-
tion. This system is the first to utilize inexpensive 2D surveil-
lance cameras placed above the passageway exiting the milk-
ing parlour. Footage of cows exiting the milking parlour is sent
directly to company servers where it is stored and processed.

36
The final result of the analysis is a number between 0 and 100, Results of the survey prompted a follow-up study to deter-
indicating the degree of lameness in relation to changes ob- mine the effect of topical treatment with oxytetracycline solu-
served between reference points in each frame and changes ble powder or powdered copper sulfate on the rate of wound
observed between frames. We recently conducted a study to healing in 18 cows with claw lesions. Cows were randomly
evaluate the performance of this video surveillance system for divided into a treatment group: treated topically with oxytetra-
automatic detection of dairy cattle lameness. Our aim was to cycline soluble powder (7) or copper sulfate powder (3) and a
investigate the validity of the mobility scores provided by the bandage; and a control group (8): no topical treatment and a
system by comparing them against those recorded by two ex- bandage. Photos of lesions were taken at 24 hours post treat-
perienced assessors. Additionally, we examined the system’s ment when the bandages were removed and again at day 21
ability to detect cows with potentially painful foot lesions. Our following the day of treatment. Photos were evaluated by 2
study showed that the CattleEye system had a comparable independent observers who scored the lesions for the visual
performance to two experienced scorers when mobility score presence of granulation tissue and evidence of re-epitheliza-
was used as a reference and outperformed the human scorer tion. Based upon observer scores at day 21, lesions topically
when lesion presence was used as the gold standard (Anag- treated with oxytetracycline or copper sulfate were more likely
nostopoulos et al., 2021). to have abnormal or exuberant granulation tissue (observer
References: agreement on 15/18 observations, p > 0.0054) and less like-
ly to have evidence of re-epithelization (observer agreement
Anagnostopoulos, A., B.E. Griffiths, Neary J, R.F. Smith,
on 11/18 observations, p > 0.0553). Although the number of
and G. Oikonomou. 2021. Initial validation of an intelligent vid-
observations is admittedly small, these data suggest that topi-
eo surveillance system for automatic detection of dairy cat-
cal treatment with oxytetracycline or copper sulfate may delay
tle lameness. Page in BCVA Congress, 14-15 October 2021,
wound healing (Shearer et al., 2015).
Newport, South Wales.
Tetracyclines are known for their ability to cause tissue irri-
Bicalho, R.C., and G. Oikonomou. 2013. Control and pre-
tation when used intramuscularly and copper sulfate is corro-
vention of lameness associated with claw lesions in dairy
sive to the skin and eyes. Information from the equine literature
cows. Livest. Sci.. doi:10.1016/j.livsci.2013.06.007.
indicates that treatments with low pH and corrosive properties
Groenevelt, M., D.C.J. Main, D. Tisdall, T.G. Knowles, and cause cellular toxicity, which is likely to interfere with cell mi-
N.J. Bell. 2014. Measuring the response to therapeutic foot gration and proliferation in the early stages of wound healing.
trimming in dairy cows with fortnightly lameness scoring. Vet.
Use of a Bandage: Despite evidence of a therapeutic ben-
J. 201:283–288. doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.05.017.
efit, the use of a bandage for the treatment of claw lesions
was cited as a routine procedure for 53% of both veterinarians
and hoof trimmers alike. A well-bandaged foot simply looks
better and leaves one with the sense of a more professional
job. However, these esthetics are short-lived as the housing
K39 systems for most dairy cows requires them to parade through
a footbath or enter a manure slurry covered floor. What started
Sensible Treatment of Claw Disorders including Pain
out as a clean medicated bandage soon becomes one soaked
Management
in footbath solutions and organic matter. Possibly, it is for
Jan Shearer. these reasons in part that healing was delayed by the use of
a bandage in three well-controlled studies (White et al., 1981;
Iowa State University, USA.
Pyman, 1997; Kluwitter et al, 2019).
Sensible Treatment of Claw Lesions: There is little dis-
Objectives: To review common approaches to treatment pute that corrective trimming and the use of a foot block to
of claw disorders with emphasis on what therapies are use- elevate an injured claw make good sense. However, based
ful and which are potentially counterproductive? To suggest upon available literature and the studies cited above, there is
a sensible treatment strategy that incorporates a comprehen- little justification for the routine topical treatment in combina-
sive plan for pain management. tion with the use of a bandage. More important than selecting
Materials and Methods: Information for this presenta- a topical treatment or a what kind of bandage to use is having
tion has been derived from personal research and a review a plan that assures prompt examination and treatment of lame
of pertinent literature on the subject of the treatment of claw cows. Finally, claw lesions are painful; provisions for man-
disorders. aging pain whether associated with therapeutic trimming or
Results of a 2-Part ISU Study: A survey of veterinarians during the post treatment period are important considerations.
and hoof trimmers in North America on treatment practices in- A multimodal treatment regimen would include the following:
dicated that topical treatments for claw horn lesions were used 1. use of intravenous regional or ring block anesthesia
by 59% of veterinarians and 53% of hoof trimmers. The med- for corrective trimming
ication used most frequently was the soluble powder form of 2. sedative-analgesics to reduce the pain and anxiety
tetracycline or oxytetracycline (48% by veterinarians and 81%
3. careful corrective trimming avoiding injury to adjacent
by hoof trimmers) followed by copper sulfate for veterinarians
healthy corium tissues,
and ichthammol ointment (a sulphurous, tarry compound with
mild antiseptic properties used primarily as a drawing agent) 4. use of an orthopedic foot block
for trimmers (Kleinhenz, 2014). 5. administration of analgesics in the post treatment period

37
6. comfortable housing and attentive management of wound defect. Although less resistant to external factors than
lame cows’ post-treatment. intact skin, granulation tissue provides an early, though imper-
fect, barrier to injurious agents from the environment (Stadel-
mann et al, 1998; Auer and Stick, 2012).
Re-epithelialization of the lesion is the ultimate objective
K40
in wound healing. The speed of re-epithelialization depends
Factors affecting claw lesion healing in cattle upon the severity and type of injury suffered. For example,
re-epithelialization is rapid when the injury is superficial (i.e.
Jan Shearer. such as an abrasion) and the basement membrane and basal
Iowa State University, USA. cell layer are intact or minimally damaged. On the other hand,
when a full thickness defect of the epithelium occurs the recov-
ery process is prolonged. In this circumstance, residual kera-
Objective: Wound healing is a complex process generally tinocytes at the wound site are not immediately available for
described in terms of 4 overlapping phases including: hemo- recruitment to start the healing process. Instead, re-epithelial-
stasis, inflammation, proliferation and maturation. The objec- ization must occur from the wound edges requiring centripetal
tive of this session is to describe wound healing in the context movement of keratinocytes from the wound margins (O’Toole
of claw lesions with emphasis on the factors that may interfere EA, 2001).
with these events. Persistent or Exuberant Granulation Tissue.
Materials and Methods: Information for this presentation The clinical indication of an interference with wound heal-
has been derived from research observations and a review of ing is the presence of exuberant granulation tissue (Auer and
pertinent literature on the subject of wound healing. Stick, 2012). This is corroborated by the observations that
Wound Healing as it applies to Claw Lesions: Resto- ulcers with excessive granulation tissue healed more slowly
ration of a new layer of epithelium (new hoof horn) on the sur- compared with lesions free of granulation tissue (van Amstel
face of exposed corium is the primary objective in claw lesion et al, 2003). Re-epithelialization of mild to moderate lesions
healing. Wounds that result in significant tissue loss or those requires somewhere around 21-30 days with more severe le-
that are heavily contaminated are generally left open to heal sions requiring as much as 40 days and potentially as long as
by 2nd intention. Wound edges cannot be opposed as with su- 60 days.
tures and lesions are generally contaminated requiring closure Causes of Non-Healing Claw Lesions.
of the defect by granulation, and eventually re-epithelization
One of the most frequent causes delayed claw lesion heal-
of the granulating tissue surface. Bridging the gap between
ing is infection of the exposed corium by organisms associated
wound margins, depending upon size and depth of the lesion
with digital dermatitis. The longer the corium remains exposed,
may be prolonged.
the greater the likelihood of secondary infection. Complicat-
The 4 Phases of Wound Healing. ing factors include bandaging and topical treatment of claw
Hemostasis: Hemorrhage plays a key role in wound repair lesions among others. An understanding of the factors that
as the source of blood platelets essential for blood clot forma- affect claw lesion healing is important to assure a successful
tion. Within minutes, platelets enter the site of injury and begin outcome from treatment.
to clump forming a clot. Coincident with the clotting process
is the release of numerous cytokines and vasoactive media-
tors that cause vasoconstriction to reduce blood loss and acti-
vate inflammatory cells in preparation for the second phase of
the healing process (Stadelmann et al, 1998; Auer and Stick, K41
2012).
Inflammation: The inflammatory phase is characterized Dairy cattle lameness genetics; can we breed lameness out
by the influx of white blood cells that phagocytize bacteria of our herds?
and cellular debris within the site of injury. This phase is char- Georgios Oikonomou, Matthew Barden.
acterized by pain, swelling and loss of function at the wound
site. Quite often, chronic lesions or wounds are those stuck (or University of Liverpool, UK.
stalled) in the inflammatory phase of healing.
Proliferation: The proliferative phase is characterized by Genetic selection alone will not fully address the issue of
angiogenesis, fibroplasia and granulation tissue formation and dairy cattle lameness as environmental effects (i.e. housing,
epithelialization. Any interference in these events has the po- diet, foot trimming practices etc) have a strong influence on
tential to result in prolonged wound healing and a chronic le- herd lameness prevalence. However, genetic selection can
sion. The timing of topical treatments frequently coincides with definitely complement efforts to decrease lameness preva-
key events that occur during this period. lence through improved management and may actually have
Whereas hemostasis occurs within minutes and inflamma- a more important role to play than previously thought.
tion within minutes to hours after injury; the proliferative phase The University of Liverpool (in collaboration with SRUC
marked by the entry of fibroblasts and the formation of gran- and the Royal Veterinary College) is currently conducting a
ulation tissue begins in 2-3 days of injury. Neovascularization large-scale study on the genetics of cattle lameness. 2,352
supports the development of granulation tissue that fills the Holstein cows were enrolled on four dairy farms and subse-

38
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Genetics and Breeding
quently assessed at four stages of a lactation cycle. At each Genetics and Breeding
stage, feet were inspected by a veterinary surgeon and all
foot lesions were recorded and scored according to severity. K42
Cows were genotyped and genetic indexes were assigned to
each cow following national genetic evaluations. Combining What every farm advisor should know about dairy cattle
data from all stages indicated that the heritability of the sus- breeding
ceptibility to sole haemorrhages, sole ulcers, and white line
lesions was 0.29, 0.35 and 0.10, respectively. Initial analyses Francisco Peñagaricano.
on digital dermatitis suggest heritability estimates greater than University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.
0.30. We also studied cows’ ability to recover from sole le-
sions and showed a heritability of 0.27; this was only weakly
correlated to sole lesion susceptibility. This suggests there is Genetic selection is a very powerful tool for achieving last-
potential to selectively breed cows which can recover from ing gains in dairy cattle performance. Contrary to improve-
sole lesions more effectively, but selecting for reduced sus- ments in nutrition, management or cow comfort, changes
ceptibility alone is unlikely to achieve this. Efforts to reduce the achieved through selection are incremental, cumulative, and
prevalence of chronically lame cows could be more success- permanent, which makes genetic improvement a very cost-ef-
ful if genetic selection for sole lesion recovery is considered fective strategy.
alongside selection for reduced susceptibility. We also found The basics of dairy sire selection: Dairy bulls are geneti-
that heritability estimates of digital cushion thickness ranged cally evaluated for several traits, including different production,
from 0.23 – 0.44 and 0.14 – 0.29 depending on the location health, fertility, and type traits, and this genetic information is
of fat pad measurement. Our results clearly highlight the po- regularly compiled and published by each specific breed orga-
tential for genetic selection to improve resistance to lameness nization as sire summaries. There are at least three key con-
and the importance of accurate phenotyping. Genome-wide cepts that appear in the sire summaries that should be care-
association analyses of claw horn lesions and digital cushion fully considered when making sire selection decisions. These
thickness traits revealed a polygenic background; candidate relevant concepts are predicted transmitting ability (PTA; a
genes were identified with roles in immunity and inflammation, measure of the genetic merit of the bull for a given trait), re-
and in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. liability (REL or %R; a measure of the degree of confidence
The same dataset was also used to evaluate the current in the PTA of the bull), and percentile rank (a measure of the
performance of Lameness Advantage (UK lameness genet- rank of the bull within the evaluated population for the trait of
ic evaluation) and the results were very promising (Barden interest).
et al., 2022). The odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for Dairy sire selection for multiple traits: There are many
one-point increase in the Lameness Advantage index were traits, including production traits (such as milk yield and milk
0.79 (0.72 - 0.86), 0.68 (0.59 – 0.78), 0.94 (0.84 – 1.04), and composition) and functional traits (such as fertility, health,
0.82 (0.74 – 91) for sole haemorrhage, sole ulcer, white line longevity, and calving ability), that directly impact the profit-
disease, and lameness, respectively. The same trends were ability of any dairy production enterprise. The best method
present when the sire’s Lameness Advantage index was eval- for selecting animals considering multiple traits is the use of
uated in place of the animal’s own, although the strength of an economic selection index. This method combines multi-
this association was generally weaker. Effectively, for every ple traits of interest into a single value, greatly facilitating the
two-point decrease in Lameness Advantage (worse genetics identification of the best animals. Individual traits are weighted
for lameness) the sole ulcer risk doubled. Similar associations based on relevant genetic information and their economic im-
were observed between the digital dermatitis genetic index portance; these economic weights are based on current prices
and actual incidence of digital dermatitis. Effectiveness of for both inputs (e.g., feed and veterinary costs) and outputs
the Lameness Advantage and digital dermatitis indexes will (e.g., milk prices) of a dairy production enterprise. These val-
increase if farm lesion records improve and foot-trimming re- ues are updated regularly to reflect current trends in the price
cords include all lesions and are recorded on-farm software. of feed and milk.
The additive genetic variance of foot lesions could be uti-
lised to select for increased resistance to these lesions; novel
traits such as DCT and sole lesion recovery may also be use-
ful traits for this purpose.
References: K43
Barden, M., A. Anagnostopoulos, B.E. Griffiths, C. Bed- Economic trade-offs between productive life and genetic
ford, M. Winters, B. Li, M. Coffey, A. Psifidi, G. Banos, and progress
G. Oikonomou. 2022. Association between a genetic index for
lameness resistance and the incidence of claw horn lesions in Albert De Vries.
Holstein cows. Vet. Rec. 1–12. doi:10.1002/vetr.1632. University of Florida, USA.
The rate of genetic improvement in dairy cattle has dou-

bled in the last decade, in part due to the use of genomic
testing which has greatly shortened generation intervals. As-

39
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Genetics and Breeding
set replacement theory holds that an incumbent asset should terval. Similarly, genomic testing of heifer calves allows one to
be replaced earlier when the challenging asset is technically make accurate selection decisions at an early age, and supe-
improved. The objective therefore was to explore how the in- rior females can eventually enter into in vitro fertilization pro-
creased rate of genetic improvement should generally affect grams, even before they reach sexual maturity. Moreover, for
cow replacement rates. A spreadsheet was built that deter- young bull calves and heifers, genomic testing provides more
mines the total cost per cow per year from the following 5 fac- accurate PTA estimates than traditional parent averages, with
tors: cow depreciation cost, lack of maturity cost, aged cow average gains in reliability around 30%. Finally, greater selec-
cost, calf opportunity cost, and genetic opportunity cost. Data tion intensity can be achieved using genomics because a large
were based on generally available cost for the USA. Next, the number of selection candidates can be screened in search of
average productive life was varied from 2 to 10 years and the elite animals.
total of these cost per cow calculated. The lowest total cost is Overall, by shortening the generation interval and increas-
an indication of the optimal productive life and hence the opti- ing the accuracy and intensity of selection, genomic selection
mal replacement rate. After some sensitivity analyses, results in dairy cattle can at least double annual genetic gains. Note
showed that the optimal average productive life was between that the benefit of genomics is greatest for lowly heritable traits
3 and 4 years. The doubling of genetic progress increases op- such as fertility, and traits that can be measured only late in life
timal annual replacement rates by a few percent and therefore such as longevity. Indeed, genomics has doubled the annual
shortens productive life by a several months. However, the op- rates of genetic gain for production traits but has increased
timal productive life is still longer than the average dairy cow from 3-fold to 4-fold for fitness traits, including female fertility,
productive life observed in the USA which is approximately 2.6 udder health, and productive life.
years. The conclusion was that increased genetic progress
Finally, genomics has created opportunities to improve
shortens optimal productive life a little but is by itself not a
traits that are critically important, but too difficult or expensive
strong enough factor to warrant the high replacement rates
to measure on the entire population. These relevant pheno-
currently observed in the USA. Actual optimal replacement
types can be measured only on a relatively small group of
rates should be herd specific.
genotyped animals, and this reference population can then be
used to predict genomic breeding values for the entire popula-
tion, including young selection candidates. Examples of these
important traits include feed efficiency and methane emission.
K44
Genomics: the latest revolution in dairy cattle

Francisco Peñagaricano. K45
University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. Economic optimization of use of beef semen in dairy herds
Albert De Vries.
Genomic selection refers to selection decisions based on
genomic-estimated breeding values. These genomic breeding University of Florida, USA.
values are calculated using genetic markers across the en-
tire genome. This technology has revolutionized dairy cattle The use of beef semen in dairy herds in the USA has
breeding worldwide because it allows breeders to make ac- greatly increased in the last 5 years. This use coincides with
curate selection decisions at a much earlier age, even when the wide adoption of sexed semen which allows dairy farmers
neither the animal nor its offspring have been assessed for to obtain enough dairy heifer calves from targeted breedings
the phenotypes of interest. Indeed, genomics has undoubtedly within the dairy herd. However, various targeted breeding
caused the most remarkable change in dairy cattle breeding strategies exist, and it is not immediately clear which one is
since the introduction of artificial insemination. economically best and what the opportunity cost of non-op-
Genomic selection has the potential to increase genetic timal strategies are. Therefore, the objective was to explore
gain considerably by reducing generation intervals and in- how herd profitability is affected by user-defined beef and
creasing selection intensity and selection accuracy. Progeny sexed semen breeding strategies, as well as finding the op-
testing, the basis of dairy cattle breeding programs, is a very timal strategy. A Markov chain herd budget calculator spread-
expensive and time-consuming process. At least 4.5 years are sheet with daily steps was built that mimics the technical and
required for collecting semen of a potentially elite bull, rearing financial performance of a closed herd consisting of dairy heif-
his offspring, and finally predicting his genetic merit based on ers and cows. Per parity, animals could be inseminated with
his offspring’s performance. If the bull is good enough to use in beef, sexed, and conventional semen, depending on breeding
the entire population, then his first sons and daughters will be number and genetic merit of the dam. Within breeding number,
born when he is about 5.5 years of age. This long generation truncated normal distributions mimicked the variation in genet-
interval limits the rate of genetic progress. However, genomic ic merit. Hence, the genetic merit of dairy calves depended on
testing allows breeders to identify superior bull calves within a the genetic merit of their dams. Surplus dairy calves, dairy bull
few weeks of age, and hence, instead of waiting a minimum of calves, and crossbred dairy-beef calves were sold for fixed
4.5 years, breeders can used genomic-tested young bulls be- prices independent of genetic merit. Reproduction, milk pro-
fore 1 year of age. This drastically reduces the generation induction, feed intake, risk of culling, and associated prices were

40
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Teaching & Continuing Education
also included such that a profit per milking cow per year was Teaching & Continuing Education
calculated. Four breeding strategies were simulated: conven-
tional semen only, sexed + beef semen-by-age of the dam, K47
sexed + beef semen-by-genetic merit of the dam, and the op-
timal breeding strategy. Surplus dairy calves were sold (us- Shortages of food animal veterinarians – a global threat
ing conventional semen) or not made (using the sexed + beef
Ángel Abuelo Sebio.
semen strategies). The optimal breeding strategy was sought
with a non-linear optimizer within the herd budget calculator Michigan State University, USA.
but was not necessarily found. The four strategies were eval-
uated at five levels of reproductive efficiency. Results showed
Many countries are experiencing shortages of food ani-
that all sexed + beef semen strategies were more profitable mal veterinary services in rural areas. This negatively impacts
than the conventional semen only strategy at all levels of re- food safety and supply, public health, and animal welfare. Re-
productive efficiency. The advantage of sexed + beef semen cruitment and long-term retention of food-animal veterinarians
strategies increased with greater reproductive efficiency. The in rural areas are critical issues for the sustainability of the
user-defined semen + beef semen-by-genetic merit strategy livestock industries located in regions with veterinary service
was nearly as profitable as the optimal breeding strategy. The shortfalls. However, these are multifaceted problems with no
sexed + beef semen-by-age of the dam strategy was slight- easy solutions. The issue of rural health workforce shortage,
ly less profitable. Genomic testing was profitable at greater however, is not unique to veterinary medicine. There is a cur-
reproductive efficiency but not for the sexed + beef-by-age rent worldwide trend demonstrating a reduction in the number
strategy. In conclusion, the use of beef semen combined with of graduates from various health professions interested in pur-
sexed semen was more profitable than a conventional semen suing a rural career. In human medicine, a ‘rural pipeline into
only strategy. Targeted breeding based on the genetic merit medical practice’ to help to alleviate shortages of human doc-
of the dam was slightly more profitable than when targeted tors in rural areas was introduced. This pipeline is comprised
breeding was based on the age and breeding number of the by four stages: (1) structured contact between rural second-
dam. ary schools and the medical profession, (2) selection of rural
students into medical school programs, (3) rural experience
during medical training, and (4) measures to address retention
of the rural medical workforce. The impact of components of
the rural pipeline on the choice of a rural medical career is
strongly supported by the literature. This talk will compare the
situation with similar problems of the human medicine profes-
sion and discuss what is being done and could be done to re-
lieve these shortages through the adoption of the rural pipeline
model in food animal veterinary medicine.
K49
Continue education in food animal medicine: does one size

fit all?
Ángel Abuelo Sebio1, Sabine Mann2.
Michigan State University, USA; 2Cornell University College of
1
Veterinary Medicine, USA.
It is now well established that the veterinary profession

is facing a worldwide shortage of food-animal veterinarians
in the public, private, industrial, and academic sectors. This
negatively impacts food safety and supply, public health,
and animal welfare. Recruitment and long-term retention of
food-animal veterinarians in rural areas are critical issues
for the sustainability of the livestock industries located in re-
gions with veterinary service shortfalls. Providing access to
continuing professional education (CE) is a major influencing
factor for established rural professionals to remain practicing
in these areas. CE has positive effects on participants’ pro-
fessional growth (improves confidence and competence of
practitioners) and patient care. In addition, participation in CE

41
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Nutrition & Metabolism Diseases
courses contributes to the development of a professional sup- Nutrition & Metabolism Diseases
port network that helps to decrease burnout and compassion
fatigue. However, most CE programs are not targeted specif- K51
ically to graduates in their first years of practice despite new
graduates choosing and needing different CE courses com- Enegery balance and body condition, key drivers for a
pared to senior veterinarians. Hence, it is essential to pro- healthy herd
vide CE targeted to the areas that recent graduates in rural
practice identify as their greatest needs. This presentation will Adlai Schuler1, Fernando Diaz Royon2.
showcase the development and authors’ experience leading Marshall Ridge Farms, USA; 2Dellait, LLC., Brookings, USA.
1
an online course on bovine medicine targeted at recent veter-

inary graduates in rural practice, emphasizing the differences
in perceived relevance of CE topics between senior and ear- Dairy cattle body condition and body condition scoring has
ly-career bovine veterinarians. long been a source of both study and debate among dairy pro-
fessionals and lay people. While the scale for body condition
differs depending on the country and even region, it is gener-
ally accepted that low values are equivalent to emaciation and
high values are reflective of obesity. Despite a tremendous
amount of literature demonstrating the effects of both overall
body condition and body condition score change, widespread
adoption of body condition as a documented tool for making
management decisions by farmers remains relatively low.
Reproduction, production, animal health, and more re-
cently, welfare have all been related to body condition or body
condition score change. Several different reasons have been
proposed for why the adoption of management strategies cen-
tered on body condition have been extremely limited. These
include inconsistent training of staff on how to obtain BCS
data, uncertainty on how to utilize the information when it is
obtained, and a perceived lack of time by both professionals
and dairymen. More recently, advancements in sensor and
camera technology have helped to move subjective data mea-
sure into the objective category. Our aim with this presentation
is to highlight how making body condition a key driver of deci-
sions on the farm can improve herd health and subsequently
profitability. This presentation will provide practical solutions
for overcoming the challenges associated with body condition
scoring in both a subjective and objective manner. It will also
give examples demonstrating the benefits of tracking body
condition on herd health outcomes over time regardless of the
methodology used.
K53
Managing the transition period through protocols- A

systems based approach
Adlai Schuler1, Dr. Fernando Diaz-Royon2.
Marshall Ridge Farms, USA; 2Dellait, LLC., Brookings, USA.
1
Producing a safe, wholesome, nutritious product at an eco-

nomically viable price is the primary goal of dairy producers.
Over the past century there have been significant technological
and scientific advancements that have resulted in increased
efficiency; increases production; decreases in environmental
costs per unit of food; and decreases in the cost of production,
in an unprecedented manner. While dramatic increases in pro-
ductivity per cow as well as improved labor and feed efficiency
ratios are the primary drivers of the reduced cost of produc-

42
KEYNOTE LECTURES —Infectious Diseases
tion, the individual cow is still the heart of the dairy economic Infectious Diseases
model. No matter the size, farm level profitability is the direct
result of the cow being influenced by four primary factors: 1) K55
Genetics 2) Nutrition 3) People 4) Environment. When all four
of these factors are aligned, a healthy cow results in a healthy Tools for the diagnosis and control of bovine
herd, resulting in profitable farms. paratuberculosis
To date, the dairy industry has largely relied on lagging Joseba M. Garrido.
metrics as indicators of performance. Percentage of heifers
returned to the lactating herd, 21-day pregnancy risk, and 30- NEIKER-Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario, Derio,
and 60-day cull rates, are only three of many of examples of Spain.
common lagging metrics used to evaluate performance. Argu-
ably, no singular portion of a cow’s lifecycle has been as ex- Paratuberculosis (PTB) is an infectious enteropathy with
tensively documented as the transition period. The goal of this worldwide distribution that mainly affects domestic and wild
presentation is to describe the clinical aspects of managing ruminants and is caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp.
herd health throughout the transition period. We will do this paratuberculosis (Map) and triggers a regional chronic enteri-
by focusing on well-defined and common disease conditions, tis. Map infection significantly reduces the cost-effectiveness
managing those conditions extraordinarily well, and consis- of cattle farms due to reduced milk production and early re-
tently utilizing the information to look ahead and see where placement of infected animals. Furthermore, Map has been
the dairy is headed. We propose that by maintaining the cow associated with Crohn’s disease, so it is considered by some
as the center of system and implementing leading metrics (fo- authors as a zoonotic pathogen. The herd-level prevalence of
cused on the four primary factors above during the transition MAP infection is over 50% in most countries with a developed
period) cow productivity and farm profitability can be reliably substantial dairy industry. However, it should be considered
predicted. that this percentage is limited by the small number of large
epidemiological studies carried out in the different countries
and by the difficulty in the laboratory detection of animals in
subclinical stages.
Combining pathological lesions with clinical signs, two
forms of infection, latent and patent, can be distinguished.
Latent forms are those present in infected animals with focal
lesions, very low bacterial load, low antibody titres and ab-
sence of clinical signs. On the other hand, patent forms are
those presented by animals with multifocal and diffuse lesions,
associated with a higher bacterial load and the presence of
more or less evident clinical signs. Detection of infected ani-
mals before they present clinical signs of the disease is one of
the challenges in laboratory diagnosis. So far, the combination
of microbiological (culture and rt-PCR) and serological (ELI-
SA) techniques with complementary sensitivity is the most ef-
fective alternative. However recent studies indicate that other
techniques such as digital PCR could cover the shortcomings
of current protocols.
Currently, the main disease-control strategy within dairy
herds involves the combination of appropriate hygienic-sani-
tary measures and test and cull programs. Since test and cull
programs are time-consuming, expensive, and eventually not
as efficient as expected in part due to the lack of sensitivity of
diagnostic tests, new approaches are needed. In this context,
vaccination should be an alternative. It has been demonstrat-
ed its effect in the reduction of Map isolation in feces and tis-
sues of infected animals and in the increasing of milk produc-
tion and cow productive lifespan in infected farms. However,
the possible interference of the vaccine with the tests used in
the eradication control programs restrict its use. Another ap-
proach that is gaining relevance is the identification of genetic
markers of resistance or susceptibility to the disease that can
be considered in breeding programs.
In this talk all these aspects will be reviewed.

43
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Infectious Diseases
K56 er, positive cattle are displaced by younger, uninfected stock.

Animals vaccinated with gE-deleted marker vaccines can be
What is new on IBR? Epidemiology and control at the farm discriminated from field-virus infected animals by a negative
level serological reaction for gE.
María Guelbenzu. Understanding the relevant risk factors for (re)introduction
of the virus is key information both for the design of effective
Animal Health Ireland, Carrick-On-Shannon, Republic of Ireland.
control programmes and for individual farmers aiming to main-
tain their herds free of infection. These risk factors should be
Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) is a highly infectious then translated into biosecurity measures that farms can ap-
disease caused by the bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BoHV-1). ply. The main risk for introduction of infection is the purchase
BoHV-1, one of eight herpesviruses known to infect cattle, is of latently infected animals. Biosecurity options to address this
an alphaherpesvirus and can also cause infectious pustular risk include maintaining a closed herd, buying known-negative
vulvovaginitis (IPV) and infectious pustular balanoposthitis stock and post-purchase isolation and testing. Other risks, in-
(IBP). IBR has worldwide distribution and in addition to the cluding contacts at boundary fences, shows and sales, and
impact on health and productivity also affects the trade of ani- movement of people and equipment, should also be consid-
mals, semen and embryos. ered.
In order to be able to apply successful strategies for the In summary, control of IBR at the farm level is possible but,
control of IBR at the farm level it is necessary to have a good especially in endemic areas, this must be accompanied with
understanding of the epidemiology of this disease. the implementation of biosecurity measures to protect the farm
BoHV-1 is mainly spread directly by close contact between from (re)introduction of the virus.
animals. It can also be shed from the reproductive tract, in-
cluding semen, resulting in venereal transmission. Aerosol
transmission typically occurs over short distances but it may
also occur over distances of up to 5m. The virus is moder-
ately resistant to environmental factors so indirect transmis- K57
sion within or between herds can also occur indirectly through
movement or sharing of contaminated facilities, equipment or Animal tuberculosis. Looking for the eradication
personnel. Joseba M. Garrido.
Clinical signs of BoHV-1 infection most commonly involve
the upper respiratory tract and include nasal discharge, hyper- NEIKER-Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario, Derio,
aemia of the muzzle (red nose), conjunctivitis, fever and inap- Spain.
petence and on occasions, death. This may be accompanied
by decreased milk yields and a range of negative reproductive Animal tuberculosis (TB) is caused by infection with mem-
outcomes depending on the stage of the reproductive cycle bers of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC). My-
at which exposure occurs (failure to conceive, early embry- cobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium caprae are the main
onic death and abortion). However, it is also recognised that etiological agents of animal TB a mycobacterial infectious
in herds with endemic infection the course of infection can be disease with a worldwide distribution that affects cattle, oth-
sub-clinical but nevertheless still be associated with a reduc- er domestic hosts, wildlife and humans. The huge economic
tion in milk yield and negative reproductive outcomes. losses caused by bovine TB added to the impact of its zoonot-
Recovery following initial infection is associated with the ic nature led to implement control strategies lasting for over
development of immunity, but this does not eliminate the virus. a century in many countries. Although eradication of TB has
Instead, the virus establishes lifelong latent infection in the tri- been accomplished in some countries, the presence of M.
geminal ganglion or pharyngeal tonsils. During this period the bovis in herds continues to pose serious problems for animal
latent carrier is not shedding virus. However, at times of stress and human health in developing countries. This discrepancy
such as transport, calving, mixing stock etc, the virus may be has been observed despite the similarity of the eradication
reactivated and can begin to multiply and be re-excreted. This programs used in the different countries. There are several
leads to new infection in other susceptible cattle, which in turn reasons for the persistence of the disease in cattle, but it is
will also become latent carriers. These latently infected ani- usually attributed to the existence of wild reservoirs.
mals play a central role in maintaining IBR in infected herds, Different transmission pathways do exist. These include
where they act as a reservoir of infection, and in spreading direct or indirect inhalation, oropharyngeal exposure and/or
infection between herds. ingestion of the pathogen. Lesion distribution and progression
Vaccines are used widely for a range of scenarios including seem to be shaped by the route of introduction of the bac-
to reduce the clinical impact of an outbreak, as part of an IBR terium. There is a general acceptance that the aerogenous
control programme and to protect free herds against infection. transmission is the most frequent one in cattle and lesions are
Both live and inactivated marker vaccines are available which usually found in the respiratory system and associated lymph
can reduce the clinical signs and the amount of virus shed nodes (LN). Lesions can also reach these LN and other tis-
following infection. When given intra-nasally, live vaccines can sues or LN of the head region after oral exposure to the patho-
give rapid protection in the face of a clinical outbreak. When gen. However, ingestion of bacilli is usually associated with
used as part of a control strategy, the percentage of infected affected LN and tissues of the digestive system with or without
cattle in a herd should decrease over a period of time as old- visible lesions. Oral exposure to M. bovis could represent a

44
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Infectious Diseases
more relevant route of infection than previously thought. In the Two main approaches to BVD control and eradication exist
wildlife-livestock interface inter-species transmission is of an and have been successfully applied by European countries.
indirect nature, for instance through shared water or food. In The first large scale systematic eradication programmes were
these cases, infection will most likely enter the host by the oral initiated in the early 90s in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Fin-
route. land and the Shetland Islands. The approach taken is com-
The intradermal test and the interferon-gamma release monly referred to as the Scandinavian model and includes a
assay (IGRA) are the in vivo diagnostic methods used in test strict non-vaccination policy. Herd-level tests are used to clas-
and cull-based eradication campaigns. These tests have been sify the herds into those likely to be non-infected and those
deemed of poor specificity because the confirmatory tests with evidence of current or recent circulation of virus. Typical-
(pathological examination and culture) fail to demonstrate the ly, these are based on antibody detection by antibody ELISA.
presence of lesions and the involvement of M. bovis quite fre- Identification and removal of persistently infected (PI) animals
quently. However, disagreements between confirmatory tests from infected herds and continuous monitoring and certifica-
and in vivo methods are expected because their best sensi- tion of non-infected herds is also part of these programmes.
tivity and specificity values are achieved at different immuno- For other countries, where the seroprevalence at the ani-
pathological stages of the infection. In addition, cross-reac- mal and at herd level was considered to be too high to make
tions with other mycobacteria present in the environment must the use of an initial antibody screen to classify herds suitable,
be considered. Despite their limitations, these procedures the strategy focused on testing directly for PI animals. In Swit-
have successfully eradicated the disease in many countries. zerland for example, the programme consisted of testing the
An alternative for TB eradication strategies in some sce- whole cattle population for BVD antigen or RNA via ear notch
narios could be vaccination. Probably, as has been observed testing in a short period of time, culling virus-positive animals,
with other mycobacteriosis as paratuberculosis, the first objec- banning BVD vaccination and applying movement restrictions.
tive would be to control the disease through the reduction of This was followed by all newborn calves being sampled and
mycobacteria excretion, which minimizes the risk of transmis- tested with tissue sampling tags. In Ireland, ear notch tissue
sion. Several studies have been carried out in cattle and wild- is collected from all new-born calves using modified official
life, principally using BCG but also with inactivated M. bovis identity tags to test for BVD virus, supplemented by additional
vaccines, showing promising results. blood sampling in herds with positive results, including for test-
The best option for TB control and subsequent eradica- ing of their dams. Culling of virus-positive animals and move-
tion could be a combination of strategies including biosecurity ment restrictions are also applied.
measures, diagnostic follow-up of animals and vaccination, SOUND-control, a European Cooperation in Science
depending on the country, the situation and the host species and Technology (COST) Action, focuses on the topic of out-
involved in the epidemiology of this disease.
put-based surveillance for cattle diseases with either no or lim-
In this talk all these aspects will be reviewed. ited regulation under EU legislation. Limited regulation means
that EU countries are not required to control the disease in
their country. This COST Action provides an overview of na-
tional and regional control programmes for several cattle dis-
eases. As highlighted by work done within SOUND control, in
K58 some countries there is a mixture of compulsory and voluntary
BVD control plans depending on the region or cattle type e.g.,
BVD. Actual situation in Europe mandatory for dairy and voluntary for non-dairy. Control plans
María Guelbenzu. are implemented at national or regional level and have differ-
ent funding models.
Animal Health Ireland, Carrick-On-Shannon, Republic of Ireland.
A recent development in BVD control has been the inclu-
sion of this disease as a Category C+D+E disease within the
The concept of bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) control has new Anima Health Law. This piece of legislation which has
changed over the years. Initially, there was a focus to con- been in place since April 2021, includes, for the first time, an
trol the infection at herd level by prophylactic vaccination. Im- annex with requirements for programmes to be recognised at
proved awareness of the economic impact that this endemic EU level and for member statues/zones to be declarer BVD-
disease has on the cattle industry shifted the focus of control free. A number of countries/regions have had their BVD pro-
to a more systematic approach. Economic losses arise from grammes approved or have had recognition of BVD-freedom.
infertility, reduced productivity and immunosuppression which,
In conclusion, a wide range of strategies for BVD control
by increasing susceptibility to other pathogens, will result in
are currently applied around Europe, ranging from non-sys-
increased veterinary and treatment costs as well an increased
tematic control to EU-recognised freedom of disease.
use of antibiotics on farm.
BVD is an excellent example of an infectious disease
where a range of strategies have either succeeded or are cur-
rently advancing towards eradication. The main objective of
this talk is to review the current status of the various control
and eradication programmes for BVD across Europe and the
strategies that these apply.

45
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Cattle Welfare
Cattle Welfare management in AMS. While AMS provide greater opportunity

for managing nutrition at the cow level, there are situations
K59 where imbalances may occur, increasing the risk of metabolic
disease including ketosis. Overall, to address these challeng-
Social housing of dairy calves: Why, when, and how? es no only are milking and feed management important in AMS
herds, bedding and hygiene must be also be well managed to
Trevor De Vries. maintain good hoof health, cow hygiene, body condition, and
Guelph University, Ariss, Canada. cow comfort. Finally, in addition to being able to preventatively
manage many of these potential challenges, there are also
many technologies and associated data in AMS that provide
A shift if mindset around dairy calf housing has occurred in increased opportunities to monitor, manage, and improve cow
recent years. For many years, individually housing of calves in health.
individual pens or hutches was viewed as optimal, and nearly
exclusively used in the dairy industry. Some of the cited advan-
tages of individual housing include reduced pathogen spread
from animal to animal, and increased opportunity for individual
monitoring and management. While elements of those things
may merit, we also know that individual calf feeding and man- K61
agement can be labour intense and limits social contact for
Pain assessment and management in cows and calves – Part
calves, which may negatively affect calf behavioural devel-
I
opment and welfare. A large body of literature now exists to
demonstrate that social housing of calves, in pairs or groups, Xavier Manteca
may have several short- and long-term benefits; these include: Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain.
improve social skills and cognition, decreased stress, earlier
and greater solid feed intake (particularly at weaning), and
greater growth. There is empirical evidence that these bene- Animal welfare is an essential element of modern animal
fits are greater the earlier in life calves are exposed to social production. First and foremost, animal welfare is grounded on
housing. As result, more and more adoption of social housing ethical concerns that derive from the fact that animals are sen-
of dairy calves is occurring throughout the industry. Despite tient beings, i.e. able to suffer and experience emotions.
these benefits, challenges may also occur with social hous- Societal concern over the welfare of farm animals has in-
ing, including potential for cross-sucking as well as increased creased recently and a growing number of citizens in many
health concerns. While potential for these challenges exist, countries now demand that farm animals are reared, transport-
they need not to with good nutrition, housing, and manage- ed and slaughtered as humanely as possible. For example,
ment. according to a survey done in 2015 and involving more than
27.000 citizens from the 28 Member States of the European
Union, 94 % of them think that it is important to protect the
welfare of farm animals. Interestingly, this percentage ranged
from 86 and 99 %, showing that even in the EU countries that
K60 are supposedly less concerned about the welfare of animals,
a clear majority of citizens believe that it should be protected.
Managing automated milking herds to optimize health and Improving animal welfare may have additional benefits. As
welfare many welfare problems have a detrimental effect on produc-
Trevor De Vries. tion, improving the welfare of farm animals very often has pos-
itive effects on performance. Also, improving animal welfare is
Guelph University, Ariss, Canada. one of the strategies that may contribute to reduce the use of
antimicrobials in fam animals.
The use of automated (robotic) milking systems (AMS) It is widely accepted that animal welfare encompasses not
brings several opportunities for dairy producers with respect to only the physical health of the animals (i.e. the absence of dis-
cow health and welfare. There may also be situations where eases and injuries) but also their behaviour and emotions. Pain
health and welfare challenges arise with adoption and use of is not only a consequence of several diseases and injuries,
AMS. Some of these challenges may result from cows not but also an aversive emotional experience that often interferes
milking voluntarily, and thus achieving adequate milking fre- with the expression of normal behaviour. As such, pain is a
quencies at regular intervals. This is often the result of situa- major welfare issue in farm animals in general, including cows
tions where voluntary milking behavior is impeded, specifically and calves. Therefore, pain prevention and management are
when cows cannot milk when they want to, or when cows do key aspects of animal welfare improvement strategies.
not want to go milk (often related to cows experiencing lame- This paper will be divided into two sections. In the first sec-
ness). These situations are highly influenced by housing and tion, the principles of pain assessment in animals as well as
management in AMS barns. Udder health may pose a chal- the economic consequences of pain will be reviewed. The sec-
lenge in AMS, however, data would suggest that it need not ond section will address the major causes of pain in cows and
be. Further, we have opportunities to improve udder health calves. In addition, the general principles underlying some of
and cow welfare at the end of lactation through proper dry off the strategies to prevent such causes will be discussed.

46
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Cattle Welfare
Pain includes a sensory and an emotional component, including a high frequency of kicking and stepping, has been
the latter being particularly important from an animal welfare observed for at least 3 days after mastitis detection.
standpoint. As emotions are not easily measured in animals, Animals with foot conditions suffer long-lasting pain that
pain assessment is difficult. Indeed, the gold standard of pain may commence well before lameness is apparent. Although
assessment in humans is self-reporting, which is not possible different locomotion scoring systems have been developed for
in animals. Although there are several physiological indicators routine use by farmers, it should be noted that lameness is
that can be used to assess pain or inflammation in animals, usually underreported by producers. Signs such as head bob-
including for example plasma concentration of cortisol and bing, arching of the spine and changes in stride length allow a
acute phase proteins, these are mainly useful in an experi- rapid identification of lame individuals.
mental setting and are not feasible in field conditions. Indeed,
Management of pain caused by mastitis and foot condi-
assessment of pain in animals in field conditions is mainly
tions includes both the appropriate use of analgesia and an-
based on the observation of behavioural changes. Some be-
aesthesia as well as changes in management and husbandry
havioural changes will appear regardless of the cause of pain
that reduce the risk of mastitis and lameness. The link between
and these include a reduction in feed intake and rumination;
animal welfare and animal health (including the absence of
licking, rubbing or scratching painful areas; grinding teeth; al-
conditions such as mastitis and lameness) includes several
tered social interactions, and changes in posture to avoid mov-
aspects. As health is an important part of welfare, medical con-
ing or causing contact to a painful body area. Scores based on
ditions must be considered as welfare problems. Additionally,
facial expressions were originally developed to assess pain in
many welfare problems that are not directly related to physical
laboratory animals and have more recently been developed
health have an important effect on the risk of animals devel-
for some farm species. These scores have been shown to be
oping medical conditions such as mastitis and lameness. This
valid and reliable tools to assess pain and have the advantage
is partly due to the fact that chronic stress (which is a welfare
of requiring minimal training.
problem) may cause immunodepression. Also, many welfare
There is growing evidence that pain in farm animals has issues related to housing and behaviour (including for exam-
negative consequences on production efficiency and econom- ple thermal and physical discomfort, negative social interac-
ic profit. For example, work done in dairy cows has shown tions between animals and poor human-animal relationship,
that the administration of an anti-inflammatory drug with anal- among others) may have a direct effect on the risk of animals
gesic properties to cows with mastitis in addition to the usual developing lameness and mastitis.
antibiotic therapy reduces subsequent culling rate. Although
Some of the main painful husbandry practices in cows and
the mechanisms underlying this effect are not properly under-
dairy calves are tail docking, disbudding and dehorning. The
stood, it has been suggested that it may be due to the negative
alleged benefits of these practices should be weighed against
effects of pain on fertility. Similar beneficial effects of NSAIDs
their negative effects on animal. Tail docking provides a good
in calves with respiratory problems have been found. Stud-
example to illustrate this principle. For example, dairy cows
ies carried out in several species suggest that preventing pain
are oftentimes tail docked based on the assumption that tail
caused by parturition has positive effects on both the dam and
docking reduces the risk of mastitis; however, there is no sci-
the offspring.
entific evidence at all that supports this assumption.
Disbudding and dehorning are always painful, regardless
of the method used and the age of the animals. Moreover,
there is now evidence that pain caused by disbudding may
result in negative cognitive bias in calves, i.e. calves will judge
K62
a neutral stimulus as being negative. Cognitive bias is consid-
Pain assessment and management in cows and calves – Part ered to be a useful indicator of the general emotional state of
II the animals, and the effects of disbudding on cognitive bias il-
lustrate the far-reaching consequences that this practice -if not
Xavier Manteca. done with appropriate analgesia and anaesthesia- may have
Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain. on the welfare of the animals. Also, the experience of pain very
early in life may have long-lasting consequences in pain sen-
sitivity and there is now evidence that animals that suffer pain
Pain in farm animals can be caused by diseases and in- shortly after birth may remain more sensitive to subsequent
juries, husbandry practices, and parturition. Mastitis and foot pain for a long period.
problems leading to lameness are among the main painful It is well accepted that dystocia results in pain in both the
conditions in dairy cows. Hyperalgesia (i.e. an increased sen- dam and the offspring. Whether normal parturition is also pain-
sitivity to pain) has been described in farm animals because of ful is less clear. However, even after normal parturition, plas-
painful conditions such as lameness and mastitis.
ma levels of haptoglobin remain higher than normal for at least
Research has shown that all clinical mastitis, including 15 days in heifers and 4 days in cows. Haptoglobin is an acute
grade I mastitis (i.e. those that result in changes in the aspect phase protein that increases because of tissue damage and
of milk only) are painful. For example, it has been shown that inflammation.
cows with mild and moderate mastitis have significantly larg-
er hock-to-hock distances compared with healthy cows, sug-
gesting that they modify their stance to reduce pressure on
the udder. Moreover, increased restlessness during milking,

47
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Feedlot
Feedlot K66
The use of technology for cattle health management in the

K65
feedlot
Bovine Respiratory Disease in Feedlot Production – Past, Calvin Booker1, Eric Behlke2.
Present, and Future
Feedlot Health Management Services, Ltd., Okotoks, Canada; 2Feedlot
1
Calvin Booker1, Ryan Rademacher2. Health Management Services by TELUS Agriculture.

Feedlot Health Management Services, Ltd., Okotoks, Canada; 2Feedlot
1 The objective of this presentation is to inform industry
Health Management Services by TELUS Agriculture. stakeholders about the current status and plans for future
evaluations of several technological advances that have been
developed, and are being tested for use in managing cattle
The objective of this presentation is to inform industry health in feedlots.
stakeholders about the evolution of bovine respiratory disease
The materials and methods utilized to achieve this ob-
(BRD) prevention and control strategies in feedlot production.
jective included the evaluation of the following technologies in
The materials and methods utilized to achieve this objec- the large-scale commercial feedlot environment: Remote Ear-
tive include rigorous research and development, large scale ly Disease Identification System; Whisper Veterinary Stetho-
field trials performed in commercial feedlots, and an extensive scope; QScout Blood Leukocyte Differential; and Infrared
database and analysis of animal health outcomes. Additional- Thermography. Following real-time monitoring and(or) data
ly, the collection of experts at Feedlot Health are at the leading collection with each of these technologies, chute-site data col-
edge of new technologies and strategies for feedlot production lection software was used to track morbidity and mortality out-
and health management and thus have insights into the future comes. The morbidity and mortality outcomes were then used
of BRD. to retrospectively identify the diagnostic value(s) of the data
The results of these data and experiences show us how generated by each respective technology.
BRD management has evolved and continues to evolve over The results from these evaluations indicate that each of
time. In the early years of feedlot production, the tools avail- these technologies provide additional information that may
able to manage BRD were limited. Not only has our knowledge have the potential to be used to make differential management
of the disease process and risk factors improved, but so have decisions, but the cost effectiveness of this differential man-
the technologies (e.g. vaccines and antimicrobials) available agement has yet to be elucidated and will require continued
to prevent and control disease. The industry has moved from evaluations of these technologies.
treating all cattle entering feedlots relatively similarly, to differ- The collective conclusions from these evaluations are
entiating sub-populations based on their specific risk factors that feedlot veterinarians, owners, and managers continue to
and managing those populations accordingly. Into the future, embrace and adopt technologies to optimize their operations
new technologies will continue to be developed and properly and increase their return on investments. Like in many indus-
evaluated to identify those that provide more precise and ac- tries, a growing number of innovative technologies promise
curate disease prediction down to the individual animal level. to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of production, but
In conjunction with continually improving understanding of dis- each technology must be scrutinized and assigned a value
ease processes, the advancements in disease prediction and proposition prior to full-scale deployment.
detection technologies will allow for evaluation of differential
management strategies tailored to the individual animal rather
than the group average.
In conclusion, BRD management has evolved with better
ability to identify risk factors and predict outcomes, as well as
improved tools to prevent and control disease. In the future,
new technologies will allow for differential management down
to the individual animal level. Specifically tailored protocols will
continue to improve animal health, animal welfare, judicious
use of antimicrobials, and overall sustainability of cattle pro-
ducers and the industry.

48
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Diagnostic Imaging
Diagnostic Imaging Is it possible to use Doppler to define the time of ovulation?

Is it possible to use the Doppler to define the time of the
K67 oestrus cycle?
Is it difficult to learn to use Doppler? Is it difficult to set up
The Evolution of Bovine Reproductive Ultrasound and the the ultrasound scanner to use the Doppler? Is it convenient to
Role of Veterinarians buy an ultrasound scanner with Doppler?
Jill Colloton. Can I use Doppler to define the physio-pathology of the
Bovine Services, Edgar, USA. uterus?
Can I use the Doppler to make a diagnosis of embryonic
distress and/or can I use this technique to define possible rea-
Objectives: The objective of this presentation is to review sons for a possible therapeutic strategy?
the parallel evolution of reproductive management of cattle
and the use of ultrasound as a diagnostic tool since 1995, to These are some of the questions that the practitioners in-
consider possible future developments, and to encourage vet- volved bovine reproduction regularly asks their self when de-
ciding whether to engage in this technique. The purpose of this
erinarians to be the primary providers of ultrasound diagnostic
presentation is to give a simple and honest answer to these
services.
questions.
Materials and methods: Historical documents and per-
Materials & Methods: Personal experience and a critical
sonal experience in practice were compiled to present a time-
analysis of the bibliography on the subject of Doppler in bovine
line of the evolution of management and diagnostic methods
reproduction are shared. The point of view of the customer, i.e.
for bovine reproduction. Current research was reviewed to un-
the buyer of the service, is shared. The state of the art of the
derstand possible future developments.
technique in practice and research is defined, and an attempt
Client interviews were utilized to understand the produc- is also made to understand the possible developments of the
er’s perspective in choosing a provider for diagnosis and con- technique also in the light of artificial intelligence.
sultation regarding the reproductive health programs on their
Results: The Doppler today, for the veterinarian involved
farms.
in reproductive management in the field, has its own reason for
Results: Parallel advances in the management and di- use in the indirect definition of the level of progesterone pro-
agnosis of bovine reproductive health over the last 30 years duced by the corpus luteum: this certainly opens up the pos-
have driven the need for skilled consultants and diagnosti- sibility of more precise ultrasound reproductive management.
cians. Producers recognize that their veterinarians are unique-
Doppler assessment of the corpus luteum allows an accu-
ly suited to understand the current science and best provide
rate diagnosis of non-gestation: 5.0-10.0% false positives and
these services. They also feel their veterinarian is more cost
approximately 0.5-1.0% false negatives.
effective and reliable than hiring a technician or training a farm
employee. In the selection of recipients for embryo transfer, the pos-
sible use of the Doppler technique is opening up. However,
Conclusions: As the capabilities of ultrasound technol-
according to the writer, it will take some time before this tech-
ogy and our knowledge of bovine reproductive management
nique can be applied on a scale. Ad of In the selection of re-
evolve veterinarians are uniquely equipped to provide the best
cipients for embryo transfer, the possible use of the Doppler
service for producers.
technique is opening up. However, according to the writer, it
will take some time before this technique can be applied on
a scale. To date, the accuracy of the technique is greatly af-
fected by two factors: the quality of the Doppler used and the
experience of the technician.
K68 The other possible applications of the Doppler technique
are still at an experimental stage and have not, however, en-
The Doppler in field reproductive management: effective
countered definitive scientific validation.
resource or pure fantasy?
Conclusions: It is certain that Doppler will be incorporat-
Giovanni Gnemmi. ed into all ultrasound units, even ultra-portable ones, within
BOVINEVET INTERNACIONAL Bovine Ultrasound Services & Herd the next five years. With regard to its possible actual use in
Management, Huesca, Spain. the field, i.e. outside scientific research, it is currently difficult
to see a concrete application outside the assessment of the
degree of vascularisation of the corpus luteum. The use of ar-
Objectives: Is the Doppler a technique that we can use on tificial intelligence will probably make the technique usable on
a daily basis in dairy/beef farms? Is Doppler a technique that a scale, reducing the objective limitations, today represented
only has a reason to be used in research? by the set up of the ultrasound unit and above all by the expe-
Can we use Doppler for the diagnosis of non-pregnancy in rience of the technician.
cattle? Are there differences between dairy and beef cattle? For those who work in the reproductive management of
When is it convenient to perform this examination? beef cattle and where fixed-time insemination with re-syn-
Can we use Doppler for the selection of recipients in em- chronisation is used, this technique finds immediate appli-
bryo transfer? cation. It is worth remembering that while around 25 million

49
KEYNOTE LECTURES —Diagnostic Imaging
fixed-time inseminations are carried out in Mercosur today, in Results: The more thorough the technician’s knowledge
other continents such as Europe, artificial insemination, and of the oestral cycle and the better the quality of the ultrasound
especially fixed-time insemination of beef cattle, is still an em- unit in use and its set-up, the greater the accuracy of the meth-
bryonic technique, also due to a whole series of limitations od. Possible sources of error may arise from the presence of
and prejudices related to synchronisation. In dairy cattle, on co-dominance and/or the presence of a persistent dominant
the other hand, where fixed-time insemination is widely used, follicle from a previous oestral cycle. This assessment is
there remains the problem of defining a re-synchronisation based on a pre-judgment: that if we visit dairy cows, they are
programme, currently unavailable, that allows a weekly diag- two-wave growth, whereas when we work with beef cows and/
nosis of non-gestation. or heifers (both dairy and beef), they are three-wave follicular
growth.
Conclusions: This technique makes it possible to define
with extreme precision the estrous window in which the cow
is located and whether the cow is cyclical. This makes it pos-
K69 sible to optimise all forms of hormone therapy. However, this
technique opens up a great opportunity in herds where, for
Use of ultrasound to improve reproductive management in various reasons, it has been decided not to resort to the sys-
dairy or beef cattle tematic use of pre-synchronisation or oestrus synchronisation.
It is a technique that fits in perfectly with all oestrus detection
Giovanni Gnemmi.
systems and allows confirmation of the indication derived from
BOVINEVET INTERNACIONAL Bovine Ultrasound Services & Herd electronic or manual oestrus detection systems. It is a very
Management, Huesca, Spain. precise technique, but based on a single ultrasound evalua-
tion, it is not free of errors, which may result from the initial
pre-judgment in the definition of the follicular waves and not
Objectives: The purpose of this presentation is to demon-
only.
strate how the use of ultrasound allows us to define in which
phase (luteal-follicular) of the oestrus cycle the cow is, but New ultrasound scanners, even ultra-portable ones, al-
also in which part of each phase (meta-oestrus, di-oestrus; ready allow automatic measurement of follicular maps. In a
pro-oestrus, oestrus). The main purpose of this evaluation is few years’ time, with the advent of artificial intelligence, it is
to optimise the use of oestrus synchronization of the ovula- very likely that the accuracy of this diagnostic method will im-
tion, pre-synchronisation and re-synchronisation. But also to prove, making it possible to reduce the natural margin of error
be able to establish, on the basis of the follicular map and that exists today.
the ultrasound stratigraphy of the uterus, if and when the cow
could enter oestrus.
Materials & Methods: A portable or ultra-portable ultra-
sound scanner, working in B-Mode, allows us to define with
great precision whether we are in the luteal phase or the follic- K70
ular phase of the oestral cycle. In the luteal phase the hormon-
al profile is progestin, so the myometrium and endometrium Thoracic ultrasonograpy in calves: an affordable diagnostic
have the same thickness and echogenicity when analysed at a tool in farms
frequency of 5.0-10.0 MHz. The uterine lumen, if the cow does Sebastien Buczinski.
not have a chronic inflammatory process of the uterus, will be
a virtual space. Faculté of veterinary medicine, Saint-Hyacinthe, Canada.
In the follicular phase, the hormonal profile is oestrogen-
ic: the myometrium is contracted and, due to the increase in Thoracic ultrasonography is an emerging field of research
acoustic density, will be echogenic. The vascular tonaca is for bronchopneumonia diagnosis and management in cattle.
thickened and the endometrium is oedematous, causing dila- The technique can be fastly applied in farms with the same
tion of the blood vessels, which will appear as small anecho- ultrasound unit that is commonly used for reproductive pur-
genic spaces in the endometrial structure. The endometrium pose. Thoracic ultrasonography helps to characterize the im-
is hypo-ecogenic and the uterine lumen shows increased fluid, portance of lung lesions (mainly consolidation) that are nega-
which is anecogenic. The shape of the uterine lumen is star- tively associated with health and production outcomes. This
shaped or Christmas tree-shaped. ancillary tool can be useful to assess calf lung health and to
Once the phase of the cycle is established, we move on to monitor implementation of mitigation strategies for respiratory
define the follicular map and the presence of the corpus lute- disease prevention and treatment. Thoracic ultrasonography
um or corpora lutei, whose age will be established on the basis is an emerging field of research for bronchopneumonia diag-
of the presence of one or more dominant follicles and their nosis and management in cattle. The technique can be fastly
size. Once it has been established in which moment of the applied in farms with the same ultrasound unit that is com-
cycle the cow is, it is possible to give indications as to whether monly used for reproductive purpose. Detection of lung con-
and when she will come into oestrus, but also to establish with solidation with ultrasound is reliable between different opera-
great precision, whether it is possible and/or convenient to re- tors with minimal training. It is important to perform a bilateral
sort to oestrus synchronisation (PGF2a), or synchronization of examination because unilateral lung lesions are common. The
the ovulation. right cranial lung is of special interest in calves and its specific

50
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Sustainable Cattle Productive Systems
landmark with the internal thoracic artery and vein. Thoracic Sustainable Cattle Productive Systems
ultrasonography helps to characterize the importance of lung
lesions (mainly lung consolidation) that are negatively associ- K71
ated with health and production outcomes. Animals with lung
lesions (using various thresholds and consideration for case Sustainability in action – how do we “meat” demand
definition) have been found at higher risk of dyingor being without “milking” the environment
culled before the first calving. Other findings associated with
Jude Capper.
lung consolidation are decreased average daily gain during
the preweaning period and decreased hazard of first pregnan- Livestock Sustainability Consultancy, Harwell, Oxfordshire, UK.
cy. Finally, decreased milk production during the first lactation
has also been reported. In feedlot, beef and veal calves, tho-
Sustainable food production is one of the most often-dis-
racic ultrasonography although less studied has also been as-
cussed issues within agriculture, given concerns regarding
sociated with various negative outcomes.
climate change, resource use, animal health and welfare,
This ancillary tool can be useful to assess calf lung health antimicrobial resistance and the provision of affordable food.
and to monitor implementation of mitigation strategies for re- Although myriad definitions of sustainable food exist, the most
spiratory disease prevention and treatment. Thoracic ultraso- widely-accepted comprises a balance between economic via-
nography is a fast and affordable diagnostic test that can be bility, environmental responsibility and social acceptability, yet
used calf-side with no specific investment. This is an extra-tool the latter component has recently become disproportionate-
in the bronchopneumonia diagnostic toolbox. However, this is ly important, as consumers have increasing questions about
not a magic tool and limitations should be known when trying how their food is produced.
to implement it in practice. Livestock productivity must continue to increase in line
with future population growth, so that sufficient animal source
foods can be produced to fulfil consumer requirements, while
lessening the impact on the environment. For example, in the
USA, the move towards large-scale intensive farming con-
ferred a reduction in the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe)
per kg of milk by 63% between 1944 and 2007, with a fur-
ther 19% reduction between 2007 and 2017. Similar effects
were achieved in U.S. beef systems, with an 18% reduction in
GHGe per kg between 1977 and 2007; and in both pork (35%
reduction between 1959 and 2009) and egg production (63%
reduction between 1960 and 2010). A clear differentiation
should be drawn however, between improving productivity in
all livestock systems with due regard for social, economic and
resource use constraints, and imposing or prescribing practic-
es or systems with regards for sustainability impacts or trade-
offs. Given the billions of smallholder and subsistence farmers
across the world who rely on livestock for myriad reasons, a
wholescale global transition to intensive production systems is
not the solution.
Animal health is one of the key determinants of produc-
tivity, with over 20% of global animal protein lost to disease.
As healthy animals produce greater yields of milk or meat, or
grow at a faster rate, improving animal health reduces both
the economic costs and the environmental impacts of livestock
production. Animal health is also a significant consideration for
many consumers, who want to be reassured that that the milk,
meat and eggs that they buy come from healthy livestock.
Good animal health therefore promotes social acceptability,
reduces the risk of public health issues and reduces the need
for veterinary medicines – a significant positive effect given
the threat of antimicrobial resistance to both animal and hu-
man health. The economic benefits accruing from improved
animal health, also allow improved affordability of meat, milk
and eggs to the consumer.
The extent of the environmental and economic improve-
ments conferred by improved livestock health and the quantity
of data in the literature varies considerably between species
and diseases. For example, the economic costs of bovine re-
spiratory disease complex and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis

51
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Sustainable Cattle Productive Systems
are relatively well-defined, and multiple papers have quantified K73

the reductions in GHGe conferred by improving mastitis inci-
dence in dairy cattle; yet the economic impacts of many other Cows of the future – challenges and opportunities for
diseases tend to be dated, with no quantification of associ- sustainable cattle systems
ated resource use or GHGe. Considerable knowledge gaps Jude Capper.
therefore exist relating to interactions between productivity,
livestock disease, economic cost and environmental impact. Livestock Sustainability Consultancy, Harwell, Oxfordshire, UK.
These gaps urgently need to be filled, both to help producers
to understand the economic and environmental cost:benefit There is no “one-size-fits-all” sustainable cattle system
ratios of management practices or treatment decisions, and – the degree to which different livestock systems are consid-
to allow downstream food industry stakeholders (e.g. proces- ered sustainable depends on the region, culture, market and
sors, retailers and restaurants) to make informed decisions. metric of choice. Sustainable systems balance environmental
Improving livestock productivity through enhanced animal responsibility, economic viability and social acceptability, yet of
health provides a strategy to mitigate environmental impacts, these three factors, the first has become disproportionately im-
increase economic viability and reassure consumers for whom portant. The widespread media coverage of climate change is-
health and welfare are key concerns. This triple-win approach sues, augmented by the outcomes of the recent COP26 Con-
aligns with One Health principles and provides a clear mech- ference and the publicity afforded to the primarily plant-based
anism to enhance sustainability, however, the implementation “Eat Lancet” diet, means that ruminant systems are often cited
of global animal health protocols and access to veterinary as being environmentally damaging. An urgent need therefore
medicines remains an ongoing challenge. exists to improve the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe) of all
cattle operations to demonstrate, highlight and communicate
our dedication to improving environmental sustainability.
Livestock industries in high-income regions have tended
to reduce GHGe per kg of food produced through improve-
K72 ments in genetics, nutrition, health and management over the
past century. Given that the USA-based dairy cow that holds
Feeding the world without devouring it the world record for 365-d milk production yielded 35,437 kg,
Frank M. Mitloehner. it is clear that further genetic gains may still be available in
dairy systems. The difficulty of processing and marketing larg-
University of California, Davis, USA. er beef carcasses means that increasing carcass weight may
not be a sustainable strategy for beef production, however
By 2050, Earth will be home to nearly 10 billion people, considerable opportunities exist through improving both age
a tripled human population during our lifetime. Only 1.8% of at slaughter and reproductive efficiency. If appropriate breed-
the Earth’s surface is arable land that can be used for growing goals are identified to ensure that cows and calves can
ing crops, a resource not likely to increase, which means the make the best use of the resources available; pasture and
amount of cropland per person will decline by 20%. In the face feed are managed efficiently and with due regard for optimal
of finite resources and a changing climate, we need sustain- production; and livestock health is made a priority; then re-
able solutions to the 2050 food challenge. Our current food source use and GHGe may be reduced. Producing beef from
system is often criticized for not addressing chronic undernu- dairy systems can also reduce GHGe, because a considerable
trition, micronutrient deficiencies and obesity. And agriculture proportion of the dam’s environmental impacts can be allocat-
does contribute to issues of environmental sustainability. Live- ed to milk production. These systems therefore may improve
stock production is often seen as particularly egregious, and environmental responsibility, in addition to solving one of the
some people say we can better meet the 2050 food challenge major social acceptability issues of dairy production – the fate
by limiting or eliminating animal-source foods from our diet. of dairy bull calves. Traditional suckler/cow-calf systems will
Critics of animal agriculture go as far as to claim that global- therefore need to be proactive in communicating their role in
ly, livestock produces more greenhouse gases than the entire producing food from grassland that is unsuitable for other food
transportation sector. Less livestock production would reduce or fibre production, while sequestering carbon.
greenhouse gas emissions, provide more food for humans Technology use should be encouraged wherever possible,
by decreasing feed needed for livestock, and free up range- from basic husbandry practices (e.g. weighing cattle), to repro-
land and feedlots for crop production. In short - Eat less meat ductive, growth and management technologies that are novel,
to save the environment. At first glance, this simple solution not yet widely adopted or still under development (e.g. sexed
seems elegant and one that should be readily adopted. How- semen, hormone implants, methane inhibitors). Crucially, this
ever, the truth is far more complicated. must be undertaken in combination with improved data col-
lection, recording and benchmarking. Future consumers will
demand information on a range of sustainability metrics (e.g.
GHGe, biodiversity, medicines use, community support, etc),
yet this will only be possible via credible data. At present there
is no standard GHGe tool for use across the globe, and the
tools available produce wildly differing results. With national,
supply chain and product GHGe quantification becoming man-
datory, a standard tool is required to ensure fair comparisons

52
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Surgery
and provide insights into the effects of on-farm practices. Surgery

One of the greatest sustainability issues that the cattle in-
dustry needs to overcome is the gap in knowledge and un- K76
derstanding between the producer and the consumer, which,
when hitherto-underknown practices are exposed, may lead Cesarean section in cattle
to accusations that farmers lack transparency or are cruel to Sylvain Nichols.
animals. This is challenging in an era where television, inter-
net and social media have overtaken traditional print media Montreal University, Canada.
and literature as information sources and arguments against
livestock production that appeal to aesthetic or ethical values Introduction: Dystocia in dairy and beef cattle are fairly
are sometimes more successful than science-led information. common (1.1-6.8% of all calvings). Vaginal manipulation can
Rather than trying to combat anthropomorphic or ethical claims resolve the dystocia. However, in cases of fetal disproportion,
with scientific facts, we need to combine the two, acknowl- cervical inertia, malformation or complicated malposition, a
edging that we share consumer desires for affordable healthy c-section will be necessary.
food, excellent animal health and welfare and reduced envi-
ronmental impacts, and demonstrating a clear commitment to Preoperative treatments: Preoperative antibiotics, such
systems and management practices that promote these. as procaine penicillin, should be given. It is also appropri-
ate to give a NSAID, such as meloxicam. The surgery site is
Ultimately, consumer trust is key to maintaining the social clipped and prepared appropriately for surgery (washed and
acceptability of cattle production. A sustainable future for cat- scrubbed). Most c-sections are done with the cow standing
tle production will be independent of either economic viability and restrained in a contention chute. Sedation is rarely need-
or environmental responsibility if the market ceases to exist ed.
for milk and meat. However, if we improve livestock produc-
tivity, technology adoption and data recording in conjunction For a standing procedure, the flank is anesthetized by
with improved consumer communication, we should be able to paravertebral block (proximal or distal), inverted L or line block.
balance the three pillars of sustainability and ensure that milk The technique chosen is often based on surgeon experience.
and meat are still on the menu in years to come. Surgical approaches: Typically, the left paralumbar fossa
is used to access the uterus. From this approach, the rumen
acts as a barrier to keep the jejunum in the abdomen. Exteri-
orization is crucial with a dead calf. However, with a live calf
that had minimal obstetrical manipulation, the uterus can be
opened within the abdomen.
K74
Ventral approaches are possible in cattle. They are usual-
Livestock and climate change – Facts and fiction ly performed on dead or emphysemateous calves. The ven-
tral-midline and the right paramammary have been described
Frank M. Mitloehner.
in beef cattle. Those are more difficult to execute on dairy cat-
University of California, Davis, USA. tle because of the size of the udder and the massive vascular
network. The para-mammary/inguinal approach can be used
in dairy cattle. The ventral approach provides a more direct
Animal agriculture is often shouldered with a large part
access to the uterus.
of the blame when it comes to climate change, and that’s in
part to the fact that we haven’t been looking at all greenhouse Surgical techniques: Hysterotomy is performed on the
gases correctly. While methane – the main greenhouse gas greater curvature. The calf is extracted gently to avoid tear-
associated with animal agriculture – is a potent climate pollut- ing the uterus. With the uterus still exteriorized, the uterus
ant that we can and need to reduce, it warms our atmosphere is checked for another calf. The placenta, if detached, is re-
differently than other gases because of its short lifespan. moved. If it is still attached, scissors are used to remove the
Methane persists in our atmosphere for about a dozen years part that comes out of the hysterotomy. A double inverting pat-
before it’s broken down via oxidation, and it’s that atmospher- tern is the technique of choice for closure of the uterus. The
ic removal that is often neglected when trying to characterize patterns that can be used are continuous Utrech, Cushing or
methane’s warming impact. Furthermore, if we can reduce lembert. On the second layer, it is important to burry the knots
methane emissions to the point where more is being broken to avoid adhesions. Absorbable suture material of USP 1 is ap-
down in the atmosphere than is being emitted, we’ll see an- propriate. Some advocate the use of monofilament instead of
imal agriculture go from being blamed for climate change to multifilament to decrease the drag effect. If the latter is used, it
being recognized as a major climate solution. By rethinking is important to push the tissue over the suture rather than pull
methane, we can see that animal agriculture’s path to climate the suture through the tissue to avoid the dragging effect and
neutrality is within reach as scalable solutions offer the global tearing of the uterus.
community tools to fight global climate change. Before being returned in the abdomen, the uterus is
cleaned of blood clots and debris. If the surgery was contam-
inated and if possible, the abdomen should be thoroughly la-
vaged with sterile isotonic solution. Ideally, the lavage solution
is evacuated, by massage or by suction prior to closing the
abdomen.

53
Postoperative treatments ing on the mesentery. Only the affected portion of the intestine
Antibiotics should be continued and readjusted according is exteriorized. End-to-end anastomosis is more commonly
to the surgical findings (live vs dead calf, clean contaminated done than side-to-side. Doyen forceps, silicone or rubber tub-
vs contaminated surgery) and any co-morbidities occurring ing, and umbilical tape have been used to keep the resected
(mastitis, metritis, etc). NSAID should be given as needed and section tight while suturing. The anastomosis is sutured with
according to the general status of the cow. one layer of full thickness simple interrupted sutures with 2-0
absorbable suture on a swaged on needle. Simple continuous
The postoperative period following a c-section performed
suture can be used but should be interrupted at one point to
to extract an emphysematous fetus is challenging. Intrave-
avoid a purse string effect (2X 180o). The mesentery should
nous fluids, broad spectrum antibiotics and oral transfaunation
always be sutured to avoid incarceration. Specific intestinal
are often necessary for the first postoperative days.
diseases.
Complications and Prognosis: The status of the calf has
Intussusception is reported to be more common in young
an impact on the severity of the postoperative complications.
cattle and Brown Swiss. The most common site of intussus-
The most severe complication would be peritonitis. Retained ceptions is jejunum followed by colocolic. Effective reduction
fetal membrane is another complication. It needs to be treated of the intussusception in surgery is rarely feasible therefore,
more aggressively because the hysterotomy site can be an surgical resection is indicated. The prognosis is fair.
opening and cause secondary peritonitis. According to Lyons
et al, the presence of retained membrane has a negative im- Intestinal volvulus is rapidly fatal if not treated. Volvulus
pact on the survival of cows 14 days after the procedure. can involve either the ileal flange of the jejunum or the root of
the mesentery. Surgery is an emergency. Exteriorization of a
According to Lyons et al, exteriorizing the uterus and re- portion of the jejunum is necessary to reduce the volvulus. Re-
moving the abdominal blood clots during surgery has a pos- section of the jejunum will be performed if the ileal flange un-
itive impact on the survival of the cow. Also, c-section done derwent irreversible vascular damage. The prognosis is 86% if
because of feto-pelvic disproportion of a female calf has a pos- the ileal flange is involved and 44% with a volvulus of the root
itive impact on cow survival. of the mesentery.
Tenhagen et al, showed that cows undergoing a c-section Jejunal Hemorrhage Syndrome has a high mortality rate
produce less milk at the beginning of lactation and are more (60-100%). Although medical assistance is necessary in all
likely to be open at 200 DIM. Therefore, they are more likely to animals, surgery is indicated only if there are signs of obstruc-
be culled when compared to a control group. tions: scant feces, distended jejunum with or without intralu-
minal mass at rectal palpation and transabdominal ultrasound
findings. Otherwise the animal is treated medically with 2-4
liters of mineral oil orally, IV fluids or blood transfusion and
systemic antibiotics (β-lactam). The affected segment of je-
K77 junum is easily identified at surgery. There are 3 surgical op-
tions: aborad massage of the clot, enterotomy and resection
Surgical management of common intestinal conditions in anastomosis. Decision is based on the length of the clot and
adult cattle the integrity of the jejunal wall. Prompt laparotomy and manual
massage had a higher survival rates in one study. Medium and
André Desrochers.
long term survival rate was higher in cattle referred 24 to 48
Université de Montréal, Canada. hours after onset of signs. The recurrence rate although was
high.
The objective of this presentation is to present some basic Duodenal obstruction should be suspected if there is a
intestinal conditions that can be handled in field situation with severe hypochloremic metabolic alkalosis with a small ‘ping’
emphasis on duodenum and jejunum. behind the last right rib and absence of intestinal distension
at the rectal palpation. If the cause cannot be determined, a
Surgical approach: The most common surgical condi-
temporary diagnosis of ileus is given and large volume of intra-
tions reported in the literature are: intussusception, volvulus of
venous fluids is administered for 12 to 24 hours. Enterotomy
the jejunum, incarceration and jejunal hemorrhage syndrome.
can be performed on the cranial and descending duodenum to
Other less frequent conditions are: gut tie in steers, duodenal
remove a foreign body or trichobezoar. However, any obstruc-
obstruction, trichobezoar, ileal impaction and sigmoid flexure
tion involving the sigmoid flexure of the duodenum is difficult
volvulus of the duodenum. Since the last few years, we have
because it cannot be exteriorized.
more sigmoid flexure volvulus than any other intestinal sur-
gical condition combined. Intestinal surgeries are performed The volvulus of the sigmoid flexure of the duodenum is a
usually through a right flank incision while the animal is stand- surgical condition and diagnosis is confirmed during the lap-
ing. Preoperative analgesia is provided to the patient before arotomy. The sigmoid flexure is severely distended with gas
invading the abdomen. Mild sedation might be necessary. and a volvulus is palpated at its root close to the neck of the
Broad spectrum antibiotics must be given before the surgery. gall bladder on the visceral part of the liver. The volvulus is
The flank is anesthetized by linear infiltration of lidocaine or reduced and cranial duodenal content is milked through the
with a paravertebral block. flexure to ensure that it’s functional. The prognosis is good if
the sigmoid flexure is not necrotic.
In cattle, the mesentery is short and fatty rendering vessels
ligation difficult. It is recommended to infiltrate the mesentery
with lidocaine before resection to alleviate the pain from pull-

54
K78 Complications and Prognosis: Pins and bone fractures

at the pin/bone interface is a catastrophic complication. Pin
Distal Limb Fracture and Pin Casting loosening and ring sequestrum (osteitis) at the insertion site
Sylvain Nichols. is a frequent complication that is secondary to overheating of
the bone during drilling. It may cause discomfort to the animal.
Montreal University, Canada. However, it usually resolves with removal of the pins. Delayed
healing can be seen when pins are kept for a prolonged period
Limb fractures are frequent in cattle. They often involve the of time. Other complications are associated with coaptation of
metacarpus and the metatarsus, but they can occur in all long the limb.
bones of cattle. In a retrospective study by Lozier et al, looking specifically
A pin cast is a modified type II external fixator. The com- at fractures fixed with a pin cast in ruminant (cattle, goat and
monly used sidebars are replaced by casting material made sheep), 79% of the cases survived to the removal of the coap-
of fiberglass. A pin cast can be used on fractures involving the tation. At long-term follow up, 85% of the cases were perform-
metacarpus and metatarsus and the distal radius and tibia. ing according to the owners’ expectation despite the fact that
45% of the animal had some degree of lameness.
Surgical Preparation: The procedure is performed with
the animal under general anesthesia or under sedation with
regional anesthesia (brachial plexus bloc, epidural, or IV under
tourniquet). The position varies according to surgeon prefer-
ence and the equipment available. The surgery site is clipped,
cleaned and prepared for surgery. Preoperative antibiotics and K79
an NSAID is given prior to the surgery.
Clinical management of septic arthritis
Pin Selection and Surgical Planning: Smooth and pos-
itive profile centrally threaded Steinmann pins are available André Desrochers.
from 2 mm to 6.4 mm. The threaded pins have a better holding Université de Montréal, Canada.
power. However, they can be difficult to insert in older animal
with thick cortices. The size of the pins should not exceed 20%
of the diameter of the bone. A minimum of 2 pins are need- Septic arthritis can be caused by a direct trauma to the
ed proximal to the fracture. They are inserted in the proximal articulation (primary), an adjacent infection to the articulation
or distal metaphysis and diaphysis. The middle of the bone (secondary), a systemic infection (tertiary). Direct trauma is a
needs to be avoided. The distance between the pins needs common cause of septic arthritis in adult cattle. Calves with
to be at least 6 times the size of the pins. To increase the infected umbilical infection or adult with endocarditis are at
distance between the pins in small fragment, the pins can be risk for polyarthritis from a remote site. Septic arthritis in cattle
placed in a divergent plane. is of bacterial origin. Bacteria isolated from the articulations
Insertion Technique: A stab incision of the skin down to will depend of the cause of infection. The most common in
the bone is realized. The appropriate drill bit is used to create adult are: Trueperella pyogenes, Escherichia coli, and other
the pin hole. In older animals with thick cortices, the drilling environmental bacteria. In calves, a recent study found that
needs to be done in steps to avoid overheating the bone. The Streptococcus spp followed by Mycoplasma bovis were the
drill bit is flushed with cool saline during drilling. If a threaded most common bacteria isolated in septic joints.
pin is used, the thread will be created with the appropriate tap. Diagnosis: Adult cattle affected of septic arthritis are
When the drill bit reaches the far cortex, it is found under the severely lame. During the physical examination, emphasis
skin and another stab incision is created. When the pins are should be on investigating the origin of the septic arthritis with
all in place, they are cut with a bolt cutter, leaving approximatly a very special focus on the umbilicus in calves. The most fre-
3 cm out of the skin. A light bandage is placed over the pins. A quent joint involved are the carpus, tarsus, stifle and fetlock.
bandage is then applied as is done for a standard cast appli- Arthrocentesis can be easily done. Macroscopic examination
cation (stockinette, felt over bony prominences, etc.). Finally, of the fluid is often diagnostic (increased turbidity, decrease
the casting material is applied while traction and support are viscosity, fibrin). Bacterial isolation and identification are pos-
provided to the fracture. Most of the cast material is pushed sible in only 50 % of the samples submitted. Radiographic ex-
through or wrapped around the pins to create a solid construct. amination helps the clinician to specify his diagnosis, and to
For the last roll of casting material, the material is placed over establish a prognosis. Soft tissues are better evaluated with
the sharp edges of the pins to cover them completely. The ultrasound examination. In our clinics, we’ve been using ultra-
hoof has to be included. It is important that the cast end is not sound to determine the presence and location of fibrin in the
too close to the last pin, to avoid creating a leaver that can joint helping the clinician in his choice of treatment.
stress the bone and cause a catastrophic fracture. Treatment: Basic principles have to be followed:1- control
Postoperative Care and Follow-up: Systemic antibiotics the infection, 2-drain abnormal joint fluid 3-control inflamma-
and NSAIDs are used in the early postoperative period. The tion and 4-restore joint function. In any cases, primary cause
animal is confined to a stall. In calves, the cast is changed should be treated; calves with omphalophlebitis have to go
after 3 to 4 weeks. The pins are removed by rotating them out. under surgery rapidly before other joint infections occur. The
The holes are cleaned and flushed. A second cast is then ap- choice of the appropriate antibiotics is based on the microog-
plied. In older animals, the first cast and pins are kept in place anism suspected, route of administration, cost of the treatment
for 4 to 6 weeks if the animal is comfortable. and withdrawal in meat and milk. Trueperella pyogenes being

55
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Biotechnology
the most common microorganism isolated in cattle, penicillin Biotechnology

procainic is often the first choice antibiotic. In the presence
of a severely contaminated wound, antibiotics against gram K80
negative should be considered. In calves with septic joints, the
antibiotic chosen should have an effect on Mycoplasma spp if Simplified superstimulation programs for in vivo and in
no organism is isolated and the umbilicus is unlikely to be the vitro embryo production in cattle
cause specially if there is a history of Mycoplama spp on the
farm or clinical signs associated to it (otitis, pneumonia, arthri- Gabriel Bo.
tis, mastitis). The duration of the treatment should be 2 to 3 IRAC, Argentina.
weeks after the beginning of clinical improvement. Other route
has been described: intra-articular injection, intra-venous un-
der tourniquet and antibiotics incorporated in a slow release Knowledge of follicular wave dynamics obtained using re-
medium. Removal of infected tissue, debris and inflammatory al-time ultrasonography and the development of the means by
mediators in the joint is essential for normal return to previ- which follicular wave dynamics can be controlled have provid-
ous function. The goals of joint lavage are to remove debris ed practical approaches for the in vivo and in vitro production
and dilute the abnormal constituent in the joint. Joint lavage and transfer of embryos in cattle. Two very important factors
is performed in different way: tidal, through and through and influencing variability in superstimulatory response are the in-
arthroscopy. The size of the needle used are 16 G to 14G in trinsic number of antral follicles in donors, and the stage of
calves and 14G to 5mm canula in adult. Arthrotomy is per- follicular development at the time of initiating FSH treatments.
formed if the medical treatment failed or the joint is filled up Response can be predicted by antral follicle counts done with
with fibrin or pus and through and through lavage is impossi- ultrasonography, or the measurement of circulating concen-
ble. Sites of arthrotomy are the same as the arthrocentesis. trations of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH). High antral follicle
The incision should be long enough to allow adequate drain- counts have been associated with more ovulations and a
age and introduction of a forceps to remove fibrin. More than greater number of transferable embryos following superstim-
one incision per joint is necessary to access the entire cavity ulation with FSH than low antral follicle counts. Furthermore,
and improve the debridement. The incisions are covered with the elective control of follicular wave emergence and ovulation
a bandage or stents and additional lavage are performed if has had great impact on the application of on-farm embryo
necessary. Arthrodesis is the final solution when no treatments transfer, especially when large groups of donors need to be
were efficient or because of the chronicity of the disease, joint superstimulated at the same time. Although, estradiol and
function will never be restored. Articulations of the distal limb progestins have been used for many years, practitioners in
are easily arthrodesed (fetlock, proximal and distal interpha- countries where estradiol cannot be used have turned to al-
langeal joints). Severe carpal infection has also been treated ternative treatments, such as follicle ablation or the induction
with arthrodesis. of ovulation by the administration of GnRH for the synchroni-
zation of follicle wave emergence. Initially, attempts to syn-
Prognosis: In cattle, prognosis is generally good for a re-
chronize follicular wave emergence for superstimulation with
turn to previous function and productivity. It will depends of the
GnRH were unsuccessful because of failure to induce ovula-
time of presentation, radiographic evaluation (bone lysis and
tion consistently when administered at random stages of the
proliferation), and degree of extracapsular ankylosis. If more
estrous cycle, but subsequent field data were more promising.
than 2 joints are infected, the prognosis is poor. Animal with
In these cases, GnRH was administered 1.5 to 3.0 days after
chronic septic arthritis with bony lesions do not have a good
the insertion of an intravaginal progestin device which may
prognosis for complete recovery and becoming a productive
have increased the probability of an LH-responsive follicle at
animal.
the time of treatment with GnRH. Indeed, we have reported on
the strategic use of PGF2α, a progestin device and GnRH to
induce ovulation prior to initiating FSH treatments. Basically,
a persistent follicle was induced by treatment with PGF2α at
the time of progestin device insertion; following administration
of GnRH 7 days later, ovulation occurred in more than 95% of
animals. Superstimulation initiated 36 hours after GnRH (with
the P4-device remaining in place) resulted in a superovulato-
ry response that did not differ from controls superstimulated
between Days 8 and 12 of the estrous cycle. More recently, a
study performed with Angus donors reported no difference in
superovulatory response whether GnRH was administered 2
or 7 days after insertion of a P4-device with FSH treatments
initiated 2 days later.
In vitro embryo production (IVP) also benefits from the syn-
chronization of follicle wave emergence prior to oocyte recov-
ery. As Bos indicus cattle have high antral follicle populations,
large numbers of oocytes can be obtained by ovum pick-up
(OPU) without superstimulation. However, synchronization of
follicular wave emergence and superstimulation is necessary

56
to obtain high numbers of oocytes by OPU and blastocysts rate (P< 0.0001) compared to other categories. We studied
following in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Bos taurus donors. In Bos the effect of donor pregnancy at the moment of OPU on oocyte
taurus breeds of cattle, especially those with low AFC, oocyte quality and IVP in 3 Holstein categories: prepubertal heifers
recovery and blastocyst production have been improved by (8 to 10 month; n = 60), pubertal heifers (10 to 12 month; n
superstimulatory treatments with FSH. There is also clear = 60) and pregnant heifers (14 to 18 month; n=59). Pubertal
evidence that superstimulation increases oocyte and embryo heifers had a greater number of recovered oocytes as well
developmental competence and thus, blastocyst production as COCs cultured compared to other categories. In contrast,
rates. Although FSH treatment protocols have involved twice cleavage rate was similar between pubertal and pregnant heif-
daily treatments followed by a period of coasting to optimize ers. Interestingly, pregnant heifers had a greater number of
follicle and oocyte development competence traditionally, embryos produced per OPU and greater blastocyst rate when
more recent protocols with a single administration of Folltro- compared to other heifer categories. It has been reported that
pin-V in 0.5% hyaluronan 48 or 72 hours before OPU have IVEP is more efficient in Bos indicus breeds than in Bos taurus
been very efficacious, making protocols user-friendly, while breeds. The greater antral follicle population (AFP) found in
minimizing errors in compliance. FSH-treated beef and dairy Bos indicus cattle would appear to result in a greater number
cows and heifers had a greater percentage of medium-sized of suitable oocytes for in vitro culture. In this context, Bos in-
follicles (6 to 10 mm), a greater blastocyst production rate and dicus (Nelore and Gir) are reported to have greater number
more transferable embryos per OPU session. Finally, it has of visualized follicles and to produce greater number of total
been shown that it is possible to obtain embryos in vivo and oocytes per OPU session, cultured COC and blastocyst rates
in vitro sequentially in the same donor. Although no significant than Bos taurus (Holstein). In dairy cows, the lactation period
differences in superovulatory response were found, initiation and interactions with insulin resistance may influence oocyte
of FSH treatment 3 days after OPU resulted in a greater num- quality. Our group studied Holstein cows that were either at
ber of grade 1 embryos than when the protocol was initiated early or late days in milk (DIM) at the moment of OPU-IVP.
2 days after OPU. All these protocols demonstrate that it is Results showed that insulin resistance associated with late
possible to obtain embryos in vivo and in vitro in commercial lactation period can disrupt oocyte quality, promoting lower
beef or dairy herds using efficacious protocols that are easily efficiency of IVP. The number of blastocysts, as well as blas-
implemented by farm personnel. tocyst rates, were greatly reduced in cows at later lactation.
In addition, a number of apoptotic genes were upregulated
in cows with greater days in milk. One factor related to the
poor IVEP yields in Bos taurus cattle can be partly attributed to
the heat stress. A previous seasonal experiment demonstrat-
K81 ed that once the pool of ovarian oocytes is damaged by heat
stress, two or three estrous cycles are required (after the end
Factors affecting oocyte quality for embryo production in of heat stress) to restore the follicular pool and oocyte quality
cattle (Roth et al., 2001). However, our study (Torres-Júnior et al.,
2008) showed a carry-over effect of heat stress on blastocyst
Pietro Baruselli Sampaio1, Bruna Lima Chechin Catussi1, Laís Ângelo production up to 105 days after the end of the heat stress. Fac-
De Abreu. tors that affect oocyte quality for embryo production have to be
USP, Sao Paolo, Brasil. taken into account to increase the efficiency of ET in cattle.
The use of ovum pick up (OPU) associated with in vitro

embryo production (IVEP) has a great potential to disseminate
selected genetics, diminishing the interval of generations (use
of young donors) and improving herds genetic gain. Howev- K82
er, several factors appear to be critical to oocyte quality such
Factors affecting pregnancy rates in beef embryo recipients
as environmental factors, genetic background, age and lacta-
tion status of donor animals. The aim of this review is to high- Gabriel Bo.
light some critical areas that can help veterinary practitioners
IRAC, Argentina.
to enhance OPU efficiency and successfully implement IVP
into their routine practice. The animal category is an import-
ant factor that affects oocyte quality. Our group used 120 Hol- The main objective of implementing embryo transfer in
stein donors of four animal categories, as follows: prepubertal beef operations is to accelerate the rate of genetic progress
heifers (n= 30), pubertal heifers (n= 30), lactating cows (n= in the herd. Among the main factors that affect the use of
30) and nonlactating cows (n= 30). Donors were submitted to these technologies are related to nutrition, management and
OPU without previous synchronization of the follicular wave. estrus synchronization. Although prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α)
No difference was observed between experimental groups, re- has been used most commonly for synchronization of estrus,
garding total number of aspirated follicles (P = 0.08). Despite the requirement for estrus detection and the variability in the
a similar number of total recovered oocytes (P = 0.12), prepu- interval from treatment to estrus and ovulation has adverse-
bertal heifers had an intermediate quantity of viable oocytes, ly affected its performance in embryo transfer programs. To
and non-lactating cows produced more viable oocytes (P= avoid limitations associated with estrus detection, treatments
0.03), when compared to lactating cows. Still, prepubertal do- that synchronize the time of ovulation, which were developed
nors had lower cleavage rate (P< 0.0001) and lower blastocyst originally for fixed-time AI, have been utilized f/or FTET. These

57
treatments are generally divided into those that are GnRH- K83
based and those that are estradiol-based. In either case, the
recipient protocols include the insertion of a progesterone (P4) Improving fertility in dairy herds using in vivo and in vitro
releasing device for 5 to 8 days, depending on the protocol. produced embryos
Recent studies with GnRH-based protocols have suggest- Pietro Baruselli Sampaio, Guilherme Felipe Ferreira Dos Santos, Ana
ed that reducing the length of exposure of the P4-releasing Carolina Dos Santos.
device insertion to 5 days and increasing the interval from
P4-device removal to GnRH and fixed-timed AI to 3 days may USP, Sao Paolo, Brasil.
improve pregnancy per AI (P/AI) as compared to the traditional
7-day GnRH/P4 device protocol in beef cattle. Furthermore,
it was suggested that a reduction in the length of the growth
Embryo transfer is a reproductive technology commonly
phase of the ovulatory follicle prior to ovulation, as occurs in
used around the world to reproduce animals with high genetic
some animals treated with the conventional 7-day protocols,
merit. However, the application of embryo transfer (ET) tech-
alters the steroidogenic capacity of the dominant follicle prior
nology can also improve the reproductive performance of dairy
to ovulation and the resulting CL, and decreases the ability of
herds artificially inseminated. Environmental conditions are
the uterus to support embryo development. Similar pregnan-
important factors affecting oocyte developmental competence
cy rates per embryo transfer (P/ET) were obtained with in vi-
and embryo production in both in vivo and in vitro production
tro-produced embryos to those of recipients synchronized with
systems. Heat stress (HS) has a deleterious effect on fertility
two PGF2α treatments 14 days apart and estrus detection and
in dairy herds around the world, especially in tropical areas in
those synchronized using a modified 5-day Co-Synch+CIDR
which summers are hot and humid. Studies have shown that
protocol (no GnRH at P4 device insertion, PGF2α at P4 re-
embryo transfer is an effective tool to increase fertility during
moval on Day 5 and GnRH on Day 8). Based on these find-
heat stress because it bypasses the damage to the oocyte
ings, we evaluated the effectiveness of an estradiol/P4 treat-
and early stages of embryonic development caused by hyper-
ment protocol in which the exposure to P4 device was reduced
thermia. Therefore, a useful management tool to maintain high
to 6 days and proestrus was lengthened by the administration
pregnancy rates throughout the year would be to produce em-
of GnRH 72 h after P4 device removal instead of ECP at de-
bryos during the cooler months and use them for ET during the
vice removal. The protocol for FTAI was named J-Synch. This
periods of heat stress. A retrospective analysis of data from
treatment protocol has resulted in higher P/AI rates in beef
a large commercial herd in Brazil was performed in Holstein
heifers compared to the conventional protocol in which the
cows submitted to ET or AI. Pregnancy per ET (P/ET) was
P4-device is removed on Day 7 and ECP is given at that time.
higher along the year than P/AI, but the differences were more
Furthermore, in a series of experiments that were conducted
pronounced in the warmer months than in the cooler months
recently to evaluate the performance of the J-Synch protocol
of the year. Furthermore, the transfer of embryos to repeat
in embryo transfer programs the P/ET rate was greater in the
breeder cows resulted in increased pregnancy rates compared
J-Synch (49.4%) than in the conventional synchronization pro-
to AI, supporting that the fertility problem repeat-breeder cows
tocol (41.0%; P<0.05).
may be associated with oocyte quality and/or failure of early
Although the previously described protocols have per- embryo development. The seasonal profile of in vitro embryo
formed adequately for several years, recent attention has production (IVEP) has been reported in non-tropical and in
been directed to the effect of estrus expression and estradi- tropical areas. In USA (Wisconsin), the in vitro blastocyst pro-
ol concentrations during growth of the preovulatory follicle on duction was reduced during mid-to late-summer, preceded by
embryo growth and pregnancy. In recipients showing estrus, increased production starting during mid-to late-spring. Winter
we have shown a significantly (P<0.05) greater P/ET (48.3% and fall months were characterized by stable, high yields of
vs 30.1%) and lower pregnancy losses (25,6% vs 66.7%) than blastocysts, showing an evident effect of heat stress on IVEP
in recipients not showing estrus. Therefore, use of tail-paint in an area where summer is milder. In vivo embryo production
or estrus detection patches in recipients would help identify (SOV and uterine flushing) in Holstein heifers and lactating
animals showing estrus by simply running them through the cows was also shown to be affected by HS in the tropics (Bra-
chute at the appropriate time, without the necessity of labor zil). Data from 1,562 SOV procedures indicated that the fertil-
intensive estrus observations. These modifications can be ization rate, proportion of transferable and freezable embryos
easily implemented in recipient synchronization programs and and the number of embryos produced per SOV attempt (4.4
should result in overall higher pregnancy rates. ± 0.4 vs 2.8 ± 0.3) was reduced during the warmer season
compared with the cooler season. In a tropical environment,
the number of ova/embryos produced after superovulation
(SOV), fertilization rate and percentages of transferable em-
bryos and freezable embryos were reduced during the warmer
season when compared with the cooler season. Similarly, we
observed in the tropics that during the hottest season of the
year, oocytes obtained from lactating Holstein cows and heif-
ers had a lower in vitro developmental competence compared
to the coolest season. Although HS had an overall detrimental
impact on in vivo embryo production and quality, its negative
effects were more pronounced in lactating cows than in heifer
donors. For example, during the hot season the decline in the

58
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Pharmacology & Therapeutics
number of fertilized ova and in the rates of fertilization, trans- Pharmacology & Therapeutics
ferable embryos and freezable embryos were greater in donor
lactating cows compared with donor heifers. In addition, lactat- K84
ing cows generate more body heat and suffer greater hyper-
thermia when exposed to similar environmental temperatures Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and its clinical
compared with growing heifers and non-lactating cows, which applications in bovine practice
may be related to the high metabolic energy associated with
milk production. Regarding the embryo production technique, Keith Dedonder.
studies suggest that IVEP technology can be a viable solution Latham BioPharm Group.
to increase embryo production within a short period of time.
The use of OPU-IVEP may be a valuable alternative to pro-
duce a large number of embryos and pregnancies within a re- Objective: Antibiotic resistance is currently at the forefront
duced time period. The IVEP can also be associated with the of human and animal health and has been for many years. An-
use of sexed semen to increase the production of calves of a timicrobial susceptibility testing is commonly used in modern
specific sex, which would benefit dairy industries worldwide. In veterinary practice and so much so that many veterinarians
summary, although the embryo transfer technology has been submitting for this type of testing likely do so without thoughtful
used primarily to reproduce animals with high genetic merit, consideration in regard to the testing procedures or the inter-
this technology can be used to resolve reproductive problems pretation of the testing results. However, in order to continue
such as the reduced fertility found during heat stress. to be judicious with the use of antibiotics, it is essential that the
clinician be familiar with the testing procedures and its inter-
pretation in order to increase the chance of treatment success.
The objective is threefold; 1) to re-familiarize the bovine practi-
tioner with the most common methods of susceptibility testing
performed in laboratories, 2) to educate on what goes into the
determination of susceptible “S”, intermediate “I”, and resistant
“R”, and 3) to exercise application of susceptibility testing to
case management / treatment selection in the clinical setting.
Materials and Methods: The preferred methods of anti-
microbial susceptibility testing and interpretive criteria are de-
scribed in published standards documents to ensure that all
laboratories are performing the testing procedures and inter-
pretation in the same “standardized” fashion. The European
Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST)
is the functioning body for such standardization in Europe and
the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) func-
tions as such in North America. For the purposes of this pre-
sentation the CLSI methods and definitions will be used; how-
ever, the themes presented will be applicable to all clinicians
regardless of geography.
Results: Unfortunately, there is not a perfect correlation
between antimicrobial susceptibility testing and clinical case
outcome. Testing that yields bacteria that are “susceptible” to
the prescribed antibiotic may have a poor outcome and those
with “resistant” infections may have a positive outcome. In
both cases, the ultimate outcome of the treatment may have
been influenced by factors beyond just those of the “bug-drug”
relationship, such as immune status, environmental condi-
tions, individual pharmacokinetic differences, etc.
Conclusions: A clinician that thoroughly understands the
basic methods of antimicrobial susceptibility testing, its inter-
pretation, and its limitations will make sound clinical decisions
and more judiciously select and utilize antimicrobials in their
practice.


59
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Pharmacology & Therapeutics
K85 overall population of these studies, 1 case was a treatment

success). The median NNT for preventing 1 mortality due to
Defining antimicrobial efficacy through randomized BRD in the trials reviewed was 6 (i.e., for every 6 animals ther-
clinical trials with negative controls apeutically treated 1 BRD death was prevented). In BRD con-
Keith Dedonder. trol studies, the median number of animals that needed to be
treated to prevent 1 acute case of BRD was 5.
Latham BioPharm Group, USA.
Conclusions: The objective was to determine the effec-
tiveness, using the NNT statistic, of different antibiotics in the
Introduction: Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a therapy and control of BRD in randomized clinical trials utilizing
multi-factorial disease described as a complex or syndrome a negative control. The data from this analysis should not be
involving an interaction of stressors, viruses, and bacteria. To used to directly compare the NNT of one antibiotic to another
this day, BRD remains a major disease in all types of beef and due to differences in trial design, sample size discrepancies,
dairy production systems. Administration of an antibiotic is not risk classification differences of BRD between trials, resultant
only the mainstay therapeutic treatment option for acute BRD, spontaneous recovery rates, and potential differences in case
but also as means to control the disease in high-risk popula- definition and success/failure outcome between trials. The
tions. The judicious use of antibiotics in both human and ani- presentation of the data here does make for a succinct way of
mal health remains vital to ensure continued antibiotic efficacy. defining reasonable expectations of efficacy in the treatment
Objective: The objective is to present a comprehensive and control of BRD in a field setting for cattle at high risk of
review of all published randomized clinical trials investigating BRD. However, the clinician interpreting these findings needs
the effects of a drug against a negative control in treatment to bear in mind the external validity of these studies when ap-
of BRD. The number needed to treat (NNT) statistic will be plying it to the type of cattle, environmental setting, and typical
used to convey the results of this investigation. The NNT is BRD pathogens encountered in their practice.
an epidemiological measure used in communicating the effec-
tiveness of an intervention. The NNT statistic is defined as the
inverse of the absolute risk reduction and has a major advan-
tage of being more straightforward to readers less versed in
thinking of events such as clinical outcome in terms of proba-
bilities (e.g., risk ratio, odds ratio). As such, NNT is much eas-
ier to interpret by the practicing clinician as it speaks in terms
of number of treatments needed to apply across a population
to make a difference in one patient.
Materials and methods: A systematic review of the sci-
entific literature was performed using online resources, with
included studies being limited to those published in English
and originating from North America. Other criteria for inclusion
were that the publications were required to be investigations
into the treatment or control of naturally occurring BRD with an
antibiotic (only) in a randomized, blinded, negative control field
trial study design. Studies on the treatment of naturally oc-
curring BRD must have involved animals that were not mass
medicated with an antibiotic prior to or as part of the study. All
studies involving positive controls or experimental challenge
models were excluded.
Additionally, the Freedom of Information (FOI) New Ani-
mal Drug Approvals (NADA) summaries were searched on the
United States Food and Drug Administration Center for Veter-
inary Medicine (US FDA CVM) website at the same time. In-
clusions from the FOI summaries included efficacy trials (ET),
dose response studies (DRS), dose selection studies (DSS),
single location field studies (FS), and multi-location field stud-
ies (MLFS). To qualify for inclusion, dose selection studies
must have used the current labeled dosages in the study.
As a final step, published literature resulting from online
searches were screened to ensure that they were not duplica-
tive of FOI data; any duplicative data was removed from the
data set prior to analysis.
Results: The overwhelming majority of trials showed a
positive effect on case outcome in the therapy and control of
BRD. The median NNT in therapeutic trials involving negative
controls was 2 (i.e., for every 2 animals treated for BRD in the

60
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Epidemiology
Epidemiology the length of clinical signs and the risk of culling of affected
animals.
K87 Societal pressure has resulted in a reduction of the use of
antibiotics for the treatment and prevention of intramammary
Epidemiology of bovine mastitis on the modern dairy infections. This reduction of antibiotic use has ultimately lead
farm - Introduction to further improvements in managing risk factors for intramam-
Ynte Hein Schukken1, Ruth Zadoks2. mary infections on farms but also on the increased importance
of immune modulation.
1
Wageningen University - Royal GD, The Netherlands; 2The University Environmental versus contagious: In recent years, our
of Sydney, Australia. understanding of the main infection routes that lead to intra-
mammary infections has substantially changed. The main rea-
Objectives: Bovine mastitis remains one of the most im- sons for this were the increased use of molecular diagnostics
portant diseases on the modern dairy farm. Not only is mas- that led to precise typing of bacterial strains and as a result
titis associated with pain and decreased welfare of cows, but a paradigm shift on the classification of mastitis causing mi-
also with decreased quality of milk, with increased use of an- cro-organisms. The classic approach was to divide mastitis
tibiotics, unwanted early removal of cows and ultimately with causing microorganisms into environmental and contagious
a negative impact on the economics of the farm. In the last organisms. With streptococci and staphylococci being conta-
decade much has been learned about the epidemiology of gious and gram-negative being environmental. However, in-
bovine mastitis, therefore the objective of this overview is to creased application of molecular typing schemes have shown
summarize these findings and to develop directions for further that such a distinction does not hold up and that all bacteria
improvement of udder health on modern dairy farms. that are able to cause persistent intramammary infections may
lead to contagious behaviour on dairy farms. This had resulted
Subclinical mastitis: The distinction between clinical
in a portfolio of risk-factors, where transmission has become
and subclinical mastitis is one hand important and on the
an important but not a singular part in the dynamics of intra-
other hand also a gradual difference. Cows with very high
mammary infections.
somatic cell counts clearly have abnormal milk that in some
cases looks like normal milk at the time of milking but starts Conclusions: Important changes in the biology, diagnos-
flaking when standing in a collection vessel for only a few tics, management and treatment of bovine mastitis in the re-
minutes. Still, the distinction is of value as subclinical mastitis cent decade has resulted in a vastly different understanding of
primarily leads to increased somatic cell counts, delivery of intramammary infections and the treatment and prevention of
milk into the bulk tank and therefore decreased milk quality. these infections.
Whereas clinical mastitis leads to observed disease in cows
and often to immediate treatment and milk withhold in the
affected animals.
In recent years the improved diagnostic tools, particularly
in the field of molecular diagnostics, has resulted in a much K88
more precise diagnosis of bacterial organisms that are associ-
Molecular epidemiology of mastitis: evidence versus
ated with intramammary infections. A much better insight into
paradigm
infections with staphylococci, streptococci and also gram-neg-
ative micro-organisms has improved our understanding of Ruth Zadoks1, Zadoks Ruth1, Schukken Ynte2.
these infectious processes. 1
Sydney University, Australia; 2Royal GD, Wageningen University and
Improved molecular diagnostics has also resulted on Im- Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
portant research with regard to the microbiome of the mamma-
ry gland. Current research would indicate that the mammary
microbiome of health quarters is substantially different from The epidemiology of mastitis is generally described as
quarters that are affected by either clinical or subclinical mas- contagious or environmental. Contagious pathogens have
titis. Further research will be necessary to show whether the their reservoir in the mammary gland and are transmitted
mammary microbiome plays a role in prevention of intramam- from animal to animal during milking. Environmental patho-
mary infections with major mastitis pathogens. gens, by contrast, have their reservoir in the environment,
and infections can occur at any time, even in non-lactating
Clinical mastitis: Clinical mastitis has become increas- cattle. There are exceptions to this dichotomous classifica-
ingly important as subclinical mastitis may be controlled using tion. For example, insects may act as vectors, as shown
the NMC 10-point plan. Increased on-farm hygiene, improved for transmission of Staphylococcus aureus among heifers
milking management and adequate treatment has on one by flies, so contagious transmission can occur without in-
hand reduced subclinical mastitis but at the same time put the volvement of the milking machine. Conversely, the infect-
spotlight on clinical mastitis. ed mammary gland may serve as reservoir of infection, but
In recent years much research has been done on the with transmission via the environment, as shown for Klebsi-
Immunology of the bovine mammary gland, including inter- ella spp. in free-stall herds. Occasionally, we see iatrogenic
ventions on the immune system using diets, vaccinations or point source transmission, as demonstrated for Pseudomo-
immune stimulations. These interventions have shown to be nas-contaminated water or wipes, and for Serratia-contam-
valuable in reducing the incidence of clinical mastitis, reducing inated teat dip.

61
The main weakness of the contagious versus environmen- their mind to the fact that many bacterial species are more
tal paradigm, however, is how we as veterinarians interpret sophisticated than our dichotomous thinking.
and implement it. Many veterinary curricula, textbooks, exten-
sion reports, and peer-reviewed publications classify bacterial
species as contagious or environmental, regardless of the ev-
idence. As a profession, we should have a more nuanced un-
derstanding of the sources and transmission routes of mastitis K89
pathogens, because molecular epidemiology studies provide
ample evidence that many bacteria can be spread in multiple Epidemiology of infectious disease on dairy farms -
ways. When we open our minds to this possibility, the distinc- Introduction
tion between modes of transmission can often be made even
without using molecular typing. The tools that we normally use Ynte Hein Schukken1, Ruth Zadoks2.
for mastitis investigations, such as inspection of the parlour, 1
Wageningen University - Royal GD, The Netherlands; 2The University
housing and animals for hygiene and management risks, and of Sydney, Australia.
evaluation of data regarding parity, lactation stage and affect-
ed quarters, can largely be relied on to formulate a diagnosis
and interventions. The success of those interventions will then Objectives: Infectious on dairy farms have gained in im-
inform on the accuracy of our diagnosis and the need for fur- portance in recent years. Infectious diseases have resulted in
ther investigation. subclinical and clinical disease in dairy cows, increased risk
of zoonotic events whereby infections from cattle transmit to
In genomic epidemiology, entire genome sequences are
humans and also to increased societal concerns on welfare
generated and compared as done, e.g., for SARS-CoV-2. This
of calves and cows. In this presentation the recent experienc-
level of complexity is not needed for mastitis investigations,
es from the Netherlands will be shared. Lessons learned and
which can often be conducted using relatively simple molec-
important necessary developments in bovine health will be
ular biology tools including polymerase chain reaction (PCR),
discussed.
or the more time-consuming former gold standard method of
pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). PCR amplifies bac- Control of infectious diseases: In recent years control
terial DNA, PFGE cuts it. Either way, a bar code-like banding programs for infectious diseases have been developed for the
pattern is generated, revealing whether bacterial isolates from Dutch dairy industry. This includes programs to reduce or elim-
different sources have the same or different DNA fingerprint, inate infections with Leptospirosa hardjo, Mycobacterium avi-
e.g., across quarters, cows, and herds, or between animals um subspp. paratuberculosis, Tuberculosis, Brucella abortus,
and the milking machine, bedding, faeces, drinking water, teat Enzootic Bovine Leukosis virus (EBLv), Salmonella species,
dips and wipes, etc. Most practitioners and clinics would not Bovine Virus Diarrhea Virus (BVDv), Infectious Bovine Rhino-
have access to this technology within their laboratory but the tracheitis virus (IBRv) and to some extend Blue Tongue Virus
scientific work to generate the evidence has already been (BTv). On top of this, programs to diagnose and control list A
done. It is largely the willingness to implement available knowl- diseases are present but have not been necessary in the last
edge that is the main hurdle. decade.
Although a social science study into communication and With the increased interest and concern about zoonotic
uptake of evidence would be very valuable, the main focus pathogens, the control of Leptospirosa hardjo, Mycobacte-
of this presentation will be on the molecular evidence itself. rium avium subspp. Paratuberculosis (MAP), Tuberculosis,
It shows that major mastitis pathogens such as Staphylococ- Brucella abortus, and Salmonella species are important steps
cus aureus, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, and Streptococcus to decrease such concerns. The control of Enzootic Bovine
uberis can all “behave” as contagious pathogens as well as Leukosis virus, Bovine Virus Diarrhea Virus and Infectious
environmental pathogens. The manifestation on a specific Bovine Rhinotracheitis are not indicated because of zoonotic
farm or even country will depend on the combination of patho- concerns but because of animal health improvement in gener-
gen strain and herd management. For example, S. uberis is al or for trading reasons.
almost exclusively environmental in New Zealand (different The development of these control programs is particularly
DNA fingerprints in different cows), whereas most clinical S. dependent on the ability to control transmission between ani-
uberis mastitis in England is the result of contagious trans- mals within a farm and transmission between farms.
mission (same DNA fingerprint in multiple cows). If we sug- Within farm transmission: Understanding within farm
gest to farms that milking time hygiene or teat dipping are not transmission has been particularly important for infectious dis-
a priority when they have S. uberis mastitis in their herd, we eases such as MAP, salmonellosis, BVD and IBR. Elimination
may aggravate the problem. Even Streptococcus agalactiae, of MAP from farms has been difficult, but long term control
long described as an “obligate intramammary pathogen”, may programs have certainly resulted in important progress as in-
have environmental sources, including people and bovine fae- dicated by a reduced incidence, less severe shedding and dis-
ces. Several publications describe S. agalactiae problems that ease and a delay in the time to shedding. Carefully designed
could only be controlled by approaching them as an environ- diagnostic programs for BVD and IBR have turned out to be
mental mastitis problem. essential to eliminate within farm transmission and certification
By presenting some of the examples described in this ab- of farms as infection free. Salmonella control programs are
stract, it is hoped that a growing number of cattle veterinarians based on long term control of the key risk factors and on bulk
will be willing to confront the contagious versus environmen- milk monitoring, subsequent individual animal diagnostics and
tal paradigm with molecular epidemiology evidence and open culling of persistently infected animals. Once a farm has been

62
certified as infection free, prevention of between farm trans- control strategies may differ, or need to differ, between pro-
mission becomes the focus of the national control program. duction systems, countries, or continents. Parasites are com-
Between farm transmission: A number of the indicated paratively large infectious agents. They are eukaryotic, like
infectious diseases are controlled based on National legisla- cattle and humans, and have large genomes spread across
tion and with the aid of National enforcement of diagnostic multiple chromosomes, which means that sequencing of entire
programs and subsequent control procedures. This includes genomes is still very challenging. Bacteria are prokaryotes,
to control programs for Tuberculosis, Brucella abortus, Enzo- with smaller and simpler genomes than parasites. Less than
otic Bovine Leukosis virus (EBLv) and to some extend Blue 15 years ago, sequencing of the first bovine Streptococcus
Tongue Virus (BTv). As a consequence all cattle farms in the agalactiae genome cost more than the annual salary of the
country are included in monitoring and control and the risk postdoctoral researcher analysing it. Now, it can be done with-
of between farm transmission is minimal. In contrast, control in days or weeks for less than 100 Euro. Viruses are much
programs for Leptospirosa hardjo, Mycobacterium avium sub- smaller yet, and sequencing of entire genomes is cheaper and
spp. paratuberculosis, Salmonella species, Bovine Virus Diar- faster than for bacteria, although it can be tricky for segmented
rhea Virus (BVDv) and Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis virus genomes such as those of influenza D, which was first de-
(IBRv) are implemented by the animal industries and without scribed in cattle in 2011.
legislation or enforcement support by the government. Hence, Parasites: In parasites, sequencing of housekeeping
the success of these programs fully depend on the ability of genes is a useful tool for accurate species identification. This
the industry partners to work together and decided on con- approach led to the realization that most rumen fluke in the
trol programs that are implemented across different players Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom did not belong to
in the industry. It has been remarkable that this appears to be the species Paraphistomum cervi, as long assumed, but to the
successful. Important components of the control programs are species Calicopheron daubneyi. The two species have differ-
cattle registration, documentation of animal movements and ent life cycles and intermediate host snails. Control of rumen
dedicated participation of farmers in the developed control fluke, which has emerged as a common cattle parasite across
programs. much of western Europe, requires knowledge of how to man-
However, the control of these infectious diseases in the age the environment to limit the snail population and cattle
dairy industry alone will not lead to elimination of the infectious exposure to infectious cysts on pasture. Where the culprit was
agents from the country as beef cattle farms, calf raising farms thought to be a freshwater snail, it is actually a mud snail, com-
and veal calf operations are also potential sources of these in- pletely changing our options for environmental control. Other
fectious organisms. Further cooperation between these indus- desirable tools for diagnostics and management of parasitic
tries will be essential for a further reduction in between farm diseases would be molecular markers of anthelmintic resis-
transmission. tance. Although initial results for, e.g., the liver fluke Fasciola
hepatica, were promising, they could not be confirmed in other
Conclusions: Control of infectious diseases on dairy
studies, countries, or continents.
farms has gained in importance in recent years. Concerns with
regard to zoonotic diseases, animal welfare and reduced use Bacteria: Differences in pathogen characteristics between
of antimicrobials all result in an increased need for continuous continents can be considerable, and evidence-based control
improvement of animal health and reduction or elimination of strategies may differ between countries. In our contribution on
infectious diseases on dairy farms. molecular epidemiology of mastitis, the difference between
New Zealand and the UK is used as an example, whereby
Streptococcus uberis mastitis is almost exclusively environ-
mental in New Zealand but commonly contagious in the UK,
as it is in mainland Europe or the USA. Another striking geo-
graphical difference is observed for Coxiella, the causative
K90 agent of Q-fever in humans and coxiellosis in ruminants. In
the USA, up to 95% of bulk tank milk may test positive for
Beyond mastitis: molecular epidemiology insights into Coxiella but reports of Q-fever are unusual. In Europe, Q-fever
transmission and control of bacterial, parasitic and viral is primarily associated with small ruminants. By contrast, cattle
diseases of cattle are considered the main source of Q-fever in Australia. The
Ruth Zadoks1, Ynte H. Schukken2. difference may be due, at least in part, to differences in Coxie-
lla strains, which may also impact on the efficacy of diagnostic
Sydney University, Australia; 2Royal GD, Wageningen University and
1
assays coated with antigens from different parts of the world.
Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Viruses: The most detailed molecular epidemiology in-
formation is available for viruses. Strain typing is essential to
Introduction: As sequencing of DNA and RNA has be- inform selection of vaccines for a high-impact pathogen like
come increasingly accessible and affordable, molecular meth- Food and Mouth Disease (FMD) because dominant serotypes
ods have added significantly to our understanding of the trans- may differ between countries or change over time. It may also
mission and control of bacterial, parasitic and viral disease inform on the role of animal movements and non-bovine host
of cattle. They have provided insight into past movement of species as reservoirs, both for epidemic viral diseases like
pathogens and their current distribution, and inform rational FMD and for endemic viral diseases like bovine viral diarrhoea
design of future eradication strategies, diagnostic tests, and virus disease (BVDV). Viral sequence analysis has shown that
vaccines. They also help us understand how the pathophysiol- sheep, humans, or inanimate fomites may act as source of
ogy of disease and the transmission of organisms and, hence, BVDV. Insight into occurrence and prevention of such excep-

63
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Public Health, Food Security and Antimicrobial Resistance
tions will become increasingly important as BVDV programs Public Health, Food Security and Antimicrobial
progress, which they are likely to do now that it has been add- Resistance
ed to the OIE list of notifiable diseases.
Although it is impossible to provide a comprehensive over-
view of the molecular epidemiology of bovine infectious dis- K91
eases, selected examples will be presented to illustrate their
contribution to our ability to understand and manage the health Vulnerability of rural wells and organic produce to multiple
of cattle populations. drug resistant (MDR) bacteria from dairy cattle manure
Edward Robert Atwill, Kenneth Tate, Thomas Harter.
University of California – Davis, USA.
Objectives: Assess the public health risk of microbial con-

tamination of raw produce such as leafy green vegetables and
rural groundwater wells used for drinking water from AMR-
MDR enteric bacteria in dairy manure and slurry.
Material and methods: A. We collected feces or manure
from live animals, pen soil, and manure storage ponds on Cal-
ifornia commercial dairies in the San Joaquin Valley to quantify
the occurrence of AMR-MDR commensal and pathogenic bac-
teria. AMR-MDR determination included phenotypic methods
(disk diffusion, MIC) and/or whole genome assessments of the
resistome using the Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance or
ResFinder database.
B. In parallel, we determined if rural municipal wells either
on the dairy or in proximity of a dairy exhibited MDR bacteria
and whether field irrigation of forages with effluent from ma-
nure storage ponds created a subsurface plume of bacteria.
Groundwater samples were obtained using domestic wells
or by drilling monitoring wells on the dairy and in nearby ru-
ral communities. Bacteria were concentrated using filtration
methods, followed by primary bacterial culture and biochemi-
cal characterization of isolates.
C. Lastly, a series of randomized controlled trials were
conducted in experimental Romaine lettuce production fields
whereby furrows were spiked with animal feces that contained
specific concentrations of marked E. coli. These inoculated
lettuce fields were then overhead irrigated and heads of let-
tuce hand harvested, rinsed, and the concentration of E. coli
determined for in order to calculate the percentage of bacteria
transferring from fecal deposits in the furrows onto the heads
of lettuce.
Results: A. AMR-MDR commensal bacteria were most
prevalent in young calves on California commercial dairies
compared to other age classes and production stages. Over
50% of hutch calves were colonized by MDR E. coli within 6
weeks of age, while cull dairy cattle exhibited prevalences of
30-40% of MDR Enterococcus. Use of genomic tools to char-
acterize the larger resistome compared to phenotypic AMR
methods found that hutch calves were more likely to harbor
MDR bacteria compared to other age classes of dairy cattle,
but numerous resistance genes were also found throughout all
age classes of dairy cattle.
B. AMR genes were widely dispersed in manure matrices
throughout the dairy environment and cattle loafing areas,
manure lagoon storage system, surface pen soil, and in dairy
manure solids used for soil amendments for forage crops and
in limited cases produce farming. For example, concentrations
of AMR E. coli ranged from 6×104 cfu/100 ml of manure slurry

64
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Public Health, Food Security and Antimicrobial Resistance
to 8×107 cfu/100 g of soil in cattle pens. Alfalfa field irrigation as aging manure prior to land application, rotation grazing
with dairy slurry water resulted in a multi-log rapid rise the for pasture rest periods, seeding of cattle loafing areas, and
concentration of Enterococcus spp. 4 to 5 meters below the constructed wetlands in combinations with site characteristics
surface in subsurface water. Monitoring wells on commercial such as soil bulk density and slope to reduce manure-associ-
dairies had 24% and 97% of groundwater samples with detect- ated bacteria in runoff.
able concentrations of E. coli and Enterococcus, respectively, Results: Many of the GAPs we evaluated take advantage
with concentration significantly associated with being located of either distance between livestock and source water sup-
downgradient of corrals and manure-treated fields, depth to plies, and/or time by aging manure prior to either land applica-
water table, and season. In contrast, water samples from the tion, prior to the occurrence of natural rainfall, or prior to flood
domestic wells on these dairies had a prevalence of 4% and irrigation of grazing land.
83% for E. coli and Enterococcus, respectively, but at very low
With respect to grassland buffers located between grazing
mean concentrations (0.01, 1.8 cfu/100 ml, respectively). All
or loafing cattle and down-slope source water supplies, widths
of the tested isolates of Enterococcus (n=30) exhibited resis-
of buffer of just 1 to 2 meters were associated with 90 to 99.9%
tance to at least one antibiotic, and 87% exhibited resistance
percent reduction in the total load of E. coli being transported
to 3 or more antibiotics, but these levels of AMR-MDR did not
in overland flow for well-maintained buffers. Compacted soils,
appear appreciably different than isolates from domestic wells
high rates of precipitation, and higher land slopes can reduce
in greater proximity to the dairies.
this efficacy of grassland buffers. Buffers containing a drain-
C. Lastly, the produce field trials found that 20 to 95% of age or erosion furrow dramatically reduce its efficacy of bac-
heads of lettuce exhibited E. coli contamination from fecal material reduction.
terial in the furrow, with distance and age of feces significantly
With respect to flood irrigation applied to natural rangeland
associated with the level of E. coli contamination.
during summer in order to boost forage production in arid Cal-
Conclusions: Given the ubiquitous AMR-MDR commen- ifornia, reducing the velocity and total amount of applied water
sal bacteria in dairy cattle manure and surface pen soil, and in order to reduce tailwater volumes has an immediate benefit
the millions of liters of slurry in manure storage systems and in reducing off-site fluxes of bacteria but may also reduce total
tonnage of surface soil on a typical 1000-cow dairy in Califor- forage production at the tail-end of the field. Routing irrigation
nia, lack of appropriate good manure management practices tailwater through small constructed wetland can further reduce
can lead to inadvertent AMR-MDR bacterial contamination of E. coli concentrations, especially for longer residence times in
surface and ground water sources and impact produce safety the wetland from lower tailwater velocities.
when stack-aged manure is used as a soil amendment prior to
With respect to dairy cattle pens and loafing areas, elim-
subsequent irrigation. A variety of good agricultural practices
inating cattle from the exposed site prior to the onset of the
are available to mitigate these AMR risks from dairy manure,
rainy season was associated with a 99% reduction in fecal
which will be discussed in my next presentation.
coliforms discharging from the pen. Seeding the loafing pens
with grass prior to the onset of rainfall further reduced bacte-
rial runoff, especially for high percent grass cover. Aging ma-
nure solids prior to land application, and spreading manure
weeks-to-months prior to the onset of the rainy season can
K92 help reduce the total flux of bacteria discharging of these ma-
nure-amended hillslope sites. Increasing the residence time
Good agricultural practices to minimize environmental
of manure effluent in the storage lagoon can also reduce the
and waterborne contamination of antimicrobial resistant
concentration of E. coli in the final effluent prior to land appli-
(AMR) bacteria from cattle manure
cation, which of course requires better management of runoff
Edward Robert Atwill, Kenneth Tate, Thomas Harter. across the dairy enterprise and possibly the expensive option
of increasing storage capacity of the existing manure ponds or
University of California – Davis, USA.
adding additional finishing ponds to the manure management
system. Lastly, there is a considerable amount of free techni-
Objectives: Develop and evaluate the efficacy of good ag- cal guidance on the proper construction and management of
ricultural practices (GAPs) operating at the landowner scale dairy manure storage ponds, covering aspects such as ade-
that reduce the risk of excessive environmental and water- quate construction materials to reduce groundwater seepage
borne contamination from AMR bacterial originating from dairy and adequate freeboard to handle unexpected intense rainfall
and beef cattle manure. (perhaps more common with climate change).
Material and methods: A series of experimental trials and Conclusions: Implementation of GAPs by livestock pro-
longitudinal observational studies were conducted at research ducers in proximity to critical water supplies will help reduce
field stations or commercial livestock operations to determine the risk of human exposure to livestock-derived AMR bacte-
the efficacy of various GAPs to reduce fluxes of manure-as- ria, thereby helping promote sustainable livestock production
sociated bacteria in surface runoff (overland flow) associated for years to come. The benefit-cost of alternative GAPs will
with precipitation or flood irrigation of dairy areas or grazed no doubt be different for each livestock operation given their
rangeland. For example, the effect of width of grassland buf- unique characteristics, but the key principle is to design and
fer positioned between livestock grazing and source water maintain a site-specific collection of GAPs that are designed to
supplies was evaluated for its effect on microbial reduction in mitigate the anticipated flux of enteric bacteria and their AMR-
rainfall-associated runoff. Other trials focused on GAPs such MDR elements from livestock manure.

65
KEYNOTE LECTURES — Parasitism
K93 Parasitism
Current situation of antibiotic resistance in human health
K94
and future perspectives
Rosa del Campo Moreno. What´s new in bovine neosporosis
Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain. Luís Miguel Ortega-Mora1, Pilar Horcajo2, Iván Pastor-Fernández2,
Esther Collantes-Fernández2.
Objective: The aim of this paper is to review the current

1
UCM, Madrid, Spain; 2SALUVET, Animal Health Department,
situation of antibiotic resistance in the hospital setting, from a Faculty of Veterinary Sciences-UCM, Madrid, Spain.
clinical and epidemiological point of view.
Material and methods: A search will be performed in Bovine neosporosis is caused by the parasite Neospora
PubMed and Google Scholar for the last 5 years including both caninum a worldwide concern due to its global distribution
the most prevalent and the most infrequent resistance mecha- and leading role as an abortifacient. The impact of N. cani-
nisms. In addition to hospital publications, we will also include num abortions in just ten countries representing the major
those associated with health care centers, especially long-stay cattle industries of the world was estimated to be on average
nursing homes, and in relation to antibiotic consumption. US$ 1 billion per year. In a recent systematic analysis N. cani-
Results: Resistance to carbapenems, beta-lactams and num, opportunistic bacteria, BVDV and Leptospira spp. were
colistin in Enterobacteriaceae is the main current problem in the pathogens with the highest participation in transmissible
the hospital environment as it affects the microorganisms that abortions. The presence of N. caninum was analysed in 3,492
most frequently cause infections. On the other hand, the in- cases of bovine reproductive failure from 26 different studies,
creased incidence of Clostridioides difficile is also a consider- being involved in 28% of them (CI: 22.3%-33.7%). The per-
able problem, together with the intra-hospital dissemination of centage of N. caninum detection obtained by histopathology
high-risk clones with multi- or pan-resistance to all antibiotics. (42%), was greater than that obtained by PCR (26.5%), serol-
Antibiotic stewardship policies allow a more rational use of ogy (18.5%) and immunohistochemistry (12.9%).
the latest generation antibiotics; however, we are increasingly In cattle, the only transmission routes demonstrated are
aware that we need new strategies to fight against antibiot- the postnatal infection by ingestion of oocysts shed by a
ic multi-resistant microorganisms. At this point, phages seem canid, usually the domestic dog (horizontal transmission),
to be the most promising alternative, in addition to ecological and the transplacental passage from the dam to the foetus
strategies that aim to replace resistant populations with sensi- (vertical transmission). Two different forms of transplacental
tive ones with higher fitness. transmission have been described: the endogenous trans-
Conclusions: Antibiotic resistance is a silent pandem- placental transmission (EnTT), due to parasite reactivation in
ic worldwide and one of the major health problems directly persistently infected dams during gestation, considered the
linked to increased human death, morbidity, and healthcare main transmission route in cattle, and the transplacental trans-
costs. The search for alternatives to antibiotics is necessary mission (ExTT), that occurs when dams are infected during
and must include a microbiological and ecological perspective gestation by ingestion of oocysts and is less frequent. Both
to avoid future problems. ExTT and EnTT may result in abortion, either epidemic (storm-
like, associated to ExTT and with a highly negative economic
impact) or sporadic/endemic (low level occurrences, associat-
ed to EnTT). In recent years, we have had the opportunity to
study various epidemic outbreaks of N. caninum abortion in
large dairy herds with a high economic impact. Remarkably, N.
caninum can also cause abortion in other domestic ruminant
species such as sheep, goats, and water buffaloes. Recent
reports of dairy sheep flocks have described abortion rates
up to 25% and a seroprevalence of 32%. Seropositive sheep
were twice (OR =4.44) or three or more times (OR = 10.13)
more likely to abort than seronegative sheep, and EnTT was
the main route of transmission.
Several host and parasite factors can influence the dy-
namics of the infection in pregnant bovines, resulting in abor-
tion or the birth of healthy calves. However, the mechanisms
that determine abortion occurrence are not fully understood.
On one hand, tissue damage and disruption of placental func-
tions due to active parasite replication have been proposed
as abortion triggers. On the other hand, an immune-mediated
mechanism has been also proposed as a possible cause of
abortion. In this regard, the clinical outcome of neosporosis
is strongly associated with the period of gestation at which
primary infection occurs. This is because the response gen-

66
erated against the parasites is highly dependent not only on group), which causes Oriental theileriosis (OT) or Theileria-as-
the status of the dam’s immune system, but also the immu- sociated bovine anaemia (TABA).
nological maturity of the foetus. In addition, disease severity As concerning their distribution, T. parva occurs mainly in
is heavily determined by the parasite strain. So far, several sub-Saharan Africa and T. annulata in Southern Europe, North
N. caninum strains isolated from different hosts at different Africa and Asia. Theileria orientalis/buffeli complex consists
locations have been genotyped by whole-genomics analy- of eleven identified genotypes, of which Chitose and Ikeda
ses. These studies support the presence of a single, highly genotypes are associated with severe disease. T. orientalis is
inbred genome that has been expanded worldwide by ver- globally widespread, but clinical OT cases have been reported
tical transmission. Despite this, marked differences in viru- in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, China and Vietnam.
lence in pregnant cattle have been observed among different
Theileria taurotragi and T. mutans generally cause no dis-
parasite isolates. In this sense, we have demonstrated that
ease or mild disease and T. velifera is non-pathogenic. These
the Nc-Spain7 isolate prompts foetal death and displays high
last three parasites occur mainly in Africa, with an overlapping
rates vertical of transmission, an increased tissue dissemi-
distribution.
nation, higher parasite burdens, and more severe lesions in
placental and foetal tissues. In contrast, infection with the Theileria species are mainly transmitted by ticks of Hy-
Nc-Spain1H isolate does not induce foetal death or lesions alomma genus, even if other genera, such as Haemaphysalis
in target tissues. and Rhipicephalus, can be involved.
Currently, there are no effective vaccines or treatments Cattle theileriosis is characterized by leukocyte prolifera-
against infection with N. caninum. Thus, control options are tion following pathogen infection. Other symptoms include fe-
restricted to diagnosis, the implementation of biosecurity mea- ver, lymphadenopathy, and anemia. Not treated animals die
sures, and the application of management practices. Despite within 3–4 weeks of infection. The pathology causes a signif-
having a pivotal role to control or reduce the abortions induced icant reduction in animal fertility and economic losses to the
by N. caninum, works focused on this have been anecdotal in livestock industry. Oriental theileriosis is characterized by hae-
the last years. This contrasts with the extensive efforts invest- molytic anaemia, jaundice, lethargy, tachycardia and late-term
ed on the development of inactivated, sub-unit or live vaccines abortion in pregnant animals. T. orientalis infections can re-
against bovine neosporosis, with little success to date. main subclinical and may exacerbate under stress conditions.
Consequently, major efforts are still required to understand Current control measures include acaricides for vector
the mechanisms underlying N. caninum-abortion and develop control, therapy with anti-theilerial drugs, largely dependent
efficient control measures to prevent it. Until them, adequate on the use of hydroxynaphthoquinone, namely buparvaquone,
management practices have the potential to buffer the nega- and vaccination. A complex immune response is elicited by
tive effects of neosporosis in ruminant production. theileriae parasites. Cell-mediated immunity is the most im-
portant protective response in T. parva and T. annulata infec-
tions and several molecules of the pathogen able to induce
host immune responses are currently under investigation as
candidate vaccine antigens.
K95 Concerning bovine babesiosis, Babesia injected sporo-

zoites infect directly red blood cells and multiply inside eryth-
Piroplasmosis of cattle rocytes, resulting in red blood cell lysis.
Alessandra Torina1, Valeria Blanda2. Babesia bovis and B. bigemina are worldwide widespread
species affecting cattle and they are mainly transmitted by
1
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia; 2OIE Reference ticks of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) genus. Babesia divergens,
Laboratory for Babesiosis- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della the other prominent species affecting cattle, is relevant in
Sicilia. some European regions and it is mainly transmitted by Ixodes
ricinus.
Cattle piroplasmosis is a tick-borne protozoal disease of B. bovis is generally the most pathogenic one, with infec-
wild and domestic Bovidae caused by blood parasites of Thei- tions characterized by high fever, ataxia, anorexia, general cir-
leria and Babesia genera (phylum Apicomplexa, order Piro- culatory shock, and sometimes neurological signs. Anaemia
plasmida). They are transmitted by ixodid ticks and their life and haemoglobinuria usually appear at a later stage of the
cycles occur in both vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. infection. B. bigemina and B. divergens show similar clinical
signs, mainly characterized by fever, haemoglobinuria and
After the tick bite, Theileria sporozoites infect leukocytes
anaemia.
and multiply inside them by merogony, mature schizonts de-
velop into merozoites, which are released and invade erythro- Infected hosts develop both humoral and cellular immu-
cytes, forming piroplasms. Theileria species can be gathered nity against Babesia. Vaccines consisting of live, attenuated
into schizont “transforming” or “non-transforming” species, ac- strains of B. bovis, B. bigemina or B. divergens are available
cording to their ability to immortalize infected leukocytes. in some parts of the world but their use is limited to younger
calves, as they have still a nonspecific immunity. Older vac-
Transforming parasites include agents of severe diseases,
cinated animals should be treated with antibabesial drugs,
such as Theileria annulata (responsible of tropical theileriosis,
mainly imidocarb, despite side effects occur.
TT, or Mediterranean theileriosis) and Theileria parva (agent
of East Coast fever, ECF), while the most important non-trans- As the success of the therapy towards cattle piroplasmosis
forming species is Theileria orientalis (T. orientalis/buffeli depends on the timeliness of the treatment, an early diagno-

67
sis of clinically affected animals is essential to initiate control took place at the beginning and end of the rain season.
actions. Results: Single and multiple drug resistance against the
Diagnosis of acute cattle piroplasmosis is based on clin- therapeutic drug diminazene aceturate (DA) and the prophy-
ical signs and on examination of Giemsa-stained smears of lactic drug isometamidium chloride (ISM) at the recommended
peripherical blood or aspirated lymph nodes. The indirect dosages were detected with treatment failure rates ranging
fluorescent antibody test is the most widely used diagnostic from 0 to 30% for DA and from 0 to 50% for ISM (Tchamdja et
test. Molecular biology provides useful tools for Theileria and al. 2017). More than 40% of the tested trypanocidal drugs from
Babesia species identification and genetic characterization. Togo (Tchamdja et al. 2016) and 28 % from Ethiopia (Tekle et al.
Several molecular methods targeting different markers have 2018), respectively, did not conform to FAO established quality
been developed, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) standards. Rational use of trypanocidal drugs in symptomatic
and sequencing, real-time PCR, reverse line blot hybridiza- animals in Togo, combined with targeted insecticidal spraying
tion, loop-mediated isothermal amplification. and strategic deworming, resulted in much lower numbers of
This presentation will focus on the main agents of cattle trypanocidal treatments, compared to control herds, whereby
piroplasmosis, with an update on their global distribution, ar- the animals remained in good health (Tchamdja et al. 2019).
thropod vectors, treatments, and the development of vaccines Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the imple-
and diagnostic tools. mentation of an integrated best-bet strategy leads to a re-
duced trypanosome prevalence under lowered trypanocidal
use. In the absence of new trypanocidal drugs, rational use of
the available drugs will be an appropriate strategy minimizing
the risk of drug resistance development.
K96 References:
Tchamdja, E.; Kulo, A. E.; Akoda, K.; Teko-Agbo, A.; Assou-
Best-bet integrated control strategies for managing my, A. M.; Niang, E. M. M.; Batawui, K.; Adomefa, K.; Bankolé,
trypanosomosis and trypanocidal drug resistance in A. A.; Kombiagou, K.; Hoppenheit, A.; Clausen, P.-H.; Mattioli,
African village cattle populations R. C.; Peter, R.; Napier, G. B.; De Deken, R.; Marcotty, T.; Van
Peter-Henning Clausen. Den Abbeele, J.; Delespaux, V. (2016): Drug quality analysis
through high performance liquid chromatography of isomet-
Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. amidium chloride hydrochloride and diminazene diaceturate
purchased from official and unofficial sources in Northern
Objectives: Trypanosomosis Rational Chemotherapy, Togo. Preventive Veterinary Medicine; 126, 151–158.
TRYRAC, was a 5-year project (2012-2017) funded by the Tchamdja, E.; Kulo, A. E.; Vitouley, H. S.; Batawui, K.;
Global Programme on Agricultural Research for Development Bankolé, A. A.; Adomefa, K.; Cecchi, G.; Hoppenheit, A.; Clau-
of the European Commission. Its overall objective was im- sen, P. H.; De Deken, R.; Van Den Abbeele, J.; Marcotty, T.;
proving the livelihoods of resource-poor livestock producers Delespaux, V. (2017): Cattle breeding, trypanosomosis prev-
in smallholder production systems through sustainable con- alence and drug resistance in Northern Togo. Veterinary Par-
trol of African Animal Trypanosomoses (AAT) where the ma- asitology; 236, 86–92.
jor constraint is drug resistance. Development of trypanocide Tchamdja, E.; Clausen, P.-H.; Kulo, A. E.; Batawui, K.;
drug resistance depends on a multi-factorial process driven Bauer, B.; Den Abbeele, J. V.; Delespaux, V.; Hoppenheit, A.
by (i) trypanocidal drug use practices, (ii) quality of trypano- (2019): How rational drug use reduces trypanosome infec-
cidal drugs, (iii) ability to detect resistance and (iv) availabil- tions in cattle in chemo-resistance hot-spot villages of northern
ity of strategies minimizing and controlling resistance at the Togo. Acta tropica; 190, 159–165.
livestock keeper level, particularly smallholders. The TRYRAC
Tekle, T.; Terefe, G.; Cherenet, T.; Ashenafi, H.; Akoda, K.
project addresses each of these factors through improving the
G.; Teko-Agbo, A.; Van Den Abbeele, J.; Gari, G.; Clausen,
capacity and capability of African laboratories and veterinary
P.-H.; Hoppenheit, A.; Mattioli, R. C.; Peter, R.; Marcotty, T.;
services to detect trypanocidal drug resistance, to conduct
Cecchi, G.; Delespaux, V. (2018): Aberrant use and poor qual-
quality control of trypanocidal drugs and to promote and mon-
ity of trypanocides: a risk for drug resistance in south western
itor the use of best-bet control strategies aiming at a rational
Ethiopia. BMC Veterinary Research; 14(1), 4.
drug use approach.
Materials and methods: Cross-sectional surveys were
conducted to assess the trypanosome infection prevalence in
randomly selected village cattle herds in the provinces of Kara
and Savanes of northern Togo and in the Gurage zone of Ethi-
opia. Thereafter, drug sensitivity studies were carried out in K97
hot spot areas (with a trypanosome prevalence > 10%). Based
Venereal diseases in beef cattle: an old problem that needs
on these results, best-bet integrated strategies consisting of (i)
new approaches
rational use of quality tested trypanocidal drugs in symptom-
atic cattle, (ii) targeted insecticidal spraying of the lower body Luís Miguel Ortega-Mora1, Esther Collantes-Fernández2.
parts of cattle with a deltamethrin formulation and (iii) strategic 1
UCM, Madrid, Spain; 2SALUVET, Animal Health, Department,
use of anthelminthic drugs (albendazole) were implemented in
Faculty of Veterinary Sciences-UCM, Madrid, Spain.
risk group animals (calves < 2 years). Anthelmintic treatments

68
Bovine trichomonosis (BT) and bovine genital campylo- tive performance and reducing the financial losses that come
bacteriosis (BGC) are sexually transmitted diseases of cattle with open cows and late-born calve. BGC is mainly controlled
listed by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Both by diagnostic testing, reporting, and culling of infected bulls.
venereal diseases are considered an important cause of early Antibiotic treatment (streptomycin or oxytetracycline) can be
reproductive failure in beef cattle kept under extensive man- successful in bulls under 3 years old, but it is often not effec-
agement conditions, placing important restrictions on the inter- tive in older bulls, thus culling is recommended. Unfortunately,
national trade of animals and animal products. BT is caused by and despite several commercial vaccines for BGC have been
the flagellated protozoan parasite Tritrichomonas foetus (Tf). associated with some protection in cattle, they are not com-
The causative agent of BGC is Campylobacter fetus subsp. mercially available worlwide.
venerealis (Cfv), a microaerophilic, Gram-negative and mo-
tile bacterium with a characteristic spiral form. Tritrichomonas
foetus and Cfv colonize the preputial cavity of bulls and the
urogenital tract of females and are transmitted during coitus.
Bulls act as asymptomatic carriers, whereas the disease in
females causes embryonic death or early abortion. Econom-
ic losses arise from prolonged calving intervals, reduced calf
drop caused by failure of or delay in conception, increased
culling of infected animals and increased veterinary costs.
BT and BGC are still prevalent in some areas of Austra-
lia, North and South America and Africa. In Europe, the wide-
spread use of artificial insemination (AI) and effective control
programmes have greatly reduced the incidence of both dis-
eases. However, recent studies in beef cattle in Spain found a
prevalence of T. foetus infection of 12.7% in bulls (385/3016)
and 20.7% in farms. In a different study, the prevalence of
BCG was 7.7% (400/5182) and 12.2% for bulls and farms, re-
spectively. These results highlight the need to diagnose these
diseases in geographic areas and in management systems
where risk factors for venereal diseases are present. In terms
of diagnosis, bulls should be the target for diagnostic investi-
gations, epidemiological studies, as well as control and pre-
vention strategies. The laboratory diagnosis for BT is well-es-
tablished with sampling methods, transport of the sample to
the laboratory and detection by parasite growth in culture and
confirmation by PCR perfectly validated. However, the labo-
ratory diagnosis of Cfv by microbial culture, direct immunoflu-
orescence test and PCR can be problematic due to different
factors related to its growth and the differentiation between Cfv
and C. fetus fetus. Bacteriologic culture with subsequent phe-
notypic identification remains the gold standard for the detec-
tion of Cfv. Nevertheless, isolation of Cfv from field samples is
difficult, showing low sensitivity. Subsequently, the majority of
Cfv detection is currently achieved by PCR assays, although
the specificity of these techniques is, at present, under dis-
cussion.
Programs for the prevention and control of venereal dis-
eases are partially successful, because risk factors (e.g. com-
munal pastures, the lack of diagnostic tests before the breed-
ing season and a the use of old bulls) cannot be avoided.
Vaccination could be a feasible control measure to reduce the
economic losses. Vaccines are only indicated for cows since
they do not induce protection in bulls. In most cases, vaccines
will not prevent infection, but they will reduce the time to clear-
ance of both pathogens from the reproductive tract before foe-
tal loss occurs, improving pregnancy rates by decreasing the
duration of endometritis. A new vaccine capable to stimulate
humoral and mucosal immunity against Tf and reducing the
length of the parasite genital infection in cows under experi-
mental challenge has been recently developed. Under natural
infection situations, this effect was translated into shorted calv-
ing intervals and earlier calving date, improving the reproduc-

69
WORKSHOPS
W01 – W03 ECBHM WORKSHOP

W04 REPRODUCTION IN BEEF CATTLE WORKSHOP
W05 – W07 REPRODUCTION IN DAIRY CATTLE
W08 REPRODUCTION WORKSHOP
W09 GENETICS AND BREEDING WORKSHOP
W10 CONTINUING EDUCATION WORKSHOP
W11 – W12 UDDER HEALTH WORKSHOP (IN FARM)
W14 CATTLE WELFARE WORKSHOP
W15 DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING WORKSHOP
W16 – W18 NUTRITION AND BIOTECHNOLOGY WORKSHOP
W19 – W21 BIOTECHNOLOGY WORKSHOP
W22 EPIDEMIOLOGY WORKSHOP
W23 SURGERY WORKSHOP
W24 – W27 APPLICATION OF SYSTEMS THINKING DISCIPLINE
IN BEEF CATTLE VETERINARY MEDICINE
WORKSHOPS
ECBHM WORKSHOP of this study was to compare and analyse interservice intervals
as a measure for accuracy of heat detection for two different
W01 heat detection systems that were used consecutive years in a
dairy herd in West Wales.
Influence of water quality to the Somatic cell count in dairy Materials and methods: Reproductive data was collected
herds from one large dairy herd in West Wales. All data derived from
Beat Berchtold. cows in milk. Breeds used in the analysis were; Holsteins, Jer-
seys and Crossbred (Holstein x Jersey) cows. Four consecu-
Tierärztliche Bestandesbetreuung, Switzerland. tive breeding seasons spanning from November 2017 to Octo-
ber 2021 were analysed. In the analysed period two different
Water is the number one component in cattle feeding. heat detection methods were used. From September 2017 to
Calves as well as heifers and cows react sensitively to an ele- April 2019 oestrus was detected using manually applied chalk
vated bacterial load in water. The clinical signs can vary from on the tail head and visual oestrus detection [chalk system].
indigestion, high somatic cell count (SCC), clinical mastitis or From October 2019 to October 2021 heat was detected with
lameness problems. If the taste of water is affected, decreased heat detection collars and additional visual detection [collar
water intake has a direct effect on milk yield. The pathogen- system].
esis of the clinical signs associated with increased bacterial Results: The herd size was around the 800 cows during
counts in the drinking water of dairy cows is not known so far. the study period. Cows calved down in autumn and winter and
A possible explanation is the presence of bacterial toxins in were bred from November to April each year. Average yearly
the water. The physical and chemical qualities of the water as submission rates were higher with the chalk system then with
well as the buildup of the water pipe, as well as the flow rate the collar system. Average yearly pregnancy rates were high-
can have an impact on the unknown pathogenesis and ob- er with the collar system than with the chalk system. Further
served clinical signs in cattle. Clarification of the water quality analyses of the interservice intervals indicated that the collar
is done by bacteriological analysis of E. coli, Enterococcus sp. system was more accurate in detecting heat than the chalk
and aerobic mesophilic germs. A acceptable water quality is system.
negative for E. coli and Enterococcus sp.. The amount of aer- Conclusions: It is important to keep in mind that timely
obic mesophilic germs must be less than 300 colony forming and accurate heat detection in a dairy herd depends not only
units per ml water. on the used heat detection system but also on other factors
The presented case report describes a rise in SCC and like nutrition and housing. The analysed data showed that sub-
clinical mastitis rate after installation of an automatic milking mission rates were higher when the chalk system was used
system in a Swiss dairy farm. Investigation on the farm re- compared to when the collar system was used. Nevertheless,
vealed inadequate water quality as the main risk factor. Bac- with the collar system cows were more likely to conceive to a
terial analyses of the water show an elevated count of aerobic service than when the chalk system was used.
mesophilic germs. The result for E. coli and Enterococcus sp.
was negative. After improving the quality of the drinking wa-
ter by physical ultraviolet treatment, bulk tank milk SCC de-
creased and cases of clinical mastitis almost disappeared.
In case of concerns about cattle health, the water quality W03
on farms should be considered as a potential risk factor after
exclusion of other causes. Poor water quality may also com- Sustainable parasite management in French cattle; treat as
promize cattle health in combination with other causes. The little as reasonably achievable
importance of water in cattle feeding justify the regularly check
Philippe Camuset.
of its quality in the frame of herd health management.
Cabinet vétérinaire Yvetot, France.
Objectives: In 1981, ivermectin was released on the

French veterinary market. The then recently understood type 2
W02 ostertagiasis could be successfully managed and warble flies
became eradicated. Those treatments were applied at the end
The comparison of two heat detection systems in a large
of the grazing season. During the following years, long acting
dairy herd in West Wales
devices, or protocols involving macrocyclic lactones, prevent-
Lies Beekhuis. ed the strongyle infestation, thus optimizing growth during the
first and second grazing seasons. However, the combination
Tivy Vets, UK.
of those preventative and curative worming treatments didn’t
allow the development of immunity against strongyles. So, to
Objective: In the United Kingdom most dairy herds rely avoid parasitism being an issue after the first grazing season,
on oestrus detection to artificially inseminate (AI) dairy cows. it was necessary to repeat treatments in the second grazing
When a cow finishes her voluntary waiting period it is essen- season, even in adult cows. As a result, resistant worm pop-
tial that oestrus is detected timely and accurately to ensure AI ulations were developing and becoming a real concern and,
takes place on the correct day, at the right time. The objective since the beginning of the 2000’s, ecotoxicity of macrocyclic

73
WORKSHOPS
lactones was reported and this now leads to a real One Health REPRODUCTION IN BEEF CATTLE WORKSHOP
concern. This paper describes how our practice has been in-
volved in parasite management since the 90’s, with regular W04
communication with our farmers, and, since 1997, the regu-
lar assessment of serum pepsinogen levels at the end of the The role of the veterinarian in reproductive management
first grazing season to manage winter worming programmes programs: Maximizing fertility to FTAI in beef cattle
aimed at digestive strongyles. The first parasitism audits were around the glove
implemented in 2004 with a sustained deployment from 2008.
Gabriel Bo.
Currently, about fifty herds are followed up each year.
Materials and methods: The essence of the audit is based Instituto de Reproducción Animal Córdoba (IRAC), Zona Rural
on the assessment of the parasitic risk, mainly on pasture. The General Paz, (5145) Córdoba, Argentina. Instituto de Ciencias Básicas,
parasites present on the farm are examined and, if necessary, Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Villa María, Villa del
laboratory based-tests (serology, coproscopy) are prescribed Rosario, Córdoba, Argentina.
in order to get a complete picture of the parasitism of the con-
cerned herd. A strong understanding of the pastures and the The objective of the incorporation of valuable genetics in
animal group management leads us to assess the parasitic beef herds using AI is to improve profitability. The development
risk for gastro-intestinal strongyles (GIS), Dictyocaulus as far of hormonal treatments that control the time of ovulation has
as possible, and wet area trematodes. For GIS, the number allowed the development of Fixed Time Artificial Insemination
of generations is estimated, the parasitic impact occurs af- (FTAI) protocols. However, it must be considered that a signif-
ter the second or the third one for naïve animals. For older icant number of breeding herds are still using natural services
ones, the immunity is taken into account. For dictyocaulosis, with bulls. In these herds, a significant percentage of cows are
the presence of healthy carriers, the pasture management are in postpartum anestrus at the beginning of the breeding sea-
studied. For wet area trematodes, the contact with the snail son, which causes a delay in their conception. This workshop
intermediate hosts is the key point to manage. According to will present experiments using cyclicity induction and ovulation
the potential zootechnic or clinical impact we have assessed, synchronization programs with the use of intravaginal proges-
agronomic or medical advice is proposed to the farmer. In a terone releasing devices combined with estrogen salts or with
quality approach, laboratory based tests are used to validate GnRH, in order to improve reproductive performance of com-
the vet prescription at the end of the grazing season or during mercial beef herds. A precise and detailed knowledge of the
the next winter. hormones involved in the FTAI protocols is essential. Further-
Results: Each year, 40 to 50 herds are followed up ac- more, it is necessary to know the conditions of the herds and
cording to the described method; some for up to 14 years. Our their productive objectives to determine which protocols best
stated goal is to “Treat as little as reasonably achievable”. This suit in their production system. In addition, other issues must
concept is nowadays completely shared by our farmers. As an be considered. As Veterinarians we must take care of all these
example among the 80 herds that have been followed up in issues to ensure satisfactory results and to avoid unpleasant
our practice, JF Chauveau contacted us in October 2010 as surprises. The quality of the semen to be used, the personnel
available to work with the animals with reasonable standards
his herd had clinical signs and collapsed milk production due
of animal welfare, and the quality of the facilities available to
to paramphistomes. Some cows were shedding more than
work with a large number of animals in a short period of time
2000 epg in their faeces. Emergency measures were carried
are essential to ensure good results. Health is an issue that
on and a complete audit was set up in March 2011. Thanks
will not be the focus of this discussion, but it is undoubtedly
to reasoned treatments, paramphistomes were eradicated by
fundamental. It is necessary to implement an annual control
2021 and the farmer deworms now only first grazing seasons
and disease prevention program. In addition, a strict control of
calves turned out from April to June with a suitable formulation
the entry of new animals is essential to prevent other diseas-
of moxidectine in spring in order to balance zootechnical per-
es. Finally, although good pregnancy rates can be obtained,
formances, ecotoxicity and resistance development. Older an-
we must be clear that beef producers do not sell pregnancy
imals are dewormed in a targeted approach with eprinomectin.
rates, but rather their result is evaluated in kilograms of beef
Conclusion: Our practice is one of the leaders in France per hectare produced. Therefore, our responsibility is to co-
for bovine and equine parasitology audits. In our clinic, we ordinate and program activities that include everything nec-
have developed a parasitology unit implementing more than essary for the implementation of reproductive programs to be
600 coproscopies each year for herbivores. We have trained as efficient as possible. These technologies can contribute to
many colleagues to use this method in France and the 2020 the improvement of reproductive efficiency and, consequently,
mandatory bovine sanitary visit which we prepared with the improve the profitability of beef production systems.
French department of Ecology was about sustainable man-
agement of parasitism addressing the topics of ecotoxicity
and resistances. Nowadays, farmers are demanding this kind
of delivery, because they are conscious of their responsibili-
ty towards civil society. By this approach, we are completely
involved in the One Health concept and, in our modest level,
in the fight against the global warming process. Sustainable
livestock breeding is one of the virtuous way of increasing the
ability of soil flora and fauna to trap atmospheric carbon.

74
WORKSHOPS
REPRODUCTION IN DAIRY CATTLE sion in this or related fields of interest to veterinary practi-
tioners.
W05
Calving management – how to predict and when to assist?

John F Mee1-2, Carola Fisher Tenhagen3, Otto Szenci4.
W06
; 2Teagasc, Moorepark Research Centre, Republic of Ireland; 3Freie
1
Universität Berlin, Germany; 4University of Veterinary Medicine Giving the right advice: expert’s recommendation for
Budapest, Hungary. calving management
Carola Fischer-Tenhagen1, John F. Mee2.
Objective: Changing the way we manage cows on the 1
Department Experimental Toxicology and ZEBET, Unit Animal
point of, and during, calving has the potential to reduce time
Husbandry, Aquaculture and Reference German Federal Institute for
spent monitoring preparturient cows and unobserved calv-
Risk Assessment, Germany. 2Department of Animal and Bioscience
ing-associated dystocia and stillbirth and improve perinatal
Research, Teagasc, Moorepark Research Centre, Fermoy, County Cork,
outcomes for both the dam and her calf. Recent advances in
P61 P302, Ireland.
agri-tech have generated numerous novel devices designed to
predict calving time more accurately than traditional methods.
In addition, the question of when to assist at calving has been Optimal calving management enhances the chances that
addressed in recent research and the results may change the the cow will transition into lactation successfully and that her
way we approach this task in future. This workshop addresses calf will start life vigorous and healthy. Much research on
these topics. The format is modelled on workshop presented physiology and pathology of the calving process has been
at the European Society for Domestic Animal Reproduction published over the years. The object of this presentation is to
(ESDAR) annual conference in Saint Petersburg in 2019. The distill these research findings into practical information which
objective of the workshop is to present and discuss the latest veterinary practitioners can use to improve both their calving
research results on a topic of everyday interest to cattle veter- management skills and those of their client farmers. Critical-
inarians and their clients internationally: calving management, ly, it is essential to understand the physiological time scale
specifically prediction of calving time and assistance at dys- of the birth process. Restlessness and visibility of fetal parts
tocia. at the vulva are important predictors of an imminent calving.
Materials and methods: This is a genuine, interactive, Information on the correct positioning/posture of the calf in the
delegate-focused workshop. The workshop will be opened birth canal and “which are the easy ones” to correct, including
by a moderator giving an overview introductory presentation hygienic procedures, should be topics in practical demonstra-
on the topic of interest – calving management. The format of tions by the veterinarian in charge on the farm. A clear time
the workshop will be a Gallery Walk. This involves: 3 work- line for intervention and which dystocia cases are “the hard
stations with flip charts; delegates randomly divided between ones for the vet” are important principles to be delivered by
workstations to form 3 groups led by a delegate rapporteur; the expert.
groups spend 10-15 mins at first workstation discussing allo-
cated topic; groups (but not rapporteur) then rotate clockwise
between the 3 workstations spending 5-7 and 5-7 mins at their
second and third workstations. Moderator and speakers float
across groups to answer questions but do not directly influ- W07
ence groups. When rotations are complete each rapporteur
presents the conclusions for their topic to the whole workshop Importance of predicting the onset of calving to prevent
using the flip charts’ bullet points. Moderator and speakers dis- stillbirth on dairy farms
cuss. This is followed by two short oral communications by do- Szenci Ottó1, Mee John F.2.
main expert speakers on ‘Devices to predict calving time’ and
‘When to assist at calving?’ The moderator then concludes the
1
University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest; 2Department of Animal
workshop by summarising the key take home messages. and Bioscience Research, Teagasc, Moorepark Research Centre, Fermoy,
County.
Results: The results of the workshop are the ideas, opin-
ions and messages generated by the delegates at the three
workstations: devices to predict time of calving, when/how to The profitability of cattle breeding is greatly influenced by
examine/assist at calving and how to train farmer clients in the rate at which calves are born alive and reared to adult-
calving assistance/when to call the vet, in combination with hood. Despite the recent developments in animal breeding,
the three oral presentations. The content on the workstation perinatal mortality in Holstein-Friesian heifers and cows is still
flip charts will be photographed and emailed to interested del- very high (3.5 to 8%) in some countries. If the onset of calving
egates following the workshop. can be accurately detected as well as appropriate calving as-
Conclusions: This workshop will present blended conclu- sistance provided, the prevalence of dystocia, stillbirth, vaginal
sions on the titular topic developed as a combination between laceration, retained foetal membranes, and consequent clini-
delegate-generated feedback and speaker oral presentations. cal metritis/endometritis can be significantly reduced.
These may generate new ideas for future interactive discus- The goal is to provide obstetrical assistance at an appro-

75
WORKSHOPS
priate time after detecting the onset of the second stage of la- REPRODUCTION WORKSHOP
bour. Traditionally detection of stage two was dependent upon
intermittent/continuous observation. However, several devices W08
are now commercially available to detect the onset of calving.
These include biosensors which monitor body temperature, Applied epidemiology: how to interpret and use research
tail elevation, behavioural signs or the opening of the vulva. data in practice, using examples in reproduction
The latest research results in this field are presented and Aurora Villarroel.
the associated literature is reviewed. The advantages and
disadvantages of the different predictive methods will be dis- Athyr Vet, LLC, USA.
cussed to select the most accurate method for the detection
of the onset of calving on a dairy farm. These results and the Objectives: Clinicians often assume that anything that is
associated review indicate that currently the vaginal device is published in a scientific journal is scientific evidence. Howev-
the most accurate method of predicting the onset of calving in er, not all publications represent research of a question or hy-
dairy cows. pothesis, and not all publications are correctly performed or
analyzed. The objective of this workshop is to train clinicians
to differentiate various types of published papers, and how to
determine if the methodology, analyses and conclusions are
correct, so they can decide whether it is pertinent information
to change the way they practice veterinary medicine.
Materials and methods: The workshop will start with short
introduction explaining the various types of published papers
and how to determine which type a specific paper is. Follow-
ing this introduction, there will be real examples of published
research of each type for clarification. At least two research
articles will then be dissected to evaluate methodology, statis-
tical analysis and author conclusions.
Results: At the conclusion of this workshop attendees will
know not to use the abstract of an article as evidence, and
instead consider it just an indication of whether the article may
be able to provide the information they are seeking. Readers
will be able to evaluate the actual information provided by the
research only after reading the main sections of the article:
“Materials & Methods” and “Results”. Attendees will be able
to understand the difference between statistical significance
(given by the p-value of a statistical analysis) and biological
significance (the perceived utility of the conclusions provided
by the research article for a clinician in their practice).
Conclusions: When reading published research, clini-
cians should focus on the “Materials & Methods” section of an
article to determine if the methodology is appropriate to evalu-
ate the studied research question, and then focus on the “Re-
sults” section to decide their own conclusions of the research,
and whether they can use this new information to help in the
treatment of their patients. It is valid to have different conclu-
sions from those of the published article. The clinicians may
have different conditions as those described in the study (for
example, research done in a desert may not apply to a farm in
a tropical setting and vice versa), or they may decide that the
procedures required to obtain the studied outcome are not via-
ble in their clinical setting (for example, handling cows multiple
times for hormone application may not be an option). Finally,
clinicians may conclude that the methodology or analysis of a
research article is invalid and, therefore, no real conclusions
can be drawn from it.

76
WORKSHOPS
GENETICS AND BREEDING WORKSHOP CONTINUING EDUCATION WORKSHOP
W09 W10
How do we use genetic data to improve farm profitability Models of clinical education of bovine medicine
Francisco Peñagaricano. Ángel Abuelo Sebio1, Carlos Risco2.
University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. 1
Michigan State University, USA; 2University of Oklahoma, USA.
Effective use of genomics: Sire selection. Dairy sire The veterinary medical profession has a long and laud-
selection has dramatically changed with the implementation able history of meeting evolving societal needs throughout the
of genomic selection. Nowadays, dairy farmers have basical- world. From the beginning of our profession, and continuing
ly two main options when they make sire selection decisions: today, veterinarians have been at the forefront in providing
use proven, progeny-tested bulls or use young genomic-test- care and disease prevention to livestock. An emerging soci-
ed bulls, i.e., young bulls with no progeny that have been eval- etal need is the global increased demand for a wholesome
uated using only their own genomic data. Notably, the number and economical source or animal-based protein. A challenge
of young genomic-tested bulls currently in the market far ex- that the veterinary medical profession faces to meet this need,
ceeds that of progeny-tested bulls. The key concept regarding is the global shortage of food animal veterinarians. Without
young genomic-tested dairy bulls is that, on average, these veterinarians, farmers, public health, and the food supply
young bulls have greater predicted genetic merit values than are more vulnerable to potential disease outbreaks and oth-
the proven bulls. Now, these higher genetic values are accom- er sources of economic loss that impacts food security. The
panied by lower reliability values. The question is how dairy shortage of food animal veterinarians is due to multifactorial
farmers should proceed in this scenario: farmers should use problems such as to growing student debt, long hours, and
young genomic-tested bulls because they have greater PTA fewer graduates wanting to live in rural communities. Another
values, or, instead, farmers should use proven bulls because challenge is that beef and dairy production units have mod-
they have more reliable PTA estimates. The best strategy is ernized with the application of new technologies and grown in
to use a group or team of young genomic-tested bulls. The scale and a reliance on intensive capital and population-based
advantage of using a group of young bulls is that reliability of approaches to animal production. This change has resulted in
the average genetic merit of the team is considerably greater different expectations from these producers for veterinary ser-
than the reliability of each individual bull. vices. Although some veterinary curricula have expanded to
Effective use of genomics: Replacement heifer se- include education in the application of these new technologies
lection. The selection of replacement heifers in commercial in herd hearth and preventive medicine, food animal clinical
dairy farms has been traditionally characterized by very low training continues primarily with a focus on individual animal
intensity of selection, because, in general, farmers retain medicine, diagnosis and treatment of disease. Arguably, these
nearly every heifer calf as a future herd replacement. How- management changes in beef and dairy production to a more
ever, recent improvements in herd management and the use system based, have resulted in a growing shortage of veteri-
of sexed semen have led to produce a considerable surplus narian who have the expected training and skills to meet the
of heifer calves. In this context, the selection of replacement needs of producers that operate in an intensified technology
heifers is feasible, and genomic testing allows the identifica- based animal-based food production system.
tion of superior or inferior heifer calves accurately and at an Materials and methods: The presentation will address
early age. The identification of genetically inferior heifer calves 1) Historical Perspective of Veterinary Medical Education in
allows early culling of these animals, significantly reducing the Food Animal Medicine - what are the gaps that can be filled
cost of rearing replacements. Alternatively, these genetically in our current training ? 2) Strategies to reduce food-animal
inferior heifers can be inseminated with beef semen to pro- veterinary service shortages 3)Development of continuing
duce high-value crossbred beef calves. On the other hand, education programs for veterinarians focused on production
the identification of superior heifers through genomics can be medicine - does one size fit all? The afternoon session will
combined with the use of advanced reproductive technologies consist of a roundtable by faculty from colleges of veterinary
to rapidly propagate these animals and generate superior re- medicine on the pros and cons of models used in cattle clinical
placements. These high-genetic-merit heifers can be used as education. Practitioners in attendance will be encouraged to
donors in either an in vitro fertilization program or an embryo provide input and participate in the discussion.
transfer program. Instead, these superior heifers can be in-
Results and Conclusion: The goal of the presentation
seminated using sexed semen from top sires. It is worth noting
and roundtable is to consider options on best educational
that genotyping replacement heifers has extra benefits other
practices to enable food animal veterinarians to be more suc-
than making proper selection and mating decisions, including
cessful in their professional careers and personal lives. More
parentage verification, controlling inbreeding, and avoiding the
specifically, an educational program that will give food animal
spread of genetic disorders through genomic-enhanced mat-
veterinarians the tools and skills that will increase the quality
ings. Arguably, these benefits add value to genomic testing.
and quantity of the services provided to beef and dairy cattle
producers. A summary of the discussions of the roundtable will
be provided to attendees of the conference.

77
WORKSHOPS
UDDER HEALTH WORKSHOP (IN FARM) tion between all four teats.
• Removal of the milking unit. Clusters must not be re-
W11 moved while under vacuum. Check for blocked air
bleeds which also lead to slower milking, liner slippage
The importance of milking time assessments (observations and teats being bathed in milk during peak milk flow.
and not physical measurements) • Over-milking must always be avoided. With twice a day
Ian Ohnstad. milking, units should be removed promptly when the
flow rate drops to between 0.3 – 0.5 kg/min and nearer
The Dairy Group (UK).
0.6 – 0.8 kg/min with three times a day milking. If hand
stripping identifies that >20% of quarters yield more
There are International Standards on the procedures and than 100ml milk, then investigate.
methods for testing milking machines (ISO 6690:2007) and • Cleanliness of the operator and facilities is essential.
the basic operating parameters required (ISO 5707:2007). As
• Demeanour of the operator. Dairy cows respond pos-
these tests do not include actual milking, the results may lead
itively to a quiet, calm and consistent milking environ-
to an incomplete evaluation and provide misleading results
ment, including cow collection. If more than 5% of cows
(International Dairy Federation, Bulletin 396/2005).
defecate something is wrong.
Objective: To highlight a number of key points that will
• Consistency of milking routine, with all cows receiving
allow competent personnel to assess the suitability of the milk-
the same preparation intensity and duration, with stan-
ing system.
dard time lags from first contact to attachment of the
Materials and Methods: There are three broad areas to cluster.
consider.
• Milk Let down. Good preparation is essential for good
1. Mechanical observations milk let down and achieving less than 10% of bi-modal
• Vacuum levels – checking the accuracy of the gauge milk flow. A calm, well stimulated cow should produce
set for the type of machine in operation (high or low around 50% of her production within 2.0 minutes of unit
level milklines). Too low a level can extend machine on attachment.
time, increase liner slip and may decrease milk yields. • Teat disinfection. Teats should be disinfected as soon
Teat congestion and incomplete milking indicate too as practical after cluster removal, ensuring total teat
high a level. coverage.
• Vacuum stability – as important as working level. The 3. Cow Observations
vacuum at the receiver vessel should fluctuate no more
• Cow behaviour. An effective milking requires calm quiet
than +/- 2.0kPa during milking, nor between the receiv-
cows for optimum milking efficiency and milk quality.
er vessel and milkline for more than 95% of a normal
milking. • Teat Condition. Routine assessment of teat condition
is part of any milking time assessment. The National
• Vacuum in the liner mouthpiece chamber (MPC) - to
Mastitis Council (nmconline.org) has recently updated
average at least 10kPa less than the average claw vac-
uum during peak milk flow. Teat barrel congestion and Teat Condition Scoring.
palpable mouthpiece rings are usually reduced when • Cow cleanliness. Essential for milking efficiency and
the MPC vacuum is less than 20 kPa. Higher MPC vac- milk quality. Changes in management, environment
uum levels are observed with over-milking and larger and housing can be clearly identified with regular scor-
bore liners. The presence of palpable mouthpiece rings ing.
on more than 20% of teats warrants investigation (in- Conclusions: Detailed observations at milking time can
creased mastitis new infection rates). highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the overall milking
• Operation of the vacuum regulator. A simple test when process. Any comprehensive assessment needs to take ac-
air is admitted. Listen to see if the regulator closes off count of the complex interaction between milking machine,
or the speed of a VFC increases. operator and cow. Failure to understand the relationship may
• Fall off test – to assess if the machine can keep the lead to inappropriate conclusions being drawn and incorrect
vacuum level stable when a unit is removed or kicked recommendations.
off.
• Pulsation – listen closely to each pulsator for uniformi-
ty. Check liners are fitted correctly and in good condi-
tion. Correct liner movement can be assessed using
the thumb test. W12
• Liner slippage – if more than 5% per milking then inves- Milking time assessment – an useful tool in the armoury for
tigate and action. a dairy veterinarian
2. Operator observations
Ronald Erskine, Ian Ohnstad.
• Attachment of the milking units – with minimum air
admission and a smooth, efficient manner. Units must Michigan State University, USA.
hang squarely on the udder with equal weight distribu-

78
WORKSHOPS
Background: Most dairy farms have their milking equip- CATTLE WELFARE WORKSHOP
ment evaluated and maintained on a routine basis. Although
proper equipment function is necessary for milking perfor- W14
mance, it does not guarantee it. Two management areas that
can lead to poor milking efficiency are: 1) milking routines that Animal welfare assessment at farm level and its implications
don’t achieve consistent milk letdown and 2) overmilking. Ei- for economic sustainability of dairy farms
ther one of these problems can leave cows ‘high and dry’ and
expose teats to high vacuum levels. Improper function of pul- Trevor De Vries1, Xavier Manteca2.
sation, milking vacuum, or the interaction of vacuum with liners 1
Guelph University, Canada; 2Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona,
and milking cluster design can be also problematic. Spain.
Additionally, many dairy operations are increasingly rely-
ing on hired labor, especially foreign-born workers. However,
Animal welfare has become an essential aspect of mod-
many dairy managers have limited human resource knowl-
ern livestock production. Animal welfare assessment tools are
edge and experience; this often leads to frustration with proto-
needed to identify problem areas and monitor progress when
col drift and employees who have little training to understand
improvement strategies are implemented. The objective of
1) milking dynamics, 2) the operation of the equipment they
this workshop is to discuss the principles underlying welfare
use every day, and 3) troubleshooting problems with milking
assessment and how welfare assessment protocols may be
equipment.
used to improve the economic sustainability of dairy farms.
Methods: This will be an interactive session in which we
Animal welfare may be assessed using indicators, i.e. vari-
will discuss case studies and applied research regarding milk-
ables that can be measured objectively. Because of the mul-
ing dynamics and the relation to milk quality, udder health, and
tidimensional nature of animal welfare, no indicator is enough
herd profitability. This will be an opportunity for dairy veteri-
narians to better understand the impact of milking protocols by itself to assess the welfare of an animal or group of animals.
on milking performance of the cows. What do the cows tell us Thus, a combination of several indicators should be used if
about their milking experience? What tools and observations welfare is to be evaluated.
can we use to improve the cow’s experience? What are the Welfare indicators should meet the following requirements:
outcomes we should monitor to evaluate changes in protocols First, they should be valid, that is, they should really measure
and management? animal welfare. The validity of an indicator may be assessed
Objectives: by expert opinion or, preferably, by investigations in which this
indicator is compared with an independent measure of wel-
1) Evaluating milking machine performance.
fare. Second, welfare indicators should show a high intra- and
2) Learning observational tools to use during milking inter-observer reliability. Third, indicators should be practical
evaluation. and ideally minimally or non-invasive for the animals.
3) Tracking outcomes of changes in milking protocols Welfare indicators are divided into two groups: ani-
and machine operation. mal-based indicators and environment or resource-based indi-
cators. Animal-based indicators are all those variables that are
measured directly in animals, such as frequency, duration or
intensity of a behaviour, incidence or prevalence of health con-
ditions, or plasma concentration of hormones, as examples.
Environment-based indicators include the size and design of
facilities where animals are kept, the quantity and quality of
food they receive, the temperature at which they are exposed,
etc.; in short, environment-based indicators are variables that
are not measured in animals, but in their environment.
The main difficulty of environment-based indicators is that
a given environmental variable can have very different effects
on animal welfare. This is due, first, to the fact that individuals
of the same species may respond differently to a feature of the
environment. A second reason why the effects of environmen-
tal variables are not always predictable is that a phenomenon
of interaction between variables may occur, often as result of
different management within similar environments.
Because the effect of environmental variables on welfare
may not always be reliably foreseen, several researchers have
suggested that, as far as possible, animal welfare should be
evaluated with animal-based indicators that provide direct in-
formation on the state of animals. This does not mean, in any
way, that environment-based indicators are not useful. There
are some welfare problems that may be more easily mea-
sured with environment-based indicators. For example, it is

79
WORKSHOPS
often easier to check that animals have free access to good DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING WORKSHOP
quality water than to assess any possible state of dehydration.
In this case, several environment-based indicators (number, W15
location, operation and design of the water troughs, and water
quality) would be more useful than an animal-based indicator Extragenital applications of Ultrasonography
(signs of dehydration). Furthermore, although animal-based
Sebastien Buczinski1, Jill Colloton2, Giovanni Gnemmi3.
indicators are especially useful for evaluating welfare state,
environment-based indicators are needed to identify the cause Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Canada;
1
of a possible problem and allow for continuous improvements. Bovine Services, USA; 3BOVINEVET INTERNACIONAL Bovine
2
Animal-based indicators can be grouped into four main Ultrasound Services & Herd Management, Huesca, Spain.
categories: indicators related to the behaviour of animals; in-
dicators related to the appearance of animals; physiological Objectives: Today, reproductive ultrasonography has a
indicators, and indicators obtained from farm records, such as plantar diffusion. The diagnosis of gestation, of non-gestation,
the prevalence and incidence of diseases. the diagnosis of foetal sex and the diagnosis of the physio-pa-
To assess the overall welfare of an animal or group of an- thology of the ovary and uterus, is carried out daily every-
imals, the protocol used must combine several indicators and where. Extra-genital ultrasonography, although more slowly,
include a description of the method to be used to measure is also becoming more widespread and is beginning to be a
each indicator. One of the main difficulties of all welfare as- complementary examination that the buiatrician who also or
sessment protocols lies in the aggregation of different mea- only deals with bovine internal medicine relies on to confirm
sures to obtain an overall score. and sometimes define a clear diagnosis. In many cases, the
Animal welfare assessment at the farm level largely influ- buiitra can carry out this examination without the need for in-
ences economic sustainability by ensuring compliance with strumentation other than that used for genital ultrasonography.
set standards of animal welfare, which then increases soci- The aim of this presentation is to show possible applications
etal confidence in that sector and, thus, helps ensure market of the ultrasound technique with instruments and probes, nor-
share. In addition, there is evidence that that compliance with mally used in bovine reproduction, but also how to perform an
animal welfare standards may also be associated with greater ultrasound examination of the abdomen using lower working
cow health, production, and longevity, which all contribute to frequencies, and therefore different probes, than those nor-
greater farm profitability and economic sustainability. mally used in bovine reproduction.
Materials & Methods: The ultrasound examination of
the lung, the teats and the umbilical region of the calf, have
one point in common: often the clinical examination, even if
well done, does not allow the type of lesion, its extension and
therefore a prognosis to be clearly defined. This examination
is performed with a 5.0-7.5 MHz linear probe and portable or
ultra-portable instruments. The ultrasound examination of the
abdomen when performed on calves can be done with a 5.0-
7.5 MHz probe, however when working on calves already 90-
120 kg and adult cattle, 2.0-3.5 MHz, convex or linear probes
must necessarily be used. These probes can be mounted on
portable, ultra-portable instruments or on trolley-mounted ul-
trasound units.
Results: Ultrasound examination of the lung is performed
to confirm whether a calf has a respiratory form, to define its
site and to establish the extent of the inflammatory process
and thus the prognosis. However, this can be used routine-
ly to monitor the nursery by analysing sentinel calves on a
weekly basis. This monitoring makes it possible to establish
the state of health of the nursery, which animals (of which age
group), if any, have problems. It makes it possible to establish
the efficiency of the staff also makes it possible to establish
whether a therapy and/or vaccination programe is giving the
expected result. The ultrasound examination of the teat is an
examination that should be used every time we have milking
disorders. The clinical examination, in particular the digito-dig-
ital palpation of the teat, often does not allow us to establish
either the type or the extent of the damage, which may affect
the papillary canal, Furstemberg’s rosette, the teat cistern, the
milk cistern or Furstemberg’s ring. The ultrasound examina-
tion of the umbilical region makes it possible to confirm and/or
make a clear clinical diagnosis of umbilical pathology. Umbil-

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WORKSHOPS
ical ultrasonography should always precede surgical therapy, NUTRITION AND BIOTECHNOLOGY WORKSHOP
allowing, among other things, the anaesthesia to be adjusted
and the surgical strategy to be defined in order to obtain the W16
best results from surgical therapy.
Abdominal ultrasonography can be used for the diagno- Milk fatty acids: The science behind it
sis of various diseases including peritonitis (hardware disease Débora Santschi1, Daniel Warner1, Rachel Gervais2.
and abomasal ulcers), differentiation between mechanical
and paralytic ileus, pyelonephritis, liver abscesses and caudal
1
Lactanet, Canada; 2Université Laval, Canada.
vena cava thrombosis among others. Abdominal ultrasonog-
raphy with a low-frequency probe (with deep penetration) is Fat is the most variable component of milk. Its concen-
particularly helpful to determine the extension of the lesions tration and its fatty acid (FA) profile vary according to several
but also to target the best spot where abdominocentesis can factors including the animal (parity, lactation stage, breed), the
be performed. In cows with colic, where the exact diagnosis is environment (season, management system) and nutrition (for-
uncertain, abdominal ultrasound helps in distinguishing medi- age and grain type and proportion, amount, and composition
cal vs mechanical causes of the ileus, therefore improving the of dairy fat supplements). A typical dairy cow ration contains
management of the case if early surgery should be performed. five major fatty acids but due to the rumen metabolism and
Conclusions: Today, extra-genital ultrasound is within the lipogenesis from the mammary tissue, approximately 400 dif-
reach of all those who wish to approach bovine internal medi- ferent FA can be found in milk, summing up to 92-95% of milk
cine in a different way. It is a complementary examination and fat. Although only a dozen of these FA is present in significant
therefore an examination that must always follow the classic proportions in milk, both major and minor milk FA can reveal
clinical examination and never precede it. Today this technique information about the rumen metabolism and overall health
is also absolutely affordable from an economical point of view: of the dairy cow. Traditionally analyzed by gas chromatogra-
for some examinations it is possible to use the same probe/in- phy, a laborious and costly technique, advances in technology
strument that is used in reproduction, while in other cases it is over the last decade allow measuring major milk fatty acids
necessary to purchase a low-frequency probe (2.0-3.5 MHz), routinely and rapidly by mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy. This
which can, however, be mounted on the same portable or ul- technique offers the opportunity to monitor milk FA in bulk tank
tra-portable ultrasound unit that is used in reproduction. or individual cow samples alongside and, thus, at the same
frequency as analyzing for major components (e.g., fat, pro-
tein, lactose, milk urea nitrogen, somatic cell counts). In six
seconds, it is possible to obtain the complete composition of
a milk sample, including the FA profile with the main groups of
FA. These include De novo FA (short chain FA synthesized in
the mammary gland from rumen precursors); Preformed FA
(Long chain FA derived from dietary FA transferred into milk
and FA mobilized from adipose tissue); and Mixed FA (Medi-
um chain FA from mixed origin). Bulk tank milk samples from
3,395 dairy herds on milk recording in Quebec, Canada are
currently routinely tested by MIR. Bulk tank milk samples (N =
1.85M) analyzed from April 2019 to June 2022 were used in
this analysis to evaluate the use of FA as a monitoring tool. On
a milk basis, each 0.1-percentage unit of increase in de novo
FA increased milk fat content by 0.201 unit (rcorr = 0.78) and
milk protein content by 0.117 unit (rcorr = 0.77); whereas each
0.1-unit increment in preformed FA increased milk fat by 0.099
unit (rcorr = 0.49) and had no impact on milk protein (rcorr = 0.05).
Individual or more minor groups of FA can also be predicted
from MIR, with variable levels of accuracy. In conclusion, rou-
tine monitoring of FA in individual cow milk or groups of cows
shows promising applications for herd management in terms
of better understanding rumen fermentation, body reserve dy-
namics and potential health issues, as well as applications for
niche markets and characteristics of specialty milks.

81
WORKSHOPS
W17 more granular FA profile representation by parity and lactation

stage for all cows or groups of cows within a herd at test date.
Milk fatty acids: Use and applications in Canadian dairy
farms
Débora Santschi1, Rachel Gervais2, Daniel Warner1.
Lactanet, Canada; 2Université Laval, Canada.
1
W18
Milk fatty acids (FA) are related to feeding and farm man- Practical use of DHI info about milk fatty acid profile:
agement practices. They originate from either synthesis in the Using that info into the field
mammary gland (de novo FA), feed intake or body fat mo- Ramiro Antonio Fouz Ramiro.
bilization (preformed FA), or both sources (mixed FA). Rapid
analysis of bulk tank FA profiles through mid-infrared (MIR) USC, Spain.
spectroscopy can present a valuable tool in dairy manage-
ment. Bulk tank milk samples from 3,395 dairy herds on milk Objectives: Expose the potential of milk fatty acids anal-
recording in Quebec, Canada are currently routinely tested by ysis from milk recording samples as a tool in decision making
MIR. Bulk tank FTIR milk FA profiles from 3,202 dairy herds in on the farm.
Quebec, Canada, over 3 years (April 2019–June 2022; 1.85M
Materials and methods: Of the more than four hundred
samples) were assembled in a national database (Lactanet,
fatty acids that can be found in milk, only twenty of them are of
Canada). Milk fat and protein were correlated with de novo
any interest due to their higher concentration. Its classification
FA from bulk tank milk (rcorr = 0.77–0.78, on milk basis) and
is given by the length of the chain of carbon atoms or by its
to a lesser extent with preformed FA (rcorr = 0.49 and 0.05, re-
degree of saturation, although the classification that provides
spectively). Seasonal cycles showed decreased de novo and
the greatest practical application in farm management is the
increased preformed FA during the summer months. When
one based on where the different fatty acids are synthesized.
comparing August monthly averages vs the ones from the pre-
vious April, Jersey herds had a less important drop in de novo DeNovo: those that are synthesized in the mammary gland
FA than Holstein herds (−0.7 and −1.3 g/100 g FA, respective- (≤C14:0), mainly from acetate.
ly. Across seasons, Jersey herds had higher de novo (+1.5 Mixed: they are synthesized both in the mammary gland
g/100 g FA) but lower preformed FA (−2.9 g/100 g FA) and an and from dietary fat (C16:0, C16:1).
overall greater milk fat content (+0.8%-units) as compared to Preformed: come from dietary fat and mobilization of body
Holstein herds. A snapshot analysis was conducted with herd fat, when the cow loses weight (C15:0, C17:0, ≥C18:0).
averages for April 2019 for 2035 Holstein herds having high
Official milk recording is a photo that is taken monthly of
de novo (HDN; mean ± SD of 27.9 ± 0.73 g/100 g FA) and low
the herd, which allows you to see its evolution over time, with
de novo (LDN; 25.9 ± 1.14 g/100 g FA) levels. A mixed model
the added advantage of being able to compare it with other
approach was used in R with Gaussian distribution for con-
herds, which use the same measurement and analysis sys-
tinuous variables, and with binomial distribution and log-link
tem. With all its limitations inherent to its periodicity, it is a very
function for variables with binary outcome, considering herd as
useful tool for the farmer to have a systematic and reliable
the random effect in the model. No differences between HDN
control of how his herd is working.
and LDN herds existed in herd size, days in milk, and whether
the herd was declared conventional or organic, but HDN herds Since the beginning of this year, fatty acid analyzes is avail-
had higher odds (2.0; P ≤ 0.001) of having a positive Transition able in individual cow samples from milk recording samples.
Cow Index™, and lower odds (0.80; P = 0.023) of having a so- Results: These analyzes have been put into production,
matic cell count of 200 000 cells/mL or more on test day. HDN incorporating them into the monthly milk recording reports to
herds had a 0.89 kg greater (P ≤ 0.001) milk yield per cow on have a new diagnostic tool in dairy cattle herds. The farmer
test day. Finally, a graphical and interactive tool was devel- and the technicians who work on his farm can download both
oped with the aim to visualize milk FA profiles with respective the cow-by-cow values and the calculated index as herd aver-
benchmarks and historical data for each farm. A prototype was ages and by production groups.
developed in R, validated on farm, and deployed in production Conclusions: It is not a new analytic, since it has been im-
via an IBM Cognos platform to generate interactive reports. plemented for years, but the work of various researchers has
The bulk tank FA reports include benchmarks that allow com- given a boost to its use as a control tool in livestock, especially
paring herds among their peers. To facilitate interpretation of with regard to ruminal health and energetic balance.
changes in the FA profile amidst the intrinsic variation of FA
Its correlation with methane is also valued, since it is
analyzed by MIR, an automated anomaly detection system
important that the farmer becomes aware as a producer of
based on a rule-based artificial intelligence approach has been
greenhouse gases, especially when the regulations that limit
implemented within a python package. Long- and short-term
emissions go faster than the farmer’s own awareness, with
changes can be detected via the deviation and via the varia-
lack of knowledge about control and reduction measures.
tion and gradient, respectively. A rule-based diagnostic system
has been further developed to help with the interpretation of Our experience is based on Holstein cattle (98% of the
a detected anomaly in the FA profile by offering a potential cows that are milked), although the breed has a strong influ-
solution for a triggered alert. In addition, a prototype for milk ence on the milk fatty acid profile when extrapolating results.
FA from individual cows has been developed that allows for a In milk recording samples, possible deviations in samples

82
WORKSHOPS
taken poorly, non-representative, with excess/lack of fat, which BIOTECHNOLOGY WORKSHOP

affect the analysis of fatty acids, must be taken into account.
It is essential to have a good backup laboratory, in order to W19
carry out the necessary calibrations, since the maintenance of
the equipment influences the quality of the data. In vivo and in vitro production of embryos: competing or
The different variation factors that affect the production of complementary techniques?
fatty acids must be considered, such as the number of calv- Gabriel Bo1, Pietro Baruselli2.
ings, days in milk, seasonality, the number of milkings, etc.
when interpreting the results.
1
IRAC, Argentina; 2USP, Brazil.
Commercial bovine embryo transfer began in North Amer-

ica in the early 1970s, but soon extended to several coun-
tries around the world, including in South America. Although
North America has consistently accounted for more than 50%
of in vivo-derived (IVD) embryos, South America became the
center for in vitro embryo production (IVP) beginning in 2002.
Between 2002 and 2012, IVP increased more than 600% in
Brazil, and in 2016 represented more than 57% of the world’s
IVP embryos. However, IVP has also increased rapidly in
North America, and by 2017, numbers were similar between
North and South America. It is noteworthy that on a world-wide
basis, the number of IVP bovine embryos now exceeds the
numbers of IVD embryos.
The objective of ovarian superstimulatory treatments in
cattle is to stimulate the growth of the maximum number of
antral follicles that will produce competent oocytes. For in vi-
tro embryo production (IVP), the necessity of superstimulation
with gonadotropins prior to ovum pick-up (OPU) is still under
discussion, and the approach may differ depending on wheth-
er the donors are of Bos taurus or Bos indicus breeding.
Besides the requirements for FSH treatments, some other
advantages of using in vitro embryo production (IVP) vs multi-
ple ovulation and in vivo embryo transfer (MOET) are the fol-
lowing: 1) frequency of collections: every 2-3 weeks for IVP vs
every 35-60 days for MOET, 2) IVP can be performed in preg-
nant (up to 3 months) and prepubertal donors (2 to 8 months),
3) a reduction in the semen required for embryo production
(1-2 straws can fertilize up to 100 oocytes vs a minimum of 2
straws per donor superovulated).
Although IVP results are improving throughout the world,
some of the disadvantages of IVP vs MOET are the following:
1) high investment is required for IVP, the cow is the incubator
to produce in vivo embryos, 2) IVP needs high numbers to pay
the fixed costs vs relatively low fixed costs are required for
MOET, 3), there are still lower pregnancy rates with IVP than
with MOET embryos (35-45% for IVP vs 50-60% for MOET
embryos transferred fresh, 30-35% for IVP vs 45-50% for
MOET cryopreserved embryos), 4) more embryo/fetal losses
with IVP (5-20% for IPV vs 5-10% for MOET between 30 and
60 days, 5-20% for IVP vs 3-5% for MOET between 60 days
and calving). The objective of this workshop is to objectively
discuss the pros and cons of both technologies and to propose
alternatives by which the two embryo production technologies
can be complementary in some programs.

83
WORKSHOPS
W20 W21
In vivo and in vitro production of embryos: competing or Managing dairy calf health: new insights into the basics of
complementary techniques? calf management
Pietro Baruselli Sampaio1, Gabriel Bo2. David Renaud1, Chris Chase2.
USP; 2IRAC, Argentina.
1
University of Guelph, Canada; 2South Dakota State University, USA.
1
Commercial bovine embryo transfer began in North Amer- The level of morbidity and mortality in the perinatal and
ica in the early 1970s, but soon extended to several coun- preweaning period remain high in dairy calves. To reduce the
tries around the world, including in South America. Although impact of disease on dairy farms and calf raising facilities, a
North America has consistently accounted for more than 50% well thought out calf management program is critical; however,
of in vivo-derived (IVD) embryos, South America became the when building a program, it is important to consider economic
center for in vitro embryo production (IVP) beginning in 2002. considerations as well as time constraints to ensure uptake
Between 2002 and 2012, IVP increased more than 600% in of recommendations. The prepartum period before the calf is
Brazil, and in 2016 represented more than 57% of the world’s born is the place to start as the nutrition provided to dry cow’s
IVP embryos. However, IVP has also increased rapidly in influences colostrum quality and quantity as well as the size
North America, and by 2017, numbers were similar between of the calf born. In addition, managing heat stress in dry cows
North and South America. It is noteworthy that on a world-wide can not only reduce transition disease but also improve sur-
basis, the number of IVP bovine embryos now exceeds the vivability of calves. Following that, the perinatal period (birth
numbers of IVD embryos. to 24 hours of age) is likely the most essential period to miti-
The objective of ovarian superstimulatory treatments in gate disease. Ensuring that timely and appropriate calving in-
cattle is to stimulate the growth of the maximum number of terventions are provided will substantially reduce the level of
antral follicles that will produce competent oocytes. For in vi- mortality seen during this period. In addition, ensuring timely
tro embryo production (IVP), the necessity of superstimulation provision of high-quality colostrum soon after calving as well
with gonadotropins prior to ovum pick-up (OPU) is still under as an additional meal within 12 hours of birth will maximize
discussion, and the approach may differ depending on wheth- the chance the not only excellent levels of passive immuni-
er the donors are of Bos taurus or Bos indicus breeding. ty are reached but will ensure the proper development of the
structure and microbial community of the gastrointestinal tract.
Besides the requirements for FSH treatments, some other
advantages of using in vitro embryo production (IVP) vs multi- Beyond the first 24 hours of life, how calves are managed in
ple ovulation and in vivo embryo transfer (MOET) are the fol- the first 60 days of life will have a great influence on their fu-
lowing: 1) frequency of collections: every 2-3 weeks for IVP vs ture productivity. Mitigating disease, such as diarrhea and re-
every 35-60 days for MOET, 2) IVP can be performed in preg- spiratory disease, is also critical to maximize productivity and
nant (up to 3 months) and prepubertal donors (2 to 8 months), improve the welfare of calves. This can be achieved through
3) a reduction in the semen required for embryo production transition milk feeding, free choice supplemental water, man-
(1-2 straws can fertilize up to 100 oocytes vs a minimum of 2 aging the environment, and implementing a strategic vacci-
straws per donor superovulated). nation strategy. In addition, a high plane of milk nutrition (> 8
L of milk per day) in combination with a step-down weaning
Although IVP results are improving throughout the world, program is critical to not only reduce disease but take advan-
some of the disadvantages of IVP vs MOET are the following: tage of the high level of efficient growth that can be achieved
1) high investment is required for IVP, the cow is the incubator during this period. By going back to the basics with producers
to produce in vivo embryos, 2) IVP needs high numbers to pay and focusing on delivering information that can be practically
the fixed costs vs relatively low fixed costs are required for implemented substantial improvement in calf health and pro-
MOET, 3), there are still lower pregnancy rates with IVP than ductivity can be seen.
with MOET embryos (35-45% for IVP vs 50-60% for MOET
embryos transferred fresh, 30-35% for IVP vs 45-50% for
MOET cryopreserved embryos), 4) more embryo/fetal losses
with IVP (5-20% for IPV vs 5-10% for MOET between 30 and
60 days, 5-20% for IVP vs 3-5% for MOET between 60 days
and calving). The objective of this workshop is to objectively
discuss the pros and cons of both technologies and to propose
alternatives by which the two embryo production technologies
can be complementary in some programs.
ANIMAL HEALTH WORKSHOP: Managing dairy calf
health: New insights and back to the basics.

84
WORKSHOPS
EPIDEMIOLOGY WORKSHOP vary from use of cow records (SCC records, clinical mastitis
history, etc), culture results, cow-side diagnostic test results
W22 (California Mastitis Test, milk leukocyte differential count, etc),
or a combination of them.
Workshop in strategies and guidelines for the selective The current epidemiology of mastitis in addition to the
treatment of clinical mastitis and at dry-off availability of new technologies make SDCT a logical step to
Alfonso Lago. reduce antibiotic use in dairy cows. The most recent clinical
trials show that either culture or data based SDCT programs
DairyExperts, USA. can be implemented successfully. Antibiotic use was reduced
by more than half without any negative effects on health and
Clinical mastitis in dairy cattle has significant ramifications productivity. Therefore, it represents an additional opportunity
including adverse effects on cow health and welfare, financial to improve antibiotic stewardship on farms.
losses to dairy farmers and public health concerns because of At the workshop it will be discussed the efficacy of different
the extensive use of antibiotics for treatment. Therefore, there selective treatment strategies of clinical mastitis and at dry-
is a need to implement effective management strategies that off, tools to identify the cows to treat, opportunities to optimize
also allow for judicious use of antibiotics. Not all clinical mas- cure, and economics of different management approaches.
titis cases benefit from antibiotic therapy; some cases may Finally, practical guidelines for the implementation of selective
benefit from different treatment strategies to optimize cure treatment programs will be provided.
(e.g. short vs. long duration) while chronic or otherwise nonre-
sponsive cases may be best managed through other means
(e.g. dry off the quarter, segregate or cull the cow). The type
of agent causing mastitis may be a major determinant of the
treatment or management strategy selected. Thus, knowledge
of the etiology of each case of clinical mastitis before making
a treatment decision could assist in selecting cases that will
be treated with antibiotics and to determine the appropriate
duration of therapy. However, this requires rapid and accurate
diagnosis of the etiology of mastitis.
Etiology based treatment decisions for the selective treat-
ment of clinical mastitis represent a tremendous opportunity to
reduce antibiotic use on commercial dairy farms by more than
50% for the treatment of mild and moderate clinical mastitis
cases without sacrificing the efficacy of treatment or the long-
term health and production potential of the cow. Consequent-
ly, dairy herds could incur considerable savings on treatment
related costs (e.g. discarded milk, drugs and labor), especially
if extended treatment durations are implemented. Additional
benefits could include reduced risk of antibiotic residues in
milk, and a reduction in the potential risk for development of
antibiotic resistance in mastitis pathogens. Furthermore, dif-
ferential treatment (adequate antibiotic selection or treatment
duration depending on etiology) could improve treatment effi-
cacy.
Selective dry cow therapy (SDCT) refers to the treatment
with long-acting antimicrobials of only cows or quarters iden-
tified with or at risk of having an intramammary infection at
dry-off, or at risk of acquiring one during the dry period. Con-
versely, blanket dry cow therapy (BDCT) is the treatment of
every quarter of every cow at dry off. BDCT has been widely
adopted in the last decades and led to an important success in
the reduction of contagious mastitis. However, recent studies
report a low prevalence of intramammary infections at dry-off
in many herds. This, in addition to the recent introduction of
rapid on-farm diagnostic tests, and the availability of teat seal-
ants, may allow to develop successful SDCT strategies. Bulk
tank SCC, as well as intramammary infection prevalence and
etiology at dry off have been used to select herds benefiting
from SDCT. Thereafter, the accurate identification of cows or
quarters benefiting from antimicrobial treatment is the corner-
stone for the implementation of SDCT. Strategies followed

85
WORKSHOPS
SURGERY WORKSHOP of minimal soft tissue covering (e.g. medial aspect of tibia and
radius, greater trochanter of femur, greater tubercle of humer-
W23 us, etc). Each joint should be palpated separately and com-
plete flexion, extension, abduction and adduction of the limb
What is your diagnosis on lameness? performed. Isolation of the shoulder and elbow or of the stifle
and tarsus are difficult when flexion or extension movements
André Desrochers, Sylvain Nichols.
are performed because these joints are united by muscle ten-
Université de Montréal, Canada. don units.
Usage of appropriate diagnostic tools
It has been well known that the feet are at the origin of Once the affected area is located, it is often necessary
most lameness in cattle. Unless there is an obvious visual to use diagnostic tools to rule out diseases, help to establish
cause to explain the lameness and feet have been checked, appropriate treatment and prognosis. Nowadays many diag-
the affected animal is often treated empirically with antibiotics nostic tests are available but we will describe those that are
and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). A basic readily available and affordable. Arthrocentesis and subse-
knowledge of the most common conditions and their prognosis quent cytological and bacteriological analyses of the synovial
might preclude the unnecessary administration of drugs avoid- fluid are the complementary tests of choice for the diagnosis
ing the risk of residue. Moreover, a more precise diagnosis will and the management of any joint disease. It is simple and cost
help the veterinarian and the owner to make the best medi- effective. A portable x-ray machine will allow you to examine
cal decision. In this workshop, we will present and discuss 6 everything from the feet up to the elbow and a portion of the
clinical cases. Emphasis will be on locating the origin of the stifle depending of the size of the animal. In adult cattle, a
lameness, use the appropriate diagnostic tools to give an ac- more powerful machine in a referral center is necessary to
curate prognosis to the owner. To help the discussion during evaluate the hip and shoulder joint. Most common diseases
the workshop, we present in this abstract some basis of the that are evaluated with the xray are : fracture, septic arthritis,
physical examination for a thorough lameness exam. sequestrum and osteochondrosis. Soft tissues are better eval-
LAMENESS EXAMINATION uated with ultrasound examination.
There are 4 steps in the determination of the cause of
lameness: locomotion or mobility scoring, hands on exam-
ination, establish a differential according to the location of the
problem, usage of appropriate diagnostic tools.
Locomotion or mobility scoring
Locomotion scoring is an important objective in assessing
lameness. It helps to orient the veterinarian toward the most
likely cause and can be used to evaluate improvement after
treatment. Cattle lameness is generally obvious by observ-
ing the cow’s stance. Attention should be paid to the posture
of the cow, including the back, shoulders, pelvis, and major
limb joints. With the animal standing, the general stance is ob-
served first and more specifically each limb and digit. Compare
one region to the opposite side and determine if obvious swell-
ing, wounds, shifting of weight, and foot posture such as toe
touching or displacement of weight bearing on the medial or
lateral claw are present. In long standing diseases with severe
lameness, the heels are taller and the wall longer on the af-
fected claw compared with that of the healthy claw. A dropped
fetlock may be noticed on the sound limb because of exces-
sive load on the flexor tendons and suspensory ligaments. In
young animals, angular limb deformities secondary to uneven
weight bearing occurs rapidly with chronic lameness. Differen-
tial diagnoses for non-weight bearing lameness include sole
abscess, fracture, major joint luxation, critical weight bearing
ligament or tendon injury, critical nerve injury,septic arthritis,
septic tenosynovitis.
Examination of the affected limb
Unless an obvious lesion is apparent, we start by palpa-
tion of the limb from the digit working up the leg. The clinician
should watch for a pain reaction and determine if swelling,
deformation, crepitation, warmth, and wounds are present. A
hoof tester is used to evaluate pain of the claw. Examination of
long bones is performed by applying firm pressure in regions

86
WORKSHOPS
APPLICATION OF SYSTEMS THINKING DISCIPLINE a vision, there is no real motivation to change. Without
IN BEEF CATTLE VETERINARY MEDICINE a clear understanding of where we are, we have no
basis for effective action. To reach equilibrium, complex
W24 adaptive systems must resolve this tension.
• System homeostasis refers to the principle that the
Application of System Thinking Discipline in Cattle complex systems we work with have developed and
Veterinary Medicine evolved over a long time period and are very adept
Dale Grotelueschen1, John Groves2, Brian Vander Ley3, William at maintaining their baseline function. Complex sys-
Prokop4. tems produce results they are designed to produce,
but those results may not be what we were hoping for.
1
Professor Emeritus, University of Nebraska; 2Livestock Veterinary Often when we try to change or modify how a system
Services, USA; 3University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA; 4Dairy works, the system will “push back” and return to ho-
Innovations, LLC, USA. meostasis. Systems tend to push back by producing
unintended consequences to our interventions. Un-
Objectives: Many veterinary practitioners and consul- derstanding these unintended consequences is a big
tants play critical and indispensable roles in the management part of becoming an effective systems thinker. High
and decision-making processes of large, complex production leverage interventions made to a system produce the
structures. The discipline of systems thinking offers opportuni- largest desirable change while producing the fewest
ty and methodology to understand the interrelated forces that unintended consequences.
impact complex systems over time in ways that help to identify Conclusions: One of the main outcomes of this workshop
innovative and high-leverage solutions. It is the objective of is to help give insight into fundamental principles of systems, in
this workshop to provide an introduction to the key concepts order to more directly show that systems are capable of driving
and principal methodologies of systems thinking by sharing their own behavior. Even when all players in a system behave
examples of its application in an array of professional activities in rational and scientifically based ways, the system still exerts
associated with cattle veterinary medicine. forces of which most of us are unaware. Deep understanding
Materials and methods: The historical context of systems of these forces lies in understanding the nature and structure
thinking and its suitability for application in cattle veterinary of interrelationships between variables in the system, not just
medicine will be presented. The faculty will present applica- a deep understanding of the variables. Another outcome is
tions in professional activities related to beef practice/consul- to open a dialogue regarding a long-term vision to be shared
tation, dairy practice/consultation, and academia. among system stakeholders. Within the discipline of systems
thinking, creative tension can be generated as a tool to move
Key Concepts to be highlighted in the examples include:
toward change. In order to have creative tension or pressure
• The Iceberg Framework is a tool used in systems think- to change, we need to establish a shared vision that is based
ing that helps accurately define and deeply understand on the current reality of where we are at today and a clear idea
the problem being investigated. of what we wish to achieve.
• Mental Models are instinctive theories we have about
how the world works. They are driven primarily by our
past experiences and how we have learned to solve
problems before. The Systems Thinking discipline pro-
vides the framework to break out of the models that W25
hinder your ability to innovate.
• Causal loop diagrams consist of balancing loops, rein- Application of System Thinking Discipline in Cattle
forcing loops, vicious cycles, virtuous cycles, and sys- Veterinary Medicine
tem delays provide the “language” of Systems Think- John Groves1, Dale Grotelueschen2, Brian Vander Ley2, William
ing. The relationship between language and thought Prokop3.
processes can’t be underestimated. Most western lan-
guages are linear in nature, which tends to drive lin- Livestock Veterinary Service, USA; 2University of Nebraska- Lincoln,
1
ear thinking and linear problem solving. A fundamental USA; 3Dairy Innovations LLC, USA.
principle of Systems Thinking is that parts of a system
are related in non-linear ways and are interconnected Objectives: Many veterinary practitioners and consul-
in circular associations and feedback loops. tants play critical and indispensable roles in the management
• Creative tension is a systems thinking principle and and decision-making processes of large, complex production
is contingent upon creating both personal and shared structures. The discipline of systems thinking offers opportuni-
vision regarding the desired state or output of a com- ty and methodology to understand the interrelated forces that
plex adaptive system. Systems Thinking is also rooted impact complex systems over time in ways that help to identify
in personal mastery that is based on a commitment to innovative and high-leverage solutions. It is the objective of
the truth about the reality of the current state or out- this workshop to provide an introduction to the key concepts
put of the system. The difference between the current and principal methodologies of systems thinking by sharing
state and the desired state produces disequilibrium examples of its application in an array of professional activities
that drives the creative tension in the system. Without associated with cattle veterinary medicine.

87
WORKSHOPS
Materials and methods: The historical context of systems of interrelationships between variables in the system, not just
thinking and its suitability for application in cattle veterinary a deep understanding of the variables. Another outcome is
medicine will be presented. The faculty will present applica- to open a dialogue regarding a long-term vision to be shared
tions in professional activities related to beef practice/consul- among system stakeholders. Within the discipline of systems
tation, dairy practice/consultation, and academia. thinking, creative tension can be generated as a tool to move
Key Concepts to be highlighted in the examples include: toward change. In order to have creative tension or pressure
to change, we need to establish a shared vision that is based
• The Iceberg Framework is a tool used in systems think-
on the current reality of where we are at today and a clear idea
ing that helps accurately define and deeply understand
of what we wish to achieve.
the problem being investigated.
vides the framework to break out of the models that W26
Application of System Thinking Discipline in Cattle
• Causal loop diagrams consist of balancing loops, rein- Veterinary Medicine
forcing loops, vicious cycles, virtuous cycles, and sys-
tem delays provide the “language” of Systems Think- William Prokop, John Groves, Dale Grotelueschen, Brian Vander
ing. The relationship between language and thought Ley.
processes can’t be underestimated. Most western lan- Dairy Innovations LCC /Arm and Hammer Inc, USA.
guages are linear in nature, which tends to drive lin-
ear thinking and linear problem solving. A fundamental
principle of Systems Thinking is that parts of a system Objectives: Many veterinary practitioners and consul-
are related in non-linear ways and are interconnected tants play critical and indispensable roles in the management
in circular associations and feedback loops. and decision-making processes of large, complex production
structures. The discipline of systems thinking offers opportuni-
• Creative tension is a systems thinking principle and
ty and methodology to understand the interrelated forces that
is contingent upon creating both personal and shared
impact complex systems over time in ways that help to identify
vision regarding the desired state or output of a com-
plex adaptive system. Systems Thinking is also rooted innovative and high-leverage solutions. It is the objective of
in personal mastery that is based on a commitment to this workshop to provide an introduction to the key concepts
the truth about the reality of the current state or out- and principal methodologies of systems thinking by sharing
put of the system. The difference between the current examples of its application in an array of professional activities
state and the desired state produces disequilibrium associated with cattle veterinary medicine.
that drives the creative tension in the system. Without Materials and methods: The historical context of systems
a vision, there is no real motivation to change. Without thinking and its suitability for application in cattle veterinary
a clear understanding of where we are, we have no medicine will be presented. The faculty will present applica-
basis for effective action. To reach equilibrium, complex tions in professional activities related to beef practice/consul-
adaptive systems must resolve this tension. tation, dairy practice/consultation, and academia.
• System homeostasis refers to the principle that the Key Concepts to be highlighted in the examples include:
complex systems we work with have developed and • The Iceberg Framework is a tool used in systems think-
evolved over a long time period and are very adept ing that helps accurately define and deeply understand
at maintaining their baseline function. Complex sys- the problem being investigated.
tems produce results they are designed to produce,
but those results may not be what we were hoping for.
Often when we try to change or modify how a system
works, the system will “push back” and return to ho-
meostasis. Systems tend to push back by producing
unintended consequences to our interventions. Un- vides the framework to break out of the models that
derstanding these unintended consequences is a big hinder your ability to innovate.
part of becoming an effective systems thinker. High • Causal loop diagrams consist of balancing loops, rein-
leverage interventions made to a system produce the forcing loops, vicious cycles, virtuous cycles, and sys-
largest desirable change while producing the fewest tem delays provide the “language” of Systems Think-
unintended consequences. ing. The relationship between language and thought
Conclusions: One of the main outcomes of this workshop processes can’t be underestimated. Most western lan-
is to help give insight into fundamental principles of systems, in guages are linear in nature, which tends to drive lin-
order to more directly show that systems are capable of driving ear thinking and linear problem solving. A fundamental
their own behavior. Even when all players in a system behave principle of Systems Thinking is that parts of a system
in rational and scientifically based ways, the system still exerts are related in non-linear ways and are interconnected
forces of which most of us are unaware. Deep understanding in circular associations and feedback loops.
of these forces lies in understanding the nature and structure • Creative tension is a systems thinking principle and

88
WORKSHOPS
is contingent upon creating both personal and shared and decision-making processes of large, complex production
vision regarding the desired state or output of a com- structures. The discipline of systems thinking offers opportuni-
plex adaptive system. Systems Thinking is also rooted ty and methodology to understand the interrelated forces that
in personal mastery that is based on a commitment to impact complex systems over time in ways that help to identify
the truth about the reality of the current state or out- innovative and high-leverage solutions. It is the objective of
put of the system. The difference between the current this workshop to provide an introduction to the key concepts
state and the desired state produces disequilibrium and principal methodologies of systems thinking by sharing
that drives the creative tension in the system. Without examples of its application in an array of professional activities
a vision, there is no real motivation to change. Without associated with cattle veterinary medicine.
a clear understanding of where we are, we have no Materials and methods: The historical context of systems
basis for effective action. To reach equilibrium, complex thinking and its suitability for application in cattle veterinary
adaptive systems must resolve this tension. medicine will be presented. The faculty will present applica-
• System homeostasis refers to the principle that the tions in professional activities related to beef practice/consul-
complex systems we work with have developed and tation, dairy practice/consultation, and academia.
evolved over a long time period and are very adept Key Concepts to be highlighted in the examples include:
at maintaining their baseline function. Complex sys- • The Iceberg Framework is a tool used in systems think-
tems produce results they are designed to produce, ing that helps accurately define and deeply understand
but those results may not be what we were hoping for. the problem being investigated.
derstanding these unintended consequences is a big
vides the framework to break out of the models that
part of becoming an effective systems thinker. High
leverage interventions made to a system produce the
largest desirable change while producing the fewest • Causal loop diagrams consist of balancing loops, rein-
unintended consequences. forcing loops, vicious cycles, virtuous cycles, and sys-
tem delays provide the “language” of Systems Think-
Conclusions: One of the main outcomes of this workshop
ing. The relationship between language and thought
is to help give insight into fundamental principles of systems, in processes can’t be underestimated. Most western lan-
order to more directly show that systems are capable of driving guages are linear in nature, which tends to drive lin-
their own behavior. Even when all players in a system behave ear thinking and linear problem solving. A fundamental
in rational and scientifically based ways, the system still exerts principle of Systems Thinking is that parts of a system
forces of which most of us are unaware. Deep understanding are related in non-linear ways and are interconnected
of these forces lies in understanding the nature and structure in circular associations and feedback loops.
of interrelationships between variables in the system, not just
• Creative tension is a systems thinking principle and
a deep understanding of the variables. Another outcome is
is contingent upon creating both personal and shared
to open a dialogue regarding a long-term vision to be shared
vision regarding the desired state or output of a com-
among system stakeholders. Within the discipline of systems
plex adaptive system. Systems Thinking is also rooted
in personal mastery that is based on a commitment to
the truth about the reality of the current state or out-
put of the system. The difference between the current
state and the desired state produces disequilibrium
that drives the creative tension in the system. Without
a vision, there is no real motivation to change. Without
a clear understanding of where we are, we have no
basis for effective action. To reach equilibrium, complex
adaptive systems must resolve this tension.
W27
• System homeostasis refers to the principle that the
Application of System Thinking Discipline in Cattle complex systems we work with have developed and
Veterinary Medicine evolved over a long time period and are very adept
at maintaining their baseline function. Complex sys-
Brian Vander Ley1, Dale Grotelueschen2, John Groves3, William tems produce results they are designed to produce,
Prokop4. but those results may not be what we were hoping for.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Great Plains Veterinary Educational
1
Center, USA; 2University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA; 3Livestock
Veterinary Service; 4Dairy Innovations, LLC, USA.
derstanding these unintended consequences is a big
Objectives: Many veterinary practitioners and consul- part of becoming an effective systems thinker. High
tants play critical and indispensable roles in the management leverage interventions made to a system produce the

89
WORKSHOPS
largest desirable change while producing the fewest

unintended consequences.
Conclusions: One of the main outcomes of this workshop
is to help give insight into fundamental principles of systems, in
order to more directly show that systems are capable of driving
their own behavior. Even when all players in a system behave
in rational and scientifically based ways, the system still exerts
forces of which most of us are unaware. Deep understanding
of these forces lies in understanding the nature and structure
of interrelationships between variables in the system, not just
a deep understanding of the variables. Another outcome is
to open a dialogue regarding a long-term vision to be shared
among system stakeholders. Within the discipline of systems
ORAL PRESENTATIONS
Animal Health (AH)
Buffaloes and Camelids (BC)
Biotechnology (BT)
Cattle Welfare (CW)
Diagnostic Imaging (DI)
Epidemiology (EP)
Feedlot (FE)
Genetics and Breeding (GB)
Herd Health Management, Smart Farming and Economics (HH)
Infectious Diseases (ID)
Internal Medicine and Toxicology (IM)
Immunology and Vaccinology (IV)
Lameness (LA)
Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases (NU)
Parasitism (PA)
Public Health, Food Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance (PH)
Pharmacology and Therapeutics (PT)
Reproduction in Beef Cattle (RB)
Reproduction in Dairy Cattle (RD)
Sustainable Cattle Productive Systems (SP)
Small Ruminants (SR)
Surgery (SU)
Teaching and Continuing Education (TE)
Udder Health and Mastitis (UH)

ORAL — Animal Health
AH-01 risk of disease spread and also for determining appropriate

treatment. Conventional Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent As-
An outbreak of Neospora caninum abortion in a dairy herd says (ELISAs), limited to measuring only one analyte, are the
from the State of Georgia, United States diagnostic tools routinely employed for determining antibody
Pedro Melendez1, Marcia Ilha1, Moges Woldemeskel1, Justin status using bovine milk. Samples requiring analysis howev-
Graham2, Michelle Coarsey1, Debi Boughman1, Lisa Whittington1, er, may be collected from cattle that have been exposed to
Hemant Naikare1. several pathogens. As a result, the same sample may require
testing using multiple ELISAs in order to obtain an accurate
University of Georgia, TVDIL, Tifton, GA, United States; 2Brooksco
1
diagnosis and not overlook the potential occurrence of co-in-
Dairy, Qutiman, GA, United States. fection. This is labour intensive in a laboratory and costly for
a milk producer. Biochip Array Technology (BAT), by using a
multi-analytical approach, consolidates the testing process.
Neospora caninum is a protozoan parasite from the phy-
This study reports the Bovine Pathogen Array (BPA), based
lum Apicomplexa affecting several animals’ species, including
on BAT, the first multiplex immunoassay capable of simulta-
canines, cattle, sheep, goats, deer, raccoons and rodents.
neously detecting antibodies against some of the world’s most
Neosporosis has emerged as a serious disease of cattle and
economically important bovine pathogens; bovine viral diar-
dogs worldwide. In cattle produces abortion; consequently,
rhea virus (BVDV), bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1), Mycobac-
the main economic effect of neosporosis in cattle is its neg-
terium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), Leptospira,
ative impact on fertility and milk yield. The objective of this
Neospora caninum and Fasciola hepatica from a single milk
study case was to report an abortion storm in a dairy farm
sample.
from Georgia, USA. The outbreak consisted of 92 abortions
(5.45% of pregnant cows) that occurred in a period of 3 weeks Materials and Methods: Simultaneous chemiluminescent
(May 19 to June 05, 2019) in Holstein cows that were between immunoassays, defining discrete test regions on the biochip
3 to 7 months of gestation. Two subset of samples (aborted surface, were employed and applied to the Evidence Investi-
fetuses’ organs, placental tissues, aborted cows blood) were gator analyser. Sample classification was determined against
submitted to the Tifton Veterinary Diagnostic and Investiga- a multi-analyte positive control, results are qualitative. Test
tional Laboratory, University of Georgia (Tifton, GA, USA). An accuracy was examined using 349 milk samples collected
abortion panel was conducted in several of the samples. Major from various European dairy herds and results compared to
abortion-causing agents (e.g. BVD, IBR, Brucellosis, Lepto- those obtained using conventional ELISAs. With the exception
spirosis) were negative by culture, serology and PCR; how- of MAP, where only 24 positive milk samples were available,
ever, 2 out 3 submitted fresh aborted fetuses were positive to 25 positive and 25 negative samples for antibodies against
each pathogen were included. For BoHV-1, antibodies against
Neospora caninum by PCR and immunohistochemistry, and
both glycoprotein B (gB) and glycoprotein E (gE) were mea-
the 3 dams were positive serologically to the same pathogen.
sured. Repeatability and total precision were determined using
The entire herd was being fed a grass silage harvested from a
multiple BPA reagent batches and antibody specificity against
pasture where previously feral pigs were hunted and carcass-
respective BPA panel antigens was also examined. For the
es were left behind. As a consequence of this action a large
World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) listed diseases
population of wild coyotes were attracted, which could have
BVDV, BoHV-1 and MAP, limit of detection was established
contaminated the pasture with potential N. caninum-infected
and results compared to current test methods. No milk sample
feces. After the abortion outbreak was resolved it was recom-
pre-treatment was required prior to testing.
mended that the farmers not leave cadavers of hunted ani-
mals, which may serve as food for coyotes or other carnivores Results: All simultaneous immunoassays were target spe-
and predators that may potentially spread diseases to cattle. cific and presented repeatability and total precision <15%. The
BPA demonstrated 100% agreement in sample classification
Keywords: Neospora caninum, abortion, cattle, outbreak.
for antibodies against BVDV, BoHV-1 gB, BoHV-1 gE, Lep-
tospira, Neospora caninum and Fasciola hepatica and 98%
agreement in sample classification for antibodies against MAP
when compared to commercial ELISAs. The BPA demon-
strated superior limit of detection test capabilities for antibody
AH-02 detection against BVDV and equivalent limit of detection per-
formance for antibody detection against BoHV-1 gB, BoHV-
Development of a novel multiplex immunoassay for gE and MAP compared to ELISA. Time to result for all six
enhanced disease surveillance in dairy cows using biochip pathogens using BPA was similar to that obtained for only one
array technology pathogen using current available test methods.
S. Gildea1, C. Richardson1, R.I. McConnell2, S.P. Fitzgerald2. Conclusion: The BPA simultaneously detects antibodies
against six economically important infectious diseases and
1
Randox Teoranta, Dungloe, Republic of Ireland; Randox Laboratories
2
offers great potential as a diagnostic and surveillance tool
Ltd., Crumlin, United Kingdom.
at herd level. The inclusion of multiple antigens for selected
pathogens increases disease screening capabilities and en-
Objectives: Infectious disease represents one of the big- ables Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals (DIVA)
gest problems facing dairy producers today. This is largely due against BoHV-1 when used in conjunction with selected vac-
to the high economic costs associated with disease outbreaks. cines. The availability of the BPA on BAT also delivers signif-
A prompt and accurate diagnosis is important to minimise the icant advantage when screening large numbers of samples

93
during epidemiological studies thus, safeguarding livestock observed with ITIH4 concentration up to 9 mg/mL. Coefficients
against disease spread and ensuring continued financial vi- of variation were always below 4% for within-run and between
ability for food producers and the agri-food sector as a whole. day determinations. There was no interference by the pres-
Keywords: Multiplex immunoassay, Biochip array, Bovine ence of hemoglobin (20 g/L), triglycerides (10g/L) or bilirubin
pathogen, Milk. (150 mg/L).
Conclusions: These new turbidimetric immunoassays are
rapid, robust and precise methods for the quantification of Hp
and ITIH4 in cattle, and have enough sensitivity to measure
baseline levels. Assays are not affected by hemolysis as can
AH-03 occur with other assays for Hp quantification Both methods
can be easily set up in automated clinical chemistry analyzers,
New species-specific turbidimetric immunoassays for the providing a suitable tool for routine clinical use.
quantification of bovine acute-phase proteins Haptoglobin Keywords: Haptoglobin, ITIH4, Acute phase proteins, Im-
and ITIH4 munoturbidimetry, Laboratory diagnostics.
Matilde Piñeiro1, José Angel Robles-Guirado2, Laura Arroyo2, Lourdes
Soler1, Natalia García3, M. Angeles Alava3, Fermín Lampreave3,
Yolanda Saco2, Raquel Pato2, Raquel Peña2, Anna Bassols2, Francesca
Canalias2.
Acuvet Biotech, Zaragoza, Spain; 2Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona,
1 AH-04
Bellaterra, Spain; 3Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
A Review of the Causes of Mortality in Pre-Weaned Dairy
Calves
Objectives: Haptoglobin (Hp) and inter-alpha-trypsin in-
Katrina Henderson1, Megan Fergusson2.
hibitor heavy chain H4 (ITIH4) are two key acute phase pro-
teins in cattle, used in the diagnosis and monitoring of infec- SRUC Veterinary Services, Dumfries, United Kingdom; 2SRUC
1
tious and inflammatory diseases. Hp is characterized by a low Veterinary Services, Ayr, United Kingdom.
serum baseline concentration and a prominent increase (up
to 100 fold)) following the inflammatory stimuli, whereas ITIH4
Pre-weaning calf mortality is an important determinant of
shows a less prominent but more protracted response. The
dairy enterprise profitability and is regarded as an important
most widely used method for Hp measurement is the Hp-Hb
indicator of animal welfare. A recent UK study of eleven herds
binding assay, however this method is not sensitive enough
by Johnson et al (2017)1 found that, on average, 4.5 percent
to detect Hp in normal bovine serum, and it is substantially
of calves died in the first two months of life (range 1.9 to 8.3
affected by hemolysis. Bovine Hp and ITIH4 can be measured
percent). While there is published evidence as to the range
by immunochemical methods such as ELISA or turbidimetry.
of pre-weaning mortality rates across different countries and
Immunoturbidimetry is a very convenient method, because
farms, there is little known about the causes of mortality. This
results are obtained in a few minutes, and the assay can be
information would allow targeted control measures to be put in
automated using a clinical chemistry analyser. The aim of the
place to reduce losses.
study was to validate two new, species-specific, turbidimetric
immunoassays for the quantification of bovine Hp and ITIH4 A review was carried out of all diagnostic carcase and vis-
cera submissions submitted to SRUC Vet Services between
Materials and Methods: The assays were set up in a ful-
2014 and 2018. This review sought to provide information on
ly automated clinical chemistry analyzer Olympus AU400 and
the major causes of mortality in pre-weaned calves in Scottish
studies of accuracy, imprecision, limit of detection, prozone
dairy herds.
effect and interferences carried out. Limit of detection was es-
tablished measuring a blank composed by 150 mM NaCl and A total of 614 submissions were analysed, and a definitive
50g/L BSA for 30 times. Linearity and prozone effect were cal- diagnosis was reached in 603. This highlights the value of a
culated by serial dilution of a serum sample with high Hp (1.7 post-mortem examination in this age of calf.
mg/L) or ITIH4 (9 mg/mL) concentration. Hemoglobin, bilirubin A total of 1017 diagnoses were made, with infectious dis-
and triglycerides were analyzed as potential interferents by de- ease responsible for 69 percent. Nutritional problems account-
termining Hp and ITIH4 concentration in a given serum sample ed for a further 25 percent, and the final 6 percent represented
in the presence of different concentration of these compounds. individual calf issues such as congenital deformities or bovine
Within-run and between-day precision was calculated by mea- neonatal pancytopaenia. When suitable samples were avail-
suring duplicates of a given sample for 20 days. able, calves less than 7 days of age were screened to assess
Results: The assay for Hp kept linearity under dilution in colostral antibody transfer. Where hypogammaglobulinaemia
a measuring range up to 400mg/L. Limit of detection was 5 was detected it was considered to predispose calves to deaths
mg/L. No hook effect was observed with Hp concentration of from other causes.
1.7 mg/mL. The within-run and between day CV were 4 and The five most common causes of mortality were crypto-
5 %, respectively. No interference from hemoglobin (20 g/L), sporidia, rumen drinking, rotavirus, salmonellosis due to Sal-
triglycerides (10 g/L) or bilirubin (150 mg/L) was detected. monella Dublin and colisepticaemia. Pneumonias made up
ITIH4 assay showed linearity until 4 mg/mL. Limit of de- approximately 34% of the diagnoses, with Mycoplasma bovis
tection was stablished in 0,003 mg/mL. No hook effect was the most common cause of pneumonia related deaths. Enteric

94
pathogens resulting in diarrhoea made up 34% of the diagno- Objectives: Describe a systematic investigative process
ses, with cryptosporidia the most frequently diagnosed. to more accurately define those disorders acquired in-utero
It was considered that a nutritional component had played that lead to congenital deformities of farmed calves, lambs
a role in the death of 26 percent of calves, with rumen drinking and kids. Abnormalities present at birth may well be occurring
accounting for the majority. Cases of suspected underfeeding more frequently due to numerous reasons. In particular, the ef-
were not included in this total as feeding volumes were not fects of increased climatic variability has increased the ranges
known for all calves. Rumen drinking occurs when the rume- of vector-borne teratogenic viruses, plus there is a consistent
no-reticular groove fails to divert milk from the oesophagus increase in the transport and use of the germplasm of elite
to the abomasum. Fermentation of milk deposited in the ru- animals that has restricted the gene pools of the most popular
breeds. To manage this ever-present issue, a systematic in-
men results in acid accumulation, and predisposes to yeast
vestigative process is described, aimed at identifying causes
colonisation. It is often a result of management practices such
of outbreaks and sporadic occurrences of deformities, defining
as bucket feeding, irregular feeding times, or feeding milk at
these as attributable to: (1) infection; (2) nutritional deficiency
the incorrect temperature or height. Neonatal diarrhoea and
or excess; (3) teratogenic toxin from a plant or other chemical
stressful events such as transport or mixing of calves can play
source; or (4) inherited abnormality.
a role. The feeding history of calves with rumen drinking was
compared to that of control calves that had died of non-nutri- Materials and Methods: As many pathological processes
tional causes, where the feeding method was not considered may damage the developing embryo or foetus during gesta-
to have impacted on the cause of death. Rumen drinkers were tion, a systematic investigative approach is provided, devel-
more likely to be fed from an open bucket with no teat (odds oped from extensive reviews of the veterinary literature and
ratio 4.35, 95 percent confidence intervals 1.91-9.87); less 40 years of investigative studies of disorders of ruminant ne-
likely to be fed from an automatic feeder (odds ratio 0.13, 95 onates.
percent confidence intervals 0.05-0.31); and more likely to be Results: Initially, the history and epidemiology of potential
fed a low volume of milk (≤4 litres a day, odds ratio 4.5, 95 risk factors is examined. Are the animals located in areas at
percent confidence intervals 1.01-20.11). Notably, only rumen vulnerable periods where infectious agents, teratogenic plants
drinkers had been fed waste milk. or nutritional aberrations may occur? Secondly, breeding met-
rics are calculated, including the rates of successful mating’s,
These findings confirm much of the previous research on
pregnancies, neonatal animals delivered, and then marked
factors that predispose to rumen drinking, and illustrate that
and weaned. Identifying when losses occurred in the repro-
management changes can be made to reduce the risk. The
ductive cycle enables a ‘most likely’ differential diagnostic list
data was obtained as a result of passive surveillance, so may
to direct more cost-effective investigations. Thirdly, if infectious
not be fully representative of calf mortality on all dairy farms;
agents are suspected, collection of a foetus, neonate and/or
but it nonetheless highlights the contribution postmortem ex-
placenta and body fluids & tissues may enable demonstration
aminations can make when building up a comprehensive pic-
of pathogen presence and confirmation of attributable lesions
ture of calf health. The fact that 26 percent of deaths had a
via laboratory examinations. Fourthly, where arbovirus infec-
significant nutritional component demonstrates the importance
tions occur, viral serological studies and interrogation of insect
of feeding management in ensuring the health and welfare of vector distribution maps and databases conducted. Finally, if a
dairy calves. genetic disorder is suspected, examination of pedigree infor-
1. Johnson KF, Chancellor N, Burn CC, et al. Prospective mation and the database of inherited disorders ‘Online Mende-
cohort study to assess rates of contagious disease in pre- lian Inheritance in Animals’ (OMIA; http://omia.angis.org.au/)
weaned UK dairy heifers: management practices, passive is advised.
transfer of immunity and associated calf health. Vet Rec Open Understanding the causes of abnormalities occurring
2017;4:e000226. doi:10.1136/ vetreco-2017-000226 during development in pregnancy is important, particularly
Acknowledgments: SRUC VS receives financial support with evidence that risks of teratogens that alter embryos and
from the Scottish Government for farm animal disease surveil- foetuses is increasing. The emergence of in-utero infections
lance activities. due to Bluetongue, Schmallenberg and Akabane arbovi-
Keywords: Dairy calf mortality. ruses in cattle and sheep and Zika virus in humans, reflects
broadening insect distributions. Conversely, increasingly se-
vere droughts may induce embryonic harm from deprivation
of maternal nutrition and increased intoxication episodes. In
Australian droughts, the plant Dysphania glomerulifera is as-
sociated with severe neonatal ovine and bovine biliary atresia
AH-05 following grazing by dams adjacent to depleted water reserves
Importance of a systematic approach to investigating that exposes the foetus to the unique toxin biliatresone that in-
hibits post-hepatic biliary development. This recent discovery
emerging disorders of ruminants acquired during gestation
informs the pathogenesis of the disorder in humans, the most
Peter Windsor. common cause of infantile liver transplantation. Further, with
inbreeding common in bovine, ovine and caprine production
Production Animal Welfare & health Services, Scarborough, NSW
systems, there is increasing risk of inherited congenital dis-
2515, Australia.
orders, particularly where artificial reproduction enables large
numbers of progeny to be descendents of small numbers of
elite individuals. Finally, numerous ruminant abnormalities are

95
yet to be fully characterized, with research on their pathogen- 8.5 (0-38.0) % due to heat treatment (P = 0.02), whereas IgG
esis required. concentrations did not change due to treatment (P = 0.36).
Conclusion: Veterinarians and animal scientists have a Insulin concentrations decreased by a median (range) of 22
key role in educating producers and the public on the inev- (7-45) % (P <0.001) and IGF-I by 10 (0-18) % (P = 0.005)
itability of congenital malformations in livestock production. in H vs. R, respectively. Heat treatment was associated with
However, they need confidence and access to investigative a mean ± SE decline in SCC of 207,000 ± 68,000 cells (P =
skills to initiate and conduct the systematic studies required, 0.01), as well as a reduction in total bacterial count by 13,162
that can provide evidence-based diagnostics and manage- ± 3,472 cfu/mL (P = 0.001). Proteomics analysis identified 328
ment solutions for a society that is increasingly concerned with unique proteins in all 10 samples. Among the 25 proteins that
improved welfare of livestock and frequently alarmed by the decreased by at least 1.5 fold in H vs. R., 9 were identified as
appearance of congenital disorders. These opportunistic in- complement proteins. Among the 45 proteins with FDR-adjust-
vestigations may assist our comparative understanding of the ed paired t-test P < 0.05 and that decreased in abundance,
pathogenesis of congenital disorders and is of relevance to 11 were identified as complement proteins, and 6 involved in
human welfare. With anthropogenic-induced climate variabili- immune response or coagulation.
ty increasing the risk and occurrence of deformities occurring We conclude that heat treatment of colostrum is associated
in-utero, the systematic approach to defining these emerging with a reduction in the concentration of bacterial and somat-
disorders is encouraged. ic cell counts, IgA, insulin and IGF-I. In addition, proteomics
Keywords: Congenital, deformities, arthropod-borne, ge- analysis of colostral whey identified a number of complement
netic, disease. components and other proteins that decreased in abundance
due to heat treatment. The role of colostral complement in the
intestine or circulation of the newborn calf has received rela-
tively little attention to date. The biological significance of the
observed changes in colostral components for the health and
immune function of the newborn calf will need to be assessed.
AH-06
Keywords: Colostrum, heat treatment, proteome, insulin,
The effects of heat treatment of bovine colostrum on IgA.
bacterial and somatic cell counts, immunoglobulins,
growth factors, and the colostral whey proteome
Giulio Curone1, Tawny Chandler2, Jessica Cha2, Paolo Moroni2,
Ruchika Bhawal2, Sheng Zhang2, Sabine Mann2.
AH-07
1
Unversity of Milan, Lodi, Italy; 2Cornell University, Ithaca, United
States. Assessment of ruminal fluid pH evolution across the
weaning period in Holstein calves under field conditions
The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of Panagiota Kazana1, Nektarios Siachos1, Nikolaos Panousis2, Georgios
heat treatment on colostral low abundant proteins, immuno- Bramis1, Georgios Arsenos1, Georgios Valergakis1.
globulins (Ig), insulin and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), as
well as bacteria and somatic cells.
1
Laboratory of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,
School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124
Study procedures were approved by the Cornell Univer-
Thessaloniki, Greece, Thessaloniki, Greece; 2Clinic of Farm Animals,
sity Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Colostrum
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle
samples > 8 L and Brix % > 22.0 were harvested from cows
University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece, Thessaloniki,
on a commercial dairy in NY, USA, were split into 2 aliquots
Greece.
using single-use colostrum bags, and either cooled on ice
immediately after harvest (raw; R; n=11) or heat treated in a
commercial pasteurizer for 60 min at 60°C (heat; H; n=11). Objective: The aims of this study were twofold: i) to iden-
All samples were analyzed for Ig via radial immunodiffusion in tify ruminal fluid pH (RFpH) evolution patterns in the peri-wean-
colostrum, and for insulin and IGF-I concentrations in whey by ing period, and ii) to assess the association of these patterns
radioimmunoassay. Colostral total bacterial counts (TBC) and with management practices, performance and metabolic pa-
somatic cell counts (SCC) were determined using standard rameters in dairy calves.
plate culture techniques and flow cytometry, respectively. A Materials and methods: A total of 237 Holstein healthy
subset of 5 pairs (n=10) was further analyzed by nanoLC-MS/ calves from 8 commercial dairy farms were enrolled in the
MS technique after ultracentrifugation at 100,000 x g for 60 study. For each calf, date of birth, pre-weaning housing sys-
min at 4°C to enrich the low abundant protein fraction in whey. tem (individual or group), feeding management (access to hay
Data were analyzed using statistical analysis accounting for before or after 4th week of age; ample access to water or not),
the paired nature of the data using either paired t-test (JMP v. milk replacer (MR) daily feeding plan (low: <6 L; medium: 6 L;
14.0.0, SAS Institute, Cary, NC) or free online software to an- high: >6 L) and method of weaning (abrupt or gradual) were
alyze proteomics data (MetaboAnalyst v. 4.0) for fold-change available. At -7d, 0d and +7d relative to weaning (0d), calves
≥ 1.5 between pairs, and false discovery rate (FDR)-adjusted were clinically examined and bodyweight (BW) was estimat-
paired t-tests with P < 0.05. ed from heart girth measurement. At the same time-points,
The median (range) reduction of IgA concentrations was blood samples [for serum β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and urea

96
nitrogen (BUN) determination] and ruminal fluid samples (for AH-08

on-site RFpH measurement with a portable pH-meter) were
collected, 1-2 h post-feeding. Average daily gain (ADG) was Effects of a single transdermal Flunixin Meglumine
calculated for the pre- and the post-weaning week (ADG1 and treatment on health, milk yield, culling risk, and fertility of
ADG2). A hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was performed early postpartum Holstein Friesian dairy cows
to identify clusters based on RFpH evolution. The RFpH at -7d, Ruth Schmitt1, Jantijn Swinkels2, Carl-Christian Gelfert3, Laura
0d and +7d were inserted in the HCA as continuous variables. Pieper4, Rudolf Staufenbiel1.
The number of clusters obtained from the agglomeration
schedule was then used in a two-step cluster analysis (TSCA) Ruminant and Swine Clinic, Free University of Berlin, Berlin,
1
to establish the RFpH patterns. Comparisons among RFpH clus- Germany; 2MSD Animal Health, Boxmeer, Netherlands; 3MSD Animal
ters were performed using chi-square test and ANOVA, for Health, Vienna, Austria; 44Department of Farm Animal Surgery,
categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Moreover, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
multivariable univariate regressions were performed to assess
the effect of the RFpH cluster membership variable on BW at Objectives: Inflammation around parturition, although ini-
-7d, ADG1 and ADG2. Repeated measures mixed models tially physiological, can reach pathologic extent in some indi-
were used to assess the effect of RFpH cluster membership viduals, with detrimental impact on health and immunity. Early
on BHB and BUN. ROC curves were performed to investigate postpartum (p.p.) dairy cows are highly susceptible to differ-
possible BHB and BUN thresholds predicting RFpH classifica- ent puerperal diseases associated with inflammation, which
tion. All analyses were performed with IBM SPSS v.25. represents a considerable welfare and productivity problem in
Results: Calves were classified in 5 clusters (CL). CL1 dairy herds. Treatment of early p.p. dairy cows with non-ste-
(n=21) had constantly a RFpH <6.0, fluctuating during the test roidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) might alleviate pain,
period. CL1 was characterized by grouped housing pre-wean- reduce inflammation, and hence diminish the incidence of pu-
ing (95%), limited access to water (95%), early access to hay erperal diseases. The objectives of this study were to assess
(90%) and medium MR feeding plan (62%). CL2 (n=50) had the effects of a single transdermal application of Flunixin Me-
constantly a relatively stable RFpH <6.0. No management fac- glumine at 24–36 h p.p. in Holstein Friesian (HF) dairy cows
tors were associated with this cluster. CL3 (n=30) had a RFpH on subsequent health, milk yield and fertility.
<6.0 at -7d and 0d, which increased >6.0 at +7d. CL3 was Materials and Methods: A total number of 500 HF dairy
characterized by individually housed calves pre-waning (77%) cows (153 primiparous (PRIM) and 347 multiparous (MULT))
and a medium plan of MR feeding (87%). CL4 (n=46) had a from 3 large commercial dairy farms in North Eastern Ger-
RFpH constantly >6.0, but with fluctuations during the study pe- many were included in the study. The farms had a history
riod; 72% of calves had early access to hay. CL5 (n=90) had a of comparatively high serum haptoglobin concentrations in
stable RFpH constantly >6.0. CL5 was characterized by individ- postpartum cows. At 24–36h p.p. the first clinical examination
ually housed calves pre-weaning (74%) and a high plan of MR and treatment took place. Cows with stillbirth, twin birth, dys-
feeding (96%). Mean ADG (kg/d) for each cluster for the pre- tocia, signs of milk fever, retained fetal membranes or high
(ADG1) and post-weaning period (ADG2) were: CL1 (0.52, fever (>40°C), were excluded from the study. Posture, behav-
0.78), CL2 (0.47, 0.69), CL3 (0.62, 0.53), CL4 (0.87, 0.55) ior, tail position, back arching, rumen fill and locomotion were
and CL5 (0.79, 0.40), respectively. Cluster membership had scored, rectal body temperature was measured. Cows were
a significant effect only on ADG1 (P<0.05). Calves in CL1 and randomly assigned to one of two groups (250 cows each):
CL2 had a lower mean estimated ADG1 of 0.992 kg (P<0.001) the treatment group received 3.33mg/kg b.w. Flunixin Meglu-
and 0.607 kg (P<0.05) compared to calves in CL5 and CL4. mine (FM) (Finadyne®Transdermal, MSD Animal Health) by
Moreover, CL5 had a lower proportion (13.3%) of calves losing transdermal application; the control group (CON) received
BW from -7d to 0d compared to CL2 (45.0%, P<0.05) and CL3 the same amount of placebo fluid. Cows were examined daily
(30.0%, P<0.05). Calves in CL1 tended to have lower BW at up to day 8 p.p. and on day 15. On day 8 and 15 p.p., their
-7d although they were numerically older than all others. BHB vaginal discharge was assessed using an intravaginal de-
and BUN were significantly affected by cluster membership vice (Metricheck®, Simcro Limited, New Zealand). Additional
(P<0.05). BUN was also affected by time-point × cluster in- blood samples were drawn on day 4 and 6 p.p. for haptoglobin
teraction (P<0.001). BHB ≥436.2 (μM/L) and BUN <7.85 (mg/ (Hp), albumin (Alb), total protein, betahydroxybutyrate (BHB),
dL) at -7d were identified from the ROC curves as significant non-esterified fatty acids, calcium, and phosphate. Monthly
thresholds for predicting classification of calves in either CL1 milk yield, composition, somatic cell count (SCC), and fertility
and CL2 or in CL4 and CL5. data were obtained from the herd management software. Sta-
tistical analysis was performed using a commercially available
Conclusions: During the weaning period, different pat-
software (IBM® SPSS®). Linear, ordinal, binary and gener-
terns of RFpH exist and several management factors were
alized mixed logistic regression models were used to assess
associated with them. Patterns of rumen pH >6.0 were asso-
the effects of FM treatment on clinical and production parame-
ciated with higher growth rates, higher BHB and lower BUN
ters. Both combined and separate models were calculated for
values, indicating proper rumen function (enhanced volatile
PRIM and MULT cows.
fatty acid production and absorption and better nitrogen utili-
zation efficiency). Results: Compared to CON cows, FM-treated PRIM cows
had a lower risk for purulent vaginal discharge on day 8 (OR
Keywords: Calves, Weaning, ruminal fluid pH.
1.52, P<0.04) and day 15 p.p. (OR 1.63, P<0.01). FM-treat-
ed PRIM cows also showed lower serum Hp (0.90±0.08
vs. 1.17±0.07g/l; P<0.01) and higher Alb concentrations

97
(35.5±0.31 vs. 34.8±0.31g/l; P=0.02) on day 6 p.p. and lower four treatment groups, stratified by lactation group (1st lact and
rectal body temperature throughout the study period (P=0.04). 2+ lact). Treatment groups were (A) 2 L of red wine the first
Compared to CON, FM-treated MULT cows showed slightly day followed by 1 L/day for 2 days, (B) 300 mL/day of propyl-
lower serum BHB concentrations on d 4 and d 6 p.p. (P<0.01). ene glycol for 3 days, (C) 2 L of ethanol the first day, followed
Regardless of parity, treated animals were significantly less by 1 L/day for 2 days and (D) on-farm drench protocol that
likely to abduct their tail (14.3 % vs. 23.6 %) or show arched provided 300 ml of propylene glycol in 20 L of water with a
back (27.9 % vs. 39.7 %) on the day after treatment (P<0.05). proprietary blend of electrolytes. A follow-up blood sample was
Daily milk yield was higher in FM-treated PRIM cows (30.73 tested the day after the last treatment (day 4).
vs. 29.51±1.35 kg; P<0.001) and lower in FM-treated MULT Cows were randomly assigned to each group, and a min-
cows compared to CON (36.90 vs. 37.78±1.06kg; P=0.020). imum of 6 cows with complete data were to be enrolled per
Milk fat and protein content were higher in FM-treated PRIM group. Changes in BHBA, milk production and milk compo-
cows and lower in FM-treated MULT cows compared to CON.
nents were evaluated and compared between the four treat-
No effects of the treatment were observed on rumen fill, loco-
ment groups.
motion score, milk urea, SCC, fertility (first service conception
risk, 200 DIM days open) and 60 DIM culling risk. Results: Cows treated with wine had significantly larger
decrease in BHBA (-0.69±0.37 mmol/L) compared to cows
Conclusions: In this study, treatment with flunixin meglu-
treated only with propylene glycol (-0.30±0.53 mmol/L) or only
mine at 24–36 h p.p. decreased metritis risk and systemic in-
with ethanol (-0.10±0.37 mmol/L), but no difference with the
flammation in PRIM cows. FM-treated PRIM cows had higher
on-farm drench protocol (-0.56±0.86 mmol/L). These chang-
milk yield compared to CON animals. No effects of the treat-
es resulted in the following proportions of cured cows after
ment on reproductive performance or culling risk were found.
3 days, defined as BHBA≤1.0 mmol/L: wine 57%, propylene
Therefore, in dairy herds with higher prevalence of systemic
glycol 25%, ethanol 36% and drench protocol 33%.
inflammation in clinically healthy early p.p. cows, transdermal
administration of FM at 24–36 h after calving can be justified Conclusion: Overall, the proportion of cured cows was
only for PRIM cows. Future research is needed to confirm the low in all groups demonstrating the insidious nature of ketosis
findings and to assess effects of FM in cows experiencing dys- in fresh dairy cows and the need for more research to find
tocia and in clinically diseased fresh cows. effective treatments. Oral treatment with wine resulted in the
largest proportion of cows cured compared to all other treat-
Keywords: Post partum, inflammation, flunixin meglu-
mine, dairy cows. ments, along with the largest decrease in BHBA in blood, es-
pecially compared to oral propylene glycol. Oral treatment with
wine resulted in similar decrease in BHBA but more cures than
a custom on-farm drenching protocol that required extensive
labor and could result in death due to drowning. Additionally, it
is noteworthy that wine would be a simple and viable alterna-
AH-09
tive for the treatment of ketosis in organic dairy farms.
Oral treatment of ketosis with red wine in fresh Holstein Keywords: Ketosis, propylene glycol, ethanol, organic,
cows reduces beta-hydroxybutyrate in blood and resolves dairy.
ketosis better than treatment with propylene glycol
Aurora Villarroel1, John Mata2.
1
Athyr Vet, LLC, Philomath, OR, United States; 2Ome Naturals, LLC,
Corvallis, OR, United States. AH-10
Prevalence of and risk factors associated with failure of

Objective: Treatment of fresh cow ketosis is an ongoing
transfer of passive immunity (FPT) in beef calves in Great
problem on dairy farms. Current treatment protocols lack ef-
Britain
ficacy, therefore new options are needed. The most effective
treatments so far are all based on commercial alcohol prod- Rachel Bragg1, Alastair Macrae1, Samantha Lycett2, Elizabeth
ucts. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effective- Burrough1, Geraldine Russell1, Alexander Corbishley1.
ness of two natural alcohol products (red wine and ethanol) for
R(D)SVS, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; 2Roslin Institute, Roslin,
1
the oral treatment of ketosis in fresh cows compared to two
treatment protocols based on oral propylene glycol. United Kingdom.
Materials and Methods: This was a clinical trial per-

formed at a dairy farm in Oregon equipped with in-line milk Objectives: Failure of transfer of passive immunity (FPT)
component analysis (AfiLab®, Afimilk, Israel) and milk meters of colostral antibodies is well documented in dairy calves, with
that automatically collected milking information on each cow 3 prevalence estimates varying from 19.2% to 33.1% worldwide.
times per day, every day. However knowledge of the rate of FPT in beef calves remains
Holstein cows between 4 and 30 DIM were flagged by the limited, with very few published studies.
system if they had 3 consecutive milkings with a fat:prot ra- The objectives of this study were to 1) investigate the cur-
tio>1.4 and then confirmed by testing a venous blood sample rent prevalence of FPT in GB spring calving beef herds, 2)
for BHBA (beta-hydroxybutyrate acid) with a cow-side device identify associated risk factors for the development of FPT in
(Precision XtraTM, Abbott, US). Cows were assigned to one of spring born suckled calves at the calf, cow and herd level.

98
Materials and methods: 1131 individual blood samples AH-11

were collected from calves in the first week of life from 86
farms across Scotland and England in spring 2018 (mean 13.5 The maternal influence on microbiota maturation in
calves per farm). The following information was collected for neonatal calves in beef and dairy systems
each animal blood sampled: sex, breed, date of birth, date of Matthew Barden1, Peter Richards-Rios1, Erika Ganda2, Luca Lenzi1,
sampling, ease of calving (4 point scale – 1:No assistance, Richard Eccles1, Georgios Oikonomou1, Jo Oultram1, Joseph Neary1.
2:Easy assistance, 3: Hard pull/calving jack required, 4:Cae-
sarean section), any assistance the calf required to feed co- University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom; 2Penn State
1
lostrum (7 point scale – 0: Feeding not observed, 1: Observed College of Agricultural Sciences, Pennsylvania, United States.
suckling, 2: Lead to feed off dam, 3: Bottle fed dam’s own co-
lostrum, 4: Tube fed dam’s own colostrum, 5: Bottle fed artifi- Objectives: The gastrointestinal microbiota of neonatal
cial colostrum, 6: Tube fed artificial colostrum), the weight of
calves changes rapidly in the first weeks of life. The dam is
the calf at sampling (indirectly assessed using heart girth mea-
considered an important source of microbes for the calf [1–3];
surement), the parity of the dam (heifer or cow) and the body
consequently, the development of calf microbiota may vary
condition score (BCS) of the dam (scale 1.0-5.0). Calves were
with farming system due to differences in the duration of time
chosen as a convenience sample for the age range required,
the calf spends with the dam. The objectives of this study were
excluding calves born by Caesarean section. Calf blood sam-
to characterise the early maturation of oral and faecal micro-
ples were analysed for serum IgG by Radial Immuno-Diffusion
biota in beef and dairy calves and compare these to the ana-
(RID). Risk factor analysis was performed using generalized
tomical niches on their dams which were likely to contribute to
linear mixed modelling techniques, with the farm included as
the vertical transfer of microbes.
a random effect.
Materials and methods: Hereford beef cows (N= 5) and
Results: 15% of calves sampled had a serum IgG concen-
Holstein dairy cows (N = 5) were enrolled on two farms and
tration ([sIgG] under 10 g/l, indicating failure of passive trans-
sampled at three timepoints: 4-8 weeks pre-calving, within 12
fer of immunity. 37% of calves sampled had a [sIgG] under 24
hours of calving, and four-weeks after calving. Samples were
g/l, indicating poor passive transfer of immunity. On 25 farms,
collected from the mouth, teat-skin, milk, vagina and faeces of
greater than 20% of the calves sampled had ([sIgG] under 10
cows at all timepoints; only oral and faecal samples were col-
g/l indicating complete FPT.
lected from calves. Beef calves could freely suckle from their
All three levels of assistance with colostrum feeding used dam throughout the study. Dairy calves were removed from
in this study were significant predictors for calves having a their dams within six hours of parturition and fed artificial milk
[sIgG] <24 g/L (Lead to dam odds ratio (OR) = 1.85, Bottle/ replacer. DNA was extracted from each sample and the V4
tube fed dam’s colostrum OR = 2.35, Bottle/tube fed artificial
hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced.
colostrum OR = 3.78), whilst bottle/tube feeding either dam’s
Amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) were identified and the
or artificial colostrum were also significant for [sIgG] <10 g/L
phylogenetic relationship between these ASVs was explored.
(OR 2.66 and 2.34 respectively). Calving assistance was sig-
nificant and increased the likelihood of [sIgG] <10 g/L and <24 Results: A total of 14,125 ASVs were identified and taxo-
g/L (OR 1.66 and 1.91 respectively). Male calves had a higher nomically assigned. In beef and dairy calves, the oral microbi-
risk for [sIgG] <10 g/L (OR 1.68) whereas being a twin or being ota became more similar to the oral microbiota of adult cows
born to a heifer were predictive of having a [sIgG] <24 g/L (OR over the first four weeks of life. There was little similarity be-
3.31 and 1.57 respectively). tween the faecal microbiota of calves and cows; at four-weeks
of age the faecal microbiota of calves was most similar to the
Conclusion: Overall prevalence of FPT in spring born
oral microbiota calves and adult cows. At four-weeks of age,
suckled beef calves was similar to dairy calves, with 15% of
ASVs were identified in the calf oral microbiota that were also
calves having serum IgG concentration ([sIgG] under 10 g/L
present in all cow samples immediately after calving, with the
in the first week of life. Significant risk factors for serum IgG
exception of dairy cow faeces. Very few ASVs were present in
<10 g/L were calving assistance (OR 1.66), feeding assistance
the calf faecal microbiota at four-weeks of age that were pres-
(OR 2.34-2.66) and being male (OR 1.68). Significant risk fac-
ent in cow samples at calving. These results were observed in
tors for serum IgG <24 g/L included dam parity (OR 1.57),
twins (OR 3.31), assistance at calving (OR 1.91) and assis- both beef and dairy calves.
tance with feeding colostrum (OR 1.75-3.78). This study rais- Conclusions: The oral microbiota of calves matured more
es important questions with respect to colostrum management quickly than the faecal microbiota and by four-weeks of age
practices on beef farms and highlights the need for revised it was similar to the oral microbiota of adult cows. The micro-
protocols, particularly with respect to colostrum assistance, to biota of calf faeces changed over the first four-weeks of life
improve calf health and productivity. but bared little resemblance to the faeces of adult cows. Any
Keywords: Beef, Calves, Calf health, FPT. maternal influence on these changes presumably occurred im-
mediately post-partum as there were few differences between
the trends observed in beef and dairy calves, despite dairy
calves having limited contact with their dam. Specific microbes
were present in the microbiota of both the calf and dam at
calving but after four weeks more of these were still present in
the calf oral microbiota than the faecal microbiota. This trend
was observed in both beef and dairy calves and may suggest
that immediately after calving the dam shares more microbes

99
with the calf oral microbiota than the faecal microbiota. Mi- The dependent variable was defined as a calf sold <0.1 CAD/
crobes identified in cow colostrum were also present in calf lb (0.22 CAD/kg) which represented 30 024 calves (2.06% of
faeces at calving, but none were still present in calf faeces the dataset) during the study period. Multivariable logistic re-
by four-weeks of age suggesting colostrum did not have a gression modelsmodels were developped using relevant inter-
persistent seeding effect on the faecal microbiota of neonatal actions between independent variables as previously studied
calves. Overall there were no marked differences between the in beef feedlot calves.
development of the oral and faecal microbiota in beef or dairy Results: The final model included year, season, sex,
calves during the first four weeks of life. This suggests that weight (categorized in deciles), distance traveled (categorized
continued contact with the dam has little influence on the early in quintiles) as well as interactions between distance traveled
maturation of oral and faecal microbiota. and site, sex, season, and weight. Low weight calves (<40kg)
References: had higher odds of being sold at low price per crude weight.
1. Alipour MJ, Jalanka J, Pessa-Morikawa T, Kokkonen Cross-bred and female calves had lower odds of being sold at
T, Satokari R, Hynönen U, et al. The composition of a low price. The odds of being sold at low price were higher in
the perinatal intestinal microbiota in cattle. Sci Rep. winter. Counterintuitively, calves coming from longer distances
2018;8:10437. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-28733-y. (>110km from the auction market) had lower odds of being
sold at a low price. However, these odds were higher than
2. Klein-Jöbstl D, Quijada NM, Dzieciol M, Feldbach-
other traveled distance strata during fall and summer but lower
er B, Wagner M, Drillich M, et al. Microbiota of new-
during winter and spring.
born calves and their mothers reveals possible
transfer routes for newborn calves’ gastrointestinal Conclusions: This study gives interesting insight on spe-
microbiota. PLoS One. 2019;14. doi:10.1371/journal. cific risk factors associated with low purchasing price and
pone.0220554. would potentially be helpful for improving calf supply quality
and prices. There is a complex relationship between distance
3. Yeoman CJ, Ishaq SL, Bichi E, Olivo SK, Lowe J,
travelled and calf quality (as assessed by purchasing prices).
Aldridge BM. Biogeographical Differences in the In-
Preparation before transportation and condition of transport
fluence of Maternal Microbial Sources on the Ear-
are therefore of critical importance and should be thoroughly
ly Successional Development of the Bovine Neo- investigated.
natal Gastrointestinal tract. Sci Rep. 2018;8:3197.
doi:10.1038/s41598-018-21440-8. Keywords: Dairy, veal, calves, multivariable.
Keywords: Beef calves, Dairy calves, Microbiota, Neo-

nates, Gastrointestinal tract.
AH-13
Administration of intranasal bacterial therapeutics or

AH-12 subcutaneous tulathromycin induces long-term modulation
of the nasopharyngeal microbiota in beef cattle
Factors affecting the price of young calves sold to Québec
auction markets to be raised as veal calves (2008-2019) Trevor Alexander1, Samat Amat1, Edouard Timsit2.
Buczinski Sébastien1, Fecteau Gilles1, Blouin Louis2, Villettaz- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Canada; 2CEVA
1
Robichaud Marianne1. Animal Health, Libourne, France.

1
Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Canada; 2Producteurs
bovins du Québec, Longueuil, Canada. Objectives: The emergence of antibiotic-resistant patho-
gens associated with bovine respiratory disease (BRD) pres-
ents a significant challenge to the beef industry, as antibiotic
More than 80% of Canadian veal calves are produced in administration is commonly used to prevent and control BRD
the province of Québec. Calves coming from dairy farms are in commercial feedlot cattle. Alternatives to antibiotics such as
generally sold through auction markets and then commingled intranasal bacterial therapeutics (BT) are therefore needed as
in veal farms. Little information is available on key drivers of part of new management strategies to reduce antibiotic use
calves’ prices when sold through auction markets. and BRD. This study aimed to evaluate the longitudinal ef-
Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the fects of intranasal BT on the nasopharyngeal (NP) microbiota,
risk factors of not being sold or being sold at a very low price abundance of BRD pathogens, and quantities of antibiotic re-
in 1 457 257 calves sold in Québec auction markets during the sistance genes in post-weaned beef calves, in comparison to
study period (from January 1st 2008 to December 31st 2019). a common metaphylactic antibiotic.
Materials and methods: The sale data were retrieved Materials & Methods: Beef heifers (N = 20 per treatment)
from the general database managed by Québec beef pro- from an auction market received either i) an intranasal cock-
ducers (Producteurs bovins du Québec) from the 6 auction tail of six Lactobacillus strains (3 × 109 CFU per strain), ii) a
markets in activity during the study period. Specific data an- single injection of tulathromycin, or iii) intranasal saline on day
alysed were: the distance traveled from then farm of origin to 0. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected pre- (day -1) and
the auction market, the season, the year, the breed (Holstein, post- (days 1, 2, 4, 7, 14, 28, and 42) administration, and were
cross-beef or non-Holstein dairy), gender, and calves’ weight. processed for the assessment of bacterial microbiota using

100
culturing (BRD pathogens only), 16S rRNA gene sequencing, cows receiving 150 g of Rumen-Ready® per day until calving.
and real-time PCR. Rumen-Ready® contains 70% magnesium butyrate encapsu-
Results: Despite being transient colonizers, a single inoc- lated in a fat matrix, and the magnesium butyrate is complete-
ulation of intranasal BT induced longitudinal modulation of NP ly released and solubilized within the rumen. The pre-calving
microbiota while showing no adverse effects on animal health TMR of the control group (n=111) had no supplementation. At
and growth performance. The BT-mediated changes in NP partum, cows were monitored in terms of calving ease, co-
microbiota included reduced microbial diversity and richness, lostrum quality and quantity. The daily milk yield of the cows
and an increase in the cooperative and competitive bacterial up to 70 days postpartum was recorded. Body condition and
relationships. Tulathromycin altered the NP microbiota struc- lameness of the cows were scored weekly during the trial.
ture and composition by reducing bacterial load, increasing Fertility-related parameters of the cows were assessed: days
the antibiotic resistance gene msr(E) abundance, and dis- to first heat, services per conception and late embryonic/early
rupting bacterial network interactions. While the relative abun- fetal mortality rate. The health status of the cows was deter-
dance of genera associated with BRD pathogens did not differ mined until 70 days postpartum by a trained veterinarian who
between treatments, tulathromycin did reduce prevalence of was blinded to the treatment groups. Significant differences,
the pathogen Pasteurella multocida on days 7 and 14 based relative to the control group, were declared at P<0.05.
on culture analysis. Results: Magnesium butyrate supplementation was as-
Conclusions: The results indicated that it was possible to sociated with a significant decrease in the calving assistance
use intranasal BT to modulate the bovine respiratory microbi- rate and incidence of retained placenta. Colostrum volume
ota up to 42 days after inoculation, including enhancement of and the total yield of IgG, protein and lactose were significantly
bacterial interactions. Intranasal BT may therefore have po- higher in the treatment group. Supplemented cows had signifi-
tential in conferring microbiome-mediated resistance against cantly higher milk yield during the first three weeks of lactation,
respiratory pathogens in feedlot cattle. and a significantly higher body condition score 3-9 weeks after
calving. In terms of reproductive performance, the number of
Keywords: bacterial therapeutics, cattle, respiratory mi-
services per conception, the late embryonic/early fetal mortal-
crobiota, tulathromycin, bovine respiratory disease.
ity rate and the number of days to first heat were significantly
decreased by magnesium butyrate supplementation.
Conclusion: Supplementation of magnesium butyrate,
in the form of Rumen-Ready®, significantly improved the co-
lostrum, calving ease, early lactation performance, body con-
AH-14
dition, health and fertility of dairy cows. These wide-ranging
Prepartum magnesium butyrate supplementation improves benefits are underpinned by the positive stimulation of the ru-
the health and performance of dairy cows men during the close-up period, and the provision of a readily
available source of magnesium.
Levente Kovács1, Ferenc Pajor1, Mikolt Bakony2, Joan Edwards3.
Keywords: Lactation, dry period, rumen, fertility, colos-
1
Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kaposvár, trum.
Hungary; 2University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary;
3
Palital Feed Additives B.V., Velddriel, Netherlands.
Objectives: In the dry period, the size of the rumen papil-

lae decrease by more than 50%. After provision of a high ener- AH-16
gy lactation ration, it takes 50-60 days for the rumen papillae to
fully redevelop. As a consequence, during early lactation the Identification of potential predictive biomarkers and
ruminal absorption of volatile fatty acids (VFA) and nutrients is molecular mechanisms contributing to BRD-associated
limited. Rumen papillae redevelopment is stimulated by VFA, mortality in post-weaned beef cattle
with butyrate being the most effective due to its ability to in- Matthew Scott1, Amelia Woolums1, Cyprianna Swiderski2, Andy
crease cell proliferation and to inhibit cell apoptosis. Butyrate Perkins3, Bindu Nanduri4, David R. Smith1, Brandi Karisch5, William
also increases epithelial blood flow, magnesium absorption Epperson1, John R. Blanton Jr.5.
and VFA transport in the rumen wall. Furthermore, relative to
parturition, butyrate supplementation has been demonstrated
1
Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, Mississippi
to improve colostrum composition in pigs. We hypothesized State University, United States; 2Department of Clinical Sciences,
that dietary magnesium butyrate supplementation during the Mississippi State University, United States; 3Department of Computer
peripartum period of dairy cows would increase colostrum Science and Engineering, Mississippi State University, United States;
quality and improve the health and performance of dairy cows.
4
Department of Basic Sciences, Mississippi State University, United
States; 5Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State
Materials & Methods: Two hundred-and-nineteen healthy
University, United States.
multiparous Holstein-Friesian cows were blocked by expect-
ed calving date and then randomly assigned to treatment and
control groups. For the cows in the treatment group (n=108), Objectives: Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a multi-
magnesium butyrate (Rumen-Ready®, Palital Feed Additives factorial disease complex possibly exacerbated by inflamma-
B.V.) was supplemented to the pre-calving total mixed ration tory responses to pathogenic agents. Diagnosis is commonly
(TMR) during the three-week close-up period. This resulted in based on non-specific clinical signs, which lack sensitivity.

101
Elucidating early genomic mechanisms involved in BRD could 2-4 h of birth and transitioned to milk replacer (MR) at day 3
lead to improved diagnostics. Moreover, early identification of age. A blood sample was collected at 2-3 days of age to
of cattle at increased risk for death might support interven- assess the transfer of passive immunity using a Brix refrac-
tions that decrease mortality. Our objective was to determine tometer. Calves were randomly assigned in two experimental
whether whole blood transcriptomes of post-weaned beef cat- groups, designated as Test (T) and Control (C), stratified by
tle identify predictive biomarkers and biological processes as- dam’s parity, gender and serum Brix (%) value. Calves were
sociated with BRD mortality. individually housed in elevated stalls and were offered daily 7L
Materials and Methods: Blood was collected at arrival of MR, divided in 2 equal meals, in buckets, at a dilution rate
from six cattle that ultimately developed BRD within the follow- of 0.125kg /L, providing 4.6 Mcal metabolizable energy (ME) /
ing 14 days. Replicates were placed into two cohorts based kg of dry matter (DM) (21.5% crude protein and 18% fat). They
on BRD-attributed mortality (n=3 ALIVE; n=3 DEAD). Blood had ad-libitum access to water and were offered pelleted start-
RNA was sequenced into 80 million 150bp paired-end reads er (6.72 Mcal ME/kg DM) after week 1 and chopped alfalfa
per sample via an Illumina HiSeq 3000. RNA-seq was per- hay after week 6 of age. T calves received 5g of live yeast
formed with a HISAT2/Stringtie/edgeR pipeline, utilizing the at a dosage of 2×109 cfu/day, diluted in the MR for the whole
ARS-UCD1.2 assembly for alignment. Differentially expressed experiment. Weaning was done on week 9 of age (day 60)
genes (DEGs) identified between groups (FDR <0.10) were with a gradual reduction of MR volume the previous 2 weeks.
modeled in WebGestalt, Reactome, GLAD4U, and STRING Calves’ bodyweight (BW) was measured with a portable live-
to identify GO-biological process (GO-BP) terms, pathways, stock scale at birth and week 9 (weaning). Average daily gain
disease phenotypes, and predicted interactions. (ADG) was calculated for the whole nursery period. Starter
Results: 69 DEGs were identified between cohorts. and hay refusals were weighted weekly. Feed efficiency (FE),
GO-BP terms and pathways indicated increased expression as total ME intake divided by BW gain, was calculated. Re-
of type I interferon-associated and antiviral genes in DEAD spiratory and fecal scores (RS and FS respectively) were as-
(FDR<0.05). Disease phenotyping of DEGs increased in sessed weekly by the same evaluator. Univariate regressions
DEAD indicated antiviral mechanisms (FDR<0.05). STRING were performed to assess the effect of treatment on ADG and
analysis of DEGs predicted co-expression of interferon-asso- FE. The effect of treatment on pelleted starter and hay intake
ciated gene products (CI>0.900). were assessed with linear mixed models. Repeated measures
Conclusions: RNA-seq and downstream analysis of logistic regressions were used to assess RS and FS, using bi-
whole blood collected at arrival demonstrated significant in- nary variables (0: scores 0 and 1; 1: scores 2 and 3). Statistical
creases in type I interferon-associated genes in animals that analysis was performed using IBM SPSS v.25.
succumbed to BRD, indicating that pro-inflammatory mecha- Results: The initial BW (mean ±SD) was 41.2 ±3.9 kg and
nisms at arrival are associated with BRD outcomes. 41.9 ±4.0 kg for T and C calves, respectively (P =0.797), while
Keywords: Bovine, blood, interferon, transcriptome, gene mean BW at weaning was 64.3 ±15.3 kg and 61.0 ±7.0 kg for
expression. T and C calves, respectively (P =0.103). One T calf and one
C calf died from acute bloat and pneumonia, respectively, and
their data regarding ADG and FE were excluded from the anal-
ysis. Three out of 21 C calves (vs. 0/20 T calves) were decid-
ed by the farmer to be weaned 2 weeks later than scheduled
AH-17 due to poor performance. High overall morbidity was recorded
during the study. Ninety percent of T calves and 95% of C
Effect of live yeast supplementation on growth and health calves were at least once assigned a FS 2 or 3, while 80% of
of pre-weaned dairy calves T calves and 67% of C calves were at least once assigned a
RS 2 or 3. Week-to-week starter and hay intakes did not differ
Nektarios Siachos1, Panagiota Kazana1, Clothilde Villot2, Eric
between groups. On average, total starter and hay consump-
Chevaux2, Guillermo Jimenez2, Georgios E. Valergakis1, Georgios
tions were 23.0 kg (±10.2) and 1.9 kg (±0.7), respectively for
Arsenos1.
C calves, and 25.7 kg (±8.8) and 1.7 kg (±0.7), respectively
Laboratory of Animal Husbandry, Veterinary Faculty, Aristotle
1
for T ones. T calves tended to have higher ADG than C ones
University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece; 2Lallemand SAS, (estimated marginal means: 0.361 kg/d vs. 0.299 kg/d, respec-
Blagnac, France. tively; P =0.066). T calves had a numerically better overall FE
of about 0.9 Mcal ME/kg BW gain compared to C ones. The
FS was not affected by the treatment while the T calves had
Objective: High growth rates of calves during pre-wean-
ing period are associated with better performance later in life. about 1.3 more respiratory afflictions than controls (P =0.048)
However, this period is also characterized by high morbidity during the experiment.
and mortality. Hence, the objective here was to investigate the Conclusions: Pre-weaned calves fed MR supplemented
effect of an oral probiotic supplement containing the live yeast with Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii CNCM I-1079 tend-
strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii CNCM I-1079, on ed to grow with higher rates than control calves despite the
performance and health of pre-weaned dairy calves. higher respiratory afflictions compared to untreated ones. This
Materials and methods: Forty-one Holstein calves born was more evident during the second month of life, probably
from late September to mid-November 2019, in a medium-size due to better nutrient digestibility and better feed efficiency
(390 milking cows) dairy farm in Greece were enrolled in the utilization.
study. All calves received the colostrum from the dam within Keywords: Probiotic, milk replacer, calf, growth, health.

102
AH-18 AH-19
Impacts of bronchopneumonia in dairy calves: results from Feeding pre-weaned calves with waste milk containing
a systematic review and meta-analysis antibiotic residues is related to a higher incidence of
diarrhea and alterations in the fecal microbiota
Buczinski Sébastien1, Timsit Edouard2, Achard Damien2.
Martina Penati1, Giulia Sala1, Filippo Biscarini1, Antonio Boccardo1,
1
Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Canada; 2CEVA, Libourne,
Valerio Bronzo1, Bianca Castiglioni1, Paola Cremonesi1, Paolo
France.
Moroni2, Davide Pravettoni1, Maria Filippa Addis1.
University of Milan, Lodi, Italy; 2Cornell University, Ithaca, NY,
1
Objective: Bronchopneumonia (BP), also known as en- United States.
zootic calf pneumonia, is one of the most common disease in
dairy calves. Surprisingly, impacts of BP on health and per-
formance of dairy calves have not been recently reviewed Objectives: Waste milk (WM) is a major by-product of the
and summarized. This information is nevertheless crucial to dairy industry that includes low-quality colostrum, transition-
increase awareness of BP’s significance and thus increase al milk, milk from cows administered veterinary drugs for the
adoption of management practices known to reduce BP preva- treatment of mastitis and/or other diseases, milk with high so-
lence. matic cell counts (SCC), and milk that cannot be marketed.
The large amount of discarded WM generates environmental
The objective of this work was to quantify impacts of BP
pollution and represents the loss of a valuable resource that
occurring during the first 12 months of life in dairy calves on
may serve as a good feed source for dairy calves because
subsequent risk of mortality and average daily gain (ADG).
of its high nutrient content. However, using WM for feeding
Materials and methods: A systematic review and me- calves might expose new-born calves to infectious agents.
ta-analysis of the scientific literature was performed following Moreover, residual antimicrobials may have a negative influ-
PRISMA guidelines. PubMed and CAB Abstract databases ence on the animals’ gut microbiota in terms of selection of
were screened for relevant studies that were published in Eng- antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms as well as in terms of
lish (until Feb 3rd, 2020). Only studies reporting naturally oc- interference with its proper maturation, by acting on specif-
curring BP cases from birth to 12 months of age in dairy calves ic taxonomic groups or by inducing long-term dysbiosis. The
in Europe and North America were considered eligible. Both constant antibiotic pressure exerted on the calf microbiota
observational studies and randomized controlled trials were by these residues may interfere with its physiological devel-
included. Random effect meta-analysis models were used to opment by selectively inhibiting specific phylogenetic sub-
quantify impact of BP on outcomes of interest. groups and increasing the selection and transfer of antibiotic
Results: From an initial pool of 525 studies, 13 studies resistance genes to the gut microbiota. Therefore, despite the
reported impact of BP on growth and 10 studies reported mor- apparent economic advantages for the farmer, WM might im-
tality effect. In 1 and 3 studies, respectively a numeric effect pair the correct physiological and immunological functionality
could not be included in the meta-analyses. Case definition for of the calf gut and favor the selection of antibiotic resistance
BP differed among studies. Odds of mortality were 2.80 higher traits. We assessed the impact of WM on the correct develop-
(95% CI: 1.42-5.51; n = 9 studies) for calves with BP. Average ment of the calf intestinal microbiome by analyzing the effect
daily gain was decreased by 67g/day (95% CI: 34-99g/day; n on intestinal health and on the fecal microbiota of calves fed
= 10 studies) in BP vs apparently healthy calves. Heterogen- with WM in the first weeks of life.
eities of the models were important but was improved when Materials and methods: WM was assessed for nutrition-
accounting for adjusted (multivariable) vs non-adjusted (raw) al content and antimicrobial residue concentration by mass
estimates and prevalence of disease in the study. spectrometry. The trial, carried out over 8 weeks, included
12 Italian Friesian male calves. After 3 days of colostrum, 6
Conclusions: To the authors’ best knowledge, this sys-
calves were fed Waste Milk (WM group) and 6 calves were
tematic review and meta-analysis summarized for the first time
fed Bulk Tank Milk (BM group) for 2 weeks. Then, for 6 weeks,
impacts of BP on mortality and ADG. Calves with BP had on
all 12 calves received a weaning diet of milk substitute and
average 2.8 more risk of dying and grown ≈ 70 g/day less than
starter feed. Every week for the first 2 weeks, and every 2
apparently healthy herd mate.
weeks for the remaining 6, we subjected all calves to clinical
Keywords: Meta-analysis, bronchopneumonia, calves, examination and collected rectal swabs to investigate the fecal
dairy. microbiota composition by 16S rRNA gene analysis. Research
protocols were approved by the University of Milan (protocol
number 78_2018).
Results: The composition on WM and BM in terms of
SCC, fat, protein, lactose, and microbial inhibitors content was
as follows. WM: 450,000 cells/ml; 3.7%; 3.6%; 4.7%; present.
BM: 284,000 cells/ml; 4.23%; 3.60%; 4.97%; absent. At the
end of the trial, the two groups showed statistically significant
differences in both clinical terms, including reduced weight
gain and increased occurrence of diarrhea events in the WM
group, and in terms of fecal microbiota composition. Almost all
WM calves (5/6) developed diarrhea in the first 2 weeks (vs 1/6

103
BM calves). In the following 6 weeks, only 1 episode of diar- Objective: The aim of this study was to implement and
rhea occurred in 1 WM calf. WM calves’ body weight was sig- monitor the efficacy of a control plan for two years (2018 and
nificantly lower than BM calves along the trial. The 16S rRNA 2019) in a herd infected with B. besnoiti with a low fertility rate.
gene analysis indicated a sharp reduction in the fecal micro- Management measures were applied based on an exhaustive
biota alpha-diversity of WM vs BM calves, most significant at diagnostic protocol.
Wk4 (p < 0.02), two weeks after exposure to WM. Beta-diver- Material & methods: The herd under study is in south-
sity of the fecal microbiota was significant between time-points western Spain. It is fenced and covers an area of 3,000 hec-
(p = 0.0069505). As for the alpha-diversity results, significant tares including a hunting reserve of Eurasian wild board (Sus
differences were observed between WM and BM calves at scrofa) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) with Mediterranean
Wk4 (p < 0.05). Based on the normalized relative OTU lev- scrubland mainly composed by evergreen oak (Quercus ilex)
els, WM and BM calves showed significant differences at all and cork oak (Quercus suber) and 800 hectares of dehesa
time-points. At the end of the trial, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, agroecosystem dedicated to extensive cattle farming. The
and Saccharibacteria decreased while Chlamydiae increased. census initially included 154 crossbreed cows and seven
Significant changes were also observed in 7 classes, 8 orders, breeding bulls of the Charolais, and Limousine breeds and the
19 families, 47 genera. Among the most relevant findings was farm has its own replacement. At that time the herd fertility rate
the general decrease of beneficial taxa, like Faecalibacterium, was 36.7% and with a calving interval of 524 days.
vs an increase in other taxa and potential pathogens, includ-
Once B. besnoiti infection was confirmed in one male by
ing Campylobacter, Pseudomonas, and Chlamydophila. Lac-
clinical inspection and serological analysis the whole herd was
tobacillus and Lachnoclostridium increased, but since the first
serologically tested in March 2018. Initially a validated ELI-
was present in the milk substitute, its higher abundance in WM
SA test was used, and all doubtful animals were retested by
calves might indicate a lower microbiome resilience.
western blot as a confirmatory test. Replacement heifers were
Conclusion: In conclusion, these results suggest that tested at one year of age. The whole herd was tested again
adding to the risk of increasing antibiotic resistance, feeding following the above-mentioned serological protocol at the end
pre-weaned calves with WM is related to a higher incidence of the study in October 2019.
of calf diarrhea and relevant changes in the fecal microbiota
Results: Initially the intra-herd seroprevalence was
composition.
34.97% and six out of the seven (85.7%) bulls were seropos-
Keywords: Calf, gut microbiome, milk, antibiotic residues, itive. Sperm quality was monitored in all bulls and a low con-
mastitis. centration of sperm was observed in four of them as well as
defects in sperm motility and morphology.
Based on the diagnosis results obtained several control
measures were recommended:
i. Infected (seropositive) from non-infected (seronega-
AH-20 tive) cows were separated and progressive selective
Bovine besnoitiosis control plan: a two-year experience in culling of seropositive breeding bulls and cows was
an extensive herd from the dehesa agroecosystem carried out. These seropositive animals were fattened
prior to the selective culling.
Gema Alvarez Garcia1, David González Barrio1, Carmen Arrobas- ii. Replacement cattle were tested at least twice.
Domínguez2, Elena Mejías-López1, Carlos Diezma-Díaz3, Luis
iii. Artificial insemination was implemented in the se-
Miguel Ortega-Mora1, Ignacio Ferre1.
ronegative group for one year. In the meantime, new
1
Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain; 2Advacas breeding bulls were entered into the herd and sero-
Extremadura S.L., Badajoz, Spain; 3SALUVET-INNOVA S.L., Madrid, logically monitored. Nowadays, reproduction manage-
Spain. ment is based again in natural mating with seronega-
tive breeding bulls.
Bovine besnoitiosis, caused by the parasite Besnoitia bes- As a result of these management measures implemented
noiti, is characterized by local and systemic clinical signs. Cur- for the control of bovine besnoitiosis all animals present in the
rently, male reproductive failure is the major concern as breed- herd were seronegative to B. besnoiti at the end of the study,
ing bulls may develop sterility. The disease is widely spread in the calving interval between 2018 and 2019 decreased up to
Southwest Europe and is endemic at least in Spain, Portugal, 469 days and the fertility rate increased up to 76.7%.
France and Italy. Moreover, new outbreaks have been recently Based on the results obtained it is possible to design and
reported in Central and Northern Europe. Nowadays bovine implement effective control strategies in dehesa agroecosys-
besnoitiosis is one of the most relevant cattle diseases in ex- tems since the regular health status monitoring of new entries
tensive husbandry systems. In Spain the disease is present was carried out and the extension of these farms favour to
in mountainous areas in Central and Northeast Spain and in manage the herd into two separate groups to avoid parasite
the dehesa agroecosystems in Southwest Spain. The lack of transmission by direct contact. Other biosecurity measures to
drugs or vaccines hampers the control, and it is a re-emergent maintain a closed herd recommended such as vector control
disease in Europe. In this context, biosecurity measures cou- and the absence of contact with wildlife were not possible in
pled to an accurate diagnosis play a key role in the control and this herd. The inexistence of new seropositive animals could
should be adapted to the facilities and management possibil- be due to the lower frequency of vector borne cases and the
ities of the farm. low relevance of this parasitic disease in wildlife (eg. wild ru-

104
minants) since they do not pose a significant risk for parasite in the isolates collection. Every isolate carries the aac(6')-Iaa
transmission to cattle. gene that confers resistance to aminoglycosides. Within this
Conclusion: This study represents the first successful at- group, aph(3'')-Ib and aph(6)-Id were also frequently present.
tempt to implement and monitor the effectiveness of a control Fifty-one isolates presented resistance genes for tetracyclines,
program for bovine besnoitiosis with an improvement of repro- tet(A) was detected in 47 isolates while four carried tet(B). The
ductive parameters. sul2 gene was present in 29 isolates conferring resistance to
sulfonamides. Interestingly some genes like aadA1, aadA2,
Keywords: Bovine besnoitiosis, extensive herd, control.
aadA17, floR and cmlA1 that generally are present in genetic
mobile elements were detected. The blaTEM-1B gene related
to penicillin was detected only in 7 isolates of SA and ST iso-
lates. Plasmidic qnr gene was carried by 5 isolates while 37
isolates had the parC_T57S mutation both conferring resis-
AH-21 tance to quinolones. One SD isolated showed the mutation
acrB_R717Q to confer resistance to azithromycin.
Salmonella enterica isolated from dairy cattle in Uruguay
presents a diversity of antibiotic resistance genes and Considering the presence of antibiotic resistance in all the
mobile genetic elements genomes, twenty-four were multi drug resistant (MDR). This
characteristic was only detected in STy, SA and SAg serotypes.
María Laura Casaux1, Bruno D’Alessandro2, Martín Fraga1. Among these, one presented antibiotic resistance genes for 4
groups of antibiotics and five for 6 groups of antibiotics.
1
Plataforma de Investigación en Salud Animal. Instituto Nacional de
Investigación Agropecuaria, Colonia, Uruguay; 2Departamento de All except five isolates carried at least one plasmid. The
Desarrollo Biotecnológico, Instituto de Higiene, Facultad de Medicina, most frequent plasmids were IncFII(pHN7A8), IncFII(S), Inc-
Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay. FIB(S), Col440I and IncI1. Forty-nine strains had 1 plasmid,
17 strains had 2 plasmids, and 4 strains had 3 plasmids. All
STy carried plasmids and the most frequent combination of
Objectives: The objective of this work is to study the pres- plasmids was Col440/ IncFIB(S).
ence and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes, plasmids
Two class 1 integrons were detected in the collection.
and integrons in Salmonella enterica of bovine origin from Uru-
In705, carrying aadA1 gene, was detected in two STy isolates
guay.
while In1363, carrying aac(3)-IId and intI1, was detected in
Materials and methods: In total 75 isolates from the one SAn isolate and in one STy. These 4 isolates were MDR
collection of Plataforma de Investigación en Salud Ani- and carried at least one plasmid.
mal-INIA-Uruguay collection were included. Forty-two isolates
Conclusions: The evaluation of the genome allowed us
were obtained between 2016 and 2020 from 33 outbreaks of
to detect serotypes involved in the outbreaks with STy as the
neonatal diarrhea and/or mortality due to bovine salmonello-
most frequent. A wide distribution of MDR isolates was found
sis in calves that presented or succumbed to the disease with
in the farm's outbreaks and environment. There was a high
bacteriological and histopathological diagnosis. The remaining
number of isolates carrying genes that confer resistance to
33 isolates were obtained between 2019 and 2020 from one
aminoglycosides, tetracyclines and sulfonamides, antibiotics
dairy farm with a history of bovine salmonellosis. Isolate sourc-
that are widely used in veterinary practice in Uruguay. Most of
es included calves and cows’ feces, water and food for animal
the serotypes detected in the collection could have an impact
consumption. on human health. This work represents one of the first studies
The genome of this isolates' set was obtained using Illumi- assessing the MDR genes in Salmonella from dairy cattle in
na MiSeq in MicrobesNG (UK). The sequence reads were up- South America.
loaded to EnteroBase. The isolates' serovar was determined Keywords: Salmonellosis, dairy cattle, antimicrobial resis-
using the SISTR1+SEqSero2 scheme, and the sequence type tance, genome, South America.
(ST) using the Achtman scheme. The assembled genomes
were then further analyzed using the tools ResFiinder 4.1,
PointFinder, PlasmidFinder 2.1 and IntFinder 1.0 from the
Center for Genomic Epidemiology (CGE) for identifying ac-
quired resistance genes, chromosomal mutations, plasmids
AH-23
and integrons.
Results: In total, 31 isolates were typed as S. Typhimuri- Assessing the utility of leukocyte differential cell counts for
um (STy, 41.3%), 24 as S. Newport (SNw; 32.0%), 11 as S. predicting morbidity, mortality and growth in a grain fed
Anatum (SAn; 14.6%), 6 as S. Dublin (SDb; 8.0%), one S. veal facility: A prospective single cohort study
Agona (SAg; 1.3%); one S. Montevideo (SMv; 1.3%) and one
Taika E. Von Konigslow, David L. Renaud, Todd F. Duffield, Charlotte
as IIIb61:i:z53 (1.3%).
B. Winder, David F. Kelton.
For every serovar identified, only a single ST was present.
Every STy isolate was classified as ST19, SNw isolates as University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada.
ST45, ST64 for the SAn isolates and SDb isolates were typed
as ST10. Less frequent isolates SAg, SMv and IIIb61:i:z53 Objectives: Automated leukocyte differential cell counts
were typed as ST13, ST138 and ST430 respectively. (DCC) that can be acquired and analyzed quickly on farm may
There was a high diversity of antibiotic resistance genes be useful to incorporate into calf risk identification protocols

105
at the time of arrival at a veal or dairy beef operation. The ob- Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820
jective of this study was to assess the utility of DCC taken at Merelbeke, Belgium., Merelbeke, Belgium.
the time of arrival at a grain fed veal facility and 72 hours post
arrival for determining morbidity risk, mortality risk and growth
Objectives: Lipolysis in the prepartum has been linked
during the production cycle.
with liver dysfunction and systemic inflammation, which in turn
Materials and Methods: Data were collected at a veal are associated with an increased incidence of postpartum clin-
research facility in Ontario, Canada between June and Oc- ical disease. We hypothesize that over-conditioning is associ-
tober of 2018. A total of 240 calves were enrolled upon arriv- ated with excessive (basal) prepartum fat mobilization, leading
al and a subset of 160 calves were revisited 72 hours post to steatosis and modifications in the global gene expression
arrival. Leukocyte differential cell counts were evaluated us- pattern of the liver. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate
ing the QScout BLD test for leukocyte differential cell counts the effect of over- and normal-conditioning on the differential
(Advanced Animal Diagnostic, Morrisville, NC). At the time of hepatic transcriptomics profile of prepartum dairy cows.
arrival, all calves were screened using a standardized health Materials and methods: Ten non-lactating pregnant Hol-
scoring protocol and blood samples were collected to evalu- stein cows were euthanized two weeks before expected calv-
ate serum total protein (TP) and DCC. A second blood sample ing. Body condition score (BCS) and backfat thickness (BFT)
was collected from the subset calves 72 hours post arrival to were evaluated, and blood samples for non-esterified fatty ac-
evaluate DCC. Cox proportional hazards models were con- ids (NEFA) were taken before euthanasia. After slaughtering,
structed for both morbidity and mortality outcomes. Mixed liver biopsy samples were collected and frozen for further tri-
linear regression models were constructed for the outcome acylglycerol (TAG) concentration analysis and RNA sequenc-
of average daily gain. Models were constructed in Stata 15 ing.
(StataCorp LP, College Station, TX).
Results: Five cows were classified as normal-conditioned
Results: Results from data collected at the time of arrival (BCS = 2.5–3.5) and five as over-conditioned (BCS = 3.75–5).
suggest that TP values greater than 5.1 g/dL reduce the haz- Regression models revealed that normal-conditioned cows
ard of mortality (HR = 0.29, P < 0.001) and a rectal tempera- presented lower BCS (3.17 ± 0.10; mean ± SEM), BFT (1.29
ture greater than 39.6°C was associated with an increased ± 0.29 cm), and serum NEFA (0.16 ± 0.04 mmol/L) in compar-
hazard of morbidity (HR = 1.48, P = 0.04). Calves that were ison to over-conditioned cows (4.35 ± 0.21, 3.14 ± 0.43, and
dehydrated gained less (-0.09 kg/d, P= 0.03), however, an in- 0.38 ± 0.07 for BCS, BFT, and NEFA, respectively; P <0.05).
creased lymphocyte count was associated with calves having Hepatic TAG concentrations were not different between nor-
a higher level of growth (+0.05 kg/d, P = 0.02). Results from mal- and over-conditioned cows (4.63 ± 0.40 and 6.06 ± 0.44
DCC collected 72 hours post arrival suggest that lymphocyte mg/g of liver fresh weight, respectively; P > 0.05). Compared
counts between 4.8 and 5.8 x 109 cells/L decrease the hazard to over-conditioned, normal-conditioned cows presented four
of mortality (HR = 0.22, P = 0.03) and > 7.0 x 109 cells/L de- up-regulated (PLAC8, COL27A1, IDO-1, and MEP) and two
crease the hazard of morbidity (HR = 0.56, P = 0.02), whereas, down-regulated genes (IGFVP-1 and CSE).
neutrophil counts > 6.0 x 109 cells/L increased the hazard of
Conclusions: As expected, prepartum over-conditioning
mortality (HR = 5.2, P = 0.02).
(based on BCS) was associated with greater BFT and basal
Conclusions: This study demonstrates that machine DCC lipolysis than normal-conditioned cows. However, hepatic TAG
at the time of arrival and 72 hours post-arrival has potential for concentrations were similar between prepartum over- and nor-
use in calf risk identification protocols in veal and dairy beef mal-conditioned cows. This was reflected in the low number of
facilities. Further work to determine the effects of time post differentially expressed genes between these groups of ani-
transportation on blood leukocyte measurements in this pop- mals. All the differentially expressed genes were associated
ulation of calves should be performed to help determine the with protein-coding. Normalized counts and fold changes of
best time to measure blood leukocytes post arrival. targeted genes in KEGG pathways should be evaluated to fur-
Keywords: Male dairy calf, risk factors, biomarker, leuko- ther explore the potential effects that over-conditioning may
cytes. have in the hepatic global gene expression pattern.
Keywords: Transition period, metabolism, lipolysis, tran-
scriptomics.
AH-24
Effect of over-conditioning on the hepatic global gene AH-25

expression pattern of dairy cows at the end of pregnancy
Risk factors associated with total and pathogen-specific
Osvaldo Bogado Pascottini1, Jenne De Koster1, Filip Van
immunoglobulin G concentrations in western Canadian
Nieuwerburgh2, Mario Van Poucke3, Geert Ospomer1.
neonatal beef calves
1
Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Faculty
Lisa Gamsjaeger1, Deborah M. Haines2, Ed Pajor3, Michel Lévy3, M.
of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.,
Claire Windeyer3.
Merelbeke, Belgium; 2Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology,
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, University of Zurich, Vetsuisse Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,
1
Belgium., Ghent, Belgium; 3Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Department of Ruminant Medicine, Zurich, Switzerland; 2Western

106
College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, The AH-26

Saskatoon Colostrum Co. Ltd, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada;
3
University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Impact of total and pathogen-specific serum
Production Animal Health, Calgary, Canada. immunoglobulin G concentrations on the health and
growth of western Canadian beef calves
Inadequate transfer of immunoglobulins from dam to calf Lisa Gamsjäger1, Deborah M. Haines2, Edmond A. Pajor3, Michel
via colostrum is a challenge on cow-calf operations because it Lévy3, M. Claire Windeyer3.
negatively affects pre-weaning calf health and growth. There is 1
University of Zurich, Vetsuisse Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,
limited knowledge about risk factors for poor transfer of passive Department of Ruminant Medicine, Switzerland; 2Western College
immunity (TPI) and the specific antibodies being transferred to of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, The Saskatoon
beef calves via colostrum in the perinatal period under cur- Colostrum Co. Ltd, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; 3University of
rent production conditions in western Canada. Thus, the ob- Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Production
jective of this study was to determine factors influencing total Animal Health, Canada.
and pathogen-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations
against selected neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD) and bovine res-
piratory disease (BRD) pathogens in the serum of newborn Neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD) and bovine respiratory dis-
beef calves. A total of 420 serum samples were available from ease (BRD) are the most common calfhood diseases in beef
1 - 7 day old beef calves born on 6 farms in Alberta, Canada. calves worldwide. Vaccination of pregnant dams against spe-
Samples were analyzed by radial immunodiffusion assay for cific NCD- and BRD-associated pathogens and good colos-
total IgG concentration and by enzyme-linked immunosorbent trum management have the potential to increase the transfer
assays for pathogen-specific IgG concentrations against Esch- of those pathogen-specific antibodies to the calf via colostrum
erichia coli (E. coli), bovine Rotavirus (BRoV), Cryptosporidi- and thus protect against disease during early life. However,
um parvum (C. parvum), Parainfluenza Virus Type 3 (PI-3), little is known about the associations of pathogen-specific
Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV), and Bovine Her- antibody concentrations and the risk of disease and mortali-
pesvirus-1 (BHV-1). Data collected about individual dam- and ty, as well as the impact of such antibody concentrations on
calf-level risk factors included dam parity, dam vaccination pre-weaning growth in beef calves raised under current pro-
status, calving ease, birth month, calf sex, twin status, and duction conditions in western Canada. The objectives of this
route of colostrum consumption (i.e., nursed from dam, bot- study were to determine the impact of total and pathogen-spe-
tle-fed, or tube-fed). Multivariable multilevel linear and logistic cific immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations on the odds of
regression models were built to evaluate risk factors associat- pre-weaning treatments and mortality, and on average daily
ed with total and pathogen-specific IgG concentrations, failed gain (ADG). A total of 420 serum samples from 1 - 7 day old
transfer of passive immunity (FTPI; serum IgG < 10 g/L), and beef calves born on 6 farms in Alberta, Canada, were collect-
inadequate transfer of passive immunity (ITPI; serum IgG < 24 ed. Samples were analyzed by radial immunodiffusion assay
g/L). Farm was included as a random effect in all models to for total IgG concentration and by enzyme-linked immunosor-
account for clustering at the herd level. Five percent (n = 20) of bent assays for pathogen-specific IgG concentrations against
calves had FTPI and 18% (n = 75) of calves had ITPI. Calves Escherichia coli (E. coli), bovine Rotavirus (BRoV), Cryptospo-
born to heifers and those receiving colostrum intervention ridium parvum (C. parvum), Parainfluenza Virus Type 3 (PI-3),
(i.e., fed colostrum or colostrum product by either bottle or Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV), and Bovine Her-
pesvirus-1 (BHV-1). Data regarding pre-weaning treatments,
tube) showed significantly lower total IgG concentrations (P <
mortality, and birth and weaning weights were collected.
0.0001). Calves that received colostrum intervention had high-
Multivariable multilevel logistic and linear regression models
er odds of FTPI (Odds ratio (OR): 6.1, 95% CI: 2.0 - 18.9) and
were built to evaluate associations between total and patho-
ITPI (OR: 4.8, 95% CI: 2.1-10.8). Pre-calving dam vaccina-
gen-specific IgG concentrations and the odds of pre-wean-
tion was associated (P < 0.0001) with increased IgG-concen-
ing mortality and ADG, respectively. Farm was included as a
trations against E. coli, BRoV, and BHV-1, whereas PI3 and
random effect in all models to account for clustering at the
BRSV-specific IgG concentrations were unaffected by dam
herd level. The impact of IgG concentrations on the odds of
vaccination status. Vaccine practices varied greatly within and
pre-weaning treatment was established by univariable logis-
between farms, and producer compliance with label instruc-
tic regression analysis. Receiving colostrum intervention (i.e.,
tions was inconsistent. This study highlights the opportunity
being fed colostrum or colostrum product by either bottle or
for improvement of management protocols pertaining to dam
tube) significantly increased the odds of mortality (OR: 7.4,
vaccination and colostrum intervention on cow-calf operations.
95% CI: 1.7-31.6). Calves with FTPI and ITPI were more likely
Keywords: Antibodies, immunity, colostrum management, to die (OR: 18.5, 95% CI: 3.7-93.4 and OR: 10.1, 95% CI:
vaccination, beef cattle. 2.6-40.2, respectively), calves with FTPI were more likely to
receive treatment (OR 7.9, 95% CI 2.7-23.7), and calves with
ITPI had lower ADG (-0.09 kg, SE: 0.03, P < 0.002). Calves
that were treated in the pre-weaning period showed lower
E. coli and BRoV-specific IgG concentrations at birth (P <
0.0001), and BRoV-specific IgG concentrations were lower in
calves that died in the pre-weaning period (OR: 0.97, 95% CI:
0.95-0.99). These results suggest a protective effect of E. coli
and BRoV-specific antibodies and highlight the importance of

107
increasing their transfer from dam to calf. Interestingly, neither calves in LTC group had faster resolution of diarrhea compared
being treated pre-weaning nor any of the pathogen-specific to calves in the CON group (Hazard Ratio (HR): 2.29; P = 0.01;
IgG concentrations were associated with ADG. This study 95% CI = 1.31 – 4.01). In addition, there was an association
highlights the need to review and refine protocols with respect between both DTE and BWE and resolution of diarrhea, where
to colostrum management on cow-calf operations to decrease calves who were at the facility longer prior to enrollment (HR:
pre-weaning treatments, calf losses and improve pre-weaning 2.29; P = 0.01; 95% CI = 1.56 – 5.45) and heavier at the on-
growth. set of diarrhea (HR: 2.37; P = 0.01; 95% CI = 1.23 – 4.56),
Keywords: Antibodies, immunity, pre-weaning infectious resolved diarrhea quicker. Moreover, calves with a fecal score
disease, beef cattle, vaccination. of 3 at enrolment took longer to resolve their case of diarrhea
(HR: 0.44; P = 0.01; 95% CI = 0.28 – 0.70). The number of
types of diarrhea causing pathogen also had an impact, with
cases where no or one pathogen was isolated was associated
with a faster resolution (HR: 3.30; P = 0.01; 95% CI = 1.62
– 6.68). In addition to a reduced time to resolution, improved
AH-27
growth was observed in calves in the LTC group gaining 98 g/d
Evaluating the Efficacy of Colostrum as a Therapy for more than the CON group over 56 d following enrollment (HR:
diarrhea in Young Calves 0.98; P = 0.04; 95% CI = 0.01 – 0.19).
Conclusion: Supplementation of colostrum at the onset
Havelah Carter1, Michael Steele1, Joao Costa2, Michael Nagorske3,
of diarrhea was associated with a reduced duration of diar-
David Renaud1.
rhea and improved growth in young calves. This may provide
1
University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada; 2University of Kentucky, life-long benefits for calves diagnosed with a gastrointestinal
Lexington, United States; 3Saskatoon Colostrum Company Ltd., disease in the pre-weaning period. Due to the preliminary na-
Saskatoon, Canada. ture of this study, future research is necessary to determine
the most practical and effective dose, duration, and timing of
this therapy.
Objectives: Diarrhea is the primary cause of morbidity and
mortality in dairy calves. Many cases of diarrhea in calves are Keywords: Morbidity, treatment, pre-weaned.
treated with antimicrobials, increasing the risk of antimicrobial
resistance, therefore, creating a need for alternative therapies.
The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of
feeding colostrum at the onset of diarrhea on growth and du-
ration and severity of the disease in pre-weaned dairy calves. AH-28
Methodology: At a calf-raising facility in Ontario, Canada,
calves were scored for fecal consistency twice daily on a scale Association between acute phase proteins and clinical signs
of 0 to 3 and enrolled into the trial when they had two consec- of respiratory disease in dairy calves
utive fecal scores of 2 (runny or spreads readily) or one fecal Rohish Kaura, Elisabeth Dorbek-Kolin, Marina Loch, Dagni-Alice
score of 3 (liquid consistency, splatters). Calves were then ran- Viidu, Toomas Orro, Kerli Mõtus.
domly allocated to receive one of three treatments: 1) Control
(CON) (n = 35): eight feedings over 4 d of 2.5 L of milk replacer Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian
at a concentration of 130 g/L (26% crude protein and 17% fat), University of Life Sciences, Estonia, Tartu, Estonia.
2) Short term colostrum supplementation (STC) (n = 35): four
feedings over the first 2 d of 2.5 L of a mixture of milk replacer Objectives: Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a lead-
at 65 g/L and colostrum replacer at 65 g/L (26% immunoglob- ing cause of morbidity, mortality, and antimicrobial consump-
ulin G and 14.5% fat) followed by four feedings over 2 d of tion of pre-weaned dairy calves. Assessment of clinical BRD
2.5 L of milk replacer at a concentration of 130 g/L, or 3) Long symptoms in field conditions impedes making inferences on
term colostrum supplementation (LTC) (n = 38): eight feedings the presence of infection and inflammation and thus sets sub-
over 4 d of 2.5 L of a mixture of milk replacer at 65 g/L and jective criteria for antimicrobial treatment. The acute phase
colostrum replacer at 65 g/L. Serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) response (APR) is a part of host innate immunity and the first
was determined at arrival to the facility. Body weight (BWE), response to infections and tissue damage, which causes sig-
days to enrollment since facility arrival (DTE) and severity of nificant concentration revision in acute phase proteins (APPs),
diarrhea (SDE) were recorded and a fecal sample was taken e.g., haptoglobin (Hp), serum amyloid A (SAA), and fibrinogen
to determine the diarrhea causing pathogens (PT) present at (Fib), in the blood. APPs have poor diagnostic specificity but
enrollment. Daily health exams evaluating fecal consistency are considered very sensitive in detecting clinical or subclinical
were performed for 28 consecutive days after enrollment and inflammation or infection. So far, there is limited information
body weight was measured at d 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 14, 21, 28, 42 available about which of the respiratory disease signs better
and 56 after enrollment. predicts the infection and inflammation of the respiratory tract.
Results: The median days for resolution of an abnormal Therefore, this study aimed to identify the possible associ-
fecal score was 3.5 d (range = 0.5-11.5), 2.5 d (range = 0.5- ations between different APPs with clinical signs of respiratory
11), and 3 d (range = 0.5-7) in the CON, STC, and LTC groups, disease in dairy calves under field conditions and to assess
respectively. their potential as a diagnostic tool complementing current BRD
Using a Cox proportional hazards model, it was found that diagnosis.

108
Materials and Methods: Sixteen large Estonian commer- AH-29

cial dairy farms with >400 dairy cows were included in this
study. At each farm, five clinically healthy calves and five Comparison of total protein, antibody ELISA and
calves with clinical BRD signs in the age range of one to ten electrophoresis as tests for failed transfer of passive
weeks were selected. The following clinical parameters were immunity in calves in a Bayesian latent class analysis
measured in each calf: rectal temperature (°C; 0 = < 39.0, 1 Laurens Chantillon1, Giel Schoenmakers2, Jozefien Callens3, Jade
= 39.0–39.49, 2 = ≥39.5), respiratory rate (breaths/min; 0 = Bokma1, Bart Pardon1.
<45, 1 = ≥45), nasal discharge (0 = no, 1 = yes), cough (0 = no
cough, 1 = yes), and demeanor (0 = normal, 1 = depressed). Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population
1
Blood samples from the jugular vein of each calf were collect- Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent,
ed in EDTA tubes for Fib measurement and in serum tubes Belgium; 2Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent,
for SAA and Hp measurements. From one farm, six healthy Belgium; 3Flemish Animal Health Service, Torhout, Belgium.
calves were included, making for an overall sample size of 161
calves for SAA and Hp estimation. Fib measurements were Objective: Failure of passive transfer (FPT), the insuf-
performed from blood samples from 11 farms, making for an ficient transfer of passive maternal immunity to calves, is a
overall sample size of 110 calves. Serum Hp concentration leading risk factor for many calfhood diseases, mortality and
was determined using an ad hoc hemoglobin-binding assay. growth retardation. The prevalence of FPT is generally high
Serum SAA concentration was measured with a commercially and highly variable between farms. Regular monitoring of the
available ELISA kit. Plasma Fib concentration was measured FPT status of the herd is an essential element of calf health
using the heat precipitation method. Linear mixed-effect re- management. Direct tests (determining immunoglobulins) and
gression analysis with farm as random intercept was used to indirect tests (determining total protein as a proxy of immuno-
study the associations between the recorded clinical signs globulins) are available, among which total protein and brix
and concentrations of APPs; separate models were built for refractometry are most accessible and best validated. Radial
the three outcome variables Hp, SAA, and Fib. The final mod- immunodiffusion (RID) is often used as a gold standard test in
els were produced by backward elimination of the variables North America, but likely no real gold standard tests for FPT
from the original models. Age was controlled in the statistical exists. Capillary gel electrophoresis and antibody ELISA are
models, except for Hp, to avoid a possible confounding effect. offered in many European veterinary laboratories, but their di-
Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to identify the rela- agnostic accuracy to diagnose FPT has hardly been evaluat-
tionships between APPs. The modelling and the diagnostics ed. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the
were performed using Stata/IC 14.2. Results were interpreted diagnostic accuracy of capillary electrophoresis and a com-
as significant if p < 0.05. mercial antibody ELISA for FPT diagnosis in a Bayesian latent
Results: Clinical signs that were observed in calves were class framework with total protein refractometry as compara-
diarrhea (62.1%), increased rectal temperature (≥39.5°C; tive test.
36.0%), increased respiratory rate (29.2%), nasal discharge Materials and method: In this diagnostic test study, 200
(16.8%), cough (14.3%) and depressed demeanor (5.0%). clinically healthy calves (dairy and beef) of less than one week
Serum SAA concentration was positively associated with in- old were sampled for blood serum by practitioners through-
creased rectal temperature of ≥39.5°C. Hp levels was posi- out Flanders (Belgium) with a maximum of five samples per
tively associated with increased rectal temperature of ≥39.5°C farm. Subsequently, on each sample, total protein and the
and presence of nasal discharge. In case of Fib concentration, various serum protein fractions were determined by capillary
positive associations were found with increased rectal tem- electrophoresis (MiniCap Flex Piercing, Sebia, France), and
perature of ≥39.5°C, increased respiratory rate of ≥45 breaths/ serum immunoglobulin concentration was determined by ELI-
min, and calves exhibiting cough. SA (Bio-X Diagnostics ELISA kit for Bovine Immunoglobulin
Fib showed a moderate positive correlation with Hp (cor- Assays, Rochefort, Belgium). Subsequently, Bayesian latent
relation coefficient = 0.46) and SAA (correlation coefficient = class models in the statistical freeware program Winbugs
0.42) concentrations, whereas between Hp and SAA a weak (version 1.4.3., MRC Biostatistics unit, Cambridge, United
positive correlation (correlation coefficient = 0.32) was found. Kingdom) were used to determine the diagnostic accuracy
of the three tests. For this study, an independent model was
Conclusions: This study found association between se-
used in which both an uninformed and an informed model
rum APP concentrations and clinical signs of respiratory dis-
were run. In the first model, prior information on all parame-
ease in dairy calves. Increased rectal temperature (≥39.5°C)
ters was set at uninformative, beta(1,1). The second model
best represented the inflammation during respiratory disease
included informative priors on the prevalence FPT in Flanders
measured through elevated APPs. Calf-side tests for Fib mea-
(18%), and the third model included informative priors on the
surement could serve as valuable diagnostic tool to make
prevalence of FPT and the sensitivity (76%) and specificity
inferences about the presence of systemic inflammation and
(89%) of 51 g/L total protein as a cut-off for FPT. Priors for
to assess underlying tissue damage, thus aiding in treatment
the sensitivity (76%) and specificity (89%) of TP 51 g/L were
decisions.
estimated from a study of Buczinski et al. with 95th percen-
Acknowledgements: Authors are grateful to all the farms tile 60%. The priors were modeled using beta distribution pa-
and their staff that participated in the study. This work was rameters of the corresponding prior distributions (Epitools),
financed by the Estonian Research Council grant (PSG268). resulting in beta(21.1824;7.3734), beta(8.6849;1.9498), and
Keywords: Acute phase proteins, respiratory disease, beta(2.3087;6.9619) for sensitivity, specificity, and prevalence,
dairy calves. respectively. All models were run with 200.000 iterations.

109
Results: All models converged, and the prior and posterior and calves with an STP concentration < 5.0 or > 8.5 g/dL
densities of models 1 to 3 were very stable between models. should be considered at high risk for adverse health events.
Also, the deviance information criterion values of the three Keywords: colostrum, neonatal calf health, passive transfer.
models differed minimally (<2). As the informative priors nar-
rows the parameter uncertainty, model 3 is expected to be the
most accurate. Electrophoresis showed the highest sensitivity
and specificity with 98.1% (95% credibility interval (CI) = 90.0
– 99.9) and 99.3% (95% CI = 96.1 – 100), respectively. To-
AH-32
tal protein sensitivity and specificity were respectively 63.8%
(95% CI = 53.2 – 73.6) and 97.0% (95% CI = 93.4 – 99.0). The Eradication of Paratuberculosis from a Dairy Farm -
sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA were 95.5% (95% CI = Following the Administration of Mycobacterium vacccae
88.1 – 99.0) and 74.5% (95% CI = 66.8 – 81.3), respectively.
Daniel Elad1, Inna Lysnyansky1, Rama Falk2, Shlomo E. Blum1, Limor
Conclusion: Based on analysis of this dataset electropho- Weisbelith1, Inna Mikula1, Adin Shwimmer2.
resis appears a promising, near gold standard test for FPT,
which is readily available in many veterinary laboratories. Giv-
1
Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, Israel; 2National Service for
en the lower specificity of the evaluated antibody ELISA, we Udder Health & Milk Quality, Caesarea, Israel.
recommend evaluation of antibody ELISA in a similar frame-
work given the large differences in diagnostic accuracy be- Background: Paratuberculosis is a chronic enteric infec-
tween tests that may exist. tion, primarily of ruminants, that causes significant economic
Keywords: Maternal immunity, calf health, specificity, sen- losses, caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratubercu-
sitivity. losis (MAP). Young animals are at the highest infection risk.
To date, on-farm prevalence reduction is based on protecting
these animals from contact with the microorganism by hygien-
ic measures and by removing shedding animals, a long, ex-
pensive, and partially successful process.
AH-31 Mycobacterium vaccae is has been reported to have im-
munomodulatory and immunotherapeutic capabilities, by ac-
Effect of serum total protein concentration on early life tivation of the cellular immune system, of primary importance
health and growth of dairy calves in preventing paratuberculosis and its evolution to the clinical
Victor Cortese1, Mark A. Kirkpatrick2, Thomas H. Short3, Brian stage. We have previously demonstrated the safety of the oral
Voortman4. administration of live M. vaccae to new-born calves.
Objective: Assessment of the impact of introducing M.
1
Zoetis, Simpsonville, United States; 2Zoetis, Kuna, United States; vaccae on the prevalence of paratuberculosis in a dairy herd.
3
Zoetis, Parsippany, United States; 4Herd Health llc, Caldwell, United
Materials and Methods: Since some of the heifers were
States.
found, in a previous experiment, to shed M. vaccae and
thus expose eventual control animals to the microorganism,
Objective: To assess the effect of serum total protein a case-control study was not possible. Consequently, a “be-
(STP) concentration on the early life health and growth of dairy fore-after” experimental design was implemented. In this mod-
calves. Materials and Methods A total of 39,619 neonatal Hol- el, untreated animals that lived on the farm before the onset
stein, Jersey, and crossbred calves from 15 dairy operations. of the experiment served as negative controls. A dose of 1010
Calves arrived at a single calf-raising facility at approximate- CFU live M. vaccae was administered, by gavage, to all heif-
ly 2 days old. Each calf was weighed at facility arrival and a ers on the farm, within 24 hours of birth and 2 weeks later.
blood sample was obtained the next day for determination of The prevalence of paratuberculosis was assessed yearly by
STP concentration by refractometry. All calves were managed milk ELISA (mELISA). Fifty percent of cows aged 3 years,
in a standard manner, and health events were recorded for born within 3 years before the experiment’s onset, and all the
120 days. A subset of 3,214 calves was weighed at 120 days treated cows were tested, at the same age, by qPCR for MAP
old, and the average daily gain (ADG) was calculated. Linear shedding. Management improvements that might have had a
mixed models were used to assess the effect of STP concen- bearing on the prevalence of MAP were not implemented dur-
tration on specific health events. Results STP concentration ing the experiment’s period. Paratuberculosis positivity was
was associated with the incidences of death, diarrhea, pneu- not considered a reason to remove cows from the farm.
monia, and whether a calf received IV fluid therapy. In gener- Results: The rate of mELISA positive cows was reduced
al, the incidence of adverse health events decreased as STP from 6% to 0% within 3 years and remained unchanged there-
concentration increased to 6.0 g/dL, plateaued at STP con- after. 48.9% oh highly positive cows reverted to being mELISA
centrations between 6.0 and 8.5 g/dL, and increased at STP negative. Interestingly these cows were not treated with M.
concentrations > 8.5 g/dL. Although STP concentration was vaccae but were likely to have been exposed to the micro-
not associated with ADG, the ADG for Holsteins increased as organism from their environment. Due to the disrepair of the
STP concentration increased to 8.5 g/dL and then decreased dairy’s fencing, shedding heifers mingled with the adult an-
at STP concentrations > 8.5 g/dL. Conclusion Results sug- imals, thus exposing them to M. vaccae. The rate of qPCR
gested that, for neonatal dairy calves, an STP concentration positive control cows was 2.46% whereas that of the treated
between 6.0 and 8.5 g/dL was optimal for health and growth, cows was 1%. Four years after the onset of the experiment

110
(October 2019) 2 control shedding cows, still on the farm, be- coli F5). Faecal samples may also be evaluated for the mi-
came qPCR negative. The test cow continued shedding MAP crobiome composition when significant changes in the results
and was removed from the herd in December 2020 due to will be identified. Serum samples were taken at 1, 7, 14, and
infertility. One additional test cow turned mELISA positive in 21 days of age to determine serum antibody levels to bovine
February 2021 but did not shed MAP when tested in June of coronavirus, rotavirus, and E. coli F5. Additionally, total serum
the same year. The cow is still in the herd. IgG concentration was determined in the sample taken on day
Conclusions: The results of this study, seemingly un- 1 to evaluate the transfer of passive immunity. Outcomes were
precedented, indicate, pending further confirmation, that the analysed in multivariate statistical models controlling for calf
introduction of live M. vaccae reduces paratuberculosis prev- age, passive transfer of immunity status, parity of dam and
alence to the verge of eradication conceivably resulting from other potential confounders. In outcomes evaluating serial
its immunoprophylactic and immunotherapeutic activity, in an measures on calves, a repeated measures design was used.
economic, safe, and straightforward manner, even without the Results: The study is ongoing. Preliminary results are pre-
implementation of paratuberculosis mitigating management sented from 19 treatment calves and 21 control calves. The
measures. passive transfer of immunity in all calves was adequate to
Keywords: Paratuberculosis, Dairy Herd, Live Mycobac- good and similar for both the treatment and the control calves.
terium vaccae, Eradication. Limited enteric and respiratory disease has not revealed any
significant effect of treatment on preweaning health in the
calves. The ADG in the preweaning period of the calves was
above 1 kg/day and no significant difference in ADG between
treatment and control calves in the first month, the second
month, or the overall preweaning period was observed. The
AH-33
faecal samples collected on day 7, 14, and 21 of age were all
The effect of colostrum supplementation during the first negative for coronavirus and E. coli F5. There was a non-sig-
5 days of life on calf morbidity, enteric pathogens, weight nificant trend for more rotavirus positive samples in control
gain and immunological response calves on day 7 and 14 of age and more cryptosporidia pos-
itive samples in control calves on day 14 of age compared
Anna Catharina Berge1, Pleun Penterman2, Iris Kolkman3, Geert to treatment calf samples. Furthermore, faecal levels of clos-
Vertenten2. tridia on day 14 of age were non-significantly higher in con-
Berge Veterinary Consulting, Vollezele, Belgium; 2MSD Animal
1 trol calves compared to treatment calves. The specific serum
Health, Boxmeer, Netherlands; 3A7 Noord Dierenartsen, Drachten, antibody levels against rotavirus, coronavirus, and E. coli F5
Netherlands. were not significantly different between treatment and control
calves. It may be decided to do a faecal microbiome analysis
if significant differences will be found between treatment and
Objectives: The objective of this study is to investigate control group to see if prolonged colostrum administration may
the preweaning health, performance, immunity, and enteric have a positive effect on the microbiome and be an explana-
pathogen shedding in calves supplemented with colostrum tion for the significant findings.
from dams vaccinated against rotavirus, coronavirus and
Conclusion: This study indicates a trend towards lower
Escherichia coli F5 during five days after birth compared to
excretion of cryptosporidia and rotavirus in preweaning calves
non-supplemented calves.
supplemented with colostrum from vaccinated dams.
Material & methods: On a commercial dairy farm, healthy
Keywords: Prolonged colostrum feeding, calf health, im-
and viable new-born calves from vaccinated (Bovilis® Rota-
munity, enteric pathogens.
vec Corona) dams received at least 3 liters of colostrum from
their own dam in the first 24h after birth and were randomly as-
signed to the colostrum supplementation treatment (treatment
calves) or control treatment (control calves). The colostrum
supplementation treatment consisted of the addition of a liter
of previously frozen colostrum (from Bovilis® Rotavec Corona AH-34
vaccinated cows) to the milk replacer on the second day of
Prevalence of tail injuries in German Dairy cows
life and a half a liter of previously frozen colostrum to the milk
replacer on day 3, 4 and 5 of life. Control calves similarly re- Prisca V. Kremer-Rücker, Saskia Meier.
ceived once daily the same amount of supplement made from
Hochschule Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences,
skimmed milk with similar protein and fat composition as the
Triesdorf, Germany.
colostrum supplement. The daily milk intake and health pa-
rameters were monitored during the first week of life. Calves
were weighed at birth, on day 28, and at weaning (approx. Objectives: Tail injuries especially often occur in fattening
two months of age). Average daily gain (ADG) for the differ- bulls. Their prevalence increases, when beef cattle are housed
ent periods was calculated. Faecal samples were taken at 7, on slatted floors. The origin of tail tip inflammation and necro-
14, and 21 days of age. Additionally, on the first day of diar- sis is often reported as technopathy, irritation due to manure
rhoeal disease diagnosis a faecal sample was collected. The contact or itching followed by scratching, but also subacute
presence of faecal pathogens was determined using a rapid rumen acidosis and laminitis seem to occur in association with
ELISA kit (rotavirus, coronavirus, Cryptosporidia, Clostridia, E. tail tip injuries in fattening bulls. Several kinds of tail tip scor-

111
ing systems already exist, foremost for fattening cattle. These AH-35
scoring systems include between 4 to 6 grades of severity, but
do not differentiate between different kinds of tail alterations. Nutritional supplementation of a multi-strains yeast
In literature, prevalences measuring tail alterations in fattening fraction improves health and increases beneficial gut
bulls range from 5% up to 90%. In dairy cows, prevalences microbiota of pre-weaned dairy calves
between 2.5 and 7.7 % have been reported. Clothilde Villot1, Edyta Kowalczuk-Vasilev2, Lysiane Dunière1,
Since tail alterations in dairy cows are not investigated very Marine Gauthier3, Eric Chevaux1.
well, the aim of this study was to develop a scoring system, 1
Lallemand SAS, Blagnac, France; 2University of Lublin, Lublin,
which covers different kinds of tail alterations detected in dairy
Poland; 3Lallemand BIO, Blagnac, France.
cows and could be used to phenotype this trait as a first step
towards animal health improvement. Secondly, histo-patho-
logical and clinical evaluations will follow to be associated with Objectives: High morbidity and mortality rates of calves
the scoring group and grade of severity. during pre-weaning period will dramatically impact the sustain-
Material & Methods: Data collection started in Decem- ability of the farm. The reduction of the prophylactic treatments
ber 2019 from a German 75 German Holstein (HOL) cows in calves production has contributed to the development of
dairy herd. All cows were examined every two weeks during new microbial-based solutions to improve gut heath and con-
six months regarding any kind of tail alterations. The findings sequently production. The objective was to determine the ef-
were described and photographed. Data analysis resulted in fect on health of a multi-strains yeast fractions product (MSYF)
seven different kinds of tail alterations: 1. very tip of the tail, 2. introduced to the calves’ diet during the rearing period (5-65
ring-like, 3. scurf, 4. swelling, 5. thinning, 6. axis anomalies, day of life).
and 7. verruca-like mass. Materials and methods: Thirty Holstein calves born from
Hereinafter, prevalences for the observed tail alterations late June to mid-November 2019, in a medium-size (500 milk-
were calculated based on monthly data collection from five dif- ing cows) dairy farm in Poland were enrolled in the study. All
ferent dairy herds: 3 HOL herds, counting average herd sizes calves received the colostrum from the dam within 2 h and 2.5
of 75, 300, and 1300, respectively; 2 German Fleckvieh (FV) L of transition milk, 2 times a day until 5 days of age. At enroll-
herds, counting 60 cows, each. All cows were housed in free ment, 6 days-old calves, were individually housed and were
stall barns with conventional (HOL, FV) or automatic milking offered daily 8 L of MR, divided in 2 equal meals, in buckets,
systems (FV). at a dilution rate of 0.125kg /L, providing 4.6 Mcal metaboliz-
able energy (ME) /kg of dry matter (DM) (21.9% crude protein
In total, 4443 Dairy Cows' Tail Scores were recorded. Data
and 18% fat). They had ad-libitum access to water and pel-
preparation and analysis were performed using R version
leted starter (3.55 Mcal ME/kg DM). Calves were randomly
4.1.2. Prevalences for tail alterations were calculated by di-
assigned in the two experimental groups, designated as sup-
viding the number of observations within by the total number
plemented (MSYF) and Control (C), stratified by dam’s parity,
of observations of each kind of tail alteration and was given
gender and initial BW. Supplemented calves received 0.8 g of
in percent. For calculating the total prevalence per breed and
a MSYF /kg of MR, diluted in the MR meals for the whole ex-
farm, the occurrence of at least one tail alteration counted as
periment. Fecal consistency (scores) was scored daily by the
an observation, was divided by the total number of cows under
research team during the morning feeding using a 1 (firm) to 4
investigation and given in percent.
(watery) scale (Wenge et al., 2014). Two fecal samples were
Results: The overall prevalence for any kind of tail al- collected at time = 10 days and time = 60 days of the trial for
teration was 88% in German Holstein and 99% in Fleckvieh each calf. Incidence of health disorders was recorded daily for
cows; it varied between farms from 74% to 99%. Prevalences each animal. Every abnormal health condition such as fever
for HOL and FV regarding alterations of the very tip of the tail or bronchitis as well as every treatment (antibiotic, electrolyte
were 26% and 71%, ring-like alterations 24% and 30%, swell- therapy) was recorded.
ing 26% and 42%, scurf 55% and 60%, thinning combined with
A linear mixed model was performed to assess the impact
axis anomalies 16% and 21%, and verruca-like mass 10% and
of the supplementation on the different parameters measured.
21%, respectively. Number per tail ranged for ring-like alter-
Calf was used as random effect, sex, group, and sex*group
ations and thinning/axis anomalies from 1 to 5 and for verru-
interaction were used as fixed effects and initial BW as a co-
ca-like mass from 1 to 3.
variate. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS
Conclusion: During this study, high prevalences for differ- v.25 and RStudio.
ent tail alterations in HOL and FV dairy cows were found out.
Results: No calves of MSYF group experienced respira-
The grouping of different alterations as described above can
tory diseases during the trial whereas 50% of the non-sup-
be useful to phenotype tail alterations in dairy cows. However,
plemented calves had respiratory problems (P = 0.034). In
further investigations regarding pathogenesis, aetiology, and
addition, the number of diarrhea cases was lower for MYSF
genetics of the observed alterations in dairy cows' tails are
compared to Control group (2.2 vs. 0.9/calf respectively, P =
needed to understand their origin and impact on animal health
0.007) as well as the duration of the diarrhea case (5.6 vs. 2.9
and welfare.
days/calf respectively, P = 0.005). Consequently, a lower fecal
Funding: This research was funded by the Tönnies For- score was reported all along the trial for MYSF compared to
schung, Rheda, Germany. Control calves (1.6 vs 1.9 respectively, P = 0.002). Along with
Keywords: tail injuries, tail necrosis, tail inflammation, tail those observations, a lower number of calves received a ther-
alterations, dairy cows. apeutic treatment in MSYF group compared to Control group

112
(18.8 and 62.5% respectively, P = 0.034), and the average calves were examined.
number of therapeutic treatment used for MSYF calves was To determine the herd-level prevalence of BRD in the calf
lower compared to Control calves (0.3 vs 2.7/calf respective- house, 20 randomly selected calves between 4 and 6 weeks
ly, P = 0.005). Finally, less MSYF calves were supplemented old were assessed in two ways. Firstly, clinical signs of BRD
with electrolytes compared to Control calves (37.5 vs. 81.3% were assessed using the Wisconsin Respiratory Scoring Sys-
respectively, P = 0.035). From a fecal microbiota standpoint, tem. Secondly, a thoracic ultrasound (TU) was performed by
MYSF supplementation in neonate calves increased milk as- one veterinarian using a Linear 5 MHz ultrasound probe (Easy
sociated bacteria (Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus) and benefi- Scan Go, IMV). Each calf was assigned a TU score between
cial mucinolytic Akkermansia (stimulation of mucine produc- 0 and 5, with 0 indicating healthy lungs, 1 indicating diffuse
tion, and immune system) which might have improved milk comet tails, 2 indicating patchy consolidation, 3 indicating lo-
metabolism compared to Control and optimize the nutrients bar consolidation, 4 indicating lobar pneumonia affecting two
supply from this feed. lobes and 5 indicating pneumonia affecting more than two
Conclusions: The overall health of pre-weaned calves lobes. A score 3 or greater was considered a case of TU-BRD.
was significantly improved when they received daily a multi- An Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) model was used to inves-
strains yeast fractions supplementation. Consequently, less tigate the association between housing type and the herd-level
therapeutic treatment was applied to the supplemented calves. prevalence of BRD as assessed by TU. As the distribution of
This better health could be explained by an enrichment of ben- BRD prevalence within housing type was not normal, a Krus-
eficial gut microbiota of supplemented calves likely involved in kal-Wallis rank sum test was conducted.
a better valorization of the milk.
Results: In total, 1,258 calves were examined by TU.
Keywords: health, prebiotic, yeast fraction, microbiota, Across all calves, the mean prevalence TU-BRD was 10%.
calf. The minimum, maximum and median prevalence TU-BRD in
the 5 predominant housing types was:
1. Duo pitch (n=28) (Median Prevalence = 5%, Min = 0%,
Max = 45%)
AH-37 2. Round-top houses with additional lean-to roof(s)

(n=12) (Median Prevalence= 15%, Min =0%, Max =
Relationship between calf housing design and bovine 80%)
respiratory disease prevalence in pre-weaned Irish dairy 3. Mono pitch (n=10) (Median Prevalence = 7.5%, Min =
calves 0%, Maximum = 30%)
John Denis Donlon1, Conor McAloon1, John Mee2. 4. Round Top (n= 9) (Median Prevalence = 0%, Min =
0%, Max = 10%)
1
University College Dublin, School of Veterinary Medicine, University
College Dublin, Belfield, Co. Dublin, Republic of Ireland; 2Teagasc, 5. Lean to (n = 5) (Median Prevalence = 0%, Min = 0%,
Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark Max = 15%)
Fermoy Co.Cork, Republic of Ireland. There was a difference in the mean prevalence of TU-BRD
cases between the different housing types (p < 0.05). The ep-
silon squared was 0.153 which is considered a medium ef-
Objectives: Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a signif-
fect size. A post hoc analysis relieved differences between the
icant welfare and economic problem in housed dairy calves
mean prevalence of TU-BRD in round-top houses compared
internationally. While the type of housing, the environment
to round-top houses with lean-to roofs (p <0.05), and between
within and the management of that environment are signifi-
lean-to houses and round-top houses with additional lean-to
cant factors influencing the prevalence of BRD, the relative
roofs (p <0.05). However, when these p values were adjusted
importance of each of these risk factors is unclear. Hence, the
using the Holm-Bonferroni method for multiple comparisons,
objective of this study was to determine the interrelationships
these differences were no longer considered significant.
between housing type, housing environment, management
factors and the prevalence of BRD. Conclusion: The relationship between predominant calf
housing designs present on Irish dairy farms and BRD prev-
Materials and Methods: Spring-calving dairy farms (n=64)
alence remain unclear. The wide variation in the prevalence
throughout the Republic of Ireland were either randomly re-
of TU-BRD between farms could not be solely attributed to
cruited (n= 39) or referred as BRD problem herds (n= 24) by
the design aspects of calf housing investigated above. Further
Regional Veterinary Laboratories. Farms were visited in 2020
analysis of the temperature, relative humidity and air quality
and in 2021;Each farm was visited twice: once one month prior
data collected in this study may contribute to a better under-
to the calving season to allow for installation of temperature
standing of the interactions between calf housing and BRD.
and relative humidity sensors in a calf pen, and a second time
during the spring period when the calf house was occupied. Keywords: BRD, Housing, Envrionment, Thoracic Ultra-
At the second visit, housing type, environment, calf manage- sound.
ment and respiratory health were characterised. To do this,
housing type was recorded and the dimensions measured,
Temperature and relative humidity sensors were recovered,
air samples were taken to quantify bacterial load, a survey of
calf management practices was conducted, and pre-weaned

113
AH-38 arrhea incidence was 21% and calves averaged 97.79 cm in

height at 90 d of age.
Effect of colostrum replacer fat content on thermogenesis,
Conclusions: In conclusion, feeding a full fat colostrum
calf behavior, health and growth
derived colostrum replacer versus a partially defatted form had
Ainhoa Valldecabres1, Michael Nagorske2, Deborah Haines2, Manuel a positive effect on thermogenesis, led to higher body weight
Campos2, Alfonso Lago1. and body weight gain within 127 d of age, and may have had
a positive effect on respiratory disease, despite lower serum
DairyExperts, Tulare, United States; 2SCCL, Saskatoon, Canada.
1
total protein and IgG within 60 h after 1st feeding.
Keywords: Calves, Colostrum, Fat, Thermogenesis.
Objective: The objective of this study was to determine
the effect of colostrum replacer fat content on thermogenesis,
calf behavior and growth.
Materials and methods: A total of 58 Holstein female
calves were assigned to Control Colostrum Replacer (CCR; AH-39
colostrum replacer at 20% IgG and 22% fat) or Defatted Co-
lostrum Replacer (DCR; colostrum replacer at 20% IgG and Effect of dry needle acupuncture to reduce rectal
5.7% fat) manufactured by SCCL (SK, Canada). Calves were temperature in dairy cows using a single needle on
tube fed CCR or DCR providing 150 g of IgG at 1 h and 100 g acupuncture point GV14 (Da-zhui)
of IgG at 12 h after birth. At 0 (before 1st feeding), 6, 12, 18,
Aurora Villarroel1, Yoojean Song2, Alice Nakasone2, Dana Tsuchida2.
24, 36, 48 and 60 h after birth, vital signs [heart rate (HR), re-
spiratory rate (RR) and rectal temperature (RT)], shivering and Athyr Vet, LLC, Philomath, OR, United States; 2Oregon State
1
posture (lying or standing) were assessed, and blood samples University, Corvallis, OR, United States.
were collected. Temperature data loggers were inserted into
the vagina and accelerometers were placed in the right hind Objective: To compare the effect of a single common-
leg to evaluate lying behavior from 1st colostrum replacer feed- ly-used size hypodermic needle on acupoint GV14 (Governing
ing to 60 h after at 2- and 1-min intervals, respectively. Body Vessel 14) versus no needle for the reduction of naturally oc-
weight and height were determined at birth, 90±2 and 127±6 curring fever in commercial Holstein dairy cows.
d after birth. Disease treatment records were collected up to
the end of the study. Multivariable linear or logistic regression Materials and Methods: Animals eligible for inclusion in
were used for continuous and categorical data, respectively. this study were lactating Holstein dairy cows with a rectal tem-
perature greater than 103.0 °F that were not receiving any oth-
Results: Loggers’ temperature readings were higher for er treatment or cooling interventions. Sample size calculation
CCR than DCR calves (38.81±0.03 vs. 38.76±0.03 °C; P = to detect 1.0 °F difference (alpha= 5%, power= 90%) showed
0.04). Serum IgG and total protein within 60 h after 1st feeding the need of a minimum of 10 cows, when using the same ani-
were lower for CCR calves [14.07±0.64 vs. 17.40±0.63 mg/mL mals as their own controls.
(P < 0.001); 5.04±0.07 vs. 5.30±0.07 g/dL (P = 0.01)]. Calves
Animals with rectal temperature ≥103.0°F (Temp0) were
fed CCR had higher body weight and average daily gain by 90
enrolled in the study and the control period of the study
d of age [96.44±2.02 vs. 89.95 kg±2.06 (P = 0.03); 0.65±0.02
started. After 20 minutes, temperature was measured again
vs. 0.58±0.02 kg/d (P = 0.01)] and 127 d of age [139.75±3.27
(Temp1) and if fever persisted, an 18 G x 1.5 inch hypodermic
vs. 129.14 kg±3.27 (P = 0.03); 0.81±0.02 vs. 0.71±0.02 kg/d
needle was placed on acupoint GV14 for 20 (Temp2). Rectal
(P = 0.001)]. Respiratory disease incidence was double for
temperature was measured again 20 minutes after needle re-
DCR calves (Relative risk = 2.00; 95% CI = 0.86 to 4.60; P =
moval (Temp3).
0.09) (tendency). Thus, the incidence of respiratory disease
was 41% for calves assigned to DCR and 21% for calves as- The difference between the average change in tem-
signed to CCR. Furthermore, a total of 2 calves assigned to perature within each cow during the control period (no nee-
DCR vs. 1 calf assigned to CCR died during the study period. dle, Temp1-Temp0), during the 20-minute trial period (GV14
needle, Temp2-Temp1) and 20 minutes post needle removal
Overall, no statistically significant differences were ob-
(Temp3-Temp0) was analyzed by 1-sided paired t-test with a
served for vital signs (RT, HR and RR), observed (shivering
level of significance of P<0.05, because acupuncture on GV14
and posture) and accelerometers behavior measures, height
was expected to reduce fever, never to increase temperature.
and diarrhea treatments. Average RT was 38.78 °C, HR was
150.03 beats per min, and RR was 47.67 respirations per min- The question arose during the study whether longer dura-
ute. A total of 9 calves were observed shivering at 6 h, 3 at 12 tion of needle placement would have any effect on the drop in
h; 4 at 18 h, 1 at 24 and 60 h, and no calves were shivering at temperature. Therefore, a second set of cows was enrolled,
36 and 48 h. Accelerometers’ data showed that calves spent where some retained the needle for 20 minutes and others for
50 h and 55 min or 86.37% of the time lying down (also calves 40 minutes. Temperature at 60 minutes post placement was
were lying down 78.77% of the times when posture was ob- compared by a 2-sided t-test for independent means with a
served) and had 42.52 standing bouts during the first 60 h level of significance of P<0.05.
after birth. However, when two influential observations defined Results: In total, 11 Holstein dairy cows were enrolled in
as observations with studentized residuals above |4| SD were the original study. Mean temperature difference during the
excluded, lying time was higher for DCR (52 h and 15 min) 20-minute control period was + 0.04 ± 0.23 °F. Mean tem-
than for CCR calves (50 h and 39 min); P = 0.04. Finally, di- perature difference for the same cows during the first 20-min-

114
ute study period with GV14 acupuncture was - 0.37 ± 0.28

°F. Overall, acupuncture on GV14 decreased temperature by
-0.41 °F more than no intervention (P<0.001).
In the subsequent, 22 Holstein dairy cows were enrolled;
11 cows had the needle placed in acupuncture point GV14
for 20 minutes and 11 cows had it placed for 40 minutes.
Mean temperature difference 60 minutes after initial needle
placement was - 0.55 ± 0.43 °F for cows with a 20-minute
placement and - 0.08 ± 0.53 °F for the cows with a 40-minute
placement (P=0.045).
Conclusion: Acupuncture with a commonly-used size hy-
podermic needle on acupoint GV14 is an effective method of
reducing fever in dairy cows. The difference in temperature
change between animals seems to be associated with the
disease causing the fever (diagnosis) as well as the potential
duration of clinical signs (acute versus chronic disease).
Acupuncture is a viable option for reduction of fever in ani-
mals where pharmaceuticals cannot be used due to withdraw-
al concerns, adverse reactions, or organic farming limitations.
Additionally, acupuncture at GV14 can be a useful tool to help
stabilize patients while further treatment options are being ex-
plored and discussed with the owner.
Keywords: Acupuncture, fever, cows, GV14.

115
ORAL — Buffaloes and Camelids
BC-01 BC-02
Study on efficacy of anthelmintic drugs in German alpaca Abortion in Alpaca and seroprevalence to Leptospira sp. in
farm a herd in Treviso, Italy
Luise Kultscher1, Barbara Hinney1, Ronald Schmäschke2, Anja Matteo Cornaggia1, Luca Palazzolo2, Letizia Ceglie3, Laura Bellinati3,
Joachim1, Thomas Wittek1. Laura Viel2, Ernesto Pascotto4, Luca Zandonà4, Giovanni Trombetta5,
Luca Bano2, Alda Natale3.
1
Veterinary University Vienna, Vienna, Austria; 2University Leipzig,
Leipzig, Germany. 1
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Padova -
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia ed Emilia-
Romagna, Brescia, Italy; 2Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Istituto
Objectives: Endoparasites are considered a major health Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Treviso, Italy; 3Veterinary
problem of South American camelids. Although prophylactic Diagnostic Laboratory, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle
and therapeutic measures such as application of anthelmint- Venezie, Padova, Italy; 4Animal Health Veterinary Service, Unità
ics are commonly used, treatment efficacy is typically not Locale Socio-sanitaria 2 “Marca Trevigiana”, Treviso, Italy; 5Private
assessed. In a previous study a number of alpaca owners Veterinarian, Paese, Italy.
expressed significant concerns regarding the efficacy of an-
thelmintic treatment; further imported animals from countries
with higher percentages of anthelmintic resistances may also Objective: Leptospirosis is a zoonosis affecting all mam-
contribute to decreased efficacy of anthelmintic drugs. The mals sustained by Leptospira sp.
present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of anthelmintic Leptospira is worldwide distributed due to its persistence
treatment with different anthelmintic drugs in German alpaca in humid environments and, to many asymptomatic carriers,
herds. spreading the pathogen for longtime through urines.
Material and Methods: Overall, 617 samples from 538 Several studies conducted in South America on new world
clinically healthy alpacas >1 year from 27 farms (n=11-157 camelids revealed a widespread seroprevalence to Leptospira
animals/herd) were examined. After initial coproscopic exami- sp. rising from 6,5 to 89,6% with various serovars positivity
nation by flotation and strongylid egg quantification (McMaster and different antibody titers (Rosadio, 2015).
technique), animals with at least 150 eggs per gram faeces Alpacas seem to not develop any clinical signs of leptospi-
were included in a faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) rosis but only some reproductive disorders such as abortion,
using fenbendazole (FBZ; n=71 samples), moxidectin (MOX; infertility, and stillbirth (Tibary, 2006).
n=71) or monepantel (MON; n=66) which are the most com- Materials and methods: In July 2021, a 9-month-old al-
monly used drugs in Germany. paca’s abortion belonged to an educational farm was deliv-
Results: The most frequent parasites detected by flotation ered to the Diagnostic Service of IZSVe, Treviso, Italy for di-
were Eimeria spp. (75.1%) followed by strongylids (55.0%), agnostic purposes.
Nematodirus spp. (19.3%), cestodes (3.1%) and Trichuris Placenta, liver, kidney and lung samples were processed
(2.7%). Pre-treatment larval cultures (n=23 positive pooled as routine histological investigation.
farm samples) revealed Haemonchus (87.0% of the sam-
Major abortion pathogens (Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus;
ples), Cooperia (43.5%), Trichostrongylus (21.7%), Ostertagia
Chlamydia sp., Coxiella burnetii, Neospora caninum, Schmal-
(13.0%), Nematodirus and Oesophagostomum (4.3% each).
lenberg virus) were investigated through molecular methods.
On average FBZ treatment reduced egg excretion by 45%,
MOX by 91% and MON by 96%. On the farm level, 13/18 Investigations into bacteria were carried out on Campylo-
farms that used FBZ, 6/6 farms that used MOX and 2/5 farms bacter sp., Salmonella sp., and Listeria sp., and the content of
that used MON had individual FECR values <90% (FBZ) or abomasum was cultivated in standard bacteriological media.
95% (MOX, MON). Haemonchus and Cooperia were overrep- Leptospira sp. was suspected as a cause of abortion.
resented on the farms with reduced treatment efficacy. A real-time PCR (rPCR) was conducted on DNA extracted
Conclusions: Gastrointestinal strongylids are common in from lung, kidney, and spleen following the protocol previously
German alpacas and especially FBZ was not sufficiently effec- described (Smythe, 2002).
tive to reduce strongylid egg excretion. Although the FECRT Urines and blood sera of all animals in the herd (3 llamas;
could not unambiguously determine anthelmintic resistance in 25 alpacas) were collected monthly from the beginning of the
the present study, the finding that small ruminant strongylids, outbreak (July, August and September).
especially Haemonchus, are common in alpacas indicates Frozen sera collected on December 2020 (before the event
that determination of effective anthelmintic doses for alpacas, of abortion) for other diagnostic purposes were also analyzed
monitoring of efficacy and adapted (targeted selective) treat- to compare the results obtained in July 2021.
ment regimens must be implemented as part of sustainable
Antibody titers were established by means of microagglu-
deworming practices.
tination test (MAT; OIE, 2021) while urine samples were ana-
Keywords: Alpacas, endoparasites, antiparasitic drugs, lyzed in rPCR.
drug efficay.
Results: The carcass was partially mummified and a dif-
fuse hemorrhagic infiltration in organs and subcutis was re-
corded.
Histologically, a mild degree of autolysis was observed. Le-

116
sions were characterized by hemorrhagic infiltration in organs. BC-03

A necrotic placentitis occurred.
Serum metabolomics assessment of etiological processes
Molecular and microbiological investigations gave nega-
tive results, except for rPCR against Leptospira sp. that result-
predisposing ketosis in water buffalo through the 1H-NMR
ed mild positive in the kidney of the aborted fetus. The weak
spectroscopy
Ct recorded in rPCR did not permit the sequencing of the am- Enrico Fiore1, Anastasia Lisuzzo1, Luca Laghi2, Kevin Harvatine3, Elisa
plicon. Mazzotta4, Maria Chiara Alterisio5, Matteo Gianesella1, Chenglin
The mother of the aborted fetus was tested for Leptospira Zhu6, Barbara Contiero1, Vanessa Faillace1, Paolo Ciaramella5,
sp. antibodies resulting negative before and after the outbreak. Massimo Morgante1, Jacopo Guccione5.
The serological study conducted to detect specific antibod- 1
University of Padua, Legnaro, Italy; 2University of Bologna, Cesena,
ies against a panel of 9 pathogenic serovars (Grippotypho- Italy; 3Pennsylvania State University, State College, United States;
sa; Copenagheni; Icterohaemorrhagiae; Pomona; Canicola, 4
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy;
Tarassovi, Bratislava, Ballum, Hardjo) revealed a seroprev- 5
University of Napoli, Napoli, Italy; 6Southwest Minzu University,
alence of 21,4%, 10,7%, 53,6% and, 28,6% to one or more Chengdu, China.
serovars at December, July, August and September, respec-
tively. The antibody titers varied from 1:100 to 1:6400; males
showed a higher seroprevalence (p 0,0219) and a higher me- Objectives: The transition period is critically important to
dian of 1:200 titer values. health and profitability of dairy buffaloes. The metabolic adap-
The most frequent serovar detected was Icterohaemorrha- tation to negative energy balance (NEB) induced by the con-
giae; followed by Copenagheni, Grippotyphosa and Pomona. siderable increment of energy and nutrient requirements is still
No symptoms were recorded at any times, nor was ob- one of the major concerns that may decrease the productivity
served molecular positivity on urine. and predispose to different disorders. An inadequate metabol-
ic adaptation is characterized by elevated concentrations of
Conclusions: Our work confirmed a probable pathogenic
β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). Nevertheless, a specifically BHB
role of Leptospira sp. in new world camelids in Italy, as sug-
threshold for dairy buffaloes is not established and dairy cows’
gested by other authors in Europe (Rüfli, 2011).
reference are often used. The metabolic processes can be in-
Even if the rPCR on the aborted fetus gave a weak pos- vestigated using the metabolomics approach, which reflects
itivity and no bacterial DNA was detected in urine samples, the animals’ health status. The aim of the current study was
serological investigations allowed us to confirm the Leptospira to use the metabolic approach, specifically with the 1H-NMR,
infection within the herd. to assess the metabolomic profile of Mediterranean buffaloes
In absence of a clear seroconversion, it has been impos- (MBs) to investigate the metabolic changes associated with
sible to date the beginning of the outbreak. Due to the high different levels of energy deficit.
persistent titers in the same subjects, probably the abortion Materials and methods: The current cross-sectional
represented its final event. investigation received an institutional approval by the Eth-
In a public health vision, to limit the zoonotic risk, a par- ical Animal Care and Use Committee of the University of
enteral antimicrobial treatment with doxycycline for at least 2 Naples Federico II (n.PG/2017/0099607). Sixty-two Italian
weeks was encouraged by the Public Veterinary Service in MBs were selected within the entire group of fresh buffa-
combination with the official detention of the animals until a loes (< 50 days in milk) from a single high-yielding dairy
sink in the antibody titers. farm. All the buffaloes received a complete clinical exam-
Male alpacas showed higher seroprevalence and a higher ination before sampling to exclude clinical ketosis or other
median of antibody titers with respect to females, included the pathological statuses. The blood samples were collected
one who aborted. In cows, it is known that chronically infected from jugular vein into tubes containing clot activator to ob-
subjects can remain seronegative, while very few studies were tain serum for biochemical and metabolomic analysis. Ac-
conducted in bulls. cording to serum BHB concentration, animals were divided
Although urine collection in alpacas can be challenging, into two groups: Group healthy (Group - H) consisting of 37
rPCR performed on this matrix is highly recommended to en- MBs with a level of BHB < 0.70 mmol/L and Group at risk
sure the diagnosis. Authors intend to emphasize the complex- of hyperketonemia (Group - RK) made by 25 MBs with a
ity of the diagnosis of leptospirosis and the need to combine level BHB ≥ 0.70 mmol/L. The statistical differences for bio-
multiple diagnostic tools for a proper epidemiological investi- chemical parameters and metabolite’s concentration were
gation to create management protocols that mitigate the zoo- performed by one-way ANOVA and Wilcoxon test according
notic risk. to data distribution. A post hoc pairwise comparison among
Keywords: Alpaca leptospirosis, Alpaca abortion, Lepto- metabolite concentrations was performed using Bonfer-
spira sp. roni correction. A p-value<0.05 was accepted, whereas a
0.05≤p-value≤0.10 was considered as trend to significance.
A robust principal component analysis (rPCA), a partial
least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) with variable
importance in projects (VIP), and the metabolic pathways
overrepresentation analysis (ORA) were generated to sum-
marize the structure of the data and to highlight the meta-
bolic pathways influenced by BHB concentration.

117
Results: Among biochemical parameters, only AST was er Ingelheim, Germany) and pasteurized whole cow's milk. At
significantly increased in Group - RK. A total of fifty-seven me- admission, the cria presented pale mucosae, tachycardia, and
tabolites were identified in serum samples: 27 amino acids moderate dehydration. The hemogasanalysis underlined se-
and derivates, 9 organic acids, 5 alcohols, 4 carbohydrates, 3 vere hypoglycaemia (1.1 mmol/L) and anaemia (haematocrit
amine and derivates, 2 fatty acids, 2 ketone bodies, 1 sulfone, 17%, haemoglobin 5.6 g/dl). The complete blood count (CBC)
1 vitamin, 1 imidazole, 1 nucleoside, and 1 guanidine. Six of confirmed mild, regenerative anaemia. The blood smear re-
the identified metabolites showed a statistically significance, vealed numerous small basophilic coccoid structures attached
specifically: glycerol, taurine, and creatinine showed a signif- to the surface of erythrocytes compatible with Candidatus M.
icant reduction in Group - RK, whereas acetone, acetate and haemolamae infection. In addition, parasitology examination
3-hydroxybutyrate showed a significant increase. In addition, of the faeces revealed severe coccidian infestation. To con-
six metabolites showed a trend toward significance: methanol, firm the presence of Candidatus M. haemolamae, a portion
proline, and glycine were reduced in Group - RK, whereas for- of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified using a species-specific
mate, citrate, glutamate were increased. The rPCA analysis real-time PCR on blood samples collected at day of admis-
failed to cluster groups, while the PLS-DA showed two cluster sion and at day of discharge. Threshold cycle (Ct) number was
principally related to acetate, 3-hydroxubutyrate, acetone, and used as the measure of bacterial load (the lower the Ct level
glycerol (VIP > 1.5). The ORA analysis identified five metabol- the greater the amount of target nucleic acid is present in the
ic pathways possibly responsible for changes in metabolome sample). Subsequently, the other animals of the entire herd
profile: glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism; pyruvate from which the primary case was detected were tested by re-
metabolism; glycolysis / gluconeogenesis; glycerolipid metab- al-time PCR and by blood smear examination to investigate
olism and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism. the presence of Candidatus M. haemolamae (n=20).
Conclusions: Metabolomic analysis through ¹H-NMR is a Results: In the blood sample collected at admission, re-
useful tool to achieve knowledge about metabolic profiling real-time PCR revealed a high level of Candidatus M. haemola-
lated to serum BHB modifications in dairy buffaloes. The met- mae DNA (Ct 11.7). The cria was stabilized by administration
abolic state of our animals at risk of hyperketonemia suggests of a 10% glucose solution, iron dextran (5 mg/kg, subcutane-
an initial mobilization of body resources, subclinical inflamma- ously once), B vitamins (10 mg/kg, subcutaneously once), E
tion and potential oxidative stress status, changes in ruminal vitamins, and selenium (0.05 mg/kg, subcutaneously once).
fermentations, influence on urea cycle and thyroid hormone Furthermore, the animal was treated with long acting oxytetra-
synthesis. This study demonstrates that the metabolomic ap- cycline (20 mg/kg, subcutaneously, q72h for 3 treatments) for
proach identified potential relationships with the development the Candidatus M. haemolamae infection. By the third day of
of subclinical ketosis even if the BHB concentration did not hospitalization, the animal's clinical condition had improved.
exceed the threshold value. Eight days after hospitalization, the haematocrit (30.1%) and
haemoglobin (11.7 g/dl) were also within the reference ranges,
Keywords: Metabolomics; Negative energy balance;
and the alpaca was discharged. The blood smear, performed
Mediterranean buffaloes; H-NMR; Ketosis.
on the day of discharge, did not show the presence of Candi-
datus M. haemolamae whereas real-time PCR was still posi-
tive, showing lower DNA levels (Ct 24.7) compared to the first
blood sample. Anticoccidial therapy was set at discharge with
sulfadimethoxine (110 mg/kg, orally, q 24 h for 10 days).
BC-04
A 65% (13/20) Candidatus M. haemolamae real-time PCR
First detection of “Candidatus Mycoplasma haemolamae” positivity was reported in the other animals of the herd, with
in alpaca (Vicugna pacos) in Italy Ct values ranging from 16.4 to 32. A poor agreement between
PCR result and smear examination was observed. The dam of
Giulia Sala, Gabriele Ratti, Vincenzo Ferrulli, Donatella Scavone, the cria showed positive molecular results. An overall 66.7%
Angelica Stranieri, Alessia Giordano, Antonio Boccardo, Davide (14/21) prevalence was observed in the herd, including the
Pravettoni, Stefania Lauzi. alpaca cria. No animal other than the cria had clinical manifes-
University of Milan, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal tations correlated to the infection.
Sciences, Lodi, Italy. Conclusion: This study reports the first identification of
Candidatus M. haemolamae in Italy. As shown in other stud-
ies, clinical infection was observed in a young animal, and fur-
Objective: Candidatus Mycoplasma haemolamae is a ther parasitic infestations (such as coccidiosis) were associat-
wall-less hemotropic prokaryote that infects camelids. To the ed with Candidatus M. hemolamae infection. Treatment with
author's knowledge, there have been no published reports of oxytetracycline during Candidatus M. hemolamae infection
Candidatus M. haemolamae infection in alpacas in Italy. This was valid only for symptom remission, but the alpaca cria con-
study describes a clinical case of Candidatus M. haemolamae tinued to be PCR positive after treatment, in accordance with
infection in an alpaca cria from northern Italy and the preva- previous observations on treatment in positive alpaca. Despite
lence in its herd. the very high prevalence of Candidatus M. haemolamae, most
Materials and methods: A 2 month-old alpaca cria was infected alpacas did not show clinical abnormalities. The ab-
referred to the Clinic for Ruminants of the Veterinary Teaching sence of maternal colostrum intake suggests that the cria was
Hospital of the University of Milan for weakness and lethargy. not infected by colostrum. Further investigations are needed to
At birth, the alpaca cria was immediately rejected by their dam assess the transmission dynamics of Candidatus M. haemola-
and fed with artificial bovine colostrum (Locatim®, Boehring- mae in Italian alpaca herds.

118
Keywords: Alpaca, Candidatus Mycoplasma haemola- (85- 84 %), cleavage rate (75-71 %), blastocyst rate (33- 2%)
mae, Anaemia. were significantly higher (P<0.1, P<0.5) in cold tempera-
ture when compared with hot temperature season, in range
71-70%, 63-60 % and 22-17 respectively. In vitro culture of
embryo using BOEC vs. without BOEC significantly increase
the blastocyst rate either in cold (33 vs. 27 %) or hot temper-
BC-05 ature (22 vs. 17 %). The cell number of the blastocyst was
significantly higher (P<0.1) in the cold temperature (mean=
Improving the embryo developmental competence and 106-90) when compared with hot temperature (80-60) and
success of in vitro produced calves during hot season in in vitro culturing in BOEC significantly increase (P<0.1) the
Buffalo blastocyst cell number either in cold or hot season. Effect of
heat stress 41◦C during in vitro oocyte maturation on in vitro
Omaima Kandil1, Ragab Dohreig2, Ahmed Abdoon3, Esraa Esmail3,
embryo developmental competence in buffalo. Higher temper-
Hosam Tawfik3, Ahmed Shaban3, Emilie Corbin4, Pascal Mermillod4.
ature 41◦C for one hour during in vitro oocyte maturation in
1
National Research centre, Cairo, Egypt; 2Haram Institute of buffalo significantly (P<0.01) decreased the mean ± SD and
Reproduction, Giza, Egypt; 3National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt; rate of maturation (32±3.79, 51), cleavage (16.5±2.65, 26) and
4
INRA institute, Tours, France. blastocyst (13.5±2.65, 22), when compared with in vitro oo-
cyte maturation in 38.5◦C (77.50±7.46, 87%, 42.67±2.52, 72%
and 37.00±5.03, 41% respectively). Non- Surgical transfer of
Heat stress is a major problem for animal breeding in
in vitro produced fresh buffalo embryos to five buffalos (day 6
tropical and equatorial area as well as in the Mediterranean
of natural oestrus), pregnancy and calving of two calves (2/5,
countries. This translates into several pathologies and high
40% Emy & Medo) with 42 kg body wright.
rates of reproductive failure through early embryonic loss in
buffalo. The present work was conducted to investigate:1) Ef- In conclusion: Heat stress either during hot season (sum-
fect of cold and hot season in the oocyte quality and in vitro mer) or through experimental rise temperature during in vitro
embryo development competence of buffalo cultured in buffalo maturation of buffalo oocytes significantly decrease the in vitro
oviduct epithelial cell (BOEC).2) Effect of heat stress (41◦C) oocyte competence and blastocyst rate. Supplementation of
& IGF during in vitro oocyte maturation in oocyte maturation IGF in in vitro maturation medium and co-culture of in vitro
rate and embryo developmental competence.3)Transfer of in fertilized oocytes using BOEC decreased effect of heat stress
vitro produced embryo during hot season to Egyptian buffalo. and improved in vitro embryo production of buffalo. Success
Egyptian buffalo’s ovaries were collected during hot (June-Au- of calving of two calves (EMY& Medo) through transfer of
gust) and cold (December-February) season from abattoir. IVP buffalo embryos matured in TCM+IGF during hot season
Oocytes were classified to Excellent (Ex), Good (G), Fair (F), (summer).
Denuded (D). EX and G oocytes were matured in in-vitro mat- Keywords: Buffalo, season, BOEC, embryo, ET.
uration medium (IVM) (TCM-199+ 10% FCS + 10 µg/ml FSH+
10 ng/ml EGF+ 50 µg/ml gentamicin (gn) for 22 h in 38.5C
and 5% CO2. The matured oocytes (1st pb) fertilized using Fro-
zen – thawed buffalo semen, for 18 hours incubation. Zygotes
cultured in SOFM + 10% FCS, 5 µg/ml insulin and 50 µg /ml BC-06
gentamicin, with or without BOEC and incubated for 8 days.
2) Ex & G oocytes IVM in TCM-199 + 10% FCS+ 10 µg/ml Herd, buffalo, and quarter specific prevalence and risk
FSH + 10 ng/ml IGF + 50 µg/ml, for 41◦C /1hr- then 38.5◦C vs. factors of subclinical mastitis in water buffaloes of
38.5◦C incubation for 22 hours. Then matured oocytes were Bangladesh
fertilized and cultured as described before. Blastocyst were
Shuvo Singha1, Gerrit Koop2, Momena Khatun3, Fabrizio Ceciliani1,
Fixed for cell counting to validate the quality of blastocyst. 3)
Sofia Boqvist4, Marjolein Derks5, Md. Ahasanul Hoque6, Mohammed
Non-surgical embryo transfer during hot season in National
Kawser Hossain7, Md. Mizanur Rahman6, Ylva Persson8.
Research Centre farm, Fresh Two in-vitro produced embryos
(IVM,TCM+IGF, cultured in BOEC) were transferred to each 1
Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Università degli
buffaloes came in natural oestrus (buffalo number=5).Preg- Studi di Milano, Via dell’Univesrità 6, Lodi, 26900, Italy, Lodi, Italy;
nancy diagnosis after 40 days from transfer. Results, Oocytes 2
Department of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary
were collected from (349) buffalo ovaries giving an average of Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 7, 3584 CL, Utrecht, The
2.4 oocytes/ovary (range 1.8 – 3.0 oocytes/ovary).There were Netherlands, Utrecht, Netherlands; 3Veterinary Physiology, University
highly significant (P<0.01) differences in the recovery rate of of Bern, Bremgartenstrasse 109a, 3012 Bern, Switzerland, Bern,
total oocytes between the two seasons, cold and hot season Switzerland; 4Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary
(3.02% ± 005 and 1.76% ± 0.05 respectively). Analysis of qual- Public Health, Division of Bacteriology and Food Safety, The
ity of buffalo oocytes revealed that, there were highly signifi- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, BVF, Bakteriologi och
cant (P<0.01) differences in the mean % ± SE of excellent and livsmedelssäkerhet, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden, Uppsala, Sweden;
good quality oocytes between the two seasons cold (38.63% 5
Farm Technology Group, Wageningen University and Research,
± 0.5, 51.35±0.50 resp.) and hot (11.29% ± 0.64, 21.37±0.74 Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands,
resp.). While, fair and denuded oocytes increased with higher Wageningen, Netherlands; 6Department of Medicine and Surgery,
significant differences (P< 0.01) in summer (58.45% ± 0.86) Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chattogram
when compared with the cold (9.86% ± 0.23). Maturation rate 4225, Bangladesh, Chattogram, Bangladesh; 7Department of Surgery

119
and Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical C.I. 1.3-2.4; P <0.001) than symmetric teats; previous occur-
Sciences, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet-3100, Bangladesh, rence of CM in last 12 months (OR, 3.1, 95% C.I. 1.2-8.0; P =
Sylhet, Bangladesh; 8National Veterinary Institute, 751 89 Uppsala, 0.02) than no occurrence; hand milking performed by single
Sweden, Uppsala, Sweden. milker (OR, 1.5, 95% C.I. 1.2-2.1; P = 0.005) than multiple
milkers for buffalo-level SCM. In the herds, the BMSCC were
lower in swamp-type buffalo than river-type buffalo; when
Objectives: Subclinical mastitis (SCM) in water buffaloes
caretakers were more experienced; and milking performed in
is a prevalent production disease responsible for reduced milk
full hand with occasional stripping or knuckling than full hand
yield with compromised milk quality. The risk factors for SCM
only (all, P < 0.05). Intensive rearing systems (P = 0.08) had
in water buffaloes are largely unknown since little information
a higher BMSCC (435,000 cells/mL) than any other rearing
is available in this species. The study objectives, therefore,
systems.
were to i) estimate the prevalence of SCM in water buffalo at
quarter and buffalo-level; ii) identify the quarter the risk factors Conclusions: The water buffaloes in Bangladesh have a
associated with SCM at quarter and buffalo-level, and iii) de- high prevalence of SCM where risks are associated with the
termine risk factors for high bulk milk somatic cell count (BM- rearing system, teat symmetry, teat position, and milking per-
SCC) at the herd-level. formed by a single milkman. The fact that several manageable
risk factors were identified suggests that effective buffalo ud-
Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was der health control strategies can be designed.
carried out between February 2020 and April 2021 and includ-
Keywords: Water buffalo, SCC, CMT, risk factor.
ed individual lactating water buffaloes or buffalo herds belong-
ing to17 buffalo concentrated sub-districts in Bangladesh (11
coastal and semi-coastal districts regions). The buffalo herds
represented five different production systems: bathan (n = 51),
semi-bathan (n = 106), households (n = 33), semi-intensive
(n = 54), and intensive (n = 4). The native name “bathan” is BC-07
used to define solely grazing-dependent free-ranging system
Comparative Efficacy of Herbal, Oral and Injectable
in remote islands while “semi-bathan” implies to the partial
Anthelmintics against Toxocara vitulorum infestation in
stay at household when feed source is very limited in islands.
Nili-Ravi buffalo calves
Herd-level and buffalo-level data were collected using a struc-
tured questionnaire. Milk samples were collected on a herd Muhammad Avais, Mohammad Qasim.
basis (average 1-5 buffaloes/herd) from the bathan, semi-
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary and
bathan, household, and semi-intensive production system and
Animal Sciences, Lahore, Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jillani (Outfall) road
all individual buffaloes of the intensive production system. A
Lahore, Pakistan.
total of 3,491 functional quarters of 880 lactating buffaloes of
248 herds were included in the study. A buffalo was consid-
ered positive for SCM if any functional quarter was tested pos- Objectives: Parasitic infections are major constraint of
itive in California mastitis test (CMT) score ≥2 (1 to 5 scale) large ruminant production and causes colossal economic loss
and no signs of clinical mastitis (CM). The composite milk mix- to dairy industry. Among these Toxocara vitulorum is most im-
ture (n = 242) collected in the morning was used for herd-level portant infecting calves in tropical and subtropical climates.
BMSCC using a portable DeLaval cell counter. Quarter and It is responsible for retarded growth, low productivity and in-
buffalo-level risk factors for SCM were identified using two creased susceptibility of animals to other infections. Present
sets of univariable and multivariable logistic generalized linear study was accomplished to evaluate the comparative efficacy
mixed-effects models, with random buffalo and herd effects. of herbal, oral and injectable anthelmintics against Toxocara
Population averaged beta estimates or cluster-specific esti- vitulorum infestation in Nili-Ravi buffalo calves.
mates were used to calculate odds ratios (OR) for different risk Material & Methods: For this 24 buffalo calves positive for
factors depending on whether these effects happen at quarter T. vitulorum were randomly divided into 4 groups of 6 viz. A,
or buffalo level. The linear regression model was used to link B, C and D. Calves in group A were treated with Albendazole
the herd-level data for the identification of the risk factors of at 10 mg/ kg PO while the calves in group B were given Le-
BMSCC. The significant (P≤0.05) variables from multivariable vamisole at 8 mg/kg PO. The animals in group C were treated
regression models were considered as the risk factors of SCM with Doramectin at 0.2 mg/ kg SC whereas calves in group
at quarter or buffalo level and BMSCC at the herd-level. D were given Chenopodium album (herb) 2g/kg PO. All the
Results: The prevalence of SCM was 27% (95% C.I. treatments were given once. Eggs per gram (EPG) of calves
25-28) at quarter-level and 50% (95% C.I. 47-54) at buffa- in each group was determined at days 0 (pre-treatment) and
lo-level. Out of 17 analyzed variables two (e.g., rearing sys- then at day 4, 7, 14, and 21 (post-treatment). Efficacy of partic-
tem and quarter position) were associated with quarter-level ular treatment was calculated on the basis of fecal egg count
SCM, and three (e.g., teat symmetry, previous history of CM, reduction test (FECRT).
and the number of milkers) were associated with buffalo-lev- Results: At day 4 (post-treatment), fecal egg reduction
el SCM. For quarter level SCM, intensive buffalo rearing sys- in groups A, B C and D was 59.67%, 48.79%, 39.82% and
tem (OR, 6.6, 95% C.I. 2.2-19.6; P < 0.001) had a greater risk 1.82%, respectively. At day 7, fecal egg reduction in groups A,
than bathan system; and left quarters had a greater risk than B C and D was 98.43%, 82.50%, 73.0% and 3.5%, respective-
right quarters (OR, 0.8, 95% C.I. 0.6-0.9; P = 0.006). There ly while at day 14 fecal egg reduction was 100.00 %, 98.25%,
was a greater risk of asymmetric teat position (OR, 1.8, 95% 95.95% and 6.7% in groups A, B, C and D, respectively. While

120
100.00% fecal egg reduction was recorded in group A, B and

C on day 21 (post-treatment).
Conclusion: It was concluded that oral wormers ( alben-
dazole, levamisole) and injectable wormers (doramectin) are
equally effective in treating T. vitulorum infestation in buffalo
calves while Chenopodium herb is not effective to treat T. vitu-
lorum in buffalo calves.
Keywords: Albendazole, doramectin, herb, buffalo,
calves.

121
ORAL — Biotechnology
BT-01 like group - 49.66 ± 8.40; P=0.71) or in P4 levels on Day 17

(eCG group - 76.45 ± 16.29 vs eCG-like group 77.73 ± 18.54;
Post ovulation plasma progesterone concentrations in beef P=0,89).
cows treated with 2000 IU of eCG or synthetic eCG-like
Conclusions: We conclude that the synthetic eCG-like
glycoprotein
glycoprotein has the same biological activity as native eCG,
Maria Gracia Moscoso1, Lucas Cutaia2, Mariano Aviles1, Leonel for having the same number of ovulations and levels of P4
Alisio1, Ignacio Videla Dorna2, Dolores Moreno1. post-ovulation than the native eCG. Finally, we conclude that
the eCG-like substute produced by Syntex could be a very ac-
Universidad Católica de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina; 2Syntex SA,
1
ceptable alternative for native eCG in breeding management
Buenos Aires, Argentina.
of cattle.
Keywords: eCG, eCG-like, glycoprotein, SPO, FTAI.
Objetive: Equine chorionic gonadatrophin (eCG) has been
used for more than 50 years in reproductive management sev-
eral species. The use of natural eCG is currently under review
due to the natural origin of the product and animal welfare is-
sues associated with its production. Thus, we have developed
BT-02
a synthetic substitute. The objective of this study is to compare
the levels of progesterone (P4) on days 4 and 7 after ovula- Predictive value of cumulus cells transcription for oocyte
tion in superovulated cows using 2000 IU of eCG or synthetic developmental potential
eCG-like glycoprotein based on the fact that treatment with
native eCG increases circulating progesterone concentrations Álvaro Martínez-Moro1, Ismael Lamas-Toranzo1, Elena
in the subsequent luteal phase after treatment. OĆallaghan2, Anna Esteve-Codina3, Pat Lonergan2, Pablo Bermejo-
Álvarez1.
Materials and methods: Fourteen cyclic Angus/Hereford
cows, 3 to 5 years of age were used. The trial was conducted 1
Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA, Madrid, Spain; 2School
in two periods in a crossover design (Periods 1 and 2). All of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin,
cows were treated on Day 0 of treatment with an intravaginal Republic of Ireland; 3CNAG-CRG, Barcelona, Spain.
device (DIB, 1 gram progesterone, Syntex, Argentina) plus 2
mg im of estradiol benzoate (Gonadiol, Syntex). On Day 4, Objectives: Within the ovarian follicle, mammalian oo-
cows were divided into two groups and received 2000 IU im cytes are enclosed by cumulus cells, which play crucial nour-
of eCG (Novormon, Syntex; eCG group; n = 13) or 2000 IU im ishing and signalling roles during folliculogenesis. These cells
of synthetic eCG-like glycoprotein (Syntex; eCG-like group; n are lost during or shortly after ovulation in vivo and are re-
= 14). On Days 6.5 and 7, 500µg im of Cloprostenol sodium moved following oocyte maturation in vitro (IVM). Thus, they
(Cyclase, Syntex) was administered. On Day 7, DIB devices constitute an interesting material on which to perform molecu-
were removed and on Day 8, 100µg im of Gonadorelin ace- lar analyses aimed to predict oocyte developmental potential.
tate (Gonasyn, Syntex) was administered. Twenty-seven days The objective of this study was to determine by RNAseq the
after the end of Period 1, cows were treated with the same transcriptional differences between cumulus cells from oo-
protocol in Period 2, except that cows in the eCG group were cytes exhibiting different developmental potential.
treated with eCG-like and cows in the eCG-like group were
treated with eCG. Material & Methods: Cumulus-oocyte complexes were
obtained from slaughtered cattle and individually matured in
The animals were scanned by transrectal ultrasonography vitro. Following IVM, cumulus cells were removed by hyaluro-
(Chison 500; 7.5 MHz, Doppler) on Day 8 of treatment and all nidase treatment, pelleted, snap frozen in liquid nitrogen and
follicles > 8 mm diameter (pre-ovulatory) were recorded. Daily stored at -80 ºC until analysis. Cumulus-free oocytes were
ultrasound examinations were continued until Day 11 to deter- fertilized and cultured in vitro individually. Cumulus cells were
mine the number of ovulations, defined as the disappearance allocated into three groups according to the developmental po-
of follicles larger than 8 mm present in the previous examina- tential of the oocyte: 1) oocytes developing to blastocysts fol-
tion. On day 14 and 17 of the treatment (4 and 7 days post lowing IVF (Bl+Cl+), 2) oocytes cleaving following IVF but ar-
ovulation) plasma samples were obtained, and were analyzed resting development prior to the blastocyst stage (Bl-Cl+), and
for the concentration of P4 using (Elecsys P4 III Roche as- 3) oocytes not cleaving following IVF (Bl-Cl-). RNAseq was
say in the Cobas 8000 e602 Roche). The average number of performed in 4 (Bl-Cl-) or 5 samples (Bl+Cl+ and Bl-Cl+) per
follicles > 8 mm on Day 8, the number of ovulations between group, using the Illumina platform with >30 M reads/sample.
Days 8 and 11 and the P4 concentrations were compared by Each sample contained cumulus cells from 10 cumulus-oocyte
ANOVA. complexes (COCs). Differential expression was analysed by
Results: No differences were found in number of follicles DESeq2 software.
> 8 mm on Day 8 (eCG group - 14.5 ± 2.33 vs eCG-like group Results: RNAseq analysis revealed 1609, 1466 and 1420
- 15.0 ± 1.94; P = 0.9) or in number of ovulations (eCG group differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for the comparisons
- 13.7 ± 2.54 vs eCG-like group - 13.3 ± 1.79; P = 0.83; Pub- Bl+Cl+ vs. Bl-Cl+, Bl+Cl+ vs. Bl-Cl- and Bl-Cl+ vs. Bl-Cl-,
lished in ICAR, 2020; Bologna, Italy). respectively, using a raw p value <0.05. These DEGs were
There was no effect of Period (P = 0.96) or Period*Group narrowed down to 77, 80 and 32 DEGs for the comparisons
interaction (P = 0.17) for P4 levels. No differences were found Bl+Cl+ vs. Bl-Cl+, Bl+Cl+ vs. Bl-Cl- and Bl-Cl+ vs. Bl-Cl-, re-
in P4 levels on Day 14 (eCG group - 45.92 ± 8.67 vs eCG- spectively, when an adjusted p value <0.05 was used. From

122
these subsets of DEGs, 49, 50 and 18 DEGs, respectively, origin, present significant differences with a higher HMxHF
exhibited a fold change greater than 1.5. Focussing on DEGs discard rates (5.6±1.1) than GMxGF (1.4±0.4) (p=0.02). On
in cumulus cells obtained from oocytes developing to blasto- the other hand, when sexing sperm were analysed for B Indi-
cysts, 10 DEGs were common to both comparisons (10/49 cus, CN (79.6±1.7) were equal to CG (72.6±3.6), and signifi-
from Bl+Cl+ vs. Bl-Cl+, 10/50 from Bl+Cl+ vs. Bl-Cl-). These cantly higher than SN and SG on D3 rates vs. 69.8±2.6 and
DEGs correspond to 6 upregulated genes (HBE1, ITGA1, 68.2±2.2 respectively (p=0.013), patterns that maintains on D7
PAPPA, AKAP12, ITGA5 and SLC1A4), and 4 genes down- rates with a CN (30.5±2.6) similar to CG (25.8±2.3), but signifi-
regulated (GSTA1, PSMB8, FMOD and SFRP4) in Bl+Cl+ cantly higher to SN and SG (22.2±1.9 - 18.3±2.0 respectively)
compared to the other groups. (p=0.001). In addition, C sperm present higher LEQ rates than
Conclusions: mRNA abundance of specific genes in cu- S in N and G (6.2±1.2 - 4.6±1.0 vs. 2.0±0.6 - 1.4±0.4) for CN,
mulus cells can be used to differentiate oocytes capable of de- CG vs. SN and SG respectively (p=0.001).
veloping to blastocysts from those arresting before that stage Conclusions: In terms of origin, Bos taurus male gametes
following in vitro embryo production. has a positive incidence on first stages of embryo develop-
Keywords: IVF, embryo transfer, gene expression, oo- ment (D3), however, these differences disappear at blastocyst
cyte, cumulus cells. stage (D7), confirming that embryo development has relative
independence of IVF, and the importance of male effect on
IEP. Bos taurus could have a negative impact on embryo qual-
ity represented in a higher LEQ rates of HxH group. Finally,
S sperm show lower IEP (D3 and D7) for N, and C sperm
increase a LEQ inside both breeds (N and G).
BT-03
Keywords: In vitro Embryo production, sexed sperm, em-
Effect of gamete origin (Bos taurus – Bos indicus) and sexing bryo quality, blastocyst.
sperm on in vitro embryo production in a commercial
system in Colombia
Lilian Bonilla León1, Ramón Guillermo Gomez Domínguez2, Martha
Liliana Torres Londoño2, Andrés Mejía Gallego1, Ricaurte Lopera-
Vasquez1. BT-04
Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Ibagué (Tolima), Colombia;

1
Pregnancy and foetal sex ratio following transfer of in vitro
In Vitro Colombia, Bogotá D.C, Colombia.
2
produced (IVP) embryos to lactating dairy cows
Alan Crowe1, Jose Maria Sánchez2, John Browne1, Stephen G. Moore1,
Introduction: In vitro embryo production (IEP) is consid- Michael McDonald3, Rafaela Rodrigues4, Maria Fernanda Morales4,
ered an important assisted reproduction technique for bovine Leandro Orsi De Freitas4, Federico Randi5, Patrick Lonergan3,
animal breeding in elite farms including tropical countries as Stephen T. Butler1.
Colombia. Under tropical environment the use of Bos indicus
breeds and their crossbreeds with B. Taurus has an important
1
Teagasc, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre,
impact on IEP. Also, the use of sexed sperm on bovine breed- Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Republic of Ireland; 2Centro Nacional
ing farms are important to reduce economic impact of males Instituto de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (CSIC-
or females effect. INIA), Madrid, Spain; 3School of Agriculture and Food Science,
University College Dublin,, Dublin, Republic of Ireland; 4Vytelle LLC,
Objectives: The aim of this study is to know the effect of
Hermiston, OR, United States; 5CEVA Santé Animale, Libourne,
gamete origin (male -M and female -F gametes of B. Taurus
France.
- Holstein Friesian (H) and B indicus - Nelore (N) and Gyr (G)
breeds) and sperm sexing (conventional -C and sexed -S) on
Cleavage (-D3), blastocyst yield (-D7), and low embryo quality Objectives: The aims of this study were to compare preg-
(discard on D7 -LEQ) in an IEP commercial system in Colom- nancy rates and foetal sex ratio in lactating dairy cows bred
bia. by timed artificial insemination (TAI) or timed embryo transfer
Materials and methods: A retrospective study were done (TET) with fresh or frozen IVP embryos.
on 2019 database of in vitro Colombia® laboratory. A total of Materials and methods: IVP blastocysts were generated
1145 OPU sessions were included and after randomly sam- from oocytes collected by ovum pick-up from genetically elite
pling, 40 samples for gamete origin (GMxGF, GMxHF, HMxGF Holstein-Friesian (n=29), Jersey (n=11) and Angus (n=21)
and HMxHF) and sperm sexing C and S for N and G were donors and oocytes from slaughtered commercial crossbred
analysed through one way ANOVA of each parameter (Sigma- beef heifers (n=119). Following in vitro maturation, fertilisation
plot®12.0) (p≤0.05). D3, D7 and LEQ were calculated from in using conventional unsorted semen and culture, single Grade
vitro fertilization on day 0. 1 blastocysts were transferred either fresh or following freez-
Results: When gamete origin were analysed, in terms of ing and on-farm thawing into lactating, predominantly Hol-
D3 rates of GMxGF were significantly lower when compared stein-Friesian, dairy cows which had been synchronised with
with HMxGF and HMxHF (68.2±2.2 vs. 75.7±1.5 and 75.5±2.8) a 10-d PRID-Ovsynch protocol.
respectively (p=0.026), however, these differences disappear On day 0, a 2-mL i.m. injection of GnRH analogue (Ova-
on D7 rates with a range 16.1±2.9 – 23.2±1.3 % for GMxHF and relin, 100 μg of gonadorelin diacetate tetrahydrate; Ceva
HMxGF respectively (p=0.259). Also, LEQ analysis on gamete Sante Animale, Libourne, France) was administered, and a

123
progesterone-releasing intravaginal device (PRID Delta; 1.55

g Progesterone, Ceva) was inserted. On day 7, a 5-mL i.m. in-
jection of PGF2α (Enzaprost, 25 mg of dinoprost trometamol;
Ceva) was administered. On day 8, a second 5-mL i.m. of PG-
F2α was administered and the PRID was removed. On day
9.5 (32 h after PRID removal), a second i.m. injection of GnRH
was administered. On day 10, 20% of the cows (n=240) were
assigned to receive AI (16 h after the second GnRH), and the
remaining 80% of the cows (n=952) were assigned to receive
ET on day 17. Pregnancy rate was determined between Day
32-35 after synchronised ovulation using transrectal ultraso-
nography. Between Day 62-65 after synchronised ovulation,
foetal sex was determined by trans-rectal ultrasonography in
436 of the cows that had previously been diagnosed pregnant
on Day 32-35.
Pregnancy Data were analysed using generalised linear
mixed models including service treatment (TAI vs. TET) as
a fixed effect. In addition to examining foetal sex in recipient
cows on Day 62 to 65, Day 7 (n=63) and Day 8 (n=40) IVP
blastocysts produced over 3 repetitions of IVP using abat-
toir-derived ovaries as the source of oocytes were snap-fro-
zen, and their sex was determined by extraction of DNA and
amplification of a 241 base pair fragment of the amelogenin
gene (AML-X) or both a 241 and a 178 base pair fragment for
AML-X and Y, respectively.
Results: Mean (95% CI) pregnancy/service event at Day
32 was not different between AI (47.7%; 41.0, 54.5) and ET
(fresh/frozen combined, 47.9%; 44.1, 51.8) and did not dif-
fer between dairy and beef embryos (Dairy: 50.1% vs Beef:
46.1%). Pregnancy rate was lesser (P = 0.003) on Day 32
following transfer of frozen embryos compared with fresh em-
bryos (Dairy: 40.1% vs 61.1%; Beef: 41.2% vs 51.7%, respec-
tively). Pregnancy loss between day 32 and 62 was greater
(P=0.003) for ET (15.6%) compared with AI (4.7%), with great-
er losses observed for frozen beef (16.6%), fresh beef (17.7%)
and frozen dairy (22.8%) compared with fresh dairy (6.7%).
The sex ratio (M:F) of foetuses derived from TET (n=328
pregnancies) was 60.8:39.2. In contrast, corresponding values
for foetuses derived from TAI was 42.7:57.3 (n=108) (P=0.002).
There was no difference in sex ratio across the different IVP-
ET treatments (i.e., beef vs. dairy, fresh vs. frozen). Over-
all sex ratio (M:F) among in vitro blastocysts was 61.2:38.8
(M:F), and was not affected by day (Day 7: 61.2:38.8; Day 8:
65.4:34.6; p=0.685).
Conclusions: In conclusion, pregnancy/service event on
Day 32-35 was similar for TAI and TET, although 9.6% of cows
initially synchronized for ET were rejected. Of cows that were
pregnant on day 32, pregnancy loss was greater for TET than
for TAI. The bias towards male foetuses on Day 62-65 in recip-
ient cows was mirrored by a similar sex bias in IVP blastocysts
on Day 7 and 8, indicating similar survival of male and female
embryos after transfer to recipients on Day 7.
Keywords: In vitro Embryo Production, Timed AI, Timed
Embryo Transfer, Sex ratio, Pregnancy.

124
ORAL — Cattle Welfare
CW-01 with the head rested (p = 0.049). Cows treated with ketopro-
fen (irrespective of assistance status) spent less time in lateral
Effects of postpartum analgesia on the behaviour of recumbency than cows treated with the placebo, both overall
Holstein cows experiencing both assisted and unassisted (p = 0.031) and with the head rested (p = 0.008). Additionally,
parturition when lying in sternal recumbency, cows treated with ketopro-
Nicola Gladden1, Kathryn Ellis2, Jessica Martin3, Dorothy McKeegan4. fen spent more time with the head rested than cows treated
with a saline placebo (p = 0.009). Cows in the treatment group
1
Farm Animal Department University of Nottingham School of that had experienced assisted parturition showed a tendency
Veterinary Sciences Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, United to spend more time engaged in feeding directed behaviours
Kingdom; 2University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine, than cows in the other three interaction groups (p = 0.079).
Glasgow, United Kingdom; 3Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies
A diagnosis of postpartum disease was associated with an
and The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United
increased proportion of the time budget spent lying in sternal
Kingdom; 4Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health & Comparative
recumbency with the head elevated and more time lying in
Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
sternal recumbency overall (p = 0.023 and p = 0.013 respec-
tively). Time spent engaged in lateral recumbency with the
Objectives: Assisted parturition in cattle is common and head rested was 2.5 times higher in primiparous animals than
has the potential to be both painful and stressful. Although multiparous animals (p = 0.002) and as a result, the proportion
pain and stress are adverse welfare states, the welfare effects of the time budget engaged in lateral recumbency overall was
of assisted parturition have rarely been studied. Although also higher in primiparous animals (p = 0.004).
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) analgesia is Conclusions: Cows that were administered ketoprofen
commonly provided following veterinary-assisted parturition, analgesia immediately postpartum exhibited lying postures
conflicting results from different studies mean that the poten- suggestive of reduced pain and improved comfort, regardless
tial welfare benefits of postpartum NSAID analgesia are un- of assistance status. There was no interaction between time
clear. Few studies compare cows experiencing both assisted
and treatment status, suggesting that the beneficial effect of
and unassisted parturition, as well as those administered ei-
ketoprofen lasted for up to 48h postpartum. A single dose of
ther an analgesic drug or a placebo in a 2x2 factorial design
ketoprofen in the immediate postpartum period therefore has
considered ‘gold standard’ for assessing the welfare effects
the potential to improve the welfare of all cows after parturi-
of a chosen treatment. The objective of this study was to use
tion irrespective of assistance status. As parturition is a neces-
such a robust design to investigate the effects of postpartum
sary event for cattle that usually occurs annually, this finding
NSAID analgesia in both farmer-assisted and unassisted par-
has the potential to contribute to the improvement of welfare
turition, as well as the effect of farmer-assisted parturition on
of large numbers of cattle and provides a further method for
dairy cattle welfare in the first 48h postpartum.
farmers and veterinary surgeons to optimise the management
Materials and methods: The study was performed on a of cows in the immediate postpartum period.
700-cow commercial UK dairy farm; the cows are housed all
Keywords: Welfare, Behaviour, Parturition, Analgesia.
year round and calve in a year-round calving pattern. Thir-
ty-seven cows experiencing farmer-assisted parturition and
35 cows experiencing unassisted parturition were recruited
and randomly assigned to either a NSAID treatment group (35
cows) or a placebo group (37 cows). Cows in the treatment
group were administered ketoprofen and cows in the placebo CW-02
group received a saline placebo; both treatments were ad-
ministered within 3h of parturition. Cow behaviour was mon-
Characterization of Welfare in Dairy Cows Based on
itored for 48h postpartum using continuous video recording.
WelfareQuality Protocol in Portuguese Farms
Behavioural analysis of video footage was performed using Rui D'Orey Branco1, Daniela Brandão1, Catia Matos1, Maria Ines
instantaneous focal sampling with sample intervals of every Antunes1, Isabel Santos2, Manuel Pinheiro3, George Stilwell4.
20min every other hour. Observations were assigned to be-
haviours according to an ethogram containing 13 behavioural
1
Lacticoop URCL, Aveiro, Portugal; 2Agros URCL, Vila do Conde,
categories, and were used to construct a 48h time budget for Portugal; 3Proleite Crl, Oliveira de Azeméis., Portugal; 4Animal
each cow. Behaviour and Welfare Laboratory, Centre of Interdisciplinary
Research in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lisbon
Results: The most common specific behaviour exhibited
University, Lisbon, Portugal.
by cows across the whole 48h time period was standing (49%
of time budget). Collectively, active behaviours occupied a
slightly greater proportion of the time budget than lying be- The current consumers are demanding a new approach
haviours (53.8% compared to 46.3%) and cows were most ac- from the dairy industry. Today we need to assure the consum-
tive in the first 12h postpartum (p <0.001). The most common er that animal welfare is respected. In Portugal, the three larg-
lying posture was sternal recumbency with the head elevated est milk buyers worked together to apply the Welfare Quality®
(26.2%). Lying postures were affected by both treatment sta- protocol and audit all the farms that sell to our companies. The
tus and assistance status. Cows experiencing assisted par- objective of this study is to characterize the current status of
turition (irrespective of treatment status) spent more time in animal welfare in Portugal. We audited 456 dairy farms across
lateral recumbency overall than cows experiencing unassisted Portugal with a number of milking cows varying from 5 to 1232.
parturition (p = 0.008) and more time in lateral recumbency The main breeds here Holstein-Frisian and the crosses with

125
Swedish Red and Montbéliarde. The audits were performed to many of these practices, Australian dairy farmers also need
as described by the Welfare Quality® referential and consist- to look for novel ways to maintain socially sustainable farming
ed of the evaluation of the four main welfare principles: good operations. The aim of this study was to investigate opportuni-
feeding, good housing, good health, and appropriate behavior. ties for Australian dairy farmers to move beyond the minimum
These principles are divided into 12 criteria that allow the au- requirements outlined in the Australian Animal Welfare Stan-
ditor to access animal welfare based on the animal and small dards and Guidelines for Cattle, and identify possible socially
input from the infrastructure. The combination of these inputs acceptable ways to enhance the welfare of dairy cattle across
will create a numerical result. Farms results can vary from 0 to all five domains in the eyes of the public.
100, being 0 the worst situation an animal can be, 50 a neutral Materials & Methods: Using an online survey, social me-
situation of welfare, and 100 the best situation an animal can dia users were encouraged to respond to open-ended ques-
be in. However, results are presented only on the form of a) tions pertaining to best possible welfare for cows, consider-
Not acceptable - 0 to 20; b) Acceptable - 20 to 55; c) Elevated - ing nutrition, environment, health and behaviour. Participants
55 to 80; d) Excellent >80. The final score is reached through a were also asked to describe what they considered to be the
complex calculation. Data was collected from September 2019 industry’s major cattle welfare strengths, challenges, and op-
to March 2020 using the digital platform WFQApp ®, this is a portunities. Open-ended question responses were coded for
new tool to access the results from the protocol WelfareQuality thematic saturation using NVIVO software.
®. WFQApp allows direct data input reducing the human error
Results: A total of 1378 valid responses were recorded.
and the desk time after the audit, it also allows the auditor to
Many respondents (31.6%) reported having some involvement
have access immediately to the results and the report to the
with the dairy industry and most (78.8%) consumed Australian
farmer. Data was analyzed using the statics program R ver-
dairy products. When asked to independently rank the factors
sion 3.6.3.
they considered when making purchasing decisions (not im-
The 512 Farms were divided in 4 groups based on the portant; somewhat important; very important) most (77.3%)
number of milking cows: very small <20 (n=75); small 21<50 considered a high standard of animal welfare as being very
(n=206); medium 51<250 (n=213); Large >250 (n=18). From important. This, and safe food production, were the two factors
these 512 farms, we were able to audit in 447 farms to date, most commonly reported as being very important amongst
the results of these farms were: Not approved-10, Accept- respondents. Almost all respondents (95.7%) believed dairy
able-177, Elevated -260 and none was Excellent. There was cattle to be sentient. Many (33.7%) reported as having ever
no difference (p>0.05) nor a correlation between the size of the signed a petition or attended a rally pertaining to animal wel-
farm and the results. The main reason for the Not approved fare. Many respondents (40.9%) felt that they were very in-
farms is related to a low value in all the principles, especially formed about dairy farming practices in Australia.
on good feeding. Regarding the remaining audited farms, the
areas most found to need improvement were increases in size Common themes surrounding best possible welfare across
and/or a number of water throughs and reductions of skin le- the 5 domains included: access to pasture and sunshine; ad-
sions mainly through better bedding. equate space and shelter; plentiful and quality feed; social in-
teraction; regular activity; low-stress stock handling practices
In conclusion, this is the first large scale characterization of
on farm; positive interactions with humans; access to quality
the welfare status in dairy farms in Portugal. The results show
veterinary medicines and care (including pain relief); regular
that 41% of the audited farms are below what is considered
health monitoring and prophylactic treatments; appropriate
neutral for animal welfare. Therefore, there is still a long path
genetic selection and responsible breeding; hygienic facili-
to improve animal welfare in dairy farms in Portugal. This path
ties; humane euthanasia; and access to enrichment resources
should include continued auditing and farmer’s education.
(most frequently noted as scratching posts or cow brushes).
Keywords: Dairy, Welfare, WelfareQuality, Cows.
Perceived welfare strengths of the Australian dairy indus-
try included: public trust in farmers to care for their livestock;
relatively high standards of national animal welfare on a global
scale; smaller scale family-owned farms; a strong community
of resilient and collaborative farmers; industry resilience to nat-
CW-03 ural disasters; progressive key industry priorities surrounding
animal welfare (particularly targets around provision of pain
Opportunities for enhancing welfare in the Australian
relief at disbudding; use of polled genetics and sexed semen;
dairy industry
the phasing out of induced calvings; management of heat
Lucy Collins, David Beggs, Peter Mansell. stress; and creating alternate pathways for bobby calves).
The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. Current welfare challenges identified by respondents in-
cluded: negative public perceptions; lack of enrichment; the
potential for compromise of cow health when selecting for
Objectives: Public perceptions influence what we farm, production trait; bobby calf management practices; common
and how we farm it. health issues such as mastitis, eye cancers, prolonged recum-
Like many global dairy industries, Australia’s dairy indus- bency and lameness; appropriate nutrition and feed availabil-
try has been thrust into the media spotlight repeatedly, with ity; cow-calf separation; overuse of antibiotics; underuse of
increasing public concern about many common animal hus- analgesics; short voluntary wait periods; access to appropri-
bandry and management practices. While the industry contin- ate shelter- poor stock handling techniques; painful husbandry
ues to work towards phasing out or finding viable alternatives procedures; biosecurity; environmental stewardship and sus-

126
tainability; changing climactic conditions; lack of skilled farm care now and in the future was evaluated.
workers; working conditions on farm; farmer physical and Results: A total of 3,267 questionnaires were returned
mental health; and farm profitability. over a 2 months period, resulting in a response rate of 18.4%.
Respondents indicated future welfare opportunities for the The average herd size of the farms was 37.7 cows, with Fleck-
industry encompassed: improving community engagement; vieh as the main breed. In almost 80% of the farms, all cows
promoting consumption of Australian made or local dairy prod- were hornless. Based on the results of the questionnaire, hot-
ucts; adoption of innovative technologies and automations iron cauterization seems to be the method of choice in Austria.
(including health monitors and voluntary milking systems); On approximately 52% of the farms only the young stock
continued industry commitment to policy improvements and kept for replacement was dehorned, on 33% disbudding was
mandates (particularly around provision of pain relief); proces- performed on all calves respectively.
sor commitment to ensuring compliance; benchmarking and
On 54% of the participating farms cauterization is done
third party audits; and ongoing research, development, and
by a veterinarian, only on 44.9% disbudding is done by the
extension.
farmers. Almost 30% of the farmers stated to believe that dis-
Conclusion: Respondents in this study have provided in- budding caused little or no pain, another 34.1% of the farm-
sights into areas for future research and development to en- ers considered disbudding to cause moderate pain and the
hance public discernment around cattle welfare on dairy farms remaining 36.3% found it to induce a lot of pain. Approximately
in Australia. This study reaffirms the need for ongoing indus- 61% of the farmers think that pain management medication is
try stakeholder engagement to provide assurances that en- worth the money. Sedation is generally considered more im-
hanced welfare across all five domains will improve public ac- portant than local anaesthesia. Only 56% of the farmers stated
ceptability of farming practices. This will ensure the Australian that disbudding is performed in the morning, furthermore only
dairy industry retains a social license to operate into the future. 6.7% of the surveyed farmers dehorned their calves within the
Keywords: dairy, welfare, social license, cow, public per- third week of life. In most cases the reason for the delayed
ception. dehorning of calves is a shortage in available veterinary care.
To be more flexible, 45% of the farmers would like to apply
pain management by themselves. The demand for trainings to
achieve the necessary skills also was expressed in the ques-
tionnaire by many farmers.
CW-04 Conclusion: Disbudding is still a routine procedure and
performed on most of Austrian farms. Not all farmers see the
Dehorning of calves: Common practice and attitude of
legal chances as a benefit for animal welfare. To reduce costs
3,267 Austrian farmers
and increase flexibility many farmers would prefer to apply
Simone Steiner1, Johannes Lorenz Khol2. pain management medication by themselves, which has to be
critically valuated, as abuse and misuse of drugs may occur
1
Rinderzucht Austria /Cattle Breeders Austria, Vienna, Austria; 2Clinic
in this case.
for Ruminants, Vetmeduni Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Keywords: Dehorning, disbudding.
Introduction: The disbudding of calves is a routine proce-

dure in cattle husbandry. It is a painful intervention, regardless
of the method used. The legislation regarding dehorning var-
ies worldwide. In Austria, the legal guidelines were changed in
CW-05
accordance with scientific recommendations in 2017.
In calves younger than six weeks, cauterization is allowed Prediction of calving assistance using a commercially
to be done by a qualified person, while in older calves disbud- available tri-axial accelerometer
ding or dehorning must be performed by a veterinarian. The
Nicola Gladden1, Kathryn Ellis2, Dorothy McKeegan2.
use of sedatives, local anesthetics and analgesia are man-
datory, additionally, drugs for pain management have to be Farm Animal Department University of Nottingham School of
1
administered by a veterinarian. Veterinary Sciences Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, United

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate how the Kingdom; 2University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
new legally required methods were implemented, which man-
agement changes were necessary, as well as the farmers´ at- Objectives: Farmers are recommended to closely monitor
titude towards the new regulations. cows that may need calving assistance to enable intervention
Material and Methods: Approximately 17,720 cattle to be optimised; however, this can be difficult to achieve, and
breeders taking part in the national milk and beef herd per- it is currently not possible to accurately predict when cows will
formance testing program (LKV Austria) were included in the give birth, or whether they are likely to need assistance. As
survey. An internet-based questionnaire was designed com- such, some cows that experience a difficult calving may not
prising six areas of interest: farm characteristics, producer receive timely assistance and, conversely, some cows may be
perception of disbudding-related pain, economic impact and assisted unnecessarily — both are situations that may have
degree of satisfaction with the new situation. Furthermore, the negative welfare outcomes. The objective of this study was
opinion of the farmers about a possible shortage in veterinary to investigate whether activity data generated by a commer-

127
cially available tri-axial accelerometers (IceQube, IceRobotics, derpin future computational advances and provide a robust
Scotland) is able to accurately detect cows that subsequently basis for future researchers to develop algorithms to identify
required calving assistance. data thresholds that may be used to alert farmers of higher risk
Materials and Methods: Eighty Holstein cows on a com- cows, enabling them to direct resources towards ensuring the
mercial dairy farm in Scotland were recruited to the study. Ice- welfare of these animals.
Qube accelerometers were fitted to one hindlimb of each cow Keywords: Calving, remote monitoring, accelerometer,
one to two weeks prior to their expected calving date (all cows prediction, assistance.
were artificially inseminated, and pregnancy confirmed ultra-
sonographically by a veterinary surgeon). Cows were housed
in a group calving pen from the last three weeks of gestation
until calving, after which cows were moved to an adjacent
postpartum pen. The date and time of calving was recorded CW-06
by the farmer and confirmed using video footage recorded as
part of a wider study. Effect of two vs. three milk replacer feedings per day on
Activity data generated by the IceQube accelerometers behaviour and stress in Holstein calves
comprises: the amount of time engaged in lying and non-lying Patricia Carulla1, Adrián Ramón-Moragues2, Mª Ángeles Martínez1,
behaviours (both presented as absolute time and as a propor- Eduardo De Mercado3, Andrea López-Saturnino3, Mª Luz Pérez
tion of the time budget), step count (number of steps taken Solana3, Susana Astiz3, Francisco Sebastián4, Fernando Estellés1,
in a defined time period), lying bouts (number of lying bouts Arantxa Villagrá5.
in a defined time period; a lying bout is recorded when the
cow transitions from standing to lying and back to standing),
1
Instituto de Tecnología Animal. Universitat Politècnica de València,
and Motion Index (a proprietary measure indicative of activ- Valencia, Spain; 2Centro de Tecnología Animal-Instituto Valenciano
ity). Accelerometer-generated data were downloaded for 48 de Investigaciones Agrarias, Segorbe, Spain; 3Instituto Nacional de
h pre-partum and used to construct time budgets that were Investigaciones Agrarias, Madrid, Spain; 4Centro de Recría Cowvet SL,
analysed in 12 h time periods (0 to −12 h, −12 to −24 h, −24 to Titaguas (Valencia), Spain; 5Centro de Tecnología Animal-Instituto
−36 h, and −36 to −48 h) using Linear Mixed Models and Gen- Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias, Segorbe (Castellón), Spain.
eralised Linear Mixed Models (Poisson distribution) as appro-
priate; animal identification number was entered as a random Objectives: During the early stages of life, calves are very
effect into all models to account for repeated measures. Data susceptible to stress, so it is necessary to assure a maximal
were further analysed using Classification and Regression level of animal welfare and health during this period (Kaske
Tree (CART) analysis to determine a data threshold for pre- et al., 2010). Feed management during this stage has a great
diction of assisted calving. Thresholds were validated using impact on animal welfare (Hammon et al., 2020). In nature,
5-fold cross-validation. calves suckle their mothers more than 6 times a day, but in
Results: Multiparous cows were moderately over-repre- production systems they are normally milk fed twice a day.
sented in the study population (72.5% compared to 28.8% Thus, the objective of this study was to compare the effect of
primiparous cows), and most cows (71.3%) did not require as- feeding milk with different frequency per day on calves’ be-
sistance at calving. Overall, cows engaged in lying behaviours haviour and stress level.
more than non-lying behaviours in the 48 h pre-partum (54.4% Materials and methods: The study was carried out in a
vs. 45.6% of the time budget). rearing farm located in Titaguas (Valencia, Eastern Spain)
Cows that were subsequently assisted during parturition from November 18, 2020 to July 6, 2021. Twenty calves be-
tended to engage in more lying bouts (p = 0.064) and have tween 4 and 35 days of age were included, and randomly dis-
a higher step count (p = 0.054) in the 48 h pre-partum com- tributed into two treatments according to feeding program: a)
pared to unassisted cows. Classification and Regression Tree group 2T, in which animals received 6 litres of milk replacer
analysis supported these results, finding that step count had distributed in two feedings of 3 litres each and b) group 3T in
the greatest association with subsequent assistance status. A which animals received 6 litres of milk replacer in three feed-
step count of 883 was identified by CART analysis as being ings of 2 litres each. The calves were provided with ad libitum
the optimal threshold for detecting cows that subsequently re- starter and water from the day of entry and housed individually
quired calving assistance. Discriminant analysis indicated this during 7±2 days after arrival and in pairs until weaning at sev-
threshold had an acceptable sensitivity (69.6%) but low spec- en weeks of life.
ificity (31.6%), with a positive predictive value of 29.1% and a Blood samples were taken at two moments: 1) Pre-Wean-
negative predictive value of 72.0%, for detecting subsequent ing (1S), when one of the milk intakes had been removed
calving assistance. Additionally, a threshold of 10.5 lying bouts (49.54±5.94d) and 2) Post-Weaning (2S), one week after
was identified as the optimal threshold for detecting the last weaning (66.74±8.2d). IgM, C reactive protein (CRP), serum
12 h of gestation (sensitivity = 78.8%, specificity = 87.1%, bal- amyloid-a (SAA) and haptoglobin (HP) were measured with
anced accuracy = 82.7%). commercial ELISA kits (Cloud-clone CORP. Houston, USA).
Conclusion: These findings show that IceQube generat- Behavioural observations were performed by scan sampling
ed data have the potential to be used to predict the timing every 5 minutes during 2 hours at 0, 2, 6 and 24 hours af-
of parturition and to identify cows more likely to need calving ter the animals were housed in pairs and once per week until
assistance; however, cows less likely to need calving assis- weaning.
tance were more accurately detected. Our results could un- Behavioural data and blood parameters were analysed us-

128
ing a cross tabulation and analysis of variance ANOVA (Stat- CW-07

graphics Centurion XVIII®) respectively, using the number of
milks feeding as a fixed effect. For blood parameters, the age Identifying cow temperament to reduce incidence of
of the animals was also assessed (1S vs 2S). infectious disease and improve milk yield in early lactation
Results: Results showed significant differences in all the Nick Britten, Gareth Pearce.
studied behaviors except walking and inactive between 2T
University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
and 3T (Table 1). The 2T animals showed a higher percentage
of non-nutritive oral activities (suckling element and suckling
empty bottle), as well as aggressive behaviours. Furthermore, Objectives: Animal temperament refers to consistent in-
these animals showed a higher percentage of eating and ru- dividual differences in behaviour between animals. These
mination compared to the 3T animals. Finally, 3T animals pre- differences can be quantified using standardised behavioural
sented a higher percentage of positive behaviors such as ex- testing or a combination of behavioural and physiological
ploring, grooming, playing and social interactions. Related to measures. Temperament quantified by behavioural testing is
blood stress parameters, the number of feedings did not have predictive of health and production in dairy cattle (1), howev-
any significant effect, whereas the moment of sampling did for er standardised behavioural testing is difficult for producers
SAA (0.0375) and HP (0.0364): animals showed higher values to implement. This study aimed to determine whether non-in-
at pre-weaning than at post-weaning. Therefore, the effect of vasive physiological measures of temperament could feasibly
reducing the number of milk intakes previous to the weaning replace standardised behavioural testing to predict health and
should be considered a stressor agent. production outcomes during early lactation in dairy cattle.
Table 1. Effect of feeding management on the distribution of different behaviors (%).
Milk Feeding Aggression Drinking Walking Suckling Eating Exploring Grooming

element
2T 62.50 30.43 50 82.35 64.52 36.11 29.03
3T 37.50 69.57 50 17.65 35.48 63.89 70.97
P-value 0.047 0.0000 >0.05 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000
Milk Feeding Inactive Playing Suckling Suckling empty Rumination Self-grooming Social
bottle
2T 49.55 42.11 33.77 56.67 57.14 59.46 45.95
3T 50.45 57.89 66.23 43.33 42.86 40.54 54.05
P-value >0.05 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0081 0.0000 0.0020
Conclusions: Feeding calves three times per day could Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in 58
have a beneficial effect on animal welfare, as it improves pos- Holstein cattle between calving and 60 days of lactation man-
itive behaviours and reduces hunger-related and agonistic aged in an automatic milking system at Cambridge University
ones. Nevertheless, this pattern did not present enough effect Farm, UK. The behaviour of each cow was recorded in a se-
to alter blood stress parameters, although this could be due to ries of standardised tests (human approach, crush restraint,
the reduced sample size. Finally, according to the results ob- runway and novel arena/novel object (NANO) tests) previously
tained, gradual weaning (1S) is shown to be a stressful event described (2) at 21±4 days of lactation. Animals showing any
for calves which has to be accurately handled. clinical signs of illness or receiving veterinary treatment at the
Funded by CDTI (Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico time of testing were excluded.
Industrial); Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación; proyecto CD- Before the NANO test, each animal was fitted with a heart
TI-IDI-20200936. rate monitor (H10, Polar Electro, Finland) around the thorax
Kaske, M., Wiedemann, S. and Kunz, H.J. 2010. Metabolic and left undisturbed for 5 minutes. Intervals between succes-
programming: Background and potential impact for dairy cat- sive heartbeats (R-R intervals) were then recorded for 5 min-
tle. Vlaams Diergeneeskundig Tijdschrift, 79: 445-451 utes. Immediately following this, temperature of both eyes was
measured using an infra-red camera (T335, FLIR systems,
Hammon, H.M., Liermann, W., Frieten, D., Koch, C. 2020.
UK). Each cow then underwent the NANO test, during which
Review: Importance of colostrum supply and milk feeding
R-R intervals were again recorded, and eye temperature mea-
intensity on gastrointestinal and systemic development in
surement was repeated immediately after the test.
calves. Animal 14: 133–143.
Milk yield at 21 and 60 days were collected from the milk-
Keywords: Behaviour, calves, milk replacer, stress, wel-
ing software. Medicines records were used to identify occur-
fare.
rence of clinical infectious disease (mastitis, metritis, interdigi-
tal necrobacillosis) during the first 60 days of lactation.
Principal Component Analysis (PCA) in R Studio
2021.09.02 extracted latent variables from behavioural test

129
data with an eigenvalue ≥ 4/√3 to identify temperament traits. CW-08

Heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability parameters (root
mean square of successive differences, low frequency power Correlation between the Welfare Quality® protocol and
(LF), high frequency power (HF) and LF:HF ratio) were derived productive performance in Portuguese dairy farms
from R-R intervals. Analysis of variance was used to quantify João Cerqueira1, George Stilwell2, Rui D'Orey Branco1.
differences in temperament between animals requiring treat-
ment for an infection and healthy animals. Linear regression
1
Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Lusófona de
was used to quantify the relationship between temperament Humanidades e Tecnologias, Lisboa, Portugal; 2Animal Behaviour and
and milk yield. Welfare Lab, CIISA-Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal
Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisboa,
Results: PCA identified activity, neophobia, boldness and
Portugal.
sociability as distinct behavioural temperament traits. Elev-
en cases of infectious disease were detected during the first
60 days of lactation: 4 mastitis, 3 metritis and 4 interdigital Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the
necrobacillosis. Cows contracting infections in early lactation relationship of animal welfare of ten dairy farms in Portugal,
showed lower boldness (p≤0.01), lower sociability (p≤0.05) with productive performance. We hypothesized that there are
lower pre-test eye temperatures (p≤0.05) and higher pre-test positive correlations between Welfare Quality® protocol (WQ )
heart rates (p≤0.01) than non-infected animals. Milk yield at 21 results and milk productive performance parameters, and a
and 60 days of lactation was positively correlated with bold- negative correlation between the WQ results and mean calv-
ness (p≤0.01) and negatively correlated with heart rate before ing interval (CI).
and during the NANO test (p≤0.01) and with LF:HF ratio be- Methods and materials: Ten farms were used in this study
fore that test. Eye temperature was positively correlated with and were visited between January and September 2021. Farm
boldness (left eye p≤0.01; right eye p≤0.05). size ranged from 35 to 789 milking cows at the time of the visit.
Conclusions: The higher heart rates and LF:HF ratios All animals were kept on an intensive-based free-stall produc-
and lower eye temperatures seen in cattle showing cases of tion system with several diverse bedding choices and were
infectious disease and lower milk yields indicated that these milked twice a day, with with the exception of one farm where
animals exhibited more physiological signs of stress. Cattle cows were milked three times a day. All farms were assessed
showing lower eye temperatures also exhibited lower levels for animal welfare using the WQ protocol. The productive per-
of the boldness temperament trait. Previous studies have formance indicators considered were the CI, average daily
demonstrated that cattle showing lower boldness and socia- milk yield (kg/cow/day), the number of animals reaching 305
bility are more susceptible to infectious disease (1) and have days in milk (DIM), 305 DIM cumulative production (kg), and
lower milk yields (3). The current study extends this to indicate bulk tank somatic cells count (SCC) (cells x103/ml). Produc-
that these individuals can be identified using the physiological tive performance parameters were obtained and calculated
measures of heart rate parameters and eye temperature. using Microsoft® Excel for Mac version 16.56, and data was
obtained from Bovinfor® and Lactinfo©. The descriptive sta-
As these measures are likely to be more feasible for on-
tistical analysis was calculated using RStudio® Mac version
farm use than behavioural tests, they present potential practi-
2021.09, and all the proposed correlations were assessed us-
cal methods of identifying individual cattle that are at greater
ing Spearman’s bivariate correlation with a significance level
risk of infection in early lactation. Targeting of management
of 5% (p<0.05).
resources to reduce risk factors in these more susceptible an-
imals should reduce incidence of infection thereby reducing Results: From the farms considered in the study, 80% ob-
antimicrobial usage and improving animal welfare. tained the WQ "Enhanced" level, while 20% were classified
as "Acceptable" as the final score. No farms were classified
1. Britten N, Pearce G. Animal - Science Proceedings.
as "Excellent" or "Not Classified". Table 1 describes the WQ
12(1): 104.
assessment correlations with milk productive performance.
2. Britten N, Pearce G. Animal - Science Proceedings. Our main results showed that average daily milk yield was
12(1): 103. positively correlated with the WQ Final Score (p= 0.002), pos-
3. Hedlund L, Løvlie H. Journal of Dairy Science. 2015 itively correlated with the “Good Feeding” principle (p=0.012)
98(9): 5819–28. and tended to be positively correlated with “Good Housing”
Keywords: Dairy, Stress, Temperament, Disease, Ther- principle (p=0.055). The number of animals reaching 305
mography. DIM was positively correlated with the “Good Health” princi-
ple (p= 0,016) and with the “Expression of social behaviors”
criteria (p=0.025), and tended to be correlated with the “Good
Housing” principle (p=0.053). Finally, 305 DIM cumulative
production was positively correlated with the WQ Final Score
(p=0.024), with the “Good Health” principle (p=0.002), and
with the ”Good Housing” principle (p=0.030). There were no
significant correlations between the WQ assessment results,
the CI, and SCC.

130
Table 1. Correlation between the final and each Principle score in the WQ protocol, and average milk yield, number of animals reaching 305
DIM, and 305 DIM cumulative production.
Number of animals reaching 305 305 DIM cumulative

Average daily milk yield
DIM production
WFQ ρ p-value ρ p-value ρ p-value
Absence of prolonged hunger 0.73 0.017 0.53 0.112 0.57 0.084
Absence of prolonged thirst 0.70 0.025 0.32 0.372 0.52 0.124
Good Feeding 0.75 0.012 0.47 0.173 057 0.087
Comfort around resting 0.62 0.055 0.63 0.053 0.68 0.030
Thermal Comfort N/A N/A N/A
Ease of movement N/A N/A N/A
Good Housing 0.62 0.055 0.63 0.053 0.68 0.030
Absence of injuries 0.34 0.328 0.44 0.200 0.66 0.037
Absence of disease 0.29 0.421 0.49 0.151 0.3 0.016
Absence of pain induced by management

0.40 0.245 0.68 0.030 0.56 0.091
procedures
Good Health 0.53 0.117 0.73 0.016 0.84 0.002
Expression of social behaviors 0.50 0.138 0.70 0.025 0.53 0.111
Expression of other behaviors N/A N/A N/A
Good human-animal relationship 0,03 0,934 -0,16 0,651 -0,24 0,510
Positive emotional state 0,62 0,055 0,12 0,738 0,32 0,372
Appropriate Behavior 0,30 0,405 0,055 0,881 0,07 0,854
Final Score 0,85 0,002 0,563 0,090 0,70 0,024
Conclusions: With these results we can accept the hy- Objectives: Changes in cow behaviour are one of the
pothesis that dairy farms with better Welfare Quality® scores most important criteria to assess animal welfare and health.
will have superior productive performance, more specifically Several parameters can be used to build up an early disease
higher milk yield per cow per day, more complete lactations, warning system aiming to gain higher animal health standards,
and higher 305 DIM cumulative production. above all during the transition period when a negative energy
Keywords: Animal welfare, Welfare Quality®, Dairy cow, balance may favour the onset of diseases. Considering the
Productive performance, Average daily milk yield. premises, the goal of the study was to assess and compare
the feeding, ruminating and locomotion behaviour between
cows naturally affected by diseases and healthy cows in the
first week after calving.
Materials and methods: Forty-two, free-stall-housed,
CW-10 pluriparous Holstein x Friesian cows were enrolled from 14
days (d) before up to 1 week (wk) after calving. Based on
Automatic assessment of feeding, ruminating and the output of a 3-dimensional accelerometer placed either in
locomotion behaviours in dairy cows naturally affected by a halter equipped with a nose-band sensor or a pedometer
diseases during peripartum period [RumiWatch®, ITIN+HOCH GmbH, Fütterungstechnik, Lies-
tal, Switzerland], different feeding, rumination and locomotion
Fadul Mahmoud1, Luigi D'Andrea2, Maher Alsaaod1, Giuliano
behaviors were continuously recorded during this period. Eat-
Borriello3, Carlo Ferravante2, Antonio Di Loria2, Paolo Ciaramella2,
ing time, ruminating time, ruminating boluses, eating chews,
Adrian Steiner1, Jacopo Guccione2.
ruminating chews, other activity time (time spent not in eating,
1
Clinic for Ruminants, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, ruminating or drinking), lying time, standing time, walking time,
Vetsuisse-Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; 2Department lie down, stand up, lying bouts, standing bouts, walking bouts
of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Napoli and number of strides were the parameters considered. Cows’
"Federico II", Napoli, Italy; 3Department of Veterinary Medicine health status was continuously monitored by means of general
and Animal Productions, University of Napoli "Federico II", Napoli, clinical examination (every other day) and weekly complete
Switzerland. blood analysis [d -14 and d -7 pre-calving, day of calving (d 0)

131
as well as + d 7 post-calving]. Animals affected by ≥1 disease CW-11

were considered sick.
Effects of individual compared to pair housing on behaviour
RumiWatch® data were converted into 24-hours summa-
and activity of dairy calves
ries, and days around calving (d -1, d 0 and d +1) were exclud-
ed from the analysis. The mean values of wk -2 (from d -14 to Sophie Mahendran, Claire Wathes, Richard Booth, Nicola Blackie.
d -8), wk -1 (from d -7 to d -2) and wk +1 (from d +2 to d +7)
Royal Veterinary College, London, United Kingdom.
relative to calving were calculated. Moreover, activities reg-
istered on the day, the disease was first clinically diagnosed
(dd0), one and two days before disease diagnosis were also Objectives: Behaviour is an indicator of calf welfare, and
described (dd -1 and dd -2, respectively). Lastly, differences is affected by both the management system of the farm as well
between dd0 vs. dd-1 (ΔD1), dd0 vs. wk -1 (ΔD2), and wk +1 as the health of the animals. It has been shown that calves
vs. wk -1 (Δweeks) were assessed. will exert effort in order to achieve social contact with another,
Results: At the end of the clinical monitoring phase, cows preferring full body contact in comparison to head contact only
were divided in group S (n=24 sick cow; all of them diagnosed (Holm et al., 2002). Socialisation by pair housing of calves is
in wk +1) and group H (n=18 healthy cows). No intra-group dif- now recognised to effect consumption of solid feed (De Paula
Vieira et al., 2010; Jensen et al., 2015; Whalin et al., 2018)
ference was observed between wk -2 and -1, for both of them.
such that [pair housed calves end up significantly heavier than
In group S, eating and ruminating parameters were significant-
individually housed calves at weaning (Pempek et al., 2016).
ly decreased in wk +1 compared to wk -1, while no difference
However, the behavioural effects of housing type is still limited,
was detected in group H, for the same time period. In groups S
so the aim of this study was to establish levels of different calf
and H, standing and walking time as well as number of strides
behaviours (cross sucking, lying times and bouts, novel object
were significantly increased in wk +1 compared to wk -1. Lying
approach) between individually and pair housed calves.
time was instead significantly decreased in wk +1 compared
to wk -1, in both groups. Materials and methods: This study was conducted on a
single commercial dairy farm in the South-West of England,
Regarding the inter-group difference in feeding and rumi-
milking 1800 Holstein and Jersey dairy cows in an all year
nation behaviours, at wk +1 and dd0, eating and ruminating
round calving pattern. Calves were moved from a group calv-
time, eating chews and ruminating chews, as well as ruminat-
ing pen at 12 hours of age into housing within a large shed,
ing boluses, were significantly lower in group S compared to
using a commercially available partition system (Calf-Tel,
group H, while other activity time was significantly higher. For
USA) that allowed either individual or pair housing of calves
ΔD2 and Δweeks, the difference between eating and ruminat-
until 8 weeks of age. Calves were enrolled between March
ing time, eating and ruminating chews was significantly lower and May 2020, and were systematically allocated at birth into
in group S compared to group H. Regarding the locomotion individual or pair housing groups. Calves were fitted with a
behaviours, at wk +1 and dd-2, the lying time in group S was tri-axis pedometer (IceQube, Ice Robotics, UK) applied to the
significantly higher compared to group H, while the standing hind limb of calves within 1 week of age using a velcro strap.
time was significantly lower. In addition, the number of strides These measured calf activity (via motion index), lying times
was significantly lower in group S compared to group H, at wk and lying bouts. A novel object approach study was conduct-
+1. ed, with placement of an umbrella into each calf pen during
Conclusions: The present study investigates for the first the sixth week of age. The time was measured from placement
time behavioural changes over time of cows associated with of the umbrella until it was touched by the nose of a calf, with
spontaneous diseases. The combined use of Rumiwatch® non-approach given after 10 minutes. In pair pens, the time
noseband sensor and pedometer allows to detect the disease was stopped when just one of the calves made contact with
state mainly at the day of clinical diagnosis. The model consid- the umbrella. In addition, a subset of calves had CCTV placed
ering the change over time of the variables eat chews, rumi- above their pens to enable video analysis on six non-consecu-
nate chews and other activity time achieved the highest accu- tive days to assess cross sucking behaviour and lying proxim-
racy in detecting cows with a health disorder in week +1. The ity of the pair calves to each other. This footage was manually
results of the study show that novel precision dairy farming analysed for occurrence of cross sucking on another calf and
technologies may provide essential support for early disease sucking on inanimate objects.
detection, allowing to improve animals’ health and well-being Results: A total of 90 calves were enrolled, with 23 on
as well as the overall farm efficiency. individually housed calves and 67 on pair house calves. When
Keywords: Behaviour, accelerometer, cow, precision assessing calf activity, the motion index was significantly asso-
farming, peripartum. ciated with the housing group (F1,83 = 440.3, p < 0.01), with pair
housed calves having a higher mean value of 4503.6 ± 117.5
compared to 4388.0 ± 179.2 in individually housed calves. The
Motion Index was significantly associated with the month of
enrolement (F1,83 = 3.5, p = 0.019), and with the occurrence of
disease in a calf (F1,83 = 3.0, p = 0.088), with diseased calves
having a lower motion index of 4137.2 ± 153.5 compared to
non-disease calves 4678.5 ± 120.7. The Motion Index was not
associated with the breed of the calf (F1,83 = 2.4, p = 0.13). The
novel object approach was significantly affected by housing
group (p < 0.01), with individually housed calves approach-

132
ing the novel object in a mean of 84.0 ± 9.4 seconds (SEM), temperature between 5-18°C on each day served as refer-
and pair housed calves approaching in 121.2 ± 9.2 seconds ence. For comparison, we repeated the analysis with 4-day
(SEM). Individually housed calves carried out more sucking on and 5-day periods and with temperature thresholds 23, 24, 25
inanimate objects than pair housed calves. and 26 °C.
Conclusions: There were significant impacts on calf be- Results: In the studied period (from 1991 to 2015), 46,899
haviour associated with the type of housing a calf was kept in. calves were born on the farm, of which 2,155 died before 60
Pair housed calves were more active overall, with activity gen- days of age. The average daily mortality rate of calves young-
erally linked to positive welfare indicators. Individually housed er than two months was 9.64 per ten thousand. The average
calves were significantly quicker at approaching the novel ob- mortality rate was higher in summer and winter. The monthly
ject, suggesting that these isolated calves are more interested distribution of calf deaths differed between the 0-14 and 15-60
in changes to their environment, possibly due to boredom or day age groups. The mortality risk ratio of the age group 0 to
loneliness. These findings would suggest that pair housing is 14 days compared to the rest (15 to 60 days) was above 2
beneficial for the behavioural welfare of calves. throughout the year. It was highest in July (6.92), the hottest
Keywords: Calf, housing, behaviour, activity. month in Hungary, and lowest in January (2.37). In the sec-
ond analysis, the mortality risk in the 0-14 day age group was
twice as high in periods with an average temperature above
22 °C than in periods of thermoneutrality (mean temperature
between 5-18°C). With a daily mean temperature of 25°C or
CW-12 more (heatwaves), the risks were three times as high as in the
reference period. Varying the length of the reference and risk
Seasonal pattern in the incidence rate of preweaning calf periods did not substantially change the calculated measures
mortality in a large-scale Hungarian dairy herd of association.
Mikolt Bakony, Viktor Jurkovich, Jenő Reiczigel. Conclusions: Our results provide evidence against the
common belief that dairy calves cope well with heat. Increased
University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary. calf mortality in the hottest month of the year highlights that
heat stress abatement in preweaning calves is just as import-
Objectives: On large scale dairy farms in Hungary, as in ant as protection against cold. Heat stress reduction is advised
most dairies worldwide, preweaning calves are housed out- in outdoor calf rearing when the average daily temperature
doors in individual hutches. In summer, it is a usual sight that reaches 22 °C, which is characteristic of summer weather in a
calves are inactive, cuddled up in the shaded area of the hutch continental region.
and are panting at a very high rate. Beyond the apparent wel- Acknowledgements: Viktor Jurkovich was supported by
fare concern, heat stress can negatively affect animal health the Ministry of Innovation and Technology and the National
and productivity. Heat stress in hutch-reared dairy calves, Research, Development, and Innovation Fund (grant No.:
however, is an overlooked area in the dairy industry. We hy- MEC_21_R_140844).
pothesized that the thermal stress caused by high ambient Keywords: Dairy calves, heat stress, mortality.
temperature in the summer months negatively affects the sur-
vival rate in preweaning calves.
Material & Methods: The farm management data of Enyin-
gi Agricultural Ltd. (Kiscséripuszta, Hungary, 47°02'12.5"N
18°21'30.1"E) from 1991 to 2015 were used in the analysis. CW-13
The farm had an average animal population of 1500-1800 Hol-
stein Friesian cows and their offspring in the studied period. How dairy farmers perceive Animal Welfare
The calves were housed in individual wooden hutches with
slate roofs from birth until weaning (around 60 days of age). Joachim Kleen1, Giuliana Hellmann2, Matthias Kussin2.
We collected meteorology data from the National Centers for 1
CowConsult, Großheide-Coldinne, Germany; 2University of Applied
Environmental Information (Asheville, NC, USA), using the Sciences Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany.
data from the Hungarian Meteorological Service station near-
est to the farm (Siófok, Hungary, 46°54'35.1"N 18°02'41.2"E).
Weather data included daily mean, minimum and maximum Objectives: Animal Welfare is increasingly debated in the
of hourly dry bulb temperature measurements. In the first broader public, and the dairy sector is more frequently debat-
analysis, we calculated the average daily mortality rates for ed for perceived and actual problems around dairy cow hus-
calendar months and applied the chi-squared test to compare bandry.
the annual distribution of mortality in the two age groups (0 While the public debate is generally characterized by state-
to 14 vs 15 to 60 days). Second, we determined the average ments of conflicting pressure groups, little is known regarding
mortality rates of the first age group (0-14 days) in periods the attitude and perception of dairy farmers. This study tried
of heat stress and thermoneutral periods and compared them to collect and categorize the opinions of dairy farmers regard-
by Fisher’s exact test. For this purpose, the study period was ing the subject of animal protection and animal welfare. It was
divided into consecutive 3-day blocks, and those in which the aimed at exploring their perception their attitude regarding the
mean temperature was at least 22 °C on each day were con- public debate around the topic and challenges on their respec-
sidered heat stress periods (risk periods). Blocks with a mean tive farms.

133
Material and Methods: Using the method of a semi-struc- Animal Protection being high on their farms. This appears to
tured interview, an interview guide with 15 open questions was derive from professional ethics and economic considerations.
developed. A total of 12 dairy farmers from various parts of Social demands are deemed less relevant. Interviewed farm-
Germany were interviewed by telephone. Farmers were se- ers presented themselves as considerate in all aspects of An-
lected by the technique of theoretical sampling, covering most imal Welfare and open to discussion on the pros and cons of
farm types present in Germany. Three of the interviewed farm- modern dairy farming.
ers were female, the age was between 25 and 58. The herd- Keywords: Animal Welfare, Interview, Ethics.
size varied between 60 and 5000 cows. The interviews lasted
about 30 mins, were recorded and transcribed. The transcripts
were then analysed for the relevant categories and structured
accordingly. The results in the different categories were then
collected and compared.
CW-14
Results: The farmers generally define „Animal Protection”
close to the wording of the German Law on Animal Protec- Correlation between Welfare Quality® protocol and
tion as legal base for their work. The farmers felt responsi- antibiotic usage in portuguese dairy farms
ble to protect animals from pain and suffering and meet the
physiological needs of the animals. All farmers judged their João Cerqueira1, George Stilwell2, Rui D'Orey Branco1.
farms having a high standard of animal welfare; on all farms, 1
however, practicable examples for possible improvement were Humanidades e Tecnologias, Lisbon, Portugal; 2Animal Behaviour and
named. Practices as e.g., dehorning or calf separation were Welfare Lab, CIISA-Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal
seen critically by some farmers. Contrary to the legal term “An- Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon,
imal Protection”, the term “Animal Welfare” was not uniformly Portugal.
understood by the farmers. This term was regularly associated
as a terminology to be used in marketing and sales of dairy
products. Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate
the relationship between animal welfare in ten dairy farms in
Animal Health was perceived as highly important by all
Portugal with the use of critically or non-critically important an-
farmers. All rejected the idea to cut costs in therapy or pre-
tibiotics. We hypothesized that higher Welfare Quality® proto-
vention for economical reasons. Prevention was generally pre-
col (WQ) results, promote a reduction in the use of critically
ferred over therapy and investments in preventive measures
important and non-critically important antibiotics.
were seen as logical.
Methods and materials: Ten farms were used in this study
All interviewed farmers rejected a negative correlation
and were visited between January and September 2021. Farm
between herd size and animal welfare. Some farmers stated
size ranged from 35 to 789 milking cows at the time of the visit.
that larger farms had more opportunity to structure their farms,
All animals were kept on an intensive-based free-stall produc-
allowing better trained people to spend more time with the an-
tion system with several diverse bedding choices and were
imals; this could have positive effects on animal health and
milked twice a day, with with the exception of one farm where
welfare. Problems with farm staff like fluctuation could, how-
cows were milked three times a day. All farms were assessed
ever, have a strong negative impact on the Animal Welfare.
for animal welfare using the WQ® protocol. Antibiotic use was
Farmers stated that public debate around Animal Welfare obtained from the farms’ treatment records, and only data from
issues did not influence their professional attitude and work, the year prior to the WQ audit was considered. General use
nevertheless affected them emotionally. The debate was per- of antibiotics was calculated using the Fifth OIE Annual Re-
ceived as being unfair and negative consequences for then port on Antimicrobial Agents Intended for Use in Animals (OIE,
economic situation of the sector are expected. While farmers 2021) guidelines. For each farm, animal biomass was calcu-
do criticize the knowledge of the consumer public, they say lated, only considering the WQ protocol sample as eligible.
they remain open for discussion and wishes. For each milking cow, an average weight of 450kg was con-
In the opinion of the farmers interviewed, weak points of sidered. As for dried-up cows and heifers allocated together, a
the dairy sector are dehorning, shortage of qualified staff, correlation of 0.8 of a milking cow was applied. Treatment re-
overburdening of farmers, little appreciation of male calves cords from the year prior to the farm visit were transferred into
and the condition of cull cows. a Microsoft® Excel for Mac version 16.56 sheet, and antimi-
Farmers see a huge potential in animal breeding: In their crobial use was flagged and separated into critically important
opinion, genomics offer potential to improve Animal Health antibiotic, if the active substance was from groups “A- Avoid”
and Welfare. Conversely, breeding is getting more complex or “B- Restrict” of the Antimicrobial Advice Expert Group cat-
and needs careful selection. Farmers generally disapprove of egorization; or non-critically important antibiotic, if the active
a genetic selection towards higher production only. substance was from groups “C- Caution” or “D- Prudence” of
Discussion: The study offered insight into the ideas and the Antimicrobial Advice Expert Group categorization (EMA,
perceptions of dairy farmers. All farmers interviewed had a 2019). Finally, the Fifth OIE Annual Report on Antimicrobial
high level of education which needs to be considered when Agents Intended for Use in Animals (OIE, 2021) adapted for-
interpreting the results. While “Animal Protection” appears mula was applied to both critically and non-critically important
as undisputed and of high importance to farmers, “Animal antibiotics and correspondent productive biomass:
Welfare” is less understood and being considered as a more Antibiotic usage (mg/Kg)=Antimicrobial agents report-
theoretical concept. The farmers generally assess the level of ed (mg)/Productive biomass (Kg).

134
The data was stored in a Microsoft® Excel for Mac version is not appropriate. Assessment systems need to be developed
16.56 sheet, and the descriptive statistical analysis and pro- for the system they are testing. We have recently created a
posed correlations were calculated using RStudio® Mac ver- specific welfare assessment for extensive pasture-based beef
sion 2021.09, using Spearman’s bivariate correlation with a cattle in New Zealand using measures from Welfare Quality
significance level of 5% (p <0.05). and the UC Davis Cow-Calf protocol, with additional New
Results: From the farms considered in the study, 80% Zealand-specific measures. The aim of this study was to test
obtained the "Enhanced" level, while 20% were classified as this protocol on semi-desert rangeland-based beef cow-calf
"Acceptable" as the final score. No farms were classified as production systems in Namibia and adapt it to those conditions.
"Excellent" or "Not Classified". Critically important antibiotics’ Material and Methods: The protocol was tested on 55
use showed a tendency for a moderate negative correlation Namibia beef properties (17 commercial farms, 20 semi-
with the “Absence of disease” criteria (p= 0.071). The remain- commercial farming villages and 18 communal farming
ing correlations between critically importance antibiotics use villages) in autumn (March to April). Cows were assessed
and the WQ scores, showed no significance (p≥0,336). Also, in the yards during a pregnancy test (total 2459 cows) and
there were no significant correlations between non-critically at grazing. Stockmanship was evaluated by observing cow
important antibiotics use and the WQ scores. handling alongside yard design and facilities. A questionnaire
Conclusions: Critically important antibiotics tended to be guided interview with the fam manager was used to assess
used less in farms with higher “Good Health” principle score. the health and management of cattle. Follow-up visits in
Our results show that welfare assessment protocols may be a winter evaluated changes in animal health, welfare and cattle
way of identifying farms that overuse antibiotics. management.
Results: We identified several issues that were not covered
References:
by the New Zealand-developed protocol, including compulsory
EMA. (2019). Categorisation of antibiotics in the Europe- cattle hot iron branding, ticks, flies, predation, snake bites,
an Union Answer. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/ plant poisoning, and recurrent drought. There were also
report/categorisation-antibiotics-european-union-answer-re- significant differences across the Namibian beef properties in
quest-european-commission-updating-scientific_en.pdf the feasibility of applying the protocol. For commercial farms,
OIE. (2021). Fifth OIE Annual Report on Antimicrobial the quality of the yards and the handling facilities were similar
Agents Intended for Use in Animals - OIE - World Organisation to those seen in New Zealand. In contrast, the facilities on the
for Animal Health. https://www.oie.int/en/document/fifth-oie-an- semi-commercial and communal properties were of a lower
nual-report-on-antimicrobial-agents-intended-for-use-in-ani- standard. This was exacerbated by the persistent drought
mals/ that was present during the study period, which meant that
Welfare Quality. (2009). Welfare Quality Assessment cattle on semi-commercial and communal farms often had a
protocol for cattle. Welfare Quality® Assessment Protocol long-distance to go grazing or water so were unavailable for
for Cattle, 1–142. http://www.welfarequalitynetwork.net/net- assessment outside of very early morning. Additionally, many
work/45848/7/0/40 of those farms had cattle at temporary grazing sites where
facilities were even poorer with yards made of thorn bushes
Keywords: Animal welfare, Welfare Quality® , Dairy cow,
and tree stumps and no separate pens. This resulted in diffi-
Critically important antibiotics, Non-critically important antibi-
cult and protracted cattle handling which was accompanied by
otics
shouting and hitting from cattle handlers. Other welfare issues
identified on semi-commercial and communal farms were the
presence of horns on most cattle, and multiple brands and
brand wounds.
A key part of the assessment is setting targets for welfare.
CW-15 For some assessment measures, there is an effect of the sys-
Adapting a New Zealand animal welfare assessment tem on the likely welfare impact. For example, in spring, most
protocol for extensive beef systems in Namibia New Zealand beef cows have watery feces. This is not a wel-
fare issue. In contrast, similar levels of diarrhea in Namibian
Y. Baby Kaurivi, Richard Laven, Kevin Stafford, Tim Parkinson, cows in spring would indicate a welfare problem. However, as
Rebecca Hickson. much as possible, assessment should be consistent across
systems and countries, with similar targets for similar condi-
Massey University, School of Veterinary Science, Palmerston North,
tions. For a cow, the welfare impact of a broken tail does not
New Zealand.
vary across systems, so why should the target vary between
systems? Nevertheless, if systems are extremely different then
Objectives: Although beef production differs significantly targets may have to be modified. This is particularly apparent
between New Zealand and Namibia in terms of cattle manage- when comparing body condition (as an indicator of nutrition)
ment systems, topography and climate, both countries have between New Zealand and Namibian beef cattle. The drought
extensive beef systems with a focus on exporting beef to lu- meant that more than 40% of cows on communal farms were
crative markets. Thus, beef from both countries is expected to classified as emaciated, levels which would result in prose-
conform to the high animal welfare standards demanded by cution on New Zealand farms. Setting body condition score
these markets. This is increasingly likely to require a formal targets for Namibian farms based on New Zealand targets is
assessment. However, simply transferring protocols devel- not going to be appropriate, but if the targets are made too
oped for industrialized intensive systems to extensive systems easy then they are no longer useful for meeting the welfare

135
demands of overseas consumers. day, in the AMS group by 56 min/day, and in the dry group by
Conclusion: This study is the first integral step towards 33 min/day. Adaptation to daily temperature and THI was al-
developing welfare assessment and monitoring scheme for ready noticeable from a mean temperature of 12°C or a mean
beef cattle in extensive semi-desert rangeland management THI of 56, above, when dairy cows started spending less time
such as those in Namibia, with the aim of developing an lying and eating and spent more time standing. Further, ru-
assessment which will be useful for both export purposes and mination time showed a decrease, though only in dry cows
improving the animal welfare standards on Namibian beef and cows on AMS farms. With higher values for daily mean
farms. THI and temperature, walking time decreased as well. These
patterns were very similar for temperature and THI variables.
Keywords: Welfare assessment, beef cattle, New Zea-
land, Namibia. These results show that dairy cows in temperate climates
begin to adapt their behavior at a relatively low mean envi-
ronmental temperature or THI. In the temperate maritime cli-
mate of the Netherlands, they indicate that daily mean tem-
perature suffices to study the effects of behavioral adaptation
CW-16 to heat stress in dairy cows.
Keywords: Dairy cow, heat stress, sensor data, time bud-
Heat stress in a temperate climate leads to adapted sensor get.
based behavioral patterns of dairy cows
Peter Hut, Josje Scheurwater, Mirjam Nielen, Jan Van Den Broek,
Miel Hostens.
Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands. CW-17
Most research on heat stress has focused on (sub)tropi- Sensor based continuous heart rate monitoring in calves to
cal climates. The effects of higher ambient temperatures on evaluate stress induced by different sampling techniques of
the daily behavior of dairy cows in a maritime and temperate the respiratory tract
climate are less well studied. With this retrospective observa- Florian Debruyne1, Glenn Van Steenkiste1, Jade Bokma1, Stan
tional study, we address that gap by associating the daily time Jourquin1, Thomas Lowie1, Justine Clinquart1, Daniel Berckmans2,
budgets of dairy cows in the Netherlands with daily tempera- Bart Pardon1.
ture and temperature humidity index (THI) variables.
Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population
1
During a period of four years, cows on eight commercial
Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; 2M3-BIORES- Measure,
dairy farms in the Netherlands were equipped with a neck and
Model & Manage Bioresponses, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
leg sensors to collect data from 4345 cow lactations regard-
ing their daily time budget. The time spent eating, ruminat-
ing, lying, standing and walking was recorded. Individual cow Objectives: In recent years samples of the respiratory tract
data was divided into three datasets: 1) lactating cows from are more frequently taken to rationalize antimicrobial use. It is
five farms with a conventional milking system (CMS) and pas- currently unknown how stressful or painful these techniques
ture access, 2) lactating cows from three farms with an auto- are and whether differences exist between commonly used
matic milking system (AMS) without pasture access, and 3) methods like deep nasopharyngeal swabbing (DNS), non-en-
dry cows from all eight farms. doscopic bronchoalveolar lavage (nBAL) or transtracheal
Hourly environment temperature and relative humidity wash (TTW). Heart rate monitoring holds potential as a preci-
data from the nearest weather station of the Dutch National sion livestock farming application for evaluation of production
Weather Service (KNMI) was used for THI calculation for each efficiency and animal welfare (detection of stress, pain and
farm. Based on heat stress thresholds from previous studies, (positive) excitement). Sensor-based heart rate monitoring is
daily mean temperatures were grouped into seven catego- largely unexplored in calves. Therefore, the objective of this
ries: 0 (< 0°C), 1 (0-12°C, reference category), 2 (12-16°C), 3 study was to compare the effects of DNS, nBAL and TTW on
(16-20°C), 4 (20-24°C), 5 (24-28°C) and 6 ( ≥ 28°C); THI val- parameters derived from sensor-based continuous heart rate
ues were grouped as follows: 0 (THI < 30), 1 (THI 30- 56, ref- measurements in relation to resting heart rate and changes
erence category), 2 (THI 56-60), 3 (THI 60-64), 4 (THI 64-68), associated with feeding. Additionally, behavior, cortisol and
5 (THI 68-72) and 6 (THI ≥ 72). To associate daily mean tem- substance P were determined.
perature and THI with sensor based behavioral parameters of Materials and Methods: A crossover study was con-
dry cows and of lactating cows from AMS and CMS farms, ducted under experimental conditions, including 5 male Hol-
generalized linear mixed models were used. In addition, as- stein-Friesian calves. Inclusion criteria were absence of pneu-
sociations between sensor data and other climate variables monia by thoracic ultrasonography and no failure of passive
such as daily maximum and minimum temperature and THI transfer. During the study the calves were individually housed
were analyzed. in a straw-bedded pen, each with an individual top view cam-
On the warmest days, eating time in the CMS group de- era. Each calf was equipped with a sensor (Movesense, Van-
creased by 92 min/day, in the AMS group by 87 min/day and taa, Finland), which transmitted to a self-developed gateway
in the dry group by 75 min/day compared to the reference (ESP-32) in the top view camera, attached to a chest strap.
category. Lying time in the CMS group decreased by 36 min/ The sensor continuously collected heart rate measurements.

136
Data was transferred when a change in heart rate was no- CW-19
ticed (inherent to the sensor software). Five sessions were or-
ganized, and calves were randomly assigned to one of the 5 Qualitative Analysis of working employees' motivation and
test groups (negative control, only fixation for 2 minutes, DNS satisfaction on two large dairy farms
sampling, nBAL sampling, TTW sampling). Joachim Lübbo Kleen1, Anna Wasmuth2.
Pain scoring was done according to the pain face checklist
CowConsult, Coldinne, Germany; 2University of Applied Sciences,
1
by an examiner at -2h, +3h, +7h, +22h and +27h relative to the
Osnabrück, Germany.
respiratory tract sampling. A permanent catheter was placed in
the jugular vein and blood samples were collected at -1h, 0h,
+1h, +5h and +24h relative to the sampling. Objectives: As dairy herds continue to grow in size glob-
Heart rate data were filtered using a Savitzky-Golayfil- ally, employees play an increasingly important role: Their mo-
ter and different variables were calculated for analysis be- tivation and satisfaction are crucial factors in animal welfare
ing, mean heart rate, area under the curve of the handling and production. The specific demands in terms of work flow,
(AUChandling), AUC of the handling/time (corrected for the length hours working and the proximity to animals seems to make
of the handling), the triangular index and the LF/HF ratio (Low it increasingly difficult for dairy farms to recruit personnel.
frequency power (LF)/High frequency power (HF)) . Resting A competition among farms for personnel is frequently ob-
heart rate was defined as the mean heart rate outside feed- served. As there is little information on the role of employees
ing or handling procedures. By visual inspection the length of in relation to animal welfare and health, information on factors
the ‘event’, being the positive deviation from resting heart rate, relevant for the motivation and satisfaction of personnel were
was determined. Similarly, the AUC of the event (AUCevent) and to be collected. It was to be determined whether factors creat-
the AUC/time of the event were calculated. Analysis was done ing satisfaction (Hygiene factors) and motivation (Motivators)
by linear mixed models in R. Additionally, behavior, cortisol were discernible. The role of the animals in work satisfaction
and substance P were determined. and motivation was to be analysed.
Results: Resting heart rate, was 98.39 beats per minute Material & Methods: The dairy farms chosen for this
(bpm) (standard deviation (SD)=25.0; quantile (q) (0.02)=63.0; study had a herd size of 1300 and 750 cows, respectively. 17
q(0.98)=158.1). The average of DNS, nBAL and TTW sam- employees of the farms were interviewed using a semi struc-
pling was 124.6 bpm (SD=25.5; q(0.02)=87.6; q(0.98)=171.9), tured interview. The interviews were transcribed, encoded and
115.6 bpm (SD=16.5; q(0.02)=81.2; q(0.98)=144.7), and analysed for relevant information concerning the status quo of
108.5 bpm (SD=19.7; q(0.02)=74.4; q(0,98)=167.6), respec- satisfaction and motivation. Categories of relevant information
tively. Mean heart rate during the handling procedure was were formed and summarized.
111.7 bpm (SD=18.4; q(0.02)=81.8; q(0.98)=165.9), whereas Results: Various factors affected individual motivation and
this was 142.1 bpm (SD=26,9; q(0.02)=92.2; q(0.98)=191.4) satisfaction of employees. As positive factors were identified
during feeding. The LF/HF ratio during feeding was significant- intrinsic motivation to work within a team, as well as organi-
ly (P<0.05) higher than all of the sampling techniques. LF/HF zation of work and holiday by the farm management. Working
was significantly larger in DNS sampling compared to control, with animals was positive for most employees. Negative fac-
nBAL and fixation (P<0.05). The triangular index was signifi- tors were failure of farm equipment, animal health problems
cantly higher in feeding events compared to control and all and little recognition of achievements by the respective supe-
sampling procedures (P<0.05), but no differences between rior. There was little intrinsic motivation recognisable towards
sampling procedures could be shown. There were no signif- actively improving the animal welfare and health situation.
icant differences between the sampling procedures in any of Conclusion: The 17 semi-structured interviews can
the other heart rate variables studied. Mean heart rate was serve as an example for the attitude of personnel working on
significantly lower in the last two sessions compared to the first large dairy farms, the results must however not be general-
one, which is likely an age or habituation effect. ized. While animal-related factors incite a sense of responsi-
Conclusions: The presented sensor system provided bility and working with them created satisfaction, there was
continuous and reliable heart rate measurements in calves. little motivation in employees to actively improve the situation
In this study, LF/HF ratio was the most promising parameter if deficits were recognized. Such deficits were nevertheless
for non-invasive stress-evaluation in calves. Calves appeared identified as creating dissatisfaction among employees. Un-
to cope reasonably well with respiratory sampling techniques specific factors such as working environment, colleagues
when compared to feeding events. Based on the LF/HF ratio, and organization of working hours were regularly mentioned
DNS sampling would be more stressful compared to the oth- as source of dissatisfaction. It was not possible to clearly dif-
er methods. Confirmation of current findings on more animals ferentiate between hygiene factors and motivators, respec-
and further evaluation of stress and pain induction by sampling tively. The status quo was identified as being either a state
methods by behavioral monitoring and blood analysis needs of "pseudo-satisfaction" or "fixed dissatisfaction". Further re-
to be done. search on the role of employees seems to be necessary. On
the farms surveyed, the staff felt responsible for the animals
Keywords: Heart rate variability, LF/HF ratio, Deep na-
but did not feel able to change deficits by themselves. This
sopharyngeal swabbing, Non-endoscopic bronchoalveolar
may be interpreted as a cognitive dissonance which may fur-
lavage.
ther deteriorate motivation of the staff. The method of quali-
tative analysis was appropriate to understand the situation of
farm personnel.

137
Keywords: Motivation, Satisfaction, Interview, Communi- Objectives: On-farm mortality (unassisted death and eu-
cation, Consulting. thanasia) is an unwanted loss of an animal which negatively
affects farm economy. On-farm mortality rates reflect animal
welfare status and high rates indicate deteriorated animal
health. The objective of this study was to determine the asso-
ciations between herd characteristics, animal housing condi-
CW-20 tions and management routines and within-herd calf and cow
mortality rates in Estonian dairy herds.
Relation between hair-cortisol concentration and welfare Material and methods: The study population included all
assessment protocols in dairy cows dairy farms enrolled in the Estonian voluntary production re-
Frank Van Eerdenburg, Tessa Hof, Bente Doeve, Lars Ravesloot, cording system with herd size of ≥20 cow-years in 2015-2017.
Rebecca Nordquist, Franz-Josef Van Der Staay. A questionnaire was developed to collect data about manage-
ment routines and housing conditions of calves and cows. The
Fac Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht, Netherlands. 338 farmers fulfilling the inclusion criteria were contacted by
mail or telephone between October 2017 and March 2018. In
Objectives: Several protocols have been developed to total, 214 completed questionnaires were gathered. The with-
assess farm animal welfare. However, the validity of these in-herd mortality rates of calves (21-90 days) and cows (over
protocols is still subject to debate. The present study aimed 24 months) in years 2017-2018 were calculated and used as
to validate and compare eight welfare assessment protocols outcome variables. Negative binomial and linear regression
for dairy farms. Long term stress has a negative influence on models were applied for risk factor analysis in calf and cow
animal welfare. Because the hair cortisol level is related to datasets, respectively.
stress over a long period of time, a negative correlation be- Results: The final datasets for calves and cows includ-
tween cortisol and the result of the welfare protocol scores ed 212 farms (usable response rate was 62.7%). The medi-
was expected. an within-herd mortality rate for calves aged 21-90 days was
Material & Methods: On 58 dairy farms, spread over the 0.15 per 100 calf-months (quartiles 0.00; 0.36). The median
Netherlands, the following assessment protocols were ap- within-herd mortality rate for cattle over 24 months of age was
plied: Welfare Quality©; a modified version of Welfare Quali- 4.57 per 100 cow-years (quartiles 2.44; 6.86). Factors signifi-
ty; KoeKompas (= Cow Compass); WelzijnsWijzer (=Welfare cantly associated with the increase of mortality of calves were
Indicator); a new Welfare Monitor; Continue Welzijns Monitor larger herd size (p = 0.005), higher proportion of stillbirths
(Continuous Welfare Monitor); Cow Comfort Scoring System and abortions (p < 0.001), prophylactic administration of vita-
and the Welfare Index. On each farm, hair was collected from mins to all calves (p = 0.041) and housing pre-weaned calves
10 cows to measure cortisol concentrations. Correlation coef- in single pens only compared to housing in both single and
ficients were calculated between each of the welfare assess- group pens (p = 0.020). Also, farmers that attended trainings
ment protocol scores and mean hair cortisol concentrations. more frequently had higher calf mortality rates (p = 0.008).
Results: Only Koekompas (ρ = -0.23) and a simple wel- Having calvings only in group pens or tie-stalls compared to
fare estimation by veterinarians (ρ = -0.28) had a weak, but multiple places was associated with higher calf mortality rates
significant, negative correlation with hair cortisol. Additionally, (p = 0.020). Higher cow mortality rates were present in farms
the modified Welfare Quality® protocol parameters housing where employees handled cows (p < 0.001). Also, farms lo-
(ρ = -0.30), the new Welfare Monitor parameter health (ρ = cated in the North-East part of Estonia had higher calf (p =
-0.33), and milk yield (ρ = -0.33) showed non-significant nega- 0.020) and cow (p < 0.001) mortality rates. Housing cows in
tive correlations with cortisol. freestall barns (p = 0.008), grazing cows (p = 0.006) and more
Conclusion: Because only five out of all the parameter frequent hoof trimming (p = 0.002) reduced within-herd cow
scores from the welfare assessment protocols showed a neg- mortality rates.
ative correlation with cortisol, the protocols might not be re- Conclusions: On-farm mortality rates in Estonian dairy
liable or, alternatively, hair cortisol levels may not be a valid herds are similar to what has been reported in other countries.
indicator for stress in dairy cattle. Still, a high between-herd variability in on-farm mortality rates
Keywords: Welfare assessment, cortisol, stress. in calves and cows was confirmed. Study results suggest that
housing conditions have impact on the health and welfare of
dairy cattle. Providing more natural keeping conditions to cows
(freestall housing, grazing), mitigating important herd health
problems (lameness, reproduction health) and motivating farm
personnel could be considered as key factors in achieving im-
CW-21
provements in on-farm mortality rates.
Herd-level risk factors for calf and cow mortality in Keywords: Dairy cattle, euthanasia, mortality, unassisted
Estonian dairy herds death, housing conditions.
Kaari Reimus1, Karin Alvåsen2, Ulf Emanuelson2, Kerli Mõtus1.
Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia; 2Swedish
1
University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.

138
CW-22 Keywords: Veal calf, auction market.
Evaluation of the association between health status and

other risk factors and low sale price in Québec veal calf
markets
Salvatore Ferraro, Marianne Villettaz-Robichaud, Anne-Sophie CW-23
Perrault, Gilles Fecteau, Sébastien Buczinski.
Pain detection of cows with mastitis in the barn and at
Département de sciences cliniques, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, milking: a piece of cake?
Université de Montréal, Saint Hyacinthe, Canada.
Ginger Laure1, Ledoux Dorothée1, Bouchon Matthieu2, Rautenbach
Isabelle1, Bagnard Charlotte1, Lurier Thibaud3, Foucras Gilles4,
Objectives: The first objective of this study was to evaluate Germon Pierre5, Durand Denys1, De Boyer Des Roches Alice1.
health status of young calves sold in the two largest Québec
auction markets. The second objective was to assess which
1
Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR Herbivores,
individual characteristic had an impact on the calf’s sale price. Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France; 2INRAE, Herbipôle, Saint-Genès-
Champanelle, France; 3Université de Lyon, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR
Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was con-
EPIA, Marcy l'Etoile, France; 4Université de Toulouse, ENVT, INRAE,
ducted during in “month” of 2019 in two auction markets in
IHAP, Toulouse, France; 5INRAE, UMR ISP, Université François
Québec, Canada. Calves’ health was assessed upon arrival
Rabelais de Tours, Nouzilly, France.
using umbilical characteristics (presence of umbilical cord,
dampness, swelling, and pain). Presence of sunken eye and
positive skin tent test, nasal and ocular discharge, lameness, Objectives: Pain is one of the most detrimental factors
dropped ears was also evaluated. Evaluation of body score affecting dairy cows’ welfare, and induces production losses.
and hide cleanliness was recorded. Mastitis is a good model for pain research in cattle, as it is
A study was performed to assess individual characteristics a commonly occurring inflammatory painful disease. When
associated with a low sales price per kg. Calves sold with a induced by LPS infusion in the udder, mastitis has a limited
price under 10th percentile of the day were considered as cas- duration, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
es and calves sold more than 50th percentile were considered can easily modulate it. To date, there is a lack of knowledge
as controls. on the behavioral reaction of mastitic cows in cubicles and at
milking. This study aimed at refining behavioral indicators of
Results: A total of 1 871 calves were enrolled in the study.
pain in dairy cows with mastitis, according to time and whether
Of these, 81.8% were males. The majority were Holstein
cows were observed in the cubicle barn or at milking.
(76.0%), 15.7% were Angus crossbreed, 4.3% were other
beef crossbreeds, and 4.0% were non-Holstein dairy breed. Materials & Methods: Twenty-seven cows received an
intra-mammary infusion of 25 µg E. coli LPS in one healthy
Umbilical cord was present in 39.7% of calves. Wet umbili-
quarter. Thirteen cows received 3 mg / kg ketoprofen IM
cus was present in 4.4% of calves. Umbilical swelling was ob-
(Ketofen® 10%) in addition to LPS (LPS+NSAID cows), and
served in 17.5% calves. A total of 5.7% of calves were painful
14 cows received placebo (20mL NaCl 0.9% IM) instead of
during umbilical palpation. Sunken eyes and skin stent greater
NSAID (LPS cows). Evolution of the local immune response
than 2 sec. were present in 14.0% and 22.7% of calves, re-
was assessed using somatic cell counts (SCC) and cytokines/
spectively. Ocular discharge was present in 41.5%, and nasal
chemokines quantification. Cows’ response to the challenge
discharge observed in 0.1% of calves. Lameness was pres-
was monitored at regular intervals from 24 hours before to 48
ent in 0.5% of calves. Body condition was considered low in
hours post-infusion (hpi) through direct clinical observations
4.6% of calves. Dirty hide was observed in 14.1% of calves.
(cardiac, ruminal and respiratory frequencies), through indica-
Diarrhea was observed in 2.6% of calves. Dropped ears were
tors of inflammation (in milk: cytokines/chemokines, haptoglo-
noted in 0.9% of calves.
bin, serum Amyloid A (SAA)) and stress (cortisol in blood and
The odds ratios to be a case were significantly higher for in milk), and through direct behavioral observations in the barn
non-Holstein dairy breeds versus Holstein (OR=12.5, 95% CI (i.e. postures, activity, social behavior, ear positions, etc.) and
5.5-33.3), female calves (OR=4.6, 95% CI 3.2- 6.9), calves at milking (i.e. steps, lifts, kicks).
having a poor body condition (OR=9.1, 95% CI 16.6-4.50),
Results: In LPS cows, infusion induced significant chang-
calves presenting sunken eye (OR=2.1, 95% CI 1.4-3.2) or
es of endocrinal, inflammatory and clinical parameters. Blood
having a skin stent greater than 2 sec. (OR=1.9, 95% CI 1.3-
cortisol peaked at (mean [95% IC]) 69.18 [48.98-97.72] ng/ml
2.7) and calves presenting dropped ears (OR=3.57, 95% CI
at 3 hpi and remained above 65 ng/ml at 7 hpi. Milk cortisol
1.77-11.1).
peaked at 1.69 [1-3.01] ng/ml at 7hpi. SCC peaked at 1.8 x
Conclusion: The most frequent abnormal clinical signs 107 cells/ml at 7 hpi and remained above 8 x 106 cells/ml until
observed in this study are related to the umbilicus and hydra- 48 hpi. IL-6, IL-1b and CXCL8 peaked at 7 hpi (respectively:
tion status. Breed, sex and some clinical signs appears to im- 1.9 [1.7-3.0] x 103 nmg/ml; 1.6 [0.7-2.3] x 102 ng/ml; 2.7 [1.7-
pact the sales price in calves sold at auction market. 7.0] x 103 ng/ml). SAA in milk significantly increased at 7 hpi,
Future studies could aim to better understand if these 24 hpi, 31 hpi and peaked at 7.4 [4.5-12.8] x 104 ng/ml) 48
anomalies are present before leaving the farm of origin or are hpi. More LPS cows stopped feeding/ruminating and pressed
occurring during transportation from the farm to the auction their tail between their legs at 3, 5, and 24 hpi than before (P
market. < 0.05 in all cases). They also tend to be more numerous to

139
be apathetic, dropping their head and dropping their ears at 5 ing, ruminating, and resting were measured every 60 minutes.
hpi (P = 0.07 in all cases). At milking, significantly more LPS On the other hand, ruminal bolus with pH and temperature
cows were lift their hooves at forestripping at 7 hpi than before sensors that records data every 10 minutes were also used.
(P=0.04. Two samples of hair were obtained from the suprascap-
LPS+NSAID and LPS cows showed similar pattern of re- ular region of each animal following the methodology recom-
sponses for milk cortisol, SCC, respiratory rate, mAA, hapto- mended in the revised literature in order to use hair cortisol
globin, IL-6, IL-1b and CXCL8 (P > 0.05). Compared to LPS concentration (HCC) value as indicator of chronic stress. This
cows, LPS+NSAID cows had significantly lower plasmatic cor- assessment technique made it possible to have an objective
tisol levels at 3 hpi (61.66 [24.57-144.54] ng/ml). At 7 hpi, com- stress measures. Determination based on difference in the ini-
pared to LPS cows, LPS+NSAIDs cows’ rectal temperature tial and the final HCC during fattening period was carried out
decreased by 0.66 [(-0.85)-(-0.48)] °C, their rumen motility rate using competitive ELISA (kit ELISA cortisol Neogen 402710)
increased by 1.04 [0.34-1.75] contraction/min. At 31 hpi, com- in the physical-chemical laboratory of the Estación Tecnológi-
pared to LPS cows, LPS+NSAID cows’ heart rate increased ca de la Carne (ITACyL). All data has been statistically an-
by 8.44 [1.00-15.91] beats/min, and their rumen motility rate alyzed with RStudio software. Interactions among variables
increased by 0.89 [0.19-1.60] contraction/min. Compared to were assessed by Pearson's correlation coefficient. Analysis
LPS cows, a larger proportion of LPS+NSAID cows were feed- of variance (ANOVA) was used to evaluate the significance of
ing or ruminating (P = 0.02), and few of them had ears down deviation between animals.
(P = 0.04) at 5 hpi; they were more numerous to lie down at
Results: The result showed a mean cortisol increase of
24 hpi (P = 0.02).
0.83 ± 1.93 ng/g and a pH and temperature average of 6,68 ±
Conclusion: This study confirms the benefits to use be- 0,37 and 39.75 ± 0.098 ºC, respectively. Mean rest time was
havioral indicators to early detect pain associated with mas- 22.08 ± 0.41 min/hour. The mean rumination time was 21.98
titis in dairy cows, particularly during milking. These behav- min/hour with a standard error of 2.92 min/hour. Mean intake
ioral indicators (feeding/ruminating, tail position, reactivity at time per hour was 5.92 ± 1.87 min/hour.
forestripping) could be useful for early detection of mastitis
and for decision-making regarding the initiation of pain-relief This study reported a significant association between some
treatment during mastitis in dairy cows. This will contribute to animal welfare parameters. Elevated cortisol levels were as-
animal welfare improvement. sociated with high temperatures (0.96). Temperature varia-
tions could be due to increased fermentation activity. Long rest
Keywords: Dairy cow, Pain, Behaviour, Welfare, Detection.
times were related to a decrease in hair cortisol concentra-
tion (-0.89). Therefore, it is essential that the dimensions and
characteristics of farm facilities allow all animals to rest. Lower
pH values were associated with increases in cortisol levels
(-0.61). A balanced diet maintains a stable pH, this improves
CW-24 animal welfare. Hence, it's important to use feed made with
suitable formulas that prevent digestive pathologies. Positive
First approach to monitoring animal welfare with Precision
effects of rest times on pH (0.88) and negative correlation with
Farming devices during fattening
temperature (-0.88) were reported. Intake times were inverse-
Alberto Benito Díaz1, Esperanza Domínguez Iralde1, Marta Elena ly related to ruminal pH (-0.99).
Alonso De La Varga2, Marina Lozano Marquéz2, Juan Manuel A pH below 6 maintained for 1430 minutes/day corre-
Lomillos Pérez3, Juan José García García1.
sponded with the highest cortisol level (6.8 ng/g). Also, the
1
Instituto Tecnológico Agrario de Castilla y León, Guijuelo (Salamanca), same animal presented the lowest pH (4.95). In contrast, the
Spain; 2Universidad de León, León, Spain; 3Facultad de Veterinaria. animal with the shortest time (370 min/day) with a pH below 6
Universidad CEU-Cardenal Herrera, Valencia, Spain. showed one of the lowest levels of cortisol (2.32 ng/g).
Conclusions: Based on the presented results it can be
Objectives: Consumers´ concerns about animal welfare stated that several monitorable parameters can be used to im-
are continuously increasing and are consider one of the main prove animal management during the fattening period, thus
sustainability drivers for animal production systems today and animal welfare is enhanced. Finally, studies on the effect of
in the future. This study focuses on the possibilities of moni- cortisol concentration, temperature, ruminal pH, rest time, in-
toring some animal welfare parameters, such as ruminating, take time and rumination time on animal welfare are needed to
feeding and resting time, using precision farming (PF) technol- evaluate current recommendations.
ogy. The final objective of this work is to help farmers to adapt This work was financed by EAFRD funds through the Eu-
their facilities and handling protocols to improve animal wel- ropean Association for Innovation in Agricultural Productivity
fare based on the objective data obtained with the PF devices. and Sustainability (AEI-AGRI), within the framework of the Na-
Materials and methods: Four one year old fattening tional Rural Development Program 2014-2020.
crossbred animals, from a commercial beef cattle farm in Sal- Keywords: Welfare, precision farming, hair cortisol, rumi-
amanca were monitored throughout the last 30 days of the fat- nal pH.
tening period. Two electronic devices for monitoring variables
of interest were used. On one hand, electronic eartags, with
three dimensional accelerometer that allows determining ani-
mal's activity patterns, were used. Specifically, time spent eat-

140
CW-25 ages’ consumption was increased by 137 g/day (p<0.001) and

25 g/day (p<0.001), respectively compared to group C.
Fly repellency effect of deltamethrin improves stress and
Conclusions: Fly infestation challenges health and wel-
fatigue indicators and increases feed consumption of pre-
fare of pre-weaned dairy calves, creating unfavorable living
weaned dairy calves, exposed to heat stress conditions
conditions. Heat stress further deteriorates these living condi-
Konstantinos Arsenopoulos1, Eleftherios Triantafillou2, Athanasios tions, leading to stressful conditions resulting in increased SC
Gelasakis3, Elias Papadopoulos1. and CK and decreased feed consumption, therefore consist-
ing possible stress and fatigue indicators. Deltamethrin treat-
1
Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, School of Veterinary
ment decreased the number of flies landed on pre-weaned
Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece;
dairy calves, improved SC and CK level and was associated
2
"Vet Analysis" Private Veterinary Microbiological Laboratory, Larissa,
with increased feed consumption under heat stress conditions,
Greece; 3Laboratory of Anatomy and Physiology of Farm Animals,
School of Animal Biosciences, Agricultural University of Athens, which characterize Greek summer months.
Athens, Greece. Keywords: Feed consumption, houseflies, pre-ruminants,
fly-repellent; temperature-humidity index.
Objectives: The objective of the study was to assess

the fly-repellency effect of deltamethrin on pre-weaned dairy
calves and to quantify its association with serum cortisol (SC)
and creatine kinase (CK) concentrations as well as with feed
consumption in pre-weaned dairy calves, under heat stress CW-26
conditions.
Structural equation modeling to assess farm level welfare
Materials and Methods: Two intensively reared dairy cat- estimations
tle herds of Holstein breed located at Thessaloniki (Central
Macedonia, Greece) were involved in the study between July Tuomas Herva.
and August 2020. Fifty calves per farm were assigned in two Atria Ltd., Oulu, Finland.
similar groups (n=25 per group) according to their age and
gender; deltamethrin treated group (D group) and placebo
treated group (C group). In all cases, 10 mL of deltamethrin Objectives: Structural equation models (SEM) are widely
(Deltanil® 10 mg/mL, Virbac Hellas, Greece) was applied once used to estimate the magnitude of latent variables, which can-
on pre-weaned dairy calves at the age of 15 days old. The not be measured directly. It is widely used in psychology, so-
enumeration of the fly burden was carried out by direct obser- cial sciences and quality of life assessments in humans. There
vation of the animals every 10 days at the ages of 25, 35, 45 are many reports using SEM to estimate animal welfare relat-
and 55 days to assess the repellency effect of deltamethrin ed attitudes in people, but I was not able to find any papers
until weaning. Moreover, 10 fly traps (5 per group) with sticky applying SEM to evaluate animal welfare as itself.
surface were set in each farm, in predefined locations, of equal I aimed to study animal welfare of Finnish bulls based on
distances within the pens at the level of the calves. Blood sam- data from the Finnish national herd health scheme NASEVA
ples, from each calf, were collected at the forementioned time and the suitability of SEM for development of NASEVA as a
points and were transported to the laboratory to be further welfare measure.
assayed. The estimation of SC concentration was performed
Materials and methods: NASEVA is an industry-financed
with electrochemiluminescence immunoassay method and CK
herd health tool for Finnish cattle farmers and veterinarians.
concentration was estimated using spectrophotometry. Daily
It includes modified, partially Welfare Quality -based animal
consumption of concentrates and roughages were estimated
health and welfare estimations on annual farm visits per-
per calf and calculated by subtracting daily refusals from the
formed by local veterinarians. There are altogether 2 indica-
offered amount. Temperature-humidity index (THI) was used
tors scoring housing, outdoor visits, nutrition, health, behav-
to describe severity of heat stress the studied calves experi-
ior and biosecurity from “good” (1) to “action needed” (3). All
enced. The differences of the meteorological data were esti-
indicators scoring housing were used to calculate a housing
mated with the chi-square test. Inverse Gaussian regression
index, which was assigned to be 1 if all indicators were 1 and
models were used to estimate the random effect of the sth calf
0 if all indicators were 3.
and the fixed effects of deltamethrin treatment, the sampling
occasion, and the farm on the SC and CK levels, flies’ number, Atria is the biggest slaughterhouse in Finland. There are
and daily consumption of concentrates and roughages. All sta- detailed animal level records available for every slaughtered
tistical analyses were performed using SPSS (v23). animal. I selected all 253 farms slaughtering over 50 dairy
Results: THI ranged from 94 to 96 throughout the study, breed bulls with available NASEVA data.
without statistically significant variations among sampling oc- SEM was used to find the best predictors and indicators
casions, indicating that all pre-weaned calves experienced for welfare in finishing beef farms in Finland. Housing index,
similar heat stress conditions. In group D, the number of flies nutrition and health indicators in NASEVA and other farm de-
landing on calves was reduced by 60.6 flies (p<0.001) in scriptors were used to find significant causes for latent welfare
comparison to group C. In group D, SC and CK concentra- variables, which in turn were determined by observed welfare
tions were reduced by 1.86 μg/dL (p<0.001) and 1101 nkat/L indicators in slaughter records and on welfare visits. Predicted
(p<0.001) when compared to group C. Regarding the feedstuff values were compared with observed values to estimate the
consumption, in group D calves the concentrates and rough- model fit.

141
Scenarios describing relationships between significant Objectives: Left displacement of the abomasum (LDA)
predictive variables, found latent variables and significant wel- is a disease diagnosed in cattle all over the world, causing
fare indicators were built to be able to explore the found asso- huge economic losses. Fixation of the abomasum by laparo-
ciations in practice. scopic abomasopexy (LA) has first been descrribed in 1998
Results: It was possible to determine two separate signifi- by Janowitz. Usually, cattle are not sedated due to the risk
cantly co-varying latent indicators describing animal welfare: of them going down. Studies showed that concentrations of
1) ”Risk for impaired welfare” was found to be indicated by cortisol, and indicator for stress, fear, and pain in cattle, are
the number of culled animals, the number of bruises in meat reduced in animals treated with xylazine prior to being put into
inspection, cleanliness of animals and the number of fatty lateral recumbency with a tilt table, compared with untreated
carcasses as well as animal behavior, lameness and lesion animals. The objective of this study was to evaluate cortisol
scores on welfare visits; 2)“Growth ability” was found to be in- and substance P concentrations in cattle undergoing LA after
dicated by the number of fatty carcasses, estimated daily gain administration of xylazine, compared with a control group, and
to describe behavioral observations and feeding and rumina-
and carcass grade score at the slaughter. However, Indica-
tion time.
tor variables did not reveal a latent variable describing animal
welfare determined as feelings. Material and Methods: LA was performed in 28 cows
(aged 6.0 ± 2.0 years) with LDA, accodring to a standardized
Housing index and farm size were found to be significantly
surgical protocol. Cows were randomly assigned to either
positively associated with ”Growth ability” and the number of
CON (control group, n = 14) or XYL (xylazine treated group, n
bruises in meat inspection. Housing index was negatively as-
= 14). All cows were treated with 10 liters of 0.9% saline and
sociated with ”Risk for impaired welfare”, but positively associ-
1 or 2 liters of 40% glucose on the day before surgery, benzyl
ated with the number of culled animals and the number of dirty
penicillin procaine (20.000 IU/kg bodyweight intramuscularly)
animals at the slaughter. Farm size was positively associated
from the day before surgery for 4.89 ± 1.26 days, and keto-
with ”Risk for impaired welfare” and ”Growth ability”.
profen (3 mg/kg bodyweight intravenously) on the day of the
”Growth ability” was doubled, and ”Risk for impaired wel- surgery and the following day. Cows of XYL received xylazine
fare” halved when housing index was changing from the worst (2 mg/kg bodyweight intravenously) at the start of the surgery.
to the best. Housing index had a remarkable association with Animals of CON received a placebo (0.9% sodium chloride
used welfare indicators as well: for example, the proportion solution intravenously). Blood samples for determination of
of good classifications for behavior increased from 60% up to plasma cortisol (PCC) and plasma substance P concentra-
100% when housing index was changing from the worst to the tions (PSPC) and blood gas samples were taken 3 hours be-
best. fore surgery (baseline, +00:00 hours), at 11:00 am (start of
Conclusions: SEM was found to be a suitable and practi- the surgery, +03:00) and at +03:15, +03:30, +03:45 (dorsal
cal tool to evaluate animal welfare and animal welfare estima- recumbency), +04:00 (cow standing again, end of surgery),
tion protocols on commercial farms. It gives a well structural- +04:40, +05:00, +06:00, and +27:00. Behavior of the animals
ized picture of on-farm welfare. was assessed on the day of the surgery and the following day
at 08:00 am, 01:00 pm, and 05:00 pm, and during the surgery.
NASEVA was found to be a valid tool for animal welfare es-
Feeding and rumination time was recorded for 24 hours follow-
timation. It allowed a formation of two separate latent variables
ing surgery. Parameters were studied using a multiple linear
describing existing animal welfare on Finnish beef farms. ”Risk
mixed effects model.
for impaired welfare” is associated with various health and
welfare deteriorations, whereas ”Growth ability” is predicting Results: LA could be performed without any animal go-
high daily gain, carcass fat and grade scores. Adding qualita- ing down due to the sedation. Mean PCC were lower in XYL
tive behavioral assessment protocol in NASEVA could possi- than in CON at all times. In CON, PCC increased after the
bly enable the measurement of animal welfare determined by start of the surgery, with highest concentrations at +04:00.
feelings. In XYL, PCC decreased after the administration of xylazine,
until +03:45, when animals were put into dorsal recumben-
Keywords: Welfare, bull, housing, growth, bruises.
cy. In XYL, PCC were significantly lower compared with CON
at +03:30 (p = 0.03). Compared with +03:00, PCC were sig-
nificantly higher at +03:45 (p ≤ 0.01), +04:00 (p ≤ 0.01), and
+04:30 (p ≤ 0.01) in CON, and significantly lower at +03:15
(p = 0.02) and +03:30 (p ≤0.01), and significantly higher at
CW-27 +04:00 (p ≤ 0.01) and +04:30 p ≤ 0.01 in XYL. PSPC did not
differ significantly between or within groups. Glucose levels
Effects of xylazine administration prior to laparoscopic were significantly lower in CON compared with XYL at +03:45
abomasopexy as described by Janowitz on cortisol, (p = 0.03) and +04:30 (p = 0.03). Mean pCO2 was significant-
substance P, and behavior in cattle ly higher in XYL compared with CON at +03:30 (p = 0.05).
Tschoner-Utza Theresa, Zablotski Yury, Knubben-Schweizer In XYL, mean pCO2 was significantly higher at +03:15 (p ≤
Gabriela, Feist Melanie. 0.01), +03:30 (p ≤ 0.01), +03:45 (p ≤ 0.01), and +04:30 (p =
0.01) compared with +03:00. Compared with +03:00, pO2 was
Clinic for Ruminants with Ambulatory and Herd Health Services at significantly lower at +03:45 (p < 0.01) and +04:00 (p < 0.01)
the Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians- in CON, and at +03:45 (p< 0.01) and +04:30 (p = 0.04) in
University, Munich, Germany, Oberschleissheim, Germany. XYL. Behavior did not differ significantly between groups
during and after the surgery. In XYL, animals had significantly

142
higher number of chews per bolus (p = 0.02) over a period of the best possible situation. Each freedom accounts to a max-
24 hours after surgery. imum of 20 points.
Conclusions: The results of this study show that PCC in- On eighteen farms, 6 from Asturias and León, 6 from Ex-
crease during LA, and that administration of xylazine results tremadura and from 6 from Salamanca, with a total number of
in significantly lower PCC during the course of the surgery, suckler cows ranging from 40 to 120 per farm, a representative
representing less stress for the animals. Thus, in the opinion of number of adult cows in each farm were evaluated based on
the authors, xylazine should be given in a low dose prior to LA the MIL-STD-105D.
to decrease the stress level. The application of xylazine before Results: Mean values of freedom 1 ranges from 17.6 ±
LA improves the welfare of cattle during and after a surgery 1.16 on Asturias and León farms to 18.4 ± 0.83 in Extremadura
even if it is thought to be a minor invasive surgery like the LA. without significant differences in scores on the freedom 1 or
Keywords: Dairy cow, left abomasal displacement, pain, adequate nutritional assessment. There were significant differ-
surgery, stress. ences in freedoms 2, 3 and 4 (F(2,15)= 22.63612 p= 0.000029,
F(2,15)= 49.27239 p= 0.000000, F(2,15)= 25.86748 p= 0.000014,
respectively). Freedom from discomfort (2) significant highest
values were obtained in Salamanca (19.9 ± 0.31) and Ex-
tremadura (19.7 ± 0.19) possible due to the influence of mild
CW-28 climatological conditions compared with the Cornisa Cantábri-
ca. Similar significant differences were registered in freedom 3
First approach to develop an animal welfare assessment (health state and absence of pain), with lower values in Astur-
model for extensive suckler beef cattle sector ias and León farms (18.8 ± 0.25). In some of these farms adult
cows spend 2 to 3 months in tied stalls during winter period
Marta Elena Alonso De La Varga1, Marina Lozano Marqués1, Jose and this could have a negative influence of parameters such
Ramiro González Montaña1, Alberto Benito Díaz2, Juan José García as lameness score or mastitis incidence. The shorter duration
García2, Ángel Javier Alonso Díez1, Juan Manuel Lomillos3. of suckling period in Extremadura farms (3 months) could be
1
Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad de León, León, Spain; 2Estación responsible for the significant mean lower value of freedom 4
Tecnológica de la Carne. ITACYL, Guijuelo-Salamanca, Spain; (16.3 ± 0.47) compared with León and Asturias (18.3 ± 0.87)
3
Facultad de Veterinaria. CEU Cardenal Herrera, Alfara del Patriarca – and Salamanca (18.8 ± 0.54) farms.
Valencia, Spain. Taking into account that mean total points were 91.1 ± 2.49
the AW of the studied suckling cows could be consider excel-
lent. The extensive conditions of this production systems could
Objectives: The increasing change in consumer prefer-
have a negative influence on the fear from human expressed
ences about the productive orientation both in animal and veg-
as higher approach distance but the moths expended on pas-
etable systems made it necessary a 180 degree change in the
ture or the possibility to feed their own calf could positively
trends that prevailed until the beginning of the 21st century.
influence the suckler cows’ welfare.
There is an evolution from a system focused on productivity
to a model that considers the one health concept with the en- Conclusion: The model used in this first approach could
vironmental and animal welfare (AW) as important aspects of be a useful tool to assess AW in cows keep under extensive
the sustainability of animal production. production systems providing valuable information to consum-
ers and this could help farmers to achieve a better market po-
In this scenario, it is necessary to protect and give addi-
sition for their product contributing thus to its sustainability.
tional value to productive models that meet consumers´ de-
mands in terms of AW with additional environmental benefits. This work was financed by EAFRD funds through the Eu-
Our principal objective was to contribute to the sustainability of ropean Association for Innovation in Agricultural Productivity
the extensive suckler beef cattle sector by developing a model and Sustainability (AEI-AGRI), within the framework of the Na-
to characterize AW of this type of farms in northwestern Spain. tional Rural Development Program 2014-2020.
Material and Methods: A model of AW characterization Keywords: Welfare, assessment, suckler, sustainability.
and assessment was developed based on the five freedoms
used at present in the definition of AW of the Word Organiza-
tion for Animal Health (OIE). Each one of them (freedom from
hunger and thirst or adequate nutrition, freedom from discom-
fort or physical and thermal comfort, freedom from pain, injury CW-29
or disease or health and absence of pain, freedom to express
normal behavior or appropriate and natural behavior and free- Correlation between Welfare Quality® protocol and
dom from fear and distress or absence of fear and anguish) workplace satisfaction in Portuguese dairy farms
have been evaluated using different parameters, based on the João Cerqueira1, George Stilwell2, Rui D'Orey Branco1.
international bibliography and agreed with farmers. Some of
those parameters were evaluated individually such as body
1
condition score, ruminal fill score, locomotion scoring, hygiene Humanidades e Tecnologias, Lisbon, Portugal; 22Animal Behaviour
scores, but others were considered at group level, the tem- and Welfare Lab, CIISA-Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in
perature and humidity index (THI) among them. All parame- Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon,
ters were considered on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the Lisbon, Portugal.
value indicative of a situation of very poor AW and 5 value of

143
Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate protocol for cattle. Welfare Quality® Assessment Protocol
the relationship of animal welfare of ten dairy farms in Portu- for Cattle, 1–142. http://www.welfarequalitynetwork.net/net-
gal with workplace satisfaction. We hypothesized that there work/45848/7/0/40.
are positive correlations among the Welfare Quality® protocol Keywords: Animal welfare, Welfare Quality®, Dairy cow,
(WQ) results, and workplace satisfaction. Job satisfaction, Employee satisfaction index.
Methods and materials: Ten farms were used in this study
and were visited between January and September 2021. Farm
size ranged from 35 to 789 milking cows at the time of the visit.
All animals were kept on an intensive-based free-stall produc-
tion system with several diverse bedding choices and were
milked twice a day, with with the exception of one farm where
cows were milked three times a day. All farms were assessed
for animal welfare using the WQ® protocol. Workplace satis-
faction was accessed using a questionnaire. For each farm, a
questionnaire was delivered to the farm manager and to all of
the working staff. The questionnaire is an adaptation of the one
used by Phillip Durst et al. (2018) in “Evaluation by employees
of employee management on large US dairy farms”. All data
was organized in Microsoft® Excel for Mac version 16.56. The
questionnaire was divided into 4 parts. Part 1 of the question-
naire consisted in a demographic and work conditions charac-
terization with multiple selection, and short answer questions.
Parts 2,3, and 4 were the parts considered in the Employee
Satisfaction Index (ESI) calculation and referred to work en-
vironment, satisfaction, and relationship with manager. Part 2
consisted of a binary response (“Yes”- 5; “No”-1). Parts 3 and
4 answers were obtained using a 5-point Likert scale. In order
to assess workplace satisfaction, ESI was calculated, using
the guidelines proposed by Singh et al., (2014). All negative
answers were aligned to provide a correct answer scale. Both
managers and staff questionnaires were considered in the cal-
culation of ESI. Afterwards, the applied formula was:
Employee Satisfaction Index (%) = (Total score re-
ceived/ Maximum total score possible)×100
Results: From the farms considered in the study, 80% ob-
tained the "Enhanced" level, while farms H and I were classified
as "Acceptable" as the Final Score. No farms were classified
as "Excellent" or "Not Classified". All ESI results are described
in table 3, alongside the percentage of respondents for each
farms. Among the correlations, the strong positive correlation
with the “Comfort around resting” indicator (p= 0.069) and the
“Good Housing” principle (p= 0.069), tended to be significant.
Also, there was a strong negative significative correlation be-
tween ESI and the “Good human-animal relationship” criteria
(p= 0.042). The remaining correlations between the WFQ and
ESI showed no significance (p ≥0.150).
Conclusions: Our results reinforce the need to discuss
further the impact of workplace satisfaction on animal welfare,
specifically regarding the "Good human- animal relationship"
criteria.
References:
Durst, P. T., Moore, S. J., Ritter, C., & Barkema, H. W.
(2018). Evaluation by employees of employee management
on large US dairy farms. Journal of Dairy Science, 101(8),
7450–7462. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2018-14592
Singh, A., Pathak, S., Choudhury, J., Kumar, R., Banerjee,
S., & Nehar, Y. (2014). Review of HRM Volume 3 April 2014
Editorial Advisory Board. 3.
Welfare Quality. (2009). Welfare Quality Assessment

144
ORAL — Diagnostic Imaging
DI-01 Results: Each scan generated approximately 300 texture

parameters. Among these, 6 variables were identified as pre-
Application of texture analysis of b-mode ultrasound images dictive by the stepwise analysis and were molded into a multi-
for the quantification and prediction of intramuscular fat ple regression equation.
in living beef cattle: a methodological study
IMF in the samples was then predicted by means of the
Giorgia Fabbri1, Matteo Gianesella1, Luigi Gallo2, Massimo formula (Predicted IMF, or IMFpred), and compared to the
Morgante1, Michele Muraro3, Matteo Boso4, Enrico Fiore1. quantified IMF (IMFqa).
1
Department of Animal Medicine, Productions and Health (MAPS), Among all samples, the mean IMFqa extracted from
University of Padua, Padova, Italy; 2Department of Agronomy, Food, the meat was 5.08 ±1.47 g, while the mean IMFpred was
Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University 5.07±1.35 g.
of Padua, Padova, Italy; 3Veterinary Service of Consorzio Agrario del A high linear correlation between IMFqa and IMFpred was
NORD-EST, Verona, Italy; 4Veterinary Service of Società Agricola Vio, found (r²=0.85) and results from the ROC analysis showed an
Eraclea, Italy. Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 92%, with a sensitivity of 80%
and a specificity of 93.7%, while results from the Bland-Altman
plot were ± 1.96 (±1.11SD).
Objectives: Intramuscular fat (IMF) plays a key role in de-
termination of beef meat quality, because it contributes sig- Conclusions: In the present study, IMF% from beef cattle
nificantly to the aroma and tenderness of the meat. However, LD muscle was estimated successfully and with high accura-
methods to determine fat % in muscle mass rely on visual in- cy, using RTU, one week prior slaughter.
spection or on fat extraction from meat samples, and therefore Application of this technology on wide-scale breeding
require the animals’ to be slaughtered. IMF determination in could lead to important economic impacts. A good accuracy
vivo could permit early meat quality estimation, and thus lead in IMF% prediction could permit screening of the animals that
to changes in the animals’ management to influence meat are going to be slaughtered, and see whether their fattening
composition and better meet market requests. The aim of this is optimal for the market requirements, maximizing the profits.
methodological study was the elaboration of a formula capable This technology could also permit monitoring of fattening
of IMF% prediction from real-time ultrasound (RTU) images cycles, leading to rapid estimation in vivo of adequacy of the
live beef cattle. diets fed to the animals. Lastly, it could be used for genetic se-
Material and methods: 26 Charolaise heifers were en- lection, bypassing lengthy genetic progeny testing and there-
rolled in the study and their longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle fore saving large amounts of time.
was investigated. Ultrasound images were scanned on the Further studies to validate the method both on a wider
animals’ right side between the 12th and 13th rib with a porta- sample and on different sex and breeds are encouraged, but
ble ultrasound scanner (MyLabOne™, Esaote S.p.a., Genoa, such technology could be a powerful heard selection tool as
Italy) equipped with a multi-frequency convex probe (SC3421, well as assist farmers in fattening practices.
Esaote S.p.a., Genoa, Italy; 2.5 – 6.6 MHz). All scans had 4.3 Ethical Standards: All animals were slaughtered accord-
MHz frequency, 15 cm depth, and 100% gain. Texture analy- ing to EU regulations (Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009
sis of the collected scans was performed by means of a free of 24 September 2009 on the protection of animals at the time
purpose-specific software (MaZda v4.6; Technical University of killing).
of Lodz, Institute of Electronics, Poland).
Keywords: Beef Cattle, Fat Prediction, Intramuscular Fat,
One week after the in vivo examination, the animals were Texture Analysis, Ultrasonography.
slaughtered and the whole cut of the 12th rib was collected.
The cut was dissected into muscles, fat and bones. The sam-
ple of LD was analyzed with centesimal extraction: IMF% was
determined by extraction with petrol ether (Randall) method.
Animals were divided in 3 groups depending on their mean DI-02
lipid content percentage in 100g meat, and thresholds where
chosen using IMF mean ± ½SD (Group 1 included animals Practical use of thoracic ultrasonography at feedlot arrival
with IMF below 4.24 g; Group 2 included between 4.25 g and to identify high-risk BRD batches in suckler calves
5.75 g; and, Group 3 included animals with IMF higher than
Carolina Tejero1, Laura Elvira1, Javier Lillo1, Lorenzo Fraile2.
5.76 g).
Texture parameters were screened with a stepwise linear
1
MSD Animal Health, Salamanca, Spain; 2University of Lleida, Lleida,
discriminant analysis using IMF measured by chemical ex- Spain.
traction (IMFqa) as the dependent variable, and the results of
the texture analysis as explanatory variables, to identify the Objectives: Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is the
best combinations of high-quality variables. The aim was a most important disease in veal industry. The assessment of
parsimonious model with as few parameters as possible, to lung health of suckler calves’ batches at their arrival to the
enhance stability during validation. rearing facilities is key for decision making and implementa-
The differentiation efficiency of IMFqa was tested by tion of prevention and metaphylactic protocols for BRD con-
means of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. trol. However, classification and identification of high-risk BRD
Bland-Altman analysis was performed to validate the method batches (30% prevalence) continues to be a major challenge.
and to assess the agreement between IMFqa and IMFpred. BRD diagnosis based on clinical signs is inaccurate (61.8%

145
sensitivity and 62.8% specificity; White, 2009). DI-03

The use of thoracic ultrasound (US) scanning to evalu-
Applications of infrared thermography as a non-invasive
ate lung health has demonstrated to be a high sensitivity and
technique early indicator of fever in the lambs
specificity tool (79,4% and 93,9%, respectively; Buczinski,
2015). A previous study in 811 veal calves using this technique José Luis Blasco Castello1, Jorge Gutierrez Gonzalez2, Ángel Ruiz-
at arrival (Tejero et al., 2019) showed an average of 21% mod- Mantecon3, Almudena Sanchez Gomez4, Mercedes Arroyo Porriño4,
erate and 10% severe lung lesions. However, large variability Silvia Aviles Diadosa4, A Faundez Vara4, Maria Elena Alonso De La
was found among batches (P <0.05). Varga5, Jose Manuel Lomillos Perez5.
In high-risk BRD batches, metaphylactic treatment has the 1
Technical Specialist Feedlots, Zaragoza, Spain; 2Technical Specialist
potential to reduce the number of animals infected with a sus- Small Ruminants, Palencia, Spain; 3Ganadería de Montaña Center
ceptible bacterial pathogen, clinical or subclinical, reducing the (CSIC) de León, Finca Marzanas, Ctra. León-Grulleros, 24346
disease challenge in the environment for non-infected animals Grulleros (León), Spain; 4COVAP, C/ Mayor 56, 14400 Pozoblanco
and limiting disease spread (Nickel, 2010). Thoracic US scan- (Córdoba), Spain; 5Animal Production Dpt, Veterinary Faculty, León
ning has the potential to identify high-risk BRD batches where University, Campus de Vegazana, 24071 León, Spain.
metaphylactic treatment is justified. However, under field con-
ditions, thoracic US scanning is time consuming. The main ob-
jective of this study was to evaluate if the selection of a repre- Objetives: Ovine Respiratory Complex (ORC) is one of
sentative sample of animals for thoracic US scanning provides the main causes of morbidity and mortality in sheep feedlots
a reasonable accuracy to identify high-risk BRD batches. with high prevalence and economic repercussions (González,
2018). Early ORC diagnosis is essential to minimize the ef-
Materials and methods: The number of calves to be
fects of the disease, related with both the productive results
sampled per batch was calculated using free epidemiological
and welfare of the animals.
software (https://epitools.ausvet.com.au). An estimated prev-
alence of 30% (high-risk BRD) using a confidence level of Body temperature is an objective clinical data, although
95% and an accepted error of 10% for calves with lung lesions its increase is not always associated with disease, as can be
equal or higher than 3, using Adams and Buzsinski (2015) also a response to the high environmental temperature or ex-
scoring system, was used. ercise. However, when it is associated with other more spe-
cific clinical signs, it is very useful for early diagnosis. Indeed,
To check the practical use of the sampling table created, a
studies monitoring temperature using ruminal boluses in cat-
simulation of this sampling procedure was done in 12 batches
tle, demonstrate how the thermal increase occurs 12-136 h
where thoracic US was assessed in 100% of the animals. A
before the caregiver detected other more specific clinical signs
randomization procedure (Excel, Microsoft Office) was used of pneumonia (Timsit et al., 2011).
to select the different sampling groups, performing 10 random
samples of each batch in order to measure the degree of suc- On the other hand, thermography is a technology with
cess to predict whether the batch was a high-BRD risk one. increasing use in different fields of the veterinary medicine.
Thermographic cameras detect infrared radiation emitted by
Results: The percentage of calves sampled ranged from the surface of that body, converting it into an electrical sig-
21% to 62% for a 300 or 50 suckler calves’ batch respectively. nal that is transformed into a color image. Indeed, Schaefer
Our Database of 12 batches, where thoracic US was per- y col. (2007) already demonstrate it is useful to identify early
formed in a 100% of calves at arrival, was used for random disease in cattle. However, environmental temperature at the
selection of calves. Real batches included 12 to 51% of calves time of thermal image can affect rectal temperature (Church
affected with score higher than 3 (moderate and severe cas- et al., 2014).
es). Most of the batches were high (>30% of calves with lung Then, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of
lesions = 42%) or medium (20-30% of calves with lung lesions an infrared thermographic camera taking into account environ-
= 50%) and only one (8%) was a low risk batch (<20% of lung ment temperature for the detection of animals with hyperther-
lesions). Randomized selection of a percentage of calves fol- mia in an intensive lamb herd.
lowing the sampling table was performed 10 times. The av-
Material and methods: This study was carried out in a
erage results for these 10 randomizations were very similar
lamb fattening farm located in Córdoba (Spain). Infrared tem-
to the real ones, and the estimated sensitivity was 96% for
peratures were measured in a total of 2,842 multiple source
batches with at least a 30 % of prevalence of disease.
commingled Merino lambs and its crosses, 60 to 120 days old,
Conclusions: Thoracic US scanning of a randomized and 18 to 30 Kg live body weight. Following previous Schaefer
percentage of calves at arrival may be a useful technique to et al. (2007 and 2012) studies in cattle, we performed an or-
identify high-risk BRD batches where metaphylactic treatment bital eye measurement, as in other anatomical parts the pres-
is justified. This technique can be a practical tool for a more ence of hair or wool can interfere with results.
rational use of antibiotics in the veal industry.
The measurements were made after the passage of the
Keywords: Feedlot, BRD, ultrasound, thoracic, calves. lambs through the handling or sorting sleeve and in the laz-
arette measuring in duplicate both rectal temperature with a
conventional thermometer and eye thermal image with an in-
frared thermometer.
For infrared thermography the camera Testo model 870
was used, with a resolution of 160 x 120 pixels (with the pos-
sibility of increasing to 320 x 240 pixels), thermal sensitivity

146
<100 mK, 34º lens with fixed focus and integrated and cal- curacy to detect pneumonia at farm level (Se 79.4% and Sp
ibrated digital camera. The image processing software was 93.9%; Buczinski, 2015; Se 89% and Sp 95%; Berman, 2019).
the IRSoft Software, version 4.5. While the thermometer used The objective of this study was to compare Thoracic US
was the Kruuse clinical thermometer, model Veterinär-ther- with BRD clinical diagnosis performed by two senior veterinar-
mometer SC 12, also calibrated, with automatic stop system ians both at arrival to the rearing facilities and later along the
by sound signal and with a measurement accuracy of 0.1ºC. first month on fattening.
At measurement time, the following data were additionally Materials and methods: Two different batches of a com-
recorded: date and time, farm identification, barn, pen, etc. In mercial veal feedlot with 62 and 45 male calves were evalu-
addition, the inside and outside barn temperature was noted. ated. The day of arrival, two experienced veterinarians (ob-
Subsequently, we calculate a new parameter: the difference server 1;O1 and 2;O2) classified the 107 calves as “BRD” or
between rectal and ocular temperature (DROT). “Healthy” based on their clinical signs. Then, an experienced
The data were analyzed using Anova one-way for the com- veterinarian performed thoracic US scanning (TUS) and clas-
parison of means, as well as the correlation between the vari- sified the calves as having or not having lung lesions using a
ables and the multiple linear regression using the statistical scoring system (Adams and Buczinski, 2015). The three veter-
program IBM SPSS Statistics, version 25. inarians performed their scoring in a blind manner. All animals
Results and discussion: We evaluate the effect of barn were scored again by the three veterinarians 7 and 21 days
temperature on the ocular and rectal temperature. On the oth- after their arrival. The different scoring results were record-
er hand, we evaluate its effect on different rectal temperature ed to evaluate BRD prevalence and agreement between the
strata. three scoring results. The TUS score was considered as the
gold standard technique.
The correlations between the different variables were sig-
nificant. Indeed, the combined use of variables, eye tempera- The comparison between the use of the diagnostic tech-
ture and barn temperature, allowed us to establish a formula niques (Se, Sp, positive predictive value – PPV- and negative
predicting the rectal temperature with an excellent correlation predictive value-NPV-) and observers (concordance kappa in-
(R2 = 0.9996). dex) was performed with free epidemiological software (https://
Rectal tª = 1.099 * ocular tª - 0.038 * tª nav http://www.winepi.net) using a confidence level of 95%.
Conclusions: The rectal temperature of lambs under in- Results: The prevalence of lung lesions detected by TUS
tensive conditions is an objective clinical parameter very use- at arrival was 35% for batch1 and 36% for batch2 respective-
ful for ORC early diagnosis. Infrared thermography is a fast, ly. Using clinical scoring, the prevalence of BRD was different
automatic and non-invasive technique helpful for early identi- between the O1 and O2 for batch1 (O1: 45%; O2: 29%) and
fication of sick animals. And considering the barn temperature batch2 (O1: 47%, O2: 38%). In the first review performed 7
at lecture time improves its correlation with rectal temperature. days after arrival, BRD diagnosed by TUS increased to 75%
and 62%, respectively for batch1 and 2. BRD prevalence di-
Keywords: Fever, thermography, lambs, environmental
agnosed by the observers was also different in batch 1 (O1:
Tª, ORC.
65%; O2: 72%) and in batch 2 (O1: 53%, O2: 47%). In the
examination performed 21 days after arrival, BRD prevalence
diagnosed by TUS was 67% and 49%, respectively for batch1
and 2. BRD prevalence diagnosed by the observers was (O1:
60%; O2: 52%) in batch1 and (O1: 20%, O2: 27%) in batch2.
DI-04
Although the average Se and NPV were quite similar for
Comparison between thoracic ultrasonography and visual both observers (Se 63.8% and 64.9% and NPV 60.1% and
observation for the detection of BRD in veal calves 65.3%, for O1 and 2 respectively), the Sp and PPV was higher
for O2 (Sp 66.0% and 79.9% and PPV 69.4 and 79.65, for O1
Carolina Tejero1, Javier Lillo1, Eudald Arnau2, Laura Elvira1. and 2, respectively).
1
MSD Animal Health, Spain, Salamanca, Spain; 2Practitioner Specialist Finally, the concordance among both observers was mod-
in Feedlots, 2 Feedlot practitioner, Spain. erated (kappa = 0.598, IC95% 0.29-0.71). Indeed, one of the
observers consistently presented a better detection of BRD
signs than the other. However, even for this observer, 28%
Objectives: High levels of mortality and morbidity due to
of BRD cases detected by thoracic US were not identified as
bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in combination with animal
BRD using clinical diagnosis.
welfare, reduction of antimicrobial use, and antimicrobial resis-
tance are currently the most important challenges in the beef Conclusions: The present study suggests that Thoracic
industry. Ultrasonography can be used as an on-farm technique for
BRD diagnosis. However, clinical diagnosis by experienced
The detection of BRD in farms is based on respiratory clin-
observers may be good enough to be used as a screening
ical signs (cough, dyspnea, ear position, nasal discharge) and
technique to identify BRD calves. The results also suggest
increased body temperature. However, the use of clinical signs
that, with training, observers may improve their Sensitivity and
to detect lung lesions associated with BRD has some limita-
Specificity for a better detection of treatment of BRD calves.
tions (Leruste et al., 2012; Sensitivity (Se) 61.8% and specific-
ity (Sp) 62.8%; White, 2009). Recently, new tools have been Keywords: Ultrasonography, feedlot, BRD, diagnosis,
developed to achieve a more accurate early diagnosis. Among clinical signs.
them, Thoracic Ultrasonography (TUS) shows the highest ac-

147
DI-05 DI-06
Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) to evaluate peak Preliminary analysis in the flank temperature pattern in
inspiratory and expiratory flow levels and distribution of dairy cows during pregnancy
ventilation in steers
Michal Trela1, Malgorzata Masko2, Malgorzata Domino1,
Olivia Brabant1, Andreas Waldmann2, Andy Adler3, Anthea Raisis1, Dominika Domanska1, Tomasz Jasinski1, Bartosz Pawlinski1,
Ulrike Auer4, Martina Mosing1. Zdzislaw Gajewski1.
1
College of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia;
1
Department of Large Animal Diseases and Clinic, Institite of
2
Department of Pneumology and Critical Care Medicine, Witten/ Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences WULS –
Herdecke University Hospital,, Cologne, Germany; 3Department of SGGW, Warsaw, Poland; 2Department of Animal Breeding, Institite of
Systems and Computer Engineering, Carlton University, Ottawa, Animal Science, Warsaw University of Life Sciences WULS – SGGW,
Canada; 4Veterinary University Vienna,, Vienna, Austria. Warsaw, Poland.
Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a novel non-in- Objectives: Recent years have seen a significant in-
vasive imaging technique that allows a visual representation of crease in interest in the use of thermal imaging in veterinary
the distribution of ventilation in real-time. The aim of this study diagnostics, especially in a health herd management of live-
was to determine if changes in lung status can be detected by stock animals. Owing to the possibility of fast, non-invasive
changes in EIT variables in anaesthetised steers. and automated temperature measurement on the surface of a
cows' body, this technique shows great potential in predicting
In this randomised cross-over study, seven anaesthetised
local changes in the tissue metabolism and local blood circu-
spontaneously breathing steers lungs were exposed to at-
lation. The abdominal area demonstrated physiological chang-
mospheric airway pressure (NoPres), or continuous positive
es during late-gestation related to the increased demand for
airway pressure of 7 cmH2O (PosPres). Steers were posi-
the growing uterus and more loaded abdominal wall muscles.
tioned in dorsal recumbency. EIT electrodes mounted on a
However, there is still a need for further research to standard-
belt were placed around the thorax to measure impedance
ize measurement data in thermal imaging. Therefore, the aim
changes. Post induction, EIT recordings were performed at
of the study was evaluated if the changes in physiological ac-
30, 50, 70 and 90 minutes respectively. From each recording
tivity during late pregnancy may result in abnormal thermal
ten breaths were retrospectively analysed and pooled for the patterns of the flank of dairy cows.
pixel with maximal inspiratory (FlowPixinsp) and expiratory flow
(FlowPixexp) within the EIT image and the centre of ventilation, Materials and methods: Thermographic images of the
illustrating shift of ventilation distribution along the gravitation- right flank were obtained from 54 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows
al axis, between right and left lung (CoVr-l) and ventral to dorsal from a commercial 550 head dairy farm. All cows were housed
lung (CoVv-d). Descriptive statistics were used to describe the under the same environmental conditions. The pregnancy was
difference between NoPres and PosPres and are reported as confirmed with ultrasound examination on day 32 after insem-
mean (95% confidence interval). ination and one the day of imaging in 30 cows. Based on ul-
trasound, the cows were divided into the following groups: NP
Lower FlowPixinsp and FlowPixexp were measured during - nonpregnant (n=24); EP - early pregnancy (1st to 3th months;
PosPres compared to NoPres; FlowPixinsp [311 (282-340) vs n=6), MP - mid pregnancy (4th to 6th months; n=6) and LP - late
352 (315-388)] and FlowPixexp [268 (249-287) vs 313 (282- pregnancy (7th to 9th months; n=24: 7th Mo, n=6; 8th Mo, n=6, 9th
343)], respectively. The CoVr-l was lower [54 % (53-55)] in Po- Mo, n=6). Images were taken indoor, with ambient tempera-
sPres than in NoPres [61 % (58-63)] while only a small differ- ture ranging from 14.0 to 16.0oC, using infrared radiation cam-
ence of 3 % was seen for CoVv-d. era (emissivity 0.99; FLIR Therma CAM E60). Temperature
EIT can be used to detect differences in lung status by flow pattern of the flank area was evaluated using five regions of
and CoV measurements in anaesthetised cattle. interest (ROI 1–5) representing: the area along the transverse
Ethical Animal Research: This study was appoved by Mur- processes of the spine (ROI 1), the cranial area of the right ab-
doch University ethics committee R2998/17 dominal surface (ROI 2), the cranial area of the right abdom-
inal surface (ROI 2), the middle area of the right abdominal
Keywords: Electrical impedance tomography, Ventilation,
surface (ROI 3), the caudal area of the right abdominal surface
Cattle.
(ROI 4), and the stifle area (ROI 5). Each ROI was analyzed
for the minimal (Tmin), maximal (Tmax), and mean (Tmean) tem-
peratures. The results (mean±SD) were compared between
NP, EP, MP, 7th Mo LP, 8th Mo LP, and 9th Mo LP groups.
Results: The Tmin was higher (p<0.0001) in all five ROIs in
LP (19.67oC ±1.11) than in NP (13.55oC ±3.34), EP (14.92oC
±1.69), and MP (14.88oC ±1.64). There were no differences
(p>0.05) in Tmin between NP, EP and MP as well as between
7th Mo (18.85oC ±1.40), 8th Mo (19.14oC ±1.50), and 9th Mo
(19.68oC ±1.41) of within LP group. The Tmax was compara-
ble in all five ROIs, with no differences (p>0.05) between NP
(26.51oC ±2.24), EP (27.39oC ±2.57), MP (24.22oC ±3.16), and
LP (25.53oC ±2.29) groups, regardless of the month of preg-

148
nancy. The Tmean was higher (p<0.01) in ROI 1 and 5 in LP associations between TUS score and mortality status, con-
(ROI 1: 22.35oC ±0.95; ROI 5: 24.78oC ±1.09) than in NP (ROI ception within 3 serves, time to conception and the number of
1: 17.54oC ±4.42; ROI 5: 19.27oC ±4.09), EP (ROI 1: 18.96oC serves to conception. Data was only collected for animals that
±1.75; ROI 5: 19.88oC ±1.87), and MP (ROI 1: 19.71oC ±0.08; were retained on the farm for the purpose of entering the adult
ROI 5: 19.97oC ±1.28), with no similar differences (p>0.05) in milking herd. This meant a proportion of animals were lost to
ROI 2, ROI 3, and ROI 4. follow-up as they were sold for beef to other farms not included
Conclusions: Thermography is proposed as a promising in the study.
tool in determining changes in the flank temperature pattern Results: The initial dataset consisted of 347 ultrasono-
in dairy cows during pregnancy. An application of different re- graphic examinations. Of these, 53 calves (15.3%) were
gions of interest during the superficial temperature analysis al- classified as abnormal and 294 (84.7%) as normal. Of the 53
lows to established the discreet changes in the mean tempera- calves classified as abnormal, only 13 (24.5%) were treated by
tures during late pregnancy. The minimal temperature seems the farmer, however, of the 294 classified as normal, 22 (7.5%)
to be the most reliable indicator of the superficial temperature were treated. Of the 347 animals, 18 animals died during the
changes related to the months of pregnancy. After examining follow up period of weaning to conception (5.2%), and mixed
more numerous groups of cows, the external temperature of effects regression model results suggested that there was a
the flank may be a useful method for the presumption of preg- tendency for animals with an abnormal TUS score as calves
nancy in late gestation. to be more likely to die during this time (OR 2.33, 95% CI 0.9-
Keywords: Thermography, cow, pregnancy diagnosis. 6.1, P = 0.08).
Data for pregnancy status within 3 serves were available
for 149 animals, with 16/22 (72.7%) of animals with abnormal
TUS status becoming pregnant and 114/127 (89.8%) of ani-
mals with normal TUS status becoming pregnant. Mixed ef-
DI-07 fects regression model results suggested that abnormal TUS
score was associated with lower odds of becoming pregnant
Associations between TUS scores and mortality and within 3 serves (OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.1-1.0, P=0.06). No associ-
productivity outcomes on Scottish dairy farms ations were found between TUS score and time to conception
Katharine Baxter-Smith1, Jimmy More2, Robert Hyde3. or the number of serves to conception.
1
MSD Animal Health, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom; 2The Ben, Conclusion: Follow up analysis of dairy cattle which had
Kirkcudbright, United Kingdom; 3School of Veterinary Medicine and undergone TUS between 21-61 days of age suggest a ten-
Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, United Kingdom. dency for increased mortality in animals with higher abnormal
TUS scores, and a tendency for decreased pregnancy rates
within the first 3 serves. This reflects similar work undertaken
Objectives: A previously published study (1) used thorac- in other countries (3,4). To the author’s knowledge, this is the
ic ultrasound (TUS) to assess farmer accuracy of diagnosing first study in the United Kingdom to ascertain the prevalence
Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) in cattle youngstock. We of subclinical BRD in pre-weaned dairy calves, and to follow
found that sensitivity of farmer diagnosis of BRD was low; these calves to adulthood to further investigate the effects of
demonstrating that animals with lung lesions were not being BRD on future performance.
identified and treated for BRD. We also found that some farm-
ers treated animals which did not have signs of BRD on TUS, Alongside the immediate health, welfare, and productivi-
suggesting unnecessary use of antimicrobials. This study ty impacts of clinical and subclinical respiratory disease, it is
aimed to follow the same calves assessed in our previous likely that subclinical BRD during the preweaning period is as-
work, to determine the effects of lung consolidation, as diag- sociated with future reproductive and mortality outcomes. The
nosed by TUS, on future mortality and reproductive outcomes. prevention of pneumonia in calves has the potential to improve
health and production outcomes. For future work, we will fol-
Materials & Methods: TUS examinations were conduct-
low these animals to the end of their first lactation to gather
ed between 2019-03-13 and 2019-11-26, by a single veteri-
data on 305-day lactation yields to analyse for associations
narian over 7 dairy herds. All calves on the farm between 21
with calfhood pneumonia.
and 61 days of age during these time points were scanned
and scored. This included male and female calves destined Keywords: Thoracic ultrasound, calf, bovine respiratory
for dairy or beef rearing, which ensured a larger dataset. On disease.
scoring, they were given a TUS score on a 0-6 scale (2) as
well as a calf health score based on the Wisconsin calf health
scoring system which was converted to a binary “normal” or
“abnormal” TUS score. Further descriptions and results of this
part of the study have been published previously (1).
For the current study, all calves which had a TUS exam-
ination were included in the dataset for analysis of mortality.
Female dairy calves retained on the study farms were followed
through to calving, for analysis of reproductive outcomes using
the farms’ management system and data collection software.
Mixed effects logistic regression models were used to analyse

149
DI-08 chronic pneumonia (OR=4.2; 95% CI: 2.1 – 8.6, P < 0.001).
Animals with chronic pneumonia, in turn, had a significantly
Dynamics of subclinical pneumonia in male dairy calves in lower cold carcass weight (10.3kg ± 4.4; CI: 1.2 – 18.9; P =
relation to antimicrobial therapy and production outcomes 0.02).
Stan Jourquin1, Thomas Lowie1, Florian Debruyne1, Laurens Conclusion: The prevalence of pneumonia in veal calf
Chantillon1, Nick Vereecke1, Randy Boone2, Bart Pardon1. facilities proves to be much higher than previously expected,
mainly because of its subclinical nature. Animals with pneumo-
1
Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium; 2
Dierenkliniek Venhei,
nia have a reduced daily growth but appear to be able to catch
Kasterlee, Belgium.
up to healthy animals when cure is achieved before the age
of 12 months. Chronic unresponsive pneumonia is frequently
Objectives: Quick thoracic ultrasonography (qTUS) is in- encountered and the main reason for production loss. Calves
creasingly used as an on-farm method to diagnose clinical and that already had lung consolidation upon arrival on the veal
subclinical pneumonia in dairy calves. The primary objective of facility had a higher risk of developing chronic unresponsive
this study was to describe dynamics of lung consolidation in a pneumonia. Both qTUS and nBAL diagnostics offer potential
purchase dependent production system for male dairy calves for better control and prevention of bovine respiratory disease
(veal) in relation to antimicrobial therapy and respiratory diag- in dairy calves.
nostic tests. In addition, the association of cured and uncured Keywords: Bovine respiratory disease, subclinical pneu-
pneumonia with average daily growth (ADG) and cold carcass monia, Mycoplasma bovis, bovine respiratory syncytial virus,
weight (CCW) were studied, as well as the effects of arriving economics.
with lung consolidation on the probability of developing chronic
unresponsive pneumonia and reduced performance.
Materials and methods: A prospective cohort study was
conducted involving 295 male Holstein Friesian calves, aged
14-21 days during one production cycle in a commercial veal
DI-09
farm. Both clinical examination and qTUS were performed on
all animals upon arrival, at week 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 12. Pneumo- Use of quick thoracic ultrasonography (qTUS) to guide and
nia was defined as the presence of a lung consolidations ≥1 evaluate antimicrobial therapy in three natural outbreaks
cm. Pathogen detection was done using cultures, Matrix-As- of Mycoplasma bovis pneumonia
sisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight Mass Spec-
trometry (MALDI-TOF MS) (Brüker Daltonik GmbH, Bremen, Stan Jourquin, Laurens Chantillon, Thomas Lowie, Jade Bokma, Bart
Germany) and whole genome nanopore sequencing (WGS) Pardon.
on non-endoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage samples (nBAL). Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Results: Of the calves, 17.6% (52/295) arrived with a lung
consolidation ≥1 cm. At the first outbreak of respiratory disease
Objectives: Quick thoracic ultrasonography (qTUS) is an
this number had risen to 30.8%. Initial therapy with tulathromy-
accessible on-farm method to reliable diagnose (subclinical)
cin and subsequently doxycycline appeared ineffective, result-
pneumonia in both dairy and beef calves, offering great po-
ing in a rise in the prevalence of animals with pneumonia up
tential for more rational antimicrobial use and better control
to 43.8% in week 4. At the start of the first outbreak in week
of bovine respiratory disease. The objective of this study was
2, the vast majority (91,2%) of the pneumonia cases (n = 91)
to describe the application of qTUS to guide and evaluate an-
were subclinical. At week 4 the outbreak became more clinical
timicrobial therapy in three natural outbreaks of Mycoplasma
and therapy with amoxicillin resulted in a cure rate of 52.7%.
bovis associated pneumonia in a single beef farm.
Bacterial cultures and nanosequencing diagnostics on nBAL
samples identified bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis was per-
and Mycoplasma bovis as the dominant agents in the first out- formed on ultrasonographical and diagnostic data collected
break. The isolated M. bovis strain had mutations encoding for from 3 different outbreaks of respiratory disease in the same
macrolide resistance. The second outbreak was characterized closed commercial beef farm housing 1000 Belgian Blue beef
by a Pasteurella multocida superinfection and isolation of a cows. Calves at risk aged between 2 and 6 months and were
different M. bovis strain. Evaluated over the complete obser- housed in groups of 6 in fully separated pens. Pneumonia was
vation period, 53.9% of the calves cured upon antimicrobial defined as a lung consolidation ≥1cm while cure was defined
therapy. Of the 46.1% calves that were not cured (n = 111), by reaeration of these lesions to <1cm in depth. In each out-
29.7% (33/111) had developed chronic pneumonia. Calves break, qTUS was used as a tool to initiate, stop or generally
with uncured or chronic pneumonia had a significantly lower evaluate antimicrobial therapy. In outbreak 1, ultrasound-guid-
ADG (992g/day ± 174 and 930g/day ±146, respectively) com- ed full metaphylaxis was used, meaning that all animals at risk
pared to calves that did not developed pneumonia (ADG = (n = 130) were metaphylactically treated (one injection), after
1103 g/day ±156; P < 0.001). In contrast, calves that did fully which antimicrobial therapy was only prolonged in animals
cure had a similar ADG as calves that never developed pneu- which still had lung consolidation. Antimicrobial treatment was
monia (1045 g/day ±139 and 1103 g/day ±156, respectively; P stopped as soon as ultrasonographical reaeration of the lung
= 0.09). The effect of uncured pneumonia was no longer sig- occurred. Outbreak 2 (n = 94) was approached by individu-
nificant for cold carcass weight. Calves with lung consolidation al treatment of animals with ultrasonographically confirmed
upon arrival had a significantly lower ADG (981 g/day ±159 vs pneumonia, without metaphylaxis. Finally, in the third out-
1045 g/day ±159; P = 0.01) and were more likely to develop break (n = 61), an ultrasound-guided targeted metaphylaxis,

150
only using group treatments in pens were 3 or more animals DI-10

had consolidations ≥1cm, was applied. Again, as was done
in outbreak 1, antimicrobial treatment was discontinued when Lessons learned from 1 year of quick thoracic
reaeration appeared. In each outbreak, animals older than 3 ultrasonography (qTUS) training for practitioners to
months were treated with florfenicol while animals less than improve pneumonia diagnosis in calves
3 months were treated with oxytetracycline, both adminis- Bart Pardon, Stan Jourquin, Thomas Lowie, Florian Debruyne,
tered as long acting formulation every 48 hours. Identification Laurens Chantillon, Mathilde L. Pas, Wouter Van Mol, Justine
of primary pathogens was done by means of whole genome Clinquart, Jade Bokma.
nanopore sequencing (WGS) on non-endoscopic bronchoal-
Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population
veolar lavage samples (nBAL). Strain typing of M. bovis and
Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
detection of possible genomic antimicrobial resistance was
done by long-read nanopore sequencing.
Results: At the time of intervention 43.3% (55/130), 50% Objectives: Thoracic ultrasonography (TUS) has become
(47/94) and 37.7% (23/61) of the calves from outbreaks 1, 2 the key on-farm tool for bovine respiratory disease manage-
and 3 had a lung consolidation ≥1cm, respectively. In the first ment (BRD), in particular to rationalize antimicrobial use. De-
outbreak, where full metaphylaxis was applied, cure rate after spite growing interest to implement TUS on farm, many prac-
14 days was 98.2% (54/55). no new cases of pneumonia were titioners hesitate. Uncertainty about image recognition and
detected, resulting in a total proportion of healthy calves of scanning technique, as well as concerns on time investment
99.2% (129/130) after the outbreak. In outbreak 2, over the 21- are the main reasons given. Quick thoracic ultrasonography
day follow up period 24 new cases of pneumonia were detect- (qTUS) stands for a standardized lung scanning technique
ed, resulting in a total of 75.5% (71/94) pneumonia within the making TUS of a large number of calves in limited time pos-
sible. The objective of this study was to describe diagnostic
herd. Cure rates were 61.7% (29/47) and 79.2% (19/24) for
performance of novice operators after a qTUS training course.
the initial and new pneumonia cases, respectively (total cure=
67.6 % (48/71). Finally, in outbreak 3, incidence of pneumonia Materials & Methods: All Flemish veterinarians were con-
started at 37.7% (23/61). After a 14 day follow up, the combi- tacted to volunteer for a project aiming at bringing qTUS to
nation of targeted metaphylaxis and individual treatment re- practice as a diagnostic aid in BRD management. Participants
sulted in a total cure rate of 78.9% (30/38). Of the initial cases, needed to complete an online course consisting of 4 modules
78.2% (18/23) was cured. 15 new cases were detected in this (Module 1: positioning of TUS among other methods for pneu-
outbreak, of which 80% (12/15) was cured at the end of obser- monia diagnosis; Module 2: ultrasound image recognition in-
vation. Cure rate was significantly lower in outbreaks 2 and 3, cluding common pitfalls; Module 3: qTUS scanning technique
compared to 1 (P<0.01). In outbreak 1, 2 and 3, M. bovis was and Module 4: qTUS applications in practice). The training in-
detected by WGS and strains were classified as belonging to cluded 4 series of exercises with feedback, two on recognition
of images, and 2 on recognition of full qTUS scan image loops.
Belgian M. bovis genomic clusters IV, I and I, respectively. In
In addition, practical training sessions with experienced qTUS
the third outbreak the coronavirus was also detected. Evaluat-
operators were organized at the discretion of the participant
ed over the outbreak, in outbreaks 1, 2 and 3, a number of an-
to decide how many to follow. Candidates were encouraged
imal daily dosages (ADD) per animal of 3.0, 8.0 and 5.3 ADD/
to scan in their own practice as well. Monthly online contact
animal were necessary to control the outbreak, respectively.
moments were organized between the trainers and trainees.
For comparison a standard metaphylaxis with tulathromycin
To finalize the exam a practical test was organized. Three test
stands for 7 ADDs/animal.
occasions (sessions) were organized. Each participant need-
Conclusion: The qTUS technique showed potential as a ed to scan 23 (session 1 and 2) or 18 (session 3) calves and
reliable and practically feasible method both for detection of communicated to a recorder whether a lung consolidation of
pneumonia and therapy evaluation in larger herds. Large dif- ≥ 1 cm was present. Performing other aspects of clinical ex-
ferences in cure rate between the outbreaks were observed amination was not allowed. Session 1 and 2 were done in a
which may be related to co-infection, timing of the initiation of commercial veal calf farm with animals aged 8 (group housing)
antimicrobial therapy, strain difference or the use of metaphy- and 6 weeks (individual housing), respectively. Session 3 was
laxis. Especially the latter is a point of interest given that both done in a dairy farm on calves aged between 2 weeks to 4
ultrasound-guided metaphylaxis (full or targeted) resulted in months (individually housed until week 5). Total scanning time
lower antimicrobial use compared to individual treatment. and information on intensity of online learning and self-train-
Keywords: Bovine respiratory disease, Mycoplasma bo- ing was collected. Diagnostic accuracy of the participants was
vis, lung ultrasound, antimicriobial reduction. compared with an experienced TUS operator.
Results: In February 2021, 45 veterinarians started with
the online training, of which 34 had taken the certification test
by January 2022. The prevalence of calves with lung consoli-
dations ≥ 1 cm ranged between 39.1% and 75.0% depending
on which calves the participants scanned. Overall diagnostic
accuracy (Acc) was 72.3% (standard deviation (SD)= 10.8%;
range (R)= 52.2%-95.7%), mean sensitivity (Se) was 64.4%
(SD= 26.6; R= 0-100) and mean specificity (Sp) was 70.6%
(SD= 17.7; R= 25-100). Average Se (45.0%) was significant-
ly lower in session 3 compared to session 1 (74.4%) and 2

151
(73.0%) (P<0.05). In contrast, average Sp (60.6%) was sig-

nificantly lower in session 2, compared to session 1 (80.5%)
and 3 (78.9%) (P <0.05. Participants that followed more than
one practical training session had on average a 21% higher
Se compared to persons attending a single training (P< 0.05).
Also the number of calves scanned in the own practice before
the test trended towards a higher Se (P= 0.08). Gender, years
graduated, hours invested in the online course and speed of
scanning did not affect Se. Sp was not influenced by any of
the factors mentioned above. The required scanning time per
calf (including capture and fixation of the animal) was 4.7 min.
(SD= 1.1; R= 1.7-6.5 min.) on average. After the course 60%
of the candidates declared to feel skilled enough to use qTUS
in practice, but this was not significantly associated with diag-
nostic performance.
Conclusions: With the qTUS training program (online +
live trainings) in most novice operators a reasonable Se and
Sp could be reached. However, variation in Se and Sp is sub-
stantial and may be influenced by age of animals and housing/
scanning conditions. Increasing the number of practical train-
ing sessions significantly improved Se. Adequate training and
continued self-assessment are necessary to sustainably inte-
grate qTUS in the highly variable conditions in daily practice.
Keywords: Thoracic ultasonography; bovine respiratory
disease; diagnostics; education; practice.

152
ORAL — Epidemiology
EP-01 sessed by performing a cost-benefit analysis that considered

potential trade effects due to implemented mitigation meas-
The epidemiological and economic assessment of bovine ures. In this context, a Bayesian structural time series model
viral diarrhoea infections worldwide was developed to analyse a hypothesised positive impact of
Pinior Beate1, Roch Franz-Ferdinand1, Richter Veronika1, Firth Clair the compulsory BVDV programme on the Styrian cattle export
L1, Scharnböck Bettina1, Marschik Tatiana1, Baumgartner Walter2, market.
Obritzhauser Walter1, Wagner Peter3, Garcia Sebastien4, Minviel Jean Results: Our questionnaire and literature research col-
J4, Käsbohrer Annemarie1, Raboisson Didier4. lected data for 107 countries. The meta-analysis covered 325
studies in 73 countries that reported BVDV infections in cat-
1
University of Veteriary Medicine Vienna, Unit of Veterinary Public
tle from 1961 to 2016. In total, 310,548 herds and 6.5 million
Health and Epidemiology, Austria; 2University of Veteriary Medicine
animals were tested for antibodies (AB) or BVD virus. The
Vienna, University Clinic for Ruminants, Austria; 3Department of
Veterinary Administration, Styrian Provincial Government, Austria; worldwide pooled prevalences of persistently infected (PI)
4
University of Toulouse, Population Medicine & Economics of Animal cattle were found to sbe low (≤0.8% Europe, North America,
Health, France. Australia), medium (>0.8% to 1.6% East Asia) or high (>1.6%
West Asia). The PI and AB prevalences in Europe decreased
over time, while BVDV prevalence increased in North Ameri-
Objectives: The aims of this study were: ca. The highest mean pooled prevalences of PI animals were
i. to determine the geographical distribution of bovine vi- identified in countries that had failed to implement any BVDV
ral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) infections and intervention mitigation programmes (including vaccination). Additionally,
measures worldwide by conducting literature search- the meta‐regression analysis revealed that the implementa-
es and questionnaires; tion of vaccination and biosecurity measures were associated
ii. to predict the temporal global development of BVDV with 8%–12% and 28%–29% decrease in BVDV-associated
infections, both with and without intervention meas- production losses on average, respectively, when simulated
ures; herds were compared with or without such mitigation meas-
ures. This reduction was partially offset when livestock hold-
iii. to identify potential sources of heterogeneity in the
ers purchased new cattle or allowed direct contact with other
study by conducting a weighted-stratified meta-anal-
cattle herds.
ysis of pooled prevalences, including countries, age
groups, production systems, vaccination status, clini- An economic net benefit (benefit:cost ratio, BCR = 1.18)
cal signs, mitigation programmes, diagnostic methods of the Styrian mitigation programme was demonstrated during
and sampling material; the voluntary programme phase (January 1998–July 2004). If
iv. to assess the extent to which epidemiological factors investments in the compulsory programme (August 2004–De-
(e.g., BVDV new infection risk and circulation dura- cember 2016) were taken into account, there was an overall
tion) and mitigation measures (e.g., vaccination, test- net economic loss (BCR = 0.16). The time point necessary to
ing and culling, purchasing new stock or contact with reach payback of total mitigation costs would have been the
neighbouring cattle herds) may influence production year 2020. The average number of cows and bulls exported
losses due to BVDV infections in cattle herds and from Styria increased significantly by 45% on average and the
producer price increased by 10% on average during the com-
v. to analyse whether the implementation of BVDV mit-
pulsory mitigation period compared to the voluntary period.
igation activities is economically justified in Austria
(Styria) and worldwide. Conclusion: The epidemiological and mitigation factors
influencing BVDV prevalences and associated production
Material & Methods: To identify global studies focusing on
losses presented here, as well as the economic assessment
the prevalences, mitigation measures, production losses and
of control measures, could help to guide farmers and deci-
economics of BVDV control activities, an extensive systemat-
sion-makers to choose suitable strategies for the control of
ic literature search was performed. Different meta-regression
BVDV.
models were developed to analyse the data from the litera-
ture. By pooling the data from eligible studies, weighted me- Keywords: Meta-analysis, Animal Health Economics,
ta-analyses were conducted using a random effect model to BVDV.
estimate the pooled prevalences of BVDV infected cattle while
considering between- (heterogeneity) and within-study (sam-
pling) variance as a result of sampling error. Univariate and
multivariate meta-regression analyses were used to identify
factors such as diagnostic methods, age of animal, production EP-02
systems, or intervention measures that may have had a signif-
icant impact on the level of reported BVDV prevalences. Ad- Overview of control programmes of non-regulated cattle
ditionally, a meta-regression model was developed to identify diseases in the European Union
potential influencing epidemiological factors (e.g., BVDV new
Jaka Jakob Hodnik1, Jože Starič1, Jožica Ježek1, George John Gunn2,
infection risk) and mitigation measures on the production loss-
Inge Santman-Berends3.
es. Furthermore, a review of different economic assessments
of global BVDV mitigation measures was conducted and the Veterinary faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia;
1
voluntary and compulsory BVDV eradication programmes Scotland's rural college, Inverness, United Kingdom; 3Royal GD,
2
in the federal state of Styria, Austria, were economically as- Deventer, Netherlands.

153
Objectives: As part of a COST (European Cooperation in EP-03

Science and Technology) Action SOUND control (Standardiz-
ing Output-based surveillance to control Non-regulated Dis- Nation-wide screening of antibodies to Mycoplasma bovis
eases of cattle in the EU) more than 100 veterinarians, epi- in Swedish dairy herds and herd characteristics associated
demiologists, statisticians, stakeholders and others, from 31 with the infection
countries collaborate to evaluate existing control programmes Emma Hurri1, Anna Ohlson2, Åsa Lundberg2, Anna Aspán3, Karl
(CPs) for non- regulated cattle diseases throughout Europe Pedersen3, Madeleine Tråvén4.
and beyond and to look for possibilities to move towards out-
put based comparison of the results of these CPs.
1
Clinical Sciences, SLU/National Veterinary Institute, SVA, Uppsala,
Sweden; 2Växa Sverige/Section of Animal Health, Stockholm, Sweden;
Materials and methods: The SOUND control project is 3
National Veterinary Institute, SVA, Uppsala, Sweden; 4Clinical
divided in to 5 working groups. Working group 1 (WG1) was
Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU, Uppsala,
entrusted with the task of describing existing CPs for non-EU
Sweden.
regulated diseases. To collect the information on control pro-
grammes we created standardized tables members had to fill
with information on the diseases that aren’t regulated by the Background: Mycoplasma (M.) bovis is considered an
EU but are controlled in their country. For this we aimed at dis- emerging pathogen that causes severe disease in cattle in
eases that are not part of the A or B list of the new European many countries and is poorly responsive to treatment. An in-
Animal Health Law as most of those diseases are regulated by creasing prevalence of the infection, suggested by preliminary
the EU. To be able to qualify as CP, it was agreed that a plan of data, may pose a threat to the Swedish favorable situation
eradication, control or active surveillance should be in place. concerning antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in cattle herds.
Passive surveillance was excluded. The following information In Sweden, M. bovis has caused severe symptoms with
requested for each infection that was controlled by at least outbreaks of pneumonia mainly in fattening herds. Before
one COST country: if there was a CPs in place, type of cattle this study, there were around 20 dairy herds and 30 fatten-
the CP applies to, if participation is voluntary or compulsory, ing herds that had been diagnosed in other projects or in field
if the programme is regional or national, funding, if there are work. In 2016 a national screening on bulk tank milk (BTM)
additional EU guarantees in place, the country status for the was performed to determine the prevalence of M. bovis. The
disease (i.e. free, endemic, sporadic, etc.), and the last occur- samples were analyzed with PCR and ten farms out of 3,473
rence of disease in the country. were positive, 0.3 % (1). There are disadvantages with the
Results: We have obtained data for 24 diseases. Most use of PCR since the bacterium is shed intermittently and milk
of the participating countries have a CP for Enzootic Bovine from infected cows might not be included in the BTM at the
Leukosis (N=25), Bluetongue (N=24), Infectious Bovine Rhi- time of sampling. Therefore, analyzing antibodies (ab) could
notracheitis (N=23), Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (N=22), Paratu- provide a more correct prevalence of M. bovis infection in
berculosis (N=16), Anthrax (N=15), Bovine Genital Campy- Swedish dairy herds.
lobacteriosis (N=13) and Trichomonosis (N=11). While other Objectives: The objectives of our study were to investi-
diseases are controlled only by a few or just by a single coun- gate the BTM prevalence of M. bovis in Swedish dairy herds
try. The country with the most controlled diseases is Norway by determining the presence of antibodies and M. bovis DNA
with 18 CPs and the countries that declared themselves free and to study herd characteristics associated with a positive
from most diseases are Finland and Denmark with freedom BTM sample.
from 11 diseases. We made maps that illustrate the number of Material & Methods: Samples of BTM delivered from all
CPs and the presence of disease and/or CP in each country. dairy herds in Sweden, 3,144 herds, were obtained from the
The results are summarised in Deliverable 1.1 on the SOUND dairy routine laboratory with the help from Växa Sverige. The
control webpage (https://sound-control.eu/). samples were analyzed with ID screen® indirect ELISA (ID-
Conclusions: The results show the diversity in the number vet, Grabels, France). High sensitivity and specificity for M.
and type of disease control programmes in European coun- bovis antibodies in serum was recently shown for this new-
tries and provides invaluable information for epidemiologists, ly developed ab ELISA (2). The samples were also analyzed
veterinarians and stakeholders in Europe. In the next step we with a real time PCR (PathoProof Mastitis Major 4, Thermo
will collect information on specifics of the cattle industry in Fisher Scientific, Vantaa, Finland). Herd level data on health
each of the countries and a more detailed description of the parameters were retrieved from the Dairy Herd Improvement
CPs they have in place. This information will be combined in a database (Växa Sverige), for a period of 12 months prior to
handbook that will provide a thorough overview of the CPs in the BTM sampling. The association between the herd-level
place for non-regulated cattle disease in Europe. This will help M. bovis antibody status (negative/positive) and each of the
to get an overview of the level of heterogeneity between dif- herd variables was first evaluated by chi-square test (χ2) for
ferent CPs and guide the data and methodology needs when categorical variables and Student’s t-test for the continuous
developing an output-based surveillance system. ones. All variables with P≤0.20 were further analysed in mul-
tivariable logistic or linear regression models, correcting for
Keywords: Cattle, non-regulated diseases, control pro-
biologically plausible variables.
gramme,
Results: BTM samples from 4.8 % of the herds were pos-
itive for antibodies to M. bovis. There were large regional dif-
ferences with the proportion of ab positive herds per region
ranging from 0 to 20 percent. All herds were negative on PCR

154
analysis. For the herd characteristics there was a higher risk of birth, colostrum IgG concentration, volume of colostrum
of antibody positivity in larger herds and there were also sig- consumed, time of first colostrum feeding, use of colostrum
nificant associations between antibody positivity and having a replacers, tube feeding of colostrum, suckling versus artificial
mortality of more than 0% in older calves (age 2-6 months) as rearing, and transfer of passive immunity. Transfer of passive
well as in young stock (age 6-15 months). Moreover, there was immunity was evaluated using serum radial immunodiffusion
a tendency of having a higher incidence of cows with more measurement of immunoglobulin G approximately 48 to 72
than 120 days between calving and final insemination in an- hours after birth of the calves. R (R Core Team, 2017) multilev-
tibody positive herds compared to negative ones (P=0.052). el regression techniques were used to assess the association
Conclusions: This is, to our knowledge, the first time a between calf-level risk factors and the occurrence of NCD in
nation-wide screening of BTM antibodies to M. bovis is pre- Belgian Blue calves.
sented using the ID screen® indirect ELISA. The results of Results: The prevalence of NCD was 15,38% (CI95%
this study indicate that M. bovis infections are more preva- [10,90 – 20,83%]). The classification of the calves according
lent among Swedish dairy herds than previously recognized, to their serum IgG concentration (Lombard et al., 2019) was
and that ab ELISA may be an efficient way to detect infected as follows: 54 calves (24,43%, CI95% [18,92 – 30,65%]) were in
herds. The association between infection status, as measured the category < 10 g IgG/l, 101 calves (45,70%, CI95% [39,00 –
by BTM antibody ELISA, and young stock and late calf mortal- 52,52%]) were in the category ≥ 10 - < 18 g IgG/l, 52 calves
ity suggests that M. bovis infection affects animal health and (23,53%, CI95% [18,10 – 29,68%]) were in the category ≥ 18 – <
welfare in Swedish dairy herds. 25 g IgG/l and 14 calves (6,33%, CI95% [3,51 – 10,40%]) had
References: serum IgG concentrations of ≥ 25 g/l. Significant predictors
of an increased odds of NCD were birth weight, use of colos-
1. Landin et al, IDF mastitis conference, 2019. Prev-
trum replacers, time between birth and colostrum administra-
alence of Mycoplasma bovis and Streptococcus
tion, season of birth and serum IgG concentration. For each
agalactiae in Swedish dairy herds. https://www.re-
kilogram increase in birth weight (mean: 54,13 ± 8,90kg) of
searchgate.net/publication/333162023_Prevalence_
the calves, the odds of NCD were reduced by 7% (OR 0,93;
of_Mycoplasma_bovis_and_Streptococcus_agalacti-
CI95% [0,88 – 0,98]; p = 0,01). Calves that were fed colostrum
ae_in_Swedish_dairy_herds
replacer, exclusively or in combination with dam’s colostrum,
2. Andersson et al. BMC Veterinary Research (2019) had three times higher odds of developing NCD compared to
15:369. A European inter-laboratory trial to evaluate calves that only received colostrum from their own dams (OR
the performance of three serological methods for di- 3,08; CI95% [21,15 – 8,33]; p = 0,025). Administration of colos-
agnosis of Mycoplasma bovis infection in cattle using trum more than two hours after birth resulted in 7-fold increase
latent class analysis. of the NCD odds compared to administration of colostrum
Keywords: Elisa, prevalence, risk factors, M. bovis, calf within two hours after birth (OR 7.07; CI95% [2,29 – 22,00]; p <
mortality. 0,001). Calves born in autumn and winter had nearly five times
higher odds of developing NCD compared to calves born in
the spring and summer (OR 4,76; CI95% [1,78 – 16,67]; p =
0,004). When considering calves with a serum IgG concentra-
tion < 10 g/l as reference, the odds of NCD was reduced by
EP-04 74% in calves with a serum IgG concentration between 10 and
18 g/l (OR 0,26; CI95% [0,09 – 0,70]; p = 0,009) and by 79% in
Calf-level risk factors for neonatal diarrhoea in Belgian calves with a serum IgG concentration between 18 and 25 g/l
Blue beef calves (OR 0,21; CI95% [0,05 – 0,75]; p = 0,022). Calves with a serum
IgG concentration of more than 25 g/l had a numerically but
Maude Lebrun1, Geert Hoflack1, Cécile Demblon2, Geert Vertenten3,
not significantly reduced odds of NCD compared to calves with
Bart Sustronck1.
a serum IgG concentration of < 10 g/l, (OR 0,62; CI95% [0,11 –
MSD Animal Health, Brussels, Belgium; 2Veterinary Practice Demblon,
1
2,74]; p = 0,5), probably due to the small number of calves in
Hastière, Belgium; 3MSD Animal Health, Boxmeer, Netherlands. this category.
Conclusions: According to new standards as proposed by
Objectives: Neonatal calf diarrhoea (NCD) is one of the Lombard et al. (2019), in about 25% of the calves, the transfer
most important causes of morbidity and mortality in calves. of passive immunity can be considered as an absolute failure
NCD is considered to be a multifactorial disease, caused by (serum IgG < 10 g/l). In only 30% of the calves, the transfer of
a complex interplay of pathogens, environmental factors, and passive immunity can be classified as good to excellent (se-
risk factors at the calf-level. The aim of this study was to as- rum IgG ≥ 18 g/l). The work described here identified several
sess different factors that influence the risk of NCD in Belgian calf-level factors as potential predictors of the risk of neonatal
Blue calves. Moreover, the prevalence of failure of passive diarrhoea in Belgian Blue beef calves. Further investigation of
transfer of immunity in Belgian Blue calves was estimated. those predictors is warranted and may be of benefit to produc-
ers and practitioners involved in the control of neonatal diar-
Materials & methods: This prospective study was con-
rhoea in Belgian Blue beef calves.
ducted on a Belgian Blue farm from November 2017 to Oc-
tober 2018. In total 221 calves were followed during their first Keywords: Belgian Blue beef calves, neonatal calf diar-
month of life to record the occurrence of diarrhoea and differ- roea, risk factors.
ent calf-level factors i.e., birth weight, sex, dam parity, season

155
EP-05 were found to have commonality to one of the serotypes in

the Australian vaccines. When considering serotype and
Salmonella diagnostic testing and serotyping in southern serogroup, it was found that 95% (209/221) of isolates
Australian dairy herds shared either commonality of serotype or serogroup with the
Damian O'Brien1, Geert Vertenten2. Salmonella strains in the vaccines. When considering the
registered vaccine containing Salmonella typhimurium and S
1
MSD Animal Health, Macquarie Park, Australia; 2MSD Animal dublin, 49.4% of isolates were definitively identified as being
Health, Boxmeer, Netherlands. one of these serotypes.
Conclusions: Salmonella culture and typing is an
Objectives: A Salmonella diagnostic programme was important diagnostic tool to be utilised in the management
conducted between 2017 and 2019 in Southern Australian of salmonellosis in Victorian dairy herds. There are several
Dairy herds. The programme sought to identify Salmonella multivalent vaccines available and they contain salmonella
isolates in bovine faecal samples from suspect Salmonella antigens from different serogroups. This study found that the
cases and where a positive diagnosis of Salmonella was serogroups and serotypes in the vaccines are very closely
confirmed, to identify the Salmonella isolate present. Further, matched to the Salmonella isolates found in the field.
the programme sought to compare the isolates identified with In this study a number of different Salmonella serotypes
those present in commercially available vaccines, to allow and serogroups were identified, but the majority shared
veterinarians to make an informed decision on Salmonella commonality to the strains contained in the two available
vaccination. Australian salmonella vaccines. To fully maximise the benefits
Method: During the 3 years of the programme, co-operating of a salmonella control programme incorporating vaccination,
veterinarians submitted a total of 680 faecal samples from selection of the most appropriate vaccine or vaccines to use is
clinical cases where they believed that Salmonella species a decision which should be done based on serotyping results
may have been contributing to disease in the cattle or on the and in consultation with the consulting veterinarian. Monitoring
property. Samples from mixed aged cattle, ranging from young salmonella incidence and serotypes is important, even after
calves to older cows, were submitted to a central veterinary a vaccination programme has commenced, to monitor the
diagnostic laboratory for culture using Salmonella enrichment success of the programme and to check for any variation in
media. Sensitivity testing was performed on any Salmonella the serotypes of salmonella causing disease over time.
isolates grown and isolates were sent to the Microbiological Keywords: Salmonella, diagnosis, serotyping, dairy,
Diagnostic Unit of Melbourne University for serotyping. Southern Australia.
Serotypes identified and their serogroups were compared
to the serotypes and serogroups that are represented in
the commercially available Australian vaccines, those being
Salmonella typhimurium (serogroup B), S. dublin (D), S.
bovismorbificans (C2), S. uganda (E1) and S. zanzibar (E1).
EP-06
Results: From 680 samples submitted, a total of 219
(32.2%) salmonella positive samples were identified, yielding Interpretation of the results of Q fever ELISA tests in
221 salmonella isolates. Two samples were positive for both domestic ruminants: a user-friendly Shiny application
Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella bovismorbificans. All based on latent class models in a Bayesian framework
other positive samples were positive for only one salmonella
serotype. Salmonella typhimurium was the most commonly Thibaut Lurier1, Marie Laure Delignette-Muller2, Florence Ayral3,
isolated serotype (81 isolations, accounting for 36.7% of Elsa Jourdain4, Elodie Rousset5.
isolates), followed by Salmonella bovismorbificans (41, or 1
Université de Lyon, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA, Marcy
19.5% of isolates) and Salmonella dublin (28, or 12.7% of l'étoile, France; 2Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, VetAgro Sup,
isolates). There were a further 15 samples that were identified CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive,
as being from serogroup B, most likely Salmonella typhimurium, Villeurbanne, France; 3Université de Lyon, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, Usc
5 from serogroup C, most likely Salmonella bovismorbificans, 1233 UR RS2GP, Marcy l'étoile, France; 4Université Clermont Auvergne,
and 2 from serogroup D, most likely Salmonella dublin, that INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France;
were not fully typed. 5
French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health &
Salmonella isolates from 65 properties were in-vitro tested Safety (ANSES), Sophia Antipolis Laboratory, Animal Q fever Unit,,
for antimicrobial sensitivity, 3 demonstrated resistance to a Sophia Antipolis, France.
single antimicrobial and 3 demonstrated resistance to multiple
antimicrobials.
Q fever is a worldwide zoonotic disease, due to the bacte-
The majority of samples analysed came from 3 rium Coxiella burnetii, responsible for reproductive disorders,
geographical regions – North East Victoria, Victorian Western such as abortion in domestic ruminants. Although direct detec-
Districts and Gippsland – consistent with the main dairying tion of C. burnetii by quantitative PCR is primarily recommend-
regions in the State. Geographical mapping of isolates found ed for the direct diagnosis of Q fever in abortive contexts and
that there was no consistent pattern in serotype occurrence identification of bacterial shedding, serological approaches
and that geographical distribution of isolates was varied within aiming at detecting antibodies specific for C. burnetii are also
the state. useful at both the individual and herd levels. At the individual
Of the isolates that were fully serotyped, 87% (168/193) level, ELISA tests may be used to identify animals that were

156
previously infected (with or without clinical signs and shed- mation. Veterinarians can therefore easily take advantage of a
ding) and may still be latently infected (carriers with or without complex statistical model in a Bayesian framework to support
shedding). At the herd level, ELISA tests may be used to re- their daily work related to Q fever risk analysis in ruminants. In
veal a past or recent exposure to C. burnetii within a consid- the absence of a perfect reference test, this application could
ered farm, a key tool for a rapid screening (prevalence, current also be useful for local and reference laboratories for the con-
evolutive circulation). firmatory diagnosis of an ELISA test result.
Recent investigations about the diagnostic accuracy of Keywords: Coxiella burnetii - serology - predictive values
the three ELISA tests currently commercialized for their use - seroprevalence -cattle.
in domestic ruminants showed that these tests are moderate-
ly sensitive (sensitivities ranged between 40% and 94%) and
that their specificities are inferior to 100% (specificities ranged
between 95% and 99%). As a consequence, the diagnostic
uncertainty should be considered to limit potential misinterpre-
tations of the individual or herd serological status.
The objectives of this study were (1) to build a method-
ological framework allowing calculating predictive values of Q
fever ELISA tests at both the individual and the herd levels and
(2) to provide a user-friendly application that could be easily
used by veterinarians to interpret the results of a serological
sample plan applied to a ruminant herd.
We developed an advanced computing method based
on latent class modeling, implemented using JAGS and R to
calculate predictive values corresponding to the results ob-
tained with any of the three commercialized ELISA tests, at
both the individual and the herd levels. This method was inte-
grated within an open source web application, using Shiny, to
favor its accessibility to all the potential users of these ELISA
tests (e.g., veterinarians, veterinary diagnostic laboratories,
research laboratories). After completing the characteristics of
the herd (species, herdsize, type of production) and the Q fe-
ver epidemiological context (if known), the users obtain the
probability of true seropositivity of the tested herd and animals
given the ELISA test results.
The operation of this application is illustrated on a true clin-
ical case where a Charolais bull originating from an apparently
‘free of infection’ herd was tested positive for Q fever by one
ELISA test at introduction. To confirm or infirm these test re-
sults, additional animals in the herd of origin were tested with
the same ELISA, considering firstly five heifers raised with the
bull and secondly all males and females more than two-year-
old (N=149). Probabilities of true seropositivity of the bull and
its originating herd were calculated thanks to the developed
application. The five other animals initially tested animals that
were raised with the seropositive bull were negative to the ELI-
SA test, which corresponds, in regard to the test used and to
the herd characteristics to a probability of the bull’s true sero-
positivity estimated at 0.85 with a 95% credibility interval (CI)
of [0.14; 0.98].
Among the animals older than two years present in the
herd, 5 out of the 149 tested animals tested positive which
corresponds for each positive animal to a probability of true
seropositivity estimated at 0 with a 95% CI of [0 ; 0.65]. At the
herd level, the probability that the proportion of seropositive
animals was above 0 was estimated at 0 with a 95% CI of [0 ;
0.58]; and if the herd was truly seropositive, the proportion of
truly seropositive animals in the herd was assessed to 0.06
with a 95% CI of [0.02; 0.12].
This application assists veterinarians in a proper interpre-
tation of the results of Q fever ELISA tests according to the
sampling size and to available epidemiological and herd infor-

157
ORAL — Feedlot
FE-01 might be higher due to bigger farm sizes and greater amount
of young susceptible animals in the farm.
The usage of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories in calf-
Keywords: antibiotic, anti-inflammatories, calf, calf-
rearing units in Finland
rearing.
Heli Simojoki1, Heli Härtel2, Tuomas Herva3, Vesa Hihnala4, Liisa
Kaartinen5, Erja Tuunainen6, Outi Hälli1, Atte Sandelin1.
1
University of Helsinki, Department of Production Animal Medicine,
Saarentaus, Mäntsälä, Finland; 2HKScan, Turku, Finland; 3Atria Plc,
Oulu, Finland; 4Oy Snellman Ab, Pietarsaari, Finland; 5Finnish Food FE-02
Authority, Helsinki, Finland; 6Animal Health ETT, Seinäjoki, Finland.
The metaphylactic use of tildipirosin for the control of
Bovine Respiratory Disease in pre-weaned high-risk calves
Objectives: The usage of antibiotics (AB) in meat produc- housed in individual hutches
tion is of concern in many countries. In Finland, meat produc-
Pedro Rodriguez Fernandez1, Vinicius Silva Machado2, Maria Luiza
tion is mainly based on bull calves originating from dairy farms.
Celestino2, Rafael C. Neves3, Michael A. Ballou2, Todd Bilby3.
Bull calves are transported to the rearing farms at the age of
10–30 days. Respiratory diseases are common in calf-rearing 1
Merck Animal Health, NJ, United States; 2Department of Veterinary
units. Approximately half of the calves are grown in special- Sciences, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources,
ized calf-rearing units selling calves to finishing units at the Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States; 3Department of
age of 5–6 months. Rest of the units are integrated, finishing Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue
their calves on their own farm. Bulls are slaughtered at the age University, West Lafayette, IN, United States.
of 18 months.The aim of the study was to find out the amount
and type of antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories
Objectives: Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is one of
(NSAIDs) used in different types of calf-rearing units.
the major causes of morbidity and mortality during the pre-
Materials and methods: A total of 73 randomly selected weaning period. It delays growth of pre-weaned heifers, which
calf-rearing units from Finland participated in the study. Calves can lead to long term impact on fertility and productivity. In the
(n= 27 692) were transported to these units between January modern dairy industry, many calves are reared in heifer rais-
and October 2016 and followed up 180 days. All the medication ing facilities, where calves are acquired from different sources
data and reason for medication were collected from the farms. and are transported for long periods of time. Transportation is
Bookkeeping was in electronic form in 44% of the farms and a stressful event and is a known risk factor for BRD. There-
on the paper form in 56% of the farms. The mean age of the fore, the use of metaphylaxis can be indicated for transported
calf on arrival to the unit was 23 days (SD 9.1). After 5 months calves. However, information on the effect of tildipirosin for the
feeding, calves either stayed on the same farm (28 farms, control of BRD on morbidity and mortality for high risk calves
n=3 745 calves) or from specialized calf-rearing units calves housed in individual hutches is scarce. Hence, the objective
were sold to another farm for finishing (45 farms, n=23 946 of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of two metaphylactic
calves). Four out of fifth calves (79%) were milk breed (n= strategies using tildipirosin for calves transported within the
21 766) and 21% milk-meat crossbred (n= 5926). The majority first week of life.
of the calves (88.5%) were bull calves. Medications used for
Materials & methods: A total of 2,100 clinically healthy
dehorning were excluded from the data.
Jersey and Jersey-cross calves were enrolled in the study.
Results: During 180 day-period, 35 390 AB courses were Calves were transported from 12 different dairies located in
given to 27 692 calves, in average 1.3 AB courses per calf. Minnesota to a calf raising facility located in New Mexico,
In 90% of the cases, reason for treatment was respirato- where they were housed in individual hutches until weaning
ry disease. The most common AB treatment was parenteral (56 days of life). Three days after arrival, calves were ran-
oxytetracycline, followed by macrolide and benzylpenicillin; domly allocated into three treatment groups. Calves in META1
65%, 23% and 6%, respectively. Total of 28 045 NSAID treat- group received a single subcutaneous (SQ) injection of til-
ments were administered. Most commonly used NSAIDs were dipirosin (ZuprevoTM, Merck Animal Health) at enrollment at
meloxicam (54%) and carprofen (42%). In treatment courses, 4mg/kg. Calves in group META2 received one SQ injection
NSAID was used together with AB in 66%, NSAID alone in 7% of tildipirosin at enrollment (4mg/kg) and a subsequent SQ til-
and AB only in 26% of the cases. In specialized calf-rearing dipirosin injection 17 days later. Calves in CON remained as
units and in the units with integrated milk feeding and finishing untreated controls. Average age at enrollment was 7.8 days.
67% and 37% of the calves were medicated at least once, BRD was diagnosed based on a scoring system that assesses
respectively. The percentage of all medications per number six clinical signs (cough, eye discharge, abnormal respiration,
of raised calves by the unit varied in specialized calf-rearing nasal discharge, ear droop or head tilt, and rectal tempera-
between 4–280% (mean 81%) and in integrated units 0–141% ture ≥ 102.5oF). Body weight measurements were assessed
(mean 42%). at enrollment and at weaning to calculate the average daily
Conclusions: The total numbers of AB courses were high. gain. Mortality data was gathered from the farms’ database.
The type of AB was selected according to Finnish guidelines At enrollment and weaning, ultrasonography of the lungs was
for treatment of respiratory diseases. NSAIDs were commonly assessed for random subset of 200 calves per treatment.
used with ABs as recommended. AB treatment was more com- Blood was collected at enrollment, 10 and 27 days later, and
mon in specialized calf-rearing units where infection pressure at weaning, for a random subset of 100 calves per treatment

158
ORAL — Feedlot
group to determine evidence of inflammation. Haptoglobin, applied to all cattle, and to assess calfhood implant effects on
serum-amyloid A, complete blood cell counts, and other bio- carcass traits.
markers were analyzed using commercial kits. The data was Materials and Methods: Growth by spring-born, pri-
analyzed using multivariate logistic regression, Cox Propor- marily Angus beef steer calves (n = 261; initial BW = 63 ±
tional Hazards models, repeated measures ANOVA, and mul- 5.1 kg) implanted with Synovex® One Grass (SOG; 150 mg
tivariate linear regression models. The variables age in days trenbolone acetate, 21 mg estradiol benzoate), Synovex® C
at enrollment, body weight at enrollment, dam’s parity, season, (SYNC; 100 mg progesterone, 10 mg estradiol benzoate), or
and rectal temperature at enrollment, and source of calf was nothing (CON; negative control) was assessed over 200 d in
included as a random effect. a study with a randomized block design with two pasture man-
Results: The BRD incidence was 11.37%, 10.8% and agement groups. Treatment groups were equally represented
9.39% for calves enrolled in the CON, META1 and META2, in each pasture management group, and individual calf was
respectively (P = 0.44). Time to BRD diagnosis was not af- the experimental unit. Calves remained together with their
fected by metaphylaxis (P = 0.45). Lung lesions was found in dams throughout the suckling phase and did not have access
25.1%, 24.9%, and 24.9% of calves enrolled in CON, META1, to creep feed. After weaning calves were placed in pens in
and META2 groups, respectively (P = 0.99). Mortality tended a drylot and fed long hay for 3 d, then were transitioned to a
to be greater for CON calves in comparison to META2 calves forage-based total mixed ration. At 200 d after suckling calf
(1.55% vs 0.57%, P = 0.05), but did not differ between calves implant treatments were administered steers were assigned
enrolled in CON and META1 groups (1.55% vs 1.17%, P = to two drylot pens, each containing proportionately the same
0.48). Weight gain was not affected by metaphylaxis. The number of calves from each treatment group as were enrolled
average daily gain for calves enrolled in CON, META1, and into the study to begin an 85-d backgrounding phase; all cat-
META2 was 516.7, 517.7 and 524.6 g, respectively (P = 0.25). tle received Synovex® Choice at the start of this phase. Upon
Blood analysis revealed that some of the markers of inflam- completion of the backgrounding phase steers entered a com-
mation assessed were lower for META2 calves compared to mercial feedlot and were fed an average of 193 d, then were
CON calves. At 27 days after enrollment, calves enrolled in harvested and carcass data collected; all steers received a
the META 2 treatment group had decreased concentrations of Synovex® One Feedlot at initiation of the feedlot phase. Steer
haptoglobin and aspartate aminotransferase, and decreased bodyweights were measured at the start and end of suckling,
neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio compared to CON calves (P < backgrounding, and finishing phases.
0.05). Additionally, CON calves had increased concentration Results: Total 200-d BW gain for SYNC (178.7 kg) and
of globulins and lower albumin to globulin ratio than META2 SOG (183.4 kg) were greater (P < 0.01) than CON (166.4 kg),
calves at the end of the weaning period (P < 0.05). but not different from each other (P = 0.16). Similarly, 200-d
Conclusions: In conclusion, metaphylaxis with tildipirosin average daily gain for SYNC (0.89 kg/d) and SOG (0.92 kg/d)
did not decrease the incidence of BRD in pre-weaned calves were greater (P < 0.01) than CON (0.83 kg/d), but not different
that were transported within the first week of life. Weight gain from each other (P = 0.16). Cumulative 285-d gain for SYNC
was not influenced by metaphylaxis. However, metaphylaxis (271.2 kg) and SOG (279.5 kg) were different from each other,
with two injections of tildipirosin at enrollment and 17 days and greater than CON (256.7 kg; P < 0.05). Total gain over
later tended to reduce mortality and significantly decreased the 193-d finishing period by CON (331.1 kg), SYNC (335.4
circulating biomarkers of systemic inflammation. kg), and SOG (330.8 kg) were not different (P > 0.05). Thus,
Keywords: High-risk calves, tildipirosin, metaphylactic implant treatments given to suckling calves did not negatively
treatment, BRD. impact feedlot performance of cattle. From initial implanting
to harvest (485 d), SYNC steers gained 16.9 kg more than
CON (P = 0.0530), and SOG steers gained 20.4 kg more than
CON (P = 0.0202). Carcasses from SYNC weighed 11.5 kg
more than CON (P = 0.0554), and SOG carcasses weighed
FE-03 15.4 kg more than CON (P = 0.0107). Marbling score, ribeye
area, backfat thickness, distributions to USDA Quality Grades,
Effect of implant treatments to suckling beef steers on and distributions to USDA Yield Grades were unaffected by
growth performance for 200 days and on lifetime growth suckling calf implant treatments. There was no impact of treat-
performance and carcass traits ments on morbidity or mortality, and there were no observed
adverse drug effects attributable to experimental treatments.
R. M. Cleale1, C. Trejo1, M. Corbin1, T. H. Short1, T. H. Allen2, B. H.
Obendorf2, M. R. Buyers3. Conclusion: Under conditions of this study, a single dose
of SOG resulted in average daily gain over a 200-d grazing
Zoetis, Parsippany, NJ, United States; 2Obendorf Ranch, Jordon Valley,
1
period of 0.92 kg/d, significantly greater than for steers that
OR, United States; 3Agri Beef, Moses Lake, WA, United States. remained untreated (0.83 kg/d). Likewise, cattle treated with a
single dose of SYNC gained significantly faster than non-treat-
Objectives: The goals of the study were 1) to evaluate ed controls (0.89 kg/d) over 200 d. Implants in suckling calves,
the impact of implant treatments administered to suckling with or without trenbolone acetate, increased BW gain, and
beef steers on growth performance over 200 days following did not affect performance during backgrounding or feedlot
treatment, and 2) to determine if suckling calf implant treat- phases.
ments impacted growth performance during grower and feed- Keywords: Cattle, suckling, implant, growth rate, average
lot phases when the same implant treatments were equally daily gain.

159
ORAL — Feedlot
FE-04 maximum of 50 calves in a same room, contribute to limit se-

roconversion to M. bovis together with consumption of antibi-
Risk factors for antibiotics use and spread of Mycoplasma otics.
bovis in veal calves feedlots
Keywords: Respiratory disease, Calves' lot, Antibiotics,
Marie-Anne Arcangioli1, Thibaut Lurier2, Adélie Colin3, Anthéa Mycoplasma.
Huleux3, Paule-Azeline Guerineau1, Karine Hauray4, Florence Tardy3.
1
Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup, Anses, UMR Mycoplasmoses
animales, F-69280, Marcy l'Etoile, France; 2Université Clermont
Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA; Université de Lyon,
INRAE, VetAgro Sup, Usc 1233 UR RS2GP, F-69280, Marcy l'Etoile, FE-05
France; 3Université de Lyon, Anses, VetAgro Sup, UMR Mycoplasmoses
Genotyping and antimicrobial resistance patterns of
animales, F-69007 Lyon, France; 4SNGTV, Cabinet le Clair matin,
Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida and
F-01000, Bourg en Bresse, France.
Histophilus somni isolated from the upper and lower
respiratory tract of feedlot cattle
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the most antimicrobi-
Edouard Timsit1, Trevor Alexander2.
al-consuming disease in veal calves production. The presence
of Mycoplasma (M.) bovis, as one of BRD causative agents, in University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada; 2Agriculture and Agrifood
1
a feeding lot could contribute to a wider use of antimicrobials Canada, Lethbridge, Canada.
as M. bovis is known to be persistent and resistant to most
antimicrobial families. Controlling some risk factors for intro-
Background/Objectives: During the last 10 years, the
duction or spread of this particular infectious agent may help
prevalence of Pasteurellaceae resistant against drugs typi-
to also reduce antibiotic (AB) use.
cally used for bovine respiratory disease (BRD) control has
Objectives: Two cross-sectional studies were set up to increased in feedlot cattle. Surprisingly, it is not clear whether
assess the effect of lot size and feeding systems on M. bovis this increase in the prevalence of multidrug resistant (MDR)
infection spreading and on AB use. We also assess the effect bacteria is due to the spread of one or few multiple MDR
of M. bovis spreading as a risk factor for increased AB use. clones among cattle during the feeding period (i.e. horizontal
Material & methods: Twenty-six feedlots were monitored spread) or due to the recrudescence of MDR clones already
from the “all-in” entry of calves until 3 consecutive weeks with- present in the respiratory tract of cattle upon arrival at feedlots.
out any collective antimicrobial treatment. The spread of M. Recently, we reported a high prevalence of MDR M. haemolyt-
bovis was estimated through seroconversion tested using the ica, P. multocida and H. somni isolated from cattle with BP in 4
BioK302 ELISA kit from BioX Diagnostics, on 10 to 15 calves' feedlots in Western Canada. Unfortunately, as we did not gen-
sera randomly sampled in each feedlot, at the entry and at the otype these isolates, it was not possible to determine whether
end of the observation period. All oral and injectable AB used a few or a large number of MDR clones were present in these
meanwhile were recorded. The feedlots were selected accord- feedlots, supporting either a horizontal spread of MDR clones
ing to their feeding system, either individual bucket (n=7) or among cattle or a recrudescence from carriers. Therefore, the
automatic milk feeders with shared nipples (n=19), and their objective was to genotype M. haemolytica, P. multocida and H.
size, less (n=9) or more (n=17) than 50 calves. For both se- somni isolates using pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).
roconversion and AB use, statistical analyses were conduct- Materials and methods: Newly-received beef-crossed
ed using multivariable generalized linear model with fattening feedlot calves (arrival body-weight ± SD = 282 ± 28 kg) with
farms as random effect. In both models, we initially included BRD (n = 210) and pen-matched controls (n = 107) were sam-
the following variables: feeding system, lot size, age, weight pled by deep nasal swabs (DNS) and trans-tracheal aspira-
of calves and seropositivity to M. bovis at introduction and first tion (TTA) at 4 feedlots in Western Canada. M. haemolytica, P.
order interaction between each variable. Use of AB and sero- multocida and H. somni were isolated from DNS and TTA sam-
conversion rate to M. bovis were respectively included in the ples and their AMR profiles were determined using broth dilu-
models for seroconversion and use of AB. tion method. Isolates were then typed by PFGE and grouped
Results: The lots were monitored for 42 to 81 days. M. into pulsotypes (≥90% similarity).
bovis infection spread increased with lot size (odd ratio (OR) Results: In total, 195, 277 and 139 isolates of M. haemo-
of 2.9 [1.4; 5.8] per two-fold increase in lot size). The propor- lytica, P. multocida and H. somni, respectively, were isolated
tion of seroconverted calves was lower in bucket-fed lots com- from DNS and TTA samples. A high proportion of M. haemo-
pared to automatic feeding lots with a shared nipple (OR = lytica (≥ 73%) and P. multocida (≥ 78%) isolated from DNS and
0.03 [0.003; 0.41]). Analysis of the association with the pres- TTA were resistant against oxytetracycline (OXY) and tulath-
ence of a seropositive calf at entry was inconclusive. AB use romycin (TUL). Concerning H. somni, there were high levels
was enhanced in larger feedlots with an increase of 1.5 treat- of resistance against OXY (≥ 52%) and penicillin (PEN; ≥52%)
ments per two-fold increase of lot-size. For same-sized lots, in both DNS and TTA samples. None or few isolates were re-
the use of bucket could decrease AB consumption by up to sistant to florfenicol (FEE), enrofloxacin (ENR) and ceftiofur
1.03 (-2.18;0.14) treatments per calf compared to automatic (CEF). M. haemolytica isolates were distributed among 20
feeding. Lastly, no association between seroconversion to M. pulsotypes and 26 singlets. However, the majority of isolates
bovis and AB use was evidenced. (54%) belonged to a single pulsotype, which displayed resis-
Conclusion: Bucket feeding in small size lots, i.e. with a tance to TUL and OXY. This pulsotype was isolated from 29

160
ORAL — Feedlot
different pens across all 4 feedlots. P. multocida isolates were between 4 and 6 months old.
distributed among 9 pulsotypes and 11 singlets with the major- Results: All devices were functional regardless of the
ity of isolates (67%) belonging to one pulsotype that displayed route of application, and no undesirable effects were detected
resistance to TUL and OXY. This pulsotype was present in 33 (rumination was not interrupted in any of them and none of the
pens across all 4 feedlots. H. somni isolates were distributed devices were expelled).
among 13 pulsotypes and 28 singlets that were either suscep-
All animals showed daily temperature peaks above 40°C
tible to all antimicrobials tested or resistant to PEN and OXY.
when the devices were housed in the rumen, coinciding with
No single dominant pulsotype was observed for H. somni.
the maximum of rumination activity. In contrast, daily tempera-
Conclusions: The genotyping and antimicrobial suscep- ture fluctuations emitted by vaginal-housed devices in healthy
tibility testing of Pasteurellaceae isolated from cattle recently animals were minimal, coinciding with previous studies in
placed at 4 feedlots showed that MDR clones of M. haemolyt- healthy animals (SD=0.16 ºC). All the animals that showed
ica and P. multocida can be shared among a large number of temperatures above 40ºC by a vaginal GUARDIAN® were lat-
cattle within and between feedlots. As cattle were very likely er explored and showed symptoms compatible with BRD and
from multiple origins, this finding suggests a horizontal transrectal temperature equal to or higher than 40ºC.
mission of these clones among cattle shortly after arrival at
Conclusions: GUARDIAN® showed optimal performance
the feedlots.
without any undesirable effects and detected sick animals
Keywords: BRD, AMR, Shipping fever, Antibiotics, Mac- satisfactorily and early, especially those devices placed in the
rolides. vagina.
Keywords: Radiofrecuency device, BRD.
FE-06
Comparison of body temperature measurement using the FE-07

GUARDIAN® device in feedlots and its possible applications Highthroughput Antibody and Cellular Immune Response
in the early diagnosis of bovine respiratory disease Profiling Against Respiratory Pathogens in Calves following
Iñaki Espinosa1, Rubén Prieto1, Natividad Pérez-Villalobos2. a Preconditioning Protocol
Tórax SL, Madrid, Spain;
1 2
Universidad Europea de Madrid, Nathan Cebron1, Vanbergue Elise2, Blandine Gausseres1, Julie
Villaviciosa de Odón, Spain. Cournet1, Guiadeur Marlène2, Aurore Philibert2, Clément Boudenne3,
Lucie Dutheil3, Béatrice Mounaix2, Gilles Foucras3.
Objective: The objective of the present study was to test 1

IHAP, Toulouse, France; 2Idele, Paris, France; 3ENVT, Toulouse,
the new GUARDIAN® radiofrequency body temperature mea- France.
suring device for beef calves, to compare the temperature
detected depending on whether the device is housed in the Objectives: Pre-conditionning of calves before entry in
vagina or in the rumen and to assess possible applications in fattening units has been promoted as a good approach to re-
the early diagnosis of bovine respiratory disease (BRD). duce antibiotics treatment against bovine respiratory diseases
Material & methods: A one-week pilot study was conduct- (BRD). Enhancing immunity to respiratory pathogens by vac-
ed to assess the performance of GUARDIAN®, an externally cination before the risk period may help reduce the prevalence
applied telemetric device for intra-vaginal or reticulo-ruminal of BRD. The purpose of our study is to evaluate antibody and
use. It is a T-shaped cylindrical device, 9 cm long and 2.8 cm cell-mediated response against the main repiratory agents
in diameter. This device takes measurements of body tem- in a case/control study in order to evaluate the effects of the
perature in a serial way, once every hour, sending this infor- pre-conditionning program on immunity to BRD.
mation to mobile devices, including an alert system in case of Materials and methods: Two groups of calves (n=20)
fever detection and storage of the data in its own database. were allocated randomly to each treatment. Pre-conditionned
The device consists of a temperature sensor on an electronic (PREC) calves were weaned and grouped in loose hous-
board, with a timer for sending the data every hour, a battery ing approximately 50 days before entry in the fattening unit.
that lasts longer than the feeding cycle and an antenna for They received a balanced diet and were vaccinated twice at
transmitting data. All this is included in a waterproof and bio- 4 weeks interval with an inactivated vaccine against BRSV,
compatible wrap-around material. Given the long-lasting char- BPI3 and Mannheimia haemolytica. During that time, control
acteristics of the material, it is reusable and only requires an (CON) calves were kept with their dams on pasture without
external antenna to receive the signals, housed in the pen. any change. After weaning, they were directly transported to
The GUARDIAN® device was applied both vaginally and the fattening unit where the vaccination program with the same
ruminally to five cross-bred beef calves at two different sites vaccine was implemented. Blood samples were collected at
(three in the province of Avila and two in Toledo) to assess recruitment in the protocol, and then at the date of entry, and
their functionality, possible undesirable effects (expulsion or 30 and 60 days after entry, to cover the period of highest BRD
interruption of rumination) and to evaluate applications in the incidence in this breeding system. Antibody response against
early diagnosis of BRD. Calves from Avila were between 10 BRSV, BPI3 and Mannheimia haemolytica was assessed by
and 12 months old, while those from Toledo province were ELISA (BioX diagnostics). Whole blood cell stimulation was

161
ORAL — Feedlot
prepared with the same pathogens, to assess cellular repons- healthy (463.8 lbs, 95% confidence interval [95%CI]; 362.5,
es, and with lipoplysaccharide (LPS) and concanavaline A to 565.2) or sick (461.5 lbs, [95%CI]; 451, 472) (P>0.10). Com-
measure the levels of innate and adaptive responses, respec- pared to cattle diagnosed with BRD at least one time, calves
tively. Cytokine production was measured using a custom bo- never meeting the BRD case definition displayed a heavier
vine cytokines Milliplex assay (MERCK-Millipore). final body weight (615.1 lbs [95%CI; 527.4, 702.8] vs 547.7
Results: At the time of inclusion, no difference between lbs [524.4, 571.1], respectively) and a greater ADG (3.3 lbs/
the groups was noticed. The average daily gain (ADG), zinc day, [95%CI; 0.7, 5.9] vs 1.8 lbs/day, [95%CI; 1.4, 2.2], re-
and glutathion-peroxydase plasma concentration were higher spectively) (P≤0.10). Rumination and activity were also great-
in PREC compared to CON (+ 440g /d; + 3pmol / L; + 118U / er (P≤0.10) among healthy calves throughout the study com-
g Hb) at the time of entry in the fattening unit. Further, specif- pared to calves treated at least once for BRD.
ic antibodies for BPI3, BRSV, and Mannheimia haemolytica Additionally, calves treated more than once experienced
were higher in PREC compared to CON, as was IFNg produc- ongoing reductions in ADG, rumination, and activity parame-
tion in response to Mannheimia haemolytica. Immune traits ters (P≤0.10). In calves treated up to three times, the negative
were correlated with several parameters like trace minerals or impact on ADG was observed as early as the timeframe be-
weight gain despite the low number of evaluated animals and tween enrollment and first BRD treatment compared to calves
the possibility of confusing factors. treated only once or twice (P≤0.10).
Conclusions: High-throughput profiling of the immune re- The impact of the treatment with Florfenicol–Flunixin Me-
sponse in young bulls around the entry in fattening units high- glumine (Resflor Gold, Merck Animal Health, Madison, NJ,
light the benefit and limits of pre-conditionning, and opens up USA) on rumination and activity pre and post administration
promising prospects for the management of BRD in cattle, and was also assessed. Post-administration outcomes for both
improvement of farming conditions. rumination and activity increased compared to pre-treatment
Keywords: BRD, vaccine, preconditioning, young bulls. levels among calves treated only one time for BRD (P≤0.10).
No differences were observed between pre- and post-ad-
ministration estimates for calves treated twice or three times
(P>0.10). No adverse events were observed in this study.
Conclusions: This study showed further evidence that
FE-08 cattle diagnosed and treated for BRD display a negative per-
formance compared to cattle that maintained optimal health.
Activity, rumination, and performance of BRD treated However, cattle that respond favorably to the initial BRD treat-
calves compared to their own baseline activity and healthy ment outperform their cohorts that require ongoing therapy.
cohorts Rumination and activity biometrics were not negatively impact-
ed in this study regardless of the frequency of BRD treatments
Jason S. Nickel1, John P. Hutcheson1, Pedro Rodriguez2.
with Florfenicol–Flunixin Meglumine (Resflor Gold, Merck An-
Merck Animal Health, Kansas, United States; 2Merck Animal Health,
1 imal Health, Madison, NJ, USA) suggesting that this product
Ontario, Canada. may not have a negative impact on the animal’s gastrointesti-
nal environment.
Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine Keywords: Feedlot, calves, rumination, BRD, monitoring.
rumination, activity, and performance of cattle treated for BRD
with Florfenicol-Flunixin Meglumine combination when com-
pared to their own baseline and healthy cohorts.
Materials & Methods: This experiment was designed as
a prospective cohort study in 203 beef calves exposed to nat- FE-09
urally-occurring bovine respiratory disease (BRD). Upon ar-
Reduction in BRD antimicrobial treatments in a US feedlot-
rival, calves were processed with a standard feedlot receiving
based multi-site study using conventional BRD control
protocol. All calves were equipped with an ear monitoring tag
approach vs. targeted prediction technology
(Allflex Livestock Intelligence) that captures biometric data.
Calves were enrolled at the time of first BRD diagnosis. The Jason S. Nickel1, John P. Hutchenson1, David G. Renter2, David A.
case definition for BRD consisted of a clinical score of 1, 2 Amrine1, Juan Pedro Campillo3.
or 3 and rectal temperature > 104°F. All calves meeting the
Merck Animal Health, Kansas, United States; 2Kansas State University,
1
case definition (N=93) were treated with a fixed combination of
Kansas, United States; 3Allflex Livestock Intelligence, Netanya, Israel.
Florfenicol–Flunixin Meglumine (Resflor Gold, Merck Animal
Health, Madison, NJ, USA). Treated calves were allocated to
a separate “sick pen” and followed for 46-days post-diagnosis. Objective: The study objective was to determine if cattle
The remaining calves not diagnosed with BRD (N=110) were health and performance comparing a targeted bovine respira-
maintained in the original pens. Health, average daily gain tory disease (BRD) prediction technology (BRD_PT; Whisper®
(ADG), activity, and rumination parameters were collected on On-Arrival) was superior to a negative control (no metaphylax-
all calves. Data analyses were performed by generalized lin- is) yet no different than a positive control (conventional BRD
ear mixed models evaluating the calf as the experimental unit. metaphylaxis; 100% application).
Results: No statistical differences were observed in the Materials & Methods: Across 4 US study sites (Texas [2
arrival body weight between calves ultimately categorized as sites; TX-1, TX-2], Oklahoma [OK], Nebraska[NE]), cattle were

162
ORAL — Feedlot
procured from various livestock auction markets, processed antimicrobial drugs. However, the prevalence of antimicrobi-
with the same product regimen, and randomly allocated to one al resistance (AMR) is increasing in Mannheimia haemolyti-
of four BRD control treatment groups: 1. Negative control (Sa- ca and other BRD pathogens which may limit treatment effi-
line), 2. Positive control (Tildipirosin [Zuprevo®] to 100% of the cacy. Investigation of AMR impacts on BRD requires recovery
group), 3. BRD_PT-high (± Tildipirosin; more calves treated), and characterization of M. haemolytica by costly and time
and 4. BRD_PT-low (± Tildipirosin; less calves treated). With- consuming sampling of individual cattle. Identifying group
in either BRD_PT-managed group (i.e. groups 3 and 4), only sampling methods that are comparable to individual sampling
calves identified to be at high risk for BRD by the technology could facilitate surveillance and research. The objective of this
were administered the BRD control drug; those at predicted study was to compare detection of M. haemolytica in cattle
lower risk were left without therapy. Calves were penned by via individual sampling using culture and quantitative real-time
treatment group. Three days after treatment administration, PCR (qPCR) of nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) with detection
cattle were observed daily by pen riders blinded to treatment from group sampling methods - water bow swabs, ropes hung
group assignment. The same BRD case definition and BRD on pens, and pooled DNA from NPS.
treatment regimen was implemented across all 4 sites. Cat- Materials and Methods: Cattle housed in10 pens located
tle were followed to either a short-term timepoint (TX-1, 50 at 3 commercial feedlots in Texas were sampled at 10-22 days
days; NE, 60 days) or to closeout (TX-2, 230 days; OK, 240 on feed. Ten animals from each pen (n=100) were randomly
days). Health and performance outcomes were collected at selected and NPS were obtained using rayon swabs for bacte-
all respective timepoints. Carcass metrics were captured on rial culture and DNA extraction. Five 1-cm diameter polyester
those followed to closeout. ropes were hung from each study pen for 24 hours. Water
Results: Across all sites, BRD control antibiotic use was bowls from each pen were swabbed at 3 locations in the bowl:
reduced by 11% to 43% between the two BRD_PT-managed the bottom, the waterline, and the top. qPCR for the leukotoxin
treatment groups compared to the positive control where 100% D gene of M. haemolytica was performed in triplicate using
of the cattle received antimicrobial therapy. The positive con- DNA from individual NPS (n=10 animals/pen), pools of NPS
trol and both BRD_PT-managed groups significantly (P≤0.05) (n=3 pools/pen), ropes (n=3/pen), and water bowls (n=3/pen).
improved numerous health and performance outcomes com- Individual NPS (n=10 animals/pen), ropes (n=2/pen), and wa-
pared to the negative control. At one site (OK), the BRD_PT- ter bowls (n=3/pen) were cultured to identify M. haemolytica.
high group displayed a significant improvement in hot carcass Mean Ct for each sample type was compared by Kruskal-Wal-
weight (P≤0.05) compared to the positive control. However, lis analysis of variance on ranks, with post-hoc Dunn test using
no further differences (P>0.05) were observed between either Benjamini-Hochberg correction.
BRD_PT-managed group and the positive control at any of the Results: M. haemolytica was only cultured from individual
4 sites. NPS, with animal within pen prevalence ranging from 0-50%
Conclusion: Across all 4 sites, the BRD_PT technology of animals sampled (median=10 %). qPCR identified M. hae-
(Whisper® On-Arrival) maintained the benefits of a conven- molytica in 41% of individual NPS (n=41), 60% of pooled NPS
tional BRD control program yet reduced BRD control antibiotic samples (n=18), 76% of rope samples (n=23), and 78 % of
use by 11% to 43%. This technology has the potential to re- water bowls (n=14 - only 18 samples had sufficient DNA for
duce antibiotic costs to the producer while supporting judicious testing). Overall, ope samples had a lower mean Ct than wa-
antimicrobial use. ter bowls, NPS pools, and individual NPS (26.5 vs 30.1, 31.1,
Keywords: Calves, BRD, prediction, technology, 34.9, respectively; p <0.05). However, when analyzing pens
metaphylaxis. separately, for 7 pens, there was no difference in mean Ct for
each of the methods (Kruskal-Wallis, p>0.05).
Conclusions: These results support the use of group
sampling to characterize group prevalence of M. haemolyti-
ca via qPCR. Culture of M. haemolytica did not reliably identify
FE-10 the agent in group sampling methods.
Keywords: Real-time PCR, BRD, bacterial culture.
Environmental sampling for characterization of
Mannheimia haemolytica shedding by feedlot cattle
William B. Crosby1, Robert Valeris-Chacin2, Cory Wolfe2, Sheryl P.
Gow3, Amelia R. Woolums4, Paul S. Morley2.
1
Missippi State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department
of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, United States; 2Texas A&M
University, Veterinary Education, Research, and Outreach Program,
United States; 3University of Saskatoon, Western College of Veterinary
Medicine, Canada; 4Mississippi State University, College of Veterinary
Medicine, Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine,
United States.
Objective: Control and prevention of Bovine Respiratory

Disease (BRD) is a major reason for treatment of cattle with

163
ORAL — Genetics and Breeding
GB-01 and 20.1, respectively). The EBV for colostrum lactose content
ranged from a -0.34 to +0.38 (average EBV reliability 0.24).
Estimated breeding values of dairy sires regarding The EBV difference between the 10th and the 90th percentiles
colostrum traits was 0.33% (-0.21 and +0.12, respectively). The phenotypic
Aikaterini Soufleri1, Georgios Banos2, Nikolaos Panousis3, Georgios difference of lactose content between daughters of sires in the
Arsenos1, Georgios E. Valergakis1. 10th and 90th percentiles was 0.9% (1.7 and 2.6, respectively).
Three bulls had positive EBVs and 5 had negative EBVs for
1
Laboratory of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, all four traits studied. When considering TS, fat and protein
School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 content only, 13 bulls had positive EBVs and 19 had negative
Thessaloniki, Greece, Thessaloniki, Greece; 2Laboratory of Animal EBVs for all three traits. Mean EBVs for the 13 "positive" bulls
Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, School of Health Sciences, were 1.05, 0.44 and 0.61, for TS, fat and protein content, re-
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece, spectively. Mean EBVs for the 19 "negative" bulls were -1.10,
Scotland's Rural College/Roslin Institute, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, -0.66 and -0.67, for TS, fat and protein content, respectively.
Thessaloniki, Greece; 3Clinic of Farm Animals, Faculty of Veterinary
Conclusions: Variability in sire EBVs regarding colostrum
Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki,
traits supports the concept of genetic selection leading to trait
54124 Thessaloniki, Greece, Thessaloniki, Greece.
improvement. A synthetic colostrum quality index could be po-
tentially developed comprising sire EBVs on individual traits.
Objectives: Colostrum administration provides newborn This index could be eventually included in an overall perfor-
calves with important nutrients (fat, protein, lactose) and im- mance index that will drive future breeding programs.
munity (IgG). Significant heritability estimates have been re- Keywords: Breeding values, sire, cow, colostrum.
ported on colostrum traits ranging from 0.15 to 0.27, suggest-
ing the traits can be improved with selective breeding based
on estimated breeding values (EBVs) of selection candidate.
The objective of this study was to derive and examine EBVs of
Holstein sires for colostrum traits.
GB-02
Materials and Methods: The study examined daughter of
67 Holstein sires, raised in 6 commercial dairy herds in North- The genetic architecture of susceptibility to claw horn
ern Greece. Number of daughters (purebred Holsteins with full disruption lesions in Holstein cows
pedigree) for each sire ranged from 5 to 49; the total num-
ber of cows with records in the study was 699. These cows Matthew Barden1, Bingjie Li2, Alkiviadis Anagnostopoulos1, Cherry
calved between February 2015 and September 2016. Cows Bedford3, Bethany Griffiths1, Androniki Psifidi4, Georgios Banos2,
were milked completely after calving and a colostrum sam- Georgios Oikonomou1.
ple was collected. Fat, protein and lactose content (%) were University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom; 2Scotland's
1
determined with Milkoscan. Colostrum total solids (TS) were Rural College, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; 3University of Liverpool,
assessed with a digital Brix refractometer and expressed in Edinburgh, United Kingdom; 4Royal Veterinary College, North
% Brix values. Sire EBVs for colostrum traits (TS, fat, protein Mymms, United Kingdom.
and lactose content) were derived with univariate statistical
analyses based on a mixed model. The model included the ef-
fects of farm, parity number, calendar season, age at calving, Objectives: Lameness is the most serious welfare prob-
colostrum yield, time interval between calving and colostrum lem facing the modern dairy industry. The lesions associated
collection, dry period length, cow body condition score at calv- with the greatest impact on animal welfare, and those which
ing and milk yield of previous lactation, and the random animal incur the greatest financial costs to farms, are claw horn dis-
additive genetic effect. The ASREML software was used for all ruption lesions (CHDLs). The three most prevalent CHDLs are
statistical analysis. sole haemorrhage, sole ulcers and white line disease. In the
Results: Sire EBVs were normally distributed. The EBV United Kingdom, breeding strategies have not reduced the
for colostrum TS ranged from a -4.05 to +3.47 (average EBV prevalence of lameness in the national herd and this is due,
reliability 0.42). The EBV difference between the 10th and the in part, to the paucity of detailed phenotypic data to inform
90th percentiles was 3.20% (-1.50 and +1.70, respectively). genetic selection. Previous research from our group has iden-
The phenotypic difference in % Brix values between daugh- tified the existence of genomic variation and regions that were
ters of sires in the 10th and 90th percentiles was 5.6% (22.6 and associated with specific lameness lesions, suggesting value in
28.2, respectively). The EBV for colostrum fat content ranged pursuing this area of research [1]. The aims of this study were
from a -2.60 to +1.29 (average EBV reliability 0.29). The EBV to determine the genetic variance and genomic regions which
difference between the 10th and the 90th percentiles was 2.23% underly CHDL development.
(-1.56 and +0.67, respectively). The phenotypic difference of Materials and methods: Over an eight-month period,
fat content between daughters of sires in the 10th and 90th per- 2,353 Holstein cows were enrolled on four dairy farms in the
centiles was 3.7% (4.2 and 7.9, respectively). The EBV for co- United Kingdom. Animals were assessed at four timepoints:
lostrum protein content ranged from a -2.76 to +2.04 (average prepartum (average: 56 days prepartum); freshly calved (av-
EBV reliability 0.34). The EBV difference between the 10th and erage: 5 days postpartum), early lactation (average: 84 days
the 90th percentiles was 2.32% (-0.92 and +1.40, respectively). postpartum) and late lactation (average:182 days postpartum).
The phenotypic difference of protein content between daugh- At each timepoint feet were inspected by a trained veterinarian
ters of sires in the 10th and 90th percentiles was 4.4% (15.7 and all lesions present were recorded and scored by severity.

164
Pedigrees were obtained for all cows with phenotypes, and GB-03
1,622 cows were genotyped with the Illumina 50K Bovine SNP
chip. Lesion scores at the first three timepoints were combined Aging increases inflammatory response in dairy cattle
to create an overall CHDL score, accounting for lesion sever- Gilles Foucras1, Nathan Cebron2, Sarah Walachowski2, Aurélie
ity and total number of feet inspections per cow (lesions from Chaulot-Talmon3, Charline Pontlevoy3, Rodolphe Robcis1, Alice De
late lactation timepoint will be included in the final analyses). Boyer Des Roches4, Dorothée Ledoux4, Valérie Gelin3, Christophe
CHDL score was used as the phenotype for genomic analyses. Richard3, Hélène Kiefer3, Hélène Jammes3.
A single-step GBLUP method was used to calculate heritability
and the genetic correlations between CHDL score at different
1
ENVT, Toulouse, France; 2IHAP, Toulouse, France; 3BDR, Jouy-en-
timepoints. Genome-wide association (GWA) analyses were Josas, France; 4UMRH, Saint- Genès-Champanelle, France.
applied to identify candidate genomic regions associated with
CHDL score, using both single-marker and window-based as- Objectives: Old cows are reputed more sensitive to bacte-
sociation. Significance testing of SNP effects were adjusted rial infections, developping more severe mastitis than youngest
using Bonferroni and False Discovery Rate approaches to ones. However the biological basis of these observations are
control for multiple testing during GWA analyses. not known. Risk factors increase with aging, but inflammation
Results: The average cow-level prevalence, across all and innate immunity are modified in the long term by previous
timepoints and including all severity grades, was 43.3% for exposure to microbes. Epigenetic changes of immune cells
sole haemorrhage, 4.6% for sole ulcers and 35.8% for white like monocytes could explain increased severity to infection.
line disease. Across all timepoints, the heritability for the Monocytes are central in these mechanisms, and they under-
combined CHDL score was 0.18 (SE: 0.03), using both pedi- go functional changes upon contact with pathogens or their
gree-based and genomic approaches. The genetic correlation products, and adapt their response to subsequent challenges.
between CHDL score at different timepoints was high (>0.9). However, the molecular bases of long-term reprogramming
GWA analyses did not identify any SNP to be significant for are still poorly understood in cattle.
CHDL score after the Bonferroni correction, but some SNPs Materials and methods: Twenty-three cows were chal-
exceeded a suggestive threshold after correcting for one false lenged through an intravenous bolus injection of LPS (0.5 µg/
discovery per genome scan. When markers were grouped kg BW, ultrapure LPS, InVivogen) to induce a systemic in-
by 1Mb sliding windows, several candidate genomic regions flammatory response. Fourteen of them were bovine somatic
were identified which explained larger proportions of genetic clones originating from the same cell line, in two groups of 5
variance for CHDL score than other regions in the genome, and 15-years of age, respectively. A genetically-diverse group
approximately 3-4% of the total genetic variance. Estimated of 5 years-old cows (n=9) was also included in the study. All
genomic breeding values for the combined CHDL score were cows were raised and housed together as a single group since
calculated and showed good correlation with phenotypic val- birth in an experimental farm. Cytokine production was mea-
ues (0.67). sured sequentially (0, 3, 6, 12, and 24h) in plasma using a new-
Conclusions: The genetic correlation between CHDL ly-developed custom bovine cytokines 15-plex Milliplex assay
scores at each timepoint was high. This suggests an under- (MERCK-Millipore). Blood samples were collected twice at 0
lying genetic basis which was not dependent on environmen- and 24 hours after LPS injection. Monocytes were isolated and
tal factors specific to the stage of lactation. As a combined their genome-wide DNA methylation profile was determined
phenotype, CHDL development is moderately heritable, and by reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) using
the estimated genomic breeding values indicate a reasonable a dedicated pipeline, in order to assess epigenetic marks ac-
correlation with the observed phenotype. Therefore, there is cording to the age, genetic background, and response to LPS.
the potential to incorporate CHDL resistance into future breed- Results: LPS exposure was associated with the produc-
ing programmes. The presence of multiple candidate genomic tion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α). IL-6
regions suggests a polygenic architecture of CHDLs; further and TNF-α production were higher in aged compared to young
study is warranted in order to elucidate specific genes and mo- cows, and clinical signs were more severe in the former, in-
lecular pathways involved. dicating a stronger inflammatory response according to the
age. Differentially-Methylated Cytosines (DMCs) targeting
References:
genomic regions important to monocyte identity and func-
1. Sánchez-Molano E, Bay V, Smith RF, Oikonomou G, tions, independently of the genetic background, were identi-
Banos G. Quantitative Trait Loci Mapping for Lame- fied. LPS stimulation causes hypomethylation in dairy cows
ness Associated Phenotypes in Holstein–Friesian whatever the age. Monocytes undergo epigenetic modifica-
Dairy Cattle. Front Genet. 2019;10:926. doi:10.3389/ tions after LPS challenge, indicating that previous exposure to
fgene.2019.00926. Gram-negative bacteria, may modify the later capacity of the
Keywords: Claw horn disruption lesions, GWAS, Herita- cells to respond to an infection. Comparison of young and old
bility, Lameness, Welfare. cattle led to identification of epigenetic marks related to aging.
Conclusions: Aged cows have a stronger inflammatory
response that correlates with the presence of specific marks
that develop during the course of life. Knowledge on epigene-
tic marks induced by aging may help define new breeding and
prevention strategies.
Keywords: Inflammation, aging, epigenetic, dairy cows.

165
GB-04 Serine Rich Nuclear Protein 3 (CSRNP3), and the Coiled-Coil

Domain Containing 92 (CCDC92). OSBPL6 is an intracellular
Impact of host genetics on resistance of bovine monocyte- lipid receptor that contributes to the maintenance of choles-
derived macrophages to Mycobacterium avium subsp. terol homeostasis by regulating cellular cholesterol trafficking
paratuberculosis infection and efflux. CSRNP3, also named TGF-Beta Induced Apopto-
Maria Canive, Gerard Badia-Bringué, Marta Alonso-Hearn. sis Protein 2, is a transcriptional activator of apoptosis. The
CCDC92 is an interferon-stimulated protein that plays a role
NEIKER, Derio, Spain. in innate immunity and regulation of defense response. Es-
timated breeding values (EBVs) for the ratio of logCFUs at
The application of animal genetics in breeding programs 7d/2h were calculated for each animal in the study population
is currently one of the important motors for efficient livestock using the best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) model and
production, not only to increase performance and productivity the genomic predictions were validated in a population of ani-
but also to ensure the resilience and health of livestock while mals with high (N= 8) and low (N= 8) EBVs. MDMs from these
maintaining or improving the longevity of animals. Genetic se- animals were infected ex vivo with MAP and the correlations
lection to enhance the resistance of dairy cattle to paratuber- between the logCFUs ratios within MDMs and EBVs were pos-
culosis (PTB) and other bovine diseases is being extensively itive (Pearson R=0.77). Taken together, our results define a
explored. Resistance is defined as the ability of the host to heritable and distinct immunogenetic profile in MAP-infected
prevent invasion or to clear the pathogen at the early stage macrophages designed to limit bacterial load and inflamma-
of infection by mounting a protective immune response. How- tion early after infection. The identified SNPs could be used
ever, the genetic loci influencing individual resistance to My- to develop genetic evaluations for immunocompetence in the
cobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) infection Spanish breeding program which would allow producers to se-
and the primary molecular and cellular mechanisms under- lect cattle more resistant to MAP infection and likely to other
lying host resistance are still largely unknown. MAP spends intracellular pathogens as well; ultimately reducing the prev-
most of its life cycle within macrophages which play a cru- alence of diseases, preventing economic losses, increasing
cial role during all phases of infection. It is generally accepted the length of cattle productive life, and improving food safety.
that less Mycobacteria growth in macrophages in vitro implies Keywords: Host resistance, breeding, macrophages,
immune restriction and hence less susceptibility, lower risk of paratuberculosis, innate immune response.
infection or disease in vivo. Since macrophages functions are
controlled by a limited number of genes under a controlled en-
vironment, the probability of identifying animals with a superior
innate immune response against MAP using ex vivo macro-
phages models is much higher in comparison to field data. In GB-05
the current study, we searched for genetic loci associated with
resistance to MAP infection by evaluating the performance of Inherited zinc deficiency-like syndrome in Holstein
MAP-infected monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) isolat- cattle due to a loss-of-function mutation of IL17RA-
ed from peripheral blood of 75 Holsteins cows and infected ex transmembrane protein
vivo with MAP. Bacterial load (log colony-forming unit, CFU)
within MDMs was quantified at 2h and 7 days p.i. using a Bac- Sickinger Marlene1, Häfliger Irene2, Holsteg Mark3, Raeder Leif
tec MGIT 960 instrument. In addition, the levels of some host M.1, Henrich Manfred1, Marquardt Siegfried4, Drögemüller Cord2,
biomarkers such as Epiregulin (EREG), Complement C3 (C3), Lühken Gesine1.
galectin-9 (LGALS9), and nitric oxide (NO) were measured in 1
Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany; 2Vetsuisse
the supernatant of the infected cells at 2 h p.i by ELISA. DNA University Bern, Bern, Switzerland; 3Animal Health Service, Bad
from peripheral blood samples of the animals included in the Sassendorf, Germany; 4Veterinary Practice Dres Marquardt and
study were genotyped with the EuroG MD bead Chip (44,779 Walter, Goch, Germany.
single nucleotide-polymorphisms, SNPs). Linear mixed mod-
els were used to calculate the heritability (h2) estimates and
variance components for each phenotype; the amount of MAP Objectives: Skin lesions and dermatoses in cattle are of-
within MDMs and biomarkers expression. After performing a ten associated with infections due to bacteria, fungi or envi-
genome-wide association study, the localization of associat- ronmental risk factors. Dermatoses with genetic etiology have
ed SNPs, QTLs, and candidate genes was performed using also been described. Among these rare disorders, there are
the ARS-UCD1.2 reference Bos Taurus genome. The only primary congenital disorders (e.g. epidermolysis bullosa) and
phenotype that showed SNPs with a significant association dermatoses that are associated with inherited nutritional defi-
(PFDR≤0.05) was the bacterial load within MDMs at 2h (h2= 0. ciencies, such as bovine hereditary zinc deficiency or zinc-de-
87) and 7 days (h2= 0.83) p.i. The six identified SNPs were lo- ficiency-like syndrome. Our study presents cases with skin
cated on the Bos taurus chromosomes BTA2, BTA17, BTA18, lesions observed on a Holstein farm in the Midwest of Germa-
and BTA21. Overlap was seen in two SNPs associated with ny that resemble zinc deficiency-like syndrome. The origin of
the logCFUs at 2h and 7 d. p.i. All the identified SNPs had all affected calves from a single sire and the same maternal
negative regression coefficients, and were, therefore, asso- grand sire let us to assume a potential genetic etiology.
ciated with a low bacterial load within MDMs. The following Materials and methods: Close clinical and pathological
candidate genes were identified within a 100 Kb window of the examinations took place in two affected calves. Due to the
significant SNPs: Oxysterol Binding Protein like 6 (OSBPL6), suspected genetic background, genome sequencing of the

166
two affected Holstein calves followed by single-nucleotide vari- Objective: We aimed to compare temperature-humid-
ant and small-indel variant calling were performed. Available ity effect on rumination time and activity in different genetic
normal relatives of the two calves were genotyped by Sanger groups of cows: Holstein, F1 Holstein x Jersey and R1 3/4Hol-
sequencing for identified potential causative protein-changing stein x Jersey.
sequence variants. Material and methods: We made the study at the dairy
Results: The two calves suffered from severe ulcerative cattle sector of Centro de Ciências Agroveterinárias of Uni-
dermatitis with hyperkeratosis, alopecia furunculosis and sub- versidade do Estado de Santa Catarina during the period be-
cutaneous abscess formation. Blood analysis showed corre- tween September 2018 and August 2019. There were 22 mul-
spondent leukocytosis with neutrophilia whereas minerals, tiparous lactating cows, 7 Holstein, 5 crossbred F1 (½Holstein
macro- and micronutrients were within the reference ranges. x Jersey) and 10 crossbred R1 (¾ Holstein x ¼ Jersey). Cows
Genetic analyses delivered 4111 homozygous private variants were mechanically milked twice a day, at 7:00 and 15:00. After
including 23 protein-changing variants shared by both affected milking the cows received concentrate in troughs separated by
animals. Comparison with the 1000 Bull Genomes variant cat- individual contention feeders. Posteriorly, the cows had free
alogue resulted in a single privately remaining protein-chang- access to pasture with water ad libitum and available shadow
ing variant. This single-nucleotide deletion in exon 3 of IL17RA area, staying in the paddock until the next milking. Before the
on bovine chromosome 5 was predicted to have a deleterious study period, the cows were equipped with SCR by Allflex®
impact on the encoded protein due to a frameshift. Healthy electronic monitoring collars aiming adaptation and indexing
mothers of affected calves as well as some other relatives in the software HealthyCow24 – SCR.
were determined to be heterozygous for this mutation, con- To evaluate environmental interference over the cows'
firming the assumed autosomal recessive inheritance. performance, we calculated the temperature-humidity index
Conclusions: A loss-of-function mutation of the IL17RA (THI) using environmental temperature and relative humidity
transmembrane protein that binds with low affinity to interleu- through a Data Logger Akrom® model KR420, set to collect
kin 17A could be identified as pathogenic variant for the psori- data every one hour.
asis-like skin alterations observed in the two affected Holstein For analysis of variance, the highest THI of the day data
calves. In man, rare diseases associated with IL17RA include were used, and to evaluate THI effect on activity and rumina-
immunodeficiency 51 and chronic mucocutaneous candidia- tion the mean was made every couple of hours. This mean
sis. The frequency of the recessive defect allele in the German matches the time given by the individual rumination and ac-
(and global) Holstein population needs to be analyzed. tivity monitoring software. We used all the data for one year.
Keywords: Skin lesions, calves, genetics, immunodefi- Six THI classes were created: safe (<68), light (68≤ < 72),
ciency. discomfort (72≤ <75), alert (75≤ <79), danger (79≤ <84) and
emergency (≥84), but we didn't observe the last one.
Data were submitted to ANOVA with repeated measures
over time, using the MIXED procedure of the SAS statistical
package, and the covariance structure was defined based on
GB-06 the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). Data were previously
tested for residue normality by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test.
Temperature-humidity effect on rumination time and For the evaluations of the effect of THI on rumination time
activity in Holstein and crossbred Holstein x Jersey cows and activity at two-hour intervals, the statistical procedure
Roberto Kappes, Deise Knob, Angelica Scheid, Bruna Mendes, Bruno used was similar to the one described above. Significant dif-
Barreta, Laiz Perazzoli, André Thaler Neto. ferences at the 5% and trend at 10% were considered.
Results:As shown in Table 1, activity unity was higher for
Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Lages, Brazil.
R1 crossbreds and lower for Holstein, these not differing from
crossbred F1 (0,0238). There was an increase in activity unity
as THI increased (0,0001).
Table 1 – Mean values adjusted to the model ± standard deviation for different temperature-humidity indexes (THI) in different genetic groups
for rumination time and activity unit.
Activity Rumination
THI classes H F1 R1 P value H F1 R1 P value
Safe 52,5±2,1n 59,0±3,8ln 58,0±9,2mn 49,2±1,1ab 49,4±2,0ab 52,6±4,7a
Light 71,1±2,1km 80,6±3,8lj 77,8±9,3hjkl 41,8±1,1cd 42,4±2,1cd 45,4±4,9bc
Discomfort 86,1±2,1ghi 93,8±3,9dfgh 92,2±9,4efgi <0,0001 31,6±1,2eg 31,9±2,2eg 34,0±5,1def 0,7249
Alert 101,9±2,1df 111,2±3,9bce 112,2±9,4cd 21,5±1,2h 23,7±2,2fh 22,2±5,1ghi
Danger 119,4±2,3bc 133,8±4,2a 128,3±9,7ab 13,9±1,4i 13,5±2,6i 15,6±5,5hi
*Different letters on the line represent significant difference (P <0.05).

167
We also observed a lower rumination time for Holstein legs side view was positive, contrary to the average ligament
(P=0,0002). While THI increases, rumination time decrease. and genetic relationship of intermediate values for the others.
When compared inside the THI class, there is no difference
between genetic groups. There was no interaction between
genetic groups and THI classes. (P=0,7249). Table 1 - Factor loads and percentage of variance explained by
As shown in Table 1, Holstein cows showed lower activity each factor referring to the genetic values of cows for SCS and
TYPE.
unit in relation to R1 crosbreds, which did not differ from F1
crossbreds. We observed an interaction effect (<0,0001) be- Variables Factor 1 Factor 2 Factor 3 Factor 4
tween genetic group and THI classes for activity unity.
Conclusion: The highest THI negatively affects rumina- SCS and TYPE
tion time, increasing activity unity values. There is no inter-
SCS 0,24244 -0,71914 0,35003 0,54411
action between genetic groups and THI on rumination time. It
seems that no tested genetic group is best suited for high THI LSV 0,24445 0,70645 0,45605 0,46085
classes.
Keywords: Animal improvement, Heat stress. AUI 0,53970 0,09939 -0,62496 0,39049
ATP 0,71576 -0,04229 -0,19789 -0,25884
ML 0,60600 -0,03582 0,46633 -0,44562
GB-07 VARIANCY% 25,79 20,58 19,55 18,53
Conformation traits and Characteristics of Somatic Cells

Counting in Holstein Cattle in Brazil - A Multivariate Somatic Cell Score (SCS), Legs Side View (LSV), Anterior
Approach Udder Insertion (AUI), Anterior Teat Placement (ATP), Median
Ligament (ML).
Angelica Scheid, Bruna Mendes, Rayllana Larsen, Luiz Schaitz,
Mauricio Civiero, Marciel França, Adriana Hauser, Deise Knob, For the genetic values of bulls (Table 2), in factor 3, the
Roberto Kappes, Laiz Perazzoli, André Thaler Neto. ECS presented a contrary relationship to the legs side view
and a relationship with intermediate genetic values for the
Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Lages, Brazil. other characteristics. In the fourth factor, this relationship was
positive between them and with intermediate genetic values
Objectives: Identify the linear type traits which together for the other characteristics.
affect the somatic cell count in Holstein cattle in Brazil.
Material and methods: We used recorded data from ap-
proximately 45,000 animals of the Holstein breed collected by Table - 2 Factor loads and percentage of the variance ex-
plained by each factor referring to the genetic values of bulls
the Dairy Control Service and type assessment by the Brazil- with more than five female calves for SCS and TYPE.
ian Association of Breeders of the Holstein Breed in the period
from 2000 to 2010. Variables Factor 1 Factor 2 Factor 3 Factor 4
For somatic cell count (SCC) the average of observations
from dairy controls was considered, and the data were con- SCS and TYPE
verted into somatic cell scores (SCS). For the type character-
SCS 0,11943 0,30507 -0.59546 0,73322
istics (TYPE) the 21 characteristics were used.
Initially, genetic values for cows and bulls were estimated LSV 0,29330 -0,01576 0,75114 0,56175
using the maximum likelihood method using the MTDFREML
software. By the Stepwise method of the REG procedure of AUI 0,60973 -0,60710 -0.11042 0,08902
the SAS statistical package, the type characteristics that are
ATP 0,76077 0,02167 -0,20186 -0,29173
individually related to the SCS were previously selected. With
these characteristics, factor analysis was performed using the ML 0,42002 0,76633 0,17072 -0,20157
FACTOR Procedure, using the genetic values of all females
and bulls with more than five female calves. The factors that VARIANCY% 24,54 21,00 20,01 19,74
together explained more than 70% of the accumulated var-
iance were maintained. In addition, 20 bulls with a greater
number of female calves were selected to submit the cluster Somatic Cell Score (SCS), Legs Side View (LSV), Anterior
analysis using the tocher method, which grouped similar bulls Udder Insertion (AUI), Anterior Teat Placement (ATP), Median
together. Ligament (ML).
Results: For cows’ genetic values (Table 1) it is observed Table 3 shows that most of the highly selected bulls have
in the second factor that SCS presented opposite relation with an intermediate value for SCS. However, there are bulls with
legs side view and intermediate genetic values relation for an- high genetic value for SCS, which can impair the genetic gain
terior udder insertion, anterior teat placemen and median lig- in this trait. Among the improver bulls for SCS (negative genet-
ament. In the fourth factor the relationship between SCS and ic value) was not observed a profile for TYPE.

168
cows (18 Holstein and 12 crossbred F1 Holstein x Simmental

Table 3 - Groups of bulls separated by the variance of their ge- cows) entered the study. Each cow entered the study 21 days
netic values for each trait resulting from the cluster analysis of
before the expected calving day (prepartum) and stayed in the
the 20 bulls with the largest number of female calves for SCS
and some trait characteristics. research group until day 21 after calving (postpartum).
Twice a day, the prepartum cows received a total mixed
SCS e TYPE ration (TMR) based on maize silage and a commercial pre
lactation concentrate. The postpartum cows received a TMR
MEANS based on maize silage, ryegrass (fresh and silage), and con-
centrates. Cows were mechanically milked 3 times a day, and
BULLS SCS LSV AUI ATO ML both genetic groups had an average daily milk yield of 29 kg.
After each milking, the postpartum cows had access to the
886; 391; feed parlour.
772; 452; The offered TMR and non-consumed feed of each cow
835; 478; were weighted to allow individual feed intake measurements.
631;
501; 427;
The TMR was offered ad libitum allowing 5-10% residuals.
1003; 250; Weekly, body weights and BCS of cows were recorded. The
376; 160; BCS evaluation was based on a scale between 1 (extremely
379; 0,016445 -0,09 0,476143 0,047143 0,422643 thin) and 5 (very fat). On the same day, blood was sampled
for the immediately performed BHB measurement using an
879; 798; 0,295323 -0,4875 0,4465 0,727 -0,2925 electronic handheld device (Precision Xtra meter, Abbott Di-
abetes Care). To obtain the daily rumination data, we used
1005; 34 -0,35184 0,3265 -0,3465 0,4985 1,1645 the data collected by the Heatime® (SCR/Allflex) system. The
data were analyzed by the MIXED procedure of the SAS (SAS
987; -0,65471 0,006 -1,261 -0,286 -0,743 2002) statistical package. The model was composed of the
fixed effects genetic group, period (pre/post partum), and the
692; 0,932983 -0,393 -0,144 0,52 0,957 interaction between them.
Results: Holstein and crossbred Holstein x Simmental
SoAnterior Teat Placement (ATP), Median Ligament (ML). cows have a similar DMI (Table 1). There is a difference be-
tween pre and postpartum DMI with a higher value after calv-
ing, which represents about 6-7 kg/day. Both genetic groups
Conclusions: Selecting for intermediate genetic values of have similar BW, with an interaction between the genetic group
anterior udder insertion, anterior teat placement and middle and the transition period. Before calving, there was no differ-
ligament tends to decrease the somatic cell score. ence for BW between both genetic groups, while the difference
Keywords: Data bank, Genetic value. after calving reached 30 kg. The DMI % to body weight did not
differ between Holstein and Holstein x Simmental crossbred
cows. Even with similar DMI, crossbred cows have a better
BCS during the transition period than the purebred Holsteins.
This difference is highlighted in the postpartum period with 0.8
points advantage for the crossbred cows.
GB-08
The BHB values do not differ between the genetic groups.
Dry matter intake, body condition score and, beta- It seems that the genetic group does not affect BHB since both
hydroxybutyrate of Holstein and crossbred Holstein x genetic groups have similar milk yields and DMI. We just ob-
Simmental cows during the transition period served a difference for the period, with lower prepartum val-
ues.
Deise Knob1, Roberto Kappes1, Laiz Perazzoli1, Bruna Mendes1,
Dileta Alessio2, Wagner Bianchin3, Armin Scholz4, André Thaler Because of having similar DMI, there was no difference
Neto1. in rumination time between the genetic groups, as well as no
interaction between genetic group and period.
Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Lages, Brazil; 2Centro
1
Conclusions: Both genetic groups present a similar dry
Universitário Leonardo da Vinci, Indaial, Brazil; 3Instituto Federal
matter intake during the transition period, but the crossbred
Catarinense, Santa Rosa do Sul, Brazil; 4Ludwig Maximilians
cows are more efficient by showing a better BCS before and
Universität München, Munich, Germany.
after calving. The Holstein cows lose more BCS and body
weight after calving than the crossbred cows.
Objectives: We aimed at a comparison between purebred Acknowledgments: To the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoa-
Holstein and crossbred Holstein x Simmental cows for dry mento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) – Fi-
matter intake (DMI), body condition score (BCS), body weight nance Code 001.
(BW) and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) during the transition peri-
Keywords: BHBA, BCS.
od.
Materials and Methods: The research was carried out in
a compost bedded pack barn confinement system in a com-
mercial dairy farm in South Brazil. A total of 30 multiparous

169
Table 1: Least Squares Mean ± mean squares error and P-value for Genetic Group (GG), transition period, and their interaction for the variables
dry matter intake (DMI), body weight (BW), body condition score (BCS), rumination time (RT), and beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) for purebred
Holstein (H) and F1 Holstein x Simmental (H x S) crossbred cows.
Period P-Value
Variable GG
Prepartum Postpartum GG Period GG*Per
H 9.23±0.5 15.98±0.5
DMI(Kg/day) 0.5224 <0.0001 0.0412
HxS 9.32±0.6 16.44±0.6
H 1.33±0.10 2.40±0.07
DMI % of BW 0.3623 <0.0001 0.5425
HxS 1.16±0.14 2.36±0.10
H 3.58±0.11 2.95±0.10
BCS <0.0001 <0.0001 0.1287
HxS 4.13±0.15 3.74±0.13
H 744.7±17.5 632.3±17.1
BW(Kg) 0.5156 <0.0001 0.0379
HxS 750.3±21.8 661.9±21.2
H 0.77±0.12 1.26±0.10
BHB(mmol/l) 0.5226 0.0004 0.2610
HxS 0.79±0.16 1.04±0.13
H 478.7±14.5 552.0±14.1
RT(minutes/day) 0.4961 <0.0001 0.3003
HxS 471.4±18.4 529.7±17.4
GB-09 was sent to the laboratory of milk analysis from the Universi-
dade do Estado de Santa Catarina, UDESC/Lages, SC, Brazil.
Milk yield and milk composition during the first three The samples were analyzed for milk composition by the infra-
weeks of the postpartum period of Holstein and crossbred red method with a DairySpec (Bentley®) equipment.
Holstein x Simmental cows
The data were analyzed by the MIXED procedure of the
Deise Knob1, Armin Scholz2, Roberto Kappes1, Laiz Perazzoli1, Bruna SAS (SAS 2002) statistical package. The statistical model in-
Mendes1, Wagner Bianchin3, Dileta Alessio4, André Thaler Neto1. cluded the fixed effects genetic group, week postpartum and
1
Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Lages, Brazil; 2Ludwig the interaction between them.
Maximilians Universität, Munich, Germany; 3Instituto Federal Results: Both genetic groups produced about 21 liters/
Catarinense, Santa Rosa do Sul, Brazil; 4Centro Universitário Leonardo day at the calving day. Holstein cows and crossbred Holstein x
da Vinci, Indaial, Brazil. Simmental cows yielded similar amounts of milk. After calving,
the milk production increased quickly until reaching amounts
of around 34 liters/day at the third week postpartum (Table
Objectives: We aimed at comparing purebred Holstein
1). Genetic groups did not differ in the protein and lactose
and crossbred Holstein x Simmental cows for milk yield (MY)
and composition during the first three weeks after calving. contents of the milk (Table 2). Yet for fat content, crossbred
Holstein x Simmental cows tend to produce milk with higher
Materials and Methods: The research was carried out in
percentages (P=0.0593) during the first 3 lactation weeks.
a compost bedded pack barn confinement system on a com-
mercial dairy farm in South Brazil. A total of 30 multiparous
cows with 18 Holstein and 12 crossbred F1 Holstein x Sim-
Table 1: Least squares means ± mean squares errors for milk yield
mental cows entered the study. All cows with 3 or more parities
of purebred Holstein (H) and F1 Holstein x Simmental crossbred (H
that calved within the experimental time entered the study. The x S) cows during the first three weeks after calving.
cows had a dry off period of 60 days before the expected day
of calving. Each cow entered the study 21 days before the Week H HxS
expected calving day (prepartum) and stayed in the research
group until day 21 after calving (postpartum). Both genetics 1 31.9563±1.618 28.814±2.0454
groups had a postpartum dry matter intake of around 16 kg/
day. Milk Yield
2 33.8914±1.5786 32.1865±1.9954
(kg)
Cows were mechanically milked 3 times a day, and the in-
dividual MY was electronically recorded (DeLaval®). Individual 3 34.4867±1.6364 33.4118±2.0336
milk samples were taken every 7 days in 40-mL bottles con-
taining Bronopol® as a bactericidal preservative. Each sample
consisted of an average mixture of the 3 daily milkings and

170
maintaining stance, spending considerable amount of time in

Table 2: Least Squares Means (LSM) ± mean squares errors and
P-value for Genetic Group (GG), week, and their interaction for the recumbency and therefore are disabled to frequent access to
variables related to milk yield, energy corrected milk (ECM) and milk food. Although the disease has been known for decades, it
composition for purebred Holstein (H) and F1 Holstein x Simmental has not been possible so far to arrive to a definitive conclusion
crossbred (H x S) cows. about the pathogenesis and etiology. Italian Romagnola cattle
P-Value
show a concerning prevalence for BSP that was estimated of
Variable GG LSM 0.6% in 2002. As the occurrence of BSP is supposed to be
GG Week GG*Week genetically determined, we performed DNA-based molecular
genetic analyses to unravel the underlying genetics causing
Milk Yield H 30.51±1.43
0.4741 <0.0001 0.5006 this disorder in Romagnola cattle.
(Kg) H x S 28.83±1.81 Materials and methods: We collected EDTA blood sam-
H 38.19±1.48 ples of 35 affected animals ranging from 1 to 21 month-old
ECM* 0.4123 0.4044 0.7712 (median of 7 month-old). These 35 cases were clinically di-
H x S 35.90±2.30 agnosed with BSP severity grades ranging from 2 to 4 (medi-
H 3.99±0.13 an 3.5). A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was per-
Fat (%) 0.0593 0.0040 0.5161 formed using high-density 777k SNP arrray genotyping data
H x S 4.48±0.20 of the 35 BSP-affected and 32 controls. In addition, whole-ge-
H 3.31±0.07 nome sequencing (WGS) using the Illumina NovaSeq6000
Protein (%) 0.6316 0.0027 0.0807 was performed using DNA extracted of 6 BSP-affected Ro-
H x S 3.37±0.10 magnola cattle. The obtained sequence reads were mapped
H 4.57±0.03
to the ARS‐UCD1.2 bovine genome assembly.
Lactose (%) 0.8322 0.0009 0.3743 Results and Conclusions: Pedigree data of the col-
H x S 4.58±0.06
lected BSP-affected Romagnola was not indicating a simple
H 2.54±0.09 Mendelian inheritance. Preliminary GWAS results show no
Fat + Protein
(Kg)
0.5421 0.7828 0.8578 genome-wide significant association signal, although some
H x S 2.42±0.15 regions with suggestive hits could be identified. No shared sin-
gle-nucleotide variants (SNV) with predicted effect on the cod-
Conclusion: This study demonstrates that purebred Hol- ing sequence could be detected on the six sequenced cases
when compared with more than 500 control genomes of oth-
stein and crossbred Holstein x Simmental present similar milk
er unrelated breeds. These results indicate a more complex
yields and milk composition during the first three weeks of the
inheritance most likely due to regulatory mutations affecting
postpartum period.
several genes at different regions of the genome. Interesting-
Acknowledgments: This study was financed by the Co- ly, human hyperekplexia shows similar clinical signs to BSP
ordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior and it is supposed to be caused by mutations encoding glyc-
– Brasil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001. erin proteins supporting our hypothesis of a possible genetic
Keywords: Transition period, Lactation. cause. Apart animal welfare issues and the economic impact
in cattle production, BSP may therefore also constitute a mod-
el for comparative and translational medicine.
Keywords: "spastic paresis" "cattle" "Inherited diseases".
GB-10
Genetic analysis of juvenile spastic paresis in Romagnola

cattle GB-11
Joana G. P. Jacinto1, Irene M. Häfliger2, Anna Letko2, Cord
Drögemüller2, Arcangelo Gentile1. Genetic parameters of sole lesion recovery in Holstein cows
1
Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Matthew Barden1, Alkiviadis Anagnostopoulos1, Bethany E.
Ozzano dell’Emilia (Bologna), Italy; 2Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Griffiths1, Bingjie Li2, Cherry Bedford1, Christopher Watson1,
Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. Androniki Psifidi3, Georgios Banos2, Georgios Oikonomou1.
University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom; 2SRUC, Edinburgh,
1
Objectives: Bovine spastic paresis (BSP) is a juvenile-on- United Kingdom; 3RVC, London, United Kingdom.
set neuromuscular disorder that affects males and females
occurring in various breeds of cattle. Clinically BSP is charac- Objectives: Lameness in dairy cattle is primarily caused
terized by overextension of the gastrocnemius muscle causing by foot lesions (Murray et al., 1996). Two of the most prevalent
a “straight hock” with an increase of the tibiotarsal angle of foot lesions are sole hemorrhage and sole ulcers (Cramer et
one or both hind limbs. Signs of BSP usually appear at the al., 2008). It is thought that sole hemorrhage and sole ulcers
age of 3 to 8 months, although the disorder can be observed represent different stages, or manifestations, of the same dis-
also earlier or later in life. BSP is usually associated to retard- ease process (Lischer and Ossent, 2002); these lesions are
ed growth, especially when animals experience difficulties in collectively referred to as sole lesions. The objective of this

171
study was to estimate the genetic parameters relating to how GB-12

well cows recover from such sole lesions.
Novel insights into the genetics of schistosoma reflexum in
Materials and Methods: A cohort of Holstein cattle were
Holstein cattle
prospectively enrolled on four farms and assessed at four time
points: pre-calving, immediately after calving, in early lactation, Joana Jacinto1, Irene Häfliger2, Markus Freick3, Jørgen Agerholm4,
and in late lactation. Foot lesions were recorded at claw-level Cord Drögemüller2.
by veterinary surgeons at each time point, and used to define 1
Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna,
two binary traits: i) sole lesion recovery - whether sole lesions
Ozzano Emilia, Italy; 2Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University
had improved between the early and late lactation time points, of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; 3Faculty of Agriculture/Environment/
and ii) susceptibility to sole lesions - whether animals were af- Chemistry, HTW Dresden-University of Applied Sciences, Dresden,
fected with sole lesions during the study or remained unaffect- Germany; 4Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of
ed at every assessment. Animals were genotyped and ped- Copenhagen, Højbakkegaard Allé, Taastrup, Denmark.
igree details extracted from the national database. Analysis
was conducted in BLUPF90 software following a single-step
approach; genetic parameters were estimated from threshold Objectives: Schistosoma reflexum (SR) is a lethal con-
animal models using Gibbs sampling. The genomic estimated genital syndrome in cattle characterized by U-shaped dorsal
breeding values for both traits were calculated, and the cor- retroflexion of the spine and eventration of the viscera. A re-
relation between breeding values was assessed in animals cessive mode of inheritance has been hypothesized but not
which had both phenotypes recorded. yet proven. The aim of this study was to identify genetic caus-
es of SR in a series of affected Holstein cattle by whole-ge-
Results: A total of 498 animals were used to estimate the
nome sequencing (WGS).
genetic parameters of sole lesion recovery, 71% of animals
had recovered between the early and late lactation assess- Materials and Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted
ments. The heritability of sole lesion recovery, on the liability from ear cartilage of 10 SR affected Holstein calves, from
scale, was 0.24 (95% highest density interval = 0.02 – 0.47). EDTA blood of their dams and from semen of their sires (10
A total of 2,025 animals were used to estimate the genetic pa- trios; 30 samples). Genomic DNA extracted from ear cartilage
was available from additionally 9 SR affected Holstein calves.
rameters of sole lesion susceptibility, 43% of animals recorded
Short-read WGS was performed in all 39 animals, including
a sole lesion at least once during the study period. The herita-
the applied trio-approach for the 10 SR cases. The sequenced
bility of sole lesion susceptibility, on the liability scale, was 0.23
reads were mapped to the ARS‐UCD1.2 reference genome
(95% highest density interval = 0.14 - 0.32). The correlation
and single-nucleotide and small indel variants were called. In
between the genomic estimated breeding value for each trait
order to identify private variants, the genotypes of the 19 SR
was 0.06 (95% confidence interval = -0.03 - 0.15).
cases were compared with a global cohort of 5347 cattle ge-
Conclusion: Our results indicate that recovery from sole nomes of various breeds, including 1209 purebred Holstein. In
lesions is a heritable trait, which suggests there is potential to silico tools were used to predict the biological consequences
breed cows which can recover from these lesions more quickly, of the detected variants. Candidate variants were visually in-
although this finding should be corroborated in further studies. spected. The term candidate was used to describe variants
As sole lesion recovery appears to have a negligible genetic considering the affected gene function/associated phenotype,
correlation with sole lesion susceptibility, genetic improvement rarity and the predicted impact of the variant in the protein.
would require selection on this recovery trait directly. In order to evaluate possible structural variants and chromo-
References: somal abnormalities the read depth along all chromosomes
was calculated using a sliding window approach with a size of
Cramer, G., K.D. Lissemore, C.L. Guard, K.E. Leslie, and
10 kb and 200 kb. These coverage plots were obtained for all
D.F. Kelton. 2008. Herd- and cow-level prevalence of foot
cases and available dams and sires.
lesions in ontario dairy cattle. J. Dairy Sci. 91:3888–3895.
doi:10.3168/jds.2008-1135. Results: Assuming a recessive mode of inheritance, anal-
ysis of the WGS data reveled no single-nucleotide or small
Lischer, C.J., and P. Ossent. 2002. Pathogenesis of sole
indel variants common to all cases. Assuming a dominant de
lesions attributed to laminitis in cattle. Page in Proceedings of
novo event and therefore considering individually each case,
the 12th International Symposium of Lameness in Ruminants
it was possible to identify candidate causal protein-chang-
International Conference on Lameness in Ruminants, Orlan-
ing variants for 10 out of 19 SR-cases involving 10 genes.
do, FL, USA.
Particularly, by applying the trio-approach it was possible to
Murray, R.D., D.Y. Downham, M.J. Clarkson, W.B. Faull, identify de novo candidate variants for 3 SR-cases that were
J.W. Hughes, F.J. Manson, J.B. Merritt, W.B. Russell, J.E. absent in both parents and in a global cohort of 5345 cattle
Sutherst, and W.R. Ward. 1996. Epidemiology of lameness in control genomes. The identified variants affected MLLT1 (p.
dairy cattle: Description and analysis of foot lesions. Vet. Rec. Arg20Cys), ACTL6A (p.Met92fs), and MAST3 (p.Pro1202fs)
138:586–591. doi:10.1136/vr.138.24.586. genes. Furthermore, in 7 SR-cases without sequenced par-
Keywords: sole lesion recovery, lameness, genetics, ge- ents it was possible to identify heterozygous, possible de
nomics. novo, candidate variants that were absent in a global cohort
of 5347 cattle control genomes. The identified variants af-
fected the ANO4 (p.Trp639Cys), MYH1 (p.Thr663Ala), DY-
NC1LI1 (p.Arg505Trp), UBP1 (p.Arg388Gly), SUGP1 (p.
Arg326Cys), SCAF8 (p.Val378fs) and SYT12 (p.Ser238Leu)

172
genes. All these 10 coding variants were predicted to be del- The present research aims to analyze the meat yield data
eterious. It could be speculated that the identified variants oc- at the CENSYRA test station during the last 13 years, (2007-
curred either as a parental germline mutation or post-zygoti- 2019) taking three reference performance traits in two different
cally in the developing embryo. Furthermore, no evidence for beef cattle breeds, and watching its evolution through time.
larger structural variants or chromosomal abnormalities were The research is based on the results of 710 calves belong-
detected by analyzing the obtained read depth and coverage ing to the Retinta (n=342) and Limousine (n=342) breeds. All
along all chromosomes. animals entered the Test station had an age between 8 or 10
Conclusions: The previously hypothesized simple reces- months, and a live weight between 350 and 425 kg. The test
sive inheritance for SR in Holstein cattle could not be con- period duration was 112 days, with a previous phase to facil-
firmed. This study describes, for the first time, WGS findings for itate full adjustment to the station conditions (approximatly15
SR and provides evidence of unexpected heterogenic causal- days).
ity for SR by spontaneous de novo mutations affecting differ- The reference performance trait were:
ent genes. Herein, 10 protein-changing heterozygous variants
• Chest girth circumference increase: Chest girth was
are proposed as potential cause for SR located in candidate recorded using a measuring tape the first day in Test
genes involved in embryonic and pre-weaning lethality thus station, and the 112 day.
giving a genetic diagnosis for 53% of the cases. So far, in cat-
tle the efficiency of WGS for genetic diagnosis has not been • Average daily weigth gain is calculated as (FW-
investigated; however, the obtained results are considerable SW)*1000 / (AF - AS), where AS be the age at test
positive when compared with the efficiency of WGS-based ge- start, expressed in days, AF be the age at test end,
netic diagnostics in humans. Moreover, the unsolved genetic expressed in days, SW be the live weight at test start,
diagnosis for 9 cases might be explained 1) by limitations of expressed in kilograms, FW be the live weight at end of
test, expressed in kilograms. Average daily weigth gain
the cattle genome annotation and/or 2) by limitations of the
is expresed in grams per day.
short-read WGS-approach. Sporadic lethal disorders such as
SR affecting negatively dam's fertility and health, welfare and • Feed efficiency: Efficiency of gain in beef production
consequently economy in livestock are usually not diagnosed can be defined as the ratio of nutrient input to beef out-
to the molecular level, mainly because of the lack of resourc- put. In this research, it is expressed as the kg of feed
es and diagnostic tools. Therefore, this study highlights that consumed per kg of live weight gain.
WGS-based precision diagnostics allows to better understand The results of the study were that the Limousine calves
sporadic disorders and supports the value of surveillance of had better indexes of average daily weight gain and feed effi-
cattle breeding populations for harmful genetic disorders. ciency, but the Retinta calves presented major average chest
Keywords: Bovine, Dystocia, Congenital malformations, girth circumference increases.
Precision medicine, Whole-genome sequencing. The Limousine breed average daily weight gain was
1407,17 gr. in the period from 2007 to 2019, while the aver-
age daily weight gain was 1573,89 gr. in the period 2012-2019
and 1709,38 gr. in 2019. This may mean that the evolution of
Limousine breed yields is positive. The feed efficiency also
GB-13 improved throughout the study period. The average feed effi-
ciency was 5,85 kg. in the period from 2007 to 2019, while the
Analysis of meat yield control at the CENSYRA test station same trait was 4,96 in the period from 2012-2019, and 4,47
during the last 13 years kg. in 2019.
Andrés Domingo Montes, Gema Vara. The average chest girth circumference increase was 25,25
cm for Retinta breed calves, and 21,80 cm for Limousine
breed calves. The Retinta breed average daily weight gain
CENSYRA, Badajoz, Spain. was 1307,68 gr. in the period from 2007 to 2019, and the av-
CENSYRA (Animal Selection and Reproduction Center) erage feed efficiency was 7,40 kg. in the same period. Unlike
aims towards conservation, improvement and development of Limousine, the meat yields Retinta breed remain stable over
livestock breeds. CENSYRA collaborates with breeders' asso- the time. These data may be due to the fact that the Retinta
breed breeding program is oriented towards maternal produc-
ciations, which are recognized by the official authorities for the
tion, improving the characters of ease of delivery or weaning
sole purpose of executing a breeding program for purebred
weight, and keeping meat yields constant over the time.
breeding animals registered in the breeding book, through dif-
ferent reproduction centers and test stations. The final conclusion is that breeding programs can be use-
ful for improving productive characters as in the beef cattle
Beef recording is a basic tool for herd management as
breeds.
well as for genetic evaluation and breeding. That is why the
breeders´ associations incorporate meat yield control within Keywords: beef cattle, beef recording, test station,
their breeding programs. According ICAR (International Com- breeds, meat yield.
mittee of Animal Recording) beef recording requires recording
schemes that can accommodate beef production as imple-
mented in practice and may be undertaken in breeding farms,
finishing farms, individual test stations, progeny test stations
or abattoirs.

173
GB-14 ble alcohol concentration previously to clots formation.

To evaluate environmental interference over the cows'
Different Temperature-Humidity Indexes on Milk Yield
performance, we calculated the temperature-humidity index
and Composition; Somatic Cells Score and Stability to
(THI) using air temperature (AT) and relative air humidity (AH)
Alcohol Test in Grazing Holstein and Crossbred Holstein
x Jersey Cows through a Data Logger Akrom® model KR420, set to collect
data every one hour. The THI was estimated as THI = (0,8 x
Bruna Mendes, Roberto Kappes, Deise Knob, Angelica Scheid, AT + (AH/100) x (AT- 14,4) + 46,4).
Izabelly Telles, Laiz Perazzoli, André Thaler Neto.
The highest THI of the day were used to perform six THI
Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Lages, Brazil. classes: safe (<68), light (68≤ < 72), discomfort (72≤ <75),
alert (75≤ <79), danger (79≤ <84) and emergency (≥84), the
last one did not occur.
Objective: We aimed to compare genetic group and tem-
perature-humidity index classes for milk yield, composition, Data were submitted to ANOVA with repeated measures,
somatic cells score and stability to the alcohol test. using the MIXED procedure of the SAS statistical package,
Material and methods: We executed the study at the previously tested for residue normality. The model was com-
dairy cattle sector of Universidade do Estado de Santa Cata- posed by the variables genetic group, parity, days in milk, THI
rina (Lages, SC, Brazil) between September 2018 and August class and interactions between the variables.
2019. We used 22 multiparous lactating cows, 7 Holstein, 5 Results: There was no difference in milk (P=0,5337) and
crossbred F1 (½Holstein x Jersey) and 10 crossbred R1 (¾ energy corrected milk yield (P=0,2126) for Holstein, crossbred
Holstein x ¼ Jersey). Cows were mechanically milked two F1 and R1, respectively (Table 1), but crossbred cows showed
times a day. After milking, cows received concentrate individ- higher fat and total solids content (<0,0001). Concerning pro-
ually, after, they had access to grazing area. Cows had ad tein contents, F1 crossbreds showed higher values, intermedi-
libitum access to water and available shadow area. ate for R1 and lower for Holstein (<0,0001). Lactose contents
Weekly the individual daily milk yield was determined us- were lower for F1 ones (0,0233).
ing Waikato® milk meters and milk samples were collected, We observed a reduction in milk yield and energy corrected
obtaining a day compound sample. Part of this sample was milk (2,32 and 3,54kg/day, respectively) comparing THI class-
transferred to a 40ml flask containing Bronopol® for analysis es safe and danger, as well as for milk components content.
of milk composition by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry
F1 crossbred cows had higher SCS (0,002) in relation to
on DairySpec® (Bentley Instruments). Every two weeks we
sent the samples to a laboratory of the Brazilian Milk Quality the other genetic groups, not differing with THI classes in-
Network for somatic cells counting (SCC). SCC was trans- creased levels (P=0,2627).
formed into somatic cells score (SCS). The milk samples were Lower milk stability to the alcohol test was observed in
also analysed for stability to alcohol test, adding 2ml of milk crossbred cows group (0,0001), as well as when THI grew
and 2ml of alcohol in a Petri plate, considering the sample sta- (<0,0001).
Table 1: Mean values adjusted to the model ± standard deviation for different temperature-humidity indexes (THI) classes and
different genetic groups for milk yield, energy corrected milk (ECM), fat, protein, lactose and total solids content, fat and protein
yield, somatic cells score (SCS) and stability to the alcohol test.
Genetic group THI
H F1 R1 Safe Light Discomfort Alert Danger
Milk (litre/
day) 25,44±0,53 24,49±0,72 25,37±0,41 26,60±0,45a 24,76±0,51b 24,97±0,75ab 24,87±0,62b 24,28±0,91b
ECM 26,90±0,60 27,93±0,83 28,19±0,47 29,92±0,52a 27,30±0,59b 27,47±0,85b 27,32±0,71b 26,38±1,04b
Fat (%) 3,75±0,05b 4,21±0,07a 4,07±0,04a 4,14±0,04a 4,01±0,05ab 3,94±0,07b 4,00±0,06ab 3,95±0,09ab
Protein
(%) 3,25±0,02c 3,55±0,03a 3,43±0,01b 3,47±0,02a 3,41±0,02b 3,45±0,03ab 3,42±0,02ab 3,30±0,04c
Lactose
(%) 4,67±0,02a 4,57±0,02b 4,67±0,01a 4,69±0,01a 4,67±0,02ab 4,68±0,03ab 4,57±0,02c 4,59±0,03bc
Total
solids (%) 12,47±0,06b 13,14±0,09a 12,99±0,05a 13,16±0,05a 12,89±0,06b 12,87±0,09bc 12,81±0,08bc 12,62±0,11c
Fat (kg/
day) 0,95±0,02b 1,02±0,03ab 1,03±0,02a 1,09±0,02a 0,98±0,02b 0,98±0,03b 0,98±0,03b 0,95±0,04b
Protein
(kg/day) 0,81±0,01 0,86±0,02 0,85±0,01 0,91±0,01a 0,83±0,01b 0,84±0,02b 0,83±0,02b 0,78±0,02b
SCS 3,01±0,31b 5,11±0,39a 2,93±0,21b 3,56±0,22 4,06±0,29 3,15±0,54 4,14±0,29 3,50±0,48
Alcohol 79,16±0,38a 75,74±0,53b 76,87±0,30b 78,60±0,32a 78,49±0,37ab 77,28±0,54bc 76,82±0,45c 75,11±0,68d
* Different lowercase letters on the line differ by Tukey's test for genetic grouping and uppercase letters for THI classes (P <0.05).
174
Conclusions: We concluded that crossbred cows have variance. In addition, 20 bulls with a greater number of female
a productive performance similar to pure Holstein cows, with calves were selected for whom a cluster analysis was carried
higher solid contents and lower stability to the alcohol test. out using the tocher method, which grouped similar bulls to-
The higher temperature-humidity index values affect nega- gether.
tively milk yield and physicochemical quality. Results: In the factor analysis with genetic values of cows,
Keywords: Milk quality, Heat stress. two factors explained 70% of the accumulated variance (Table
1). This analysis demonstrates the importance of selecting a
low genetic value for ECS, since it showed negative relation-
ships with milk yield, without however showing a relationship
with longevity.
GB-15
Relationship Between Longevity, Milk Yield and Somatic Table 1 - Factor loads and percentage of variance explained
by each factor referring to the genetic values of cows for
Cell Count in Holstein Cattle in Brazil - A Multivariate LIFE_Y and TYPE.
Approach
Variables Factor 1 Factor 2
Angelica Scheid, Bruna Mendes, Rayllana Larsen, Luiz Schaitz,
Mauricio Civiero, Marciel França, Adriana Hauser, Deise Knob, SCS e LIFE_Y e MY
Roberto Kappes, Laiz Perazzoli, André Thaler Neto. SCS -0,73701 0,07377
Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Lages, Brazil. MY 0,73859 0,03426
LONG_P 0,02916 0,99692

Objective: To determine the joint relationship between VARIANCE% 36,92 33,39
milk yield, longevity and somatic cell count in Holstein cattle
in Brazil. * Somatic cells score (SCS), Lifetime milk yield (LIFE_Y) and
Milk yield (MY).
Material and methods: Data from approximately 45,000
Holstein animals collected by the Brazilian Association of
Breeders of the Holstein Breed Dairy Control Service from In the factorial analysis for SCS and LIFE_Y and MY with
2000 to 2010 were used. genetic values of bulls, 2 factors were formed, which explained
As a longevity indicator, lifetime milk yield (LIFE_Y) was more than 70% of the variance (Table 2). In the first factor,
considered, and cows that were still alive at the time of the SCS showed a contrary relationship with LIFE_Y and MY. In
analysis were excluded from the data set because it is not the second factor, LIIFE_Y presented a relationship contrary
known how long they will be alive. We estimated milk yield to milk production and a relationship with an intermediate val-
(MY) from individual milk control data. For somatic cell count ue of SCS.
(SCC) the average of observations from dairy controls was
considered, being converted to somatic cell score (SCS). To
estimate genetic values of cows and bulls, groups of contem- Table 2 - Factor loads and percentage of the variance explained
poraries were created based on herd, month and year of calv- by each factor referring to the genetic values of bulls with more
ing for MY and SCS. In addition, animals that LIFE_Y, MY or than five daughters for LIFE_Y and TYPE.
SCS that were beyond the average were more or less two Variables Factor 1 Factor 2
standard deviations. The genetic values for cows and bulls
were estimated using the maximum likelihood method, using SCS e LIFE_Y and MY
the MTDFREML software. SCS -0,72612 0,01310
Based on the estimated genetic values, a factor analysis
MY 0,53537 0,73042
was performed using the FACTOR Procedure, using the ge-
netic values of all females in the database, and of the bulls LIFE_Y 0,57067 -0,66856
with records of more than five daughters, maintaining the fac-
VARIANCY% 37,98 32,98
tors that explained more together. 70% of the accumulated
Table 3 - Groups of bulls separated by the variance of their genetic values for each trait resulting from the cluster analysis of the 20 bulls with
the largest number of daughters for SCS, LIFE_Y, MY.
SCS, LIFE_Y and MY
ME
BULLS SCS LIFE_Y MY
1005; 452;886; 391; 1003; 771; 160; 427; 269;
501; 798; 250; 376; 987; 879; 379; 835; 0.028127 -0.17866 0.775123
692; 5.692925 -0.72717 -0.38632
282; -0.06507 2.700032 2.168856
478; 0.000925 -0.05445 8.098696

175
Somatic cells score (SCS), Lifetime milk yield (LIFE_Y) Analysis was repeated ten times to allow for later calculation
and Milk yield (MY). of a coefficient of variation.
Through cluster analysis, it is observed that most of the Results: A full analysis of the data is yet to be obtained
selected bulls have an estimated intermediate genetic value however, the raw data indicates there is a repeatable corre-
for ECS. Bulls with higher genetic value for milk yield tend to lation between the Androvision and iSperm when assessing
have less genetic value for ECS and vice versa (Table 3). The progressive motility & concentration of fresh bull ejaculates.
analysis also shows that most of the bulls most used in Brazil Conclusion: Similar studies in other species have validat-
in this period (2000-2010) were not selected for longevity. ed the use of a portable semen motility assessment device
Somatic cells score (SCS), Lifetime milk yield (LIFE_Y) such as iSperm, allowing for assessment of semen in the field
and Milk yield (MY). and removing assessor bias and environmental factors.
Conclusions: The selection for the lowest somatic cell Keywords: bull, fertility, semen analysis.
score tends to increase, in the progeny, the genetic value for
milk production and productive longevity.
Keywords: Data bank, Genetic value.
GB-16
Comparison of bull semen motility using a portable semen

analysis device and computer-assisted sperm analyser
Kate Mitchell1, David Beggs2, Peter Mansell2.
1
University of Melbourne/Scottsdale Veterinary Services, Scottsdale,
Tasmania, Australia; 2University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Objective: Bull breeding soundness evaluations (BBSEs)

in Australia include a physical exam, scrotal circumference
measurement, crush-side semen motility evaluation and of-
ten remote assessment of sperm morphology to provide a
comprehensive assessment of a bulls’ fertility and risk. The
crush-side motility component of the examination typically in-
volves the use of a microscope with a heated stage, requiring
a large amount of space and power. The semen is assessed
for progressive motility and an estimate is provided based on
the forward movement of sperm observed by the practitioner.
The crush-side assessment of sperm motility is relatively sub-
jective and can be influenced by the experience of the practi-
tioner, environmental temperature, concentration of the semen
and the volume assessed. Previously developed for swine, the
use of iPad-based sperm motility analysers has been devel-
oped to include most species of production animals including
cattle.
The objective of this study was to compare the motility of
fresh bull semen using a portable iPad-based semen motility
analyser (iSperm) and a computer assisted sperm analyser
(Androvision - Minitube).
Material & Methods: Semen was collected from three dif-
ferent proven stud bulls at a commercial bull collection facility,
extended using Andromed (Minitube) extender and chilled.
The ejaculates were transported to the semen laboratory the
following day for assessment using the iSperm and Androvi-
sion system. The ejaculates were diluted and assessed si-
multaneously by the Androvision and iSperm for motility and
concentration. The motility of the ejaculates was altered us-
ing additions of flash frozen dead sperm to allow for a greater
scope of motilities to be assessed by the two devices. The
motility, progressive motility and concentration were recorded.

176
ORAL — Herd Health Management, Smart Farming and Economics
HH-01 iCa or tCa with each of the PMN function outcomes were weak
(r < |0.3|).
Controlled trial of the effect of negative dietary cation-
Conclusion: Contrary to our hypothesis, feeding a neg-
anion difference on postpartum health and culling of dairy
ative DCAD diet for 3 wk before calving did not improve neu-
cows
trophil phagocytosis or oxidative burst activity. However, un-
Rita Couto Serrenho1, Tony C. Bruinje1, Emma Morrison1, Trevor der commercial herd conditions, a negative DCAD fed 3 wk
Devries2, Todd Duffield1, Stephen Leblanc1. before parturition improved some but not all health outcomes
assessed.
Univ of Guelph - OVC - Population Medicine Department, Guelph,
1
Canada; 2Univ of Guelph - Animal Biosciences, Guelph, Canada. Keywords: Transition cow, nutrition, diseases, neutrophil
function.
Objective: Negative Dietary Cation-Anion Difference

(DCAD) diets fed during the prepartum period enhance calci-
um metabolism. Hypocalcemia influences neutrophil function
and both are risk factors for clinical disease in the transition
HH-02
period of dairy cows.
The objective of this study was to assess the effects of a An outbreak of acute respiratory disease in an adult daiy
negative dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) dry cow diet herd due to dust inhalation
on postpartum health and culling.
Richard Sibley.
Material and Methods: Cows from 4 commercial dairy
farms in Ontario, Canada were enrolled in a randomized con- West Ridge Veterinary Practice, Witheridge, United Kingdom.
trolled trial from November 2017 to April 2019. Close-up pens
(1 per farm) with cows 3 wk before expected calving were
Objectives: This clinical study describes an outbreak of
randomly assigned to a negative DCAD (TRT; -100 mEq/kg
respiratory disease in an adult dairy herd comprising 850 milk-
DM; target urine pH 6.0–6.5) or a control diet (CON; +95 mEq/
ing cows. The affected animals responded poorly to treatment
kg DM with a placebo supplement). Each pen was fed TRT
and so the focus was to identify the cause and prevent new
or CON for 3 months (one period) then switched to the other
cases.
treatment for the next period, with 4 periods per farm. Body
condition score (BCS) was measured at enrollment and urine Materials and Methods: 28 adult dairy cows were se-
pH was measured weekly until calving. Data from 1086 ani- verely affected with respiratory disease over a period of six
mals (TRT: n = 681; CON: n = 405) that received the assigned months. Thos that were clinically affected had a poor prog-
diet for > 2 wk were included. The incidence of milk fever nosis. Many others in the herd had intermittent mild signs of
(MF), retained placenta (RP), metritis, ketosis (blood BHB > respiratory distress. Clinical signs included an afebrile pneu-
1.2 mmol/L, measured weekly in wk 1 and 2), clinical mastitis monia, with severe dyspnoea and respiratory distress in the
< 30 DIM (CM), displaced abomasum (DA), purulent vaginal worst affected cases. The response to treatment with antibiot-
discharge (PVD, assessed once at wk 5), ≥ 1 disease (DIS) ics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and corticosteroids
or culling by 35 DIM were analyzed with logistic regression was poor. Most affected animals either died or had to be euth-
models with treatment, parity, BCS, and their interactions, ac- anized. Those that survived had poor productivity with chronic
counting for pen-level randomization and clustering of animals respiratory signs and were culled.
within farm with random effects. There were no interactions of Four animals that had died soon after first clinical signs,
treatment with parity or BCS for any outcome. There were only or were sacrificed, were examined post mortem, with blood
43 cases of MF, allowing only univariable analysis. samples taken from five other affected animals to investigate
In a subset of 38 multiparous cows, blood was collected at the involvement of respiratory pathogens.
-1wk, day 1 and 4 for assessment of: neutrophil phagocytosis Results: Post mortem examinations and clinical pathol-
(P) and oxidative burst (OB); ionized calcium (VetStat) and to- ogy did not identify any involvement of bovine herpes virus,
tal calcium. Median fluorescence intensity for P and OB, and respiratory syncytial virus, mycoplasma bovis, or any other
the shift of percentage of cells active for P and OB were mea- common respiratory pathogens that are considered potential
sured with flow cytometry. Values represent stimulated cells causes of respiratory disease in adult cattle. The post mor-
minus unstimulated aliquot of the same sample. tem examinations and histopathology suggested an allergic
Results: The incidence of MF was 5 ± 3% in CON and 1 ± or hypersensitivity reaction to an environmental exposure to
1% in TRT (P = 0.18). There were no treatment effects (CON an allergenic or irritable substance. Investigations at the farm
vs TRT, LSM ± SE) on RP (7 ± 3%; 6 ± 2%; P = 0.71), metritis discovered the use of a fine dust derived from Medium Den-
(11 vs 12%; SE = 4; P = 0.83), ketosis (21 vs 23%; SE = 4; sity Fibre Board (MDF) as a bedding material, spread by a
P = 0.59, PVD (13 vs 12%; SE = 3; P = 0.51), or DIS (44 vs mechanical spreader each day in the cow housing. This dust
41%; SE = 7; P = 0.41). Cows fed TRT had lesser incidence of was inevitably inhaled by some cattle present in the shed at
CM (4 vs 2%; SE = 1, P = 0.09) and DA (3 vs 1%; SE = 1, P = the time of spreading.
0.05). Culling < 35 DIM tended to be greater in CON (7 ± 2%) Conclusions: The use of fine wood dust as a bedding
than TRT (5 ± 1%, P = 0.11). material in a poorly ventilated environment can predispose to
There were no differences between treatment groups in acute respiratory disease due to the inhalation of the dust and
the 4 neutrophil function outcomes (P > 0.25). Correlations of a hyersensitivity reaction in the respiratory tract. Recovered

177
cases become affected by chronic obstructive pulmonary dis- using 24 parameters, scored using the Wisconsin and Davis
ease and have markedly reduced productivity. The use of such BRD clinical scoring card and subjected to TUS. Associa-
bedding materials should be with extreme care. tions between clinical signs and pneumonia were determined
Keywords: Pneumonia, respiratory disease, dyspnoea. using a generalized linear mixed model. Herd was added as
random factor to take clustering of calves within a herd into
account.
Results: Cough, both spontaneous and/or induced cough,
was the only and best performing clinical sign, significantly as-
HH-03 sociated with lung consolidation in all production types. Fever
(≥39.4°C) was the second most promising factor, being signif-
The association of cough and other clinical signs with icant in beef and veal calves, but not in dairy calves. At last,
ultrasonographic lung consolidation: differences between respiratory rate (≥43 bpm), eye and nasal discharge were only
dairy, veal and beef calves of significance in veal calves. However, across the complete
dataset spontaneous cough (Acc (Accuracy): 65.1%), induced
Thomas Lowie1, Katharina Van Leenen2, Stan Jourquin1, Mathilde cough (Tracheal reflex Acc: 61.1%, Larynx reflex Acc: 58.1%),
Pas1, Jade Bokma1, Bart Pardon1. rectal temperature (Acc: 61%), breathing rate (Acc: 61.3%)
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine - Ghent University, Merelbeke,
1 and eye discharge (Acc: 59.1%) were significantly associated.
Belgium; 2Faculty of Veterinary Medicine - Utrecht University, Utrecht, Postweaning, none of the clinical signs studied were associat-
Netherlands. ed with pneumonia, with the exception of cough in dairy calves.
Further, cough as a single clinical sign outperformed any com-
bination of clinical signs, including the Wisconsin (Acc: 62.8%)
Background: Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) remains a and Davis (Acc: 61.5%) respiratory disease scoring systems,
leading cause of economic losses, hampered animal welfare but sensitivity remained low.
and intensive antimicrobial use in the cattle sector. The latter
Conclusion: Cough outperformed existing scoring sys-
contributes to public concerns and awareness about the de-
tems based on multiple parameters, but still had too low accu-
velopment of antimicrobial resistance. To reduce antimicrobial
racy to be useful for decision making regarding antimicrobial
use without risking economic losses or compromising animal
treatment. Based on the present study, cough is best regarded
welfare, it appears rational to limit antimicrobial treatment to
as a group level warning that the respiratory tract reacts on
calves with pneumonia, while withholding this treatment for
pathogens, environmental factors or their combination. Rather
just an upper respiratory tract infection at first instance. A true
than using clinical signs, TUS remains absolutely necessary to
gamechanger in recent years is the use of thoracic ultraso-
responsibly use antimicrobials, avoiding treatment of animals
nography (TUS) on farm, which was evidenced to be the most
with only an upper respiratory tract infection. Next to cough,
accurate diagnostic test for pneumonia in calves. Despite that
rectal temperature and breathing rate are the most promis-
rapid ultrasound techniques have been developed to better
ing clinical signs for further exploring in continuous monitor-
meet practitioners demands, continuously scanning all ani-
ing systems for pneumonia detection in calves. Given that the
mals is practically and economically impossible. Therefore,
association of clinical signs with ultrasonographic pneumonia
the need for the development of early warning systems based
differed between production systems, breeds, and weaning
on clinical signs, to timely detect animals with pneumonia is
status, validation of a scoring system in each breed, age cate-
ever growing. However, a wide variety of definitions, based
gory and housing system is recommended.
on clinical signs, to identify cattle with respiratory disease
requiring antimicrobial treatment have been used in science Keywords: Bovine respiratory disease, pneumonia, score-
and practice. Also, current scoring systems can be quite time cards, predictive monitoring, thoracic ultrasound.
consuming, whereas it is not known whether it is necessary to
score all signs. Available scoring systems were developed and
tested almost exclusively in pre-weaned dairy calves. There- HH-04
fore, the question arises which clinical signs are associated
with ultrasound confirmed pneumonia and whether the same Follow up of persistent pneumonia in a dairy cattle
clinical signs can be used postweaning or in other breeds or herd using quick thoracic ultrasound (qTUS) and non-
different production systems. endoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage (nBAL)
Objectives: To identify which clinical signs are associated Laurens Chantillon, Stan Jourquin, Wouter Van Mol, Mathilde L. Pas,
with ultrasonographic lung consolidation (≥1 cm) in different Jade Bokma, Bart Pardon.
breeds, production types (dairy, beef and dairy-mixed), and
pre- and post- weaning. To identify how well individual clini- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population
cal signs performed in the detection of ultrasound confirmed Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent,
pneumonia compared to BRD clinical scoring cards in a new Belgium.
dataset.
Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was con- Objective: Every calf experiences respiratory tract infec-
ducted in the northern part of Belgium (Flanders) between tions. Generally, this will not severely affect the young animal
2016-2019. 956 untreated calves (70% Holstein-Friesian unless the infection develops into a pneumonia. Pneumonia
dairy and 30% Belgian Blue) from 84 herds were convenient- affects growth, production, mortality, welfare, antimicrobial
ly selected. At enrollment, all calves were clinically examined use and fertility, making it one of the most important economic

178
diseases in cattle farming. Despite years of research and sub- Conclusion: Severity of the pneumonia was greatly un-
stantial efforts, still many herds face unsatisfactory results of derestimated in this farm, partly because of the subclinical
preventative and therapeutic approaches. manifestation. The pathogen oriented approach, in this case
The objective of this study was to describe an approach based on the primary pathogen Mycoplasma bovis, consist-
of individualized antimicrobial treatment using quick thoracic ed of both targeted biosecurity as tailored individual treatment
ultrasonography (qTUS) and diagnostics on non-endoscopic based on susceptibility testing. The presented approach, us-
broncho-alveolar lavage (nBAL) samples in combination with ing nBAL diagnostics to target treatment and prevention, and
targeted biosecurity measures in a large dairy herd with per- qTUS to personalize treatment and follow-up resulted in a sig-
sistent pneumonia. nificant decline in pneumonia prevalence in the calves. Cure
rates were fair in animals, early detected by qTUS, whereas
Materials and method: A 700 head dairy farm, with
they remained disappointing in chronically affected animals.
around 150 female calves aged under 4-5 months requested
Hence, continuous qTUS follow-up remains necessary in M.
a herd visit for reasons of persistent cough and calf mortali-
bovis infected herds to assure early detection and effective
ty since 2016. The herd relied on metaphylactic antimicrobial
treatment, given the predominance of subclinical pneumonia.
therapy with tulathromycin at first grouping for years. Vaccina-
tion against bovine parainfluenza type 3, bovine respiratory Keywords: Mycoplasma bovis, pathogen oriented ap-
syncytial virus and bovine herpesvirus 1 was conducted. The proach, individualized treatment, biosecurity.
planned approach consisted of a problem herd analysis in-
vestigation, followed by a series of follow-up visits. qTUS was
performed with a linear 7.5 MHz probe, using 70% isopropyl
alcohol solution as transducer agent. Calves with consolida-
tions <1 cm were classified as healthy, between 1 cm and <3 HH-05
cm were classified as mild pneumonia and consolidations ≥3
cm as severe pneumonia. Failure of passive transfer was as- Evaluation of umbilical involution in Holstein-Friesian
sessed through total protein refractometry in calves less than calves after different treatments post natum
one week old. Also, during the first and two other follow-up Theresa Maria Scheu1, Dorothée Lang2, Imke Cohrs1, Christian
visits, five bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL) were taken from Koch1, Axel Wehrend2.
pneumonic animals. BAL fluid was cultured on blood agar and
modified pleuropneumonia-like organism (PPLO) agar. Whole
1
Educational and Research Centre for Animal Husbandry, Hofgut
genome sequencing (WGS) with nanopore sequencing was Neumuehle, Münchweiler an der Alsenz, Germany; 2Clinic for
performed on a pooled sample to identify all pathogens related Obstetrics, Gynecology and Andrology with Veterinary Ambulance,
to BRD. A Mycoplasma bovis PCR was done on a bulk tank JLU Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
milk sample.
Results: During the first visit, 56% of the calves were di- Objectives: An infection of the umbilical region, togeth-
agnosed with severe pneumonia and 10% with mild pneumo- er with neonatal diarrhea and pneumonia, is one of the most
nia. On aerobic culture Trueperella pyogenes was isolated and common diseases in preweaning calves. The prevalence var-
four PPLO agars tested positive for Mycoplasma bovis. WGS ies between 2% to 30% (Hathaway et al.,1993; Svensson et
identified M. bovis and Bovine adenovirus. The genome of M. al., 2003). Disinfection of the umbilicus immediately after birth
bovis was fully sequenced for known mutations previously as- can decrease the risk of umbilical infections. Besides the ap-
sociated with antimicrobial resistance and strain typing. Resis- proved and established disinfection solutions such as iodine,
tance against the macrolide tilmicosin was identified and the new products are being used hoping that they will lower in-
strain belonged to the Belgian genomic cluster V. Eight calves fection rates. The aim of this study was to compare umbilical
were evaluated for FPT and all had adequate antibody levels. involution after the umbilicus treatment with iodine (J: Vet-Sept
Bulk tank milk PCR for M. bovis was negative. 10%; aniMedica GmbH, 48308 Senden-Bösensell, Germany)
Pneumonic animals were based on their age, either treat- or Engemycin-Spray (E; active ingredient: Oxytetracyclinhy-
ed with oxytetracycline (age <6 weeks) or florfenicol (age ≥6 drochloride 25mg/ml; Intervet Productions S.r.l., Aprilia (LT),
weeks). Treatments were carried out by the owner after thor- Italy) to an untreated group (U) of calves.
oughly discussing the treatment plan after every visit with the Materials and Methods: The study was done in 127
veterinarian. To what considers biosecurity, individual housing calves (n = 70 female; n = 57 male) at the Educational and
pens and group pens were adjusted to avoid contact between Research Centre for Animal Husbandry, Hofgut Neumuehle,
pens. Calves were only grouped after a negative lung ultra- Münchweiler an der Alsenz, Germany. Animals were random-
sonography. Calves with unresponsive pneumonia were not ized to one of three groups by draw and were treated within
commingled with healthy groups. one hour after birth. The assessment (including the degree
A total of 8 visits was needed, and at the end of the in- of drying) and measurements of the umbilical structures (in-
tervention 17% (22) and 18% (23) of the present calves re- cluding circumference of the skin umbilicus and length of the
mained with mild and severe pneumonia. A total of 71 new umbilical cord) were done immediately after birth (<1h) and on
cases occurred in the follow-up period. Cure rate of the initial day 1, 3 and 7 after birth. After day 7 the assessments were
pneumonia cases was 15% while new cases cure rate was done once per week up to 10 weeks (n = 70 female; n = 33
57%. A year after the first follow-up, the average age at first male; n = 27 males were sold 14 days after birth). The calves
calving, reduced from 24.7 months before the intervention to were kept in single hutches for the first 14 days and in groups
23.5 months in the qTUS monitored group. of 10 animals afterwards.

179
Results: The circumference of the skin umbilicus imme- regression model with calculation of odds ratios (OR) and as-
diately after birth was unrelated to gender in all three groups: sociated 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) using a stepwise
J: n = 43; 10.8 + 2.0 cm; E: n = 42; 10.9 + 2.1 cm; U: n = 42; backward procedure with a Wald P <0.05 as selection criterion
10.3 + 2.0 cm. Subsequently there was a significant reduction and using presence of diarrhea problems on farm as a binary
in circumference in all three groups (p < 0.0001), but there was outcome variable. If two variables were closely correlated to
no difference between groups (J: n = 19; 8.8 + 0.6 cm; E: n = each other (rS >0.60), only that variable was entered into the
17; 9.9 + 0.7 cm; U: n = 24; 9.1 + 1.4 cm). The umbilical cord model which had the lowest P-value in the univariable analysis
dried up during the first day after birth in 11 animals in group J, in order to minimize the effects of collinearity. The fit of the
7 in group E, and 8 in group U. By day 7 this number increased final logistic regression model was evaluated by means of the
to 38 (88.4%), 32 (76.2%), and 39 (92.9%), respectively. The Hosmer-Lemeshow Goodness-of-Fit test.
umbilical cord fell off after 3.0 + 1.9 weeks (Group J), 3.3 + Results: Herd size was the same (Median = 75 dairy
1.5 weeks (Group E), and 3.3 + 1.7 weeks (Group U). None cows) between groups. There was no difference in quality of
of the animals showed any sign of umbilical infection at any passive transfer as assessed by serum total protein between
point in time. problem herds and control herds. Also, no difference was
Conclusions: This study did not show a difference be- found with regards to the immunological and hygienic quality
tween the two treatments compared to an untreated group. of colostrum samples. Variables entered into the multivariate
Based on this, it seems that other factors such as housing regression model were: Cleaning of calving pen after each
system or dryness of bedding have a higher impact on infec- calving (p=0.141); calf left longer than 3 hours with the mother
tion rates. The use of antimicrobial agents for treatment of the (p=0.071); 3 litres of colostrum at first feeding (p=0.079); 3
umbilicus immediately after birth also needs to be seen criti- litres or more at second feeding (p=0.012); ad-libitum feeding
cally in the light of antibiotic minimization goals and therefore in first week of life (p=0.004); own feeding bucket for each
should be avoided. calf in first week of life (p=0.032); calves housed near cows
Keywords: Umbilical infection, disinfection, Iodine, Enge- (p=0.042); administration of an iron containing preparation af-
mycin-Spray. ter birth (p=0.172).
Variables remaining in the final model were 3 litres or
more at second feeding (OR: 0.209, 95% CI: 0.049 – 0.892,
p=0.035); ad-libitum feeding during the first week of life (OR:
0.059, 95% CI: 0.006 – 0.599, p=0.017); and administration of
HH-06 an iron containing preparation after birth (OR: 10.935, 95% CI:
1.251 – 95.624, p=0.031). Hosmer-Lemeshow Goodness-of-
A high plane of nutrition is a protective factor against Fit test: Chi-square: 0.721, df: 3, p=0.868.
neonatal calf diarrhea on Bavarian dairy farms Conclusions: Neonatal calf diarrhea is a multifactorial dis-
ease with numerous infectious and non-infectious factors de-
Ingrid Lorenz1, Huber Regina2, Trefz Florian3.
termining if calves fall sick or stay healthy. In this study, two of
1
Bavarian Animal Health Service, Poing, Germany; 2Practice the three variables in the final model gave evidence for a high-
Mittermeier, Kraiburg, Germany; 3Vetsuisse Faculty Bern, Bern, er plain of nutrition being a protective factor against calf diar-
Switzerland. rhea on Bavarian dairy farms. In the past decades evidence is
accumulating, that early life nutrition has an important impact
on calf growth, development, health and well-being. Biologi-
Objectives: Calf mortality and morbidity is still unaccept-
cally normal feeding is recommended for the first three to four
ably high worldwide. Neonatal calf diarrhea is the most import-
weeks of life, which means providing unrestricted amounts of
ant cause of calf losses in the first weeks of life. Therefore,
milk or milk replacer as opposed to the traditionally practiced
risk factors for calf diarrhea as a herd health problem were
feeding of restricted amounts of milk, e.g. 10 or 15% of body
investigated in a case-control study on Bavarian dairy farm.
weight. Ad-libitum or enhanced milk feeding results in elevat-
Materials and methods: A total of 59 dairy farms were ed body growth and organ growth, e.g. of the small intestine,
investigated by veterinarians of the Bavarian Animal Health the mammary gland, thymus and endocrine pancreas. It ei-
Service due to problems with neonatal calf diarrhea (group P). ther enhances or has no impairment on ruminal development
The control group consisted of 18 farms out of the customer postweaning. An adequate nutrient supply is important for the
base of the Bavarian Animal Health Service that reported no development of a stable intestinal microbiota and a successful
veterinary treatments for calf diarrhea (group C). Management intestinal immune response against pathogens. Therefore, re-
factors were assessed using a questionnaire during a face-to- sults of this study are in line to previous findings and support
face interview. Serum samples were collected from up to 10 the establishment of ad-libitum feeding programs in dairy calf
healthy calves from 2 to 10 days of age for the examination rearing.
of the quality of passive transfer using total protein analysis.
Keywords: Calf diarrhea, ad-libitum feeding.
Up to 10 colostrum samples were assessed for immunologi-
cal and hygienic quality. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS
Statistics 24.0.0.1. The association between the appearance
of diarrhea on farm and the evaluated factors was analysed by
univariable regression tests for binary or categorical variables,
the Mann-Whitney U-test was used for continuous variables.
Variables with a p-value ≤0.2 were entered into a multivariate

180
HH-07 how this is crucial for effective engagement. This was distinct
from ‘friendly relationships’ that can impede vets attempts at
Motivations and barriers perceived by veterinarians when making positive change.
implementing herd health fertility management on UK
Conclusions: Vets recognise the value of fertility herd
dairy farms
health management, but are often unsuccessful in engaging
James Brocket1, Emma Fishbourne2, Robert Smith2, Helen Higgins2. with farmers for a variety of reasons. The themes identified in
this study provide useful insight into the challenges they face
1
Craig Robinson Vets, Cumbria, United Kingdom; 2Institute of
and also provide key areas that could be targeted in future
Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.
interventions to improve the uptake of fertility health manage-
ment on dairy farms. Our suggests for future interventions will
Objectives: Vets can play a vital role in fertility herd health be presented at the conference.
management. However, there is evidence to suggest that this Keywords: Engaging with farmers, Proactive, Preventa-
is an area in which vets are not as involved as they could be, tive, Facilitating behaviour change.
and sometimes not at all. By not proactively getting involved in
fertility herd health management, vets are at risk of losing the
role of consultant to other paraprofessionals. Furthermore, in
a recent farmer satisfaction questionnaire, farmers rated pro-
activity as the number one rated attribute they look for in a vet
HH-08
(Jefferson-Loveday 2018). Why then as a profession are we
not more involved in this area with farmers? We should be Effects of postpartum NSAID treatment on milking
acting as the driving force for farm efficiency and profitability performance, reproductive performance and survival of
while keeping animal welfare at the forefront. The main aim of cows and calves experiencing both assisted and unassisted
this study was to investigate the motivators and barriers that parturition
vets perceive when trying to implement herd health fertility
programmes on UK dairy farms. Nicola Gladden1, Dorothy McKeegan2, Kathryn Ellis2.
Methods: Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were Farm Animal Department University of Nottingham School of
1
conducted with 20, purposively sampled vets working in pri- Veterinary Sciences Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, United
vate practice in the north of England and southern Scotland, Kingdom; 2University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
UK. All participants spent a minimum of 30% of their time
working with dairy cattle and conducted routine fertility visits Objectives: Parturition assistance in cattle is common
themselves. Interviews lasted between 20-60 minutes and and has been shown to adversely affect reproductive perfor-
were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data was mance, milk yield and culling risk. Effects of assisted birth on
analysed inductively using qualitative NVivo software and fol- future productivity of calves have been less well studied al-
lowed the six-phase process of thematic analysis as described though one study suggests that assisted birth may negatively
by Braun and Clarke (2006). Coding and theme generation affect future milk production. The underlying mechanisms for
was led by JB, with refinement through consultation with HMH, such adverse effects are not understood; however, multiple
EF and RS. factors are likely to be involved, potentially including pain and
Results: Gender was split 13 men and 7 women. Mean inflammation. Although non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug
number of years qualified was 12.5 (range 3 to 31). There (NSAID) analgesia is commonly provided following veteri-
were 8 assistants and 12 senior partners/directors. Of the nary-assisted parturition, it is uncertain whether any positive
20 participants, 10 were working in mixed practice, 10 were NSAID effects extend to production parameters. It is also dif-
in farm-only practice and 4 had post-graduate cattle-related ficult to draw conclusions from available data as few studies
qualifications. The size of the veterinary practice they worked compare assisted and unassisted parturition, and both NSAID
in varied from 3 to 28 farm vets, with a mean of 8.6. treatment and production outcomes differ between studies.
The analysis generated four themes which together encap- Additionally, longer-term effects of administering NSAID treat-
sulate the various barriers that the vets perceive to engaging ment to calves at birth on their future production have not
with farmers in fertility health management, their approaches been reported. The objective of this study was to investigate
to engaging and their motivations for doing so. The first theme, the effects of both farmer-provided assistance and postpartum
“clinical baggage” explored past experiences that vets have NSAID analgesia on subsequent production of cows as well
had and how they shape, and in some cases seriously hinder, as future production of calves. A factorial design allowed us to
future attempts to engage with farmers. The second theme, study not just the separate effects of assistance and NSAID
“stuck in the comfort zone” highlighted, amongst other things, treatment, but also the effects of interactions between assis-
that if vets lack familiarity with data handling or have gaps in tance and treatment status.
their knowledge this can contribute to a lack of confidence to Materials and methods: The study was performed on a
engage on the subject of herd health fertility management. commercial UK dairy farm; the cows are housed and calve
The third theme, “money matters” explores the financial moti- all year round. Forty-seven cows and 47 calves experiencing
vations vets have for themselves but to a greater extent for the farmer-assisted parturition and 42 cows and 44 calves expe-
farmers they are engaging with. The fourth theme, “relation- riencing unassisted parturition were recruited and randomly
ship with the farmer” included factors such as the importance assigned to either an NSAID treatment group (45 cows and 46
of forging a positive relationship and trust with a farmer and calves) or a placebo group (44 cows and 45 calves). Ketopro-

181
fen or saline was administered within 3h of parturition to ani- HH-09

mals in the treatment or placebo groups respectively. Produc-
tion data were obtained (with permission) from farm records Characterisation of reticuloruminal contractions using
for statistical analysis and animals were followed until either a reticuloruminal accelerometer bolus, neck collar
the end of their subsequent lactation (cows) or 1st lactation accelerometer and clinical examination (ultrasound and
(calves), or until they left the herd. auscultation)
Results: Giovanni Capuzzello, Lorenzo Viora, Elena Borelli, Nicholas Jonsson.
Milking performance University of Glasgow - School of veterinary Medicine - Scottish Centre
Irrespective of assistance status, NSAID-treated cows for Production Animal Health and Food Safety, Glasgow, United
had a mean 305-d mature equivalent yield (305ME) 664kg Kingdom.
higher than placebo-treated cows (p = 0.011). Additionally,
NSAID-treated unassisted cows had a tendency towards a
Objectives: Physical activity and reticuloruminal contrac-
mean 305ME approximately 1500kg higher than cows in the
tion rate (RRCR) have been used as indicators of health status
other three interaction groups (p = 0.073).
in cows. The three objectives of this study were to (1) deter-
Reproductive performance mine whether a reticuloruminal tri-axial accelerometer bolus
The median calving to conception interval of NSAID-treat- (smaXtec Classic Bolus) could provide observations that are
ed cows tended to be 22d shorter than placebo-treated cows, consistent with RRCR as determined by clinical examination
irrespective of assistance status (p = 0.056). Additionally, using auscultation and ultrasound; (2) describe the relation-
NSAID-treated cows tended to be more likely to conceive ship between two commercial devices that indicate rumination
overall (compared to placebo-treated cows) (p = 0.056) and a rate (Afimilk Silent Herdsman neck-mounted tri-axis acceler-
greater proportion of cows in the NSAID treatment group were ometer collar; smaXtec Classic Bolus); (3) describe the diurnal
inseminated to observed oestrus than in the placebo group pattern of RRCR using motility indices derived from boluses
(72% vs. 57%), although this was not statistically significant. (smaXtec Classic Bolus).
Irrespective of treatment status, parturition assistance was as- Materials and methods: Six rumen-fistulated Jersey cows
sociated with poorer reproductive performance with affected at the University of Glasgow were studied over two weeks in
cows being less likely to conceive overall (OR 0.02; 95% CI June 2021. Cows were fitted with collars (Afimilk Silent Herds-
0.002-0.32; p = 0.005) and by 150 and 200 DIM (both p < man neck-mounted tri-axis accelerometer collar) and bolus-
0.05). es (smaXtec Classic Bolus). several weeks before the study.
First lactation reproductive performance of calves was Cows were housed together in a single straw-bedded pen and
negatively affected by assisted birth: assisted calves were fed ad libitum hay, replenished daily at 7.30-8.00 and 15.45-
bred more times before conceiving (p = 0.001) and had a lon- 16.00. On Mon, Wed, Fri of the first week each cow was exam-
ger calving to conception interval (p = 0.027) than unassisted ined between 09.00-10.30h and at 16:30-18:00h. RRCR was
calves. determined over a 10 minutes period by ultrasound (US) with a
convex 3.5 MHz probe placed on the ventral paramedian area
Survival
of the abdomen, to the left of the caudal part of the xiphoid and
Thirty-one cows (34.8%) left the herd before completing simultaneously a second operator recorded reticuloruminal
the subsequent lactation; assisted parturition was associated contractions by auscultation (AUSC) of the left paralumbar fos-
with an increased risk of leaving the herd early (OR 4.53; 95% sa. In the second week, no clinical examination was performed
CI 1.53 – 13.5; p = 0.004). Although treatment status did not to avoid any interactions with the animals that might perturb
affect the overall risk of leaving the herd early, median surviv- the normal diurnal pattern of reticuloruminal contraction. Data
al time of culled NSAID-treated assisted cows was 268DIM, were obtained from commercial web-platforms for both devic-
compared to 169DIM for culled placebo-treated assisted es (collars: hourly summarised rumination, eating and activity
cows, although this was not statistically significant. indices; boluses: 10 minutes summarised temperature, rumi-
Calves experiencing birth assistance were eight times nation, activity indices) and boluses (smaXtec Classic Bolus)
more likely to not complete their first lactation than unassisted supplied inter-contraction interval (ICI) and contraction du-
calves (OR 7.95; 95% CI 1.31-48.4; p = 0.024). ration (CD) information summarised every 30-60s from their
commercially protected algorithms, derived from raw acceler-
Conclusions: This study supports previously demonstrat-
ometer data. Time-series data were filtered to two datasets:
ed adverse effects of assisted parturition on cows’ reproduc-
1) hourly bolus and collar data for the entire study period, 2)
tive performance and survival in the subsequent lactation.
bolus data every ~30-60s during the 10-min periods of the
Only 305ME was positively affected by postpartum NSAID
clinical examinations. Distributions were checked. 10-min data
treatment, but this is an important finding due to the potential
were summarised to the hour for the main dataset. Pearson's
economic benefits provided by increasing milk yield. Results
correlation coefficients and Bland-Altmann plots were used to
from this study also indicate that the effects of assisted birth
compare clinical examination (US and AUSC) with bolus con-
may be long lasting and affect calves into their first lactation,
traction intervals and to assess the relationship between the
although long lasting effects of ketoprofen treatment were not
rumination and activity indices from neck mounted collars and
identified in calves.
boluses. A cyclic Generalised Additive Model (GAM) with cow
Keywords: Parturition, NSAID, productivity, cow, calf. as fixed effect and smoothed time was used to describe the
effects of hour of day (diurnal pattern).
Results: During the 10-min examination periods, mean

182
ICI (±SD) derived from US, AUSC and bolus were 40.1 ± time and activity in dairy cows with post-partum metritis.
3.96s, 38.5 ± 3.33s, 40.4 ± 4.75s respectively. The Pearson Materials & methods: The study was conducted through-
correlation coefficients for estimated inter-contraction interval out November 2019 to October 2020 with 493 Holstein cows
between US and AUSC with boluses, and between AUSC and (n=493) aged 2 to 6 years, on a commercial dairy farm, lo-
US for the period of clinical observation were 0.55, 0.40 and cated in the Southern region of Minas Gerais state, Brazil. All
0.69 respectively (all p<0.05). Pairwise Bland-Altmann plots animal procedures were following the recommendations of the
indicated similar performance of methods across all mean val- Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Agricul-
ues, with small biases: Bolus-US = 0.27s, US-AUSC = 1.7s. tural Research and Teaching (FASS, 1999). During the exper-
The Pearson correlation coefficient for rumination index de- imental period, cows were housed in a free stall. Cows were
rived from neck mounted collars and indwelling boluses was fed ad libitum a TMR based feed with corn silage as forage,
0.72, and for activity index it was 0.53 (both p<0.001). The and concentrates composed of corn and soybean meal, and
GAM showed a strong diurnal pattern for all cows. The ICI was added minerals and vitamins, which was balanced to meet
consistently high for all cows from 23:00 until 05:00h, falling or exceed the nutritional requirements of lactating dairy cows
then and increasing to a second peak which varied among (NRC, 2001). Rumination time and activity pattern were mon-
cows between 10:00 and 14:00h, again falling after ~16:00h itored continuously in all cows using an automated monitoring
until ~20:00h. The effect of time and cow were highly signifi- system (SenseHub™ Dairy, Allflex® Livestock IntelligenceTM),
cant (p < 0.0001), and the model explained 15% of the devi- from 30 days prepartum to 120 days postpartum. The cows
ance. By examining the relationship between ICI and the CD, it were also monitored daily for signs of metritis. Cows between
was possible to identify two apparent types of contraction: one 5 and 15 days postpartum who exhibited signs of behavior-
centred around a CD of ~10 s and an ICI of ~50s, the other at al changes, depression, as well as the presence of abnormal
CD ~ 8.5s with ICI ~ 37s. uterine discharge and impaired uterine involution, were treat-
Conclusions: There was a robust relationship between ed with antibiotics for three consecutive days (Conventional
clinical observation and the boluses for estimation of ICI, and Treatment). After this period, treated cows in which no clini-
between the bolus and collar for estimation of rumination in- cal resolution was observed, were treated with antibiotics for
dex, indicating that the bolus provides useful clinical informa- another 5 days (Extended treatment). Both treatment groups
tion about changes in rumination pattern. We are conducting were compared to healthy cows with no signs of metritis
further studies to assess the value of changes in ICI and CD (Healthy) from the same herd. The rumination time (minutes
for the early detection of disorders of the rumen and systemic per day) and activity trend (provided by the system) were com-
disease states. pared between groups using the SAS Glimix procedure (SAS
Keywords: Reticuloruminal contractions, diurnal pattern, Software, v9.4).
ultrasound, 3-axis accelerometer, Precision Livestock Farming. Results: Metritis was observed in 15.2% (75/493) of cows,
out of which 66.7% (50/75) required extended antibiotic treat-
ment for another 5 days. The average rumination time was
523.7±1.3a; 515.6±3.1b and 507.7±2.7c minutes (mean±std er-
ror) for the Healthy (n=418), Conventional Treatment (n=25)
HH-10 and Extended Treatment groups (n=50), respectively. The re-
sults revealed that cows affected by metritis had lower aver-
Use of an automated monitoring system to assess age rumination time (P<0.022) compared to the Healthy con-
rumination time and activity patterns in cows with metritis trol group. The persistence of clinical signs and the need for
André Pacheco De Carvalho1, Brenda Barcelos1, Denis Barbosa Alves extended treatment, which indicated a more severe process,
Antonio1, Jantijn Swinkels2, Carlos Antônio De Carvalho Fernandes3. were associated with a further reduced overall rumination time
compared to the cows in which clinical cure was achieved
MSD Animal Health, São Paulo, Brazil; 2MSD Animal Health,
1
after conventional treatment (P=0.05). The average activity
Boxmeer, Netherlands; 3University of José Rosario Vellano, Alfenas, trend generated by the system was 357.6±0.9a; 351.6±2,2b
Brazil. and 332,0±1.6c (mean±std error) for the Healthy, Conventional
Treatment and Extended Treatment groups, respectively. The
Objectives: Postpartum uterine conditions such as metri- presence of metritis and severity of the condition (as indicated
tis are common in dairy cows and represent a significant threat by the requirement for extended therapy) clearly affected the
to animals’ health and wellbeing, and frequently lead to a de- overall activity of the cows (P=0.017 and P<0.0001, respec-
creased reproductive performance in the subsequent breeding tively).
season. Changes in feed intake, rumination, and activity pat- Conclusions: The results of the study confirmed that cows
tern in the periparturient period have been reported in cows that go on to develop early postpartum metritis exhibit lower
that develop metritis in early postpartum period (Cocco et al., rumination time and decreased activity pattern than cows with
2021). With an increased number of dairy farms equipped with no uterine conditions. Moreover, it also revealed that animals,
automated monitoring systems, the use of health insights gen- in which the short antibiotic treatment did not lead to a clinical
erated by such systems opens an opportunity for farmers and improvement, showed more pronounced deviation in the mon-
their vets to identify cows with higher risk of metritis. itored variables.
The objectives of this study were to evaluate the efficiency These results open a significant opportunity to manage
of an automated monitoring system (SenseHub™ Dairy, Allf- one of the biggest challenges in the postpartum period, identi-
lex® Livestock IntelligenceTM) to detect changes in rumination fy in advance animals in high risk of metritis.

183
Keywords: Monitoring system, rumination, activity, metri- neutralizing titers for IBR, BVDV1, or BVDV2. Except for one
tis, pospartum. calf in the untreated group, IgG levels on day 1 pre-colostrum
were all less than 10 mg/dL. At 3 days of age, total protein
levels in calves fed untreated colostrum (mean = 6.5 mg/dL,
SD 0.4, range 5.4-7.0) and those receiving acidified colostrum
(mean = 6.3 mg/dL, SD 0.7, range 5.2-7.6) were not signifi-
HH-11 cantly different, P = 0.38. Peak IgG levels occurred on day 3
(untreated mean = 26.1 g/L, SD 34.9, median 169.2, range
Effect of Formic Acid Treatment on Colostrum Quality 8.3-151.0; acidified mean = 30.2 g/L, SD 48.7, median 188.8,
and on Absorption and Function of Immunoglobulins: A range 3.1-204.4; P = 0.77). Apparent efficiency of IgG absorp-
Randomized Contolled Trial in Holstein Dairy Calves tion was not different between groups (untreated mean 24.3%,
SD 11.4, median 25.3, range 8.6–51.3; acidified mean 22.6%,
Billy I. Smith, Sarah V. Cady, Helen W. Aceto.
SD 21.7, median 21.6, range 4.1-58.9; P = 0.65). Thereafter,
University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton IgG levels slowly declined over the subsequent 6 months,
Center, Kennett Square, PA, United States. but they were never significantly different between groups.
Over the same period, maternal antibody titers against IBR,
BVDV1, BVDV2, and Leptospira canicola, L. hardjo, and L. po-
Objectives: Good quality colostrum is characterized by
mona were not different. Titers against L. grippotyphosa and
high immunoglobulin levels and low pathogen load. Tech-
L. icterohaemorrhagiae were unmeasurable in the majority of
niques to decrease pathogens can damage immunoglobulins,
calves and the data were not analyzed.
potentially reducing both absorption and function. Objectives
were to determine the effect of formic acid treatment on colos- Conclusions: Colostrum acidification significantly de-
tral bacterial and immunoglobulin (IgG) levels before feeding, creased bacterial load fed to newborn calves without affecting
and serum immunoglobulin levels and neutralizing capabilities IgG concentration or virus neutralization. Nor did acid treat-
after feeding of either untreated or acidified colostrum. ment impact serum IgG levels in calves or activity against
common pathogens.
Materials and Methods: Fifteen female Holstein calf pairs
born < 12 h apart from different dams were randomly assigned Keywords: Randomized Controlled Trial, Acidified Colos-
to receive four liters of either untreated pooled (both dams) trum, Pathogen Load, Immunoactivity.
colostrum or the same pooled colostrum acidified to pH 4.0-
4.5 with 10% formic acid. Colostrum characteristics including
pH, bacterial load, immunoglobulin concentration and neutral-
izing capability were evaluated in both untreated and acidified
samples. Blood samples were collected from each heifer pair HH-12
on day 1 pre-colostrum followed by day 3 post-colostrum and
then monthly for 6 months. Blood was analyzed for immuno- Comparison of diagnostic testing strategies for failure of
globulin G (IgG) concentrations and neutralizing capabilities passive transfer (FPT) in Scottish dairy calves
against viral Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR), Bovine Katie Denholm1, Alexandra Haggerty1, Kathryn Ellis1, Colin Mason2.
Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) Type-1 and Type-2 and five se-
University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom; 2Scottish
1
rovars of bacterial Leptospira. Data were analyzed using
Agricultural College, Dumfries and Galloway, United Kingdom.
STATA 17 (Stata Corp, College Station, TX, United States). A
parametric t-test or non-parametric Kruskall Wallis test (which
makes no assumptions about data distributions) were used to In dairy calves, failure of passive transfer (FPT) results
examine associations between feeding of untreated or acid- in an increased risk of calfhood morbidity and mortality (Ty-
ified colostrum and outcome variables. Because many out- ler et al. 1999; Pardon et al. 2015). Furthermore, calves with
comes were below the detection limit of various assays, tobit FPT have reduced liveweight gains following weaning (Fur-
regression was also used to censor those values and evaluate man-Fratczak et al. 2011) and reduced first milking lactation
significance. A value of P < 0.05 was considered statistically yields (Denise et al. 1989).
significant. Background: Serum IgG levels of ≥10g/L are indicative
Results: Birth weights among calf pairs were not signifi- of adequate passive transfer (Tyler et al. 1999; Virtala et al.
cantly different. Compared to untreated colostrum (mean = 1999). The reference test for measuring IgG in serum is radial
6.7, standard deviation [SD] 0.4, median 6.8, range 6.0-7.3) immunodiffusion (RID) which directly measures the IgG in a
acidification significantly reduced colostrum pH (mean = 4.3, sample (Cuttance et al. 2017). In Scotland, this test is prohib-
SD 0.3, median 4.3, range 4.0-4.5) P < 0.001. Total coliform itively expensive so indirect measures such as total protein
count was also significantly reduced (untreated mean cfu/ (TP) tests are often substituted. Zinc sulphate turbidity (ZST)
ml = 149, SD 444, range, median 1, range 0-1,700; acidified testing is another indirect measurement of IgG in serum (Ho-
mean cfu/ml = 8, SD 31, median 0, range 0-120; P = 0.02). gan et al. 2015) and is commonly used in Scotland by clini-
Colostrum IgG levels were not significantly different between cians and disease investigation centres to diagnose FPT in
untreated (mean 93.3 g/L, SD 39.7; median 92.80, range 36.7- calves; despite a growing body of evidence to suggest its in-
164.4) and post-acidified colostrum (mean 101.9 g/L, SD 36.7; feriority to other tests (Hogan et al. 2015), in particular its poor
median 108.3, range 33.8-164.4; P = 0.54). There were no sig- specificity. Brix refractometry has been used as an inexpen-
nificant differences between untreated and acidified colostrum sive and convenient calf side measure of FPT, which can also

184
be used to measure colostrum quality (Quigley et al. 2013). HH-13

Objectives:
A parallel evaluation of five cost-effective indirect methods
• To explore the performance of various diagnostic test- for assessing failure of passive immune transfer in neonatel
ing strategies for FPT in Scottish dairy calves. calves
• To redefine optimal cutpoints for indirect testing strate-
Corbiere Fabien1, Mugnier Amélie1, Pecceu Katrien2, Schelcher
gies, including Brix refractometry, total protein (TP) and
François1.
zinc sulphate turbidity (ZST).
• To challenge the status quo of indirect measures of National Veterinary School of Toulouse, Toulouse, France; 2MSD
1
FPT offered in commercial laboratories and disease Animal Health, Beaucouzé, France.
investigation centres in Scotland.
Materials and methods: Serum samples were collected Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the di-
from 370 calves between 24 hours and 7 days old from 38 agnostic accuracy of five indirect methods that may be used
dairy farms in Lanarkshire, Stirlingshire and Dumfries and in veterinary practices to assess the success of maternal im-
Galloway. Calves were excluded if they exhibited signs of ill munoglobulins (Ig) transfer in neonatal calves. These meth-
health; in particular, dehydration. Samples were tested using ods include the assessment of STP by biochemistry analyzer
ZST, Brix refractometry, TP and RID. in veterinary practice or by optical refractometry, digital Brix
refractometry, calculated serum globulin concentration, and
Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis
serum γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT) activity level.
was used to determine the optimal cutpoints for correctly pre-
dicting FPT using concentrations of TP, percentage Brix and Materials and methods: Blood samples were collected
ZST. The optimal cut-point for each test was calculated using from 245 2 to 6-d-old calves. Serum IgG concentration were
the Youden’s index, where the sum of sensitivity plus specifici- determined by radial immunodiffusion (RID). Serum total
ty is maximised and equal weight is given to false positive and protein (STP_BA) and albumin concentrations and γ-glutam-
false negative results. yl transferase activity (GGT) were determined by veterinary
practitioners using their own biochemistry analyzer. Globulin
Results: False positive rates were high using indirect test-
concentration (GLOB) was calculated. Veterinary practitioners
ing, particularly when ZST was used. FPT prevalence was
were also asked to assess STP using a digital Brix refrac-
29.5%, 30.8% and 46.4% for TP, Brix and ZST respectively,
tometer (%Brix) and an optical refractometer (g/L, STP_OP).
compared with 14.1% for direct measurement of IgG concen- Test sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) were calculated using
tration using RID. The results from this work confirm the poor RID as the reference standard with failure of passive immune
test specificity of the ZST test and recommend a lowered cut- transfer (FTPI) defined as IgG < 10.0 g/L. Receiver operating
point to improve test performance, in line with other published, characteristics curves were created and optimal cut-offs val-
international work. Existing cutpoints (from international liter- ues for each of the five indirect measurement methods were
ature) for indirect FPT tests were redefined using ROC (re- selected based on the maximization of the Youden’s J statistic.
ceiver operating curve) analysis and the accuracy of each test
Results: In this study, GLOB yielded the highest accura-
improved.
cy to identify FTPI (Se = 89.4%; Sp = 89.3% at 34 g/L). For
Conclusions: Despite over-estimation of the prevalence %Brix, the optimal combination of Se and Sp was at 8.4% Brix
of FPT in this population of calves, it is still useful to monitor (Se = 86.5% and Sp = 83.8%). The use of STP_OP was as-
FPT using indirect tests due to their convenience and cost ef- sociated with the lowest diagnostic accuracy (Se = 69.7% and
fectiveness; however, it is recommended that test cutpoints Sp = 81.6% at 52 g/L). For GGT the optimal cut-points were
are lowered for all indirect measures, particularly ZST to im- different for 2- to 3-d-old calves (Se = 87.5% and Sp = 87.8%
prove performance. at 393 IU/L) or 4- to 6-d-old calves (Se = 90.0% and Sp =
It is recommended that clinicians take at minimum of 12 86.4% at 254 IU/L).
serum samples from a cohort of 1-7 day old calves at regular Conclusion: for on-farm use, digital %Brix refractometer
intervals to monitor the effects of any interventions to reduce can be a valuable and inexpensive tool to help producers and
the prevalence of FPT on a farm. Over-interpretation of indi- veterinary practitioners in their calf health management pro-
rect testing at one time point is a risk, especially if low numbers grams.
of calves are sampled. Keywords: Passive immunity transfer, immunoglogulin,
Keywords: Calf, failure of passive transfer, diagnostics. refractometer, serum total protein, GGT.

185
HH-14 Results: ROC estimated thresholds (in mmol/L) were:

Ca1≤2.1, Ca2≤2.03, P1≥1.9, P2≥4.6, Mg1≤1.01, Mg2≤0.95,
Association of combined serum macromineral profiles with K1≤4.5 and K2≤4.8. All estimated model Areas Under the
clinical diseases in post-partum Holstein cows Curve were >0.70 (0.64-0.78). Four components (namely first
Vangelis Tsiamadis1, Georgios Banos2, Nikolaos Panousis3, Nektarios to forth) accounted for 68.3% of total macromineral variance.
Siachos1, Georgios Arsenos1, Georgios E. Valergakis1. First component comprised mainly Ca1, Ca2 and Mg2; Ca and
Mg concentrations above thresholds were associated with a
1
Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Veterinary decreased probability of metritis, DA and CD_1-8, by 77% (64-
Medicine, Box 393, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 94%), 63% (41-96%) and 76% (65-89%), respectively. Second
Thessaloniki, Greece, Thessaloniki, Greece; 2Scotland’s Rural College component included mainly Mg1 and Mg2; Mg concentrations
and Roslin Institute, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, and Department above thresholds were associated with a decreased probabil-
of Animal Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Box 393, ity of metritis by 84% (72-99%). Third component comprised
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki, Greece, mainly Ca2, P2, K1 and K2; concentrations of Ca, K (above
Thessaloniki, Greece; 3Clinic of Farm Animals, Department of Clinics, thresholds) and P (below threshold) were associated with a
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, decreased probability of KET by 69% (50-96%). Finally, Forth
GR-54124 Thessaloniki, Greece, Thessaloniki, Greece. component consisted mainly of P1, P2 and K1; concentrations
of P (above threshold) and K (below threshold) were associat-
Objectives: Post-partum serum concentration distortions ed with an increased probability of mastitis by 50% (20-90%).
of macrominerals (Ca, P, Mg, K) are negatively associated Herd significantly affected all post-partum clinical diseases
with health and productivity of dairy cows. The individual ef- studied. Compared to parity 1, cows in parities 2 and 3+ were
fects of each one has been studied separately from the others, 2.3 (1.4-3.6) and 2.1 (1.3-3.4) times more likely to be diag-
so far. The objective of this research was to evaluate the as- nosed with RFM; compared to parity 1, cows in parity 3+ were
sociation of combined macromineral concentrations during the also 3.9 (1.7-8.8) times more likely to be diagnosed with KET.
first and second day in milk (DIM) on clinical diseases in early Cows with 3.0≤BCS≤3.5 and ≥3.75 were 7.1 (1.7-30.9) and
post-partum dairy cows. 9.9 (2.0-48.0) times more likely, respectively, to be diagnosed
with KET than cows with BCS≤2.75. Cows with BCS≥3.75
Material and Methods: The research was conducted in
were 3.7 (1.3-10.1) times more likely to be diagnosed with
compliance with international ethical standards. The study was
KET than cows with 3.0≤BCS≤3.5. In U-BLR analysis no inter-
conducted in 9 Holstein dairy herds; 938 cows were enrolled;
action between potential covariates were identified.
parity 1, 2 and 3+ cows were 434, 232 and 272, respectively.
Cows were blood-sampled on DIM 1 and 2 to assess serum Conclusion: When implementing preventive health man-
concentrations of Ca (Ca1, Ca2), P (P1, P2), Mg (Mg1, Mg2) agement measures, serum concentrations of all four macro-
and K (K1, K2), and clinically examined on DIM 1, 2, 4 and 8. minerals must be considered simultaneously. Appropriate Ca,
Body Condition Score (BCS) was evaluated at DIM 1 and 8. P, Mg and K serum profiles would greatly reduce morbidity of
Calcium and Mg concentrations were determined with atom- post-partum dairy cows.
ic absorption spectrophotometry, while those of P and K with Keywords: Macrominerals, Principal Components, Calci-
a biochemical/electrolyte analyzer. The biochemical data set um, Magnesium, clinical diseases.
consisted of 7,504 macromineral records. The clinical data set
consisted of 3,752 observations including retained fetal mem-
branes (RFM), metritis, mastitis, displaced abomasum (DA)
and clinical ketosis (KET). A new trait defined as at least one
diagnosis on any of the aforementioned clinical diseases was HH-15
created (CD_1-8). An Exploratory Principal Component Analy-
sis (PCA) analysis with Direct Oblimin rotation was performed Telemetric and Long Term Measurement of Reticuloruminal
in order to test the null hypothesis that factors to-be-extracted Motility - Precision and Accuracy of Derived Rumination
were correlated. After rejecting it, a second PCA with Varimax Time
rotation and Kaiser Normalization, which assumes that factors
are independent and uncorrelated, was performed. In both Johann Gasteiner, Christian Fasching, Michael Astl, Andreas
analyses, macromineral concentrations were used as vari- Steinwidder.
ables. Principal components (PC) were extracted using the el- Research Centre Raumberg-Gumpenstein, Irdning, Austria.
bow rule and used as continuous variables in the subsequent
analyses. Afterwards, a univariate binary logistic regression
(U-BLR) was performed to assess the effects of herd, parity, Objectives: Rumen motility is of basic importance for the
calving season, BCS and PC on the likelihood that cows have physiological function of the digestive system and it is respon-
any of the aforementioned diseases diagnosed on DIM 1 to 8. sible for mixing, separating and transporting the ingesta. Re-
The interaction between potential covariates was also exam- ticuloruminal motility is described by specific contraction cy-
ined. Predicted probabilities derived from U-BLR were used in cles. Reticular activity stands at the beginning of the primary
subsequent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis contraction cycle. This is characterized by two reticular con-
in order to evaluate the overall U-BLR model performance and tractions and this is just found during resting and feeding. A
to determine proper macromineral thresholds. All analyses third contraction is only seen during rumination, the so called
were performed with SPSS ver. 25. Statistical significance was rejection contraction (Kaske, 2015).
set at P≤0.05. In order to evaluate the possibility of continuous measure-

186
ment of reticuloruminal activity, a trial was conducted at the statistics for the Behavioral Sciences. 2nd ed., Houghton Mif-
Research Centre Raumberg-Gumpenstein. The objective of flin, Bosten.
this study was to investigate, whether the extended contrac- Kaske, M. (2015): Vormagenmotorik und Ingestapassage.
tion duration, due to the rejection contraction, is appropriate In Engelhardt et al. (Eds.): Physiologie der Haustiere, 5, Enke
to record rumination time by continuously measuring reticular Verlag, Stuttgart, 361-372.
acceleration.
Keywords: Rumen motility, indwelling monitoring bolus,
Materials and Methods: Reticular motility was mea- smart farming,
sured continuously in four rumen fistulated cows over a pe-
riod of 44 days by using a motility-monitoring bolus (MMB).
On each day cows were visually observed for 120 minutes
between 06.00 to 08.00 a.m. and rumination times were re-
corded. MMB were prototypes of a commercially available
HH-16
technology (smaXtec®). Boli were located in the reticulum as
described by Gasteiner et al. (2015) and activity was recorded Effects of Isoquinoline Alkaloids-based Product in
by an acceleration sensor. These data were used to deter- Lactating Dairy Cows
mine the duration of reticular contractions (s), described as
the pulse width (PW). The resulting rumination time recorded Gilles Foucras1, Nathan Cebron2, Jérémy Poyedessus1, Laura Leleu1,
by the MMB was compared with visual observations by using Hervé Bezille3, Santiago Bas4, Cédric Audonnet3.
the Pearson correlation coefficient (r), the linear regression 1
ENVT, Toulouse, France; 2IHAP, Toulouse, France; 3Feedéal SAS,
coefficient of determination (R²), and the Bland-Altmann plot Bourgbarré, France; 4Phytobiotics Futterzusatzstoffe GmbH, Eltville,
for validation of precision. The Pearson correlation coefficient Germany.
and the coefficient of determination from the MMB were cat-
egorized according to Hinkle et al. (2003). They were consid-
ered as precise if the correlation coefficient and coefficient of Objectives: Improving animal health and welfare with low/
determination were high (> 0.70), and as accurate if the mean no chemical input while achieving high milk yield is a difficult
bias from the Bland-Altman plot included zero with the 95 % task in modern dairy production systems. To this end, many
interval of agreement. solutions have been tested with uncertain results. Plant-de-
rived products have been favorably used in several species,
Results: PW was seen to be significantly higher during
but scarce data are available on their effects in dairy cattle.
ruminating cycles (P < 0.0001), when compared to feeding or
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a
resting. When comparing these results with the outcome of
plant-based product derived from Macleaya cordata contain-
visual observations, the r for rumination time was 0.97 (P <
ing standardized concentrations of isoquinoline alkaloids (IQs)
0.0001) and the R² was 0.94 (P < 0.0001). The slope of re-
on milk production, but also udder and uterine health of lactat-
gression was found to be 0.92 (± 0.03).The Bland-Altman plot
ing dairy cows.
was acceptable and did not show any bias. Mean differences ±
standard deviation (MMB – observation) were 0.46 ± 4.09 min. Materials and methods: Primiparous (PRIM; n = 84) and
The 95 % confidence interval encompassed 84 of 88 rumina- multiparous (MULT; n = 602) cows from 18 commercials herds
tion time observations. Overall, the mean differences did, how- in France were evaluated. Cows were matched by lactation
ever, include zero within the 95 % interval of agreement, indi- number, previous lactation milk yield and SCC (MULT) within
cating no difference between the MMB and visual observation. farms, and were randomly allocated to receive two boluses
containing IQs (IQS; n=343) or to serve as a control (CON;
Conclusions: The rejection contraction during ruminating
n=343). Boluses were designed to release an equivalent of
results in a longer reticular contraction time when compared
37.5 mg/d of IQs for 60 days, and 18.75 mg/d of IQs thereafter
to feeding or resting (12 s vs. 7 s). This enables us to record
for three months following administration. Boluses were ad-
rumination time very precisely and accurately by using the de-
ministered during the close up period, approximately 21 days
scribed technique. When comparing our data with data from
before the expected date of calving. Data (milk yield, fat and
previous studies, the described MMB performed similarly to
protein, urea, SCC) from the first five official milk test-days
or better than other rumination monitoring systems. Thus the
were collected and analyzed retrospectively. In an indepen-
finding of the current study is important for implementation of
dent set of five herds (n=52 cows in each group), mammary,
the MMB on dairy farms because of the precise and automatic
uterine, hematological, and biochemical (NEFA, BHBA, hapto-
collection of physiologically relevant data gathered from the di-
globin) data were collected during the first three months of lac-
rectly out of the reticulorumen. In addition to an exact definition
tation. Statistical analyses were performed using R software
of physiological functions the described technique has a great
(v3.5.1).
potential to detect reticuloruminal disorders and diseases at
an early stage. Results: Records show that raw and energy-corrected
milk yields were higher (Two-way ANOVA, p < 0.05) in IQS
Literature:
cows, with a mean increase over than 1.5 kg in the set of 18
Gasteiner, J.; Horn, M. und Steinwidder, A. (2015): Contin- herds. No difference in milk fat, protein, and urea concentra-
uous measurement of reticuloruminal pH values in dairy cows tions were noticed. Overall, mean SCC was lower (50×103
during the transition period from barn to pasture feeding using cells/mL; Two-way ANOVA, p<0.05), and the prevalence of
an indwelling wireless data transmitting unit. Journal of Animal cows with subclinical mastitis (SCC ≥ 250×103 cells/mL) was
Physiology and Animal Nutrition 99 (2), 273-280. also lower (p < 0.05) in the IQS group on milk test-days during
Hinkle, D.E.; Wiersma, W. und Jurs, S.G. (2003): Applied the first three months of lactation. The effect of IQs supple-

187
mentation is more pronounced in high-producing PRIM cows herd management) were assessed in interviews. The person
and improved milk yield in the two lowest quartiles. The num- responsible for herd management was followed throughout a
ber of clinical mastitis was lower in IQS cows (p<0.05). No three-week period (mean: 13 d; 11-15, min-max) by a project
difference for retained placenta or endometritis between IQS employee. Activities were continuously documented on a min-
and CON were noticed in the first 45 days post-partum. No dif- ute-basis. An average of 954 entries per farm (537-1,326; min-
ference of NEFA, BHBA, or haptoglobin measured in the first max) and a total of 1,092 h (excl. breaks and tasks in other ar-
week of lactation or fat:protein ratio thereafter could be detect- eas than dairy production) were recorded and assigned to 13
ed, indicating that improvement cannot be solely explained by categories during data-processing (see results section). Herd
changes of the metabolic profile in early lactation. data included key figures in following areas: production level
Conclusions: These results show that administration of a (kg marketed milk per cow and year), milk quality (bulk tank
plant-based product with standardized concentrations of IQs and test-day data), stillbirth rates, culling (culling and mortality
increased milk yield and improved udder health. IQs supple- rates, period: 07/20-06/21). No statistical, only a descriptive
mentation can be regarded as a strategy to improve productiv- analysis was performed.
ity and to reduce SCC in dairy cows. Results: Of the documented 1,092 h the herd manag-
Keywords: Health, dairy cows, milk, plant-based product. ers invested 4 % (1-9 %, min-max) in administration, office
and management, 17 % (9-23 %) in communication, 11 %
(3-19 %) in animal documentation, 17 % (11-28 %) in animal
organization and movement, 9 % (4-16 %) in animal controls,
9 % (2-16 %) in animal treatment and health measures, 1 %
(0-3 %) in feeding, 12 % (4-29 %) in accompanying of external
HH-17
service providers (e.g. veterinary, hoof trimmer, inseminator),
Analysis of daily activities of herd managers and 5 % (1-11 %) in assistance of employees, 5 % (0-30 %) in shift
interrelations with the animal production and health takeover from employees, 5 % (0-9 %) in process controlling,
situation on dairy farms in eastern Germany 2 % (1-5 %) in other activities and 3 % (0-11 %) of the time
was not assigned/not recorded. The five farms where herd
Peter Hufe1, Christina Felgentreu1, Adriana Wöckel2, Wolf managers invested more than average time in animal and
Wippermann2, Benno Waurich1, Franz Schneider1, Julia Wittich1, process controlling (animal health, feeding and other, ≥14 %)
Detlef May1, Sven Dänicke3, Hermann Swalve4, Alexander Starke5, exhibited a higher production level (9,782 vs. 9,598 kg/cow/
Melanie Schären-Bannert2. year), lower somatic cell counts (161,000 vs. 202,000 cells/
1
LVAT – Institute for Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Groß Kreutz, ml), culling (30.4 vs. 35.3 %) and mortality (5.9 vs. 9.7 %-point
of culling rate) rates and thereby higher lifetime productions of
Germany; 2"LVAT – Institute for Animal Breeding and Husbandry,
culled cows (36,698 vs. 30,400 kg), as well as lower stillbirth
Groß Kreutz", "Clinic for Ruminants and Swine, Faculty of Veterinary
rates (6.5 vs. 8.0 %) and losses during the rearing period un-
Medicine, Leipzig University", Leipzig, Germany; 3Institute for Animal
til 3 months of age (3.5 vs. 8.3 %). The forementioned herd
Nutrition, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Brunswick, Germany; 4Institute
managers invested more time in administration, organization
of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, University of Halle, Halle-
and communication (37 vs. 28 %), but less time in tasks that
Wittenberg, Germany; 5Clinic for Ruminants and Swine, Faculty of
should be delegated (e.g. moving animals, assistance and
Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
taking-over shifts of employees; 22 vs. 32 %) and treatment
of animals (7 vs. 11 %). No difference between herd size was
Objectives: Different aspects of process controlling, such observed between the two groups [average of 624 (min: 229,
as establishment and assessment of control points and the max: 1,221) vs. 560 (min: 399, max: 783) cows].
analysis of workflows and daily activities of employees are Conclusions: 1. A large heterogeneity between farms in
standard in many industries to increase the quality and effi- the activities of their herd managers exists, 2. In many farms
ciency of production systems. Dairy production has evolved original herd manager activities (management and controlling)
from traditional farming to modern and large-scaled produc- are postponed by taking over tasks that should be delegated,
tion systems in many parts of the world. However, routines 3. In most of the farms the controlling of the feeding process
for process controlling are still in their infancy. Well-organized is largely disconnected from the person in charge for herd
and efficient workflows allow the completion of tasks in an ad- management, 4. Herd managers who spent more time in con-
equate manner and increase the quality of the result as well trolling achieve better results concerning the production level,
as the working conditions for employees. Animal production health and longevity of their herd.
and health are measurable outcomes for the quality of herd
This project was funded by the European Innovation Part-
management and animal husbandry. In a first approach, we
nership (EIP)-agri.
therefore hypothesized an interrelation between daily activities
of herd managers and the health status of the herd. Keywords: Workflow analysis, process control, precision
dairy farming, herd management, production diseases.
Materials and Methods: An analysis was conducted on
10 farms located in the state of Brandenburg with an average
size of 592 German Holstein cows (229-1,221), an average
milk production of 9,690 kg marketed milk per cow and year,
and 32.9 % culling rate (excl. sales for breeding purposes).
The daily workflows on the farm in different fields of activi-
ties (e.g. milking, feeding, reproduction, young stock rearing,

188
HH-18 allows a better reduction in lame prevalence than spending

time for early-detection. Scrapping frequency was highly as-
The marginal cost of lameness in dairy herds: an integrated sociated with DD occurrence, especially with a textured floor.
bioeconomic modelling approach The observed prevalence of DD reaches a plateau when the
Robcis Rodolphe, Raboisson Didier, N'Diaye Youba, Lhermie threshold of footbath application is over 30% (R2 = 0.94).
Guillaume, Ferchiou Ahmed. Lameness prevalence variations also show a sensitive nega-
tive impact on total milk yield, with a logarithmic trend (R² = 0.8).
National Veterinary School, Toulouse, France.
Economic results show that the milk losses represent the
first component of lame costs, in agreement with literature.
Objectives: Lameness is a major concern in dairy cat- The marginal cost curve for the prevalence of lameness shows
tle and foot disorders are responsible for 92% of total lame- a downward logarithmic trend (lower marginal cost for higher
ness cases. Different strategies are available for the farmers prevalence): the marginal cost for lameness ranges from 193€
to manage lameness: short-term actions (curative trimming, to 5€ while prevalence ranges from 25% to 60%, all aetiolo-
footblocks, antibiotics, footbaths) and overall medium and gies included. For DD, the marginal cost ranges from 248€ to
long-term actions (hygiene, detection, preventive trimming). 12€ with a prevalence range from 10 to 35%. For WLD and
The objective of this study is to estimate the marginal cost of SU, the marginal cost ranges is from 281€ to 87€ and from
lameness and foot disorders, to define optimal bioeconomic 414€ to 22€ respectively for prevalence ranging from 2.5% to
strategy for managing lameness in dairy herds. 5.5% and from 4% to 25% respectively.
Materials and methods: A dynamic and stochastic sim- Conclusions: The models allow to mimic with high preci-
ulation model (DairyHealthSim©) was used to simulate as sion the lame dynamics in the herd. The marginal cost of lame
precisely as possible the herd dynamics, reproduction man- describes a downward logarithmic trend, meaning lower cost
agement, the production and health events. The model offers of one extra lame case for higher prevalence. The present tool
a holistic representation of a dairy farm and simulates the in- can also be used as support for decision making and to identi-
teraction between production functions, diseases or damage fy the best strategy depending on the farm contexts.
function and veterinary or damage control functions accord- Keywords: Lameness, economics, cow, management.
ing to farmer’s practices. This model was previously used
for studies on mastitis, reproduction and culling. A specific
development (DHS-Lame) was done for lame and its differ-
ent herd-level management strategies. Lame occurrences
are simulated with a base risk for each aetiology of lameness HH-19
(digital dermatitis – DD, interdigital dermatitis – ID, interdigital
phlegmon – IP, sole ulcer – SU, white line disease – WLD), Nutritional and health supplements in molasses blocks
associated to a relative risk according to a farmer’s practices. delivers increased rumen efficiency in smallholder large
Lameness is simulated as lame state machine (lame score ruminant production in developing countries
– LS – from 1 to 5) associated to a DD state machine (M1
Peter Windsor1, Luisa Olmo2, Nichola Calvani2, Francesca Earp2,
to M4.1). The impacts are computed on milk production and
Russell Bush2.
heat expression. Once detected, lame cows are treated, and
a recovery rate is applied depending on aetiology and treat- Production Animal Welfare & Health Services, Scarborough, NSW,
1
ment. A total of 880 scenarios were run including (i) housing Australia; 2The University of Sydney, Camden, NSW, Australia.
(concrete vs. textured) (ii) hygiene (2 different scrapping fre-
quencies), (iii) the existence of any preventive trimming or not,
Objectives: Summarize field studies examining the four
(iv) different thresholds of detected DD prevalence from which
different molasses-block supplements (consumed @ 100-
a collective footbath is applied to treat DD and (v) detection 150g/day) provided to large ruminants, for improved health and
rate scenarios to represent farmer ability to detect lame. The production outcomes, in a developing country context. Trials
economic evaluation is performed to calculate farmers risk were conducted in Laos, where productivity is compromised
adjusted income for each scenario and the marginal cost is by low growth rates, endemic adult and calf endoparasitism
calculated as an income loss per additional case for each lame by Fasciola gigantica or Toxocara vitulorum respectively, with
aetiology and for additional lame cow (LS ≥3) Calibration was limited farmer knowledge and facilities for administration of
done thanks to peer-review literature review, grey literature or therapeutics. Further, discuss a marketing feasibility study of
authors’ experience if not available. this supplementation strategy and consider the environmental
Results: The simulation results show a lameness prev- impacts of improving rumen efficiency through this technology.
alence varying from 27% to 83% depending the scenarios, Materials and methods: Field trials were implemented
showing a high capacity of the model to represent field. Digital in villages in mainly the dry season in Laos from 2017-2019,
dermatitis represented half of total lameness cases, followed studying the impacts of ad-libitum supplementation with high
by ID, SU, WLD and IP. Validity of the model was overall con- quality molasses blocks (20kg) (4 Seasons Pty Ltd, Brisbane,
sidered as very good. Australia), containing: non-medicated (NMMB); urea-medicat-
Housing surface scenarios dramatically influence the prev- ed (UMB8; @ 8% urea); triclabendazole-medicated (Fasinex®,
alence of SU and WLD, while scrapping frequency and foot- Novartis Australia, TMB5 @ 5g/kg, and TMB10 @ 10g/kg);
bath threshold for application mainly determine the presence fenbendazole-medicated (Panacur100®, Coopers Australia;
of DD. Results interestingly shows that preventive trimming FMB5; @ 5g/kg). Animal cohorts were enrolled into one of

189
three groups: (i) access to either UMB8, TMB5 or TMB10, or HH-20

FMB5 medicated molasses blocks; (ii) access to NMMB; and
where possible (iii) control groups without access to blocks. Veterinary consulting on dairy farms with high rearing
To serve as positive controls, additional cohorts were treated losses
with oral anthelmintics. This inlcuded two FMB5 trials where Martina Hoedemaker, Johanna Sophie Dreyer, Anika Korte, Ina
oral pyrantel was administered at 2-3wks of age, plus use of Gaude.
oral triclabendazole in TBZ5 and TBZ10 trials. Weight data
and faecal samples were obtained at weeks 1, 4, 8 and 12 Clinic for Cattle, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover,
for growth rates (average daily gain; ADG = grams/day) and Hannover, Germany.
faecal egg counts (FEC). Where data from cohorts not receiv-
ing blocks was unavailable, the results were compared with Objectives: Although the causes and risk factors for loss-
recently acquired baseline ADG data. es in youngstock are well known, apparently this area does
Results: Baseline measurements obtained from studies of not receive enough attention on many dairy farms. This might
the free grazing systems in Laos, confirmed low mean weights explain that calf mortality has not changed over the years quite
(182–204kg in cattle; 325–357kg in buffalo) and low ADG’s often reaching values on farm level between 10% and 20%.
(55–84g in cattle; 92–106g in buffalo), with animals likely to It was the aim of the following study to analyse the rearing
lose weight during the dry season due to feed deficiency. Trials conditions on dairy farms with high rearing losses, to identify
with UMMB and UMB8 compared the weight gains of lactat- problem areas and provide extensive advice to the farmers. In
ing cows (n = 46), calves (n = 25) and growing calves (n = addition, the success of veterinary consulting should be evalu-
35) of famers (n = 20), with access to both blocks significantly ated during a second farm visit and the reasons for non-imple-
increasing ADG in all 3 cohorts compared to baseline graz- mentation of measures should be recorded.
ing-only data. The supplemented lactating cows (191g, 179g), Material and Methods: Fifty-six dairy farms in Lower Sax-
calves (298g, 238g), and growing cattle (214g, 143g) all per- ony, Germany, participated in the study. Inclusion criteria were
formed well respectively, but less than in a pen study conduct- at least 30 dairy cows and rearing losses of > 20%. Rearing
ed at a research station near Vientiane where UMMB-fed bulls losses were defined as number of calves recorded as live an-
achieved a superior ADG (320g). The initial triclabendazole imals in the National Data Base which died within the first 6
trial (n=241) examined Fasciola spp. suppression over a 12 month of live devided by the total number of calves recorded
week period of access to TBM5 blocks, reducing FEC (~90%) as live animals within a given time period. A questionaire was
and increasing ADG (201g) that was superior to the reduction filled out together with the farmer followed by a farm inspection
in FEC (~19%), and ADG (124g) of those with NMMB access covering 10 different areas (calving management, newborn
(P=001). A 2019 trial with TMB10 observed rapid elimination of calf care, colostrum management, separation from dam, milk
the FEC following exposure to this block; these were replaced feeding, weaning, calf housing, heifer feeding, heifer housing,
with NMMB for the remaining 10wks. In the fenbendazole general monitoring of animals). The farmers received a thou-
trials, the FMB5 treatment produced rapid reduction in FEC rough assessment and recommendations for improvements.
relative to the control (P=0.062) and a high ADG (230g), ex- Eight to 10 month after the first visit, the farms were visited
ceeding that of control calves (170g) (P=0.002). Additional tri- again and analysed in the same way as during the first visit. In
als corroborated that FMB5 access was associated with high- addition, the adoption of recommended measures was record-
er predicted ADG (200g) compared to control calves (150g) ed. In case of non-implementation, the farmers were asked
(P=0.005). All farming families experiencing use of the blocks for reasons. Calf mortality was assessed during the intervall
confirmed their animals were healthier with minimal parasites, between the two farm visits and compared with the same time
they were easier to manage, plus they wished to purchase intervall in the preceding year to account for seasonal effects.
the blocks. Registration of molasses supplementation blocks
Results: Overall, 180 variables in the 10 different areas
in Laos has now occurred and sales of commercial blocks
were analysed and evaluated whether or not good practices
have commenced.
were fullfilled. The majority of farms (> 50%) performed only
Conclusions: Provision of block supplements to large ru- 42.8% of management measures accepted as good practice.
minants in Laos, especially lactating cows, enabled animals Specific problem areas were newborn calf care, colostrum
to maintain and even increase weight during the dry season management, hygienic condition of calf housing and calving
when lactation occurs. Block supplementation also enabled ef- area as well as documentation and biosecurity. Overall, 250
ficient administration of endoparasite medication to large rumi- different measures were recommended. Of those, 20.8% were
nants. Improved utilisation of low-quality forage and control of not adopted at all; 40.8%, 30.0% and 8.4 % were adopted
endemic parasitism, offers important opportunities for increas- with a frequency of < 30 %, 30 to 80% and > 80%, respec-
ing large ruminant production efficiency. There is an emerg- tively. Recommendations which were not adopted very well
ing challenge to food security in providing more sustainable were hygienic measures in the calving and heifer areas and
livestock systems in a climate emergency world. Significant management measures considering calf health (vaccination,
improvements in cattle production efficiency means fewer an- treatment, etc.). The acceptance was greater for measures
imals required with shorter time periods necessary to achieve dealing with the hygiene of milk feeding, calving management,
marketable levels of beef; one of several strategies that may newborn calf care, feeding of calves before weaning includ-
help mitigate the impacts of beef production on greenhouse ing colostrum management, and calf housing. On farm level,
gas emissions from agriculture. the mean frequency of adopted measures was 25.1%+10.4%
Keywords: Molasses-blocks, supplementation, anthe- (4.0% to 53.2%). The most frequent reasons for non-imple-
mintics, cattle, buffalo mentation were „not practicable“ (19.9%), „to time consuming“

190
(13.7%) and „not promising“ (12.9%). Even though the selec- practices. To qualify as a CU the farm had to vaccinate all cows
tion criterium was > 20% calf mortality at the time of random and heifers 3-12 weeks before expected calving and feed the
selection of the farms, calf mortality in the control time period calves whole milk from vaccinated fresh (up to four days in
was < 10% on 14 farms (26.4%), > 10% to < 15% on 14 farms milk) cows at least during the first two weeks of calves´ life.
(26.4%), > 15% to < 20% on 12 farms (22.6%) and > 20% on In order to analyse the effect of PV on calf survival the
13 farms (24.5%), respectively. Overall, the calf mortality did survival analysis was used comparing calf mortality rates in
not change, improve or got worse in 28.3%, 49.1% and 22.6% pre-vaccination (V-) and vaccination (V+) periods by using the
of the farms, respectively. registry data of Estonian Agricultural Registers and Information
Conclusion: Dairy farms with high rearing losses do not Board. The V+ period begun one month after the farm started
follow good practices primarily in the areas of newborn calf vaccinating their animals and lasted for one year. The V- peri-
care, colostrum management and hygiene of calf and calving od was determined as exactly one year prior to V+ period. The
cows areas. With about 25%, the adoption of recommended start of the calf-level observation period started with birth or
measures was fairly low. Also, the success of a one time con- start of the observation period for calves that were born before
sultation was only mediocre. Even though 49.1% of the farms the start of the observation period to account for left trunca-
could lower calf mortality, it increased on 22.6% of the farms tion. Calf-level observation period ended with either reaching
during the study period. Obviously, rearing management rep- 21 days of age or end of the observation period due to selling,
resents a complex time and personell intensive part on dairy slaughtering or death (euthanasia or unassisted death). Un-
farms. The tasks often are difficult to predict leading to a high assisted death and euthanasia (on-farm mortality) were con-
risk of calf mortality. A continuous expert advice appears to be sidered as event of interest and observations that ended with
necessary in order to achieve long-term and sustained suc- selling, slaughtering or survival until the end of the study pe-
cess. riod were right censored. On a herd level, calf mortality rates
Keywords: dairy farms, calf mortality, veterinary consul- were calculated as number of deaths per 100 calf-months for
tation. V- and V+ period. Farms were enrolled to the analysis only if
they ear-tagged their calves during the first 4 days of life. The
number of calf-based observations was 14,610 in the analysis.
Results: Six herds met the requirements of CU and seven
farms were classified as ICU. Four out of the seven ICU farms
HH-21 did not vaccinate heifers and six fed the calves whole milk
collected from vaccinated fresh cows for seven days or less.
Implementation of precalving vaccination programme In four out of the six CU farms, calf mortality rate decreased
against rotavirus, coronavirus and enterotoxigenic E. coli significantly during the V+ period compared to V- period. In
(F5) and effect on dairy calf survival one CU farm calf mortality rate was higher and in one CU farm
it remained unchanged in V+ period compared to V- period.
Dagni-Alice Viidu, Carmen Kuningas, Kerli Mõtus.
Average calf mortality rate over six CU farms was 17.08 per
Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia. 100 calf-months during V- period (95% CI 15.85; 18.41) and
11.56 per 100 calf-months during V+ period (95% CI 10.64;
12.57). On average, calf mortality rate decreased among the
Introduction and objectives: Calves are born agamma-
CU farms during the V+ period compared to V- period (hazard
globulinemic and during the first weeks of life their resilience
ratio (HR) = 0.66, 95% CI 0.59; 0.74, p < 0.001) according
to infections depends on the extent of passive immunity ac-
to the mixed-effects Cox regression model (herd included as
quired from colostrum. Diarrhea is one of the most common
random effect).
diseases and cause of death in neonatal calves whereas ro-
tavirus is often reported as the most prevalent viral cause of Conclusions: The study revealed that vaccination proto-
diarrhea. Vaccinating cows and heifers before calving increas- cols and practices of feeding calves colostrum from vaccinat-
es the level of pathogen-specific antibodies in the colostrum ed cows vary in the farms. Also, we confirmed a positive field
and enhances passive immunity potentially gained by the calf, effect of PV on dairy calf survival in the herds that followed
however, the effect of precalving vaccination with trivalent vac- vaccination directions and fed calves colostrum from fresh
cines on calf survival has not been thoroughly investigated. cows at least during the first two weeks of life.
The current study aimed to investigate the implementation of Keywords: Precalving vaccination, lactogenic immunity,
the precalving vaccination programme against rotavirus, coro- calf scours, mortality.
navirus and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (F5 antigen) in
Estonian dairy farms and its effect on calf survival.
Materials and methods: The study included 13 dairy cow
herds (herd size ranged from 242 to 2,457 cows) that applied
precalving vaccination against bovine rotavirus, bovine coro-
navirus and enterotoxigenic E. coli (F5) (defined as PV). For
each herd a questionnaire was filled out where the information
about the vaccination procedures and calf feeding practices
were asked. Farms were divided into correct and incorrect us-
ers (CU and ICU, respectively) of the PV based on the compli-
ance with the product directions of use and colostrum feeding

191
HH-22 welfare and farm profitability. Early identification of such cows

before clinical signs are visible also faces the bovine practi-
Cow behavior predicts and monitors calving diseases along tioner with the challenge of how to best handle such cows. In
the transition period addition, analyzing herd cow’s behavior along the transition
Doron Bar1, Gilad Factor1, Eran Friedman1, Johan De Meulemeester1, period, might provide insight into weak points and serve as an
Monika Ptaszynska2. objective tool to monitor improvements.
Keywords: Dairy cattle, behavior, calving diseases, mon-
Allflex Livestock intelligence, Netanya, Israel; 2MSD Animal Health,
1
itoring.
Milton Keynes, United Kingdom.
Objectives: Calving diseases are a major problem in most

dairy herds, negatively influencing cow welfare and dairy eco-
nomics. Rumination behavior proved to be a good predictor of HH-23
some calving diseases. New generation of these monitoring
technologies are now able to describe the behavior of cows Can an ATP bioluminescence meter be used as a cow-side
in a more detailed way (adding e.g. eating, resting, activity, tool for the evaluation of bacterial contamination of bovine
etc.) The objective of this study was to characterize behavior colostrum?
of cows along the transition period by their health status, to
Geert Hoflack1, Pleun A.A. Penterman2, Geert Vertenten2, Bart
improve the ability to characterize normal behavior of healthy
Sustronck1.
cows and deviations from this behavior.
Material & Methods: We analyzed the behavior of a total MSD Animal Health, Brussels, Belgium; 2MSD Animal Health,
1
of 1,553 cows calving in 8 farms in Israel, between February Boxmeer, Netherlands.

2019 and November 2019. Farms were from various geo-
graphical locations, but similar in their feeding management Objectives: Bovine neonates are born agammaglobuli-
(Total Mixed Ration [TMR]) and cow sheds (open, covered, naemic and rely on the absorption of immunoglobulins from
dry compost barns). Calving events (i.e. twins, stillbirths, milk colostrum shortly after birth. This absorption of immunoglob-
fever, retained placenta, metritis or endometritis, ketosis, and ulins from the colostrum can, unfortunately, be hampered by
left displaced abomasum [LDA]) were recorded by the farmers a high bacterial load of the colostrum. Hence, strict hygienic
and in addition, all cows were checked by a trained veterinari- procedures when collecting, storing and feeding colostrum are
an between 6 to 12 days after calving. These data were stored of paramount importance for a good transfer of passive im-
in the Israeli cattle breeder association herd management soft- munity in bovine neonates. The adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
ware. The behavior of cows (the major activity in each min- bioluminescence meter has been advocated as a simple and
ute) was obtained from a monitoring system (Sensehub Dairy, useful tool for the evaluation of the degree of contamination
Allflex livestock intelligence) and summed to a total minutes of surfaces and liquids. The aim of the present study was to
per day. After initial descriptive statistics which is beyond the examine whether an ATP bioluminescence meter can be used
scope of this abstract, we present here the average effect of as a cow-side tool to assess the degree of contamination of
each major calving event in the last 10 days before calving bovine colostrum and thus indirectly evaluate the hygiene ap-
and in the first 10 days of the lactation. Total minutes ruminat- plied during the collection, storage, and administration of co-
ing, eating, resting, or expressing high activity per day were lostrum on farms.
dependent variables in mixed effect models (using the lme4
Materials & Methods: A total of 162 colostrum samples
package in the R Foundation for Statistical Computing soft-
were collected from 88 different cattle farms in The Nether-
ware) containing the day relative to calving day, calving event
lands and Belgium. Samples of approximately 100 ml were
or diseases as fixed effects and cow nested in farm and parity
collected immediately before the colostrum was fed to the
as random effects.
calves. All samples were stored at -20°C until processing. The
Results: Last 10 days before calving: Cows with milk fever degree of bacterial contamination (total bacterial cell count)
or retained placenta had a significant reduction (P<0.01) in the was determined using a Bactoscan™ FC+ (FOSS, Denmark)
time spent ruminating days before the events happened. A sig- automatic bacterial count reader. The ATP bioluminescence,
nificant reduction (P<0.01) in eating time and high activity time expressed as the number of relative light units (RLU) for each
was observed in cows suffering later from stillbirth or ketosis, colostrum sample, was obtained using a SystemSURE Plus
these cows had also a significant increase (P<0.01) in resting meter (Hygiena™, California, USA). On each occasion, the
time in the last 10 days before calving. mean of three consecutive ATP bioluminescence measure-
First 10 days after calving: Cows with retained placenta, ments was calculated and used for analysis. The relationship
metritis or endometritis, ketosis, or with left displaced aboma- between the total bacterial count of colostrum and the ATP
sum had a significant (P<0.001) decrease in rumination, eat- bioluminescence relative light units of colostrum was investi-
ing, and high activity time. These cows had also a significant gated with a Spearman’s rank correlation. Statistical analysis
(P<0.001), substantial (~25%) increase in the time spent rest- was performed in R (R Core Team 2017).
ing in the first 10 days after calving. Results: Samples originated from HF dairy cows (n= 86)
Conclusion: The finding of this study demonstrates the or from Belgian Blue beef cows (n= 76). The median total bac-
ability to identify cows developing one of the calving diseas- terial cell count of the colostrum samples was 7.000 CFU/ml
es early, thus possibly reducing their negative impact on cow and ranged from 4.000 to 1.000.000 CFU/ml. The median ATP

192
bioluminescence of the colostrum samples was 255,00 RLU herd ranged from 2 to 5. The colostral IgG concentrations and
(range 1,00 – 2486,67 RLU). the colostral Brix values followed a normal distribution with a
The total bacterial cell count of colostrum and the ATP mean of 53,19 ± 17,61 g IgG/l (range: 14,14 – 63,07 g Ig-
bioluminescence of colostrum were negatively correlated G/l) and 21,10 ± 4,21 % (range: 9,33 – 29,27 %), respective-
(ρspearman= -0,27; CI95% [-0,4 to -0,2]; p < 0,001). ly. The TBCC of the colostrum samples ranged from 4.000 to
1.000.000 CFU/ml with a median of 9.000 CFU/ml. Further-
Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that ATP
more, 38,1% of the colostrum samples had an IgG concentra-
bioluminescence measurements of colostrum cannot be used
tion below 50 g/l and/or a TBCC exceeding 100.000 CFU/ml.
to evaluate the hygiene of the procedures applied during the
A significant positive correlation was found between the IgG
collection, storage, and administration of bovine colostrum.
concentration and the Brix value of colostrum samples (rpearson=
Keywords: Cattle, Colostrum, ATP bioluminescence, Total 0,65; CI95% [0,51 to 0,76]; p < 0,001). The colostral IgG con-
bacterial count. centration and the TBCC of the colostrum were negatively cor-
related (ρspearman= -0.30; CI95% [-0,49 to -0,09]; p = 0,005). The
mean IgG concentration (48,30 ± 18,71 g IgG/l) and the mean
Brix value (19,90 ± 4,4 %) of the colostrum samples from prac-
tice A were both below the recommended threshold of 50 g
HH-24 IgG/l and 22 %, respectively. Compared to practice A, the co-
lostrum samples from practice B had a significantly higher IgG
Dutch HF cow colostrum quality based on IgG concentration concentration (58,68 ± 14,65 g IgG/l; p= 0,01) and Brix value
and total bacterial cell count (22,45 ± 3,59 %; p < 0,001). The non-parametric comparison
P.A.A. Penterman1, G. Hoflack2, G. Vertenten1, F.H.J. Van Hagen3, of the TBCC of the colostrum samples revealed significant (p <
W.A. Schaap4, Bart Sustronck2. 0,001) differences between the two practices (median practice
A : 16.000 CFU/ml [range: 4.000 – 1000.000 CFU/ml] , median
1
MSD Animal Health, Boxmeer, Netherlands; 2MSD Animal Health, practice B : 6.000 CFU/ml [range: 4.000-1.000.000 CFU/ml]).
Brussels, Belgium; 3Slingeland Dierenartsen, Varsseveld, Netherlands; The mean colostral IgG concentration was lower than the 50
4
DGC Bekenland, Gelselaar, Netherlands. g IgG/l threshold in 8 out of 19 farms. Only 10 out of 19 farms
had a mean colostral Brix value of at least 22%. The medi-
Objectives: Because immunoglobulins cannot cross the an TBCC of the colostrum samples was higher than 100.000
epitheliochorial placenta of the cow during gestation, calves CFU/ml in 3 out of 19 farms. Between the farms, obvious dif-
rely on the passive transfer of immunoglobulin G (IgG) through ferences were observed. Certain farms (n=3) consistently pre-
consumption of sufficient amounts of high quality colostrum sented poor-quality colostrum (IgG below 50 g/l and / or TBCC
within the first hours after birth. Besides by the concentration above 100.000 CFU/ml) results, whereas other farms (n=4)
of IgG, colostrum quality is also determined by its bacterial showed colostrum samples that all were of good-quality.
contamination. To our knowledge, no recent data concerning Conclusion: The results of this field study indicate that
the colostrum quality of Dutch Holstein Friesian (HF) cows the colostrum quality of Dutch HF cows in general is rather
are available. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to as- poor, with nearly 40% of all samples not meeting the minimal
sess the colostrum quality from Dutch HF cows using different requirements for good-quality colostrum. The differences ob-
methods. The second aim of the study was to evaluate the served between the veterinary practices could indicate that in
influence of farm and veterinary practice on colostrum quality. some practices more attention is paid to the colostrum man-
Materials & methods: Two large Dutch veterinary practic- agement compared to others. Farm level analysis, however,
es participated in this field study. 86 Dutch HF colostrum sam- indicates that focused attention on certain farms may be nec-
ples were collected at the time of first colostrum feeding on 19 essary.
different commercial dairy farms. For the quantification of the Keywords: Dutch dairy cattle, Colostrum quality, IgG ELI-
IgG’s in colostrum, a commercial competitive ELISA-test kit SA, Brix refractometer, Bactoscan.
(BIO K420, MonoScreen QuantELISA Immunoglobulin Easy,
Bio-X Diagnostics S.A., Rochefort, Belgium) was used. Indi-
rect evaluation of the IgG concentration of the colostrum sam-
ples was performed using a digital Brix refractometer (Milwau-
kee Refractometer MA871, Milwaukee Instruments Inc., NC, HH-25
USA). On each occasion, the mean of three consecutive Brix
refractometric measurements was calculated and used for Association between prepartum nonesterified fatty acids
analysis. The relationship between the IgG concentration and serum concentrations and postpartum diseases in dairy
the Brix value of colostrum was investigated with a Pearson’s cows
correlation. The total bacterial cell count (TBCC) of the colos-
Isabella Nicola1, Hervé Chupin1, Jean-Philippe Roy1, Sébastien
trum samples was determined using a bactoscan automatic
Buczinski2, Véronique Fauteux1, Nicole Picard-Hagen3, Roger Cue4,
bacterial count reader (Bactoscan™ FC+, FOSS, Denmark).
Jocelyn Dubuc1.
The relationship between the IgG concentration and the TBCC
of colostrum was evaluated using a Spearman’s rank correla- 1
Université de Montréal, Saint Hyacinthe, Canada; 2Université de
tion. All statistical analyses were performed using R software Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Canada; 3Université de Toulouse, Toulouse,
(R Core Team, 2017). France; 4McGill University, Ste-Anne-De-Bellevue, Canada.
Results: The number of colostrum samples collected per

193
Objectives: The objective of the present study was to µEq/L for DA (OR 4.2, 95%CI: 2.9-6.1, P<0.01), ≥ 280 µEq/L
evaluate the association between prepartum nonesterified for CM (OR 3.4, 95%CI: 2.2-5.3, P<0.01), ≥ 260 µEq/L for cull-
fatty acids (NEFA) concentrations and development of posting (OR 4.7, 95%CI: 2.2-10, P<0.01).
partum diseases and culling occurring during the first 50 days Conclusions: These study results confirm the association
in milk (DIM). A secondary objective was to identify optimal between prepartum NEFA serum concentrations and post-
thresholds allowing identification of animals at greater risk of partum diseases (30 DIM) and culling (50 DIM). The optimal
diseases or culling. thresholds found in the present study were similar to those
Materials and methods: We conducted a prospective reported elsewhere. No association was found between NEFA
cohort study over a 1-year period on 50 commercial Holstein and PVD or CYTO, in accordance with previous studies. We
dairy farms that were regular clients of the Bovine Ambulatory can conclude that prepartum NEFA thresholds of ≥280 can
Clinic of the Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire of the Université help to identify animals at greater risk of developing diseases
de Montréal (St-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada). Herds were select- in the first 30 DIM or being culled in the first 50 DIM.
ed by convenience based on being enrolled in a preventive Keywords: Nonesterified Fatty Acids, Post-partum dis-
veterinary medicine program involving herd health visits ev- eases, Clinical mastitis.
ery 14 days, and on being willing to participate. At every herd
visit, blood samples were taken from all cows within 35 days
(±7) of subsequent predicted calving date. The samples were
centrifuged (3,500 rpm x 10 minutes) and sera were stored at
-20°C. After calving, the number of days between sampling
HH-26
and calving were calculated. Cows sampled between 1 and
14 days before calving were included in the study; their serum Relationship of nonesterified fatty acids with automated
samples were submitted for quantification of NEFA concentra- health-monitoring system variables and blood metabolic
tions. Data about diseases occurring during the first 50 DIM profile parameters in dairy cows
were collected. Disease definitions were standardized during
the study and included: retained placenta (RP; ≥24 hours after Dovile Malasauskiene1, Mindaugas Televicius1, Ramunas Antanaitis1,
calving); hyperketonemia (HK; BHBA ≥1.4 mmol/l) during the Vida Juozaitiene2.
first 15 DIM; puerperal metritis (MET) during the first 20 DIM LUHS VA Large animal clinic, Kaunas, Lithuania; 2LUHS VA
1
(fetid watery vaginal discharge with general signs of illness); Department of animal breeding, Kaunas, Lithuania.
displaced abomasum (DA) during the first 30 DIM; clinical
mastitis (CM) in the first 30 DIM (milk aspect alteration with or
without quarter swelling, with or without fever/anorexia); puru- Objectyves: The aim of this study was to assess the de-
lent vaginal discharge (PVD) at 35 ± 7 DIM inspected with a pendence of changes in nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) on
Metricheck device (threshold ≥ 3 based on McDougall et al., lactation number and to assess the relationship of NEFA with
2007), cytological endometritis (CYTO) measured at 35 ± 7 automated health-monitoring system biomarkers (AMS) vari-
DIM with a leucocyte colorimetric test (threshold ≥ 1). Diseas- ables and parameters of the blood metabolic profile in dairy
es were diagnosed by veterinary practitioners except for RP cows.
and mild or moderate case of CM. Descriptive statistics and Materials and methods: The study was conducted on 105
multivariable mixed logistic regression models were comput- clinically healthy cows of Lithuanian Black and White breed.
ed. Diseases and culling were considered to be the dependent Cows were grouped by lactation number: 1 (n = 30), 2 (n =
variables of each model. Independent variables included pre- 60), 3 (n = 15) and NEFA level: NEFA <0.3 (n = 67) and NEFA
partum NEFA serum concentration, parity, and season of calv- ≥0.3 (n = 38) (James K. Drackley, 2000). All samples for NEFA
ing. Herd was also included in the models as random variable. were analyzed using an automated wet chemistry analyzer
At first, NEFA concentrations were offered to the models as a (Rx Daytona, Randox Laboratories Ltd, UK) with using re-
continuous variable. Subsequently, for variables with signifi- agents (Rx Daytona, Randox Laboratories Ltd, UK). Blood se-
cant correlation with NEFA, NEFA concentrations were dichot- rum parameters, including NEFA, aspartate aminotransferase
omized in order to find the optimal thresholds using non-nest- (AST), albumines (ALB), and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT)
ed models (lowest AIC value). were examined using the Hitachi 705 analyser (Hitachi, Ja-
Results: A total of 1,299 cows were included in the study. pan), and DiaSys reagents (Diagnostic Systems GmbH, Ger-
The incidence of diseases was 10% for RP, 20% for HK, 16% many). Cortisol level was measured using the fluorescence
for MET, and 7% for DA, 13% for PVD, 40% for CYTO, 9% enzyme immunoassay method by Tosh Corporation AIA-360
for CM, 3% for culling. Overall, 47% of cows had experienced (USA). Milk yield (MY), progesterone and beta-hydroxybutyr-
at least one disease during the first 30 DIM. In the study, the ate (BHB) were registred from AMS Herd Navigator (LattecI/S.
NEFA concentration was associated with a greater risk of de- Hillerød. Denmark) in combination with a DeLaval milking ro-
veloping every individual disease for RP, HK, MET, DA and CM bot (DeLaval Inc. Tumba. Sweden).
(P<0.05); with a greater risk of developing any of the aforemen- Results: The average NEFA value for all cows was 0.145
tioned diseases in the first 30 DIM (P<0.05); and with a greater ± 0.013 (95% CI = 0.120-0.171). The study showed that
risk of being culled in the first 50 DIM (P<0.05). Based on the (NEFA) tends to increase with increasing lactation (y = -0.019x
lowest AIC value from non-nested models, the optimal NEFA + 0.1808; R2 = 0.9998, P <0.001).The average NEFA value
thresholds were ≥290 µEq/L for RP (OR 2.2, 95%CI: 1.5-3.1; in primiparous cows (0.162 ± 0.034) was 12.04% lower com-
P<0.01), ≥280 µEq/L for HK (OR 2, 95%CI 1.5-2.7; P<0.01), pared with lactation 2 cows and 23.46% lower compared to
≥300 µEq/L for MET (OR 4.0, 95%CI: 2.7-5.7; P<0.01) , ≥300 lactation 3 (P <0.05). Analysis of the estimated indicators by

194
level of NEFA indicated statistically higher values of albumins feeding. For each sample, Brix refractometry (Brix) was used
(ALB) (41.61%, P <0.001), aspartateaminotransferase (AST) to estimate IgG concentration and TBC and TCC were carried
(26.37%, P = 0.05), γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) (48.21%, P out using plate counts and PetrifilmsTM respectively.
= 0.04) and a lower value of milk yield (MY) (20.72). %, P = Brix, TBC and TCC were dichotomized to form categorical
0.015) in cows of the NEFA group ≥0.3 compared to the group outcome variables either falling below, or exceeding industry
of NEFA <0.3.NEFA values were reliably correlated with serum thresholds and multi-level logistic regression models were
ALB (r = 0.446, P = 0.001), AST (r = 0.292, P = 0.032), MY constructed using farm as a random effect.
(r = 0.296, P = 0.05) and milk progesterone (r = 0.371, P =
Results: Results for IgG concentration showed 111/252
0.006) and were negatively associated with GGT (r = - 0.298,
samples, (44.05 %) were below 22% Brix and 77/252 (29.76 %)
P = 0.028).
and 50/252 (19.84 %) exceeded the TBC and TCC thresholds
Conclusions: Acording our study NEFA concentration respectively. When industry recommendations, in terms of Brix
has tendency to change on different lactation number. Highest % and bacterial contamination, were considered only 99/252
NEFA concentration affect the concentration of some blood (39.29%) met all the criteria.
serum parameters. Our study showed that lower NEFA levels
Colostrum harvested from dams more than six hours after
were associated with higher productivity and lower cortisol lev-
calving was half as likely to exceed the Brix threshold of 22%
els in blood of dairy cows.
(reflective of adequate IgG concentration) (OR=0.47, 95%CI
Keywords: NEFA, dairy cows, health management. = -1.65–0.12, p = 0.09) compared with colostrum harvested
less than six hours after calving. Furthermore, colostrum that
was left in the collection bucket as opposed to being stored
or fed immediately post-harvest was found to be 28.09 times
(estimate = 3.34; 95%CI = 0.66–6.00) more likely to exceed
HH-27 TBC thresholds compared with colostrum that did not sit in a
collection bucket post-harvest (p = 0.014).
A description of colostrum quality on Scottish dairy farms
Conclusion: A large proportion of colostrum samples
and risk factors associated with poor colostrum quality
(60.71%) failed to meet Brix thresholds, bacterial thresholds or
Alexandra Haggerty1, Colin Mason2, Kathryn Ellis3, Katharine both. Colostrum management strategies can be a risk for poor
Denholm3. colostrum quality. Timing of colostrum harvest post calving
was associated with a colostrum Brix <22%, and time spent
The University of Glasgow/The Stewartry Veterinary Centre, Glasgow/
1
in the bucket prior to feeding or storing was associated with a
Castle Douglas, United Kingdom; 2The Scotland's Rural Colleges,
TBC exceeding 100,00CFU/ml. Poor colostrum quality could
Dumfries, United Kingdom; 3The University of Glasgow, Glasgow,
have significant impacts of calf health and welfare.
United Kingdom.
References:
Deelen, S. M. et al. (2014) ‘Evaluation of a Brix refractome-
Objectives: Poor colostrum quality is a major risk factor for
ter to estimate serum immunoglobulin G concentration in neo-
failure of passive transfer (FPT) in neonatal dairy calves. FPT
natal dairy calves’, Journal of Dairy Science. American Dairy
contributes to high incidences of calf morbidity and mortality
Science Association, 97(6), pp. 3838–3844. doi: 10.3168/
as well as more long-term detrimental effects on productivi-
jds.2014-7939.
ty (DeNise et al., 1989; Tyler et al., 1999; Faber et al., 2005).
The two main measures of colostrum quality are immunoglob- DeNise, S. K. et al. (1989) ‘Effects of Passive Immunity on
ulin (IgG) concentration and bacterial contamination (total bac- Subsequent Production in Dairy Heifers’, Journal of Dairy Sci-
teria counts (TBC) and coliform counts (TCC)). Brix refractom- ence. Elsevier, 72(2), pp. 552–554. doi: 10.3168/jds.S0022-
etry measures the total solids in colostrum by refraction of light 0302(89)79140-2.
and is highly correlated with IgG concentration (a threshold Faber, S. N. et al. (2005) ‘Case Study: Effects Of Colos-
of 22% is used to indicate adequate quality) (Quigley et al., trum Ingestion on Lactational Performance1’, The Professional
2013; Deelen et al., 2014). US industry guidelines for bacterial Animal Scientist. Elsevier, 21(5), pp. 420–425. doi: 10.15232/
contamination of colostrum state that TBC should not exceed S1080-7446(15)31240-7.
100,00CFU/ml and TCC should not exceed 10,000CFU/ml McGuirk, S. M. and Collins, M. (2004) ‘Managing the pro-
(McGuirk and Collins, 2004). The objectives of this study were duction, storage, and delivery of colostrum’, Veterinary Clinics
to: of North America - Food Animal Practice, pp. 593–603. doi:
• measure IgG concentration and bacterial contamina- 10.1016/j.cvfa.2004.06.005.
tion of colostrum at point of feeding to neonatal dairy Quigley, J. D. et al. (2013) ‘Evaluation of the Brix refrac-
calves. tometer to estimate immunoglobulin G concentration in bo-
• establish risk factors for poor colostrum quality on vine colostrum’, Journal of Dairy Science. Elsevier, 96(2), pp.
Scottish dairy calves. 1148–1155. doi: 10.3168/jds.2012-5823.
Materials and Methods: Thirty-eight farms in the Stir- Tyler, J. W. et al. (1999) ‘Partitioning the mortality risk
lingshire, Lanarkshire and Dumfries and Galloway regions of associated with inadequate passive transfer of colostral im-
Scotland were enrolled between February and June 2019. A munoglobulins in dairy calves.’, Journal of veterinary internal
farmer questionnaire was completed by interview, detailing co- medicine / American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
lostrum management practices. Two hundred and fifty-two co- John Wiley & Sons, Ltd (10.1111), 13(4), pp. 335–337. doi:
lostrum samples were collected by trained farm staff at point of 10.1111/j.1939-1676.1999.tb02191.x.

195
Keywords: Colostrum, Brix, Bacteria, Risk Factors. HH-29
Fresh cow’s diseases prevalence and consequences in 42

Spanish Dairy Farms
Marcello Guadagnini1, Noureddine Charfeddine2.
HH-28 1
Elanco Animal Health, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy; 2Confederación de
The carry-over effect of heat stress during late pregnancy on Asociaciones de Frisona Española (CONAFE), Valdemoro (Madrid),
production and functional traits in the offspring generation Spain.
Kipp Cordula1, Brügemann Kerstin1, Zieger Peter2, Mütze Katja3,

Möcklinghoff-Wicke Sibylle4, König Sven1. Objectives: The transition period is the most important
part of the lactation cycle for dairy farms profitability (Over-
Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Giessen,
1
ton T. 2001). Most diseases occur during the first month of
Giessen, Germany; 2Diamond V, Cedar Rapids, United States; 3Hessian lactation (Leblanc S. et al., 2006) and can have a big im-
Association for Performance and Quality Tests in Animal Breeding e. pact on productivity. CONAFE, supported by Elanco Animal
V., Alsfeld, Germany; 4Innovation Team Milk Hessen, Friedrichsdorf, Health, started in 2015 a new project called “I-SA” on health
Germany. traits monitoring with the aim of improving herd management
and genetic selection. The scope of this data analysis is to in-
Due to climate change, heat stress (HS) for dairy cows fre- crease the knowledge about fresh cow’s diseases prevalence
quently arises. HS has tremendous unfavorable direct effects in Spanish dairy herds, understand their risk factors and im-
pact on milk production.
on dairy cow traits. Additionally, the negative long-term effect
of in utero HS on birth weight, fertility and performance in the Materials and Methods: 42 Spanish dairy herds across
offspring generation under hot climate conditions have been the country have been voluntary enrolled into a fresh cow’s
observed. Regarding this background, the aim of this study diseases data collection. Diseases occurrence have been re-
was to analyze the carry-over effect of HS in terms of the av- corded by the farmer and transferred to the local DHI associ-
erage temperature-humidity-index (THI) during the last eight ation. Records include 18,043 lactations with 3 years calving
weeks of pregnancy on offspring performances. dates from 2016 to 2018. Attempts to reach disease recording
standardization have been made by providing disease defi-
In this regard, we considered a comprehensive dataset in-
nitions to farmers and suggesting to involve farm vets in dis-
cluding Hessian Holstein dairy cows from calving years 2003
ease diagnosis. Occurrence of the following diseases have
to 2013. THI was merged with fat content measured on first test
been recorded throughout the first 68 days in milk (DIM),
day (fat%; N=171,150), non-return-rate after 56 days of first
the highest 2nd test limit: Displaced Abomasum (DA), Clinical
insemination (NRR56; N=94,981), calving to first insemination
Mastitis (MAST), Retained Placenta(RP) and Metritis(METR).
interval after first calving (CFI; N=134,885), productive life (PL;
Other information proceed from the DHI database: herdcode,
N=119,599) and lifetime productivity (LTP; N=119,634).
birthdate, calving date, parity, somatic cell count (SCC) and
For THI 50–59 and THI ≥ 60 least squares means for fat% milk production at first and second test, BHB levels at first test
were substantially lower (4.21 % and 4.20 %, respectively) (except for 3 farms), 305 days milk production. First tests be-
than for THI ≤ 39 and THI 40–49 (4.24 % and 4.23 %, respec- tween 5 and 25 DIM having BHB levels >0,1 mmol/liter have
tively) (P < 0.0001). Moreover, offspring of mothers exposed been considered as Ketosis (Viña C. et al., 2017, Renaud D.
to THI ≥ 50 had a lower ability to conceive than offspring of L. et al., 2019); first tests having >200 000 SCC/ml have been
mothers exposed to THI ≤ 49 (80 % and 81 %, respective- considered as Subclinical Mastitis (Ruegg P. 2017). Other
ly) (P < 0.0318–0.0454). Calving to first insemination interval variables were created: first calving age in categories, esti-
(P < 0.0001) and PL (P < 0.0001) in the offspring generation mated cumulative production of the first 68 DIM (ICAR 2002).
were also significantly negative affected (CFI: THI ≤ 39: 88 Descriptive statistics and multivariate models have been used
days, THI ≥ 60: 91 days, PL: THI ≤ 39: 915 days, THI ≥ 60: to describe disease prevalence, determine risk factors and
889 days). Offspring of mothers, exposed to average THI quantify concequeces on milk production. Statistically signif-
≥ 60, produced 18,137 kg milk during life. In comparison, off- icant results were identified using a p<0.05.
spring of mothers, who experienced THI-values ≤ 39 during Results: The dataset is composed by 33% first lactation
late pregnancy, produced 18,422 kg (P > 0.0375). Epigenetic animals (parity 1), 27% second lactation (parity 2) and 39%
modifications triggered in the uterus can explain this long-term ≥3 lactations (parity 3+). Mean age at first calving was 25.3
influence on the offspring. months, with farm averages ranging between 23.4 and 28
Due to this detrimental effect across generations, an opti- months. Mean clinical diseases prevalence during the first
mized heat management during dry period is recommended 68 DIM was 3.11% for DA (0.76-7.73%) 4.58% for MAST (0-
to create optimal conditions in uterus for the fetus and thus, 35.91%), 8.50% for RP (1.21-20.90%), 10.29% for METR
set the base for best possible performance of the offspring in (0.56-30.94%). Ketosis prevalence was 23%, with a farm
adulthood and improved longevity. prevalence range 4.55-50%. 31% of the farms (n=12) had a
Keywords: In utero heat stress, dry period, fetus. Ketosis prevalence greater than 25%. Subclinical mastitis at
first test (5-35 DIM) was 21%. Statistically significant differ-
ences across parities were found for the risk of: DA (3+ vs.
2, Relative Risk (RR)=1.73 and 3+ vs. 1, RR=1.94), MAST
(3+ vs. 2, RR=1.86 and 3+ vs. 1, RR=2.24), RP (3+ vs. 2,

196
RR=1.36; 3+ vs. 1, RR=1.61; 2 vs 1, RR=1.17), METR (3+ vs. 2 million of liters sold. They owns 149 hectares of land and
2, RR=1.23 and 2 vs. 1 RR=0.80), Ketosis (3+ vs. 2, RR=1.23; heifers were reared into the farm. Farm C is a ATC* dairy farm
3+ vs. 1, RR=2.18; 2 vs 1, RR=1.33) and Subcl. Mastitis (3+ (*Agrarian Transformation Company ) with intensive manage-
vs. 2, RR=1.99 and 3+ vs. 1, RR=1.92). Age at first calving cat- ment system, containing an average of 110 milking cows in
egories had a correlation with Ketosis risk (>27mo vs. <24mo, production and 1,1 million of liters sold. They owns 60 hect-
RR=1.80) and Subclinical Mastitis risk (>27mo vs. 24-27mo, ares of land and heifers were reared by an external company.
RR=1.22 and >27mo vs. <24mo, RR=1.36). For the analysis of their economic results, both the CRG
Production losses at first test for ketotic cows vs. non-ketot- and the CRA were performed in the three dairy farms during
ic cows were 1.7 kg for lact=1 and 1.3 kg for lact>1 (p<0.0001). 2018, following the principles of the PGC. In the CRA, the
Production losses on 68 DIM cumulative production were 478 income and expenses corresponding to each of the defined
kg for DA, 179 kg for MAST, 163 kg for RP and 140 Kg for sections (dairy, land and rearing) were allocated, so that we
METR (p<0,0001). 305d milk losses were 725 kg for DA, 651 obtain three independent income accounts. The necessary in-
kg for MAST, 302 kg for RP and 173 Kg for METR (p<0.0001). formation is obtained from the following sources: Invoices of
Ketosis has not been included in the 305d milk model, as the expenses and income of the companies, official accounting
proper way to analyze ketosis lactational impact on milk proof farms, ReproGTV® (on-farm dairy management software)
duction is a testday model, which could not be built with cur- and Gescarro® (RMH® TMR software). All information is pro-
rently available variables (Gröhn Y. et al. 1999). cessed using the Excel 2016® program.
Conclusions: Once again, transition cow’s diseases im- Results: The results of the general accounting for the
portance have been demonstrated. Proper recording and three farms indicated that all of them obtained positive benefits
analysis can increase our knowledge of the real prevalence at during fiscal year 2018:
farm and country level, improve understandings of risk factors,
• Farm A: € 46.158 net profit, € 37,75 /1.000 liter of SCM*
estimate production losses and, finally, lead to a better transi-
sold (*Solid Corrected Milk: 4.0% fat, 3.3% protein) and
tion management and genetic selection.
a net sales benefit of 7.7%.
Keywords: Transition period, Dairy, Diseases, Spain.
• Farm B: € 95.147 net profit, € 47,60 /1.000 liter of SCM
sold and a net sales benefit of 9.7%.
• Farm C: € 32.403 net profit, € 29,95 /1.000 liter of SCM
sold and a net sales benefit of 6.9%.
HH-30 However, the CRA analysis indicated that the result of the
different sections evaluated was independent of the overall re-
Comparison between general and analytical results account sult, and also variable among the 3 dairy farms. Thus, in farm
in three Galician dairy farms. A descriptive evaluation A and C the sections Dairy and Land have yielded benefits (€
31.147 and € 2.283 for milk; € 24.457 and € 39.827 for Land,
Xosé Ramón Botana1, Juan Cainzos2.
respectively), while the Rearing section has been deficient for
AIRA Sociedad Cooperativa Galega, Taboada, Spain; 2Elanco Animal
1
both (€ -9.446 and € -9.707, respectively). In farm B the Land
Health, Greenfield, IN, United States. and rearing sections have yielded benefits (€ 135.202 and €
12.229, respectively), while the dairy section caused losses (€
-52.284 ).
Objectives: With the aim of evaluate the economic result
and the main areas of improvement, economic management Conclusions: Implementation of the CRG is an essential
programs have been implemented in Galician dairy farms. tool to evaluate the economic result of the farm in general, as
These economic evaluations are mainly based on the devel- well as to know the structure of expenses and incomes. This
opment of the general income statement (CRG) of the dairy evaluation helped us to visualize the CRA benefits to identify
farm activity based on General Accounting Plan 2007 (Real areas of improvement that CRG can not identify, due to the
Decreto 1514/2007, PGC) procedures. However, development fact that results of some sections can mask the results of oth-
of an analytical income statement (CRA) allowing the differen- ers.
tiation of the economic results of the main economic activities Keywords: Dairy,account,galician,economic,results.
present in dairy farms (Dairy – milk yield, Land - agricultural
production (corn and grass silage), and Rearing - replacement
heifers) was proposed. So, the objective of this study was to
verify if this analytical accounting could provide useful infor-
mation in the economic management of dairy farms compared
HH-31
with the income statement not split by sections.
Materials and methods: Three dairy farms (A, B, C) lo- Use of a real-time location system to detect cows in distinct
cated at Lugo province (Spain) with different business mod- functional areas within a barn
els were selected. Farm A is a dairy farm with intensive man-
J. M. Chapa1, L. Lidauer2, A. Berger2, M. Ohlschuster2, T. Potrusil2, M.
agement system, containing an average of 113 milking cows
Sigler2, W. Auer2, M. Azizzadeh3, M. Drillich1, M. Iwersen1.
in production, 1,23 million of liters sold and 56 hectares of
land. Heifers were reared by an external company. Farm B is 1
Clinical Unit for Herd Health Management in Ruminants, University
a cooperative dairy farm with intensive management system, Clinic for Ruminants, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary
containing an average of 218 milking cows in production and Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna,

197
Austria; 2Smartbow/Zoetis LLC, Weibern, Austria; 3Department of from SB was successful in predicting the position of an ani-
Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University mal in a specific functional area. The estimated times, which
of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran. an animal spent per hour in these specific areas were good.
Future research should focus on, whether these times could
be used as early indicators for disease, discomfort and to esti-
Objectives: Automated monitoring of animals by use of
mate the welfare status of an animal.
various sensor technologies is already used for many decades
on dairy farms. Recent research and development of new sen- Keywords: Animal tracking, dairy cow, precision dairy
sor technologies and features aim to further improve animal farming, real-time location system, time budget.
health, welfare, and management procedures. Modern sensor
technologies allow, among others, the tracking of animals in
real-time in a barn. This can be used, for example, to estimate
the time an animal spend at relevant ‘functional areas’ such as
the feed bunk, cubicles, or alleys. The resulting data can then HH-32
potentially be used as early indicators for disease, discomfort
and to estimate the welfare status of an animal. Application of Culling Form reveals patterns of dairy cow
culling reasons
In this field study, we tested the real-time localization sys-
tem (RTLS) of a commercially available system (SMARTBOW, Kerli Mõtus, Tarmo Niine.
Smartbow/Zoetis LLC, Weibern, Austria) to detect animals
Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia.
in predefined functional areas. The system consists of an
ear-attached accelerometer that sends low-frequency signals
to receivers, which transmit the data to a local farm server. Objectives: Culling dairy cows often occur as a result of
Based on the incoming data of individual animals, the server several, possibly related health issues however the registra-
software triangulates the location of an animal within the barn tion forms for culling reasons are mostly not designed to cap-
in real-time. The objective of this study was to determine the ture the chain of the health problems that eventually lead to
accuracy of the system to predict the location of the cow and culling. The aim of this study was to develop and implement
the agreement between visual observations (VO) and RTLS a Cow Culling Form (CCF) to reveal diseases or conditions
observations for the total time spent by cows in relevant areas resulting with culling, and their combinations. Also, farmers´
of the barn. behaviour in marking culling reasons was analysed.
Material and methods: The study was conducted in May Materials and methods: The CCF developed to capture
2019 on a commercial dairy farm in Austria, housing approx- the culling reasons of cows slaughtered and dead on-farm was
imately 35 Brown Swiss cows. The SMARTBOW (SB) tags based on the Certificate of Death developed by McConnel and
were attached to the left ears of the animals. In advance of Garry (2017). It registered the general information of the cow,
the study, functional areas of interest (i.e. the feed bunk, cubi- asked the respondent to list all diseases or conditions that
cles, and alleys) were predefined in the software of the sensor could predispose or result in cow slaughter or death together
system. Cows were video recorded for three consecutive days with the time of onset and details about recovery. Also, it was
using 9 digital cameras (DS-2CD2642FWD-IZS, Hikvision, asked to list all diseases the cow suffered in the ongoing lacta-
Hangzhou, China). From these recordings, approximately 1 tion (date of onset, diagnosis, overall treatment protocol) and
h was selected randomly each day for every cow (3 d × 35 describe other problems or chronic diseases / conditions the
cows). For each minute of an hour, animal position within a cow had. Respondent was also asked to mark the culling rea-
specific functional area was visually observed and labeled by son that was inserted to the Estonian Livestock Performance
use of specialized software for video analyses (Mangold Inter- Recording Ltd (ELPR) database for the culled cow.
act, Mangold International GmbH, Arnstorf, Germany). Data In eight dairy farms, CCF was completed for every culled
of the video observations (VO) served as gold standard in this cow within the 12 months period. All completed CCFs were
study. A total of 6,030 pairs of location data, derived from VO interpreted by the authors and were coded into underlying
and the SB system, were used for statistical analyses. Cate- (disease or condition which initiated the possible chain of con-
gorical data were used to estimate the agreement between the secutive diseases or problems), intermediate, immediate (se-
two methods. For each functional area of interest, the sensitiv- quentially the last disease or disorder due to which the cow
ity (Se), specificity (Sp), and accuracy (Acc) were calculated. died or was sent for slaughter), and influential culling reasons
The total time spent (min/h) per cow in the specific areas was (other diseases or problems that were outlined by the respon-
analyzed using Spearman correlations. dent as being related with culling but were not considered to
Results: Overall, a Cohen´s kappa of 0.78, indicating a be biologically related with other culling reasons). Based on
‘substantial agreement’, between VO and SB was obtained. the CCF data, culling code including three culling reasons (im-
Se and Sp were determined for locating the cows in the alley mediate, intermediate/influential and underlying) was created
(74.0 and 91.2%), feed bunk (93.5 and 86.2%), and cubicle for each cow applying the extended coding system developed
(90.5 and 83.3%), respectively, and overall accuracy of 87.6%. by McConnel and Garry (2017).
The correlation between VO and SB for the ‘total time’ an an- Results: The mean number of cows in eight study herds
imal spent within an hour in alleys, at the feed bunk, and in was 383 cows (range 126-564). The mean yearly cow culling
cubicles was ‘good’ to ‘strong’ with correlation coefficients of rate of the study farms was 31.8% (range 23.0-40.7%) and the
0.82, 0.98, and 0.92, respectively. average on-farm mortality was 9.3% (range 3.7-18.5%).
Conclusions: Overall, the real-time localization feature Altogether, 686 and 250 CCFs of slaughtered and dead

198
cows were analysed in this study, respectively. Out of 686 Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna,
slaughtered cows 14 (2.0%) were culled due to voluntary rea- Austria; 2Zoetis International, Dublin, Republic of Ireland; 3Zoetis
sons, i.e. due to low milk yield only. Deutschland GmbH, Berlin, Germany.
The number of unique three-reasons culling codes were
261 for slaughtered cows and 119 for cows that died on-farm. Objectives: Rumination is an essential part of the physiol-
The most frequently identified underlying culling reasons in ogy of dairy cows. In this context, rumination activity is consid-
slaughtered cows were generic lameness (20% of slaughtered ered as a useful indicator for early detection of diseases and
cows), impaired fertility (19.1%), abortion (9.8%), mastitis metabolic disorders.
(8.5%), leg injury (5.8%), sole ulcer (4.2%) and metabolic dis-
orders (3.8%). For the dead on-farm cows leg injury (14.8%), The accelerometer-based sensor system SMARTBOW
liver pathology (12.0%), milk fever (7.2%), generic lameness (SB, Smartbow/Zoetis LLC, Weibern, Austria) provides health
(7.2%), intestine inflammation (5.2%), mastitis (4.8%), dys- alerts based on individual thresholds of rumination patterns
tocia (4.4%), sudden death (4.0%), displaced abomasum in dairy cows. Detailed knowledge about the association be-
(3.6%), uterine torsion (3.2%), metabolic disorders (3.2%) and tween sensor-based rumination patterns and rumen physiol-
ketosis (2.8%) were identified most often as underlying culling ogy would help to interpret the clinical significance of rumina-
reasons. tion alerts. To the authors knowledge, no research has been
carried out into the interaction between rumination alerts and
In general, the culling reason marked into the ELPR da-
changes of rumen fluid in dairy cows. These results could lead
tabase more often concured with the underlying culling rea-
to a better interpretation of sensor-based rumination alerts.
son (72.6% and 63.6%) than with immediate reason (62.5%
and 61.2%) identified from the CCFs of slaughtered and dead Material & Methods: The study was conducted between
cows, respectively. April and October 2021 on a conventional dairy farm in the
north of Germany, housing approximately 1900 Holstein-Frie-
Conclusions: In general, herds that were included in the
sian cows fitted with SB ear tags. According to our study 102
study had relatively high culling and mortality rates. Only neg-
cows were matched in pairs based on the appearance of a
ligible proportion of culls were voluntary reflecting deteriorated
rumination alert (ALRT) vs. no rumination alert (NALRT) and
cow health and welfare also restricting the economic return of
the lactation status. NALRT cows had to meet health criteria
dairy farming.
including a rectal temperature of < 39.5 C° and no signs of
Improved registration of culling reasons is needed to sup- lameness (Sprecher >2). SB algorithms provided an ‘acute ru-
port informed herd-based decisions. Diagnosis tree, together mination alert’ and a ‘long-time rumination alert’ which were
with more broader disease categories, should be available in presented in Smartbow software and sent to a mobile device.
the recording systems to capture the relevant details related A rumination alert was considered as valid if it persisted for at
with death and slaughter. It is imperative to identify the trig-
least 12 h, and the sample of rumen fluid was collected within
gering diseases or conditions to help to break the chain of se-
the first 12 h of the alert.
quential diseases that eventually cause culling. A tool which
provides guidance to farmers through recording all important Rumen fluid was taken twice using an oral stomach tube
diseases and disorders, associated with culling, could be de- (SELEKT Rumen Fluid Collector, Nimrod Veterinary Products,
veloped. Moreton-in-Marsh, UK). The first extraction (Ex1) was per-
formed at the beginning of the alarm and the second extraction
Acknowledgements: Authors are grateful to all farm-
(Ex2) after the end of the alarm. The cows’ status (ALRT vs
ers and veterinarians who were involved in this study. This
NALRT) of each sample was blinded prior to examination by
work was supported by Estonian Research Council Grant
replacing the animals’ identification number with a sample
(PSG268).
number randomly assigned by a second person.
Literature: McConnel, C., Garry, F., 2017. Dairy cow mor-
The following parameters were examined in each sam-
tality data management: the dairy certificate of death. Bov.
ple: (1) rumen pH and redox potential by a portable electronic
Pract. 51, 64–72.
pH-meter (G1501 Serie, GHM Group Greisinger, Regenstauf,
Keywords: Dairy cow, slaughter, death, causes, data reg- Germany; pH electrode GE 114-WD; redox electrode GR 175
istration. BNC), (2) duration of methylene blue reduction time and sed-
imentation/flotation time, (3) microscopic evaluation of proto-
zoa in a counting chamber (Fuchs-Rosenthal, Paul Marienfeld
GmbH & Co.KG, Lauda-Königshofen, Germany).
To investigate potential differences in rumen physiolo-
HH-33 gy parameters between ALRT and NALRT, the rumen fluid
Association between rumination patterns detected by an parameters of the groups were compared at both extraction
ear-tag based accelerometer system and rumen physiology times (Ex1 and Ex2) by the Mann–Whitney U-test. For the
in dairy cows detection of changes in rumen physiology within each group
during the extraction period, rumen fluid parameters between
Anne Simoni1, Felix König1, Karina Weimar1, Andrew Hancock2, Ex1 and Ex2 were compared for each group by related-sam-
Christian Wunderlich3, Marcus Klawitter3, Thomas Breuer3, Marc ples Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
Drillich1, Michael Iwersen1.
Results: The rumen parameters: pH, redox potential,
Clinical Unit for Herd Health Management in Ruminants, Universitiy
1
methylene blue reduction time and sedimentation/flotation
Clinic for Ruminants, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary time differed significantly between ALRT cows and their NAL-

199
RT counterparts at Ex1 (P < 0.01). In contrast the number of centration was calculated according to published equations.
protozoa showed significant differences between groups at Body weight of calves was estimated using a heart girth tape.
Ex1 and Ex2 (P < 0.01). No differences were apparent for For each cow, records regarding calendar season and age
the other parameters at Ex2. The rumen fluid parameters of at calving, milk yield of previous lactation, dry period length,
ALRT cows reached alignment with the values of their NALRT time interval between calving and colostrum collection (TI) and
partners during the extraction period, except for the number body condition score (BCS) at calving were available. Target
of protozoa. Furthermore, ALRT animals differed in all rumen colostrum criteria were: a) colostrum TS content ≥22% (indic-
fluid parameters within the extraction period (P < 0.01) while ative of IgG content ≥50g/L), b) colostrum yield ≥4kg, c) 200g
those of NALRT cows remained constant. IgG in ≤4kg of colostrum and d) IgG quantity equal to 0.5% of
Conclusions: The rumen fluid parameters were within calf body weight in ≤4kg of colostrum. Criteria (a) and (b) are
the physiological ranges for ALRT and NALRT cows at both individual colostrum traits while criteria (c) and (d) combine
extraction times, but a higher variation was in ALRT cows at quality and quantity traits and represent practical recommen-
Ex1 was found. Higher variations in rumen fluid parameters of dations regarding colostrum administration to newborn calves.
cows with rumination alerts could indicate a higher vulnerabil- Effects of calendar season, age at calving, milk yield of pre-
ity to rumen health disorders. Considering the regeneration of vious lactation, dry period length, TI and BCS on colostrum
protozoa to be a continuous process, protozoa were not able criteria were assessed with univariate general linear models.
to fully replicate themselves until Ex2, which justifies the differ- Farm was fitted as a random effect and all other factors as
ence existing between ALRT and NALRT animals at Ex2. The fixed ones in the models.
collection of rumen fluid shows snapshots of rumen physiolo- Results: Target values were not met by 18.3%, 25.4%,
gy in matched cows during and after rumination alert. Further 23.5% and 19.8% of samples, for the 4 criteria, respectively.
research might focus on continuous measurement options for Farm (P<0.05), age at calving (P<0.05) and TI (P<0.05) had
detecting rumen fluid parameters of cows at different health a significant effect on all criteria. Older cows produced colos-
levels. trum of better quality and in higher quantities. When TI was
Keywords: Rumen fluid, rumination time, health alert, ru- longer, colostrum yield was higher but quality was lower. Ade-
men disorders, accelerometer. quate IgG quantity (≥200g and ≥0.5% of calf body weight) in a
target colostrum quantity (≤4kg) was easier to achieve when
TI was shorter. Autumn was the season with the highest quali-
ty (criterion a, P<0.05) but colostrum yield (criterion b, P<0.05)
was low. Adequate IgG quantity (≥0.5% of calf body weight) in
HH-34 a target colostrum quantity (≤4kg) was more difficult to achieve
during winter (criterion d, P<0.05). Previous lactation milk yield
Single and combined quality and quantity criteria of bovine (P<0.05) and BCS at calving (P<0.05) had a positive signif-
colostrum and factors affecting them icant effect only on colostrum yield (criterion b). Dry period
length had a significant positive effect on colostrum yield (cri-
Aikaterini Soufleri1, Georgios Banos2, Nikolaos Panousis3, Georgios terion b, P<0.05) but a negative one (P<0.05) on criterion c;
Arsenos1, Georgios E. Valergakis1. adequate IgG quantity (≥200g) in a target colostrum quantity
1
Laboratory of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, (≤4kg) was more difficult to achieve when the dry period length
School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 was >85 days.
Thessaloniki, Greece, Thessaloniki, Greece; 22Laboratory of Animal Conclusions: Milking cows immediately after calving is a
Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, School of Health Sciences, highly beneficial practice, resulting in colostrum of best quan-
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece/ tity and quality combined, in most cases. Negative effects on
Scotland's Rural College/Roslin Institute, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, colostrum quality associated with season, age at calving and
Thessaloniki, Greece; 3Clinic of Farm Animals, Faculty of Veterinary dry period length were identified; however, they are inevitable
Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, under practical farm conditions. Recommended management
54124 Thessaloniki, Greece, Thessaloniki, Greece. practices (stock of frozen colostrum) can help overcoming
them. The consistent effect of farm on all colostrum criteria
Objectives: Colostrum administration ensures passive necessitates the investigation of management factors asso-
transfer of immunity to newborn calves. The common rec- ciated with it.
ommendation is to provide colostrum of adequate quality Keywords: Dairy cow, colostrum quality.
(IgG≥50g/L, Brix value ≥22%) and quantity (4kg), as soon as
possible after calving. The objective of this study was to eval-
uate the effect of various management and cow factors on co-
lostrum quality and quantity.
Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in 10
commercial dairy herds in Northern Greece, from February
2015 to September 2016. A total of 1,013 Holstein cows and
their calves were included in the study. All cows were milked
completely 232±195 minutes after calving, colostrum yield
was recorded and a sample was collected. A Brix refractome-
ter was used cowside to measure % total solids (TS); IgG con-

200
HH-35 that fat cows mobilized at the same time proportionally more
muscle reserves than normal and thin ones. Moreover, signif-
Factors affecting the skeletal muscle reserves during the icant differences were detected among herds in each time-
transition period in Holstein cows point. Differences among parities were more obvious during
Nektarios Siachos1, Nikolaos Panousis2, Georgios Oikonomou3, the dry period.
Georgios E. Valergakis1. Conclusions: Negative protein balance of transition Hol-
stein dairy cows begins pre-partum and lasts until about 3
1
Laboratory of Animal Husbandry, Veterinary Faculty, Aristotle
weeks post-partum. Mobilization of muscle reserves differed
University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece; 2Clinic of Farm
among parities, body condition scores and herds. Determina-
Animals, Veterinary Faculty, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki,
tion of specific herd factors affecting its variation is an essen-
Thessaloniki, Greece; 3Institute of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Health
tial step in developing appropriate management measures.
and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom.
Keywords: Longissimus dorsi, transition, dairy cattle.
Objective: Association of dairy cow energy balance during

the transition period with health status and performance has
been thoroughly investigated. On the other hand, research on
protein balance during the same period is limited. The objec-
tive of this study was to assess factors affecting protein bal- HH-36
ance, expressed as skeletal muscle tissue reserves, during Assessing the predictive capacity of a health monitoring
the transition period in Holstein cows. system based on body condition score at the herd level
Materials and methods: Two-hundred and thirty-eight
multiparous cows in different parities (2: n=101; 3: n=72; 4+: Ramiro Rearte1, Nicolás Lorenti2, Germán Domínguez3, Rodolfo
n=65) from 6 Holstein dairy farms were included in this cohort Luzbel De La Sota1, Isabel Lacau - Mengido4, Mauricio Javier
study. Body condition score (BCS) and longissimus dorsi mus- Giuliodori1.
cle thickness (LDT) of each cow was assessed at 7 time-points 1
Instituto de Investigaciones en Reproducción Animal (INIRA),
relative to calving: -45d; -21d; -8d; 0d; +8d; +21d and +28d, by Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata
the first author. Cows were scored for BCS on a 5-point scale (FCV-UNLP), La Plata, 30, Argentina; 2Actividad privada, Brandsen,
with 0.25-unit increments; LDT was measured by ultrasonog- Buenos Aires, 2, Argentina; 3Actividad privada, Venado Tuerto, Santa
raphy, using a 5.0-7.5 MHz linear transducer. The probe was Fé, 4, Argentina; 4Comisión Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y
placed perpendicular to the vertebral column on the transverse Tecnológicas (CONICET), CABA, 30, Argentina.
process of the 4th lumbar vertebra, using ultrasound gel as a
couplant. When a clear image was captured, LDT was mea-
sured at the site of the larger diameter of the muscle between Objectives: The objectives of the current study were: 1- to
the fasciae. Cows were classified as thin (BCS <3.00), normal define the herd threshold for cows with poor body condition
(BCS 3.00–3.50) or fat (BCS >3.50) at their first assessment. based on its predictive capacity for disease risk at the herd
The fixed effects of herd, time-point, parity, dry period dura- level, and 2- to estimate the impact measures on disease rates
tion, milk production of previous lactation, BCS_class, and the due to body condition indicators in the transition period.
interactions of herd, BCS_class and parity with time-point on Material and methods: Data from two commercial graz-
LDT measurements were assessed with repeated measures ing dairy herds (Herd A=5,034 and herd B=7,965 lactations)
linear mixed models, accounting for the random variation of from Buenos Aires Province, Argentina were used to per-
each cow’s measurements. Factors with non-significant ef- form a longitudinal retrospective study during a 4-year peri-
fects at the P>0.20 level, were excluded from the final model. od (January 2014-December 2017). Health, reproductive and
The appropriate covariance structure was selected resulting in body condition score (BCS) records were gathered. The BCS
the lowest Akaike’s information criterion value. Analysis was (5-point scale) was performed by farm personnel at calving
performed with IBM SPSS v.25. (C-BCS), and at the end of the voluntary waiting period (40
Results: On a descending F-value order, time-point, and 50 days in milk [DIM] in herds A and B, respectively) by
BCS_class, herd, BCS_class × time-point interaction, herd × one of the authors. The difference between both measures of
time-point interaction, parity and parity × time-point interaction BCS was used to assess the change in body condition loss
had significant effects on LDT measurements. The effect of (∆BCS). All the cows not bred by 70 DIM were checked for
dry-period duration, although non-significant (P=0.144), re- anestrus (AN [yes/no]; defined as the absence of corpus lute-
mained in the final model as a covariate. On average, cows um and a flaccid uterus). For herd monitoring, calving cohorts
gained ca. 5% (P<0.001) muscle thickness from -45d (esti- of 21-day were defined at each HERD (A or B) and PARITY
mated marginal mean ±se: 34.0mm ±0.4) until -21d (estimat- (primiparous vs. multiparous cows) through the entire study
ed marginal mean ±se: 35.4mm ±0.4). Between -21d and period. The frequency of cows with CBCS<3 or ∆BC>-0.5
-7d, LDT practically stabilized (estimated marginal mean ±se: (BC%) at each cohort were calculated and used to define po-
35.2mm ±0.4). Then, they lost ca. 26% (P<0.001) muscle sition measures (quartiles) through the whole study period, at
thickness until +21d (estimated marginal mean ±se: 26.0mm each HERD and PARITY level. Quartiles were used, one at
±0.4); LDT measurements appeared to stabilize again until a time, as the threshold to dichotomize the cohorts (i.e.; over
+28d (estimated marginal mean ±se: 25.6mm ±0.4). Fat cows and above threshold) to predict the risk that a cohort has a fre-
had significantly higher LDT measurements than normal and quency of AN over the median. The sensibility (SE), specificity
thin ones from -45d up to 0d and +7d, respectively, meaning (SP), area under the curve (AUC), and odds ratios (OR) for

201
each threshold were estimated, and the higher AUC was used improving proper health management. The aim of the follow-
as selection criterium to determine the herd level threshold at ing trial was to compare the efficacy of an automated health
each HERD and PARITY level. Another visual approach was monitoring system vs an intensive standardized health scoring
performed for herd monitoring by calculating the population at- system in a US dairy nursery.
tributable fraction (AFP) of anestrus rate to body condition indi- Materials & Methods: For 9 months, a total of 586 fe-
cators at each cohort, for every HERD and PARITY level. The male calves were monitored from 1-2 days of age until day
AFp was calculated from the adjusted risk ratio that was esti- 90, at weaning. The animals were reared in single hutches
mated by adjusting a stratified logistic model, for each HERD and were nipple fed. An ear monitoring tag (Allflex® Livestock
and PARITY level, which explain AN by main categorical pre- IntelligenceTM) was applied to automatically monitor the health
dictor of body condition status (CBC<3 or ∆BC>-0.5; yes/no), of each calf. The tag monitors the calf’s behavior on a min-
and adjusted by calving season, calving year, and parity. ute-by-minute basis and uses a proprietary algorithm to cal-
Results: According to the AUC, the herd threshold in prim- culate an individual health index every hour. The health index
iparous cows was the 2nd quartile (BC%= 6%, [AUC=0.679; values range from 40 to 100. The lower the value, the more
OR=4.545; SE=69.2%; SP=66.6%]) in Herd A. Providing that severely sick the calf is. All monitored calves were also evalu-
these cohorts having more than 6% of cows with poor BCS ated daily using a modified Wisconsin scoring system. Data on
had 4 times higher odds for having anestrus rates over the milk refusals, treatments, and mortalities was also captured.
herd median, the predictive capacity is moderate due to the Rectal temperature was additionally measured for calves with
estimated AUC, Se and Sp. Similarly, the 2nd quartile (BC%= one or more of the following: milk refusal, a total respiratory
74%) in primiparous cows was defined as the herd threshold score equal or greater than 4, a fecal score of 2 or 3. Based on
in Herd B [AUC=0.673; OR=1.485; Se=66%; Sp=68%]. Re- the collected health records, each Sickness Event evaluated
garding multiparous cows, the herd threshold was set in the with the modified Wisconsin scoring system was classified as
3rd quartile (BC%= 20%, [AUC=0.574; OR=2.212; Se=81.5%; mild, moderate, or severe. Mild cases were not considered for
Sp=33.3%] in Herd A, and in the 1st quartile in Herd B (BC%= treatment. Farm and trial personnel were blinded to all data
78%, [AUC=0.611; OR=3.448; Se=37%; Sp=85%]). calculated by the automated monitoring system.
The 21-day anestrus rate in primiparous and multiparous Results: From the standardized health scoring evaluation,
cows was higher in herd B than in herd A. In herd A, the median 522 calves (89%) had at least one sickness event, and 265
AFp in multiparous was 0.36 [Inter Quartile Range (IQR)=0.58], calves (45%) had at least one moderate or severe sickness
which means that around 36% of anestrus events would have event. Average length of sickness events was 2.6 days. Ac-
been avoided if no cows would have poor BCS (assuming a cording to the automated monitoring system, average of the
causal relationship between BCS and anestrus). On the other minimal daily health index (HI) was 97.51±0.02 for healthy
hand, multiparous cows in Herd B, most of the time anestrus
days. Average of the minimal daily HI was 85.54±0.40,
events were fully explained by the BCS (median AFp=0.98;
82.03±0.52, and 78.76±1.65 for mild, moderate, and severe
IRQ=0.51). However, in those cohorts where anestrous inci-
sickness events, respectively.
dence was high, the AFp decreased in both herds.
As the user can tune the desired sensitivity, the perfor-
Conclusions: We concluded that indicators of BCS are
mance of the automated health monitoring system was eval-
associated with the risk for anestrous at the herd, but their
uated using a HI score of 86 as a low sensitivity threshold for
application as a monitoring tool has a limited predictive capac-
sickness (86-T), and 90 as a high sensitivity threshold (90-T).
ity. Therefore, other exploratory models such as those using
For 86-T, overall sensitivity and specificity were 63.6% and
impact measures (e.g.; AFp) could represent a more useful
96.9%, respectively. Sensitivity for mild, moderate, and severe
approach for monitoring performance during the transition pe-
cases was 56.7%, 73.3%, and 77.3%, respectively. For 90-T
riod at the herd level.
overall sensitivity and specificity were 75.7% and 92.4%, re-
Keywords: Body condition score, Anestrus, Herd monitor- spectively. Sensitivity for mild, moderate, and severe cases
ing, Dairy cows. was 71.1%, 82.2%, and 84.1%, respectively. Detection time
(requiring continuous alert by the system) relative to treatment
time by the farmer was 11 and 16 hours earlier for 86-T and
90-T, respectively. Severe cases detection time relative to
treatment time by farmer was 27 and 37 hours earlier for 86-T
HH-37 and 90-T, respectively.
Comparative case of Automated Health Monitoring and Conclusions: Our results indicate that the automated
Health Scoring systems for dairy suckling calves monitoring system (Sensehub Dairy, Allflex® Livestock Intel-
ligenceTM) equals or betters an intensive health management
Eran Friedman1, Doron Zahavi1, Dan Navon1, Elimelech Schreiber1, system, while enabling to reduce the dependency on skilled
Hagen Wile1, Brandt R Kreuscher2, Juan Pedro Campillo1. labor. In addition, it provides the health index value that re-
1
Allflex Livestock Intelligence, Netanya, Israel; 2Allflex Livestock flects the calf’s sickness severity. Thus, providing another tool
Intelligence, Madison, Wisconsin, United States. to improve health management and decision making.
Keywords: suckling calves, health index, monitoring,
dairies.
Objectives: Calf health control is one of the biggest chal-
lenges for dairy farms. Dairy producers have now access to
new technologies to monitor the health of suckling calves,

202
HH-38 reach 60lb (27L) at week 4 post-calving. Between July and De-
cember, after the automated monitoring implementation, 1,794
Changing the Course of Fresh Cows by Using Objective cows calved. Of these, only 29 (1%) failed to reach at least
Monitoring 60lb (27L) at week 4 post-calving.
Travis Towns1, Brandt Kreuscher1, Juan Pedro Campillo2. Average milk yield at week 4 post-calving in cows (≥2 lac-
tations) that calved between January and June was 101.4lb
Allflex Livestock Intelligence, Madison, Wisconsin, United States;
1
(45.9L). Cows with 2 lactations produced 103.8lb (47L), and
Allflex Livestock Intelligence, Madrid, Spain.
2
cows with 3 or more lactations produced 99.5lb (45L). Average
milk yield at week 4 post-calving (>2 lactations) in cows that
Objectives: The implementation of an effective postpar- calved between July and December was 105.6lb (48L). Cows
tum health control program is probably one of the main man- with 2 lactations produced 103.5lb (47L) and cows with 3 or
agement goals of dairy farms. It is estimated that approximate- more lactations produced 107.2lb (48.6L).
ly 75% of disease in dairy cows typically happens in the first Conclusion: The results of this study indicate benefits of
month after calving (LeBlanc et al., 2006). Conditions such as implementing an automated monitoring system (Allflex® Live-
ketosis, metritis, endometritis, displaced abomasum, and re- stock IntelligenceTM) for postpartum cow health on this particu-
tained placenta have a direct negative impact on reproductive lar farm. Objective health assessment compared to visual ob-
performance and milk yield during the current lactation. Choice servation reduced labor skills impact and identified sicknesses
and efficacy of postpartum health screening methods depend earlier, in both the fresh and early lactation groups. This ap-
on many factors including farm size, labor experience, and fa- peared to contribute to an improvement in daily milk yield by
cilities. Visual observation is probably the most often used but 4lb (2.1L) per cow and reduced the percentage of ≥2 lactation
is not always accurate or efficient. The aim of this study was to animals that did not reach 60lb (27L) at week 4 post-calving
evaluate the impact of using insights from an automated mon- from 10% (calving from January through June) to 1% (calving
itoring system (Allflex® Livestock IntelligenceTM) on postpar- July through December).
tum cow health by measuring milk yield performance at week Keywords: Postpartum, health, monitoring, fresh cows,
4 post-calving in a commercial dairy farm in the US. milk yield.
Materials & Methods: In May 2019, a US Midwest dairy
farm, milking approximately 5,500 cows implemented the in-
sights generated by an automated monitoring system (Allflex®
Livestock IntelligenceTM) to identify sick animals in the post-
partum period (calving to 4 weeks). Every postpartum cow HH-39
was wearing a collar device that monitors cow behavior on a
continuous basis. Based on these data, the monitoring system Effect of twice vs. thrice milk replacer feeding/day on
calculates a rolling health index (HI), estimating the possible productive and health parameters in Holstein calves
sickness status based on individual animal pattern changes. Ángel Revilla-Ruiz1, Eduardo De Mercado2, Alejandro Pérez-
The HI range is from 0 to 100; the lower the value the more Navarro3, Patricia Carulla4, Adrián Ramón-Moragues5, Andrea
probability of animals being sick. This system provides the López-Saturnino6, M Luz Pérez Solana2, Sonia Pérez-Garnelo2,
user with a health report listing animals with a Health Index be- Fernando Estellés7, Arantxa Villagrá4, Francisco Sebastián3, Susana
low 86 to be checked for sickness. Prior to May 2019, the post- Astiz2.
partum group was locked up daily for individual visual health
observation; body temperature was checked only if animals
1
Medicine and Surgery Department, Veterinary Faculty, Complutense
were identified as sick by the farm staff. Animals were treated University of Madrid, Puerta de Hierro Avenue s/n, 28040 Madrid,
following the farm protocol. Cows assessed as healthy were Spain; 2Animal Reproduction, INIA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain; 3COWVET,
moved to the general lactation pens before passing 4 weeks valencia, Spain; 4IVIA, valencia, Spain; 5Facultad de Veterinaria,
post-calving. After the system was installed, only animals in- UCM, Madrid, Spain; 6Facultad de Veterinaria , UCM, Madrid, Spain;
cluded in the health report were evaluated in the fresh pen, re-
7
ETSIAMN, UPV, valencia, Spain.
ducing the time the pen was locked up. The system also iden-
tified cows for whom the movement to the general lactation Objectives: The management of calves and their health
pen was too early or otherwise problematic. No other relevant from the early stages is a fundamental aspect that can influ-
transition management changes took place except the imple- ence their entire productive life. Nutritional strategies during
mentation of an automated monitoring system. To assess the lactation are essential to ensure the proper growth of calves
impact of this monitoring system on that farm, the average milk on the farm and their welfare. Historically, calves have been
yield and the percentage of cows producing less than 60 lb (27 fed twice a day because producers milked cows twice a day.
liters) at week 4 post-calving were evaluated. Only cows in the However, calves nurse their mothers more than 6 times per
2nd or higher lactation that calved during 2019 and with milk day. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare two
yield data available at week 4 were included in this analysis. different nutritional management of dairy calves with an iso-
Comparative results pre and post implementing of the system caloric diet administered twice or three times daily, evaluating
were analyzed. its effect on productive and health parameters, up to 4-4.5m
Results: The results for 3,501 cows which calved be- of age.
tween January and December were analyzed. Out of 1,707 Material & methods: The study was carried out in a com-
cows calved between January and June, 183 (10%) did not mercial rearing farm (Cowvet SL) in Valencia, Spain. We in-

203
cluded 288 Holstein calves between 5 and 38 days of age at special regard to ultrasonographic measurement of backfat
entry, randomly distributed (block randomization controlling thickness. J Dairy Sci. 89(1): 1-14. doi: 10.3168/jds.S0022-
farm of origin and entry weight) into two feedings per day 0302(06)72064-1.
“2Fd” group or “3Fd” group, both groups of equal size (n = Mahendran, S.A., Booth, R., Beekhuis, L., Manning, A.,
144/group). The diet consisted of 6l per day of milk replac- Blackmore, T., Vanhoudt, A., Bell, N. 2017. Assessing the ef-
er without casein, formulated specifically for the farm (7% fects of weekly preweaning health scores on dairy calf mortal-
protein, 17% fat, 0.1% fiber; 1% calcium; 0.6% phosphorus ity and productivity parameters: cohort study. Vet Rec. 181(8):
and all recommended trace elements and vitamins) until 196. doi: 10.1136/vr.104197.
weaning. The calves had ad libitum starter and water from
Keywords: Nutritional Managment, Rearing, Dairy, perfor-
the day of entry. The parameters studied were: Weight (kg),
mance.
Ultrasonographic score respiratory disease (USRD; 0-5; ac-
cording to Ollivett and Buczinski 2016), backfat thickness by
ultrasound (BF; mm; Schröder and Staufenbiel, 2006) and
calf health score (CHS; 0-21, according to Mahendran et al.,
2017) at three moments: 1) Farm entry (16.9±8.6 days old);
2) Weaning (53.8±3.3d) and 3) Grouping in growing batches HH-40
(148.2±27.4d). The average daily weight gain (AWDG; kg/d)
Efficacy of the oral administration of specific
was calculated between moments.
immunoglobulins against e. coli, Rota- and Coronavirus
We analyzed the effect between the 2Fd and 3Fd groups for the prevention of neonatal calf diarrhea in dairy herds
at each time point using non-parametric tests (non-normal
distributed variables). Differences over time and interactions Olivier Nussbaum1, Richard Eicher2, Josef J. Gross3, Rupert M.
between factors were assessed with repeated measures Bruckmaier3.
ANOVA, including weight and age at entry as covariates (IBM 1
Vet. Practice Abgottspon, Schwyz, Switzerland; 2Clinic for Ruminants,
SPSS® Statistics v. 25.0). Data are expressed as mean ± Division Herd Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne,
standard deviation. Switzerland, Bern, Switzerland; 3Veterinary Physiology, Vetsuisse
Results: Age at entry was kept in the model of repeat- Faculty, University of Berne, Switzerland, Bern, Switzerland.
ed measures (P<0.05). We found no significant differenc-
es between the treatments at any moment for Weight (En-
Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the
try: 43.5±6.5 vs. 44.1±7.7; Weaning: 63.8±7.4 vs. 64.9±8.8;
efficacy of a concentrate of specific immunoglobulins against
Grouping: 163.2±32.3 vs. 162.3±32.9 for 2Fd and 3Fd, re-
E. coli F5/K99, Rotavirus and Coronavirus (Locatim®) given
spectively); for USRD (Entry: 2.03±0.2, vs. 2±0.2; Weaning:
orally in addition to the dam`s colostrum to the calves for pre-
1.95±0.5 vs. 1.8±0.6; Grouping: 2.1±0.25 vs. 2.1±0.25 for 2Fd
vention of Neonatal Calf Enteritis (NCE).
and 3Fd, respectively); for Backfat (Entry: 3.2±0.5 vs. 3.1±0.4,
Weaning: 4.2±0.3, vs. 4.2±0.3, Grouping: 5.4±0.2 vs. 5.5±0.3 Material & Methods: A total of 489 calves from 35 central
for 2Fd and 3Fd, respectively), and AWDG (Entry-Weaning: Swiss herds without history of vaccination against NCE were
0.5±0.2 vs. 0.6±0.2, Weaning-Grouping: 0.8±0.2, vs. 0.8±0.2, included: 246 in the LOCATIM® group and 243 in the PLACE-
and Entry-Grouping: 1±0.3 vs. 0.9±0.2 for 2Fd and 3Fd, re- BO group. Within herds, calves were alternatively given either
spectively). 60 ml of LOCATIM® or PLACEBO orally shortly before the first
colostrum meal. LOCATIM® is a biological medicament man-
The health score (CHS) was significantly (P<0.05) high-
ufactured from colostrum of cows hyper-immunized against E.
er in the 2Fd group calves (1.8 ± 0.51 vs.1.66 ± 0.57). This
coli F5, Rotavirus and Coronavirus, containing high levels of
seems to indicate that feeding the calves three times per day
specific IgG to be given orally to the calf during the first hours
could be associated with a better health condition of the calves
of life. Every calf received the dam’s colostrum according to
until weaning, but we did not observe any effect of the treat-
the routine practice of the farm.
ment studied (two vs. three feedings) over time in any other
variable assessed. The farmer registered the clinical scoring of diarrhoea
during the first 14 days of life. Diarrhoea score was defined ac-
Conclusions: The nutritional regimen of three feedings/
cording to following criteria: 0=no diarrhoea; 1=light diarrhoea
day could have a beneficial effect on lung health in rearing
without medical treatment; 2=severe diarrhoea requiring oral
calves until weaning, but this improvement does not induce
treatment; 3=more severe diarrhoea requiring parenteral rehy-
higher growth-rates, nor better health rates, long-term.
dration or leading to death. Before treatment, a faeces sample
Funded by CDTI (Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico was analysed for the presence of pathogens with a rapid im-
Industrial; Ministerio de Ciencia e, Innovación; proyecto CD- munochromatographic strip test (Speed® V-Diar 4).
TI-IDI-20200936.
A colostrum sample of the first milking was taken by the
References: farmer. After at least three feedings, blood samples were
Ollivett, T.L., Buczinski, S. 2016. On-Farm Use of Ul- taken from each calf by a veterinarian. Blood samples were
trasonography for Bovine Respiratory Disease. Vet Clin analysed for total protein and IgG concentrations as well as
North Am Food Anim Pract. 32(1): 19-35. doi: 10.1016/j. for titers of specific antibodies against Rotavirus and E. coli
cvfa.2015.09.001. F5. Colostrum samples were analysed for total protein and
Schröder, U.J., Staufenbiel, R. 2006. Invited review: IgG-levels.
Methods to determine body fat reserves in the dairy cow with Statistical analyses: Univariable Chi-square analysis

204
was performed for diarrhea scores against all explanatory HH-41

variables. For the multivariable logistic regression analysis, all
explanatory variables with a univariable Chi-square p-value < Cost-benefit analysis of vaccination against Bovine
0.15 were included in the starting model. Non-significant vari- Respiratory Disease
ables were successively withdrawn with backwards elimina- Bart Van Den Borne1, Geert Vertenten2, Robert Lavan3, Henk
tion until only variables with a p-value < 0.05 were included. Hogeveen1.
The titers of the specific antibodies were logarithmically 1
Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands; 2MSD Animal
transformed and means were compared using the Student's
Health, Boxmeer, Netherlands; 3Merck Animal Health, Madison,
T-test. As the transformed variables were still slightly skewed,
United States.
an additional comparison of the median was performed with a
non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis analysis.
Results: In 28 of 35 herds (80%), at least 1 calf had some Objectives: Rearing young stock provides the future
kind of diarrhoea. A total of 138 calves (28.2%) suffered from cows for a dairy farm. It entails, however, a large proportion
diarrhoea during our study, 65 calves (13.3%) showed moder- of the cost price of milk (5-10 %). One of the diseases as-
ate to severe signs of diarrhoea (scores 2/3) requiring treat- sociated with rearing young stock is Bovine Respiratory Dis-
ment. Four calves died in the first two weeks of life (mortality ease (BRD), which negatively impacts the health of the animal
rate 0.82%). All 4 calves received the placebo. during its rearing phase as well as its performance during the
first lactation. Vaccination is a possible management strategy
The proportion of calves with diarrhoea was significantly
against BRD. It reduces the number of cases in dairy herds
lower in the LOCATIM group (21 calves = 8.5%) than in the
but its cost-effectiveness has not been determined yet. The
PLACEBO group (44 calves =18.1%). The crude Odds Ra-
aim of this study was to assess the net economic benefit of
tio (OR) was 0.42 (p = 0.002). In the final multivariable logis-
vaccination against BRD.
tic regression model, the OR was even slightly lower (0.39,
p=0.001). Materials and methods: An existing calf level, bio-eco-
nomic simulation model was adapted to first estimate the
There were no differences in serum total IgG or specific
distribution of rearing costs under Dutch circumstances from
antibodies against E. coli F5 and Rotavirus within treatment
two weeks of age until first calving and subsequently estimate
groups and between sick or healthy calves.
the distribution of costs and revenues during the first lacta-
Conclusion: Even in a region with good general manage- tion. The model simulates calf growth stochastically using
ment of dairy calves and good overall colostrum quality, the a two phase growth function and incorporates the temporal
oral application of a concentrate of specific immunoglobulins uncertainties of BRD with the associated effects on morbid-
against E. coli F5, Rotavirus and Coronavirus was effective to ity and mortality until first calving. The model was extended
reduce the occurrence of NCE. The odds of getting NCE was with a Wilmink lactation curve and culling rules to simulate
statistically reduced (OR = 0.387) in the LOCATIM® group. milk production and the associated effects of BRD throughout
As the serum concentrations of IgG and specific antibod- the first lactation until drying off. The model was adapted to
ies measured 2-3 days after birth were not different between compare the effect of two injections with a multivalent inac-
groups, the hypothesis concerning the mechanism of action for tivated vaccine (Bovilis® Bovipast RSP, MSD Animal Health)
the clinical difference is that the protective effect was caused at the age of 2 and 6 weeks with a default scenario without
by antibodies present in the "kill zone" of the gut before the vaccination. An efficacy of 80% was assumed. All model input
first contamination to support the local immunity in the very was based on scientific literature and, if not available, expert
early phase. knowledge. Output of the model consisted of non-economic
Furthermore, the high level of the serum concentration of output such as BRD incidence, birth weight, first calving age,
specific antibodies was possibly achieved earlier in the LO- weight, milk production and culling incidence. Economic out-
put included healthcare costs (vaccination costs, prevention
CATIM® group, leading to a more efficient protection against
costs and treatment costs), feed costs, barn costs, breeding
infection.
costs, labour costs, depreciation costs, and milk and slaughter
From a clinical point of view, the application of a sterile revenues. Total rearing costs and production revenues were
solution containing high levels of specific antibodies against E. estimated using 10,000 simulations. A sensitivity analysis was
coli F5, Rotavirus and Coronavirus given orally to the calf be- performed to investigate the effect of vaccine efficacy, BRD in-
fore the first colostrum meal, appears to be a valuable solution cidence risk, and other input parameters on the net economic
to reduce the risk of neonatal calf enteritis in addition to good benefit of vaccination.
management practices.
Results: BRD incidence and death during the rearing
Keywords: Calves, Neonatal diarrhea, Prevention, Spe- phase and milk production of completed first lactations were
cific antibodies. 26.9%, 5.6% and 8117 kg on average, respectively, in the de-
fault scenario whereas they were 13.9%, 3.2%, and 8143 kg in
the vaccination scenario. Reduced treatment costs (€4 vs €2
per animal) and reduced costs due to mortality (€41 vs €29)
during the rearing phase only partially compensated the costs
associated with vaccination (€25). However, increased rearing
costs (€1727 vs €1735) were compensated by increased prof-
its during the first lactation. Milk revenues (€2833 vs €2842)
and revenues due to culling (€26 vs €28) were higher for the

205
vaccination scenario than for the default scenario. This result- discounts for milk fat and protein content. Changes in herd
ed in an overall net economic benefit of €9 for each animal health, production and economic performance over two years
reaching its first dry-off. The model was sensitive to the BRD were analyzed to evaluate the impact of the implementation of
incidence risk and the efficacy of the vaccine. The net eco- herd health programmes.
nomic benefit became positive when the BRD incidence risk Results and Discussion: During the study period, cat-
was around 18% assuming an 80% vaccine efficacy. tle health improved in most areas that were consulted by the
Conclusions: The estimates from this model are as- veterinarians. Still, in some farms an increase of disease in-
sumed to be conservative since only the effect of clinical BRD cidence and associated costs occurred. In some cases this
was simulated. Literature on production effects of subclinical could be explained by an improved disease detection and
BRD was scarce and was therefore not incorporated in the more complete registration of the disease data instigated by
simulation model. Moreover, the vaccine efficacy of 80% was the consulting veterinarians. In general, the incidence of first
hypothetical given the lack of good data on this important input month calf diarrhea reached below 20% by the end of the
parameter. Nonetheless, this bio-economic simulation study study in four herds but constant increasing trend of the diar-
showed that young stock vaccination against BRD is econom- rhea incidence occurred in one herd. Cost of antimicrobials
ically beneficial in dairy herds. used for the treatment of calfhood diseases decreased by 56%
Keywords: Bovine Respiratory Disease, vaccination, cost on average over four farms (could not be analysed in one farm
benefit, dairy, Netherlands. due to lack of data). On average, the length of calving interval
decreased from 412 to 396 days across five farms. The level
of somatic cell count decreased in two herds but increased in
three herds. In total, the number of clinical mastitis cases de-
creased from 54.1 to 41.6 cases per 100 cow/year. The linear
trend of subclinically infected mastitis cows decreased in four,
HH-42
but increased in one farm. Proportion of cows with a diagnosis
Conducting herd health program in large commercial dairy of hoof diseases decreased from 27% to 22% within two study
herds – impact on herd health and farm economy years averaged over five farms.
The positive impact of the HHPM implementation was also
Kerli Mõtus, Ants-Hannes Viira, Kalmer Kalmus, Ants Kavak, Helis illustrated by the change in the economic performance of the
Luik-Lindsaar, Piret Kalmus. farms. While the weighted average of the herd health related
Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia. costs for the study period was EUR 22 per tonne of milk pro-
duced, the costs decreased by an average of EUR 7-8 per
tonne of milk produced in four farms by the end of the study.
Introduction: Veterinary herd health and production man- The main economic costs associated with livestock health
agement (HHPM) programmes are defined as certain activi- were the cost of medicines (36%), discarded milk (34%) and
ties aimed to maintain the health and productive capacity of milk price discounts due to lower content of milk fat and protein
farm animals at the most efficient level while ensuring the (15%).
farm's competitiveness and profitability. Although implement-
Conclusions: In general, implementation of HHPM pro-
ed in several countries the content and methods of these
grammes improved animal health and productivity and, as a
programmes vary. The health and economic impacts of imple-
result, the economic performance of the farms.
menting HHPM in large commercial dairy farms are not widely
studied and previous studies have even shown controversial Keywords: Herd health, economy, dairy herd, commercial
results. The aim of the present study was to analyse the health farm, Estonia.
and economic consequeces of implementing dairy herd health
programmes in large commercial dairy herds.
Material and methods: Five dairy herds with loose-hous-
ing cowsheds were enrolled in the study including roughly 100,
600, 600, 700 and 1700 dairy cows, respectively. Between HH-43
April 2017 to March 2019 HHPM programme was implement-
Evaluation of Failure of Passive Transfer in neonatal dairy calves
ed in these herds. In every quarter, four visits were performed
in the Netherlands
by four herd health veterinarians covering the following topics:
youngstock health and infectious diseases, udder health and Pleun Penterman, Ruben Tolboom, Geert Vertenten.
milk quality, cow and heifer fertility, metabolic diseases and
MSD Animal Health, Boxmeer, Netherlands.
claw health. After each visit a summary report including anal-
ysis of the herd health data and the problem analysis together
with recommendations for improvement was submitted to the Objective: The absorption of maternal immunoglobulins in
farm managers. In all farms herd health and production-relat- the small intestine during the first 24 hours after birth, termed
ed data as well as farm treatment records were summarized passive transfer, helps to protect the calf against common
on a monthly basis. Also, the following herd health related endemic disease organisms until its own immature immune
costs were analyzed routinely: cost for medicaments, value of system becomes fully trained and functional. Colostrum man-
discarded milk, heifer rearing costs related with delayed calv- agement is the single most important management factor in
ing, lower milk yield associated with longer calving interval, determining calf health and survival. Although good progress
costs for sperm and artificial isemination and extra charge or has been made in the past years, there remains a consider-

206
able opportunity for many dairy farmers. A recent US study HH-44

reported Failure of Passive Transfer (FPT) to affect 15.6% of
calves tested, indicating a need for continued efforts to im- Feeding calves with pasteurized colostrum and
prove colostrum management. The objective of this study was milk improves health in heifers and has a positive long-
to obtain prevalence data on FPT in dairy calves in The Neth- term effect on their productive performance
erlands and to identify risk factors for FPT at herd level. Ramon Armengol1, Lorenzo Fraile2.
Material and Methods: Neonatal dairy calves (n = 274) 1
Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain; 2Agrotecnio Center, Lleida, Spain.
from several commercial farms in the Netherlands were en-
rolled in the study. Only calves aged between 2 and 7 days
were included in the trial. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to ob-
Serum samples were tested at Royal GD Deventer (The serve whether feeding female calves with pasteurized co-
Netherlands) with a validated turbidimetric assay on a clinical lostrum and cow's milk improved future reproductive perfor-
chemical analyzer. mance, productive parameters and health over the course of
the heifer-rearing process and the three first lactations.
Different cut-off values for FPT and for evaluation of colos-
trum management were used to analyse test results. A cut-off Materials and methods: We carried out a study feeding
value for FPT was defined as a serum gamma-globulin level calves non-pasteurized and pasteurized colostrum and cow’s
lower than 10 g/L (Gay, 1983); a second cut-off value of 15g/L milk under the same environment and management condi-
serum gamma-globulins was also used based on studies by tions. Female calves born during 2013 and 2015 entered the
Furman-Fratczak and colleagues (2011) and Windeyer and study at 22 days of age, after having received pasteurized co-
colleagues (2014) showing that dairy calves with serum IgG lostrum and milk (P group, n= 127) or non-pasteurized colos-
levels greater than or equal to 15 g/L experienced lower rates trum and milk (NP group, n= 134) during the first 21 days of
of respiratory disease. In addition, the revised individual and life. All calves submitted to study showed a total serum protein
herd-based evaluation standards by Godden and colleagues, ≥5.8 g/dL between day 2 and 5 of life. Calves were randomly
2019 were used.These include ranking in 4 categories: excel- grouped during the rearing period mixing animals from groups
lent (≥ 25.0 g/L), good (18.0-24.9 g/L), fair (10.0-17.9 g/L), and NP and P. During heifer rearing, reproduction parameters
poor (<10 g/L). These categories can be applied to individual (number of artificial inseminations (AI) per pregnancy), pro-
calves and to the operation for herd-based evaluation based duction parameters (body weight (BW) and average daily gain
on the percentage of calves that should be represented in (ADG)) and health parameters (Bovine respiratory disease
each category. (BRD) and diarrhea) were recorded. Productive (305-d milk
On each farm the following information was gathered to yield, life milk yield and ADG), reproductive (AI per pregnancy
identify risk factors for FPT: number of lactating cows, young- and calving interval), and health parameters (milk somatic cell
stock raised on the dairy farm, number of animals younger count (SCC/mL)) and age at culling were also recorded in a
than 1 year, number of animals between 1 and 2 years, av- follow-up study for 6 years (2013 to 2019). Suitable statistical
erage age at first calving, vaccination against respiratory dis- analyses were carried out to decipher the effects of the experi-
ease, vaccination against scours, prevalence of scours, prev- mental group (P or NP) on productive performance throughout
alence of respiratory disease and neonatal mortality. the study.
Results: The average as well as the median of the se- Results: A total of 261 female Holstein calves entered the
rum gamma-globulin level in the sampled animals was 16 g/L study (134 in the NP group and 127 in the P group). Of these,
ranging between 0 and 35 g/L. When using a cut-off value 216 reached at least first parturition (NP=110 and P=106),
of 10g/L, 21% of the animals experienced FPT, while using 184 reached second parturition (NP=90 and P=94) and 139
a cut-off value of 15g/L would mean that 44% of the animals reached third parturition (NP=71 and P=68). We did not ob-
experienced FPT. serve significant differences in the probability of reaching the
first, second or third parturition between the two groups.
When using the four categories defined by Godden and
colleagues, 11% of the samples were excellent, 33% good, Feeding on-farm pasteurized colostrum and milk during
35% fair and 21% poor. These results are worse than the the first 21 days of life reduces morbidity of bovine respiratory
proposed distribution reflecting good colostrum management disease during the first year of life and diarrhea during the first
(>40% excellent, ~30% good, ~20% fair and <10% poor). 180 days of life. In heifers that never reached first parturition
(NP group=24 vs. P group=21), morbidity from both diarrhea
At the moment of submission of the abstract, the farm in-
(P=0.0492) and BRD (P=0.2797) was lower in the P than in
formation was not collected yet. This will be presented in the
NP group. Similar trends were seen in animals that reached
final presentation during the World Buiatrics Congress. The
first parturition and differences were significant for both dis-
aim is to identify risk factors for FPT on calf and herd level.
eases (BRD; P=0.02111 and diarrhea; P=0.0341). Moreover,
Conclusion: Depending on the used threshold 21 to 44 it increases ADG from birth to first calving (P=670.5±5.6
percent of neonatal calves in this study experience Failure of vs. NP=616.2±6.2 g/day) and increases BW after first
Passive Transfer. Although good progress has been made in (P=531.7±3.8 vs. NP=492.6±3.8 Kg), second (602.2±4.6
the past years, there remains a considerable opportunity to vs. NP=575.1±4.6 Kg) and third lactation (P=645.9±5.3 vs.
improve the colostrum management practices on Dutch dairy 626.4±5.3 Kg). Finally, it also significantly increases milk pro-
farms. duction at first lactation (P=10,147±160 vs. NP=9,574±209
Keywords: Failure of Passive Transfer, dairy calves, kg). However, there were no differences in relation to repro-
Netherlands, colostrum. duction performance and health of cows between animals be-

207
longing to the NP or P group. terial cell count of > 100.000 CFU/ml were also classified as
Conclusion: Colostrum and milk pasteurization for dairy poor-quality colostrum. All statistical analyses were performed
calves improves health and production parameters in heifers using R software (R Core Team, 2017).
and cows, and has a positive long-term effect on cow’s pro- Results: Colostrum from Belgian Blue cattle contained on
duction parameters. average 81,24 ± 24,90 g IgG/l. The IgG concentration ranged
Keywords: Colostrum, milk, pasteurize, long-term effects, from 24,90 to 150,00 g/l. The Brix value of the colostrum from
dairy. Belgian Blue cattle had a mean of 25,27 ± 4,05 % (range:
16,77 – 36,40 %). A low non-significant negative correlation
was found between the IgG concentration and the Brix value
of colostrum samples from Belgian Blue cows (rpearson = -0,16;
CI95% [-0,38 to 0,07]; p = 0,172). The bactoscan values of the
colostrum samples were highly skewed and were, therefore,
HH-45
analysed using non-parametric methods. The colostrum sam-
Is Brix refractometry an appropriate on-farm tool for ples from Belgian Blue cattle had a median total bacterial cell
measuring the IgG concentration in colostrum of Belgian count of 5.500 CFU/ml (range: 4.000 – 390.000 CFU/ml).. The
Blue cows? IgG concentration was lower than the norm of 50 g IgG/l in
8,22 % of the colostrum samples. The total bacterial cell count
Geert Hoflack1, Pleun A.A. Penterman2, Geert Vertenten2, Bart was above the acceptable threshold of 100.000 CFU/ml in
Sustronck1. 5,48 % of the colostrum samples. Combining these two quality
MSD Animal Health, Brussels, Belgium; 2MSD Animal Health,
1 parameters (IgG concentration and bacterial count) 13,7 % of
Boxmeer, Netherlands. the colostrum samples were classified as poor-quality colos-
trum.
Conclusions: The colostrum quality of Belgian Blue cows
Objectives: Transfer of passive immunity through the ad-
can be classified as high since 92 % of the samples had an
ministration of colostrum is essential in bovine neonates be-
IgG concentration of at least 50 g IgG/l. Concerning bacteri-
cause the epitheliochorial placenta of cows is impermeable for
ological contamination, 95 % of the colostrum samples from
immunoglobulins (Ig). Adequate transfer of passive immunity
Belgian Blue cattle were clean, defined as < 100.000 CFU/
can only be achieved when calves are fed sufficient amounts
ml. When both quality criteria are taken together, more than
of good-quality colostrum shortly after birth. Colostrum quali-
85 % of the colostrum samples from Belgian Blue cows ful-
ty is mainly determined by its concentration of immunoglobu-
filled the requirements for high-quality colostrum, suitable for
lins. However, the degree of bacterial contamination can have
administration to new-born calves. In this study, no correlation
a negative impact on the intestinal absorption of these Ig’s.
could be found between the IgG concentration, as measured
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the quality of
by competitive ELISA and the digital Brix refractometric value
colostrum of Belgian Blue cows considering not only the IgG
of colostrum from Belgian Blue cows. Hence, Brix refractome-
concentration but also the bacterial load of the colostrum. Ad-
try seems inaccurate for the assessment of IgG concentration
ditionally, the accuracy of indirect evaluation of the IgG con-
in Belgian Blue cow’s colostrum.
centration of colostrum from Belgian Blue cows by means of a
digital Brix refractometer was assessed, as this is considered Keywords: Belgian Blue cattle, colostrum quality, IgG con-
a handy cow-side on-farm tool. centration, Brix refractometry , Total Bacterial Count.
Materials & Methods: For this field study, 23 Belgian bo-
vine practices participated in the collection of colostrum from
freshly calved Belgian Blue cows. On 69 commercial Belgian
Blue farms, a total of 76 colostrum samples were collected.
Sampling occurred immediately after caesarean section. Co- HH-46
lostrum samples were stored at -20°C until further process-
Evaluation of metabolic health by pooled sample metabolic
ing. IgG concentrations were measured using a commercial
profiling on 305 Flemish dairy herds
competitive ELISA-test kit (BIO K420, MonoScreen QuantELI-
SA Immunoglobulin Easy, Bio-X Diagnostics S.A., Rochefort, Angelique Rijpert-Duvivier1, Koen De Bleecker2, Pieter Taelman3,
Belgium). Indirect evaluation of the IgG concentration of the Herman Deschuytere4, Johan Schaep2, Jos Van Eecke5, Julien Evrard6,
colostrum samples was performed using a digital Brix refrac- Robert J. Van Saun7.
tometer (Milwaukee Refractometer MA871, Milwaukee Instru- 1
Angelique Rijpert-Duvivier Senior Technical Consultant Ruminants
ments Inc., NC, USA). On each occasion, the mean of three
Elanco Benelux, Utrecht, Netherlands; 2Animal Health Care Flanders
consecutive Brix refractometric measurements was calculated
(DGZ), Torhout, Belgium; 3Elanco Belgium, Antwerpen, Belgium;
and used for analysis. The relationship between the IgG con- 4
Vetshops, Izegem, Belgium; 5Hapco.Farm, Horebeke, Belgium; 6Arsia,
centration and the Brix value of the colostrum samples was
Ciney, Belgium; 7Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802-
investigated with a Pearson’s correlation. Total bacterial cell
3500, United States.
count of the colostrum samples was determined using a bac-
toscan automatic bacterial count reader (Bactoscan™ FC+,
FOSS, Denmark). Colostral IgG concentrations of < 50 g/l or a Objectives: Monitoring metabolic health of transition
colostral Brix value of < 22% were considered as poor-quality cows using pooled serum sample metabolic profiling (PMP)
colostrum. Furthermore, colostrum samples with a total bac- has been well described and reduces laboratory costs con-

208
siderably. PPM, including 21 biomarkers, was commercially take was seen most frequently in P1. For key areas, liver func-
introduced in Flanders (Belgium) by Animal Health Care Flan- tion, antioxidants and DMI, P1 was most often impacted, fol-
ders (DGZ) in October 2020. Furthermore, DGZ developed lowed by P2, whereafter P3 seems to recover. Big deviations
an interpretation tool which presents results in a web diagram were found for Cu and Zn key area in all production groups.
containing 8 metabolic key areas (Metabolic Scan). Study ob- Further investigation is needed to see whether a low uptake, a
jectives were to evaluate metabolic profile results for close-up, poor homeostatic character of both elements or an erroneous
fresh, and peak lactation cows from Flemish herds pooled and reference value is responsible for this observation. The macro
analyzed at the DGZ-laboratory between 12 October 2020 and mineral key area showed the least deviation within all produc-
12 December 2021. tion groups. A state of inflammation was most often found in
Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis was P2, followed by the P1 cows. Key area’s NEB-ketosis, water
carried out. Beef cattle samples, incomplete and outlier re- intake, Cu and Zn, antioxidants and DMI showed correlation
sults were excluded (50 profiles and 42 herds). Finally, 368 in percentages of animals at risk for all 3 production groups,
submissions from 305 different farms were analyzed and indicating a need for further evaluation of farm management,
included 288, 265, 245 pooled sample metabolic profiles of feeding, cow comfort, animal welfare and preventative strat-
following production groups: close-up (P1: 21-3 days prior to egies.
calving), fresh (P2: 3-21 days in milk (DIM)), and peak lacta- Keywords: Metabolic profiling; pooled samples; transition.
tion (P3: 60-120 DIM) cows, respectively. Statistical analysis
was performed using JMP computational software (version 15,
SAS Institute Inc.). Evaluation included pool results and cor-
responding percentages of abnormal values per pool (meth-
odology of Van Saun) for the following biomarkers: albumin, HH-47
alpha, beta and gamma globulins, total protein (TP), beta hy-
droxybutyrate (BHB), calcium (Ca), chlorine (Cl), creatinine, Effect of initial health status in Holstein calves on
phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), potassium production and health parameters
(K), non-esterified-fatty-acids (NEFA), selenium (Se), urea, vi-
Ángel Revilla-Ruiz1, Eduardo De Mercado2, Alejandro Pérez-
tamin E, copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), gamma glutamyl transferase
Navarro3, Patricia Carulla4, Adrián Ramón-Moragues4, Andrea
(GGT) and beta-carotene. Based on the biological significance
López-Saturnino5, M Luz Pérez Solana2, Sonia Pérez-Garnelo2,
for interpretation, individual biomarker results were assigned
Fernando Estellés6, Arantxa Villagrá4, Francisco Sebastián3, Susana
to metabolic key areas. Subsequently, results were converted
Astiz2.
into the percentage of animals at risk for these 8 key areas:
Ketosis-negative energy balance (NEB-ketosis): BHB and 1
Medicine and Surgery Department, Veterinary Faculty, Complutense
NEFA; water intake: Cl and Na; liver function: GGT and urea; University of Madrid, Puerta de Hierro Avenue s/n, 28040 Madrid,
Cu and Zn; macro minerals: Ca, Mg and P; antioxidants: vita- Spain; 2Animal Reproduction, INIA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain; 3Cowvet
min E, Se and beta-carotene; inflammation: alpha and gamma SL, Valencia, Spain; 4IVIA, Valencia, Spain; 5Facultad de Veterinaria,
globulins, TP; dry matter intake (DMI): TP, albumin and urea. UCM, Madrid, Spain; 6ETSIAMN, UPV, Valencia, Spain.
The key area results were categorized into 2 groups: CatA (0-
20% at risk) and CatB (21-100% at risk).
Objectives: Health status can affect productivity and
Results: We found that 23%, 31% and 46% of the submis- growth especially in the first growth periods of calves. The
sions contained 1, 2 or 3 production groups, respectively. The animals, at farm entry, are evaluated for their health status
mean herd size was 187 (range 25 to 1955). Herd numbers using a "calf health score” (HSc; Wisconsin Health-Score; Ma-
located in Antwerp, Limburg, East Flanders, West Flanders, hendran et al., 2017), which evaluates different health aspects
and Flemish Brabant (provinces) were 104, 21, 73, 94 and 13, simultaneously (rectal temperature, cough, nasal discharge,
respectively. eye discharge, ear posture and fecal score), giving a higher
The following results concerning CatB are in order of P1, score to those animals with the worst health status (0-21). The
P2 and P3, respectively. In the NEB key area, 48, 58 and 42% aim of this study was to evaluate how different productive and
were classified in CatB. The key area of water intake showed health parameters evolved in animals up to 4-4.5m of age with
39, 22 and 24% in CatB. In the key area liver function 47, 35 different health status at farm entry.
and 22% of the samples were found at CatB level. For the Material & methods: We randomly selected 235 calves
key area Cu and Zn 83, 82 and 78% were found in CatB. The from a commercial rearing-farm (Cowvet SL), Valencia, with
macro mineral key area showed 18, 20 and 9% CatB results. an entry age of 5–38 days of age. All animals were evaluat-
For the antioxidant status, the percentages were 75, 55 and ed by a modified version of the Wisconsin-Health-Score, and
26 respectively. In the inflammation key area 41, 46 and 22 % we categorized them into three study groups: HSc1 (HSc
was found. Finally, the DMI key area showed 72, 54 and 22% value=1; n=70), HSc2 (value=2; n=128) and HSc3 (value=3;
in CatB for P1, P2 and P3 respectively. Significant correlation n=37). We did not select calves with a value> 3 (only 5 in-
(p < 0.05) was found between key area percentages of all 3 dividuals). Calves had ad libitum starter and water from the
production groups for NEB-ketosis, water intake, Cu and Zn, day of entry. The parameters studied were: weight (kg), ul-
antioxidants, and DMI. trasonographic score respiratory disease (USRD; 0-5; ac-
Conclusions: A considerable proportion of metabolic pro- cording to Ollivett and Buczinski 2016), backfat thickness by
files showed signs of NEB-ketosis, most prominent in P2 and ultrasound (BF; mm; Schröder and Staufenbiel, 2006) and
P1, but still proportional in P3 animals. Suboptimal water in- HSc at three moments: 1) Farm-entry (17.7±8.6 days old);

209
2) Weaning (53.8±3.3d) and 3) Grouping in growing batches HH-48

(148.2±27.4d). The average daily weight gain (AWDG; kg/d)
was calculated between moments. Effect of dairy heifer pre-breeding growth rate on first
lactation milk yield in spring-calving, pasture-based herds
We analyzed the effect among groups at each time point
using ANOVA and Tukey test for the means comparison Ciara Hayes1, Conor McAloon2, Emmet Kelly2, Catherine McAloon2,
(P<0.05; SAS® 9.0). Data are expressed as mean ± standard Eoin G Ryan2, John Mee3, Luke O'Grady2.
deviation. 1
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Cork, Republic
Results: Health status at farm entry was associat- of Ireland; 2University College Dublin, Dublin, Republic of Ireland;
ed with higher values of USRD (P<0.05; 1.96±0.2a, 2±0.1a 3
Teagasc, Animal Bioscience Research Department, Fermoy, Republic
and 2.11±0.3b) and BF (P<0.05; 3.07±0.4a, 3.25±0.5b and of Ireland.
3.23±0.5ab), indicating that this initial classification by health
status is related to pulmonary status and physical condition
of the animal. At Weaning, we observed a lower weight in an- Objectives: There is evidence that early life growth rate
imals with worse HSc at entry (P<0.05; 66.1±8.4a, 63.1±7.8b can have positive effects on future milk production, however
very little is known about the impact in seasonal, pasture-based
and 62.5±7.7b for HSc1, HSc2 and HSc3 respectively)
dairy systems. Therefore, the objective of this study was to
and again a lower BF in animals with a worse health status
investigate the association between pre-breeding growth rate
(P<0.05; 4.25±0.3a, 4.14±0.25b and 4.21±0.25ab for HSc1,
and first lactation milk yield in spring-calving, pasture-based
HSc2 and HSc3 respectively). However, at the moment of
dairy herds.
Grouping there were no significant differences in any of the
variables. This could indicate that the initial health status Methods: Heifer calves (n=399) from a convenience sam-
slightly retards the growth rate until, at least, weaning, recov- ple of seven commercial, spring-calving dairy herds were
ering later, with the AWDG reduced exclusively until weaning weighed at birth and prior to breeding. Average daily gain
(0.634±0.21a, 0.543±0.21b, 0.551±0.17ab for HSc1, HSc2 and (ADG) was calculated. Following first calving (22 to 27 months
HSc3 respectively), and a compensatory growth when the ani- old), milk recording data were collected from the 265 cows
mals improved their health status. The Health Scoring showed that completed their first lactation using a minimum of three
how the animals reached similar health values, regardless of recordings/cow. Milk yields (305-day) were then standardised
the HSc value at entry, showing the animals an average HSc according to fat and protein content. A mixed linear regression
of 1.7±0.5 at weaning and 2.1±0.25 at Grouping. Ultimately, all model was used to investigate the relationship between ADG
animals showed a similar, slightly increased health score, but and milk yield.
no overcoming the value 6 (related to clinical condition). It is to Results: The final model included farm and month of calv-
highlight, the generally low HSc observed at this rearing farm. ing within year as random effects. Heifer ADG was quadrati-
Conclusions: The initial health status of the animals, cally related to first lactation standardised milk yield. An ADG
of 0.82kg/day was associated with maximum predicted yield.
even when very low (<4) slightly reduces the growth of rearing
A heifer with an ADG of 0.82kg/day was predicted to yield
calves until weaning, but after this period the animals compen-
1120kg more than a heifer growing at 0.55kg/day, 218kg more
sate the growth and achieve a similar state of health.
than a heifer growing at 0.7kg/day and 103kg more than a
Funded by CDTI (Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico heifer growing at 0.9kg/day. Age at first calving and predicted
Industrial; Ministerio de Ciencia e, Innovación); proyecto CD- transmitting abilities for protein production and calving interval
TI-IDI-20200936. were also significant in the final model.
References: Conclusions: Pre-breeding ADG was quadratically relat-
Ollivett, T.L., Buczinski, S. 2016. On-Farm Use of Ul- ed to first lactation milk yield, with an ADG of 0.82kg/day asso-
trasonography for Bovine Respiratory Disease. Vet Clin ciated with maximum predicted yield.
North Am Food Anim Pract. 32(1): 19-35. doi: 10.1016/j. Please see the reference to the published article and DOI
cvfa.2015.09.001. below:
Schröder, U.J., Staufenbiel, R. 2006. Invited review: Hayes, C.J., McAloon, C.G., Kelly, E.T., Carty, C.I., Ryan,
Methods to determine body fat reserves in the dairy cow with E.G., Mee, J.F. and O'Grady, L., 2021. The effect of dairy
special regard to ultrasonographic measurement of backfat heifer pre-breeding growth rate on first lactation milk yield in
thickness. J Dairy Sci. 89(1): 1-14. doi: 10.3168/jds.S0022- spring-calving, pasture-based herds. Animal, 15(3), p.100169
0302(06)72064-1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2020.100169
Mahendran, S.A., Booth, R., Beekhuis, L., Manning, A., The article is available under the Creative Commons Attri-
Blackmore, T., Vanhoudt, A., Bell, N. 2017. Assessing the ef- bution License (CCBY), available at https://creativecommons.
fects of weekly preweaning health scores on dairy calf mortal- org/licenses/by/4.0/
ity and productivity parameters: cohort study. Vet Rec. 181(8):
Keywords: Heifer, average daily gain, milk yield.
196. doi: 10.1136/vr.104197.
Keywords: Health Score, Dairy, rearing farm, perfor-
mance.

210
HH-49 cow pen and recorded the fresh cow management procedures
during the morning. Mangold-Interact (version 17.1.0.0, Man-
Systematic evaluation of different fresh cow monitoring gold International, Arnstorf, Germany), a specialized software
procedures for visual evaluation of video footage, was used to analyze the
Felix König1, Andy Hancock2, Christian Wunderlich3, Markus time required for specific fresh cow management procedures.
Klawitter3, Thomas Breuer3, Anne Simoni1, Karina Weimar1, Marc In total, 3973 examination steps and 1848 headlock times per
Drillich1, Michael Iwersen1. cow were eligible for statical analyses. For comparison of the
different systems as well as the examination steps, performed
1
Clinical Unit for Herd Health Management in Ruminants, University by the investigators, the Kruskal-Wallis test, respectively the
Clinic for Ruminants, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used.
Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria;
Results: Overall, the most frequently observed examina-
2
Zoetis International, Dublin, Republic of Ireland; 3Zoetis Deutschland
tions were temperature measurement (n=2239, 56%), per-
GmbH, Berlin, Germany.
cussion-auscultation (n=329, 8.2%), succession-auscultation
(n=325, 8.1%), and rumen fill estimation (n=217, 5.4%). The
Objectives: Intensive and well-structured monitoring of different examinations lasted on average between 1 and 115
fresh cows is considered beneficial for the health and well-be- seconds. Significant differences in the time needed to perform
ing of the cows and is an important factor for the success of specific examinations were identified between the investiga-
the cows' further lactation. Due to the various metabolic and tors.
infectious diseases caused by a negative energy balance at The resulting fixation time differed significantly between
the time of calving, fresh cow monitoring can become a very the three different fresh cow management systems (P < 0.05).
time-consuming task. However, currently it is necessary to The animals were fixed in headlocks between 1 and 106 min-
lock up the animals for examinations and treatments, which utes.
restricts their natural behaviour and thus has a negative im-
Conclusion: Although significant differences in the exam-
pact on the health and performance of the herd. However, per-
ination times of different investigators were identified, these
forming this important but time-consuming examination during
can be neglected from a practical point of view. Significant dif-
the fresh cow period without excessively affecting the animals'
ferences in the fixation time of the animals in the headlocks
natural behaviour is often a challenge, especially when many
were determined based on the order in which the animals
animals need to be examined on larger farms. Automated
were examined and treated. The results of this study can be
monitoring by use of ‘precision livestock farming’ technologies
used in the future to develop optimal management strategies
is progressively applied on farms to identify animals at risk
that consider cow needs, available labour and other economic
of disease at an early stage and to reduce routine examina-
factors. In this context, it could also be evaluated what contri-
tion times. Determining the exact times that cows are fixed
bution PLF technologies can make to reduce fixation times of
in headlocks for examinations and treatments under practical
cows in headlocks and stuff working hours.
conditions can be used to evaluate existing and develop new
management strategies. This is particularly important for prac- Keywords: Dairy cow, health monitoring, transition period,
titioners that want to develop time- and cost-efficient manage- accelerometer, fresh cow.
ment strategies while minimising the impact on the dairy cow's
time budget. PLF technologies could be a support here to re-
duce the fixation times of cows in headlocks and stuff working
hours.
The aim of the study was to describe in detail the time
required for routine examinations in the fresh cow area as
well as the total duration each cow stayed in headlocks during
these examinations.
Material and methods: This study was conducted from
June 2021 to August 2021 on a commercial dairy farm in Ger-
many, housing approx. 1,900 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows.
Different methods of fresh cow monitoring procedures were
compared against each other. These included, on the one
hand, different routine examinations of fresh cows, on the oth-
er hand, three different workflows (systems) which differ in the
order of examinations and treatments.
Prior to conducting the study, standard operating proce-
dures (SOPs) were prepared in which the various examination
and treatment steps, in particular the start and end times, were
specified. For this purpose, the working times for conducting
individual examination steps as well as the resulting fixation
time of the animals were systematically recorded.
Sixteen digital observation cameras (network camera HYU-
405, HYUNDAI Corporation, Korea) were installed in the fresh

211
ORAL — Infectious Diseases
ID-01 duction loss per cow per day were 0.13, 0.08, 0.01 and 0.07
kg, respectively. Overall, in the first year after BVDV infection
The impact of bovine viral diarrhea virus infection on milk of the default scenario, milk production losses ranged from
production of Dutch dairy herds 570 to 1,603 kg at a Dutch herd level, with an average of 1,086
Xiaomei Yue1, Wilma Steeneveld2, Mariska Van Der Voort1, Gerdien kg per herd per year or 13 kg per cow per year. In the results
Van Schaik3, Johannes C. M. Vernooij2, Linda Van Duijn3, Anouk of scenarios 1, 2 and 3, the negative effects of BVDV introduc-
M.b. Veldhuis3, Henk Hogeveen1. tion were mainly in the second year after BVDV introduction,
and the average milk production decreased by 0.05, 0.06, 0.05
Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands; 2Utrecht university,
1
kg/cow/day, respectively. Results show that the risk period for
Utrecht, Netherlands; 3GD Animal Health, Deventer, Netherlands. milk production loss due to BVDV introduction is mostly in the
first two years after BVDV introduction, especially in the first
Objectives: Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is endem- quarter.
ic in many countries and can have a major impact on cattle Conclusion: This study shows that the BVDV infection
health. BVDV can among others cause diarrhea, fever, pneu- occurring in herds in a BVDV-free surveillance program has a
monia, growth retardation, immunosuppression, and repro- limited but negative impact on milk production of dairy herds,
ductive disorders, thereby reducing milk production and con- mainly in the first year after infection. The main reason why
sequently causing economic losses. Research on the effect a new introduction of BVDV caused such a small loss of milk
of BVDV on milk production is relatively outdated and hardly production on dairy farms is probably due to the participation
investigates changes in milk production before and after a new in the BVDV-free program. This BVD surveillance program en-
BVDV infection in the herd. Moreover, it is unclear whether ables participating farmers to identify and remove the PI ani-
the impact of BVDV changes when an increased proportion of mals very quickly after the infection, which may limit extensive
farms participates in a BVDV surveillance program. The objec- transmission of the virus to the lactating herd and avoid large
tives of this study are to determine the loss in milk production milk production losses.
as a result of a new BVDV infection in dairy herds participating Keywords: Bovine viral diarrhea, dairy, milk production.
in the Dutch BVDV-free program between 2007 and 2017.
Material & Methods: Longitudinal herd-level BVDV sur-
veillance data of 4,334 dairy herds participating in the BVDV-
free program were combined with monthly test-day milk pro-
duction data on herd level from 2007-2017. This combined ID-02
dataset consisted of 3,126 herds, of which 2,486 herds were
BVDV-free during the whole study period and were defined as Case reports - Mannheimia haemolytica in dairy cows
free-herds. 640 herds lost their BVDV-free status at a certain
Kirsten Stemme1, Egon Thesing1, Dirk Schäfer2, Siegfried Marquard3.
moment during the study period and were defined as break-
down-herds. To estimate the impact of BVDV infection within MSD Animal Health, Unterschleißheim, Germany; 2Praxis Schäfer,
1
breakdown-herd, milk production before and after the infection Dörmitz, Germany; 3Tierarztpraxis Marquardt & Walter, Goch,
was compared. Since milk production fluctuates over time, the Germany.
milk production data of the free-herds was used to correct for
that. A linear mixed regression model was used to estimate
Objectives: Mannheimia (M.) haemolytica is one of the
changes in milk production before and after BVDV infection on
most important pathogens of respiratory disease in young cat-
an annual and quarterly basis. The model included the fixed
tle (calves and feedlot cattle). In recent years, however, cases
variables BVD status, breakdown-herd or free herd, year, sea-
of severe pneumonia caused by M. haemolytica in lactating
son, and a random herd-effect that takes the repeated mea-
dairy cows, have been reported. By means of two clinical cas-
surements within the herd into account. The dependent vari-
es in Germany, the wide range of clinical symptoms and diag-
able was the average daily milk production on the test-day. In
nostic as well as treatment options are discussed to raise the
our analyses, we assumed that the risk period for milk pro-
awareness of this disease in dairy cows.
duction loss began with the BVDV infection. The moment of
BVDV infection is difficult to determine accurately. Therefore, Material and Methods: The first case: an increased num-
four scenarios were developed to reflect different possible mo- ber of deaths occurred on a dairy farm with 500 lactating cows
ments of BVDV infection. In the default scenario, the break- in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. When the veterinarian
down date was assumed to be the start of BVDV infection, and was consulted, five animals had already died, and more than
the years/quarters after the breakdown date were included as 15 cows showed severe fever and an increased respiratory
a risk period for milk production loss. Three additional scenar- rate. Cows of all ages and in different stages of lactation were
ios were studied in which it was assumed that the breakdown affected.
is caused by the birth of a persistently infected (PI) calf, being As a new silo had been opened preceding illness, Clos-
born 4, 6 or 9 months before the breakdown date. In these tridia infection was suspected. Samples were taken from the
scenarios, the risk period for milk production loss started when affected animals for further diagnosis. One moribund cow was
the PI calf was born. euthanized and sent to the state laboratory for postmortem
Results: Results for the default scenario showed that in examination.
the first year after the breakdown date, the average milk pro- The second case: the course of disease was more pro-
duction loss per cow per day was 0.04 kg. In the first to fourth longed on a dairy farm with 110 lactating cows. One cow
quarters of the first year after infection, the average milk pro- showed unspecific symptoms such as drop in milk in produc-

212
tion, anorexia and a slightly elevated body temperature. As Diagnostic and Autogenous Vaccine Laboratory, Zaragoza, Spain;
metal particles were found by the metal detector of the feed 3
Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria,
mixer acute traumatic reticuloperitonitis was diagnosed. In the Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET), Universidad
following days, 9 other cows fell ill with similar symptoms One Complutense, Madrid, Spain.
of them developed severe disease (recumbency, bloody nasal
discharge) and was euthanized for postmortem examination.
Objective: Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is a leading
On inquiry, the farmer said that three new heifers had entered
cause of economic loss, hampering animal welfare and inten-
the farm 12 days before.
sive antimicrobial use in cattle operations. BRD is a multifac-
Results: In both cases severe acute pneumonia was di- torial infectious disease that usually affects a group of animals
agnosed on autopsy. On bacteriological testing, M. haemolyt- and it is caused by a complex interaction between different
ica was detected in lung tissue of both cows. M. haemolytica viral and bacterial pathogens in single or mixed infections, the
Serotype A1 was also found in other organs of the cow from immune status of the host and environmental and manage-
case 1 and in nasal swabs and as well as in lung fluid taken ment factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the fre-
via transtracheal aspiration (TTA) taken from diseased cows. quency of detection of the main etiological agents involved in
Nasal swabs taken from diseased cows on farm 2 were also BRD and their association with BRD outbreaks.
positive for M. haemolytica.
Material and methods: One hundred fifty six (n= 156) out-
On farm two, paired serum samples were taken from all
breaks of BRD that were sent for diagnosis at the Laboratory
diseased cows and antibodies against BRSV, PI3-V, Myco-
of diagnosis EXOPOL between January 2020 and November
plasma bovis and M. haemolytica were measured. Only the
2021 were included in the study. Inclusion criteria were geo-
titers of M. haemolytica antibodies showed an increase over
graphical localization of the outbreaks in Spain and complete
time and, in six of ten animals, this increase could be valued
test results for the detection of Parainfluenza 3 virus (PI-3),
as seroconversion.
Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), Bovine coronavi-
Diseased animals were treated with antibiotics and non- rus (BCov), Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and Bovine
steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) after M. haemolyt- herpesvirus 1 (BoH-1v), and the bacteria Mannheimia hae-
ica was confirmed as infective agent and all cows responded molytica (Mh), Pasteurella multocida (Pm), Histophilus somni
well to this treatment. On farm 1, clinically healthy animals (Hs) and Mycoplasma bovis (Mb). Diagnosis was performed
were vaccinated with a trivalent vaccine (Bovilis® Bovipast® in pools of 5 samples from different animals of the same out-
RSP, MSD Animal Health). A few days after the first vaccina- break by quantitative PCRs (qPCRs). Clinical specimens were
tion, the disease was already beginning to subside. After the bronchoalveolar lavages (n= 96), lung (n= 35), nasopharyn-
second vaccination 4 weeks later, no further disease or death geal swabs (n= 8) and tracheal scrapes (n= 2) or mixtures of
were observed in the dairy cows. them (n= 15). Outbreaks were from unweaned (n=32), fatten-
Conclusion: Both cases show that M. haemolytica can ing (n= 107), replacement (n=8) and adult (n= 1) animals or
infect dairy cows and cause severe economic losses due to unknown (n= 8).
substantial drop in milk production or even sudden death of A cluster analysis of categorical variables was performed
diseased animals. using the hierarchical clustering method. The Boolean vari-
Clinical symptoms may vary considerably and make it dif- ables (presence/absence) included as active variables to de-
ficult to make the right diagnosis. To confirm an infection with fine clusters were detection of PI-3, BRSV, BCov, BVDV, BoH-
M. haemolytica, either detection of bacteria in samples from 1v, Mh, Pm, Hs and Mb. Associations between cluster and
the respiratory tract or proven seroconversion shown by an categorical variables were analyzed using the chi-square test
increase in antibodies can be used. and significance level set at P < 0.05.
Vaccination can protect a herd, especially if new animals Results: The most frequently detected virus were BCov
are entering the farm regularly. (39.7%), followed by PI3 (26.3%), BRSV (19.9%) and BVDV
Keywords: Mannheimia haemolytica, dairy cows, serolo- (17.7%) and the less frequent BoH-1v (3.2 %). The most
gy, vaccination. frequently detected bacteria were Pm (85.9%), followed by
Mb (77.6%), Mh (64.1%) and Hs (42.3%). Cluster analysis
grouped outbreaks into two clusters. Cluster 1 included out-
breaks were the detection of the PI3 (4.7 %), BRSV (4.7 %),
BCov (24.5 %) and BVDV (6.6 %) viruses and Mb (72.6 %)
ID-03 was significantly lower and detection of Hs (51.9 %) was sig-
nificantly higher than in the total of outbreaks. Opposite, clus-
Different etiological agent associations detected in bovine ter 2 included outbreaks were the detection of the PI3 (72.0%),
respiratory disease (BRD) outbreaks in unweaned and BRSV (52.0 %), BCov (72.0 %) and BVDV (40.0 %) viruses
fattening calves and Mb (88.0 %) was significantly higher, and detection of Hs
(22.0 %) was significantly lower than in the total of outbreaks.
Johan Manuel Calderón Bernal1, Ana Fernández Ros2, José Luis
In cluster 1 and cluster 2, no statistically significant differences
Arnal Bernal2, Cristina Baselga Julian2, Alfredo Benito Zuñiga2, Ana
were observed in the frequencies of detection of Pm (84.0 and
Isabel Vela Alonso3, José Francisco Fernández-Garyzábal3, María
90.0 %, respectively) and Mh (60.4 and 72.0%, respectively).
Dolores Cid Vázquez1.
It was found an association between both clusters and the pro-
Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria,
1
ductive stage of the animals (P<0.05). Thus, the frequency of
Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; 2Exopol. Veterinary outbreaks from fattening animals were significantly higher (OR

213
3.5; CI95% (1.5-7.8) in cluster 1 than cluster 2 (78.8% ver- herds can voluntarily participate. The objective is to describe
sus 59.2%, respectively), whereas the frequency of outbreaks the progress of IBR control.
from unweaned animals was significantly lower in cluster 1 Materials & methods: Dairy herds are obliged to partici-
than cluster 2 (14.1 versus 36.7%, respectively). There was pate in one of the three major routes that can lead to a BoHV1-
no association between clusters and the geographic area of free herd status:
outbreaks.
• IBR-free certification
Conclusion: These results suggest that in unweaned
• IBR-unsuspected certification
animals the respiratory viruses or Mb would have a greater
clinical significance playing a role either as responsible for • IBR-vaccination certification
clinical processes or cooperating as predisposing agents for IBR-free certification starts with individual serum gE-anti-
bacterial infections. On the contrary, in fattening animals, other bodies screening of the herd, subsequent monitoring of the
predisposing factors such as stress associated with transport free status is performed by monthly bulk milk IBRgE testing.
of animals or mixing of animals of different origins in feedlots IBR-unsuspected certification starts with a negative bulk
would have a greater relevance. Consequently, the manage- milk gE-antibodies screening, subsequent monitoring of the
ment and sanitary measures carried out for an efficient control unsuspected status is performed by monthly bulk milk IBRgE
of BRD in calves should be adapted to the different productive testing. After at least two years of IBR-unsuspected status,
stages. In this regard, possible measures to consider could herds can qualify for an IBR-free status by individual serum
be the vaccination of unweaned animals against respiratory
gE-antibodies screening of cows older than 6 years.
viruses or the incorporation of Pm, together with Mh, to the
vaccines used in cattle which could help to substantially re- IBR-vaccination certification is granted after the first
duce the incidence of BRD. whole herd vaccination with gE-deleted markervaccine (all
cattle over 3 months of age) and is prolonged when the herd
Keywords: Bovine respiratory disease, outbreaks, cattle,
is vaccinated every six months thereafter. This route is man-
BRD asociated infectious agents.
datory for infected herds (positive bulk milk gE-antibodies
screening).
In addition to the monthly bulk milk surveillance, other risk-
based monitoring tools are applied. After purchase, cows from
non-free herds are automatically noted in IBR-free and IBR-un-
ID-04
suspected herds and require mandatory testing for gE-anti-
Four years of mandatory BoHV1 (IBR) control programme bodies. All cows that have aborted are mandatorily tested for
in dairy herds in the Netherlands gE-antibodies. In both cases, when cows test positive they
need to be culled. Furthermore, when clinical signs of IBR are
Frederik Waldeck1, Irene Bisschop1, Jet Mars1, Katrien Van Den noticed in IBR-free or IBR-unsuspected herds it is mandatory
Brink1, Mattheus Hekman1, Emma Strous1, Bert De Roo1, Paul to submit nasal swabs for PCR testing on IBR-virus.
Wever1, Gerdien Van Schaik2.
The progress of the nationwide IBR-control programme
1
Royal GD, Deventer, Netherlands; 2Royal GD & Department of is monitored by combining diagnostic test results with cat-
Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht tle movement data. Semi-annual analyses of the following
University, Utrecht, Netherlands. key figures is performed: (1) the percentage of IBR-free, (2)
IBR-unsuspected and (3) IBR-vaccinated herds, (4) incidence
of new IBR-infections detected by bulk milk screening and (5)
Objectives: Bovine herpesvirus-1 (BoHV1), the causative
virus detection in nasal swabs.
agent of Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) was first re-
ported in the Netherlands in 1973. In 1997, a national eradica- Results: The percentage of dairy herds with a favourable
tion programme was initiated, with at the time an estimated na- IBR-situation almost doubled since the start in 2018. At the
tionwide herd prevalence of 84%. Only the use of gE-deleted end of 2021, 55% of dairy herds were certified IBR-free, 27%
markervaccines was permitted enabling testing for antibodies IBR-unsuspected and 18% IBR-vaccinated. After four years
against wildtype BoHV1 with gE-ELISA. of new IBR-regulation, the incidence of new IBR-infections
In 1999, the national programme was abruptly suspended detected by bulk milk screening (often subclinical outbreaks)
when a BVDV2-contaminated batch of IBR-vaccine resulted decreased from 0.53% in 2018 to 0.26% in 2021. Annually,
in severe clinical illness and death. After this disappointing nasal swabs from around 200 herds are submitted for PCR
end, the IBR-certification programme was continued voluntary testing and in 2018 BoHV1 was detected in 12.9% of herds.
for almost two decades. In 2015, when discussion on a new This figure dropped to 6.6% in 2021. Since the start of the new
national programme for IBR-eradication started, 43% of dairy mandatory phase and up to the end of 2021, in total 109 IBR-
herds participated in IBR-certification routes (28% IBR-free, free dairy herds had an outbreak (out of on average 15.304
15% IBR-unsuspected). The herd prevalence in dairy herds dairy herds).
had decreased to 15.6% by that time. Amongst non-dairy herds, 22% is certified IBR-free on
In April 2018, a mandatory IBR-control programme only for a voluntary basis. Even without mandatory control in these
dairy herds was introduced by the dairy industry and is car- herds, the herd prevalence in non-dairy herds declined over
ried out by Royal GD. The goal is to stimulate more herds to the period 2016 to 2020.
become IBR-free, to keep them IBR-free and mitigate the risk Conclusion: Even though the Dutch IBR-programme is
posed by infected herds through vaccination. Non-dairy cattle only mandatory for dairy herds, much progress is made in the

214
Dutch cattle sector. National implementation of IBR-eradica- 3 infected calves per group and D21). IDV and M.bovis quan-
tion for all bovine herds by the government is discussed by tification was measured by qRT-PCR and qPCR in both URT
the cattle industry and the Ministry of Agriculture. With reg- (nasal swabs (NS) from D1 to D21) and LRT (bronchoalveolar
ular monitoring, thorough and timely insight on the progress lavages (BAL) at D-1, D2, D7, D14 and D21) and tissues (na-
of IBR-eradication is obtained and evidence-based decisions sal turbinate, trachea and lung at D6 and D21). Gross lesions,
can be made for further developments in the eradication pro- histopathology, cell identification and counting from BALs and
gramme. blood were investigated to assess pathology. The immune re-
Keywords: BoHV1; IBR; eradication; gE-antibodies; bulk sponse was assessed for antibody seroconversion (IHA, ELI-
milk. SA) and cellular responses.
Results: Clinical examination confirmed that IDV induced
a mild respiratory disease between D5 and D10 characterized
by coughing, tachypnea, and dyspnea. Calves infected by
M. bovis started showing moderate clinical signs later, from
ID-05 D7-D8 to D19. These calves mainly showed tachypnea, mu-
co-purulent discharge, a more frequent and bad cough and
A synergy between influenza D virus and Mycoplasma bovis sometimes labored breathing with abnormal lung sounds
in bovine respiratory disease (wheezing). In the co-infected group, clinical signs were sim-
ilar to those of the M. bovis group except that they occured
Lion Adrien1, Rancon Camille1, Cebron Nathan1, Secula Aurélie1,
earlier, starting fom D4, and were more severe. The mean clin-
Cassard Hervé1, Salem Elias1, Gaudino Maria1, Bouleisteix Olivier2,
ical scores indicated significant differences between the co-in-
Zohari Siamak3, Hagglund Sara4, Delverdier Maxence1, Baranowski
fected groups and other groups from D6 to D8. The severity of
Eric1, Foucras Gilles1, Guitton Edouard2, Valarcher Jean-François4,
the clinical manifestations, especially in the co-infected group,
Ducatez Mariette1, Meyer Gilles1.
was correlated with severe gross and microscopic lesions
1
Veterinary College of Toulouse, Toulouse- UMR1225 INRA-ENVT, in respiratory tissues (nasal turbinates, trachea and lungs),
France; 2INRAE, UE 1277, Experimental Infectiology Platform (PFIE), mainly characterized by loss of ciliature, necrosis of the respi-
INRA-Val de Loire research Centre, Nouzilly, France; 3National ratory epithelium, and mononuclear cells and neutrophils infil-
Veterinary Institute Uppsala, Department of Virology, Immunobiology trations in the lungs and BALs. No statistical differences were
and Parasitology, Sweden; 4Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, observed between groups for IDV replication in URT or LRT,
Uppsala, Host Pathogen Interaction Group, Department of Clinical except that IDV replication was longer in the monoinfected
Sciences, Sweden. group. On the other hand the earlier replication of M. bovis in
NS and respiratory tissues of the co-infected group correlated
with the clinical differences observed between co-and mono
Objectives: Since its discovery in 2011 in the United
M.bovis infected groups. After D10, only M.bovis was detected
States, the novel influenza D virus (IDV) of the Orthomyxo-
in NS, BALs and tissues in co-infected group while IDV was
viridae family was found spread among swine and ruminants
observed in NS, BALs and lungs in the IDV group until D21.
on four continents so far, confirming a worldwide distribution.
Finally calves seroconverted against IDV as early as at D7
Cattle were suggested to be the main host. Experimental in-
for IDV mono and co-infected groups while antibody response
fections in naïve calves showed that IDV infects both the up-
against M.bovis occured later. First results of cellular immune
per (URT) and lower (LRT) respiratory tracts, with a moderate
response examination indicate that IDV modulates the innate
pathogenicity and a high level of transmission (Salem et al.
immunity against M. bovis, leading to more severe pathology.
2019). In addition, IDV detection during bovine respiratory
disease (BRD) field outbreaks suggests that this virus can be Conclusion: Altogether, these results suggest a syner-
considered at least as predisposing or co-factor of BRD (Mitra gy between IDV and M. bovis respiratory infections in young
et al., 2016). To study the influence of IDV on other respiratory calves with implications for the control of respiratory diseases.
pathogens and to confirm its role as a co-factor of BRD, we Indeed, IDV increases the severity of M.bovis infection lead-
performed experimental co-infections of calves with both IDV ing to severe respiratory signs. First results of cellular immune
and Mycoplasma bovis (M.bovis). A frequent association be- response examination indicate that IDV modulate the immune
tween IDV and M.bovis was indeed found in 42% of animals response against M. bovis and confirm that IDV acts as an
with respiratory signs in veal calf units in France. initiator pathogen for BRD.
Material & Methods: Experimentation was performed un- Keywords: Bovine-Influenza D-Mycoplasma bovis-respi-
der EEC guidelines (86/609/CEE) and official French ethical ratory-BRD.
agreement. Twenty-nine calves (free of IDV and classical re-
spiratory pathogens) were distributed into four separate pens.
In three pens, 8 calves per group were intranasally nebulized
at day 0 (D0) through a mask, with 107 TCID50 per calf with a
French IDV strain D/bovine/France/5920/2014, with 1010 col-
ony forming unit per calf of the French M.bovis strain RM16,
with both pathogens, respectively. Five non infected calves
made up the fourth group. All calves were examined from 3
days before challenge (D-3) to the end of experimentation
(D21) for clinical signs, gross and microscopic lesions (D6 for

215
ID-06 to be sampled (40%). Among farmers experiencing Q fever

53% did not implemented control measures. For those who
Cross perceptions of farmers, veterinarians and physicians implemented control measures vaccination was implemented
on Q fever: “one health” approach in only 25% of the cases.
Raphael Guatteo1, Christophe Brard2, Thibaut Cauderlier3, Eric
Collin2, Renee De Cremoux4, Kristel Gache5, Brigitte Trezzani3.
Table. Some examples of answers to the opinion survey.
1
Oniris & INRAE, Nantes, France; 2SNGTV, Paris, France; 3CEVA Questions Farmers (% Vets (% Physicians
SANTE ANIMALE, Libourne, France; 4IDELE, Toulouse, France; respondants) respondants) (%
5
GDS France, Paris, France. respondants)
I have been 12% 49% 25%
Objectives: The objective of this study was to describe the exposed to Q fever
in my work
knowledge and assess the perceptions, in a cross-sectional
manner, of ruminant farmers, rural vet practitioners and physi- I know this disease 65% 66% 83%
cians practising in rural areas. Under a "one-health" approach, is zoonotic
the goal was to identify, if necessary, areas for improvement Introduction of 10% 30% 27%
in terms of awareness of the disease and exchanges between Q fever is at risk
these professions. for animal and/or
human health
Materials and Methods: To this end, an opinion poll was
Isolation of affected 55% 54% 35%
conducted with the help of an independent polling institute (Via
animals when Q
Voice). Hundred physicians and 100 veterinarians practising fever is detected
in areas < 20,000 inhabitants (rural areas) and 374 farmers
Vaccination 31% 35% 14%
geographically matched with both vets and physicians (re-
considered as
spectively 134 sheep farmers, 100 goat farmers and 198 cat- control action
tle farmers) were interviewed. All participants were randomly
selected in the selected areas. The questionnaire was built
around 3 main parts: (i) basic knowledge about Q fever in hu- Conclusion: All together, these results support a very
mans and ruminants, (ii) perception of the risk (including zoo- heterogeneous level of knowledge about the disease in any
notic risk) and (iii) knowledge about control measures both in population. The perception of the risk, particularly the zoonotic
humans and animals. one, also appears to be fairly low. The implementation of ap-
Results: Among farmers, 76% declared knowing the dis- propriate control measures needs to be improved, as does the
ease with difference depending on the species: 64% for cattle dialogue between the breeder-veterinarian-doctor trio
(57% for beef farmers and 76% for dairy farmers), 84% for Keywords: Q fever; Perception survey, Zoonosis, One
sheep and 90% for goat farmers. For the rest of the survey, health.
only slight differences were observed between goat, sheep
and cattle farmers leading us to gather their results. The fol-
lowing table displays some (not exhaustive) important results.
Abortion was the main clinical sign attributable to Q fever
(45% for farmers and 70% for vets). Reproductive disorders ID-07
were mentioned only by 7% of cattle farmers and 19% of vets.
More than 29% of cattle farmers and 32% of small ruminants Tracing the spread of bovine respiratory syncytial virus
farmers and 21% of vets did not know about the clinical signs (BRSV) between herds
of Q fever highlighting the need to promote knowledge about
the disease, particularly the negative impact on reproduction Sara Hägglund1, Paul Johnson2, Katarina Näslund3, Sophia Lindberg4,
besides abortion. For physicians, the clinical signs the most Ingrid Hyttsten5, Anna-Karin Eng6, Yongzhi Guo4, Ewa Olszowy4,
frequently reported as leading to suspect Q fever was fever Patricia Simões4, Orton, Richard2, Siamak Zohari7, Daniel Haydon2,
(67%) followed by joint pain (29%), pneumonia (24%) and fa- Jean Francois Valarcher4.
tigue syndrome (22%). Among all zoonotic diseases offered to 1
Swedish university of agricultural sciences, Swedish university of
the respondents, Q fever was ranked among the most at risk agricultural sciences, Sweden; 2University of Glasgow, Glasgow,
one as 2nd, 4th and 5th respectively for farmers, vets and phy- United Kingdom; 3Swedish university of agricultural sciences /
sician in line with low perception for the zoonotic risk (despite National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden; 4Swedish university
recent and regular human outbreaks). However, awareness of agricultural sciences, Uppsala, Sweden; 5Jämtlandsveterinärerna,
among farmers is higher among those who receive the public. Lit, Sweden; 6ITVet Jemtland AB, Hammerdal, Sweden; 7National
For vets, the perception of farmers of the impact for their herd Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden.
or their health was considered as non-sufficient in 62 and 80%
respectively. Regarding the farmer’s knowledge about pre-
vention measures for their animals or their own health, vets Objectives: Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV)
considered it as non-sufficient in 77 and 82% respectively. causes respiratory disease in cattle and has been diagnosed
Among barriers to tackle the disease, vets stipulated the lack in 12% to 83% of respiratory disease outbreaks in Europe
of abortion reporting by farmer (65%), the funding’s of ancillary [1,2]. In the north of Scandinavia, the control of BRSV relies
test to confirm the disease (70%) and the choice of animals on biosecurity rather than on vaccination despite that the epi-

216
demiological cycle and the modes of transmission of this virus virus in outbreaks of respiratory disease in Norway.
are poorly understood. The objective of this study was to deep- BMC Vet Res 2014, 10, 15, doi:10.1186/1746-6148-
en this knowledge, at the national, regional and between-herd 10-15.
level, with the final goal to improve the control of BRSV. 2. O'Neill, R.; Mooney, J.; Connaghan, E.; Furphy, C.;
Material and methods: Upsurges of outbreaks of respira- Graham, D.A. Patterns of detection of respiratory vi-
tory disease occurred in 2016 and 2020, and whole BRSV-ge- ruses in nasal swabs from calves in Ireland: a retro-
nome sequences were obtained from 54 cattle in 34 herds spective study. Vet Rec 2014, 175, 351, doi:10.1136/
throughout Sweden. Partial genome sequences were addi- vr.102574.
tionally generated from the G-gene. In 2020, clusters of out- Keywords: Bovine respiratory syncytial virus, transmis-
breaks were identified in the three counties: Dalarna, Uppland, sion, tracing, sequencing, epidemiological investigation.
and Jämtland, from which complete sequences were obtained
from 5/5, 7/9 and 15/25 herds with diagnosed outbreaks. In
three of the herds in Uppland, whole-genome data was addi-
tionally generated from BRSV collected in 2016. Phylogenetic
analyses were performed to determine genetic relationships
ID-08
between different circulating viruses. Possible routes of intro-
duction 3 to 4 weeks before the report of the outbreak were Prevalence, biosecurity and risk management of bovine
investigated, such as purchase or contact with animals from coronavirus infections on dairy farms in Europe
other holdings, visits, interactions with animal professionals,
as well as contact with animal transport vehicles. Based on Anna Catharina Berge1, Geert Vertenten2.
epidemiological and phylogenetic information, an attempt was Berge Veterinary Consulting, Vollezele, Belgium; 2MSD Animal
1
made to identify how BRSV was introduced in some of the Health, Boxmeer, Netherlands.
farms. One to two months after the last detected outbreak,
bulk tank milk was collected from 30 herds in Jämtland, 23 of
which without recent history of respiratory disease. This milk Objectives: The objective of this cross-sectional field
was analysed for BRSV-specific IgG1. study is to obtain an estimate for the farm prevalence of Bo-
vine Coronavirus (BCoV) in dairy production in Europe, and
Results: Despite that BRSV is an RNA virus, few genomic
to characterize farm-level risk factors in management and
changes were detected within counties. Nevertheless, there
biosecurity that are linked to BCoV infection in neonatal and
was a spatial clustering of virus genome sequences between
weaned dairy calves.
counties, with rare introductions from one county into anoth-
er. The viruses obtained in Uppland 2016 were more closely Material & Methods: A convenience sample of 130 Euro-
related to some of the viruses from the same region in 2020 pean Union (EU) dairy farms with at least 100 lactating cows
than to viruses from other regions, indicating that the virus had each were enrolled in this study. The farm enrolment was
remained in the area. Viruses collected in one herd in 2016 based upon the country’s relative magnitude of the national
and 2020 had only 15 mutations difference, whereas viruses dairy production. Nasal and f aecal swabs were collected for
collected in different counties in 2020 differed with approxi- BCoV detection, blood and bulk tank milk samples were col-
mately ten times more changes. This data suggests that when lected for specific BCoV antibody detection. Depending on the
a different lineage is detected in an area, it is the result of an farm size, 10-20 samples from neonatal calves under 3 weeks
introduction from another area rather than due to the rapid geof age, 10-20 samples from the most recently weaned calves
netic evolution of strains. and 5-10 samples from fresh cows, and one bulk tank milk
sample were collected. All samples were shipped and anal-
BRSV-specific antibodies were detected in bulk tank milk
ysed at the same laboratory. BCoV presence was determined
from 18/30 herds in Jämtland after the wave of outbreaks in
in nasal and faecal swabs using semi-quantitative Real Time
2020. Based on sequencing data and epidemiological inves-
PCR (RT-PCR). Bulk tank milk and serum samples were test-
tigations, human, animal, material or transport contacts were
ed for the presence of BCoV antibodies using ELISA. On each
suspected to be the origin of transmission of BRSV between
farm an extensive questionnaire was performed to determine
some of the herds. Such contacts occurred 10-26 days before
various husbandry (i.a. vaccination of mother cows against
the first observed clinical signs.
bovine coronavirus) and biosecurity management factors. The
Conclusions: The stability of the BRSV genome impedes Biocheck survey (https://biocheck.ugent.be, Ugent, Belgium)
the tracing of this virus. Nevertheless, the epidemiological in- was used to score the biosecurity system. Correlations be-
formation and preliminary phylogenetic data suggested that tween the results from testing of nasal and faecal samples,
BRSV is introduced 2-3 weeks before outbreaks are reported, as well as blood and bulk tank milk samples were determined.
possibly sometimes by professionals or transports in contact Prevalence estimates for samples within farms and countries
with cattle on the recipient farms. The Swedish context is char- were calculated. Multivariable analysis was used with dichot-
acterised by high biosecurity measures and scarce animal ex- omous outcomes (logistic models) or ordinal outcomes (cu-
changes. These findings can be used as the basis to design mulative logistic or linear models) to determine risks for the
and implement effective biosecurity recommendations to stop presence of BCoV and BCoV antibodies in neonatal calves,
the spread of BRSV during an epidemic. weaned calves, fresh cows, and bulk tank milk. Random effect
References: models were used where appropriate.
1. Klem, T.B.; Rimstad, E.; Stokstad, M. Occurrence and Results: The study is ongoing. To date we have partial
phylogenetic analysis of bovine respiratory syncytial or complete results from 45 dairy farms in Belgium, Czech

217
Republic, Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, and Materials & Methods: A cross-sectional study was per-
Sweden. Some preliminary results and data analysis are preformed from January 2019 until December 2021. The target
sented in this abstract, pending further enrolment. Antibody population consisted of cattle herds from the northern part of
levels in bulk milk samples, measured as % inhibition, were Belgium (Flanders) with a current acute outbreak of BRD. Re-
on average 86 (++++) and all tested farms had animals with spiratory samples, consisting of either nasopharyngeal swabs,
levels above 54 (+++). Mean antibody levels were 56 in pre- broncho-alveolar lavage fluid or lung tissue, were collected
weaned calves, 39 in weaned calves and 62 in fresh cows. Ap- from affected calves in those herds and submitted for patho-
prox. 50% of herds were using fresh cow vaccinations against gen detection. Pathogen detection was performed using semi-
bovine coronavirus during the dry period to boost colostral quantitative real-time PCR test targeting seven bovine respi-
immunoglobulins, and there was a non-significant trend for ratory pathogens: bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV),
increased antibody levels in neonatal calves and fresh cows bovine parainfluenzavirus type 3 (PI3V), bovine coronavirus
in those herds. There was poor correlation (Pearson’s correla- (BCoV), Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, My-
tion coefficient r=0,41) between bulk tank milk antibody levels coplasma bovis, and Histophilus somni. The results were an-
and serum antibody levels. Presence of BCoV was confirmed alyzed using R software (R Core Team, 2017). Multivariable
in 17% of nasal and faecal samples from 27 herds. BCoV was logistic regression models were constructed for each of the
found in nasal and/or faecal samples from 74% of herds. Fifty seven respiratory pathogens. As predictors, the PCR results
percent of herds had one or more animals that were BCoV of the other six pathogens besides the outcome pathogen
positive on nasal swabs. Presence of BCoV was demonstrat- were considered for the analysis. Additional predictors in the
ed in 23% of nasal samples from neonatal calves, 20% of models were season of outbreak occurrence and sample type.
samples from weaned calves, and 8% of samples from fresh Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
cows. There was no significant difference in recovery of viral Results: In total 245 outbreaks of BRD were assessed. At
nucleic acid from nasal versus faecal swabs. There was poor least one pathogen was detected in 185 (75.5%) of those out-
correlation between animal antibody levels and virus shedding breaks. Single as well as multiple viral infections were detect-
in animals (r=0,48). The biosecurity on 41 dairies was scored ed in 31.8 and 43.7% of outbreaks, respectively. BRSV was
with overall score of 58%, external biosecurity score of 69% the most frequently isolated virus (38 positive/245 outbreaks,
and internal biosecurity score of 41%. The biosecurity scores 15.5%). In 73.7% of outbreaks where BRSV was detected, it
recorded were slightly above the world average score usually was the only viral agent detected. BCoV was detected in 31
recorded for dairies that have used the Biocheck survey. The out of 245 outbreaks (12.7%) and was the only virus detect-
virus shedding in cattle tended to be higher in herds with over- ed in 21 of those outbreaks (67.7%). PI3V was only detected
all higher biosecurity scores. However, antibody levels in cattle in 3.7% of outbreaks and these were predominantly multiple
were non-significantly lower in herds with a higher biosecurity viral infections (88.9%). Pasteurella multocida, Mannheimia
score. haemolytica, Mycoplasma bovis, and Histophilus somni were
detected in, respectively 58.8, 25.3, 21.6, and 20.8 % of the
Conclusion: The preliminary results from this study indi-
outbreaks.
cate that BCoV is commonly present in both the respiratory
and enteric pathway in the dairy cattle population in the EU, In the present study, a PCR positive result for BRSV was
with all herds being seropositive to the virus, and the virus associated with an increased detection rate of Mycoplasma
present in numerous herds. The farm management and bios- bovis (OR 2.65, CI95% 1.17-6.01) and PI3V (OR 9.63, CI95%
ecurity measures associated with BCoV will be further inves- 2.14-52.5). Mannheimia haemolytica was associated with an
tigated. increased detection rate of PI3V (OR 7.36, CI95% 1.51-53.9),
Mycoplasma bovis (OR 2.21, CI95% 1.07-4.55), and Pasteu-
Keywords: Bovine coronavirus, prevalence, biosecurity,
rella multocida (OR 2.19, CI95% 1.09-4.57). Detection of BCoV
risk management, Europe.
during an outbreak of BRD was associated with a higher risk
for the detection of PI3V (OR 5.96, CI95% 1.24-29.8). Besides
the association of Mycoplasma bovis with Mannheimia hae-
molytica and BRSV, Mycoplasma bovis detection was also
associated with a higher risk for the detection of Pasteurella
ID-09 multocida (OR 2.80, CI95% 1.35-6.17), and Histophilus somni
(OR 2.96, CI95% 1.46-5.96). A seasonal effect was shown for
Pathogen-specific prevalence and pathogen associations BRSV (OR 4.85, CI95% 2.09-12.70) and Mannheimia haemo-
during outbreaks of Bovine Respiratory Disease in calves lytica (OR 3.09, CI95% 1.54-6.37) isolation, with a higher preva-
in Flanders lence in winter and spring compared to summer and autumn.
Geert Hoflack1, Maude Lebrun1, Geert Vertenten2, Bart Sustronck1. Sample type was only observed to be associated with the iso-
lation rate of Mannheimia haemolytica, with a more frequent
MSD Animal Health, Brussels, Belgium; 2MSD Animal Health,
1
isolation from broncho-alveolar lavage fluid than deep naso-
Boxmeer, Netherlands. pharyngeal swabs (OR 7.9, CI95% 1.29-1.53).
Conclusion: The use of PCR as a diagnostic tool during
Objectives: Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a major BRD outbreaks is very valuable since in more than 75% of
health problem during calf rearing in many farms. The objec- cases an etiological diagnosis could be established. BRSV
tive of this study was to obtain further insights into the impor- and BCoV are the most frequently involved viral pathogens
tance of different pathogens involved and possible pathogen and acted predominantly as single viral agents. We demon-
associations during outbreaks of BRD in calves in Flanders. strated a seasonal influence on the occurrence of BRSV and

218
Mannheimia haemolytica with higher risk of disease in winter SNP calling on consensus sequences to compare strains be-
and spring. Finally, we found multiple interactions between tween sectors.
pathogens responsible for BRD outbreaks in calves. This ob- Results: Highest MIC-values were observed for macro-
servation could be useful for the implementation of specific lides, where almost all strains showed acquired resistance
combined preventive measures at the farm level. against 16-membered macrolides (tilmicosin and tylosin), and
Keywords: Bovine respiratory disease, calves, diagnosis, about 50% against the 15-membered macrolide, gamithromy-
PCR. cin. A limited number of isolates showed acquired resistance
against gentamicin, florfenicol, enrofloxacin and tiamulin. Al-
most all strains belonged to the wild type population for the
tetracyclines (oxytetracycline and doxycycline). A remarkable
difference between sectors was observed for gamithromycin,
ID-11 showing that beef herds (59% nWT) had a three times higher
odds (95%CI: 1.23-7.35) for gamithromycin resistant M. bovis
Genomics-based epidemiology and antimicrobial than dairy herds (32% nWT)(P = 0.02), whereas veal herds did
susceptibility of Mycoplasma bovis isolates from veal, dairy not significantly differ from both sectors (47% nWT). The phy-
and beef herds logenetic tree showed different clusters, although strains could
not be associated with certain sectors. Specific genetic mark-
Jade Bokma1, Nick Vereecke2, Linde Gille3, Laura Van Driessche1, ers could be linked to acquired resistance for most strains.
Koen De Bleecker4, Hans Nauwynck2, Freddy Haesebrouck5,
Conclusions: This study shows that acquired resistance
Sebastiaan Theuns2, Filip Boyen5, Bart Pardon1.
in Belgian M. bovis isolates is highest against macrolides,
1
Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary and minimal for tetracyclines. Secondly, no clear difference
Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium; 2Department in acquired resistance (with the exception of gamithromycin)
of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary or strains between sectors were observed. This information
Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium; 3Clinical Department could contribute to recommendations on antimicrobial therapy
of Production Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University in case of M. bovis outbreaks and to further understanding of
of Liege, Liege, Belgium; 4DGZ (Animal Health Service-Flanders), the epidemiology of this pathogen.
Torhout, Belgium; 5Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Keywords: Belgium, epidemiological cutoff, gamithromy-
diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Merelbeke, Belgium. cin, tetracyclines.
Objectives: Mycoplasma bovis associated pneumonia

is feared around the world, in particular because of its poor
response to antimicrobial therapy. A rise in antimicrobial re-
sistance of M. bovis is reported worldwide over the last two ID-12
decades. Whether different, more resistant strains exist in
industries such as the veal industry (more intensive antimi- Intranasal Bacterial Therapeutics Reduce Colonization
crobial use) compared to conventional dairy and beef farms, by the Respiratory Pathogen Mannheimia haemolytica in
is currently unknown. Therefore, the objectives of this study Dairy Calves
were to compare strains originating from the veal, dairy and Edouard Timsit1, Samat Amat2, Trevor Alexander3.
beef industry both on their genetic relatedness and antimicro-
bial susceptibility. University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada; 2University of Alberta,
1
Edmonton, Canada; 3Agriculture and Agrifood Canada, Calgary,

Materials and methods: MIC-values were determined for
Canada.
macrolides, tetracyclines, florfenicol, gentamicin, enrofloxacin
and tiamulin with microbroth dilution on 144 epidemiologically
independent Belgian M. bovis isolates (31 dairy, 70 beef, 11 Background/Objectives: Six Lactobacillus strains orig-
dairy-beef mixed and 32 veal farms), mostly obtained from the inating from the nasopharyngeal microbiota of cattle were
respiratory tract. For a selection of 100 of these isolates (29 previously characterized in vitro and identified as candidate
dairy, 41 beef, and 30 veal), the whole genome was sequenced bacterial therapeutics (BTs) for mitigating the bovine respira-
by MinION Nanopore sequencing. The reference strain M. tory pathogen Mannheimia haemolytica. In the present study,
bovis PG45 was used as quality control in all experiments. these BT strains were evaluated for their potential to (i) reduce
Antimicrobial susceptibility data were analyzed using the ep- nasal colonization by M. haemolytica, (ii) modulate the nasal
idemiological cut-off estimated by the visual eye-ball meth- microbiota, and (iii) stimulate an immune response in calves
od to distinguish between wild type (WT) and non-wild type experimentally challenged with M. haemolytica.
(nWT). Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) analysis was Materials and Methods: Twenty-four Holstein bull calves
performed to type M. bovis strains, but also to pinpoint spe- (1 to 3 weeks old) received either an intra-nasal BT cocktail
cific genetic markers in targeted genes, which were shown to containing 6 Lactobacillus strains (3 x 109 CFU per strain; BT
associate with the observed phenotypic susceptibility results. + Mh group) 24 h prior to intranasal M. haemolytica challenge
Binary logistic regression (0: WT; 1: nWT) was performed on (3 x 108 CFU) or no BTs prior to challenge (Mh, control group).
different sectors to compare antimicrobial susceptibility be- Nasal swab, blood, and transtracheal aspiration samples were
tween sectors. In addition, a phylogenetic tree was developed collected over the course of 16 days after BT inoculation.
using CSI Phylogeny (Center for Genomic Epidemiology) for Counts of M. haemolytica were determined by culturing, and

219
the nasal and tracheal microbiotas were evaluated using 16S ral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV), Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus
rRNA gene sequencing. Serum cytokines (interleukin-6 [IL-6], (BRSV), Parainfluenza Virus type 3 (PI-3) and the bacterial
IL-8, and IL-10) were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosor- pathogens Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida,
bent assay (ELISA). Histophilus somni, Trueperella pyogenes and Mycoplasma bo-
Results: Administration of BT reduced nasal colonization vis are considered to be major primary and secondary patho-
by M. haemolytica (P = 0.02), modified the composition and di- gens in BRD.
versity of the nasal microbiota, and altered interbacterial rela- The typical size of batches of cattle entering Spanish feed-
tionships among the 10 most relatively abundant genera. The lots ranges between 80 and 120 animals. Serum samples
BT + Mh calves also had a lower relative abundance of Mann- were collected from at least 10 randomly selected animals at
heimia in the trachea (P <0.01) but similar cytokine levels as 30-40 days on feed (DOF), representing approximately 10%
Mh calves. of the animals in a batch. Serum samples were collected from
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that intranasal BTs 58 different feedlots: 22 units feeding suckled calves and 36
developed from the bovine nasopharyngeal Lactobacillus spp. units feeding yearling calves with an annual production of
were effective in reducing nasal colonization by M. haemolyt- 270.000 calves, representing around 17 % of the total feedlot
ica in dairy calves. production in Spain. The feedlots were located in the main cat-
tle feedlot regions of Spain: Catalonia, Andalusia, Castilla la
Keywords: Bovine respiratory disease, Lactobacillus spp.,
Mancha, Castilla León and Galicia. A total of 723 serum sam-
respiratory microbiota, dairy calves, probiotics.
ples were collected. Refrigerated serum samples were sent
to a Spanish commercial laboratory for assay of viral and M.
bovis antibodies using ELISA kits.
Deep nasopharyngeal swabs or trans-traqueal aspirations
samples were collected for bacteriology from 21 feedlots from
ID-13
calves requiring BRD treatment during the feeding period. A
Prevalence of different pathogens of bovine respiratory total of 188 samples were analyzed in the laboratory. Upon
disease (BRD) in feedlot cattle in Spain arrival, the swabs were suspended and seeded onto a range
of plates containing suitable culture media. The bacterial col-
José María San Miguel Ayanz1, Michela Re2, Francisco Javier García onies were identified according to morphology, Gram staining,
Peña3, Alfredo Suarez-Inclán1, Eugenia Peralta1, Nacho Peón1, Javier and biochemical and growth characteristics. Identification of
Blanco Murcia2. M. bovis, M. haemolytica and P. multocida was confirmed by
1
Zoetis Spain S.L.U., Madrid, Spain; 2Department of Animal Medicine polymerase chain reaction test.
and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University Complutense, Results: The results obtained revealed the presence of
Madrid, Madrid, Spain; 3GEMAS (Grupo de Estudio de Medicina para M. bovis, M. haemolytica and P. multocida in BRD cases in
la conservación de Animales Salvajes), Madrid, Spain. 100 %, 53 % and 88 % of the feedlots respectively. The culture
individual prevalence in the positive feedlots was 77 % for M.
bovis, 42 % for P. multocida, 25 % for M. haemolytica and 0 %
Objectives: Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a com-
for T. pyogenes and H. somni.
mon endemic disease among Spanish feedlot cattle. BRD is
the major cause of morbidity and mortality in feedlot cattle, A high seroprevalence for BoHV-1, BVDV, BRSV, PI-3 virus
resulting in significant economic losses due to treatment costs and M. bovis was found in both suckling and yearling calves
as well as reduced feed efficiency and animal product quality. feedlots. The seroprevalence for suckling calves feedlots was
Multiple factors such as the feedlot environment, co-infection 100 %, 91 %, 82 %, 77 % and 91 % for BoHV-1, BVDV, BRSV,
with viruses, and stress related to transportation and mixing PI-3 virus and M. bovis respectively. The seroprevalence for
of cattle may contribute to the development of BRD. The dis- yearling calves feedlots was 82 %, 94 %, 94 %, 97 % and
ease complex is caused by one or more primary pathogens, 100 % for BoHV-1, BVDV, BRSV, PI-3 virus and M. bovis re-
including respiratory viruses and Mycoplasma spp., commonly spectively. A high individual seroprevalence ranging from 30 to
complicated by a secondary bacterial infection, or by bacteria 70 % was also found at 30-40 DOF.
alone. Important bacteria associated with bronchopneumonia Conclusions: The prevalence of the major BRD patho-
in feedlot cattle include Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella gens in Spanish feedlots is high in both types of feedlot pro-
multocida, Histophilus somni, Trueperella pyogenes and My- duction units. The data indicate that contagion of the pathogen
coplasma bovis. is rapid in Spanish feedlots. The results underscore the im-
The studies on the prevalence of different pathogens in portance of selecting an antimicrobial which has proven effi-
Spain are very few and there is no study that covers the prev- cacy against Mycoplasma bovis and the importance of design
alence of virus and bacteria and that focuses on the entire strong vaccination protocols and management practices to
Spanish territory so far. The aim of the current study was to reduce the impact of viral pathogens.
obtain real data on the prevalence of viral and bacterial patho- Keywords: Bovine respiratory disease, prevalence, feed-
gens in feedlot cattle in Spain in the two main production man- lot cattle.
agement systems, suckling calves and yearlings calves.
Materials and methods: The study was carried out in
Spain in 2017. We collected samples from 58 feedlots to
determine the prevalence of the major viral and bacterial
pathogens. Bovine Herpesvirus type 1 (BoHV-1), Bovine Vi-

220
ID-14 arrival, the swabs were suspended and seeded onto a range
of plates containing suitable culture media. The bacterial col-
Prevalence of different pathogens of bovine respiratory onies were identified according to morphology, Gram staining,
disease (BRD) in dairy heifers in Spain and biochemical and growth characteristics. Identification of
José María San Miguel Ayanz1, Javier Blanco Murcia2, Francisco M. bovis, M. haemolytica and P. multocida was confirmed by
Javier García Peña3, Alfredo Suarez-Inclán1, Eugenia Peralta1, Nacho polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
Peón1, Michela Re2. Results: The results obtained revealed the presence of M.
bovis, M. haemolytica, P. multocida and T. pyogenes in BRD
1
Zoetis Spain S.L.U., Madrid, Spain; 2Department of Animal Medicine
cases in 75 %, 11 %, 24 % and 16 % of the dairy farms respec-
and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University Complutense,
tively. The culture individual prevalence in the positive dairy
Madrid, Madrid, Spain; 3GEMAS (Grupo de Estudio de Medicina para
farms was 41 % for M. bovis, 16 % for P. multocida, 21 % for
la conservación de Animales Salvajes), Madrid, Spain.
M. haemolytica, 45 % for T. pyogenes and 0 % for H.somni.
A high seroprevalence for BoHV-1, BVDV, BRSV, PI-3 vi-
Objectives: Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a com- rus and M. bovis was found in dairy heifers. The seropreva-
mon endemic disease among Spanish dairy farms, impacting lence for dairy farms was 21 %, 32 %, 41 %, 44 % and 30 % for
mainly the young animals. BRD is the major cause of morbidity BoHV-1, BVDV, BRSV, PI-3 virus and M. bovis respectively. A
and mortality in dairy heifers, resulting in significant economic high individual seroprevalence ranging from 45 to 88 % was
losses due to treatment costs as well as the appearance of also found 30-40 days after the BRD outbreaks.
chronic animals with a reduced productive life or with a de-
Conclusions: The prevalence of the major BRD patho-
lay in reaching the breeding time. Multiple factors such as the
gens in Spanish dairy farms is high. The data indicate that
dairy farm environment, co-infection with viruses, and stress
contagion of the pathogen is rapid in Spanish dairy farms. The
related to regrouping of heifers may contribute to the develop-
results underscore the importance of selecting an antimicrobi-
ment of BRD. The disease complex is caused by one or more
al which has proven efficacy against Mycoplasma bovis and
primary pathogens, including respiratory viruses and Myco-
the importance of design strong vaccination protocols and
plasma spp., commonly complicated by a secondary bacterial
management practices to reduce the impact of viral pathogens
infection, or by bacteria alone. Important bacteria associated
in dairy heifers in Spain.
with bronchopneumonia in dairy heifers include Mannheimia
haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus somni, True- Keywords: Bovine respiratory disease, prevalence, dairy
perella pyogenes and Mycoplasma bovis. The studies on the heifers.
prevalence of different pathogens in Spain are very few and
there is no study that covers the prevalence of virus and bacte-
ria and that focuses on the entire Spanish territory so far. The
aim of the current study was to obtain real data on the preva-
lence of viral and bacterial pathogens in dairy heifers in Spain. ID-15
Materials and methods: The study was carried out in
Use of quantitative serology as a new practical tool for
Spain in 2017. We collected samples from 50 dairy farms
veterinarians to follow up BVD status on vaccinated farms
to determine the prevalence of the major viral and bacterial
pathogens. Bovine Herpesvirus type 1 (BoHV-1), Bovine Vi- Carlos Carbonell1, Rita Aida Ambroggio2, Rebeca Conde2, Marcelino
ral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV), Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus Álvarez3, Laura Elvira4.
(BRSV), Parainfluenza Virus type 3 (PI-3) and the bacterial 1
MSD Animal Health Spain, Salamanca, Spain; 2Livestock Sanitary
pathogens Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida,
Group ADSG Mazaricos, Galicia, Spain; 3University of Leon, León,
Histophilus somni, Trueperella pyogenes and Mycoplasma bo-
Spain; 4MSD Animal Health, Spain, Salamanca, Spain.
vis are considered to be major primary and secondary patho-
gens in bovine respiratory disease (BRD).
Serum samples were collected from at least 10 randomly Objectives: The bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) virus causes
selected animals at 30-40 days after a BRD outbreak. Serum significant economic losses in cattle farms. Indeed, various
samples were collected from 50 different dairy farms with an EU countries have done voluntary or mandatory eradication
heifer census of 33.250 dairy heifers, representing around 7 % plans. Different schemes have three central elements: bios-
of the total Spanish dairy heifers. The dairy farms were located ecurity, elimination of persistently infected animals and herd
in the main dairy production regions of Spain: Galicia, Astur- monitoring. In addition, many programs include systematic
ias, Cantabria, Catalonia, Castilla León, Navarra, Valencia, vaccination against BVD as an additional biosecurity measure
Castilla la Mancha and Andalusia. A total of 540 serum sam- (EU Thematic network BVDV, 2001; Moening et al., 2007).
ples were collected. Refrigerated serum samples were sent to For monitoring, the detection of antibodies continues to be
a Spanish commercial laboratory (Eurofins) for assay of viral the fastest, most practical and economical method to assess
and M. bovis antibodies using ELISA kits. exposure to BVD (González et al., 2014). Therefore, some
Deep nasopharyngeal swabs or trans-traqueal aspirations countries and regional programs, such as the ADSG in Gali-
samples were collected for bacteriology from 37 dairy farms cia, base their control programs on ELISA tests that are car-
from dairy calves requiring BRD treatment during the weening ried out periodically on youngstock serum and bulk tank.
period. A total of 316 samples were transported to the labo- A possible concern regarding vaccination is the interfer-
ratory in transport media containing activated charcoal. Upon ence of the vaccine response with serological monitoring of

221
the herd. However, previous studies in a reduced number of a useful tool to assess BVD status in farms vaccinated with
farms have shown how the combination of sampling age (6- inactivated vaccines. Moreover, this interpretation adds value
18 months old) and quantitative values of BVD p80 antibody to the technical advisor at farm level by improving their moni-
ELISA, could be a useful tool to determine the BVD status of toring system.
a herd, even if vaccinated with inactivated vaccines (Carbonell Keywords: BVD, serology, quantitative, vaccine,
et al., 2019; Eze et al.,2019). monitoring.
The main objective of this study was to analyze in many
farms the practical use of quantitative BVD p80 antibody ELI-
SA to differentiate between field virus circulation and BVD vac-
cination.
Materials and methods: Serum samples from 50 farms ID-16
included in the Voluntary ADSG Control Program of Galicia
were analyzed in 2019. The farms were classified based in Pasteurella multocida, Mannheimia haemolytica and
their BVD status into three types: RC, recent circulation of Bovine Corona Virus are the most frequently detected
BVD (5), BOV, vaccinated with an inactivated BVD vaccine respiratory pathogens from bronchoalveolar lavages in
(Bovilis® BVD) (40), LV, vaccinated with a live BVD vaccine Dutch dairy BRD calves
(5). In the vaccinated farms (BOV and LV) no persistently in- Henk Kuijk, Pleun Penterman, Geert Vertenten.
fected animals had been detected in the previous two years.
All samples were analyzed in the Animal Health and Pro-
duction Laboratory of Galicia by ELISA BVD antibody (IDEXX, MSD Animal Health, Boxmeer, Netherlands.
BVDV p80 Ab Test). For this quantitative study, the results
were expressed as Inhibition Percentage of the optical den- Objectives: Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a com-
sity (IP-OD). The ELISA results were categorized according mon cause of morbidity and mortality in dairy calves, which has
to the manufacturer’s instructions as: negative (>50), doubtful long-term consequences including decreased milk production,
(40-50) or positive (<40). All positive samples (OD <40) were poor reproductive performance, and poor growth and longevi-
further divided over 4 groups (<10; 10-20; 20-30 ;30-40). Fur- ty. Although management practices such as commingling and
thermore, the lower the PI, the higher the titer of antibodies group housing increase BRD risk, viral and bacterial patho-
present in the sample. For the statistical processing a descrip- gens cause the lesions characteristic of BRD. Monitoring and
tive analysis was performed using Excel 2016. testing for pathogens associated with BRD may facilitate the
Results: A total of 976 serum samples were included in development of appropriate, targeted vaccination pro-grams.
the analysis (101 RC, 780 BOV and 95 LV). From November 2019 until the end of December 2021,
21.65, 70.5 and 23.66% of the samples were seronegative MSD Animal Health performed several diagnoses of respirato-
while 70.1, 8.9 and 48.4% were positive to ELISA with IP-OD ry pathogens by PCR on bronchoalveolar lavages (BALs) on
<10 in RC, BOV and LV group, respectively. Moreover, the Dutch dairy farms vaccinating against Mannheimia haemolyti-
average PI value of positive samples was 6.5+4.8, 21.9+14.1 ca, Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV) and Parainflu-
and 11.3+8.2 in RC, BOV and LV group, respectively. enza 3 virus (PI3).
A more detailed analysis by segmentation into four age This manuscript gives an overview of the first results of the
categories (6-12m, 13-18m, 19-24m and > 25m) reveled two BALs performed on those Dutch dairy farms.
clear patterns: In the BOV group, the percentage of seroneg- Materials & Methods: From several calves suffering from
ative samples was even higher in animals 6-18 months old BRD on dairy farms vaccinating against BRD pathogens in the
(82.9% in both); while the percentage of samples IP-OD <10 Netherlands, a BAL sample was taken as previously described
was very low (4.9%, 2.2%, 12.4% and 16.1%, respectively in (Van Driessche et al. 2016). Samples were transported at am-
all four age groups). However, in the RC and LV group the bient temperature and analyzed at the Veterinary Laboratory
percentage of seronegative samples was much lower (40.0 Gelderland (Epe, The Netherlands) by PCR for Pasteurella
-20.0% 6-12m and 31.3-20.8% 13-18m, respectively); while multocida, Mannheimia haemolytica, Bovine Corona Virus,
the percentage of positive ELISA IP-OD <10 was very high Mycoplasma bovis, Histophilus somni, BRSV and PI3.
(60.0-60.0%, 86.7-50.0%; 50.0-56.7% and 73.2-38.2% for RC
Results: During the defined timeframe, 194 BALs from
and LV per group, respectively).
calves between 2 weeks and 6 months old were performed
Moreover, if we analyze the distribution of positive results on 80 dairy farms from which 78,3%, 25,7%, 21,6% 13,4%,
based on the IP-OD result of ELISA in a boxplot, the first, sec- 12,3%, 10,3% and 1,5% of the samples were positive for re-
ond and third quartile of the BOV group (9.5,21.0,34.0) rep- spectively Pasteurella multocida, Mannheimia haemolytica,
resents a different pattern to the RC group (4.0,5.0,7.0) and Bovine Corona Virus, Mycoplasma bovis, Histophilus somni,
LV group (6.0,8.0,12.8); showing patterns that easily allows BRSV and PI3. This is in line with similar studies from Bel-
the differentiate the positives due to vaccination with the inac- gium (n=3234) (Griepbarometer DGZ, https://www.dgz.be/
tivated vaccine (BOV) vs virus circulation (RC). However, this rundvee/gezondheidszorg/bioveiligheid-en-preventie/monitor-
serology is not useful to monitor LV farms as their patterns are ing-en-vaccinatie/griepbarometer, accessed at Jan 12th 2022)
difficult to differentiate to RC ones. showing the following prevalences for respectively Pasteurel-
Conclusions: The use of quantitative IP-OD ELISA val- la multocida, Mannheimia haemolytica, Bovine Corona Virus,
ues, using IDEXX p80 antibodies ELISA test, seems to offer Mycoplasma bovis, Histophilus somni, BRSV and PI3 : 74,0%,

222
35,8%, 19,8%, 27,7%, 25,7%,21,1% and 5,5%. Both studies respiratory pathogens in Danish dairy farms and calf rearing
show that the most prevalent bacterial pathogens are Pasteu- operations with BRD problems.
rella multocida and Mannheimia haemolytica, while the most Materials & Methods: The tested farms were selected
prevalent viral pathogen is clearly Bovine Corona Virus. based on the herd veterinarian defining them as having a BRD
Finally, we compared the results of this PCR study with the problem. On the selected farms, serum samples were taken
seroprevalences of respiratory samples from BRD calves on from around 10 calves > 2,5 months old. The samples were
non-vaccinating dairy farms (Kuijk et al., 2022). The most re- subjected to the BRD QuickScan procedure in the Centre for
markable finding from this comparison was on PI3: only 1,5% Diagnostic Solutions (MSD Animal Health, Netherlands). An
of the BALs in this study (BRD calves on vaccinating farms) in-house ELISA test was used to measure Mh, PM, BCV and
were positive for PI3 specific RNA where 66,6% of the animals BRSV antibodies, whereas for PI3V and MB commercial ELI-
in the serology study (BRD calves on non-vaccinating farms) SA kits were used (IDEXX and Bio-X respectively). The test for
were positive for PI3 antibodies. This demonstrates that many antibodies against BCV was only performed on samples from
animals get in contact with PI3 field virus early in life or are still June 2020 onwards.
seropositive by the presence of maternal antibodies. But on Results: In total, 51 BRD QuickScans were performed: 38
the other hand, it is hard to detect PI3 BALs from BRD calves. on samples from dairy farms (371 calves) and 13 from calf
Conclusion: From this study, it can be concluded that rearing operations (134 calves) meeting the same farm selec-
Pasteurella multocida, Mannheimia haemolytica and Bovine tion and calf-age criteria. At the farm level, 100% of the test-
Corona Virus are the most frequently detected respiratory ed farms had samples positive for Mh and PI3V antibodies,
pathogens from dairy calves suffering from Bovine Respira- whereas 94%, 73% and 40% were positive for PM, MB and
tory Disease. BRSV respectively. All farms (100%) included in testing for
Keywords: BRD, dairy calves, Pasteurella multocida, BCV antibodies had positive samples.
Mannheimia haemolytica, Bovine Corona Virus. At the calf level, no presence of antibodies against any of
the pathogens tested was detected only in 1% of calves. Sam-
ples from 98% of calves were positive for antibodies against
Mh, but only 3% of samples were positive for Mh antibodies
only. Simultaneous presence of antibodies against Mh and vi-
ID-17 ral BRD pathogens (BRSV and/or PI3V) was detected in 82%
of samples. None of the samples had a mixed Mh - MB anti-
Prevalence of respiratory pathogens on Danish cattle farms body presence.
Katja Mikkelsen1, Liff Nielsen1, Geert Vertenten2. Eighty-three percent of the samples were positive for an-
tibodies against PI3V and/or BRSV. One percent were only
1
MSD Animal Health, Copenhagen, Denmark; 2MSD Animal Health, positive for PI3V antibodies and none of the calves were pos-
Boxmeer, Netherlands. itive for only BRSV antibodies. These findings confirm the im-
portance of the viral pathogens in the BRD complex, mainly in
Objectives: Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is a costly combination with Mh.
and multifactorial disease of young and growing cattle. The Conclusion: All farms tested had calves positive for Mh
factors that predispose to BRD include stress related to over- and PI3V antibodies, and all farms tested for BCV antibod-
stocking, moving or mixing cattle, poor ventilation or draughts, ies had positive samples. At the calf level, the most frequently
sudden climatic changes, mixing of various age groups, nu- detected antibodies were those detected against Mh with a
tritional deficiencies, inadequate colostrum intake, and poor prevalence of 98% followed by PI3V with a prevalence of 82%
feed hygiene. These stress situations facilitate infection by of all calves tested with the BRD QuickScan. The results sug-
primary viral pathogens which cause lung damage. The viral gest that the pathogens circulating on Danish BRD problem
damage to the lungs may pave the way for various bacterial farms were in most cases (82%) co-infections of bacteria and
pathogens such as Mannheimia haemolytica (Mh), Pasteurel- viruses, while Mh was involved in all cases.
la multocida (PM) and Mycoplasma bovis (MB). The findings demonstrate that the BRD QuickScan can
Vaccination is an important tool in managing BRD. Iden- be a valuable tool supporting the vet and the farmer in the
tification of major respiratory pathogens on farms with BRD decision-making process around BRD control and prevention.
problems can offer valuable insights helping establish an ap- For most pathogens circulating on farms with BRD problems,
propriate vaccination program. vaccines are commercially available and therefore an insight
into the pathogens the animals are exposed to on a partic-
In 2019 and 2020 MSD Animal Health used a testing ap-
ular farm should help motivate the farmers to adopt prophy-
proach BRD QuickScan to evaluate exposure to BRD patho-
lactic vaccination. Moreover, knowledge of the BRD pathogen
gens present on several Danish farms. The BRD QuickScan
landscape and specific farm risk factors should help the vets
involves detection of antibodies against Mh, Bovine Respirato-
develop a tailor-made prophylactic vaccination programme for
ry Syncytial Virus (BRSV), Bovine Corona Virus (BCV), Para-
each farm.
influenza 3 virus (PI3V), MB and PM. The results of the BRD
QuickScan and situation analysis was then used to provide the Keywords: Bovine respiratory complex, pathogens, prev-
farms with a tailor-made advice including BRD vaccination and alence.
improvement of management factors predisposing to BRD.
This manuscript gives an overview of the prevalence of

223
ID-18 Objectives: Galicia is the main dairy cattle of the country,

with 55% of the farms and 38% of the milk production. The
Risk factors for BVDV introduction into Dutch dairy herds mean herd size per farm is 43 cows. In 2004, a voluntary con-
in a national control programme trol program against Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuber-
Emma Strous, Irene Bisschop, Jet Mars, Linda Van Duijn, Frederik culosis (Map), causal agent of bovine paratuberculosis, was
Waldeck, Paul Wever, Gerdien Van Schaik. implemented in Galicia (NW Spain). 8,664 farms are currently
integrated in the program, representing 26.2% of the herds
Royal GD, Deventer, Netherlands. (50.2% of the animals).
In the NW of Galicia, the Livestock Health Defence Group
Objectives: After many years of voluntary control and de- (LHDG) Costa da Morte, had 243 herds integrated in the vol-
creasing prevalence, a national control programme for bovine untary control program (cattle and dairy farms) ranging from
viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) is in place for Dutch dairy herds 539 to 5 animals (mean herd size of 68 cows).
since 2018. Introduction of BVDV is minimized by regulations The aim was to present the evolution of the program in
with respect to purchase of cattle from herds with a lower LHDG Costa da Morte according to the laboratory results be-
BVDV status. However, BVDV was introduced in several tens tween 2014 and 2019.
of herds in 2019-2021. The aim of the study was to determine
Materials and methods: Blood samples are taken annu-
risk factors for introduction of BVDV in the context of the na-
ally to animals older than 2 years for the 243 herds involved in
tional control programme.
the program, according to the following schedule:
Material & Methods: In a case-control design, herds with
• In Map infected herds, all cows over two years during
a confirmed BVDV introduction (cases) were compared with
the next years to elimination of fecal positive animals.
control herds that were located near the case herd, which
remained free of BVDV. Both case and control herds were • 40% of animals over two years in herds not confirmed
visited by a veterinarian and an extensive questionnaire was as infected.
applied about the possible risk factors for BVDV introduction The serums are analyzed for anti-Map antibodies with
in the previous two years. In total, 149 cases and 148 controls commercial ELISA and fecal samples of all ELISA-positive
were visited. Logistic regression analysis was carried out to samples are analyzed by PCR or bacterial culture. Fecal pos-
determine the significant risk factors (P<0.05). itive animals must be sacrificed.
Results: The final multivariable model consisted of seven Additionally, all purchased animals were analyzed by ELI-
risk factors. Purchasing cattle from non-free herds (OR=1.25) SA. Positive ELISA or PCR animals must not be incorporated
and cattle from other herds that escaped and mingled with into farms.
cattle from the own herd (OR=1.16) were risk factors relat- Information of biosecurity and supervision of implementa-
ed to direct animal contact. Risk factors for indirect external tion of management measures to reduce fecal-oral contamina-
contact were: distance of less than 500m to beef cattle herds tion is also recorded in the program.
(OR=1.15), a permanent employee (OR=1.17) and the farmer
Results: The seropositive herds in LHDG studied (at least
working outside the farm in other cattle herds (OR=1.25). Risk
with one animal with anti-Map antibodies) varied between a
factors that seemed more related to internal biosecurity were:
maximum of 15.3% in 2015 and a minimum of 9.6% in 2018.
housing of adult cattle and calves in the same barn (OR=1.22)
These results are better than those obtained in all LHDG of
and use of a group pen for calving (OR=1.16).
Galicia with a maximum of 22% in 2015 and a minimum of
Conclusion: In conclusion, the risk factors for introduction 17.7% in 2017.
of BVDV in free herds varied considerable between herds and
At animal level, the seropositivity varied between a maxi-
had fairly low odds, indicating that there were many smaller
mum of 1.8% in 2014 (15.2% were positive-PCR/bacterial cul-
biosecurity risks that need to be mitigated.
ture) and a minimum of 1% in 2018 (2.9% were positive-PCR/
Keywords: BVDV, biosecurity, control programme. bacterial culture). In all LHDG of Galicia, it was observed a
maximum of 2.8% in 2014 (20.8% were positive-PCR/bacte-
rial culture) and minimum of 1.8% in 2017 (13.5% were posi-
tive-PCR/bacterial culture).
The percentage of seropositive in purchased animals did
ID-19 not exceed 2.8% any year, with a minimum of 0% in 2018 (nev-
er above 1.7% with a minimum of 0.7% in 2017 in all LHDG).
Voluntary control program against Mycobacterium avium
subsp. paratuberculosis in cattle farms from the Livestock Only about 26% of the farms purchased cattle (33.7% in
Health Defence Group Costa da Morte in Galicia (NW the whole region) and most farmers do not request information
Spain) on the overall status of the origin farms.
Conclusions: Control programs are having an impact on
Eduardo Yus1, Francisco Javier Villaamil2, Ignacio Arnaiz3, Francisco
the sanitary status. Collecting data is an important first step to
Javier Diéguez1.
identification of biosecurity shortcomings; however, apart from
Facultad de Veterinaria, Lugo, Spain; 2ADSG Coste da Morte, A
1
the control of purchased animals (mandatory), programs do
Coruña, Spain; 3Laboratorio de Sanidad y Producción Animal, A not seem to have significant influence on the application of
Coruña, Spain. many other measures concerning biosecurity.
Acknowledgements: Animal Health and Production Lab-

224
oratory of Galicia, Xunta of Galicia these results, the use of environmental fecal samples seems
Keywords: Mycobacterium avium susp. paratuberculosis, to be a useful tool to assess the MAP herd level in cattle.
cattle farms, control program, Spain. Keywords: Paratuberculosis, Johne´s disease, Mycobac-
terium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, environmental fecal
sampling.
ID-20
Comparison of different sampling sites and techniques ID-21

for the detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp.
paratuberculosis in environmental fecal samples in Examples of and lessons learned from regional control
paratuberculosis positive cattle herds programs for the abatement of Mycobacterium avium
subsp. paratuberculosis in cattle
Johannes Lorenz Khol1, Martina Mattes1, Michael Dünser2, Waler
Baumgartner1. Johannes Lorenz Khol1, Susanne Eisenberg2, Irene Noll3, Michael
Zschöck4, Tobias Eisenberg4, Karsten Donat5.
1
University Clinic for Ruminants, University of Veterinary Medicine
Vienna, Vienna, Austria; 2Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, 1
Linz, Austria. Vienna, Vienna, Austria; 2Animal Disease Fund Lower Saxony,
Hannover, Germany; 3District Government of Giessen, Giessen,
Germany; 4Hessian State Laboratory (LHL), Dept. of Veterinary
Objectives: Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculo-
Medicine, Giessen, Germany; 5Thuringian Animal Disease Fund,
sis (MAP) is causing paratuberculosis (Johne´s disease, JD)
Institution by Law and 6Clinic for Obstetrics, Gynecology and
in cattle and is known to survive for an extended period of
Andrology with Veterinary Ambulance, Justus-Liebig-University
time in the environment. The objective of this study was, to
Giessen, Jena, Germany.
evaluate in which areas within a barn MAP can be detected in
positive cattle farms and to compare different sampling sites.
Thereby, potential areas for MAP transmission, as well as the Objectives: Paratuberculosis (Johne´s disease, JD) is
most promising places for the detection of MAP in positive cat- caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis
tle premises, should be identified. (MAP) and may lead to substantial economic losses in infect-
Material and Methods: During the study, 14 Austrian dairy ed cattle herds. Detection and control of the infection is chal-
and beef operations were tested for the presence of MAP twice lenging, therefore examples of regional control programs are
in a six months interval. In each farm at least one confirmed presented and discussed.
clinical case of JD was detected within a year prior to the study Material, Methods and Results: In course of the program
and the herd was therefore considered to be MAP positive. for the reduction of the MAP prevalence in Lower Saxony, Ger-
On every farm, 7-10 paired environmental fecal samples many, dairy farms are obliged to test bulk milk samples for
from specific sites were taken. Sampling locations depended MAP antibodies, followed by testing of individual animals in
on the type of operation and included the calving area, alley- seropositive farms. Subsequently, farmers can decide to join
ways, equipment, milking parlor and manure storage sites. the accompanying MAP control program. Within the first year
Fecal samples were tested for MAP both by bacteriological of the program 6,035 bulk tank samples were tested, 13%
culture on Herrold´s Egg Yolk Medium and real time PCR for were MAP-positive and 670 farms joined the MAP control pro-
IS900 (Adiagene, Saint Brieuc, France), at the Austrian Na- gram.
tional Reference Laboratory for paratuberculosis. Within the voluntary certification program in Hesse, Ger-
Results: All farms enrolled in the study had at least one many, the MAP herd status is evaluated using boot swab
positive environmental fecal sample, confirming the classifica- sampling (PCR and culture). In positive farms, animals are
tion as MAP positive. Fecal samples collected from the slurry tested by individual milk or blood ELISA-serology. Until now,
pit, the alleyways in the feeding area as well as the manure 100 farms participated in the program, of which 60 were MAP
channels (tie stall barns) proved to be most likely MAP posi- negative and 33 positive, respectively (no status assigned in 7
tive. Altogether, 42.3% of the samples from the slurry pit were farms). The mean intra herd prevalence decreased from 7.56
positive by culture and 51.9% by PCR, samples from the al- % to 4.06% in participating farms.
leyways from the feeding area showed 44.4% and 30.0% pos- The program for the abatement of MAP infections in cattle
itive results, and in the manure channel 87.5% of the collected herds in Thuringia, Germany, is based on a yearly fecal ex-
samples were MAP positive by culture an 50.0% by PCR, re- amination of adult cattle within a herd. In 2017, fecal samples
spectively. The sensitivity of the samples could be increased from 28,941 animals were tested of which 1.8% were MAP
significantly by collecting two samples from each site and positive. Of the 136 participating farms, currently 64 are MAP
reached 100% at the herd level, when several sample sites negative and 72 positive, with 39 of the latter in the last step
were combined within a farm. of the program before achieving a MAP-unsuspected status.
Conclusions: The results of the present study indicate, The biennial survey of the MAP herd status by boot swabs
that manure storage sites, as well as the highly frequented (PCR and culture) is the base of the MAP program in Tyrol,
alleyways in a barn seem to be the most promising sites for the Austria. Positive farms may join the MAP control program to
detection of MAP by environmental fecal samples. Based on have their animals tested by individual fecal sampling. More

225
than 4,000 boot swab samples were tested in each run with specificity (Sp) of the ELISA in this context, sero-neutralisation
0.97% positive farms in 2016/17. In these farms 2,151 indi- tests (SNT) were carried out on a subset of samples of years
vidual fecal samples were collected of which 2.3% were MAP 2012, 2013 and 2014.
positive. Results: The study led to the test of 2258 sera: 1140 from
Conclusions: The programs presented indicate, that a roe deer and 1138 from red deer. The geographical distribution
two-stage approach, with an evaluation of the MAP-herd lev- of the samples is centered on the Belgian Ardenne. The sub-
el, followed by the testing of single animals, is generally well set of samples used for the SNT numbered 622 sera. The rel-
accepted by the stakeholders. Besides financial support, com- ative Se of the ELISA in this context was 70% and the relative
munication and cooperation of all participating parties seems Sp reached 93%. However, for the 2012 red deer cohort, an
to be crucial for the success of such programs. Furthermore, unexplained phenomenon dropped the relative Se to 30%. In
stigmatization has to be avoided and additional programs for consequence, the seroprevalence of this group was evaluated
positive farms should be available. by SNT and not included in the statistical analysis.
Keywords: Paratuberculosis, Johne´s disease, Mycobac- The profile of the seroprevalence evolution over the six
terium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, regional control pro- years is similar in the two species. Two years, 2012 and 2016,
gram. were characterized by a significantly higher level of circu-
lation (roe deer: 2012 = 44±6% - 2016 = 47±7%; red deer:
2012 = 43±16% SNT-based evaluation – 2016 = 28±7%).
Beside these two years, the seroprevalence was low in both
species, especially in juveniles for which the seroprevalence
ID-22 did not exceed 6±5%, showing a very limited circulation of the
SBV during 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017. These low circulation
Wild cervids populations as Schmallenberg virus years led to a a seroprevalence decrease in the whole popu-
circulation sensors lation until a floor level close to 10% reached in both species
Calixte Bayrou1, Rosario Volpe1, Christophe Lesenfants1, Julien in 2014.
Paternostre1, Damien Coupeau2, Benoît Muylkens2, Nassim Moula1, Conclusion: Our study provides evidences that the SBV
Daniel Desmecht1, Annick Linden1. continues to circulate in Wallonia after 2011. Thus, Wallonia
appears as an endemic area characterized by a global hypo-
1
University of Liège, Liège, Belgium; 2University of Namur, Namur,
endemic state crossed by endemic pulsations. Such an en-
Belgium.
demic profile is classically explained by the Susceptible-Infec-
tious-Recovered-Susceptible (SIRS) epidemiological model.
Background: The Schmallenberg virus (SBV) emerged in The intense 2016 circulation was observed and reported
2011 in Europe. The epicenter of this spreading was the re- all across Europe. On the contrary, 2012 circulation is more
gion which straddled Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. specific to our study and is due to the specific topography of
The dissemination of the virus is based on an arthropod/ru- the Belgian Ardenne that locally slowed down the 2011 expan-
minant cycle. Midges belonging to the Culicoides obsoletus sion of the virus.
complex have been identified as the main vector population
The fact that floor level seroprevalence was already
while the majority of tested ruminants supports the infection.
reached in 2014 for the two populations suggests that wild
After the remarkably fast spreading of the virus across Europe,
deer are not the main reservoir of the virus and have limited
questions raised about the virus implantation in the conquered
impact on the global circulation.
lands.
Keywords: Schmallenberg, Seroprevalence, Belgium,
Objectives: The objective of the study was to follow the
Deer, Epidemiology.
circulation dynamic of SBV in Wallonia (Belgium) during six
years after the emergence (2012-2017). We designed a se-
roprevalence follow-up of the wild deer populations to answer
two main questions: (i) is SBV endemic in Wallonia and, if so,
which kind of endemic profile characterizes its implantation?
(ii) are wild deer a significant reservoir for the virus? ID-23
Material and Methods: The study is based on the annu- Herd Environmental Sampling for detection of
al sampling protocol of the Surveillance Network of Wildlife Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in Irish
Diseases (SNWD) of the University of Liège (Belgium). The
pasture-based dairy herds
SNWD takes advantage of the hunting activities in Wallonia
to collect, every year, during October, November and Decem- Niamh Field1, Conor McAloon2, John Mee1.
ber, as many samples as possible to cover the largest num-
Teagasc, Fermoy, Republic of Ireland; 2University College Dublin,
1
ber of communities. Blood is collected post-mortem. Sampled
Belfield, Republic of Ireland.
deer are classified as adults or juveniles (born the year of
sampling) and belong to the two main deer species of Wal-
lonia: roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and red deer (Cervus Objective: The objective of this study was to determine
elaphus). All samples were analyzed using the commercial the herd sensitivity (HSe) and herd specificity (HSp) of Herd
ELISA from IDvet: ID Screen Schmallenberg virus Competi- Environmental Sampling (HES) for the detection of Myco-
tion Multi-species®. To assess the relative sensitivity (Se) and bacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) in Irish

226
pasture-based dairy herds and to compare these metrics with intensification of livestock systems. Knowing the status of PTB
those of whole-herd serology and confirmatory faecal PCR. infection at the herd-level through accuracy and economical
Materials and methods: In a three-year study (2019- strategies would improve the control of the disease. Therefore,
2021), 122 commercial dairy herds were recruited from the the objective of this work was to evaluate different diagnostic
Irish Johne’s Control Programme (IJCP) https://animalhealth- test to detect Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratubercu-
ireland.ie/programmes/johnes-disease/irish-johnes-control- losis (MAP) at the herd-level from a cost-effective point of view.
programme-ijcp/. Herds were visited once when cows were Material & methods: A total of 26 dairy farms in south-
housed for the winter. Blood samples were taken from all ani- ern Spain with an average of 107 milking cow were random-
mals over two years old. For the HES, six composite environ- ly selected for this study. The following samples were taken
mental samples were collected from areas of manure concen- from each herd: blood serum samples, obtained by sterile BD
tration such as slurry storage, adult cow housing, the collecting Vacutainer ® from 20 randomly selected cows with at least
yard for the milking parlour and calving pens. Two herd-level one calf (n=520 samples). Also, a sample from the bulk milk
tests for MAP were conducted on these samples: whole-herd tank (BMT, n=26) and accumulated feces (n=26) in the milking
serum ELISA (sELISA) with confirmatory faecal PCR (fPCR) area (holding pen) from each dairy farm were obtained.
of seropositive animals (sELISA + fPCR), and herd environ- Both serum and the BTM samples were tested by en-
mental fPCR. Blood samples were tested using IDEXX MAP zyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (IDEXX Labora-
ELISA kit and HES samples were tested by PCR using the In- tories, Westbrook, ME, USA), according to the manufacturer's
dical Bactotype MAP PCR kit. Individual faecal samples were instructions. The manure and BMT samples were analyzed by
tested with various different PCR kits. A herd was considered real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). DNA extraction
positive on sELISA + fPCR if at least one animal was positive was performed following the instructions of the MagMAX™
on fPCR; and positive on HES if at least one composite envi- Core nucleic acid purification kit, with a specific mechanical
ronmental sample was positive on fPCR. The HSe and HSp lysis module for MAP detection (Thermo Fisher scientific, Aus-
of HES and sELISA + fPCR were estimated using a two-test, tin, Texas) and, in an automated manner, with the KingFish-
two-population Bayesian latent class model in R. er™ mL equipment (Thermo Fisher scientific, Austin, Texas).
Results: Complete test results for both test methods were The qPCR analysis was performed using the vetMAX™ MAP
available for 97 herds. Fifteen and five herds were positive on IS900-F57 kit (Thermo Fisher scientific, Austin, Texas).
sELISA + fPCR and HES, respectively, with seventeen herds The ability of each diagnostic test to detect MAP at the herd
identified as infected on either test; 80 herds were negative on level was evaluated and compared with the other techniques.
both tests. The median herd level sensitivity (HSe) and spec- The agreement between the diagnostic tests was evaluated by
ificity (HSp) and 95% credibility intervals for each test were Cohen's Kappa statistic (k) and interpreted as follows: k = 0.00
as follows: sELISA + fPCR: HSe 0.57 (0.33-0.85), HSp 0.99 - 0.20, poor; k = 0.21 - 0.40, fair; k = 0.41 - 0.60, moderate; k
(0.98-1); HES: HSe 0.31 (0.16-0.5, HSp 0.99 (0.99-1). = 0.61 - 0.80, good; and k = 0.81 - 1.00, excellent agreement
Conclusions: In this study, the estimated HSe of HES was (WinEpi software 2.0, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Zara-
lower than the current standard method of testing herds for goza, Spain).
MAP in Ireland (whole herd serology with confirmatory fae- Results: In reference to individual serum samples, a total
cal PCR). Further research is required to determine if the test of 26 (5.0%) of the 520 serum samples showed MAP-specific
methods used can be optimised to increase the sensitivity of antibodies. A herd was considered positive when at least one
HES in pasture-based dairy herds. of the serum samples was seropositive, therefore, 14 herds
Keywords: Paratuberculosis, diagnostic, sensitivity, envi- (53.8%) were considered MAP positive by serology, most of
ronmental, pasture-based. them (64.3%) with only one animal seropositive. However,
when analyzing the BMT samples by ELISA, 5 positive and
6 doubtful samples were detected, which were considered
positive for herd classification, obtaining 11 seropositive herds
(45.8%). When qPCR was used, the presence of MAP was
ID-24 detected in 11 (45.8%) fecal samples, but all BTM samples
were negative with this technique.
Comparison of different diagnostic strategies at the herd- Except for qPCR in BTM samples, the agreement between
level for Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis all other techniques was considered moderate (K=0.455-
in cattle 0.541). A total of 17 herds (65.4%) presented unanimity in the
Francisco Jurado-Martos1, Fernando Cardoso-Toset1, Belén Huerta2, result of all the techniques studied (8 positive and 9 negative),
Carmen Tarradas2, Inmaculada Luque3. while in 9 herds (34.6%) discrepancies were observed, stand-
ing out 3 herds (11, 5%) that were only detected by serum
1
1Dpto. de I+D+i, CICAP, 14400., Pozoblanco, Córdoba, Spain; 2Dpto. serology and 1 herd (3.8%) that was positive only to the BTM
Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Córdoba., Elisa, which could be associated with the lack of specificity of
Córdoba, Spain; 3Dpto. Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, the ELISA, described by other authors.
Universidad de Córdoba., Pozoblanco, Córdoba, Spain.
Conclusions: The diagnostic techniques analyzed for the
classification of PTB positive and negative herds show mod-
Objectives: Paratuberculosis (PTB) is a disease that erate agreement. Therefore, we recommend the combination
causes significant production losses in cattle and its preva- of indirect techniques (ELISA of individual animals or in BMT
lence is expected to increase in the coming years due to the samples) and direct techniques (qPCR of manure) for the de-

227
tection of MAP at the herd-level as the most accurate strategy. Exopol). Cohen´s Kappa value was calculated (CI 95%) con-
However, the analysis of a sample of manure from the holding sidering results from both techniques. Those strains with neg-
pen by qPCR turned out to be the most advantageous cost-ef- ative result for A1, A2 and A6 were considered as concordant
fective strategy. if IHA resulted with a different serotype different from the three
Keywords: Paratuberculosis, diagnosis, qPCR, ELISA. above mentioned.
Finally 26 clinical specimens sampled from diseased ani-
mals which resulted positive for M. haemolytica were directly
analyzed by qPCR. This collection included nasal swabs(n=8),
BAL(n=5) and lungs(n=14).
ID-26 Results and discussion: Inclusivity and exclusivity test
resulted as expected and reference strains were correctly
Mannheimia haemolytica serotypes detection by novel identified. Isolates which were different from A1, A2 and A6
qPCR. Spanish cattle epidemiological situation resulted negative but A17 which resulted positive for A2 qPCR
José Luis Arnal Bernal1, María Dolores Cid Vázquez2, Celia Sanz test. This misidentification might not affect the study because
Tejero1, Alfredo Ángel Benito Zúñiga1, Oihane Alzuguren Ramos1, A17 is not expected to be present in Spain.
Cristina Baselga Julián1, Ana Belén Fernández Ros1. Once analyzed the 59 isolates, 32 isolates (54.23%) result-
ed positive for A1, 12 isolates (20.33%) resulted positive for
Exopol, San Mateo de Gallego (Zaragoza), Spain; Universidad
1 2
A2, 6 isolates (10.17%) resulted positive for A6 and 9 isolates
Complutense Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
(15.25%) resulted negative for A1, A2 and A6. Concordance
resulted very high (kappa=0.95; CI 0.95, 0.87-1.0; SD=0.03).
Introduction: Mannheimia haemolytica is described as From those 9 isolates which resulted as non-typeable (nt) by
a primary agent of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) which qPCR two resulted positive to A16 by IHA and the rest re-
remarkably impacts in cattle cost. Most of healthy animals mained as nt. These results agree those previously reported;
are natural carriers; nevertheless, this agent causes acute or A1, A2 and A6 represented the 85% of the cases and A1 was
chronic disease under certain circumstances such as environ- found as the most frequently detected in diseased animals.
mental stress, shipping, weaning or infections by viruses or Those clinical samples (n=26) which had resulted positive
Mycoplasma spp. to M. haemolytica by qPCR (Cq range 18.9-32.6) obtained
Twelve different serotypes of M. haemolytica (A1,A2, A5- positive results for A1 (n=16, 61%), A2 (n=14; 53%) and A6
A9, A12-A14, A16 and A17) have been reported so far. Other (n=5, 17.24%). In everysample but one was detected at least
serotypes, which were formerly included, are currently classi- one of the studied serotypes. Coinfection was not frequently
fied as Mannheimia glucosida (A11) or Bibersteinia trehalosi observed; just 3 samples resulted positive for two different se-
(T3,T4,T10 and T15). Previous publications reported serotype rotypes.
A1 and in a less extent A6 as the most frequently found in The detection rates of serotypes A1 and A6 over the iso-
pneumonic lesions whereas serotype A2 is found mainly in the lates were not significantly different from those when clinical
nasopharynx of healthy animals. samples were directly analyzed. Nonetheless, important differ-
Different methods have been described for serotyping M. ences were found in case of A2 (p<0.05). Several nasal swabs
haemolytica until now, however, indirect hemagglutination test were directly analyzed by qPCR and could explain this fact.
(IHA) has been the most common used. The lack of commer- Conclusions: This novel multiplex qPCR has proven to be
cial antisera and cross reactions avoid the laboratories from an accurate technique to detect the most important serotypes
offering this kind of diagnostic. of M. haemolytica in cattle. Moreover, this molecular tool over-
Objectives: This work aimed to develop a novel multiplex comes the limitation of microbiological growth and serological
Real Time PCR (qPCR) which detects simultaneously main proceedings. Epidemiological situation in Spain is not different
serotypes described in cattle (A1, A2 and A6) not only on the from those previously reported in other countries, neverthe-
isolates but also directly on the clinical samples. Furthermore, less, serotype A2 should not be neglected as it is frequently
this project researched the frequency of detection of the dif- isolated from pneumonic lungs.
ferent serotypes of the M. haemolytica isolates obtained from Keywords: Mannheimia, serotypes, qPCR, Spain.
diseased cattle in Spain.
Materials and methods: A novel multiplex qPCR target-
ing A1(FAM), A2(HEX) and A6(CY5) was developed and test-
ed for inclusivity and exclusivity. A complete collection of refer-
ence strains including 12 isolates belonging to the respective ID-27
12 serotypes of M. haemolytica and 5 isolates from the four
serotypes of B. trehalosi and M. glucosida (A11) were also Topography of the respiratory tract bacterial microbiota in
tested. cattle
Then, 59 strains isolated from lungs and broncheoalveolar Edouard Timsit1, Christopher McMullen1, Trevor Alexander2.
lavages (BAL) of diseased animals belonging to different clin-
ical cases were analyzed by qPCR and IHA. These isolates University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada; 2Agriculture and agrifood
1
had been confirmed as M. haemolytica by Maldi Tof (Bruker) Canada, Lethbridge, Canada.
and commercial qPCR (EXOone Mannheimia haemolytica,

228
Background/Objectives: Bacterial bronchopneumonia Objective: To determine the effect of tildipirosin adminis-

(BP) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in cattle. tered subcutaneously (SC) on the efficacy of a live, attenuat-
While the bacterial composition of the bovine upper respiratory ed, monovalent vaccine that contained Mannheimia haemolyt-
tract (URT) has not been studied in detail, the nasopharynx is ica (M. haemolytica) administered intranasally (IN).
generally accepted as the primary source of pathogenic bac- Materials and Methods: For this study, eighty-eight (88)
teria that cause BP. However, it has recently been shown in healthy, single-source, Holstein or Holstein cross, male calves
humans that the oropharynx may act as the primary reservoir were approximately 14-weeks old at the time the study was
for pathogens that reach the lung. The objective was therefore initiated. Calves were seronegative for antibody to M. haemo-
to describe the bacterial microbiota present along the entire lytica leukotoxin; negative for persistent infection with Bovine
cattle respiratory tract to determine which URT niches may Virus Diarrhea Virus; and, were not previously vaccinated.
contribute the most to the composition of the lung microbiota. Calves had ad libitum access to fresh water and feed medicat-
Materials and Methods: Seventeen upper and lower re- ed with an ionophore. No other medications that could affect
spiratory tract locations were sampled from 15 healthy feedlot the vaccine or the virulent challenge organism were added to
steer calves. Samples were collected using a combination of the water or the feed.
swabs, protected specimen brushes, and saline washes. DNA A completely randomized, 2 x 2 factorial, design was used;
was extracted from each sample and the 16S rRNA gene (V3- the individual calf was the experimental unit; and, 22 calves
V4) was sequenced. Community composition, alpha-diversity, were enrolled per treatment group. Each calf was randomly
and beta-diversity were compared among sampling locations. assigned to one of four treatment groups:
Results: Microbiota composition differed across sampling 1) an experimental intranasal (IN), monovalent, live, atten-
locations, with physiologically and anatomically distinct loca- uated vaccine (VAX) that contained a proprietary seed stock
tions showing different relative abundances of 1,137 observed of M. haemolytica;
sequence variants (SVs). An analysis of similarities showed
2) VAX (IN) + tildipirosin (4 mg/kg; SC);
that the lung was more similar to the nasopharynx (R-statistic
= 0.091) than it was to the oropharynx (Rstatistic = 0.709) or 3) Placebo vaccine (PLBO) that contained the same me-
any other URT sampling location. Five distinct metacommuni- dium and filler as in the experimental vaccine but without the
ties were identified across all samples after clustering at the bacterial antigen (IN);
genus level using Dirichlet multinomial mixtures. This included 4) PLBO (IN) + tildipirosin (4 mg/kg; SC).
a metacommunity found primarily in the lung and nasopharynx After treatment was applied (Day 0), calves were housed
that was dominated by Mycoplasma. Further clustering at the in pens containing only individuals from a treatment group.
SV level showed a shared metacommunity between the lung The vaccine (VAX) was prepared using the same seed culture
and nasopharynx that was dominated by Mycoplasma dispar. and titer of M. haemolytica, as commercially available in Merck
Other metacommunities found in the nostrils, tonsils, and oral Animal Health’s licensed vaccines (Madison, NJ, USA).
microbiotas were dominated by Moraxella, Fusobacterium, Two calves in treatment group 2 and two calves in treat-
and Streptococcus, respectively. ment group 4 died due to respiratory disease, unrelated to the
Conclusions: The nasopharyngeal bacterial microbiota is experimental procedures, prior to the day of challenge (Day
most similar to the lung bacterial microbiota and therefore may 70). The solution used for challenge was prepared with viru-
serve as the primary source of bacteria to the lung. This find- lent M. haemolytica in Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB) (30 to 50 mL
ing confirms that the nasopharyngeal microbiota should be the to deliver similar bacterial challenge); and, was administered
focus of research as it relates to the role of the URT microbiota intratracheally. After challenge on Day 70, calves remained
in BP. As well, this microbiota should be the main target for in the same pen to the end of the study and were observed
future interventions and pharmaceuticals aimed at controlling daily at approximately the same time each day. Clinical signs
and preventing BP. (respiratory scores, attitude scores, rectal temperature) of all
Keywords: Microbiome, bovine respiratory disease, nat- calves were recorded. On Day 77, (7 days post-challenge) the
ural cattle, lung. calves were euthanized and lesions in the lungs were scored
independently by two individuals. The average of those two
scores was used for analyses. Samples (10 to 20 gm) of lung
were submitted (within 48 hours of collection) for isolation of
M. haemolytica. Personnel recording clinical scores, scoring
lung lesions, or performing bacterial isolation procedures were
ID-28
blinded to the treatment group to which the animal was as-
Metaphylaxis with tildipirosin did not alter the effectiveness signed.
of an experimental, monovalent vaccine of live, attenuated The primary outcome variable was the Lung Lesion Score
Mannheimia haemolytica administered intranasally to (LLS). Secondary outcome variables were clinical signs of
calves respiratory disease (respiratory score, attitude score, rectal
temperatures), and isolation of bacteria from samples of lung.
Scott Nordstrom1, Michael Bolton1, Kevin Hill1, Tim Parks1, Jeff
Knittel1, Mani Vaidyanathan1, Kelly Lechtenburg2. Results: There was no significant (P = 0.51) effect of til-
dipirosin on LLS whether calves were vaccinated with VAX or
Merck Animal Health, Madison, NJ, United States;
1
Midwest
2
PLBO; however, VAX resulted in significantly (P = 0.046) lower
Veterinary Services, Inc., Oakland, NE, United States. LLS (VAX median = 1.48%) than did PLBO (median = 3.25%).
Calves in all groups developed clinical signs; and, there was

229
no significant (P > 0.05) effect of any experimental treatment, Keywords: Beef calves, omphalitis, risk factors, passive
on clinical signs. The percent of calves from which samples of immune transfer.
lung yielded M. haemolytica was not significantly affected by
VAX or PLBO.
Conclusions: Under the conditions of this study, VAX (IN)
administered concurrently with tildipirosin (SC) was proven ef-
ficacious after an M. haemolytica challenge. ID-30
Keywords: Tildipirosin, intranasal vaccination, Mann-
heimia haemolytica, efficacy. Identification of BRD antibodies to install a tailor-made
BRD Prevention Plan on Dutch dairy farms
Henk Kuijk, Hanny Swam, Pleun Penterman, Geert Vertenten.
MSD Animal Health, Boxmeer, Netherlands.
ID-29
Objectives: Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is a mul-
Evaluation of risk factors of umbilical infection in newborn tifactorial disease of young cattle. The factors that predispose
beef calves to BRD include stress related to stocking, moving or mixing
Florent Perrot, Nicolas Herman. cattle, poor ventilation or draughts, sudden climatic changes
or extreme heat or cold, mixing various age groups, nutrition-
National Veterinary School Toulouse, Toulouse, France. al deficiencies, colostrum deficiency, and poor feed hygiene.
These stresses lead to infection by primary viral pathogens
Objectives: To describe and assess the potential risk fac- which cause lung damage and may pave the way for various
tors associated with umbilical infection in beef farms located in bacterial pathogens as Mannheimia haemolytica (Mh) and My-
the center of France, focusing on the passive immune transfer coplasma bovis.
(PIT). Vaccination is an important tool in managing BRD. Iden-
Materials and methods: Newborn calves from 22 French tification of major respiratory pathogens on a BRD problem
beef farms were followed up during a calving season (between farm may be essential to establish an appropriate vaccination
November 2020 to March 2021). Each farm was visited twice program.
a week. During the first visit (calves between 1 and 5 days of In 2019 MSD Animal Health started a BRD Prevention
age), information on zootechnical practices and calving con- Plan including a serological screening, the BRD QuickScan,
ditions was collected. During the first and the second visits to identify which BRD pathogens are circulating on a farm.
(7 days after the first visit), housing conditions (cleanliness The BRD Prevention Plan is a decision tree guiding veterinary
and humidity) and omphalitis were scored. Omphalitis scoring practitioners to manage BRD. Depending on the results of the
comprised thickening of umbilical stump (0 if < 2 cm and 1 if > BRD QuickScan, a tailor-made advice including BRD vaccina-
2 cm), presence or absence of purulent discharge (score 0 or tion and improvement of BRD management factors is given.
1), local pain (0 if no withdrawal when slight pressure applied,
This manuscript gives an overview of the BRD QuickScan
1 if any) or ultrasound of internal structure. Each calf was also
results in 2020 and 2021 on Dutch BRD problem farms not
sampled during the first visit to assess the quality of passive
vaccinating against BRD.
immune transfer through serum total protein and Brix value
optical refractometry. Materials & Methods: To run the BRD QuickScan, serum
samples were taken from 5 calves (3-6 months old) on a BRD
Results: Nine hundred sixty-four calves were included in
problem farm or BRD suspected farm. Those samples were
the study. The prevalence of omphalitis was 34% (326/964),
analysed in the Centre for Diagnostic Solutions (MSD Animal
first and second visits coupled. Univariable and multivariable
Health, Netherlands) for antibodies against Mh, Bovine Re-
statistical analysis revealed that (P<0.05): (i) male calves are
spiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV), Parainfluenza 3 (PI-3) and
more at risk of developing omphalitis than females (OR=2.6);
Mycoplasma bovis by ELISA. An in-house test was used to
(ii) the prevalence of umbilical infection is higher for calves
measure Mh and BRSV antibodies, whereas for PI3 and My-
weighing more than 50 kg and for calves with an umbilical cord
coplasma bovis a commercial kit was used from respectively
length strictly less than 3 cm; (iii) a dirty calving pen increases
the risk of omphalitis (OR=1.8); (iv) calves born from primipa- IDEXX and Bio-X. The results of samples collected between
rous dams are more likely to develop an omphalitis than mul- October 2019 to December, 2021 are presented.
tiparous (OR=1.4). Furthermore, no statistical association was Results: During the defined timeframe, 325 BRD Quick-
found between failure of passive immunity transfer (medium or Scans were performed. In 1% of the BRD QuickScans, no
bad) and omphalitis development (χ² Pearson > 0.05). antibodies against the selected BRD pathogens were identi-
Conclusions: This study is the first to report the preva- fied. In those farms, a tailor-made approach was provided to
lence of omphalitis in beef cattle with a prevalence of 34% improve the BRD status (www.rescalf.nl).
(326/ 964). Development of omphalitis was not associated Eighty-three percent of the QuickScans were positive for
with a failure of passive immunity transfer in this study. Risk antibodies against Mh, 5% of the QuickScans had only Mh an-
factors related to calves were: sex, weight and umbilical cord tibodies, where in 78% of the QuickScans antibodies against
length. Moreover, calving hygienic conditions are of prime im- Mh and viral BRD pathogens (BRSV and/or PI3) were present.
portance to prevent omphalitis in the field. On farms positive for Mh, vaccination with a vaccine providing

230
protection against Mh (Bovilis® Bovipast® RSP) was advised. Objectives: Fecal microbiome transplantation (FMT) has
Additionally, if on such farms BRD was already present in very shown promising results that indicate the effective treatment
young animals, supplementary vaccination of the pregnant of diarrhea in calves although the mechanisms by which FMT
dams was advised to improve the maternal antibody protec- works has not yet been elucidated. Therefore, the aim of this
tion in those calves. study is to elucidate the efficacy of FMT in intractable diarrhea
Eighty-nine percent of the QuickScans were positive for treatment and searching the potential bacterial taxa and me-
BRSV and/or PI3. Nine percent of the QuickScans were only tabolites responsible for FMT success.
positive for PI3 antibodies and none were only positive for Materials & Methods: Total 20 FMT trials, in which feces
BRSV antibodies. These findings confirm the importance of obtained from healthy donors were intrarectally transferred
the viral pathogens in the BRD complex, mainly combined into recipient calves with diarrhea, were performed. Fecal
with Mh. On farms where high antibody titers against viral samples were collected from donors on the day of FMT and
pathogens were detected, and BRD problems already were from recipients before and on days 1 and 7 after the FMT. The
apparent in very young calves, an intranasal vaccination of the samples were analyzed by high-throughput 16S rRNA gene
calves at the age of 1 week using a live BRD vaccine (Bovilis sequencing, metabolomics via capillary electrophoresis time-
INtranasal RSP live) was recommended.). This could be fol- of-flight mass spectrometry, and ELISA, respectively.
lowed by vaccination with a trivalent inactivated vaccine (Bovi- Results: Among the 20 FMT treatment, total 14 (70%)
lis® Bovipast RSP) at a later age. treatment were succeeded based on the clinical findings, di-
Twenty-two percent of the BRD QuickScans were positive arrheal, metagenomics and metabolomics results. Consider-
for Mycoplasma bovis. On Mycoplasma bovis farms, a specific ing the beta diversity, unweighted unifrac distance was found
approach was recommended as no commercial vaccines are significantly different before FMT (D-success vs R0-success),
available. It was advised to create small groups of animals, but not in after FMT at day 7 (D-success vs R7-success) in
avoid mixing of calves from several groups, and to vaccinate successful FMT group. In unsuccessful FMT treatment, there
against other major BRD pathogens. was no significant difference observed between donor and re-
After the implementation of the BRD prevention plan in- cipient in before and after FMT. Thus, in unsuccessful FMT
cluding the BRD QuickScan, over 80% of the farms started treatment group, calf exhibit impaired engraftment of the FMT
vaccinating with an inactivated BRD vaccine (Bovilis® Bo- bacterial community and failed to restore the commensal
vipast® RSP), 9% started with a live intranasal BRD vaccine bacteria as well as metabolites, due to lack of optimal donor.
(Bovilis® INtranasal RSP® Live) and on 3% of the farms com- On the other hand, genus Selenomonas confirmed donor–re-
plementary examinations were performed. About 10% of the cipient compatibility in successful FMT treatments. A strong
farms started the additional pregnant dam vaccination with positive correlation between the microbiome and metabolome
Bovilis® Bovipast® RSP. data, which is a prerequisite factor for FMT success, was con-
Conclusion: For most pathogens circulating on BRD firmed by Procrustes analysis in successful FMT (r = 0.7439,
farms vaccines are commercially available. Implementing a P = 0.0001). A reduction in fecal amino acid concentration was
tailor-made BRD management program including vaccination observed in succeed treatment, which is strongly correlate
is important to reduce BRD related losses. Practical tools as with the remission of diarrhea. Additionally, weighted gene cor-
the BRD Prevention Plan and BRD QuickScan may be use- relation network analysis confirmed the positively or negatively
ful to reduce BRD. Based on serological findings farmers can correlated pairs of bacterial taxa (family Veillonellaceae) and
easily be convinced (in dialogue with their veterinarians) to metabolomics features (i.e., amino acids and short-chain fatty
vaccinate against BRD. acids) responsible for FMT success.
Keywords: Bovine Respiratory Disease, QuickScan, se- Conclusions: The findings obtained from the present
rology, dairy, Netherlands. study suggest that the FMT may directly or indirectly promote
the cohabitation of certain bacterial taxa, which facilitate to re-
cover recipient calves from intractable diarrhea in successful
FMT treatment group.
Keywords: Diarrhea, microbiome, transplantation, metag-
ID-31 enomics, metabolomics.
Elucidation of the efficacy of fecal microbiome

transplantation (FMT) in healing calves with intractable
diarrhea
Jahidul Islam1, Masae Tanimizu2, Yu Shimizu2, Yoshiaki Goto2, ID-32
Natsuki Ohtani2, Kentaro Sugiyama2, Eriko Tatezaki2, Masumi Sato2,
Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of BRD
Eiji Makino2, Toru Shimada2, Chise Ueda2, Ayumi Matsuo1, Yoshihisa
pathogens isolated from cattle with respiratory disease
Suyama1, Yoshifumi Sakai1, Mutsumi Furukawa1, Katsuki Usami1,
during over 10-years of supported testing program in
Hiroshi Yoneyama1, Hisashi Aso1, Hidekazu Tanaka2, Tomonori
Germany
Nochi1.
Kirsten Stemme, Egon Thesing, Martina Resch.
Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan; 2Chiba Prefectural Federated
1
Agricultural Mutual Aid Association, Chiba, Japan. MSD Animal Health, Unterschleißheim, Germany.

231
Objectives: Trans-tracheal aspiration (TTA) is a technique vitro resistance to some important antimicrobial products that
used for in vivo identification of mainly bacterial pathogens are frequently used to treat respiratory disease. On the other
from cattle with bovine respiratory disease (BRD). MSD An- hand, it was also clear that several other antimicrobial treat-
imal Health in Germany has been supporting bacteriological ments are available to which the isolated bacteria showed high
analysis of samples from TTA for veterinarians and farmers susceptibility.
since 2009. Keywords: Respiratory disease, trans-tracheal aspiration,
The objective of this study was to investigate the dynam- BRD associated bacteria, prevalence, antimicrobial suscepti-
ics in the prevalence of BRD associated bacteria (Mannheimia bility.
haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus somni, True-
perella pyogenes) in the lower respiratory tract of calves with
respiratory disease and their antimicrobial susceptibility over
the past 13 years.
Materials & Methods: During the period of 2009 to 2021 ID-33
samples were collected through TTA from calves with respira-
tory disease after a specific request by veterinarians to iden-
Mycoplasma bovis antibody testing in purchase protocol to
tify BRD related pathogens. The samples were collected from
reduce circulation between farms
calves located on farms in all regions of Germany, dairy farms Linde Gille1, Callens Jozefien2, Léonard Marie3, Lipkens Zyncke2,
as well as fattening units. None of the sampled animals re- Ribbens Stefaan2, Evrard Julien3.
ceived an antimicrobial treatment prior to sampling. If possible, 1
University of Liège, Liège, Belgium; 2Diergezondheidszorg Vlaanderen
samples from 3 calves were pooled (e.g. animals housed in
(DGZ), Torhout, Belgium; 3Association Régionale de Santé et
the same pen).
d'Identification Animales (ARSIA), Ciney, Belgium.
Isolation and identification of BRD-associated bacteria
from the TTA samples were performed using bacterial cul-
ture, MaldiTof and subsequent determination of antimicrobial Background & Objectives: Mycoplasma bovis’ impor-
susceptibility by microdilution (samples collected since 2013 tance as a causal pathogen of pneumonia, arthritis, mastitis,
only). Isolates were evaluated using Clinical and Laboratory and other diseases has been well established in the last de-
Standard Institute (CLSI)-approved methods. For T. pyogenes cades. In Belgium, a steady increase in M. bovis’ presence
no antimicrobial testing was done as antimicrobial therapy has been noticed in bovine herds: in 2009, only 1.5% of dairy
is not considered viable and therefore no CLSI methods are farms tested positive on culture of bulk tank milk (BTM) (1),
available. while in 2011, already 11% of calves sold to the veal sector
(corresponding with about 11% of herds) had antibodies at ar-
Results: During the period of supported testing, 1726 rival (2), and in 2016, 32% of all dairy farms had either PCR or
calves were sampled on 361 farms. As some samples were antibody positive BTM samples (3). This increase is worrying,
pooled, a total of 611 samples were submitted to laboratory given the enormous economic impact a M. bovis’ introduction
testing. BRD-associated bacteria were isolated from 66.3 % of and circulation can have on a farm. The main cause of the
all samples with a yearly range between from 55.2 – 78,8 %. increase is probably the purchase of carriers, given the enor-
P. multocida was the most prevalent bacterium (61.1 %; mous amount of cattle trade in Belgium: between 2005-2009,
33.3 – 73.9%) followed by M. haemolytica (16.6 %; 5.3- 33.3%). 40% of the cattle born in Belgian farms changed farms at least
The isolation prevalence for H. somni was 7.3 % (0 – 15.6 %) once (4).
and 15.0 % (6.9 – 26.3 %) for T. pyogenes. While there was no As detecting carriers is not evident, given the intermittent
obvious trend, the prevalence of the four pathogens showed excretion and existence of asymptomatic carriers, it is current-
large variation from year to year. ly recommended to not purchase antibody positive animals to
None or only a few isolates of P. multocida, M. haemolyti- avoid M. bovis introduction in negative herds. To determine
ca, and H. somni were resistant to amoxycillin, ampicillin, cef- the risk of purchase of M. bovis antibody positive animals in
tiofur, florfenicol, gentamycin, and trimethoprim sulfonamide. Belgian herds, this study aimed to determine the number of
The percentage of M. haemolytica isolates that were suscepti- animals testing antibody-positive at purchase.
ble to penicillin was 75 %, to enrofloxacin 97 %, to tetracycline Materials & methods: Throughout 2021, M. bovis anti-
85 % and to tilmicosin 60 %, with only small variation during bodies were determined on every purchase protocol requested
the years. Ninety five percent of P. multocida isolates were at 2 reference laboratories (ARSIA & DGZ), using a M. bovis
found to be susceptible to penicillin, 92% to enrofloxacin, 73% antibody ELISA (BIO K432, Bio-X Diagnostics S.A., Belgium).
to tetracycline and 66% to tilmicosin. No isolate of H. somni Results: In total, blood samples of 76285 animals were
was resistant to penicillin and enrofloxacin, while 96% of iso- analyzed, of which 14.96 % (n= 11416) tested positive on M.
lates were susceptible to tetracycline and 75% to tilmicosin. bovis antibodies. One thousand two hundred twenty-seven
Conclusion: P. multocida was the most prevalent bacte- animals were retested approx. 30 days after the first sample.
rium isolated from the lower respiratory tract of calves with Of these, 87,8 % kept the same result, 5,9 % seroconverted
respiratory disease during the period of 2009 till 2021 in Ger- and 6,3 % seroreverted.
many. However, prevalence up to 30 % were found for M. hae- Conclusions: There is a non-negligible risk in introducing
molytica in certain years. possible M. bovis carriers in seronegative herds trough pur-
The results of antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed chase. There was 6,3 % seroreversion after 30 days, which
that M. haemolytica, P. multocida, and H. somni exhibited in could be due to antibodies truly dropping underneath the test

232
limit, given the poor persistence time of M. bovis antibodies Objectives: This study reports the diagnostic accura-
(5), or could indicate the presence of false positives even with cy and use of an initial screening test of four serum ELISAs
a test specificity of 97 %. For the seroconversion rate, the followed by a confirmatory test of one quantitative fecal PCR
argument is different: probably, the 5.9 % conversion is only (fPCR) for the diagnosis of paratuberculosis in mixed aged
partially due to true seroconversion, but also due to the poorer milking cows in New Zealand.
sensitivity of the test used (Se 80.95%). Materials and methods: Data from a cross-sectional
Given the possible presence of false negatives and the study of 20 moderate prevalence herds was combined with
poor persistence of antibodies, it is quite possible that a part existing data from low and high prevalence herds to form a
of the animals from M. bovis positive farms were missed in combined dataset of 3,845 paired serum and fecal samples.
the first analysis. As such, it is advisable for M. bovis negative Records of incidence of clinical cases of Johne’s disease (JD)
herds to test purchased animals twice, both at the beginning were used to classify herds into three prevalence categories.
and the end of the 30-day quarantine, before releasing them High prevalence herds (> 3% clinical JD per year for the last
in the herd. If either test is positive, the animal should be con- three years), moderate prevalence herds (< 1%) and low prev-
sidered at-risk. Another option would be to test- or interpret alence herds (zero incidence of clinical JD for at least the last
testing on herd-level instead of animal level. five years). Positive ELISA data were declared if > 50 ELISA
In conclusion, further research to identify M. bovis carri- units and fPCR data at two cut-points (≥1x104 genomes/mL or
ers, or development of farm-level testing procedures is sorely >1x103 genomes/mL).
needed to stop the introduction of M. bovis into seronegative Fixed and mixed Bayesian latent class models were con-
farms. structed at both fPCR cut-points, accounting for conditional
References: independence, paired conditional dependence and all possi-
ble dependencies between tests using OpenBUGS. The aim
1: Passchyn, P., S. Piepers, L. De Meulemeester, F. Boy-
was to identify Mycobacterium paratuberculosis avium (MAP)
en, F. Haesebrouck, and S. De Vliegher. 2012. Between-herd
infected cows that met at least one of two criteria: shedding
prevalence of Mycoplasma bovis in bulk milk in Flanders, Bel-
sufficient MAP in faeces to be detected by fPCR or mounting
gium. Research in Veterinary Science 92:219-220.
a detectable MAP antibody response.
2: Pardon, B. 2012. Morbidity, mortality and drug use in
The effect of using this new testing method as part of
white veal calves with emphasis on respiratory disease. PhD
Johne’s control programme in a large milking herd over a four-
Thesis.
year period is also reported. A sub-set of this data was also
3: Gille, L., J. Callens, K. Supré, F. Boyen, F. Haesebrouck, used to look at the effect of infection status on milk production
L. Van Driessche, K. van Leenen, P. Deprez and B. Pardon. in sub-clinically infected cows (reported at Buiatrics Dublin,
2018. Use of a breeding bull and absence of a calving pen 2016).
as risk factors for the presence of Mycoplasma bovis in dairy
Results: Model validation: The best fit to the data was
herds. Journal of Dairy Science, 101(9), 8284–8290.
obtained by modelling either pairwise dependencies between
4: Ensoy C., Faes, C., Welby, S., Van der Stede, Y. and tests in a fixed model or including all dependencies in a mixed
Aerts, M. 2014. Exploring Cattle Movements in Belgium. Pre- model at a faecal cut-off of ≥1x104 genomes/mL. Test perfor-
ventive Veterinary Medicine. 116(1-2), 89-101. mance differed with prevalence: for the random model, at a
5: Petersen, M., Pedersen, J., Holm, D., Denwood, M. & prevalence of 0.38 (95% predictive interval,(PI)=0.30-0.44),
Nielsen, L. (2018). A longitudinal observational study of the dy- sensitivity was 0.54 (95%PI=0.47-0.62) and specificity 0.98
namics of Mycoplasma bovis antibodies in naturally exposed (95%PI=0.96-1.00). At a low prevalence (0.01 (95%PI=0.00-
and diseased dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 101(8), 0.03), test sensitivity was 0.60 (95%PI=0.42-0.72) and speci-
7383-7396. ficity 1.00 (95%PI=1.00-1.00).
Keywords: Mycoplasma bovis, purchase, biosecurity, ELI- Models were robust to prior assumptions and this testing
SA, surveillance. protocol had a positive predictive value of 0.96 (95%PI=0.87-
1.00) in high prevalence herds and 1.00 (95%PI=0.99-1.00) in
low prevalence herds. Correspondingly, the negative predic-
tive value in high prevalence herds was 0.78 (95%PI=0.71-
0.84) and 0.98 (95%PI=0.84-1.00) in low prevalence herd.
ID-34 Reduction in prevalence of Johne’s disease: We also
report the successful reduction of infectious and infected an-
Validation and use of a new diagnostic protocol for Johne’s imals in an endemically infected herd, where over a 4-year
disease control in New Zealand dairy herds period, an annual test and cull policy using this approach re-
Andrew Bates1, Rory O'Brien2, Frank Griffin3, Richard Laven4, Simon duced seroprevalence of positive cows from 26% to 2% and
Liggett2. the proportion of clinical JD culls from 5% to 0.4%. Over this
period, the seroprevalence in primiparous cows fell from 15%
1
Vetlife Scientific Ltd, Temuka, New Zealand; 2Disease Research to 2.5%.
Ltd, Dunedin, New Zealand; 3Department of Microbiology and
Effect of infection status on milk production: Previous-
Immunology, University of Otago, New Zealand; 4School of Veterinary
ly, this testing method has been used to identify under-per-
Sciences, Massey University, New Zealand.
forming MAP infected animals with clinically normal, ELI-
SA-positive animals producing 4% fewer kg milk solids (kgMS)
per lactation and faecal positive cows producing up to 12%

233
fewer kgMS (World Buiatrics, Dublin 2016). In the reproductive control period, one of the animals was
Conclusions: The results presented suggest that this is diagnosed with a congenital disorder that excluded it for the fu-
a useful tool in the control of JD on dairy farms, particularly ture. Therefore, the owner and the provider agreed to change
in herds with higher levels of infection, where the sampling it by one another heifer that arrived pregnant and brought a
and testing cost per animal is defrayed across more detected negative result to the simple PPD test, which carried to the
animals. farmer to introduce it directly into the flock.
Keywords: Johne's disease, Mycobacterium paratubercu- After delivery, the new animal was affected by a enteritis
losis avium, sensitivity, specificity, control. process that was diagnosed as Bovine Paratuberculosis by
staining Ziehl-Neelsen in feces samples and serology (Elisa
test). After, the animal was isolated and slaughtered in the
farm. PPD test was carried out in all the animals according to
the Spanish Tuberculosis Eradication Program, on which 10 of
the 20 animals resulted positive (differential values between
ID-35 the first and the second measures of 2.5-6 mm).
Tuberculosis diagnosis in bovine herd and associated cross Results were contrasted by Compared PPD test which
reaction in the tuberculin skin test (PPD): a case report resulted in five positive animals that were sacrificed. These
animals were sent to the slaughterhouse where samples
Mónica Espada1, Luis P. Figueras1, Sofia Aventín1, Aurora Ortín2, were taken and sent to the Reference Center for Veterinary
Cristina Acín2, Carmelo Ortega2. Health Surveillance (Visavet). The microbiological study of the
1
(1) Gabinete Técnico Veterinario,S.L., Zaragoza, Spain; 2(2) Animal samples of three animals showed a positive growth in specif-
Pathology Department. Veterinary faculty. University of Zaragoza ic Mycobacterium medium that resulted negative by PCR to
(Spain), Zaragoza, Spain. both: Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium avium
subspecies suis. It was concluded that positive reaction to the
PPD test was not due to bovine tuberculosis.
Abbreviations:
At the same time, four animals of the farm were seropos-
PPD - Purified protein derivative ((PPD) skin test (for tu- itive to Paratuberculosis (Elisa test) and one of them evolved
berculosis)) in a clinical way and was sacrificed. After, a Paratuberculosis
T3 - Officially holdings free of tuberculosis (RD 1716/2000) control strategy was applied in the farm at the same time that
PCR - Polymerase Chain Reaction PPD tests continued with negative results in all animals.
Conclusions: The final conclusion is that there was a
Introduction: Bovine tuberculosis is a mandatory dis-
false positive reaction to the simple and compared PPD test
ease under Eradication according to the Spanish Tuberculosis
that was not confirmed either by clinical or microbiology, which
Eradication Program. This program is based on the detection
suggests any type of interference with some another Myco-
of positive animals using both, simple and comparative Tu-
bacterium spp as it has been referred in another cases. While
berculin Skin tests (PPD also called Mantoux test in human
it is not possible to confirm it, we suspected that the interfer-
medicine) and the elimination of the reactive animals.
ence in the test was caused by Mycobacterium avium sub-
The characteristics of the test (sensitivity, specificity and species Paratuberculosis since the outbreak occurred in the
the predictive values) as well as the characteristics of the mi- exploitation in that particular period.
croorganism (different etiology complexes, species and sub-
Keywords: Tuberculosis bovine, Tuberculin skin test,
species) can produce, in some cases, cross reactions or inter-
Paratuberculosis.
actions with other microorganisms that cause false positivity
results in the tuberculosis program.
One of those cases is presented in this communication at
the same time that it reflects, based on the origin of the prob-
lem, the importance of biosecurity as a basis for prevention.
ID-36
Methodology and results (the case): The case took
place in a cattle herd (Blond dÁquitaine), which began its ac- A sudden outbreak of paratuberculosis in a previously test-
tivity with 20 heifers aged between 11 and 16 months in 2016. negative dairy herd; a case report
Animals were introduced in the farm with a semi-intensive David Speksnijder, Betsie Krattley-Roodenburg.
production system that included a covered ship and a park
limited by a perimeter fencing. The farm was not in contact University Farm Animal Clinic, Harmelen, Netherlands.
with other livestock, but in the area there were wild boars that
are under control in the Wild Tuberculosis Surveillance Pro- Objectives: Paratuberculosis (Johne’s disease) in dairy
gram (PATUBES) on which all the results were negative (0% cattle, caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratu-
prevalence). berculosis (MAP) is subject of an active control policy by the
The origin of the animals was a T3 farm (Tuberculosis free Dutch dairy industry, aiming to reduce the concentration of
qualification level in the Spanish Tuberculosis Eradication Pro- MAP in bulk milk delivered to the milk factories. In this ab-
gram). Previously to the movement of the animals, all of them stract, we describe an outbreak of MAP infections in a previ-
were tested by a simple PPD tests which resulted negative in ously test-negative dairy herd to show the complex epidemi-
all of them. ology of paratuberculosis in dairy farming and the necessity

234
to take continuous precautionary measures, even on MAP the ELISA test and that a considerable proportion of infected
test-negative farms. cattle start shedding MAP before adulthood - as illustrated by
Material and Methods: The high prevalence of paratuber- the observations in this case herd.
culosis was detected in a dairy herd of ~180 adult cattle and Keywords: Paratuberculosis, Johne's disease, dairy.
~150 young stock. Cows were housed in a freestall with cubi-
cles and grazed during the summer months. Young stock were
housed in a separate barn until ~18 months of age. The herd
was not closed: in 2017 a total of 79 homebred young stock
were temporarily raised on pastures of two other farms and ID-37
between 2013 and 2018, another 53 animals were purchased
from five different herds. Young calves were fed colostrum fol- Detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in bovine
lowed by milk replacer, grass silage harvested on the farm and abortions in Flanders
concentrate.
Hans Van Loo1, Geert Opsomer1, Jef Hooyberghs2, Koen De
Between 2008 and 2018, milk samples of all lactating cat- Bleecker3, Bart Pardon1.
tle were tested biannually with the IDEXX Paratuberculosis
Screening Ab Test (ELISA), using an elevated cut-off S/P ratio
1
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium;
of 1.0 in order to increase the diagnostic specificity of the test.
2
Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain, Brussels, Belgium;
Until 2016, negative results were obtained only. However, in
3
Animal Health Service Flanders, Torhout, Belgium.
July 2018, three out of 132 tested lactating cows had a positive
ELISA result. MAP infection was confirmed by positive faecal Objectives: To monitor brucellosis in Belgium, farmers
qPCR in two of these three cows, aged 6 and 7 years and are obliged by the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food
homebred (index cases). As a follow up, cattle ≥ 12 months of Chain (FASFC) to submit each bovine abortion for analysis.
age were tested by individual faecal qPCR in April / May 2019. Besides brucellosis monitoring, the abortion program concur-
Results: In April/May 2019, 253 animals were individually rently screens the submitted samples for multiple infectious
tested by qPCR on rectally derived faecal samples. Twenty pathogens. Despite the extensive number of analyses includ-
animals tested positive. All of these animals were born on the ed in this abortion program, about 60% of cases remain undi-
farm between January 2010 and July 2017, except one cow agnosed. One of the explanations could be the presence of
that was introduced from another herd at the age of 4 years. unidentified abortifacients like Anaplasma phagocytophilum.
Neither the category of animal (homebred, temporarily raised The aim of this study was to evaluate bovine abortions in Flan-
in another herd, or introduced from another herd) nor age cat- ders for the presence of A. phagocytophilum during the tick
egory (1, 2, 3 or ≥4 years of age) were significantly associ- season (July-September), since anaplasmosis is a tick born
ated with the PCR result. However, a cluster of qPCR-pos- disease.
itive homebred heifers born in 2017 became apparent: 7 of Materials and methods: Between July and Septem-
12 tested heifers born in April and May 2017 in the case herd ber 2012, the placenta and fetal spleen of 150 late term (> 7
were qPCR-positive. These heifers had not been temporarily months pregnant) bovine abortions were collected and ana-
raised elsewhere. The dam of the oldest of these 12 heifers lysed using an A. phagocytophilum PCR. All abortion cases
tested qPCR positive as well; 4 other dams which were still were also tested for brucellosis by Brucella spp culture on the
present on the farm tested qPCR negative. Also a heifer born placenta and serology on maternal serum, for Neospora cani-
in July 2017 tested positive whilst its mother tested negative num by analysis for antibodies on maternal serum and for bo-
on qPCR. vine viral diarrhea virus (BVDv) by antigen ELISA. The aborted
After informing about the management conditions around fetus was examined for bacteria by aerobic, Listeria spp and
the time of birth of these 7 heifers the farmer indicated that the yeast/fungal cultures on abomasal and lung tissue.
calving pen hygiene had been suboptimal and pooled colos- Results: Seven of 150 abortion cases (4.7%) were BVDv
trum and bulk milk had sometimes been fed to calves. Ag positive on fetal spleen. In 12 of 150 cases (9.7%) yeasts
Conclusion: In this case herd, a cluster of MAP shedding or moulds were detected. Bacteria were found in 59 of 150
cattle could be related to birth cohort. Potential transmission (39.3%) fetal abomasal samples and in 46 of 150 (30.7%) fe-
routes were a contaminated calving pen, transmission through tal lung samples. Seroprevalence of Neospora caninum in the
feeding of colostrum and bulk milk from multiple cows to aborted dams was 15.33% (23/150).
calves and calf-to-calf transmission. Our observations stress Of the placenta samples, 2.66% (4/150) was positive for A.
the importance of structurally taking preventive management phagocytophilum, while none of the fetal spleen samples was.
measures to reduce the spread of MAP in test-negative herds No positive samples were found in the 7th month of gestation,
as well. while 1 positive sample originated from an abortion case that
The aim of the Dutch milk quality assurance program is occurred in the 8th month of gestation and 3 samples were
to reduce the concentration of MAP in bulk milk and to pro- from abortions that happened in the 9th month of gestation.
vide assurance regarding milk quality in certified test-negative Conclusions: The detection of A. phagocytophilum in late
herds. For this purpose, herds do not necessarily need to be term bovine abortions suggests a potential role of this patho-
free of MAP infection. However, if farmers aim to eliminate gen in (un)diagnosed cases of bovine abortion in Flanders.
MAP infection from their herds by test-and-cull, it is important Placental tissue is probably the most preferred tissue to detect
to consider that faecal qPCR has a considerably higher diag- this pathogen in case of an abortion. Based on these findings,
nostic sensitivity to detect MAP shedding animals compared to it can be interesting to include an A. phagocytophilum PCR in

235
the abortion monitoring program during the tick season. factors allows rational management systems to be introduced
Project financially supported by the FASFC and Sanitary to limit the spread of the disease in infected herds, and main-
Fund. tain freedom form disease in uninfected herds.
Keywords: Bovine, abortion, Anaplasma phagocytophi- Keywords: Paratuberculosis, Johnes, biosecurity, biocon-
lum. tainment, risks.
ID-38 ID-39
Biosecurity and biocontainment risks of Mycobacterium Mycobacterium Avium subspecies Paratuberculosis (MAP)
avium subspecies paratuberculosis entering and spreading Elisa tests on milk to predict future health and culling in a
in UK dairy herds dairy herd
Richard Sibley1, Peter Orpin2. Richard Sibley.
West Ridge Veterinary Practice, Witheridge, United Kingdom;

1 West Ridge Veterinary Practice, Witheridge, United Kingdom.
Myhealthyherd.com, Leicester, United Kingdom.
2
Objectives: This study investigates the use of serial milk

Objectives: The risks of Johnes disease entry and spread MAP elisa tests to predict health, productivity and emergency
in over 3000 UK dairy herds using a risk assessment tool to culling of adult dairy cows.
measure, monitor and manage risks were studied to identi- Material and methods: The study involved a large dairy
fy significant risks, with the objective of allowing farmers to herd of over 900 adult cows using milk MAP elisa tests on all
manage those risks that predisposes their cattle to Johnes milking cows every three months as part of a Johnes Control
Disease. programme. Over 3000 adult cows that had been culled from
Materials and Methods: A web based risk assessment the herd over a period of ten years, and which had milk elisa
tool was used by trained veterinary surgeons to assess, mea- test results for their entire adult life were studied to determine
sure and monitor biosecurity and biocontainment risks on over if test results in the could be used to create a robust plan to
3000 UK dairy herds that engaged in some form of Johnes manage test positive cows to predict and prevent health prob-
Disease management. The tool uses standard assessments lems. Udder health, lifetime milk yield, fertility and emergency
and an algorithm to quantify risks and provide a summary and culling (as defined by being culled within 100 days of calving)
priority to identify and manage risks as part of the control plan. were used to define health and productivity.
Results: Biosecurity risks were defines as the risks of Results: Cows that had just one positive MAP elisa test in
Mycobacterium Avium subspecies Paratruberculosis (MAP) their lifetime had similar health and productivity to cows that
entering the herd. 50% of herds were designated high risk of had never had a positive test. Cows that had at least 2 consec-
entry of MAP in to the herd, mostly due to purchasing cattle of utive positive tests had significantly higher somatic cell counts
unknown disease status and allowing cattle to drink from water and higher emergency culling rates (34% of these cows were
courses that had passed through other livestock farms. Only culled within 100 days of calving). Cows with at least four
20% of dairy herds were designated as low biosecurity risk for positive MAP elisa tests, with rising titres at each consecutive
the entry of Johnes disease. test had a very high emergency culling rate, such that 46%
Biocontainment risks were defines as those risks that pre- of these cows were culled within 100 days of calving for se-
disposes to the spread of MAP within the herd. These risks are vere health issues. There was little difference in milk yields
associated with prevalence of Johnes Disease within the herd between positive and negative test cows.
and act as the multiplier of disease. 65% of herds were des- Cows with repeated positive MAP test results have high
ignated as high risk of disease spread, mostly due to the use risks of health problems that lead to emergency culling, with
of multiple calving areas and poor perinatal hygiene, and the the consequent major economic losses incurred when culling
use of pooled colostrum taken from high risk cows. Only 8% of lactating cattle with no salvage value.
dairy herds were designated as low risk of spread.
Conclusion: Rising titres of MAP antibodies as measured
Of 2462 herds that were designated as having high risks by milk elisa tests indicate imminent severe health problems
of spread of MAP within their herds, 52% had high risks of with poor prognosis.
entry of the disease, making these herds very high risk of a
Keywords: MAP, Elisa, Johnes, milk.
high prevalence of Johnes disease. 85% of these high risk
herds were designated as infected by the attending veterinary
surgeons.
Conclusions: Modern dairy farming systems tend to
predispose to the entry and spread of MAP in dairy herds.
Prevention and control of the disease will require significant
changes in management and husbandry to prevent the entry
and spread of the disease. The identification of specific risk

236
ID-40 (ranged from >0% to 3% seroprevalence) for defining a herd

as infected affects the estimates reported for whole-herd se-
Systematic review of herd-level test characteristics for rology. The poor HSp of whole herd ELISA testing can be over-
Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in cattle come by ancillary faecal testing of ELISA-positive animals,
Niamh Field1, John Mee1, Conor McAloon2. with an associated reduction in HSe. Bulk milk tank ELISA
HSe estimates vary widely depending on the S/P ratio cut-
Teagasc, Fermoy, Republic of Ireland; 2University College Dublin,
1
off point used in the study. When manufacturer-recommended
Belfield, Republic of Ireland. cut-offs are used, the HSe for BMT ELISA ranges from 8-30%.
Environmental sampling and pooled faecal testing have rel-
Objective: Conduct a systematic literature review to sum- atively high HSe, 24-100% and 26-100%, respectively, and
marise the published estimates for herd sensitivity (HSe) and 100% HSp due to direct detection of MAP bacteria.
herd specificity (HSp) of diagnostic tests for Mycobacterium Conclusion: There are numerous options for herd-level
avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) in cattle. testing for MAP in cattle. However, it is clear from this review
Materials and Methods: A comprehensive literature that there are wide ranges in HSe and HSp estimates between
search was performed in July 2020 to identify all published studies. This makes it difficult to draw conclusions regarding
papers, including conference proceedings, published up to the predicted performance of a test in a specific population
with unknown disease prevalence. Decision-makers must
the date of the search, referring to herd sensitivity (HSe) and/
balance the test characteristics with the resources available
or herd specificity (HSp) of a test method for MAP in cattle.
(funding, laboratory capacity) to identify the most suitable herd
All articles returned in the search went through a systematic
test method(s) in a population.
four-stage screening process to identify relevant studies. Arti-
cles were included if they were written in English, available in Keywords: Paratuberculosis, systematic, diagnostic, sen-
full-text, had cattle as the species of interest (either dairy or sitivity, specificity.
beef) and contained an evaluation of the HSe and/or HSp of
a diagnostic test method for MAP. Data extracted from each
publication included sample population/s, method/s of analy-
sis, reference tests, cut-off points, HSe and HSp. The relevant
publications were classified based on the test method evaluat- ID-41
ed, and the results for each test method were summarised as
a range of reported estimates. Control of paratuberculosis in small structured cattle farms
Results: Forty-six publications with relevant results were Johannes Lorenz Khol1, Thorben Liening-Ewert2, Laura Auböck1,
eligible for inclusion in the final review, containing evaluations Paul Paul Ortner2, Josef Kössler2, Alexander Tichy3, Michael Dünser4,
of whole-herd ELISA testing, bulk milk tank (BMT) ELISA, cul- Christian Mader5.
ture and PCR, pooled faecal testing and environmental sam- 1
ple testing. The ranges for HSe and HSp reported for each test
Vienna, Vienna, Austria; 2Regional Veterinary Office Tyrol, Innsbruck,
method is summarised in Table 1.
Austria; 3Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Platform, University of
Veterinary Medicine Vienna;, Vienna, Austria; 4Austrian Agency for
Table 1. Summary of Johne’s disease herd-level test characteristics. Health and Food Safety, Linz, Austria; 5Veterinary Health Service
Tyrol, Innsbruck, Austria.
Screening test Herd sensitivity Herd specificity
(%) (%)
Whole-herd ELISA 40-100 21-96 Objectives: Since 2013, a voluntary survey and control
program for MAP (Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuber-
Whole-herd ELISA + PCR 9-86 100 b
culosis), the cause of paratuberculosis (Johne´s disease) in
BMT ELISA 8-97 53-100 cattle, is in place in the Austrian province of Tyrol. This alpine
BMT PCR/culture 0-85 100b province is characterized by a small structured, traditional way
Pooled faecal testing 26-100 100b of cattle farming. The aim of the present study was to evalu-
ate data collected in the course of the MAP-program, related
Environmental sampling a
24-100 100b
to the prevalence of MAP, as well as to the dynamics of the
a
From studies evaluating a protocol using six composite samples infection.
b
Herd specificity can be assumed to be 100% due to direct detection
Material and methods: About 4,600 farms, representing
of MAP bacteria.
approximately 70% of the Tyrolean dairy cattle, are participat-
ing in the MAP-program. In course of the program, MAP-posi-
The reported herd-level test characteristics for MAP tive farms are detected by boot swab sampling in a two years
demonstrate considerable differences in test accuracy. The interval, followed by single animal testing and removing of
wide ranges in reported estimates for each test are due to the positive animals. Additionally, basic hygienic measures to
variations in between-and within-herd prevalence, test proto- prevent further spread of the infection are advised in positive
cols and cut-off points between studies. Whole-herd ELISA farms. During the program, structural date describing the farm
testing has potentially high HSe (40-100%) but potentially low characteristics and management practices were collected.
HSp. This will result in many non-infected herds being clas- Results: In course of the program, the initial prevalence of
sified as infected. The choice of seroprevalence cut-off point 7.5% positive herds in 2013 decreased to 0.5% in 2019.

237
Detailed investigation of individual animal results revealed, risks; one that encourages the reporting of clinical cases to
that MAP-shedding decreased considerably after removal authorities by farmers seeking an effective treatment for their
of single positive animals within a herd. Surprisingly, many valuable livestock.
cattle showed negative individual results and farms stayed Material and Methods: Opportunistic clinical studies were
MAP-negative in consecutive boot swab samplings thereafter, conducted during field FMD outbreaks in Laos and Cameroon
indicating possible passive shedding in some animals. Fur- in 2019, using a farmer applied ‘spray-on‘ wound formulation,
thermore, these findings suggest, that fade out of the disease, developed and registered in Australia for provision of anal-
after removal of MAP-shedding animals and the implementa- gesia, antisepsis and reduced healing times in animals un-
tion of hygienic measures, may occur. dergoing routine husbandry procedures (Tri-Solfen®, Animal
Analysis of risk factors showed, that the use of common Ethics Pty Ltd, Australia). Study sites were villages with nat-
alpine pasture seems not to be a significant contribution to urally occurring FMD outbreaks, occurring in April 2019 near
the transmission of MAP. The same was found for sharing of Luang Prabang in Laos and November 2019 near Ngoundere
equipment, which both seems to be in contrast to the current in Cameroon. Animals treated included cattle and buffalo (n
literature. On the other hand, rearing of calves with milk replac- = 136) in Laos and cattle (n = 40) in Cameroon, all with clin-
er, instead of whole milk, significantly decreased the chance to ical vesicular lesions of FMD. The therapy (Tri-Solfen®) was
be MAP positive, which has been described before. Housing applied liberally (1-2mls per lesion) to all the oral and ped-
also seems to have an impact on the MAP-status of the farms, al vesicular lesions in the FMD-affected animals in Laos. In
but the results are ambiguous and need further evaluation. Cameroon, some pedal lesions were left untreated to compare
healing rates and additional cohorts of FMD-affected animals
Conclusions: The data collected over a period of ten
were treated with a parenteral oxyteracycline antibiotic (n =
years indicate, that the use of common (alpine) pastures
12; Moore Oxy®, Nigeria) or left untreated (n = 69), enabling
seems not to be a significant factor for the distribution of MAP.
comparisons of response to therapy of the pain relief (Tri-
Furthermore, the dynamics of MAP infections in small struc-
Solfen®) treated, antimicrobial treated and untreated animals.
tured cattle farms may contribute to the successful reduction
In addition to clinical observations during and following treat-
of the MAP-herd prevalence by removing single positive ani-
ment, follow-up surveys involving questionnaires were con-
mals and implementing basic hygienic measures.
ducted in both countries with the owners of treated animals
Keywords: Paratuberculosis, Mycobacterium avium sub- approximately a week to 10 days following the clinical studies.
sp. paratuberculosis, cattle, control, risk factors.
Results: There was a rapid response to treatment ob-
served as a marked improvement in the demeanour of the
treated animals and immediate unanimous approval of the
efficacy of treatment by the livestock owners. The surveys
confirmed that: oral lesions generally healed faster than feet
ID-42 lesions; that all topical pain-relief treated lesions generally
healed within a week of treatment; in animals only treated
A novel topical therapy for Foot-and-Mouth Disease
with an antimicrobial agent (Cameroon) lesions healed after
improves animal welfare and reduces antimicrobial a week or more and longer for untreated animals; the appe-
resistance risks tite score was higher for pain-relief treated cases than with
Peter Windsor1, Sevidzem Lendzele2, Syseng Khounsy3, Jacques the antimicrobial treatment and untreated animals; pain during
François Mavoungou4, Francesca Earp5, Isabel Macphillamy5, Jim walking was relieved faster with topical pain relief medication
Young5. compared to those treated with the antimicrobial agent and un-
treated counterparts; and in both countries, farmers reported
1
Production Animal Welfare & Health Services, Scarborough, NSW, a 100% appreciation for the pain relief product and were keen
Australia; 2Cattle Fattening & Milk Production Cooperative, Troua to have it available for general use. This product contains two
Belel, Cameroon; 3Department of Livestock & Fisheries, Vientiane, topical anaesthetics (lignocaine and bupivacaine), adrenalin,
Lao People's Democratic Republic; 4Institute for Research in Tropical and cetrimide in a gel matrix. As no antimicrobial agents are
Ecology, Libreville, Gabon; 5The University of Sydney, Camden, present, use of the product reduces AMR risk and with a pH
Australia. of ~2.7 it is potentially viricidal and may reduce environmental
transmission of FMDV if used prior to or during rupture of vesi-
Objective: Improving the therapy used by para-veteri- cles. Evidence from depletion studies suggests that with-hold-
narians and veterinarians in Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) ing periods of 4 days for meat and 3 days for milk will minimise
outbreaks, particularly in developing countries where FMD is any risk of tissue residues.
endemic, is an important but largely ignored aspect of glob- Conclusion: These clinical trials indicate that this novel
al FMD management. Whilst effective therapy is the focus of pain relief therapeutic provided effective pain relief through
livestock owners, the priority for donors and policy makers blockage of nociception and ease of application and coverage
is usually investments in vaccination programs that are fre- encouraged the rapid repair of lesions. wounds. This may be
quently unsustainable. Treatment for FMD is typically use of an important intervention for improving animal welfare in FMD,
inappropriate parenteral and/or topical antibiotics, for a viral in- potentially encouraging livestock farmers to report outbreaks
fection, risking development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as they seek supplies of a ‘new medicine that works’ as it pro-
and food safety issues, plus increasing household and nation- vides readily visible amelioration of suffering. Sustainable FMD
al socioeconomic losses from FMD. There is an urgent need control requires improved surveillance and biosecurity practic-
for a therapeutic with clear animal welfare benefits, no AMR es, effective public awareness campaigns to encourage com-

238
pliance, plus in many instances, effective strategic vaccination derived from animals reared for beef production and 30% from
programs. However, access to an efficacious and affordable animals reared for dairy production.
therapy that contains no antimicrobial agents and is likely to Conclusions: The finding that M. haemolytica serotype
be viricidal, is important for future FMD control programmes if A1 is the most common serotype in this UK sample set is con-
it: encourages farmer reporting; decreases virus transmission; sistent with other studies looking at European isolates (An-
substantially improves animal welfare; and reduces AMR risk. drés-Lasheras 2019). M. haemolytica serotype A2 has been
Keywords: FMD, therapy, welfare, AMR, cattle. reported in North America as a commensal organism in cattle.
97% of the M. haemolytica serotype A2 isolates were isolated
from pneumonic lung tissue. In 60% of the cases from which
M. haemolytica serotype A2 was isolated, no other respiratory
pathogens were detected. These findings do suggest a poten-
ID-43 tial, causal role for M. haemolytica serotype A2 in bovine res-
piratory disease. In the UK there is only one vaccine which has
Molecular typing of Mannheimia haemolytica isolates from been shown to protect or cross protect against M. haemolytica
UK cattle surveillance submissions serotypes A1 and A6, but not A2.
Colin Mason1, Jane Errington1, Geoff Foster2, Jennifer Thacker3, References:
Oliver Grace3, Katharine Baxter-Smith4. 1. Andrés-Lasheras S, Zaheer R, Klima C, Sanderson H,
1
SRUC Veterinary Services, St Marys Industrial Estate, Dumfries, Ortega Polo R, Milani M, Vertenten G and McAllister
United Kingdom; 2SRUC Veterinary Services, Drummondhill, TA. (2019) Serotyping and antimicrobial resistance of
Inverness, United Kingdom; 3SRUC Veterinary Services, Pentlands Mannheimia haemolytica strains from European cattle
Science Park, Penicuik, United Kingdom; 4MSD Animal Health, Milton with bovine respiratory disease. Research in Veteri-
Keynes, United Kingdom. nary Science 124, 10-12.
2. Al-Ghamdi G.M., Ames T.R., Baker J.C., Walker R.,
Chase C.C., Frank G.H., Maheswaran S.K. (2000) Se-
Objectives: Mannheimia haemolytica is an important and
rotyping of Mannheimia (Pasteurella) haemolytica iso-
commonly recognised cause of respiratory disease in cattle
lates from the upper Midwest United States. Journal of
and sheep worldwide. M. haemolytica serotypes A1, A2 and
Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation 12, 576–578.
A6 are considered the most prevalent in cattle worldwide
(Al-Ghamdi et al 2000) and are readily isolated from the na- 3. Fodor L., Varga J., Hajtos I., Szemeredi G. (1984)
sopharynx of healthy cattle. Serotypes A1 and A6 have been Serotypes of Pasteurella haemolytica isolated from
reported as common isolates from pneumonic lung tissue sheep, goats and calves. Zoonoses Public Health 31,
(Klima et al 2014). M. haemolytica serotype A2 is considered 466–469.
primarily associated with disease in sheep (Fodor et al 1984). 4. Klima C.L., Alexander T.W., Hendrick S., McAllister
The aim of this study was to survey M. haemolytica isolates T.A. (2014) Characterization of Mannheimia haemo-
derived from pneumonia cases in the UK that were submitted lytica isolated from feedlot cattle that were healthy or
for diagnostic investigation. Understanding the diversity of se- treated for bovine respiratory disease. Canadian Jour-
rotypes in the sample set is of use to inform future preventative nal of Veterinary Research 78, 38–45.
strategies.
5. Klima C.L., Zaheer R., Briggs R.E., McAllister T.A.,
Materials and Methods: 100 M. haemolytica isolates de- 2017 A multiplex PCR assay for molecular capsular
rived from bovine clinical pathology and post mortem samples serotyping of Mannheimia haemolytica serotypes 1, 2,
from pneumonia cases were tested using a multiplex PCR as- and 6. Journal of Microbiological Methods 139, 155-
say incorporating three serotype specific primer pairs for iden- 160.
tification of M. haemolytica serotypes A1, A2 and A6 (Klima at
Acknowledgements: This study was funded by MSD an-
al 2017). Primary bacterial cultures were made on Columbia
imal health. SRUC Veterinary Services disease surveillance
sheep blood agar following 18-24 hours incubation at 37°C
programme is funded by the Scottish Government.
in capnophilic conditions, identification was confirmed using
routine phenotypic tests and isolates were stored at -80°C. Keywords: Mannheimia haemolytica, Cattle, Serotype.
Isolates were selected from cases which occurred between
2016 and 2018. Isolates were from nasopharyngeal swabs (17
isolates) or broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (2 samples) submit-
ted from cases with a recorded clinical history of respiratory
disease. The remainder were from post mortem samples (81 ID-44
isolates) with a clinical history of respiratory disease and con-
sistent gross pathology. Sample selection was not random or Leptospira hardjo re-introduction in a certified-free herd
unbiased. in the Netherlands
Results: 45% isolates were M. haemolytica serotype A1, Katrien Van Den Brink, Marian Aalberts, Linda Van Wuijckhuise.
30% serotype A2, 18% serotype A6 and 7% un-typable us-
Royal GD, Deventer, Netherlands.
ing the techniques employed. Isolates were recovered from
animals aged between 1 day and 8 years old and an equal
proportion of male and female animals. 70% of isolates were

239
Objectives: Leptospira serovar hardjo (L. hardjo) is a zoo- than expected with an increase in clinical mastitis cases.
nosis and cattle are the main carrier. The Netherlands is the Conclusions: In 2019, a L. hardjo infection was observed
only country in the world with a L. hardjo-free control program. in a certified-free dairy herd in the Netherlands, after import of
In 1990 the estimated herd prevalence in dairy herds was infected cattle from Luxembourg. As import of dairy cattle by
25%. Since 2005 only farms with a L. hardjo-free status are Dutch farmers is increasing, import poses an increasing threat
allowed to deliver milk to the dairy industry. The Dutch dairy for the Dutch L. hardjo-free program.
population is free of L. hardjo, with very sporadic cases. The
Keywords: L. hardjo, control-program, bulk milk, import,
herd prevalence among non-dairy herds is 0,8%, based on
re-introduction.
national screening in 2013. Monitoring for re-introduction is
necessary, as for many different reasons increasing numbers
of cattle are purchased by Dutch farmers: in 2019 over 42,000
cattle were introduced from non-free herds as compared to on
average around 6,000 in 2013. A considerable part of these
cattle are imported. ID-45
This case report presents the results of a follow-up study Field Study of Control and Eradication of Endemic M.bovis
after re-introduction of L. hardjo in a previously free herd. in a Persistently Infected Dairy Herd using a Novel Testing
Materials and methods: The L. hardjo-free control pro- Programme
gram is carried out by Royal GD. Herds are assigned the L.
Richard Sibley.
hardjo-free status after initial assessment consisting of test-
ing the sera of all individual animals on the farm. Surveillance West Ridge Veterinary Practice, Witheridge, United Kingdom.
of L. hardjo-free herds is based on bulk milk samples every
four months, serum-testing aborted cattle, monitoring cattle
Objectives: A large dairy herd comprising 350 adult milk-
movement data and testing sera from cattle introduced from
ing dairy cows and 700 youngstock and beef animals was
non-free herds. Bulk milk samples and sera are tested with an
enrolled in a novel management programme to attempt to
indirect L. hardjo antibody ELISA (Thermo Fisher Scientific).
eradicate M.bovis from the herd by managing biosecurity and
In the event of a positive or inconclusive antibody test biocontainment within the herd, concurrent with the statutory
result, further testing is mandatory and the farm loses the L. management of bovine tuberculosis by testing and culling.
hardjo-free status and receives the status ‘unknown’. In case
The Gatcombe Herd had been persistently infected with
of an introduced animal with non-negative test results, the an-
tuberculosis for over 7 years, with the statutory single intra-
imal needs to be removed from the herd. Four weeks later, a
dermal comparative cervical tuberculin test (SICCT) identify-
confirmative bulk milk sample is taken, to test for spread of L.
ing over 100 reactors which were immediately culled in ac-
hardjo in the herd.
cordance with the statutory control regulations. Despite strict
If control samples are L. hardjo antibody positive, individ- biosecurity during this time, the statutory controls failed to re-
ual testing of all the animals in the herd is mandatory to in- move infection from the herd.
vestigate spreading of L. hardjo. If spreading is confirmed, all
An assumption was made that infection was circulating in
animals in the herd are treated with an antibiotic and the herd
the herd, with cows shedding M.bovis without be identified by
status is changed to ‘treated’.
the SICCT, and thus transmitting the infection to susceptible
To monitor for spread of L. hardjo in treated herds, a se- cattle. The objective of the study was to prevent new infections
ronegative tracer group of animals > two years old are serum from shedding cattle by management and husbandry.
tested every six months.
Materials and methods: 192 cattle were identified and
Results: The 120 head dairy herd was L. hardjo-free since categorised in the herd using the staturoty Single Intrader-
1999. In the last control bulk milk sample of June 8th 2019, no mal Comparative Cervical Tuberculin Test (SICCT) records to
antibodies for L. hardjo were detected. detect any animal that had ever had any form of reaction to
On June 28th 2019, thirteen cows were imported from Lux- the bovine tuberculin in its lifetime. Once categorised as high
embourg and introduced into the herd without a quarantine pe- risk, these animals were repeatedly tested for the presence of
riod. Mandatory testing of sera from these cows, taken on July M.bovis after each SICCT, which was performed every 60 days
18th 2019, resulted in one inconclusive and twelve sero-neg- in accordance with the regulatory testing programme. 154 of
ative test results. A second serum sample of the animal that these high risk animals were repeatedly tested for the pres-
tested inconclusive, was inconclusive as well. This animal was ence of M.bovis in blood and faeces using viral phage testing
removed from the herd on August 15th 2019. and qPCR.
Four weeks later, a bulk milk sample tested positive, which Results: 125 of the 154 high risk cows (81%) had at least
was confirmed by another bulk milk sample. Subsequently, one phage positive test, indicating that they were infected with
sera were taken from all cattle in the herd on October 4th 2019. M.bovis despite not being identified as reactors by the SICCT.
Multiple animals had antibodies for L. hardjo, also animals that 34 of these animals in the enhanced testing regime had at
were not imported. After the confirmed spreading of L. hardjo, least one positive qPCR test on faeces, indicating shedding of
all cattle on the farm were treated with a single high dose of the organism in their faeces.
dihydrostreptomycin (25 mg/kg body weight, intramuscular). Animals which were shown to be shedding were either
The seropositive animals showed no clinical signs of L. culled or isolated to prevent transmission. High risk animals
hardjo infection. At the herd level, milk production was lower were prioritised for culling, but with economic performance

240
moderating culling decisions. All potential risks of transmission of the unweighted UniFrac distance matrix showed a signif-
were identified and controlled by management and husbandry. icant difference between healthy and diarrhea calves. Spe-
Becasue of the unexpected high level of faecal shedding from cifically, in the RF model Campylobacter, Actinobacillus, and
some infected cows, risks of transmission were identified and Sporobacter were identified based on the mean decrease in
managed to prevent further spread within the herd. accuracy. Campylobactor, Sporobacter, and Streptococcus
After three years of the control programme, the herd is now were identified as the most discriminating predictors based on
Officially TB Free and has had no SICCT reactors in the last 4 the mean decrease in the gini criteria. Considering microbial
routine skin tests. abundance, Sporobacter was abundant in the overall healthy
and donor groups for successful FMT. Along with RF, LEfSe
Conclusions: This study demonstrates the potential for
analysis was subsequently performed among these groups,
controlling and eradicating M.bovis from persistently infected
in which Sporobacter was found to be abundant in the healthy
herds where endemic infection circulates within the herd and
group. Taken together, these results suggest that Sporobacter
cannot be identified or controlled by the statutory control pro-
may be a potential biomarker for the donors associated with
grammes that rely on the SICCT to identify infected animals.
FMT success.
The control programme allows the economic and meticu-
Conclusion: FMT is an effective treatment option for the
lous removal of infection from the herd, and minimises the risk
prevention of diarrhea in calves, specifically by identifying a
of re-introduction by minimising environmental contamination.
beneficial microbial cluster. These findings have enormous
Keywords: Tuberculosis. significance for the livestock industry because FMT could
eventually address the challenge of CD treatment as well as
the use of excessive antibiotics.
Keywords: Diarrhea, fecal microbiome transplantation,
calves, metagenomics.
ID-46
Identification of potential microbial taxa involved in the

efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from
healthy donors to recipients suffering from diarrhea in
calves ID-47
Tomonori Nochi1, Jahidul Islam1, Masae Tanimizu2, Yu Shimizu2, Farmer psychosocial factors associated with bovine viral
Yoshiaki Goto2, Natsuki Ohtani2, Kentaro Sugiyama2, Eriko Tatezaki2, diarrhoea control behaviours
Masumi Sato2, Eiji Makino2, Toru Shimada2, Chise Ueda2, Ayumi Naomi Prosser1, Martin Green1, Eamonn Ferguson2, Michael
Matsuo1, Yoshihisa Suyama1, Yoshifumi Sakai1, Mutsumi Furukawa1, Tildesley3, Edward Hill3, Matt Keeling3, Jasmeet Kaler1.
Katsuki Usami1, Hiroshi Yoneyama1, Hisashi Aso1, Hidekazu Tanaka2.
1
University of Nottingham, Sutton Bongington, Leicestershire, United
Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan; 2Chiba Prefectural Federated
1
Kingdom; 2University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom;
Agricultural Mutual Aid Association, Chiba, Japan. 3
University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom.
Objectives: Calf diarrhea (CD) is a common disease and Objectives: Psychosocial factors are important for the
has an acute negative impact in the economy of the livestock uptake of health protective behaviours in human health, how-
industry. Antibiotics have been consistently used to treat the ever many have not been investigated in the context of live-
disease; however, fecal microbiome transplantation (FMT) has stock disease control where the farmer is making decisions
been attracting attention as an alternative therapy for CD. The for their livestock. There are diverse approaches farmers can
objectives of this study were to characterize the fecal microbi- take to control bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) in their herds, from
ota profile of healthy and diarrhea calves as well as potential BVD-specific vaccination, testing and culling to the more gen-
donor selection for FMT using a machine learning approach. eral prevention of the introduction of infectious diseases from
Materials and method: Bacterial genomic DNA was ex- other cattle (such as by having a closed herd, isolating new
tracted from feces of 156 calves, which were bred in different cattle and preventing contact with neighbouring cattle) and
farms and classified as healthy (n=108) and diarrhea (n=48), these may be influenced by psychosocial factors. This study
and they were further compared with diarrhea calves used in investigated psychosocial and behaviour change factors in the
an FMT study in which donors (n=20) and recipients (n=20) context of BVD control methods used by cattle farmers.
were enrolled. High throughput 16S rRNA amplicon sequenc- Material and methods: A survey was completed by 475
ing for metagenomics was performed using a next-generation UK cattle farmers in 2020. Multiple validated measures were
sequencer. In addition, a random forest (RF) prediction model used to investigate trust, psychological proximity (feeling close
was established, and a variable importance analysis was con- to another person), altruism and factors from a behaviour
ducted with the aim of identifying microbial taxa those can be change framework (COM-B). The survey also investigated the
considered as potential predictors. methods of BVD control that the farmers used. Farmers were
Results: The most abundant phylum in the faces of grouped by similar BVD control practices using latent class
calves were Firmicutes and Bacteriodetes, which were found analysis, and a multinomial logistic regression model was
in healthy (51.17 % and 38.20 %) and diarrhea (46.03% and used to investigate associations between the psychosocial
31.91 %) groups, respectively. A principal coordinate analysis and behaviour change factors and the BVD control classes.

241
Results: Farmers had the highest psychological proximity Objectives: The aim of the present study was to assess
with (felt the closest to) their cows, followed by their vet, neigh- the prevalence of Coxiella burnetii in different size of dairy
bouring farmers, the veterinary community, dairy farmers, beef herds in six Central and Eastern European countries based
farmers, the farming community, the National Farmers Union on enzyme-linked immunosorbet assay (ELISA) and real-time
and the Government. Similarly, the farmers had the most trust polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.
in vets, followed by the NFU, other farmers and governmental Material and methods: Bulk tank milk samples were
organisations. The level of altruism among the farmers was collected from 370 dairy herds from six Central and Eastern
similar to that of other people in general. European countries (Croatia, n= 13; Czech Republic, n= 138;
Farmers split into nine classes for how they controlled BVD Hungary, n= 126; Serbia, n= 24; Slovakia, n= 53; Slovenia, n=
from the latent class analysis. Similar classes were merged 16) between March and October, 2019. Samples were taken
for further analysis resulting in five classes: 1) Does nothing randomly from dairy herds of different size, but with focusing
(12%), 2) Vaccinates (25%), 3) Careful introducing new cattle on larger dairies. Forty ml samples were taken from the bulk
(sources cattle from BVD-free herds and tests/isolates on ar- milk tanks and tested on indirect ELISA and real-time PCR
rival) (16%), 4) Vaccinates, careful introducing new cattle and targeting the IS1111.
prevents contact with neighbouring cattle (31%) and 5) Closed Results: 1. The number of examined dairy herds varied ac-
herd and prevents contact with neighbouring cattle (15%). cording to the country of origin, but the overall C. burnetii infec-
There were psychosocial differences between the farmers tion status (percentage of positive herds/total number of herds
in each class that was using some BVD controls compared with ELISA and PCR tests) ranged between 62.50-100.00%
with the farmers who did nothing. Farmers who were vacci- in the Central and Eastern European countries. Prevalence
nating had higher psychological proximity with dairy farmers, of C. burnetii differed according to the country of origin with
lower psychological proximity with beef farmers and higher Croatia showing 100.00%, the Czech Republic 98.55%, Hun-
motivation to control disease (due to both automatic habits gary 97.61%, Serbia 70.83%, Slovakia 90.56% and Slovenia
and emotions and reflective plans and goals). Farmers who showing 62.50% average percentages of the positive herds.
were careful introducing new cattle had higher trust in other The analysis of the ELISA and PCR test results in association
farmers. Farmers who were vaccinating, careful introducing with herd sizes revealed, that herds of ≥250 animals showed
new cattle and keeping them separate from neighbouring cat- significantly higher C. burnetii positivity (positive test results:
tle had higher psychological proximity with their vet, lower trust 100%; Spearman’s rank correlation, rho = 0.716, p < 0.001),
in other farmers and had higher motivation to control disease. than herds of <250 animals (positive test results: 73.03%). On
Finally, farmers who had a closed herd and were preventing the other hand, examining only the PCR test results, similar
contact with neighbouring cattle had lower trust in other farm- percentages of positive milk samples (40.63-44.94%) were
ers, higher psychological proximity to dairy farmers and lower detected among the herds of different sizes.
psychological proximity to beef farmers, as well as being more Conclusions: The present research assessed the preva-
likely to feel that they had enough knowledge and understand- lence of Q fever at dairy farms in Central and Eastern Europe-
ing of how and why to control infectious diseases and enough an countries, revealing increased seroprevalence in bulk tank
time and money to do so. milk samples compared to other European countries. Based
Conclusion: Various psychosocial factors were associat- on the analysis of the data, it is assumed that with growing
ed with the specific behaviours that farmers used to control numbers of animals in dairies and farm structures moving
BVD and understanding these will help veterinarians tailor toward concentration, the risk of C. burnetii prevalence is in-
their messages to encourage clients to take up disease con- creasing, underlining the importance of monitoring the herds’
trol measures. Of particular relevance is that farmers with high infection status and implementations of control measures
psychological proximity with their vet were more likely to be Keywords: Q-Fever,Central-Eastern Europe,Dairy cat-
proactively controlling BVD, which was more important here tle,Milk,Coxiella Burnetii.
than the more extensively investigated trust. Therefore, it is
important that vets work to ensure a close vet-farmer relation-
ship to encourage proactive BVD control by farmers.
Keywords: Bovine viral diarrhoea, Infectious disease con-
trol, Farmer behaviour, Psychosocial factors. ID-51
An Epidemic of Salmonellosis caused by Imported

Rapeseed Meal Containing Salmonella at a Dairy Farm
Olli Ruoho.
ID-50
Animal Health ETT, Seinäjoki, Finland.
Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii in Central and Eastern
European dairy herds Objectives: Finland has zero tolerance policy for salmo-
Attila Dobos , Miklos Gyuranecz , Zsuzsa Kreizinger , Aron Kovacs .
1 2 2 2 nella. All Salmonella serotypes are considered to be a signif-
icant threat for public health. Zero tolerance means, that ac-
Ceva, Budapest, Hungary; 2Institute for Veterinary Medical Research,
1
tions are always taken, if salmonella is detected from feed,
Centre for Agricultural Research, Budapest, Hungary. animals or foodstuffs. The aim is to find the origin of infection
or contamination and to prevent further spread. Within the

242
framework of the official Salmonella control program, lymph restrictions could be released.
node and carcass swab samples are taken at slaughterhous- Conclusions: The use of untreated rapeseed meal in an-
es and raw milk is sampled at dairies. In addition, producers imal feeding involves a risk of salmonella that cannot be com-
themselves take a large number of self-monitoring samples, pletely eliminated by sampling. Contamination does not nec-
e.g. in the context of animal trade. If salmonella is found on a essarily occur in feed samples alone but requires extensive
cattle-, swine- or poultry farm, the farm is put under restrictions swab and dust sampling of the feed environment throughout
by the veterinary authorities and salmonella eradication must the whole feeding system. Feed storages and feeders may
be started. contain salmonella inoculants which, when mixed with feed,
Materials and methods: A dairy farm in Western Finland can cause infection in the herd.
was found to be positive for Salmonella Infantis in May 2019. Keywords: Salmonella, epidemic, rapeseed, dairy, farm.
Heifers were to be sold from the farm and, hence, fecal
samples were examined for Salmonella. The loose-housing
dairy had 210 cows and 150 young animals. The farm was put
under restrictions. This e.g. means, that animal movements to
the farm an out of the farm are ceased. By special arrange- ID-52
ments, the milk can be delivered to the dairy to be diverted to
heat-treated products. The salmonella eradication was started Facilitating the diagnosis of Q fever using FTA cards to
immediately. store and ship bulk tank milk samples
The principles of eradicating salmonella from the animals Michaël Treilles1, Pierre Charollais1, Raphaël Guatteo2, Carla
and the environment is to assure hygienic feed and water and Azevedo3, Damien Achard3, Juan Munoz-Bielsa3, Philippe Gisbert3.
to cut the contamination of feed with feces. The production
facilities are cleaned and disinfected according to a separate Laboratoire Qualyse, Champdeniers, France; 2INRAE, Oniris,
1
plan. All animals were examined for salmonellosis by faecal BIOEPAR, Nantes, France; 3Ceva Santé Animale, Libourne, France.
samples. About 80 environmental swab samples were taken
e.g. from feeding tables, water throughs, feeding equipment Objectives: Coxiellosis, also named Q fever, is an infec-
and feed storages. All samples were examined for Salmonella tious disease caused by an intra-cellular bacterium: Coxiella
(ISO 6579:2017). burnetii (Cb). In cattle, Q fever, when symptomatic, is mainly
The animals were fed TMR (total mixed ration) with a responsible for abortions, stillbirth, birth of weak calves, re-
TMR-wagon. TMR-feed itself and also each of its components tained placenta and metritis/endometritis. But it is also a zoo-
were examined. The main component of the TMR-feed was notic disease, ruminants being the main reservoir of Cb.
pre-dried grass silage harvested from the own fields of the Bulk tank milk (BTM) is an easy, inexpensive, and repre-
farm. In addition, the feed included rapeseed meal, minerals sentative sample to detect Cb infections in dairy herds using
and farmed, ground barley and oats. RT-PCR. But one major limitation under field conditions is
At first 25 % of the animals were salmonella positive. Some the need to deliver the BTM samples in adequate conditions
swab samples from feeding tables, feeding equipment and (quickly, refrigerated and safely) to a qualified laboratory. In
water throughs were positive but all feed was negative. The addition, sending non-inactivated biological material via reg-
hygienic procedures were concentrated to the critical points ular post may be forbidden. A new innovative, easy, and ac-
found contaminated. Feeding tables and drinking throughs curate diagnostic tool (QTest) for Q fever was developed to
were disinfected twice a day and the wheels of the vehicles overcome these constraints. Farmers or veterinarians simply
always before feeding. Feed handling and feeding equipment place some drops of BTM on a WHATMAN FTA Elute Micro
was cleaned and disinfected as well as possible. Card (FTA card) and let it dry before posting the card to the
laboratory.
Next month, however, 60 % of faecal samples were posi-
tive for salmonella. Hence, new samples from the environment The objective of this study was to validate the reliability of
and the feed were taken. Salmonella was detected in an en- this innovative technique.
vironmental swab sample from the inner surface at the top of Material and methods: This study had two complementa-
the rapeseed meal silo cover. This site had not been sampled ry objectives, carried out in two steps.
before because a crane was needed for access. The rapeseed The first step aimed at assessing the preservation of Cb
meal was imported from abroad. It was not heat-treated but DNA detection from BTM spotted on a FTA card over time un-
tested on a sample of 1 bulk sample / 25,000 kg with negative der two different temperatures (20-22°C and 37°C) to mimic
result. field conditions. A milk sample was artificially contaminated
The silo was emptied, washed and disinfected. Rapeseed with Cb to reach a load of ~5x106 Genome Equivalent (GE)/
meal was excluded from animal nutrition and replaced by in- mL which became the master sample. The master sample was
dustrial heat-treated protein feed. The hygienic measures pro- then successively diluted at different dilutions (10-1, 10-2, 10-3,
ceeded. 10-4, and 10-5). Each diluted milk was then sampled several
Results: The eradication procedure was monitored by fae- times on FTA cards and stored for up to 29 days either at 20-
cal and environmental swab samples every second or fourth 22°C or at 37°C. RT-PCR was performed for each dilution and
week. The animals got rid of salmonella in four months, as each storage temperature on days 1, 4, 6, 8, 11, 15, 20 and 29.
confirmed by two successive monthly faecal samples from the The second step aimed at comparing, after ageing, the
animals and one environmental swab sampling. Hence, the detection of Cb DNA by RT-PCR either when directly applied

243
on BTM or on BTM preserved on FTA cards. 70 BTM field sheep associated malignant catarrhal fever (SA-MCF) caused
samples previously tested positive for Cb by RT-PCR were by ovine herpes virus-2 (OvHV-2) and strategies to limit this
stored as raw milk for 17 days before extraction or inoculated disease risk are essential to sustainable production.
onto FTA card on day 15 and extracted on day 21. On day 21, Objectives: The aim of this project was to control SA-MCF
a RT-PCR was performed for all the samples (raw milk and in bison and buffalo in Wales, UK.
FTA card) and the results were compared between the two
Objective 1: determine the exposure of farmed bison and
techniques for each sample.
buffalo to OvHV-2.
Results: The first step showed that regardless of the du-
Objective 2: determine the presence/absence of OvHV-2
ration of FTA card storage, all samples with a dilution below
in species in contact with the bison/buffalo.
10-3 (approximately 103 GE/mL) were detected to contain Cb
DNA. Also, no significant loss of detectability was noted from Objective 3: determine whether the bison/buffalo have
d1 to d29, regardless of dilution or storage temperature. This been exposed to other infectious diseases that could poten-
means that the FTA card system ensures a stable preservation tially increase the risk of MCF following exposure to OvHV-2.
of Cb DNA in BTM samples stored at 20-22°C and 37 °C for Objective 4: utilise a novel vector vaccine (Macavax) as
at least 29 days. part of a control programme.
For the second step, of the original 70 positive samples, Materials and Methods: Two farms were included in the
we had 58 samples that were tested positive using one of both project: 1) a mixed species farm with bison, cattle, sheep,
of the storage option. Of these 58 samples, 45 raw BTM sam- poultry and deer; 2) a farm with buffalo and sheep.
ples tested positive and, of these, five tested negative when Blood/tissue samples were obtained from a sample of the
using FTA cards. In other words, there were 13 false nega- bison, cattle, sheep and deer from farm 1 and blood samples
tives with older raw BTM samples while there were only 5 false were obtained from a sample of the buffalo and sheep from
negatives for older BTM on FTA cards. These five remaining farm 2.
were all with Ct value >35 indicating low quantities of Cb DNA.
We can assume that the non-detection was likely due to the qPCR was used to identify OvHV-2 on blood and tissue
lack of reproducibility of the PCR technique for weak positive samples and commercial antibody tests were used to deter-
samples. mine exposure to bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVD), infectious
bovine rhinotracheitis virus (IBR), Mycobacterium avium sub-
Importantly, for 13 samples, FTA cards produced positive species paratuberculosis, Neospora caninum and Mycoplas-
PCR results while the equivalent raw BTM samples tested ma bovis. Faeces were examined for the presence of gas-
gave negative PCR results. This indicates that the detection trointestinal nematode eggs, Fasciola hepatica eggs and
rate was higher using FTA cards with aged BTM (91.4%) than lungworm larvae.
with raw aged BTM (77.6%) samples.
Trace element analysis was carried out using commercial-
Conclusion: Our study showed that the use of QTest
ly available tests.
makes BTM sampling, shipment, and storage very easy and
cheap, while results do not seem to be impaired by the preser- Control strategies were deployed specific to the farms with
vation/transportation method. Indeed, the stability of Cb DNA a novel vector vaccine (Macavax) utilised on farm 1.
on an FTA card is maintained for at least 29 days at either The farms were monitored for 18 months to determine the
20-22°C or 37 °C. Therefore, this technique would facilitate efficacy of the control strategies.
an easier and more practical approach to diagnosis of Q fe- Results: Farm 1: no OvHv-2 was detected at the start of
ver at herd level and would be supportive of Q fever control the project, however several deaths in the preceding years
strategies. were confirmed as SA-MCF. The bison had evidence of pre-
Keywords: Q fever, Coxiella burnetii, bulk tank milk, diag- vious exposure to IBR, N. caninum and Mycoplasma bovis,
nosis, PCR. gastrointestinal nematodes and Fasciola hepatica. Copper,
selenium and iodine deficiencies were also detected. The
Macavax vaccine was administered twice to bison originating
from the farm and once to new herd entrants that joined the
herd after one year. No adverse events were observed. The
ID-53 health of the herd improved overall, however one death was
recorded after 18 months with SA-MCF confirmed by postmor-
Towards the control of sheep associated malignant catarrhal tem and virus detection.
fever (SA-MCF) in bison and buffalo in Wales, UK Farm 2: 4/19 (21.1%) of the buffalo had OvHV-2 detected
Joseph Angell , Eleanor Bentley , James Stewart .
1 2 2 by qPCR. 1/10 sheep also had OvHV-2 detected by qPCR.
The buffalo had evidence of previous exposure to IBR and My-
1
Wern Vets CYF, Ruthin, United Kingdom; 2The University of Liverpool, coplasma bovis, with marginal trace element deficiencies. No
Liverpool, United Kingdom. deaths associated with MCF were observed prior to or during
the study period.
Introduction and background: Bison and buffalo are not Conclusions: Bison and buffalo can be farmed success-
commonly farmed in the UK, although they are considered an fully in the UK, provided their health and welfare needs are
option for diversification due to the high value of the animal met appropriately. Various commercial strategies already in
products. In the UK, a significant limiting factor for bison and place for cattle may be used in a similar way in these spe-
buffalo production is the high susceptibility of these animals to cies with appropriate amendments where necessary. Where

244
possible the bison and buffalo should be kept as far away as Management System and processed using Microsoft Excel
possible from other species to reduce the risk of transmission and R Studio.
of infectious diseases, especially OvHV-2. The novel vector Results: The foetal carcasses originated from 855 indi-
vaccine (Macavax) was safe to use in bison, although further vidual herds with number of submissions per herd over the
work as to the specific extent of its efficacy is needed. sample period ranging from 1 to 8. Herd size ranged from 1 to
Keywords: Bison, buffalo, malignant catarrhal fever, MCF, 750 with a median of 110.
control. In total, 1181 entire foetal carcasses were examined with
(305) or without (876) placenta. The median, minimum and
maximum sCRL of the foetuses was 75, 22 and 130cm, re-
spectively. This implied median, minimum and maximum ges-
tational ages of approximately 223 days, 108 days and full
ID-54 term, respectively, according to the formula:
DAY=8.4+0.087CROWN-RUMP+5.46CROWN-RUMP
Detection rates of primary abortifacient pathogens isolated
by conventional microbiology from dairy and suckler foetal Of the 1061 stomach content samples cultured, primary
submissions, 2020-2021 pathogens were detected in 281 (26.4%); Trueperella pyo-
genes (124), Salmonella Dublin (69), other Salmonella spe-
Ciara Hayes1, John F Mee2, Catherine McAloon3, Bryan Markey3, cies (6), Bacillus licheniformis (31), Listeria monocytogenes
Miriam Casey3, Elisabeth Innes4, Cosme Sanchez1. (42) and Aspergillus species (9). All Brucella abortus cultures
1
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Cork, Republic of were negative.
Ireland; 2Teagasc, Animal Bioscience Research Department, Fermoy, Of the 186 placentae cultured, primary pathogens were de-
Republic of Ireland; 3University College Dublin, Dublin, Republic of tected in 55 (29.6%); Salmonella Dublin (22), Bacillus licheni-
Ireland; 4Moredun Research Institute, Penicuik, United Kingdom. formis (21), Trueperella pyogenes (12), Listeria monocyto-
genes (4) and Aspergillus species (2). Two primary pathogens
were cultured from the same placental sample in six cases.
Objectives: The overall study objective was to establish
the national prevalence of infectious abortifacients, including Various other bacterial and fungal species were isolated
Coxiella burnettii, Chlamydia abortus and Mycoplasma bovis, from cultures of placenta and foetal stomach content, thought
in bovine foetal material submitted to the Irish Veterinary Lab- to have a secondary role (i.e. opportunistic pathogens, capa-
oratories Service (VLS) during the main (winter-spring) calving ble of foetal or placental infection only under certain pre-ex-
isting conditions) in the pathogenesis of bovine abortion and
season 2020/2021. This abstract describes the sample set,
stillbirth.
available data and the results of routine foetal and placental
cultures. Conclusions: These results indicate that approximately
25-30% of bovine foetal mortality in this national cattle pop-
Materials and Methods: Sampling of bovine foetal ma-
ulation could be attributed to primary (mainly bacterial) abor-
terial (abortions and stillbirths +/- placentae) was carried out
tifacients detectable using routine culture methods. This rais-
between October 2020 and May 2021 at the six Regional Vet-
es the question as to the causes of the remaining cases, an
erinary Laboratories (RVLs) of the VLS. This sample collection
international diagnostic challenge. To address this challenge,
interval was chosen to span the period over which most abor-
the sample set collected in this study will be used to quantify
tions and stillbirths occur in Irish seasonal, grass-based dairy
the role of other, less commonly tested for, primary pathogens
and suckler herds.
such as Neospora caninum, Coxiella burnettii, Chlamydia
On voluntary submission of a bovine foetus to any of the abortus and Mycoplasma bovis.
six RVLs, relevant clinical history was taken from the herd
Keywords: Bovine abortion, abortifacient pathogens.
owner/keeper, including details of the herd, the foetus/es
and dam. Only foetuses with uninflated lungs were enrolled
in the study. Straight crown-rump length (sCRL) was mea-
sured. The foetus and placenta, if available, were examined
for gross abnormalities. A sample of foetal stomach content
and a swab of placenta were collected and immediately ID-55
plated on blood, Brucella and XLD agar. Blood and Brucella
Prevalence of major enteric pathogens in Turkish dairy
agar plates were incubated in 8% CO2 at 37°C. XLD agar
calves
was incubated in aerobically at 37°C. The sample was also
plated on Sabouraud’s agar if requested by the investigating Dogus Palavan Ozkan, Barlas Bozyegit, Suna Simsek.
research officer. Plates were examined daily for seven days.
MSD Animal Health, Istanbul, Turkey.
Up to 25ml of additional foetal stomach content, a pooled
sample of lung, liver and spleen and a sample of placenta
(if available) were also collected and frozen pending further Objective: The aim of the study was to measure the prev-
processing and testing. Lung, liver, midbrain and placenta alence of the most important causes of diarrhea: E. coli K99,
were fixed in formalin. After five days, the fixed tissues were Rotavirus, Coronavirus, Cryptosporidium spp. and Clostridium
cut and placed in cassettes. These were then stored in wax perfringens in dairy farms located in 5 geographic regions of
blocks until further processing. Turkey.
Data were extracted from the VLS Laboratory Information Materials and Methods: The study has been performed

245
between February 2015 and November 2017 in 24 dairy farms The spot tests were divided into one of three categories: (1) all
located in Aegean, Mediterranean, Southeastern Anatolia, animals tested negative for antibodies to BVDV; (2) more than
Central Anatolia and Marmara. 20% of the animals tested positive for antibodies to BVDV or
280 feces samples were collected from 1 to 45 days old (3) 20% or less of the animals tested positive for antibodies to
calves with diarrhea. Most of them had still suckling reflex and BVDV. The data and notes from the spot tests in the third cat-
watery to creamy feces. An on-farm diagnostic test was used egory were analysed to determine if there was a clear reason
to identify the 5 pathogens of interest in calves with diarrhea for low numbers (usually a single animal in a group of five)
(Rainbow Test Bio-K306, Bio-X Diagnostics, Belgium). testing positive for antibodies to BVDV. Retest results, herd
status for that year's calf crop and the subsequent calf crop
Results: At least one pathogen was identified in 244
were also assessed to determine the significance of these re-
calves from 280 diarrheic calves (87.15%). In 75 of the 244
sults.
positive samples, more than 1 pathogen were identified
(30.74%). In total 338 pathogens were identified in positive Results: 4290 of the spot tests were in category 1, 209
feces samples. The most prevalent pathogen was Crypto- were in category 2 and 229 were in category 3 (20% or less
sporidium with 154 cases (45.6%), then, 87 cases (25.7%) of the animals tested positive for antibodies to BVDV). After
of Rotavirus, 85 (25.1%) of C. perfringens, 10 (3.0%) of E. further data cleansing to remove inappropriate tests (those
coli, 2 (0,6%) of Coronavirus. In 94 (61%) of the 154 samples that were originally booked in as spot tests but in fact were
positive for Cryptosporidium no other pathogen was identified. tested for another reason), 216 spot tests in category 3 from
A Cryptosporidium positive mix-infected sample was mostly 192 Scottish herds were used for this study. 40% of these spot
positive for Rotavirus as well (n=35, 23%). Cryptosporidium tests were identified as having avoidable reasons i.e. use of
prevalence was highest in the Aegean region (84%), followed vaccination, maternally derived antibody or incorrect calf test-
by Mediterranean (71,8%) and Southeastern Anatolia (70%). ed. Following review of herd information, and in some cases
retesting, 56% of the herds were assigned a "negative" status
Conclusions: In this study Cryptosporidium spp. and Ro-
tavirus are the predominant agents causing neonatal diarrhea for the year and 44% a "not-negative" status. The subsequent
in the respective Turkish dairy herds. Effective control and calf crops from these herds were also tested, where applica-
prevention of Cryptosporidium spp. and Rotavirus should be ble, and following analysis of those results 80% had a "neg-
the major focus points in the herds to reduce the prevalence ative" status, 17% a "not-negative" status and 3% had been
of diarrhea. Vaccination of the pregnant cows with a neonatal declared as non-breeding herds. Animals persistently infected
calf diarrhea vaccine and proper colostrum administration may with BVDV were identified in three herds, despite apparent
help to reduce the prevalence of rotavirus. limited evidence of exposure to BVDV in the initial spot test.
Keywords: Calf scour, enteric pathogens, Turkey, preva- Conclusion: 5% of spot tests carried out in the study pe-
lence. riod identified 20% or less of the tested animals as positive
for antibodies to BVDV. 40% of these however had a clear,
avoidable explanation. The results of this study can therefore
be used to give clearer, evidence based guidance to minimise
mistakes and misleading results with the spot test. The signif-
icance of these results on the herd status in the current and
ID-56 subsequent calf crops can also inform future policy on whether
Scottish BVDV spot tests: Why do we get single animals the cut-point for determining herd status should be changed.
testing positive and what is their significance? Keywords: BVDV, eradication, testing, antibody.
Helen Carty1, George Caldow2, Rachel O'Connor3.

1
SRUC Veterinary Services, Ayr, United Kingdom; 2SRUC Veterinary
Services, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; 3SRUC, Ayr, United Kingdom.
ID-57
Objectives: Young stock spot tests are used to determine
Bovine abortions in southern Belgium : 10 years of results
if a herd has current evidence of exposure to bovine viral di-
arrhoea virus (BVDV). Serum samples from a representative Delooz Laurent1, Gregoire Fabien1, Saulmont Marc1, Saegerman
proportion of young stock are tested for the presence of anti- Claude2.
bodies to BVDV. Within the Scottish eradication programme,
ARSIA, Ciney, Belgium; 2ULiege FMV UREAR, Liège, Belgium.
1
typically five animals per management group are tested. If
one animal in the group tests positive for antibodies to BVDV,
the herd is deemed to be "not-negative" for BVDV. Movement Since 10 years in Belgium, a national surveillance pro-
restrictions are placed on herds that are "not-negative" for gramme based on the compulsory reporting of abortions and
BVDV. This study aims to determine the reasons for and sig- subsequent analyses on their products reached several ob-
nificance of single antibody positive results in Scotland over a jectives including official surveillance of bovine brucellosis but
one year testing period. also the monitoring of other bovine abortive diseases.
Material & Methods: 4728 young stock spot tests from Some endemic, emerging or re-emerging pathogens could
Scottish herds were analysed for the presence of BVDV anti- be identified, including Brucella spp., Salmonella spp., Liste-
bodies by Scotland's Rural Colleges (SRUC) Veterinary Ser- ria monocytogenes, Campylobacter spp., Coxiella burnetii,
vices between 1st October 2017 and 30th September 2018. Leptospira spp., Mycotic agents, Bovine viral diarrhoea virus,

246
Bovine herpesvirus 4, Bluetongue virus serotype 8, Schmal- beef-sucker weanlings (209 days old [SD: 35.8] and 306 kg
lenberg virus, Neospora caninum. [SD: 26.3]) were purchased through auction marts, trans-
In the context of the Belgian passive surveillance pro- ported by road, and housed indoors for the duration of the
gramme for bovine brucellosis, 46.967 bovine abortion’s cas- study (Cuevas-Gómez et al., 2020). Weanlings were vacci-
es were collected from January 2010 to December 2019. They nated 24 h after arrival against Clostridia and against three
are originated from 6894 cattle farms distributed among the known BRD-associated viruses (BoHV1, BRSV, BPI3) and
five Walloon provinces. In around 90% of cases, the fetus, the one BRD-associated bacteria M. haemolytica. Sterile flocked
maternal serum and the placenta are collected and analyzed. swabs were inserted approximately 12 cm into the nasophar-
These samples allowed a wide range of analyzes and an au- ynx of each calf and gently rotated on the day of BRD diagno-
topsy of the fetuses in the large majority of cases. In order to sis. Thirty animals with BRD and 30 matched healthy control
maximize the etiological diagnosis rate, a standard and sys- animals were selected for virome sequencing. Viral nucleic
tematic analysis protocol has been implemented. acid (protected by nuclease-resistant capsids) was enriched
by bead-beating and nuclease treatment. DNA and RNA was
To determine the cause of abortion, it is necessary to iden-
extracted and purified using the Qiagen MinElute Virus Spin
tify an abortive pathogen or congenital lesions incompatible
kit. Double-stranded cDNA was generated then aliquoted and
with life. The etiologies of the abortions can be identified in ap-
stored at -80oC until required. One aliquot of double-strand-
proximately 30% of cases. In almost 20% of cases, an oppor-
ed cDNA was sent to a sequencing provider (CD genomics)
tunistic pathogen is identified. This means that in 50% of the
where quality of DNA was assessed by Qubit fluorometry and
cases, no cause of infectious abortion could be identified. In
agarose gel electrophoresis. Sequencing libraries were pre-
order to improve the detection of abortive pathogens in herds
pared using VAHTS Universal Plus DNA Library Prep Kit for
with outbreaks of abortions without diagnosed etiology using
conventional diagnostic methods (culture, PCR, etc.), the Illumina (Vazyme). Sequencing was performed on an Illumina
use of 16S RNA sequencing provides a definite advantage. NovaSeq PE150 (generating ~20 M read pairs or 6 Gb data).
Thanks to this new technology, several bacteria whose culture A second aliquot of ds cDNA was used to generate barcoded
is complex and for which systematic PCR analysis would be nanopore sequencing libraries using the Rapid PCR Barcod-
too costly have been highlighted. Over 400 fetuses have been ing Kit (SQK-RPB004; Oxford Nanopore), which were pooled
analyzed and bacteria such as Ureaplasma diversum have and sequenced on R9.4.1 flowcells on a MinION Mk1C. A
been diagnosed. positive control library and a negative PBS extraction control
library were included in all sequence runs for both sequencing
Standardizing the analysis protocol and improving it when platforms. Data analysis and interpretation were performed via
no cause can be identified makes it possible to obtain a high an in-house pipeline. A One Step TaqMan™ Fast Virus 1-Step
rate of etiological diagnosis. The results obtained on more
Master Mix RT-PCR Kit was used to quantify BCoV and BRAV
than forty thousand abortion’s cases are an important source
on day-BRD in unenriched samples. qPCR data were tested
of information for the epidemiology and the surveillance of an-
for normality using PROC UNIVARIATE of SAS (9.4), and an-
imal diseases in Belgium.
alysed using the PROC MIXED procedure.
Keywords: Abortion, Cattle, Belgium, Diagnosis.
Results: BRD naturally developed within the BRD cohort
as revealed by respiratory clinical scoring and thoracic ultraso-
nography (Cuevas-Gómez et al., 2020). The two sequencing
platforms had high concordance for detection of BRD-asso-
ciated virus species. The common BRD agents (BRSV,BPI3,
ID-58 BoHV1) were detected at low levels on both platforms and we
postulate this is a result of vaccination. Using qPCR to target
Metagenomic sequencing of the respiratory virome in two viruses (Cq cut-off point of ≤ 37), nasal swabs were posi-
beef-suckler weanlings diagnosed with bovine respiratory tive for BCoV (mean healthy Cq = 22.24 ±6.97 vs. mean BRD
disease Cq = 20.07 ±7.07) in all 30 health and all 30 sick animals.
Kerrie Ní Dhufaigh1, Matthew McCabe1, Paul Cormican2, Inmaculada Nasal swabs from 22 healthy and 23 BRD animals were pos-
Cuevas Gómez2, Mark McGee2, Tara McDaneld3, Bernadette Earley2. itive for BRAV (healthy Cq = 14.58 ±3.29 vs. BRD Cq = 10.5
±3.24). There was no difference (P > 0.05) in mean Cq values
1
Teagasc, Animal Bioscience Building, Grange, Republic of Ireland;
between healthy vs. BRD for BCoV.
2
Teagasc, Animal Bioscience Building, Dunsany, Republic of Ireland;
3
U.S Meat Animal Research Center, Clay center, NE, United States. Conclusion: A diverse and complex virome was found in
BRD and healthy beef-suckler weanlings on the day of BRD
clinical detection. Both Illumina and Oxford Nanopore se-
Objectives: Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a global quencing platforms are capable of characterising the metage-
cause of morbidity and mortality of cattle placed in feedlots, nomes found in BRD animals, whilst the latter offers potential
despite decades of development and application of vaccines application to pen-side diagnostics due to its portability and
and antimicrobials. The study objective was to compare untar- the ability to identify viruses from nasal swabs within 6-24
geted viral metagenomic sequencing (on the Oxford Nanopore hours. Two viruses were selected for RT qPCR based on high
Technologies MinION and Illumina NovaSeq) and targeted read abundance (BCoV and BRAV). However, statistical differ-
species specific qPCR for characterisation of the upper nasal ences in virus quantity or virus prevalence were not observed
virome in clinically-diagnosed BRD and healthy beef-suckler between nasal swabs from healthy and BRD. This suggests
weanlings on the day of BRD detection (day-BRD). that healthy animals were asymptomatic carriers of BCoV and
Materials and Methods: One hundred and fifty-three BRAV.

247
Keywords: Bovine respiratory disease, nanopore se- results for different swab types within individual cattle, nasal
quencing, Illumina NovaSeq, viral metagenomics. swabs and proctology swabs yielded comparable results to
deep-guarded nasopharyngeal swabs when identifying and
characterizing M. haemolytica by culture and qPCR, and when
characterizing the microbial community.
Keywords: Bovine respiratory disease, 16S rRNA gene
ID-59 sequencing, antimicrobial resistance, metagenomics, qPCR.
Comparison of sampling and diagnostic techniques for

recovery of Mannheimia haemolytica from feedlot cattle
William B. Crosby1, Lee J. Pinnell2, John T. Richeson3, Cory Wolfe2,
Jake Castle2, John Dustin Loy4, Sheyl P. Gow5, Keun Seok Seo6, Sarah ID-60
F. Capik7, Amelia R. Woolums1, Paul S. Morley2.
Evaluation using latent class models of the diagnostic
1
Missippi State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department performances of three ELISA tests commercialized for
of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, United States; 2Texas A&M the serological diagnosis of Coxiella burnetii infection in
University, Veterinary Education, Research, and Outreach (VERO) domestic ruminants
Program, United States; 3West Texas A&M University, Department of
Agricultural Sciences, United States; 4University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Thibaut Lurier1, Elodie Rousset2, Patrick Gasqui3, Carole Sala4,
Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center, United States; 5Western College Clément Claustre3, David Abrial3, Philippe Dufour2, Renée De
of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Crémoux5, Kristel Gache6, Marie Laure Delignette-Muller7, Florence
Canada; 6Missippi State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Ayral8, Elsa Jourdain3.
Department of Comparative Biological Sciences, United States; 7Texas 1
Université de Lyon, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA, Marcy l'étoile,
A&M AgriLife Research, Amarillo, United States. France; 2ANSES, Sophia Antipolis Laboratory, Animal Q fever Unit,
Sophia Antipolis, France; 3Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE,
Objective: Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is caused VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France; 4University
by interactions among the host, environment, and pathogens. of Lyon-ANSES Lyon, Epidemiology and Support to Surveillance Unit,
The current standard for antemortem pathogen identification French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health &
in cattle with BRD is deep-guarded nasopharyngeal swabbing, Safety (ANSES), Lyon, France; 5French Livestock Institute, Ruminant
which is challenging, costly, and waste generating. The study Health Management Joint Unit, Paris, France; 6GDS France (National
objective was to compare recovery of Mannheimia haemolyt- Animal Health Farmers’ Organization), Paris, France; 7Université de
ica via culture and real time-qPCR, and to characterize mi- Lyon, Université Lyon 1, VetAgro Sup, CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire
crobial community structure by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Villeurbanne, France; 8Université
using 75-cm deep-guarded nasopharyngeal swabs (DG), 41- de Lyon, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, Usc 1233 UR RS2GP, Marcy l'étoile,
cm unguarded proctology swabs (PS), or 15-cm unguarded France.
nasal swabs (NS).
Materials and Methods: Samples were collected from Q fever is a worldwide zoonotic disease mainly responsi-
beef steers and bulls (n=120, mean weight=262.2 ± 12.5 kg) ble for reproductive disorders such as abortion in domestic ru-
14 days after arrival at a feedlot after purchase from an auc- minants. ELISA methods are the diagnostic tools recommend-
tion market. One nostril was sampled with each swab type for ed for the serological diagnosis of Coxiella burnetii infection
bacterial culture, identification, and antimicrobial susceptibility in ruminants but their respective diagnostic performances are
testing by broth microdilution. The other nostril was sampled difficult to assess because of the absence of a gold standard.
for DNA extraction for 16S rRNA gene sequencing and qPCR Objectives: This study focused on three commercial ELI-
for the M. haemolytica leukotoxin D gene (lktD). SA tests with the following objectives (1) assess their sensi-
Results: There was high concordance among swab types tivity and specificity in sheep, goats and cattle, (2) assess the
for M. haemolytica culture and qPCR (complete concordance between- and within-herd seroprevalence distribution in these
for 77% and 81% of animals across all 3 swab types for culture species, accounting for diagnostic errors, and (3) estimate
and qPCR, respectively). Microbial communities were highly optimal sample sizes considering sensitivity and specificity at
similar among samples collected with different swabs types, herd level.
and differences identified relative to treatment for BRD were Materials and methods: We comparatively tested 1,413
also similar; however, sampling with NS was less effective in cattle, 1,474 goat and 1,432 sheep serum samples collected
characterizing changes within less abundant phyla than sam- in France. We analyzed the cross-classified test results with
pling with DG or PS. Positive qPCR results for M. haemolyt- a hierarchical zero-inflated beta-binomial latent class model
ica were highly concordant across swab types (81% agreed considering each herd as a population and conditional depen-
completely), but samples collected by DG had higher Ct val- dence as a fixed effect. Potential biases and coverage proba-
ues (Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance on ranks, P < 0.05; bilities of the model were assessed by simulation.
Dunn-test for pairwise comparison with Benjamini-Hochberg Results: Conditional dependence for truly seropositive
correction, P < 0.05) and lower frequency of positive com- animals was high in all species for two of the three ELISA
pared to NS and PS (McNemar’s Chi-square test, P <0.05). methods. Specificity estimates were high, ranging from 94.8%
Conclusions: Though slight differences existed among [92.1;97.8] to 99.2% [98.5;99.7], whereas sensitivity estimates

248
were generally low, ranging from 39.3 [30.7;47.0] to 90.5% On one farm (farm 2) blood and nasal swab samples were
[83.3;93.8]. Between- and within-herd seroprevalence es- obtained from a random sample of asymptomatic sheep and
timates varied greatly among geographic areas and herds. also subject to qPCR for OvHV-2 to determine the likelihood of
Overall, goats showed higher within-herd seroprevalence lev- the sheep being the source of the infection.
els than sheep and cattle. The optimal sample size maximizing Treatments of live clinical cases were empirical and includ-
both herd sensitivity and herd specificity varied from 3 to at ed antibiotics and steroids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
least 20 animals depending on the test and ruminant species. drugs (NSAIDs).
Conclusion: This study provides better interpretation of Results:
three widely used commercial ELISA tests and will make it
Farm 1
possible to optimize their implementation in future studies.
A group of 30 non-lactating dairy cattle were relocated to
Keywords: Q fever, Bayesian, diagnostic accuracy, herd
a field adjacent to a group of grazing store lambs. Commenc-
sensitivity, conditional dependence.
ing within 24 hours, and over a 12-day period, three animals
demonstrated acute clinical signs with OvHV-2 detected in
two. Two of the three animals affected died with one making
a gradual recovery with virus still detectable one month later.
Additionally, OvHV-2 was also detected in one asymptomatic
ID-61 animal from the same group.
Sheep associated malignant catarrhal fever (SA-MCF): a Farm 2
series of cases on three farms in the UK A group of 14 store crossbred heifers were housed in
an open sided shed directly opposite a group of 50 lambing
Joseph Angell , Eleanor Bentley , Hayley Crosby-Durrani , Rachel
1 2 2
Welsh mule ewes housed in a similar open sided shed, 5m
Hall1, James Stewart2.
away. A single heifer became unwell. Clinical signs included:
1
Wern Vets CYF, Ruthin, United Kingdom; 2The University of Liverpool, reduced appetite, pyrexia, corneal oedema, nasal discharge,
Liverpool, United Kingdom. a generalised fine motor tremor, hindlimb ataxia and signs of
colic. Despite treatment, she deteriorated rapidly resulting in
generalised seizures, whereupon she was euthanised.
Introduction and background: Malignant catarrhal fever
(MCF) is caused by herpes viruses of the Macavirus genus An immediate on-farm postmortem was carried out with a
and disease is observed worldwide. In the UK, the sheep as- focal, extensive, ulcerative haemorrhagic and catarrhal rhinitis
sociated form of the disease (SA-MCF) caused by ovine her- observed in addition to the pathology already observed. Vary-
pes virus-2 (OvHV-2) appears most commonly affecting many ing degrees of lymphoproliferative/nonsuppurative vasculitis
species including cattle. Clinical signs vary but are associ- were observed in multiple organs.
ated with a variably distributed systemic lymphoproliferative OvHV-2 was detected in the clinical case, three of the in
non-suppurative vasculitis and commonly include scleral con- contact asymptomatic cattle, 7/10 blood samples from the
gestion, keratitis and corneal oedema (which is often consid- sheep and 10/10 nasal swab samples from the sheep.
ered pathognomonic) together with pyrexia, depression and Farm 3
anorexia resulting in a loss of condition.
A single bulling Stabiliser heifer was observed to be unwell
The aim of this project was to study naturally occurring with no immediate contact with sheep. She developed clinical
clinical outbreaks in the UK in order to better inform farmers signs including: increased lacrimation, conjunctivitis, corneal
and veterinarians. oedema, cough, nasal discharge, ulcerated muzzle, pyrexia,
Objectives: and a hyperkeratotic dermatitis. She gradually deteriorated
Objective 1: document the natural history of SA-MCF in despite treatment and was euthanised 50 days later. An im-
naturally occurring outbreaks. mediate on-farm postmortem revealed multiple pathologies
throughout the carcass with a lymphoplasmacytic vasculitis
Objective 2: where possible identify sources of infection
observed in several organs.
that could be addressed through specific and tailored on-farm
advice. Conclusions: A detailed clinical history, clinical examina-
tion, together with virus detection and postmortem examina-
Materials and Methods: Three farms were identified
tion are useful for diagnosing SA-MCF on cattle farms.
through a single veterinary practice in Wales, UK.
A clear link to a specific reservoir host may help clinicians
Clinical examinations of clinical cases were made, togeth-
implement appropriate mitigation of further infections by mov-
er with post-mortem examinations where possible. The pres-
ing the cattle as far away from the reservoir host as soon as
ence of OvHV-2 was identified by qPCR on blood and tissue
possible.
samples. A diagnosis of SA-MCF was made on the basis of
clinical signs together with virus detection, and, where possi- Recovery from MCF in cattle is possible, but rare, and may
ble, histopathology carried out by a board-certified veterinary be related to the amount of virus challenge.
pathologist demonstrating a lymphoproliferative vasculitis. Subclinical infection in cattle is possible and may result in
On two farms (1 and 2) blood samples were obtained from latently infected cattle.
asymptomatic in-contact cattle and subject to qPCR for OvHV- Keywords: Malignant catarrhal fever, MCF, sheep, cattle,
2 to determine the presence of asymptomatic cases. herpes virus.

249
ID-63 stage, each animal was at least once positive for Mycoplasma
bovis antibodies with variable titers. This could mean that the
A parainfluenza 3 virus outbreak on a Dutch Veal Farm passive protection at arrival was very low and that animals get
Henk Kuijk1, Herman Kleinjan2, Ruben Tolboom1, Geert Vertenten1. infected with Mycoplasma bovis over time gradually.
A surprising event at this well managed farm without major
MSD Animal Health, Boxmeer, Netherlands; 2Dierenkliniek Den
1
BRD problems was a BRD outbreak at week 21 after arriv-
Ham, Den Ham, Netherlands.
al. The animals were treated for 5 days with chlortetracycline.
This outbreak was clearly reflected in the analyzed samples,
Objectives: Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is a mul- as titers for PI3 antibodies increased exponentially at week 24
tifactorial disease that can affect cattle of all ages but is pre- compared to week 20. This confirms PI3 infection as etiology
dominantly seen in young cattle. Affected animals are high- for a BRD outbreak.
ly infectious and shed large quantities of virus and bacteria Although on this farm BRD complications and potential
through nasal discharge. The BRD pathogens are endemic in losses due to the PI3 outbreak could be avoided by antibiotic
the Dutch cattle population. Calves may have serological an- treatment, the serological analyses convinced the veterinary
tibodies in the absence of clinical disease. These antibodies practitioner and farmer about the important role of PI3 in the
may come from passive protection (e.g. colostrum) or as an BRD complex.
active response to field infection or vaccination. A serological
Conclusion: Serological analyses for BRD pathogens on
screening of healthy animals for several BRD antibodies, may
veal farms are essential to understand the infectious pressure
give more clarity on the importance of these pathogens, as
and design an appropriate BRD management program in-
well as an indication to which level antibodies may have an
cluding vaccination. Vaccination against PI3 virus could have
influence on primovaccination. The latter may help to develop
reduced the complications and potential losses of a BRD out-
an adapted vaccination schedule against respiratory disease.
break and improved the wellbeing of the animals on this farm.
In this field study, antibody titers against the BRD patho-
Keywords: Bovine Respiratory Disease, Parainfluenza 3,
gens Parainfluenza 3 virus (PI3), Bovine Respiratory Syncy-
veal, Netherlands.
tial Virus (BRSV), Mannheimia haemolytica and Mycoplasma
bovis were determined in healthy calves on a Dutch rosé veal
farm without major BRD problems. No vaccinations against
BRD pathogens were performed on farm. The objective of the
study was to determine major infectious risk factors for BRD.
Materials and Methods: Eleven randomly selected calves ID-64
were blood sampled every 4 weeks from arrival (February 19th, Effects of vaccination programs on Map faecal shedding
2019) until week 24 after arrival (August 30th 2019). The elev- and serological response in eight French dairy herds
en sampled calves were situated in a group of 220 animals.
This group changed housing once in week 9 after arrival and Corbiere Fabien1, Cournet Julie2, Tasca Christian1, Dubaux Emma3,
was always separately housed from other groups on the farm. Foures Laurent3, Foucras Gilles2.
The group received 3 times an antibiotic treatment for 5 days 1
UMR INRAa-ENVT IHAP, Toulouse, France; 2UMR INRAe-ENVT
starting from February 21st, March 4th and March 19th with re- IHAP, Toulouse, France; 3GDS Meuse, Verdun, France.
spectively doxycycline, tilmicosin and doxycycline. All animals
were monitored by the farmer and veterinarian as usual on this
commercial veal farm. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to eval-
All the collected samples were analysed at the Centre uate the effects of Silirum® based vaccination programs on
for Diagnostic Solutions (MSD Animal Health, Boxmeer, The Map faecal shedding and serological status in French dairy
Netherlands) by ELISA for antibodies against Mannheimia herds infected with paratuberculosis. We also intended to
haemolytica, BRSV, PI3 and Mycoplasma bovis. An in-house evaluate the effect of age at vaccination on faecal shedding
test was used to measure Mannheimia haemolytica and BRSV and serological status.
antibodies, whereas for PI3 and Mycoplasma bovis a commer- Materials and methods: The serological status (ELISA)
ical kit was used from respectively IDEXX and Bio-X. and faecal shedding (qPCR) of 4- to 5-year-old vaccinated
Results: Antibodies against all 4 pathogens were present cows (n=237) were assessed every six months over a two-
in the selected samples. All the samples (each calf and each year period in 8 infected herds in the Meuse department,
time point) were positive for Mannheimia haemolytica antibod- France. Within each herd, cows from the last non-vaccinated
ies. The average titers for Mannheimia haemolytica increased birth cohort (n= 249) were used as controls using the same
over time to very high levels at week 20. Most of the samples sampling scheme. The probability of Map faecal shedding and
(91%) were positive for PI3 antibodies. The average titers de- the level of Map shed were modelled using mixed general
creased gradually over time which may reflect the reduction linear regression models with herd and cow random effects,
of colostral antibodies over time. The majority of samples adjusting for age at sampling, days in milk within the lactation
(97%) were positive for BRSV antibodies, however most of and vaccination status. The effect of age at vaccination was
the BRSV titers (80%) were very low. The average titers also similarly investigated in the subset of vaccinated cows.
gradually decreased which clearly reflected the reduction of Results: In vaccinated cows the median age at vacci-
colostral antibodies over time. Only 1 animal was positive for nation was 5.7 months (interquartile range: 3.3-7.9 months).
Mycoplasma bovis antibodies at arrival. However, at a later Only 36.3% of the vaccinated cows were positive on serum

250
ELISA, with cows vaccinated before the age of 6 months yield- control. Dairy UK (milk processor representative body) helped
ing significantly fewer positive results. Overall, 42.6% of vac- encourage milk processor to commit resources to help fund
cinated and 28.11% of non-vaccinated cows were positive on farmer education. A trained group of vets delivered extensive
faecal qPCR, with strong differences between herds. Howev- training across the UK ( > 300 farmer meetings) and further
er, only 5.2% of non-vaccinated and 6.7% of vaccinated cows farmer awareness was created through provision of training
shed more than 100 Map per gram of faeces. The probabil- resources for private veterinarians to use in their own practic-
ity of Map shedding (p=0.772) and the amount of Map shed es. The model was based on the RESET model ( Rule, Edu-
(p=0.955) were not significantly different between seropositive cation, Social Norms, Economics and Tools) with the greatest
and seronegative vaccinated cows and no effect of age at emphasis on Education, Economics and Social Norms in the
vaccination could be evidenced. Compared to non-vaccinated early years.
seropositive cows, vaccinated cows were at lower risk to shed Milk processors and retailers define the priorities for UK
Map in the faeces (Odd’s Ratio = 0.40, 95 % confidence inter- Dairy farmers as part of their contractual arrangements. A co-
val: 0.13 – 0.89, p=0.0234) and in lower amount (p<10-5). No hesive national plan (NJMP) for Johne's Disease (JD) control
difference was however evidenced between vaccinated cows was developed in 2015 which with the objective of JD reduc-
and non-vaccinated seronegative ones, neither regarding tion in the UK. Processors encouraged their farmers to comply
the shedding probability (p=0.103) nor the shedding amount with the planning process.
(p=0.410).
The flexible framework for JD control was established
Conclusion: Based on these preliminary results, we con- allowing farmers to choose one of 6 potential control strate-
clude that the beneficial effects of vaccination on Map faecal gies using advice from an accredited JD vet. Less than 10%
shedding may be limited in the investigated herds. Moreover, could adopt a strict biosecurity and monitor strategy. The most
the variability of serum ELISA response in vaccinated cows common strategies included improved farm management and
remains to be investigated. testing. Firebreak vaccination is not commonly adopted due
Keywords: Paratuberculosis, vaccination, Map Shedding, to complications with JD surveillance and Bovine TB testing.
serology.
Fig.1. Summary of chosen JD control strategies in 2019

Strategy %
Biosecurity Protect and Monitor 9.3
ID-65 Improved Farm Management 4.0
How the United Kingdom created a commercially driven Improved Farm Management and Strategic Testing 50.0
National Johne's Management Plan with 95% dairy farmer Improved Farm Management with Test and Cull 29.0
participation in 10 years Breed to Terminal Sire 7.4
Pete Orpin1, Richard Sibley2. Firebreak Vaccination 0.3
Myhealthyherd, Hallaton, United Kingdom; Westridge Veterinary
1 2
Group, Witheridge, United Kingdom. The success has been achieved through focusing on cre-
ating practical JD plans that match the need of the farmer and
Objectives: In 2009 a National Johne's engagement plan create commercial consultancy opportunities for the private
vet.
was developed with the support of milk processors, laborato-
ries, database providers, farming and veterinary groups. The The funding of the program has been minimal and has uti-
initial objectives were to create an inclusive Johne's manage- lised stakeholder resources and commercial drivers for suc-
ment plan which would be widely adopted by all dairy farm- cess. The farmer pays for all advice provided.
ers in the UK. Farmers would have to be fully engaged for a Results: 22 milk processors with an estimated 80% of
minimum of 10 years to achieve effective control. To achieve GB milk volume engaged with NJMP. By October 2018, 6084
this objective the Rules of the program would develop over farmers were compliant with the NJMP. Declared strategies
time and by driven by industry and farmer demand. Creating from 2923 farmers were improved farm management (IFM)
common messages and managing peoples' beliefs, prior con- and strategic testing (50%), IFM and test and cull (28%), bios-
ceptions and increasing the importance of control were ma- ecurity protect and monitor (10%), breed to terminal sire (7%)
jor focus points. The plan would be fully commercial with the IFM alone (5%) and vaccination (0.3%). Data on strategies
farmer paying for advice and tests. Processors and vets would was not collated from 3161 farmers as two larger processors
encourage participation. used their own software to collate participation.
By December 2020 it is anticipated that 95% of the UK Over 1100 vets have been accredited to deliver the JD plan
Dairy Farmers will have completed a risk assessment, surveil- through an online training portal provided by the British Cattle
lance and have installed a JD control plan utilising an accred- Veterinary Association.
ited vet. In October 2019 the NJMP became a national farm as-
Materials and Methods: The UK National Johne's Man- surance standard for all dairy farms supplying farm assured
agement Program evolved over a 10 year period. The initial milk. All farms will have to undertake a risk assessment, have
first 5 years centred on synchronous education of farmers, a compliant control plan and undertaken surveillance to track
vets and wider industry on the importance and benefits of progress using the skills of an Accredited Johne's Veterinari-

251
an. 95% of UK dairy farmers will be compliant with the NJMP expressed in the same number of teats in both groups, how-
by 2020. ever, on W8, the number of teats expressing Delta and Xi de-
Conclusion: Milk processor and Retailer influence creat- creased significantly compared with that of controls. These re-
ed drivers for engagement. The development of a practical, sults indicate that administration of CDK 9 inhibitor RKP00156
flexible and commercial approach to JD control, which appeals ameliorated papilloma formation and reduced BPV expres-
to all, is central to the success of the NJMP. sion, suggesting that RKP00156 has a good potential to be
used as antiviral agent for papilloma treatment in cattle.
Keywords: Johne's, Paratuberculosis, MAP, Dairy.
Keywords: Papillomatosis, bovine papilloma virus, CDK9
inhibitor.
ID-66
Effects of a CDK9 inhibitor RKP00156 on bovine papilloma ID-67

Tomas J. Acosta , Hiroshi Onogi .
1 2
Seroprevalence of mycoplasma bovis in outbreaks of bovine
Obihiro University, Obihiro, Japan; 2KinoPharma Inc., Tokyo, Japan.
1 respiratory disease from 2015 to 2019
Tim Potter1, Carolyn Hogan2.
Bovine papilloma virus (BPV) induces diseases of consid- 1
Westpoint Farm Vets, Horsham, United Kingdom; 2Zoetis UK Ltd,
erable veterinary importance in cattle and other ruminants.
Leatherhead, United Kingdom.
BPV infects the skin from wounds such as puncture scratch-
es by bloodsucking insects. Papilloma grows as tumor at the
site of infection, papilloma located on the teats and udder skin Objectives: In the UK Veterinary Investigation Diagnosis
are often observed and it is associated with mastitis in dairy Analysis (VIDA) data there has been a steady increase in the
cows. Several genotypes of BPV was recently divided into percentage of diagnosable submissions being attributed to
three genera, Delta, Xi, and Epsilon. It is difficult to identify the Mycoplasma bovis. In the period from January 2006 to De-
virus type based on the gross characteristics of tumor located cember 2017 there were 1102 diagnoses of M.bovis associat-
on skin. In most cases, animals are co-infected by multiple ed with respiratory disease, mastitis and arthritis. Of these di-
genotypes. An efficient treatment method for papilloma has agnoses 86.4% were associated with respiratory disease. As
not been established. Recently, a cyclin-dependent kinase 9 part of a UK wide scheme to support investigation of bovine
(CDK9) inhibitor RKP00156 that inhibit host enzymes used by respiratory diease outbreaks serological testing of affected
the virus, was shown to be effective against a wide range of groups was undertaken to gain a understanding of the role of
viruses in vitro and cold be used as an antiviral drug. The pur- M.bovis in the disease outbreaks and raise awareness of it as
pose of this study was to examine the effect of RKP00156 on a respiratory pathogen.
papilloma and BPV expression in cattle. Materials & Methods: As part of a subsidised surveillance
Ten Holstein heifers (16 to 20 months), infected with pap- scheme, blood samples were submitted for serological test-
illoma virus were used in the present study. The left anteri- ing from outbreaks of bovine respiratory disease across the
or teat of each animal was assigned to treatment group (T UK. The submitting veterinarian was able to choose from a
group) and the right anterior teat was used as control group (C screening panel of potential respiratory pathogens (Infectious
group). RKP00156 (3%) ointment was topically applied to the Bovine Rhinotrachietis, Bovine Respiratory Syncitial Virus,
teat (T group) and Vaseline ointment (vehicle) was applied to Parainfluenza-3, Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus and M.bovis).
C group once a day for 2 months. Before each application, pic- This abstract reports the findings from the samples screened
tures of each teat was taken to evaluate the changes in the tu- for M.bovis. Blood samples were analysed for M.bovis anti-
mor size and the fate of tumors at fourth week (W4) and eight bodies using a commercial ELISA kit.
week (W8) after the start of treatment (W0), tumors samples
Results: Over the course of 5 years a total of 14451 sam-
were also collected for PCR analysis after DNA extraction.
ples were tested from across the UK. Mycoplasma bovis se-
Genotype identification and virus expressions were evaluated
rology results are presented from samples submitted between
on W4 and W8 in tissue samples. The changes in size and
2015 and 2019 and summarised in table 1.
fate of papilloma was evaluated from the pictures, and the tu-
mors were classified in three categories (improved; decreased
in size or disappeared, no change; kept the same size, and Year Number of samples Percentage of samples positive
worse; increased in size or appeared during the experiment). tested for M.bovis
The differences in the size and fate of tumors between treat-
2015 2460 50%
ment and control groups were compared and analyzed by
Fisher's exact test. 2016 3354 51%
On W4, the improved rate of papilloma was higher and 2017 3351 48%
the worse rate was lower in T group than in C group (P <0.1). 2018 2918 39%
Furthermore, on W8, the improved rate of T group further 2019 2368 41%
increased and the worse rate decreased. PCR analysis per-
Table 1: Percentage of samples testing positive for M.bovis by year
formed on W4 revealed that Delta and Xi types of BPV were

252
Conclusion: The results highlight the importance of M.bo- Conclusion: Viral transmission from a PI calf to the sheep
vis as a potential respiratory pathogen on UK farms. It is im- dam during pregnancy was considered the most likely route of
portant that farmers and veterinary surgeons are aware of the infection. This case demonstrates that sheep can be infected
impact of the disease and are able to identify it's clinical pre- with BVDV. Neurological signs and other health problems in
sentations rapidly. The management of M.bovis on farm can sheep could indicate a BVDV infection in both sheep and cat-
present significant challenges. For farms that are unaffected tle when reared in close contact.
the emphasis should be on preventing introduction through Note: for a presentation supporting information is available:
good biosecurity and stringent controls on purchasing stock.
1. A figure of the pylogenetic tree of the E1/E2 region
For herds where mycoplasma is already present steps should
of the type 1b BVDV viruses derived from both lambs
be taken to minimise spread and reduce the impact of the
and the calf with reference strains (GenBank refer-
disease. The absence of accurate prevalence figures makes
ence).
economic analysis difficult, although it is clear that the costs
of mycoplasma disease include reduced production, drugs 2. A video of the 1-day old lambs with BVDV type 1b
and labour for treatment, death and culling losses as well as showing neurological signs.
the financial impacts of implementation of diagnostic and con- Keywords: Bovine viral diarrhoea virus, BVDV, dairy cat-
trol measures. Because M.bovis‐associated disease tends to tle, sheep.
be chronic, costs per case are typically high relative to other
pathogens. In addition to the financial costs, M.bovis can con-
tribute significantly to antimicrobial usage on farm.
Keywords: Mycoplasma, Pneumonia, BRD, Calves, Se-
rology. ID-69
Evaluating factors affecting recovery of Mannheimia

haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida
Adriana Marcela Garzon, Alejandro Hoyos Jaramillo, Stephanie
ID-68 Hustad, Barbara A. Byrne, Heather M. Fritz, Richard Pereira.
Neurological signs in lambs as indication for BVDV University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States.
circulation in a cattle young stock rearing herd
Betsie Krattley1, Tine Van Werven2, Mirjam Nielen2, Frank Van Der Microbiological diagnosis is an important step in controlling
Meer3. and preventing bovine respiratory disease (BRD). Moreover,
adequate transport storage type, elapsed time, and storage
1
ULP Harmelen, Harmelen, Netherlands; 2Department Population temperature before laboratory submission are critical for opti-
Health Sciences, Farm Animal Health, Utrecht University, Utrecht, mal results. The objective was to evaluate the effect of trans-
Netherlands; 3Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ecosystem and Public port storage media, time, and storage temperature on Mann-
Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada. heimia haemolytica (MH) and Pasteurella multocida (PM) yield
using an in-vitro model simulation. Semi-quantitative (quad-
Objectives: Twin lambs, born on a farm where young rant method) and quantitative culture methods using colony
stock and sheep were raised together in the same barn, pre- forming units per ml (CFU/ml) were used to recover MH or PM
using an in-vitro model with swabs. In both approaches, sam-
sented with neurological signs. The clinical signs resembled
ples were grown in 5% sheep blood agar plates. In each trial,
a border disease virus (BDV) infection without the previously
a sterile PBS solution was inoculated with MH or PM, achiev-
described coat abnormalities. As BDV could not be ruled out,
ing 0.5 McFarland using OD600 between 0.08-0.1. A total of 58
samples were sent for diagnostic testing and subsequent se-
sterile cotton swabs were inoculated in a culture solution with
quence comparison to identify potential infection with sheep or
MH or PM and placed in either: 1) sterile falcon tube (DRY);
cattle pestiviruses.
2) Aimes culture media with charcoal (ACM); or 3) Cary-Blair
Materials and methods: Both lambs were sampled and transport Agar (CBA). Swabs were evaluated for recovery of
screened for bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) using an MH or PM at three temperatures: 4, 23, and 36°C; and as-
antigen ELISA. Also the young stock rearing herd, consist- sessed at four-time points 0 (baseline), 8, 24, and 48 hrs. A
ing of 2 adult cows, 26 heifers and 18 calves, were tested for multivariate mixed model was fitted to analyze the data using
both BVDV antibody and antigen using an ELISA. One PI calf lme4 and lmerTest packages of R. When normality was not
was identified. The serum samples of both lambs and the PI rejected, the dependent variable was the CFU/ml. The inde-
calf were subsequently subjected to a 5'UTR RT-PCR. The pendent variables were storage media (DRY, ACM, and CBA),
PCR products were cloned in a pGEM-T easy vector and se- time points (8, 24, and 48 hrs), and the interaction between
quenced. storage media and time points. Each swab was considered as
Results: The 5′UTR polymerase chain reaction (PCR) an independent measure. When the normality was rejected,
confirmed that both lambs and one calf were infected with a the non-parametric Dunn all pairs approach was used to com-
BVDV 1b strain. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that all BVDV pare CFU/ml between storage media, with one model created
(bovine and ovine derived) were type 1b. Additional analysis for each temperature and time point combination. The CFU/
of the E2 and NS5b regions of the genome revealed a ∼100% ml recovery of PM on samples stored at 4◦C was lower for
sequence identity for 5′UTR, E2, and NS5b. ACM when compared to DRY at 8 hrs (P = 0.05) but higher

253
at 48 hrs (P < 0.01). For samples stored at 23◦C, ACM had a

higher CFU/ml recovery than DRY at 24 hrs (P < 0.01), and
at 48 hrs, ACM and CBA were higher than DRY (P < 0.01). At
all-time points, samples stored at 36◦C had a higher CFU/ml
recovery in ACM and CBA than DRY (P = 0.02). The CFU/ml
recovery of MH on samples stored at 4◦C was higher for ACM
and CBA than DRY at time points 24 (P < 0.01) and 48 (P <
0.01). Samples stored at 36◦C had a higher CFU/ml recovery
for ACM and CBA than DRY at time point 24 (P < 0.01). These
results support the value of ACM and CBA for the recovery of
PM and MH isolates, especially if samples were not refrigerat-
ed properly. Also, the combination of longer elapsed time and
higher temperatures can impair diagnostic accuracy.
Keywords: Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multoci-
da, transport media, bovine respiratory disease.

254
ORAL — Internal Medicine and Toxicology
IM-01 tration and bacterial air load, resulted in four different barn
climate clusters. Cluster 1 was characterised by a warm and
Association of barn air quality parameters and lung dry climate with ammonia accumulation (n = 19). Cluster 2
consolidation, airway inflammation and infection in represented under-ventilated barns with accumulation of air
group-housed calves pollutants (NH3, CO2) and high bacterial air load (n = 8). Clus-
Katharina Van Leenen1, Jonathan Jouret2, Peter Demeyer3, Laura Van ter 3 was labelled as a presumably normal climate based on
Driessche1, Lieze De Cremer1, Christina Masmeijer1, Filip Boyen1, low concentrations of air pollutants and average temperature
Piet Deprez1, Bart Pardon1. and relative humidity values, combined with low air velocity (n
= 25). Cluster 4 was labelled as the draught cluster, character-
1
Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium; 2Belgian Center for ised by high air velocity (n = 3). In cluster 4, the draught clus-
Occupational Hygiene, Zwijnaarde, Belgium; 3Flanders Research ter, the prevalence of lung consolidations ≥1 cm was higher
Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Merelbeke, Belgium. (81.8%; P < 0.001) compared to the presumably normal clus-
ter (31.6%). Also, in the warm, dry and ammonia accumula-
Respiratory disease remains an important cause of mor- tion cluster the prevalence of these consolidations was higher
bidity and mortality in calves and is associated with substan- (54.2%; P = 0.02) compared to the normal cluster. Further-
more, in the warm, dry and ammonia cluster the prevalence of
tial antimicrobial consumption. Reduction of antimicrobial use
consolidations ≥3 cm (38.1%; P = 0.04) and ≥6 cm (31.4%; P =
is demanded to fight increasing antimicrobial resistance. This
0.01) were higher compared to the presumably normal climate
reduction can be achieved by improved diagnostics, prudent
cluster (18.2% and 9.1%, respectively).
antimicrobial use and disease prevention. Assuring a healthy
environment with adequate air quality in calf barns is a preven- Average and maximum temperature, ammonia concentra-
tive measure of major importance. However, which air quality tion and air velocity are associated with pneumonia in group-
parameters are exactly associated with (sub)clinical pneumo- housed calves and therefore seem to be the most valuable
nia or airway inflammation in calves is basically unknown. parameters to measure when evaluating barn climate. Cluster
analysis using different parameters can aid in identification of
A cross-sectional study was performed to explore the as-
calf barns with sufficient air quality and further improve our
sociations of air quality parameters with lung consolidation,
understanding of calf barn climatic conditions.
pulmonary inflammation and infection in group-housed calves.
Sixty beef and dairy herds were visited from January – April Keywords: Temperature, ammonia, air velocity, thoracic
2017 and a total of 428 indoor group-housed calves was sam- ultrasonography, broncho-alveolar lavage fluid.
pled. To assess barn air quality the following measurements
were performed at calf breathing level: continuous 24-hour
measurements of ammonia concentration, relative humidity
and temperature and punctual measurements of air velocity,
ammonia and CO2. Clinical examination, thoracic ultrasound IM-02
and broncho-alveolar lavage for bacteriological and cytologi-
cal analysis of broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALf) was per- Does Hemorrhagic Bowel Syndrome start with small
formed. Data was analysed using multivariable mixed models mucosal erosions ?
and cluster analysis. Bert De Jonge1, Bart Pardon1, Filip Van Immerseel1, Evy Goossens1,
Barn temperatures showed the expected diurnal varia- Nick Vereecke2, Mathilde Pas1, Jozefien Callens3, Koen Chiers1.
tion with an average of 14.2°C (standard deviation (SD) 4.4, 1
Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium; 2PathoSense BV, Lier, Belgium;
range 5.5 – 23.9). Average relative humidity was 68.8% (SD 3
Animal Health Service Flanders, Torhout, Belgium.
8.9, range 52.2 – 91.6). Ammonia concentrations were low
with an average 24-hour concentration of 1.7 ppm (SD 0.9,
range 0 – 4.0). Air velocity was variable, ranging from 0 – 2.0 Objectives: To describe gross and histological lesions, as
m/s. This parameter was analysed as binary variable based well as intestinal microbiome in cases of Hemorrhagic Bowel
on the optimal maximum air velocity cut-off value to detect a Syndrome (HBS).
lung consolidation of ≥1 cm in depth, which was 0.8 m/s. Lung Materials & Methods: In this descriptive study, 18 cows
consolidations of ≥1 cm, ≥3 cm and ≥6 cm in depth were pres- with HBS (7 necropsied immediately following euthanasia, 11
ent in 41.1% (176/428), 27.1% (116/428) and 16.1% (69/428) post mortem interval >12h) were grossly and histopatholog-
of the calves, respectively. Lung consolidations of all depths ically examined post-mortem. In addition, bacteriological ex-
were positively associated with mean or maximum tempera- amination and whole metagenome nanopore sequencing of
ture. Ammonia exposure, in hours ≥4 ppm, was associated intestinal samples of affected and unaffected intestine was
with lung consolidation ≥1 cm (odds ratio (OR) = 1.73; con- performed.
fidence interval (CI) = 1.02 – 3.07; P = 0.04). The epithelial Results: Hemorrhagic Bowel Syndrome was characterized
cell percentage in BALf was also positively associated with by a small intestinal, intramucosal hematoma with dissection
ammonia concentration (P = 0.01). The odds of lung consol- of the lamina muscularis mucosa (LMM), in all animals where
idation ≥3 cm (OR = 7.7; CI = 1.35 – 41.7; P = 0.02) and ≥6 histological determination was possible (10/18). In 57.1%
cm (OR = 25.0; CI = 2.5 – 33.3; P = 0.007) increased with air (4/7) of the fresh cases, the small intestinal mucosa proximal
velocity >0.8 m/s. to the hematoma, showed 9-14 multifocal solitary or clustered
Cluster analysis, based on average pen temperature and small mucosal lacerations or erosions measuring 4-45mm. In
relative humidity, maximal air velocity, NH3 and CO2 concen- 73% (37/48) of these mucosal lesions, microscopic splitting of

255
the LMM comparable to the hematoma was present. Intesti- decision tree was constructed to establish the cut off-values
nal blood loss was more severe in animals with spontaneous for cluster assigning of future observations.
death compared to euthanized animals (p = 0.038). Bacterio- Results: The ideal number of clusters was four, based on
logical cultivation and nanopore sequencing showed a polymi- the different validation methods and visual evaluation. In three
crobial population at the hematoma and unaffected intestine, clusters one or two cell types were more prominent relative to
with mostly mild presence of Clostridium perfringens. There the others clusters. As such, a neutrophilic (n=114), eosino-
was no infiltrative growth of fungi within the intestinal tissue. philic (n=9) and a lymphocytic-basophilic (n=31) cluster were
Conclusions: HBS is characterized by an intramucosal identified. One cluster did not show any prominent change
hematoma which likely originates form small mucosal lesions in cluster centers and was identified as normal (n=185). The
through dissecting hemorrhage within the LMM. Fulminant in- mean and the calculated 95% interval reference values for
testinal blood loss is an important factor in the acute and lethal the normal cluster were the following: 52.2% (22.7% – 84.3%)
clinical course of this disease. Gross and microscopic pathol- macrophages, 21.9% (1.4%-41.3%) neutrophils, 6.1% (0.3%-
ogy, as well as the culture and sequencing results, were not 18.8%) lymphocytes, 0.2% (0.0%-1.5%) eosinophils, 0.0%
in support of involvement of bacterial or fungal agents in the (0.0%-0.0%) basophils, and 19.6% (1.0%-59.0%) epithelial
pathogenesis of HBS. cells. A classification and regression decision tree model used
Keywords: Jejunal hemorrhage syndrome, hematoma, the percentage of neutrophils, basophils and eosinophils as
intestinal, lamina muscularis mucosae, nanopore sequencing. main predictors of cluster type for future observations and pro-
vided an accuracy of 98.2%. The first cut off value used by this
model was 42.0% neutrophils. If the percentage of neutrophils
was lower than 42.0% a cut off value of 0.1% basophils and
1.9% eosinophils was employed. When neutrophil count was
equal or above 42%, cut off values were 0.2% and 1.2%, re-
IM-03
spectively.
Differentiating airway inflammation in calves by means of Conclusion: Unsupervised clustering provided a useful
cytological profiles of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid distinction of different inflammatory profiles. The main clusters
were neutrophilic and normal clusters. Also, a smaller lympho-
Justine Clinquart, Katharina Van Leenen, Jade Bokma, Bart Pardon. cytic-basophilic and eosinophilic cluster were identified. The
Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium. distinguishing of these four clusters, and identification of a
presumably normal group, could contribute to novel insights
in pathogenesis, diagnosis and prevention of various airway
Objective: Bovine respiratory disease (BRD), the primary diseases in calves.
cause of antimicrobial use in youngstock, is an inflammatory
Keywords: Cytology, bronchoalveolar lavage, bovine re-
disease caused by multiple infections interacting with host and
spiratory disease.
environmental factors. To improve prevention of BRD a better
understanding of airway inflammation is critical. Cytology of
bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALf) offers many possibilities to
characterize and diagnose different inflammatory airway dis-
eases, both in humans and in animals. However, in calves to
date no reference values for BALf cytology are available. This IM-04
seriously hampers both research and practice, as identifying
truly healthy (negative control) calves for respiratory diseases
Association of ionized and total calcium in periparturient
is difficult. Therefore, in this study the first aim was to apply
dairy cows
unsupervised clustering in order to identify different airway Imke Cohrs1, Sophia Wächter2, Lennart Golbeck2, Walter Grünberg3.
inflammation profiles in BALf from calves. Second, based on 1
Educational and Research Centre for Animal Husbandry, Hofgut
identification of a healthy profile, reference values for differen-
Neumühle, Münchweiler an der Alsenz, Germany; 2Clinic for Cattle,
tial cell counts in BALf as collected by non-endoscopic bron-
University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover,
choalveolar lavage were determined.
Germany; 3Clinic for Ruminants, University of Veterinary Medicine,
Material and Methods: A dataset with cytologic infor- Justus-Liebig-Universität-Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
mation on BALf was available. This dataset consisted of 339
group-housed calves aged between 1 and 6 months from 32
dairy farms and 30 beef farms. The differential counts in this Objectives: Hypocalcemia in cattle is commonly diag-
dataset were evaluated by counting 400 nucleated cells on cy- nosed based on serum total calcium (tCa) although only ion-
tospin preparations. A k-means++ -algorithm, an unsupervised ized calcium (iCa) is metabolically active. The objectives of
clustering method, was applied on the percentage of macro- this study were to study the association between tCa and iCa
phages, neutrophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils, basophils and around calving and to identify factors most influential on the
epithelial cells. The number of clusters was first obtained by iCa:tCa-ratio.
validation with ‘clValid’ R package, evaluation of silhouette Materials and methods: Lab results from 30 cows en-
plots and biological relevance. Visualization of cluster centers rolled in an unrelated study investigating the effect of phos-
was used to identify the different clusters. Subsequently, refer- phorus-deprivation during the dry period were used. Cows
ence values for the normal cluster were calculated with ‘Ref- were either fed a dry cow diet with adequate (0.30%) or low
erence Value Advisor’. Lastly, a classification and regression (0.16%) phosphorus content. Blood samples were obtained

256
daily from day -4 until calving, 0h, 6h, 12h, 24h and 2, 3, 4 and eDM 15.6 kg). Average daily change (aDC; prepartum gain
7 days post-partum. Blood gas and blood biochemical analy- and postpartum loss) of adipose mass was calculated for the
ses were conducted. dry (DP; d-42 to d7), fresh cow (FCP; d7 to d28) and early lac-
Results: Correlations between iCa and tCa during the tation periods (ELP; d28 to d70). Additionally, dry matter intake
first week of lactation ranged between r=0.55, P=0.002 and (DMI) and lactation performance were recorded.
r=0.84, P<0.0001. The slope of the Deming regression lines Results: Animals of the two experimental groups repre-
varied considerably at the different sampling times. ROC anal- sented adequate and over-conditioned cows. The AAT depot
yses with a cut off value of 1.10 mmol/L for iCa conducted for had about 2 to 3 times higher mass than SCAT. Prepartum
each sampling time yielded a low area under the curve of 0.64 the AAT gain during the DP was greater compared to SCAT
at calving that increased to 0.93 4 days post-partum. Param- (0.33 kg/d vs. 0.14 kg/d). More fat mass was lost from AAT
eters with strongest effect on the iCa:tCa ratio were plasma than SCAT depot after calving (0.23 kg/d vs. 0.14 kg/d). Cows
albumin (r2=0.58, P<0.0001), pCO2 (r2=0.45, P=0.0003), stan- of both groups had similar gains in AAT (0.33 kg/d) and SCAT
dard-[HCO3] (r2=0.22, P=0.01), lactate (r2=0.16, P=0.04) and (0.14 kg/d) masses during the DP. However, more adipose tis-
NEFAs (r2=0.15, P=0.05). sue was mobilized by HBC than LBC cows from both depots
Conclusion: The association of tCa with iCa during the after calving (AAT: HBC vs. LBC: 0.30 vs. 0.17 kg/d; SCAT:
first week of lactation is weak and highly variable. Several HBC vs. LBC: 0.19 vs. 0.10 kg/d). Correlation analysis re-
blood parameters seem to affect the iCa:tCa ratio and thereby vealed that the higher was the gain of AAT mass (r2: 0.36)
weaken the usefulness of tCa to predict iCa in particular during during DP the higher was the loss in FCP. This was not the
the first days of lactation. case for SCAT. In contrast to AAT, during FCP, a more nega-
tive EB was associated with a greater loss of SCAT mass (r2:
Keywords: Ionized calcium, total calcium, periparturient
0.18).
dairy cow.
Conclusions: The results indicate that compared to SCAT
the AAT depot is considerably bigger and is preferentially mo-
bilized after parturition to compensate NEB. Correlation anal-
ysis revealed functional differences between AAT and SCAT
depots. Greater knowledge of differences between AAT and
IM-05
SCAT depots could improve our understanding of excessive
lipomobilization and its effects on health and performance of
dairy cows during the transition period.
Gain and loss of fat depots mass in dairy Holstein cows with
different body condition during the transition period and Keywords: Dairy cattle, adipose depot, ultrasonografy,
early lactation transition period, fat mobilization.
György Szura1, Stephanie Schäfers1, Dirk Von Soosten2, Ulrich

Meyer2, Jeannette Klüß2, Gerhard Breves1, Sven Dänicke2, Lena
Ruda1, Jürgen Rehage1.
1
IM-06
Germany; 2Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Braunschweig, Germany.
Do unmeasured strong ions predict mortality in sick goats?
Objectives: Dairy cows suffer from negative energy bal- Diego Gomez1, Shannon Darby2, Megan Palmisano2, Dave Renaud1.
ance (NEB) during the transition and early lactation period.
University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada; 2University of Florida,
1
NEB is an outcome of nutrient demand of late gestation, onset
Gainesville, United States.
of lactation and inadequate feed intake. Body reserves, main-
ly from subcutaneous (SCAT) and abdominal adipose tissues
(AAT), are mobilized to compensate NEB. Previous studies Increased systemic concentrations of L-lactate and un-
found differences in accumulation and mobilization of fat, as measured strong ions (USI) are associated with an increased
well as functional disparities between SCAT and AAT. The aim risk of mortality in humans and calves suffering from various
of this study was to compare the gain and loss of SCAT and diseases. The objective of this study was to investigate wheth-
AAT depot masses in Holstein dairy cows with initially lower er the concentration of L-lactate and USI, on admission to hos-
and higher body condition (mean body condition score (BCS): pital, are associated with mortality in sick goats.
3.48 and 3.87, respectively) in the period from day (d)-42 to This study used a retrospective methodology. Medical
d70 relative to parturition. records of 153 sick goats presented to a teaching hospital
Materials and methods: The study was performed at the from January 2017 to September 2019 were reviewed and
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (FLI), Braunschweig, Germany. the following data were collected: Demographics, physical
Estimated depot mass (eDM) of SCAT, AAT, retroperitoneal examination, venous blood gas, biochemistry analysis, and
(RPAT), omental (OMAT) and mesenteric (MAT) adipose de- outcome. The USI concentration was calculated as: USI =
pot was determined by ultrasonography on d-42, 7, 28 and 70. SIDm — HCO3− — A-; were SIDm is the strong ion difference
Thirty-one pluriparous German Holstein cows were allocated calculated as SIDm (mmol/L) = (Na+ + K+) — (Cl− + L-lactate−);
into two experimental groups according to the eDM of SCAT HCO3- is the plasma concentration of bicarbonate (mmol/L)
on d-42 relative to parturition (low body condition (LBC) group: and A- is the total negative charge of the plasma proteins (TP)
n=16, mean eDM 8.61 kg; high BC (HBC) group: n=15, mean (mmol/L) calculated as: A− (mmol/L) = [TP x 0.343]/(1 + 10(pKa −

257
), where pKa (7.08) is the effective dissociation constant for

pH)
1.47 ug/ml. The Hp concentration in pharynx swabs ranged
bovine plasma weak acids. from 0.00-60.83 mg/L, with a mean of 20.13 mg/L and a SD of
Univariable logistic regression models showed that goats 13.61 mg/L. The lbp concentration in pharynx swabs ranged
with USI > 2 had a 4.62 times greater odds (P = 0.01; 95% CI: from 0.00-47.94 ng/ml, with a mean of 6.06 ng/ml and a SD of
1.43 to 14.92) of dying than goats with normal levels (2 to -2 11.85 ng/ml.
USI). No differences were found between those with an elevat- Conclusions: This is the first time that detection of the
ed lactate compared to those with normal lactate (OR: 0.82; P APPs SAA, Hp and lbp in pharyngeal swabs from dairy calves
= 0.64; 95% CI: 0.36 to 1.88). had been shown. From these results reference intervals for
This study revealed that increased concentrations of USI, SAA, Hp and lbp in pharynx swabs from dairy calves housed in
but not L-lactate, at admission were positively associated with commercial farms can be established. This can be used further
mortality in goats. to compare with SAA, Hp and lbp in samples from diseased
calves to establish the levels of APP in pharyngeal swabs of
Keywords: Unmeasured strong ions, lactate, goats, mor-
calves with respiratory disease.
tality.
Keywords: Acute phase proteins, calves, pharyngeal
swab.
IM-07
Measurements of acute phase proteins in pharyngeal swabs IM-08

and serum from healthy dairy calves
Sepsis and other risk factors for mortality in critically ill
Mette Bisgaard Petersen, Nynne Capion. calves
University of Copenhagen, Taastrup, Denmark. Mathilde Laetitia Pas, Filip Boyen, Jade Bokma, Bart Pardon.
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Objectives: Early recognition and treatment of respiratory
disease in calves can contribute to better animal welfare and
possibly, reduce the antibiotic consumption. Detection of acute Objective: Critical illness in calves is a problem practi-
phase proteins (APP) in pharyngeal fluid could be the first step tioners are frequently faced with, often resulting in mortality.
in making a non-invasive calf-side test for early detection of It can be caused by several etiologies, with sepsis amongst
respiratory disease. The objective of this study was therefore them. Considering the strict antimicrobial legislation in
to investigate if it was possible to detect the APPs serum am- food-producing animals, it’s crucial to identify which of the crit-
yloid A (SAA), haptoglobin (Hp) and lipopolysaccharide bind- ically ill calves are in need of (critically important) antibiotics.
ing protein (lbp) in pharyngeal swabs from calves and if so, to Knowledge on factors contributing to mortality in these calves
compare the APP concentration in pharyngeal swabs with the can aid in better antimicrobial decision making. Therefore, the
serum APP concentration. objective of this study was to identify risk factors for mortality
Materials and methods: Eighty-four healthy dairy calves in critically ill calves.
aged 3-30 days housed in nine Danish dairy herds were in- Material & methods: A retrospective cohort study was
cluded. All calves were assessed free from respiratory disease conducted on 230 calves presented with critical illness in our
by a clinical examination and thoracic ultrasonography in the large animal clinic. Anamnestic information, as well as clinical,
herd. After the clinical examination, serum samples were col- ultrasonographic and laboratory information was assembled.
lected from the jugular vein and four long cotton swabs were Critical clinical illness in combination with positive hemocul-
placed in pharynx and moved around until saturated. The ture (BD BACTEC™) were used as a proxy for the presence
swabs were stored in cryotubes with 1 ml of phosphate buff- of sepsis. Multivariable logistic regression as well as classifi-
ered saline (PBS) for 24 hours, then removed and the cryo- cation and regression tree analysis were used to determine
tubes were stored at -80° Celsius until analysis. The swabs parameters significantly associated with mortality.
and serum were analysed for SAA, Hp and lbp at the Veteri- Results: In total 61.3% (141/230) of the calves died. En-
nary Diagnostic Laboratory at University of Copenhagen. The teritis/diarrhea (51.7%, n=119) and pneumonia (45.7%, n=105)
range and mean concentration of SAA, Hp and lbp in serum were most frequently detected, followed by sepsis (34.3%,
and swabs were compared. n=79), neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (17.8%, n=41)
Results: The SAA concentration in serum ranged from and omphalitis (17.8%, n=41). Comorbidities (presence of
32.93 - 180.94 ug/ml, with a mean of 118.28 mg/L and a stan- multiple health conditions in the animal) were frequent (54.8%,
dard deviation (SD) of 40.56 mg/L. There was a significant n=126), but did not significantly increase the risks of mortali-
association between age and serum SAA, which decreased ty (P=0.79). The final multivariable regression model showed
with age. The Hp concentration in serum ranged from 45.14 - that abnormal behavior (OR=3.3; 95% CI, 1.1-10.0; P=0.03),
788.75 mg/L, with a mean of 100.60 mg/L and a SD of 100.74 male gender (OR=4.3; 95% CI, 1.4-13.2; P=0.01), pale mu-
mg/L and the lbp concentration in serum ranged from 7.25- cosae (OR=10.4; 95% CI, 2.5-43.7; P=0.001), tachycardia
56.32 ng/ml, with a mean of 20.53 ng/ml and a SD of 9.30 ng/ (≥ 126 bpm) (OR=3.4; 95.0% CI, 1.1-10.8; P=0.04), acidosis
ml. In the pharyngeal swabs the SAA concentration ranged (pH ≤7.18) (OR=5.3; 95% CI, 1.3 -21.9; P=0.021) and sepsis
from 0.00-8 ug/ml, with a mean of 2.18 ug/ml and a SD of (OR=6.9; 95% CI, 1.9-25.0; P=0.003) were associated with

258
mortality. Regression tree analysis revealed behavior, chlo- skin incision and EST-t, as well as at + 60min, + 120min. Fi-
ride, glucose, potassium and lung ultrasonography to be use- nally, the PS was carried out at -150min pre-surgery and at
ful in determining the odds for mortality in critically ill calves. +30min, + 45min, + 60min, + 120min, + 240min, + 360min
Conclusion: One-third of the critically ill calves in our post-surgery. Intra- and extra-groups differences have been
study had sepsis, resulting in higher odds for mortality. The calculated with appropriate parametric and non-parametric
identified risk factors can be helpful for therapeutic decisions, tests. Probabilities < 0.05 were considered statistically signif-
taking farm economics, animal welfare and public health (e.g. icant.
antimicrobial resistance) into account. Results: No significant difference was observed regarding
Keywords: Cattle, Critically important antimicrobials, the heart rate between the two groups at any time-interval,
Hemoculture. while regarding the same parameter a significant intra-group
difference has been observed for the TG (Int1=99.9±21.0
beat/min ±SD vs. Int2=92.7±22.0; P<0.05). A statistical-
ly significant difference was observed regarding the over-
all time both of respiratory arrhythmia (TG=4.08min vs.
GC=25.21min; P<0.0001) and sinus tachycardia (TG=0.00min
IM-09
vs. GC=11.07min; P<0.001). A further significant difference
Cardiovascular monitoring, laboratory findings and pain was found regarding the SCL between the two groups at skin
score in calves undergoing guided bilateral rectus sheath incision time (TG=0.45±0.08 ng/mL ±SD vs. CG=0.82±0.06;
block for umbilical hernia repair: a randomized clinical P<0.01), while none was observed regarding the BGA. Finally,
trial calves receiving RSB exhibited significantly lower median PS
(P<0.05) between the two groups at +45min (TG=1 vs.CG=4),
Maria Chiara Alterisio1, Paolo Ciaramella1, Fabiana Micieli1, +60min (TG=1 vs.CG=6), +120min (TG=0 vs.CG=1) and
Giovanni Della Valle1, Ludovica Chiavaccini2, Giancarlo Vesce1, +240min (TG=0 vs.CG=1.5).
Jacopo Guccione1.
Conclusion: The current multiple clinical approaches
1
University of Napoli Federico II, Veterinary Medicine and Animal based on a set of parameters assess the effects on the health
Production, Napoli, Italy; 2University of Florida Collage of veterinary and welfare of bovine calves undergoing herniorrhaphy under
Medicine Department of comparative diagnostic and population general field anesthesia after receiving an ultrasound guided
medicine, Gainesville, United States. RSB bupivacaine based, for the first time. The clinical proce-
dures seem to reveal beneficial short-term (attested by HR
and SCL) and long-term effects after surgery (attested by the
Objectives: Despite detection and relief of pain are gain-
PS). Although as compared to the traditional analgesic tech-
ing considerable attention in farm animals, only a few clinical
niques, the use of this ultrasound based RSB seems to give
studies assess the effect of the analgesia in cattle after ab-
greater beneficial effects on the health and welfare of calves
dominal surgery, so far. Cardiovascular findings, serum cor-
affected by umbilical hernia, further studies are necessary to
tisol level (SCL) and blood gas analysis (BGA) outcomes, as
definitively confirm the effects and to enable this innovative
well as the pain score (PS) assessment, are considered some
analgesic procedure to become a milestone in the bovine field
of the most reliable methods of clinical monitoring to evaluat-
medicine.
ed stress, fear, and pain in animals. Based on the previous
statements, the current study aims to define the health and Keywords: Holter calves, calves health, calves welfare,
welfare of bovine calves undergoing herniorrhaphy under gen- rectus sheath block, umbilical hernia.
eral field anesthesia using an ultrasound-guided rectus sheath
block (RSB) by multiple clinical approaches based on a set of
parameters.
Materials and methods: The study has been performed
on fourteen calves randomly assigned to receive either bilat- IM-10
eral ultrasound guided RSB with 0.3 mL/kg of bupivacaine
Association of gastrointestinal microbiota and anion gap
0.25% and 0.15 µg/kg of dexmedetomidine (Treated group,
acidosis in diarrheic calves
TG) or 0.3 mL/kg of 0.9% NaCl (Control group, CG). All ani-
mals were monitored by Holter recording to define the effects Lynna Li1, David L. Renaud1, Hanne M. Goetz1, Jennifer Macnicol2,
on the cardiac dynamic, as well as SCL, BGA, and UNE- Lisa Gamsjaeger3, Diego E. Gomez1.
SP-Botucatu pain scale to assess their health and welfare sta- 1
Ontario Veterinary College, Guelph, Canada; 2University of Guelph,
tus. Holter monitoring has been continuously performed from
Guelph, Canada; 3University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
-120 minutes (min) pre-surgery to +120 min post-surgery div-
ing the mean results in interval 1 (Int1)=-120min pre-surgery
to the beginning of induction time; Int2= beginning of induction Objectives: Diarrheic calves often develop anion gap
to estubation time (EST-t); Int3=EST-t to +120min post-sur- acidosis associated with increased concentrations of unmea-
gery; Int4=EST-t to +15min, Int5=EST-t to +30min, Int6=EST-t sured anions including D- and L-lactate. However, the mech-
to +60min, Int7=EST-t to +120min. The SCL have been evalu- anisms responsible for these acid-base disorders are not
ated at -150min pre-surgery (baseline), at induction time, skin completely understood. The objective of this study was to in-
incision and EST-t, as well as at +30min, + 45min, + 60min, + vestigate the fecal bacterial alterations of calves with diarrhea
120min, + 360min after surgery. BGA at -120min pre-surgery, and to explore its relationship with changes in blood pH, bicar-

259
bonate, and the anion gap and the gastrointestinal microbiota Materials and methods: After approval of the Ministry of
of diarrheic calves. Health (approval number 14/2018), a total of 42 calves were
Materials and Methods: Prospective case-control study. selected from client-owned dairy calves with NCD, admitted
The fecal microbiota of healthy (n= 20) and diarrheic (n= 31) to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Milan
calves was assessed by sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA from May 2018 to May 2019. We enrolled 1-to-10-day-old
gene amplicons. Blood gas analysis was completed using an Holstein Friesian calves that did not present other concurrent
i-Stat analyzer. Alpha diversity was assessed using the Chao- neonatal diseases. Upon admission, the calves were clinically
1, Inverse Simpson’s and Shannon Even indices. The microbi- examined as described in Boccardo et al. 2017. The acid-base
al membership and structure of the fecal microbiota was com- imbalance was assessed by venous blood-gas analysis. Se-
pared between groups using the Jaccard and Yue & Clayton rum total proteins (sTP) were measured in serum by a hand
indices, respectively. LefSe analysis was used to determine refractometer, and calves presenting a value < 55 g/L were
differentially abundant taxa in healthy and diarrheic calves. considered as being affected by ITPI. Fecal cultures and an-
tibiotic susceptibility tests were also performed. Conventional
Results: Diarrheic calves had a lower pH and bicarbon-
fluid therapy was performed on dehydration degree and ac-
ate concentration and a higher anion gap than healthy calves.
id-base imbalance. After infusion, calves were randomly as-
In healthy calves, a higher richness, evenness, and diversity
signed either to the group treated with antibiotics (Group A,
were observed compared to diarrheic calves. The Jaccard and
n. = 21 calves treated with ampicillin 10 mg/kg IV q12h for 5
Yue & Clayton indices showed that the community member-
days), or those not treated with antibiotics (Group B, n. = 21).
ship and structure, respectively, of healthy dairy calves was
In both groups, ITPI calves received hyperimmune plasma
significantly different than that of diarrheic calves (AMOVA <
containing a declared total protein quantity (PlasmaLife Calf®,
0.01), for both comparisons. LefSe analysis showed an en-
Il Ceppo s.r.l., Italy). The amount of hyperimmune plasma was
richment in obligated anaerobes (Phocaeicola, Bacteroides,
calculated using the formula:
Prevotella, Faecalibacterium, Butyricicoccus, Ruminococca-
ceae and Lachnospiraceae) in healthy calves while in diar- Plasma amount (L) = (body weight (kg) × plasma volume
rheic calves there was an increase in facultative anaerobes [8.9%] × sTP GAP)/plasma sTP concentration
(Enterococcus, Ligilactobacillus, Lactobacilus, Gallibacterium where sTP GAP = difference between pre–transfusion sTP
Streptococcus, and Escherichia/Shigella) (LDA score > 3 and and desired post–transfusion sTP (60 g/L); sTP concentration
P < 0.05). In diarrheic calves an increased relative abundance = concentration of sTP in the plasma as declared by the pro-
of lactate-producing bacteria including Lactobacillus, Strepto- ducer.
coccus, Veillonella, Ligilactobacillus and Olsenella was detect- Calves were monitored daily with complete clinical exam-
ed compared to their healthy counterparts (LDA score > 3 and inations for 28 days. The clinical data were recorded using
P < 0.05). a Calf Health Scoring Chart (CHSC), and the probability of
Conclusions: Calf diarrhea was associated with a shift sepsis was calculated. Critically ill calves (sepsis score > 60%)
from obligated to facultative anaerobes and expansion of lac- were treated with antibiotics based on antibiotic susceptibility
tate-producing bacteria. Those changes were related to ac- tests in both groups and this event was considered a failure
idemia and increased concentration of unmeasured anions of therapy. Each calf was weighed weekly, and a blood and
(L- and D-lactate), estimated using the anion gap. These re- fecal sample were collected. Blood serum samples obtained
sults suggested that gastrointestinal microbiota could play an by centrifugation were analyzed to measure the concentration
important role in the development of anion gap acidosis in di- of sTP and IgG, while fecal samples were used for microbiota
arrheic calves. analysis.
Keywords: Acidemia, D-lactate, acidosis, bicarbonate, The frequencies of mortality and treatment failure between
unmeasured anions. the groups were compared with a χ2test. The difference in the
average daily gain and days of diarrhea between groups was
compared with a Mann – Whitney – Wilcoxon test. Statistical
significance was considered for p<0.05. The fecal microbial
diversity was assessed within samples (alpha diversity). All in-
IM-11 dices (alpha and beta diversity) were estimated from the com-
plete operational taxonomic units (OTU) table at the OTU lev-
Selective use of antibiotics in neonatal calf diarrhea and its el, filtered for OTUs with more than 15 total counts distributed
influence on fecal microbiota in at least two samples. In addition to the number of observed
Giulia Sala, Valerio Bronzo, Antonio Boccardo, Vincenzo Ferrulli, OTUs directly counted from the OTU table, within-sample mi-
Laura Filippone Pavesi, Maria Filippa Addis, Paola Cremonesi, crobial richness, diversity, and evenness were estimated using
Filippo Biscarini, Davide Pravettoni. the following indices: Chao1 and ACE (abundance-based cov-
erage estimator) for richness, and Shannon’s, Simpson’s, and
University of Milan, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Fisher’s alpha for diversity.
Sciences, Lodi, Italy.
Results: Eighteen calves (42.8%) presented ITPI (nine
calves in group A, and nine in group B), and receiving the
Objective: The role of parenteral administration of antibi- plasma transfusion (average 500 ml; min 300 ml; max 1000
otics during neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD) is still an open issue. ml). There was no statistical difference between groups A
This study investigates the efficacy of antibiotic treatment and and B in terms of mortality rate (p=0.586), failure of treatment
its influence on the gut microbiota of diarrheic calves. (p=0.449), average daily gain (p=0.556), and days with diar-

260
rhea (p=0.585), regardless of the presence or absence of ITPI. cam discontinuation and resolved completely within 19 days.
The microbiota analysis showed that the microbiota of All hooves presented complete detachment of the wall from
calves treated without antibiotics was re-established earlier the coronary band and required functional trimming over a pe-
than calves treated with antibiotics. Alpha diversity indexes riod of 5 months until regaining full normal morphology.
were significantly higher in calves treated without antibiotics Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first report of
at the second week of convalescence than those treated with meloxicam accumulation toxicity in a ruminant. Based on this
antibiotics (p=0.043). Furthermore, the antimicrobial treatment case and evidence in studied references, we propose to use
was associated with a decrease in the phylum Actinobacteria lower dose or greater interval between doses (>24 h), and ac-
(p=0.045) and the family Lachnospiraceae (p=0.042) in the fe- tively monitoring for toxicity signs when administering meloxi-
cal microbiota of calves at the second week of study. cam other than at the recommended 0.5 mg/kg (0.23 mg/lb) a
Conclusion: Our data suggest that antibiotic treatment single time.
should be omitted in the treatment of NCD both in calves with Keywords: Meloxicam, toxicity, toxic accumulation, goat.
an adequate transfer of passive immunity and in ITPI calves
treated with hyperimmune plasma. Furthermore, microbiota
re-establishment seems to be significantly faster in calves
treated without antibiotics.
Keywords: Neonatal Calf Diarrhea, Dairy Calves, antibiot- IM-13
ic resistance, gut microbiota.
Particulate matter and endotoxin concentration in calf
barns and their association with lung consolidation,
pulmonary inflammation and infection
Katharina Van Leenen1, Jonathan Jouret2, Peter Demeyer3, Pieter
IM-12 Vermeir4, Laura Van Driessche1, Lieze De Cremer1, Christina
Masmeijer1, Filip Boyen1, Piet Deprez1, Eric Cox1, Bert Devriendt1,
Toxicity by Accumulation after 31 days of daily high dose Bart Pardon1.
administration of Meloxicam in an adult Boer Goat 1
Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium; 2Belgian Center for
Aurora Villarroel , John E. Mata .
1 2 Occupational Hygiene, Zwijnaarde, Belgium; 3Flanders Research
Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Merelbeke, Belgium;
Athyr Vet, LLC, Philomath, OR, United States; 2Ome Naturals, LLC,
1
4
Ghent University, Gent, Belgium.
Corvallis, OR, United States.
Air quality is of paramount importance for human and

Objective: The objective of this case report was to deter- animal health. Among the different air pollutants, particulate
mine the cause for multiple unspecific and apparently unrelat- matter as a representation of dust of variable diameter has
ed clinical signs in a goat that was being treated for chronic become a major health concern. Agriculture is an important
laminitis on all four feet. source of organic dust, containing different particulate matter
Materials and Methods: A 6-year-old intact non-gravid fractions and endotoxins, which have been associated with
female Boer goat was presented for clinical signs of severe respiratory conditions in humans and horses. Dust concentra-
ventral edema, pleuritis, tachypnea, hypopnea, tremors, lami- tion and constitution in calf barns is hardly documented and
nitis, weakness, inappetence and inability to stand. On anam- whether certain particulate matter fractions or endotoxins con-
nesis it was discovered that the goat had been treated daily tribute to the bovine respiratory disease complex is currently
with high doses (1.15 mg/kg) of meloxicam for 31 consecutive unknown.
days. Observed clinical signs were consistent with meloxicam The objective of this study was to measure particulate
overdose in humans. Lacking any clinical reports in the liter- matter fractions and endotoxin concentrations in calf housings
ature on treatment options for this presentation, the decision and study their associations with respiratory inflammation and
was made to simply discontinue meloxicam and treat the most infection.
severe clinical signs (severe ventral edema, pain due to lam-
A cross-sectional study was performed and samples were
initis and inappetence) symptomatically with one session of
collected on 23 dairy and 21 beef farms in Belgium, from Jan-
acupuncture and supportive care. uary – April 2017. A total of 339 indoor group-housed calves
Results: Given that the half-life of meloxicam in goats is were enrolled in the study. A Grimm aerosol spectrometer was
approx. 11 h, complete clearance of the recommend standard used to sample PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 fractions during a 24-
dose (0.5 mg/kg (0.23 mg/lb) is estimated at >55 h. These hour period. A separate PM10 sample was obtained in parallel,
pharmacokinetic properties, therefore, have the potential for using an impaction sampler, for gravimetric PM10 and endo-
toxic accumulation when this dose or a larger dose of meloxi- toxin analysis. Calves were clinically examined, thoracic ultra-
cam is administered every 24 h, especially during long-term sonography and non-endoscopic broncho-alveolar lavage for
therapy. cytology and bacteriology was performed.
Ventral edema, pain due to laminitis and inappetence Mean 24-hour PM1 concentration was 16.8 ± 17.5 µg/m3
markedly improved within 24 hours. Ventral edema subsided (range (R) = 0.18 – 78.8), mean PM2.5 25.7 ± 25.5 µg/m3 (R
completely within 48 hours of the single acupuncture session. = 0.52 – 148.0) and mean PM10 73.8 ± 55.4 µg/m3 (R = 1.7
All other clinical signs began improving on day 3 after meloxi- – 254.0). These values were above the 24-hour mean con-

261
centrations suggested in the WHO Air quality guidelines for cattle had at least one hock (55%), one carpus (47%) or one
human exposure, being 25 µg/m3 (PM2.5) and 50 µg/m3 (PM10), stifle (23%) affected. Crusts (55%), callus (54%) and alopecia
respectively (World Health Organization, 2005). (51%) were the most common skin DL. Erosions (43%) and
The mean EU/µg PM10 was 4.25 ± 5.8 (R = 0.02 – 30.3) ulcers (20%) were the most common oral mucosal lesions.
and mean EU/m3 200.2 ± 197.4 (R = 2.32 – 901.0). Lung con- This cross-sectional study highlighted the high prevalence
solidations with a depth of ≥1, ≥3 and ≥6 cm were present in of the DL in this specific cattle population. Considering these
43.1% (146/339), 27.4% (93/339) and 15.3 % (52/339) of the results, further studies would be important to determine etiolo-
calves, respectively. The odds of having lung consolidations gies, economic and clinical impacts of these DL.
of ≥1 (OR = 13.9; CI = 3.4 – 55.6) and ≥3 cm (OR = 7.0; CI = Keywords: Dermatology, Skin lesions, Bovine.
1.8 – 27.0) in depth increased when endotoxin concentrations
exceeded 8.5 EU/ µg PM10, compared to when this cut-off was
not exceeded. Exposure to small and fine particulate matter
fractions (PM2.5 and PM1) was associated with increased odds
of consolidations of ≥1 (OR = 3.4; CI = 1.6 – 2.7) and ≥6 cm IM-15
(OR = 10.9; CI = 1.1 – 111.1), respectively. Total nucleated
cell count of broncho-alveolar lavage fluid showed a positive Evaluation of the inter-rater agreement of the clinical signs
association with the maximum PM1 concentration and neutro- of bovine respiratory disease in veal calves
phil percentage with the maximum PM10 concentration. Only
Pasteurella multocida isolation was associated with average Julie Berman, David Francoz, Abdelmonem Ahmed Abdallah, Simon
PM2.5 concentration, for the other major respiratory pathogens Dufour, Sébastien Buczinski.
no associations were found. Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Canada.
This study shows that particulate matter and endotoxin
concentrations could play an important role in the bovine re- Objectives: In veal calves, clinical signs of bovine res-
spiratory disease complex. piratory disease (BRD) are nasal discharge, ocular discharge,
Reference: World Health Organization, W. (2005). WHO dyspnea, drooping ears, cough, and temperature. Despite the
Air quality guidelines for particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen existence of several clinical scoring systems, the variability
dioxide and sulfur dioxide: Global update 2005. 1–21. https:// of human recognition of these anomalies has never been re-
doi.org/10.1016/0004-6981(88)90109-6 ported. The objective of this study was therefore to assess
Keywords: Particulate matter, endotoxin, lung consolida- the inter-rater agreement of BRD clinical signs in veal calves.
tion, dust, pneumonia. We hypothesized that BRD clinical signs were not detected
equally between veterinarians, technicians, and producers of
the veal industry and that some clinical signs have a higher
inter-rater agreement than others.
Methods: During 2017-2018, we prospectively recorded
IM-14 524 videos of physical examination of random veal calves from
80 batches in Quebec, Canada. A researcher, not involved in
One-year cross-sectional study of dermatological lesions in the inter-rater assessment, classified each video as presence/
433 dairy cattle in a veterinary teaching hospital absence of each of BRD clinical signs except rectal temper-
ature. For each of the 5 clinical signs, 15 videos with and 15
Eloi Guarnieri, Frédéric Sauvé, David Francoz.
videos without the clinical sign were randomly selected to limit
Université de Montréal, St-Hyacinthe, Canada. kappa paradoxes. Those 30 videos were then presented in a
random order to experimented rater with BRD in veal calves:
6 veterinarians, 6 technicians, and 6 producers. Raters as-
Little literature is available on the prevalence of bovine skin sessed the clinical sign using a modified Wisconsin scoring
diseases. The objective of this study was to describe the der- system (0=absent, 1=slight, 2=moderate, 3=severe for nasal
matological lesions (DL) in dairy cattle admitted at the Faculty discharge, ocular discharge and drooping ears; and 0=absent,
of Veterinary Medicine (FVM), Université de Montréal, from 1=moderate, 2=severe for dyspnea and elicited cough). We
July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019. used the median percentage agreement (Pa), median Co-
A study-dedicated dermatological lexicon was first devel- hen’s kappa (K), and Gwet’s agreement coefficient 1 (AC1)
oped by the authors. Over a year, all dairy cattle admitted at to assess inter-rater agreement. Effect of scale combination
the FVM were included in the study. Dairy cattle readmitted or was also tested to determine the optimal combination (4-scale
without integumentary examination within 48 hours of admis- 0/1/2/3 vs 3-scale 0/1,2,3 or 0/1/2 vs 2-scale 0,1/2,3 or 0/1,2).
sion were excluded. DL involvingfeet and ear canals were also The differences of inter-rater agreement between veterinar-
excluded. The morphological and location of the skin and the ians, technicians, and producers were estimated by a Wilcox-
oral mucosal DL were recorded by a trained observer. on rank-sum test (p-value < 0.05).
On the 610 cattle admitted at the FVM, 433 dairy cattle Results: The 2-scale combination (0,1/2,3 or 0/1,2) had
were included. Most of them were Holstein breed (90%) and a higher inter-agreement for all clinical signs. With this com-
females (98%). The mean age was 3.3 years old (+/- 2.8 bination, elicited cough was the clinical sign with the highest
years). Of these 433 cattle, skin and oral mucosal lesions inter-rater agreement (Pa = 0.93; K = 0.79; AC1 = 0.87) and
were observed in 91% and 9% of the cases, respectively. Most dyspnea was the sign with the lowest inter-rater agreement

262
(Pa = 0.77; K = 0.20; AC1 = 0.74). According to Pa and AC1 cows were clinically examined daily from DIM1 to DIM8 and
values, the 2-scale inter-rater agreement of the 5 clinical signs records from those that remained clinically healthy throughout
was good (value > 0.6). According to K, only drooping ears this period (247 cows) were used to establish post-partum RIs
and cough had a substantial 2-scale inter-rater agreement (PP2 and PP8, respectively) with the aforementioned method.
(K > 0.6). In general, the 2-scale inter-rater agreement was Reference intervals of PP2 and PP8 were fitted to DP and
better between veterinarians than between technicians, and PL RIs, in order to estimate the percentage of cows correctly
between producers except for the drooping ears where the classified.
agreement was better among producers (p < 0.05). Results: Respective CBC 95% RIs (lower – upper limit)
Conclusion: We concluded that with a 2-scale combina- for DP, LP, PP2 and PP8 were: RBC: (5.15-7.63), (4.51-6.98),
tion of severity the inter-rater agreement of BRD clinical signs (5.37-8.01), (5.00-7.53) x1012/L, HGB: (87.0-126.9), (71.5-
was variable according to the sign but clinically acceptable in 113.5), (91.0-132.8), (83.1-121.0) g/L, HCT: (0.226-0.324),
veal calves. BRD clinical signs were, however, not detected (0.192-0.305), (0.231-0.350), (0.215-0.315) L/L, MCV: (37.39-
equally between veterinarians, technicians, and producers of 50.75), (35.03-47.86), (36-51), (35.7-49.7) fL, MCH: (14.34-
the veal industry. Future research could determine if this dis- 19.38), (13.92-18.32), (13.84-19.30), (13.70-19.20) x1012/L,
crepancy could be improved by standardized training. MCHC: (361.9-416.5), (356.4-412.6), (352.4-417.6), (348.1-
Keywords: Inter-rater agreement, pneumonia, veal 417.9) g/L, WBC: (5.63-13.11), (4.56-14.02), (4.16-15.30),
calves, clinical examination. (4.44-17.41) x109/L, neutrophils: (1.25-6.72), (1.40-7.60),
(0.86-9.77), (0.85-9.77) x109/L, lymphocytes: (2.01-5.25),
(0.89-5.64), (1.43-5.77), (1.61-5.66) x109/L, neutrophils:lym-
phocytes (N:L) ratio: (0.38-1.80), (0.44-1.96), (0.24-2.84),
(0.24-2.84), monocytes: (0.02-1.05), (0.08-1.01), (0.08-1.93),
(0.06-1.36) x109/L, eosinophils: (0.08-1.55), (0.03-0.95),
IM-16
(0.05-0.83), (0.04-0.61) x109/L, platelets: (62.5-532.4), (22.1-
Stage-of-lactation specific hematology reference intervals 805.3), (48.2-604.8), (97.5-690.1) x109/L, TP: (53.7-88.4),
are needed for post-parturient Holstein dairy cows (62.8-95.7), (56.3-84.0), (60.0-86.0) g/L, fibrinogen: (2.854-
6.024), (2.294-7.236), (N/A), (2.702-7.884) mg/L. For PP2,
Vangelis Tsiamadis1, Nikolaos Panousis2, Nektarios Siachos1, percentage of cows correctly classified compared to DP and
Georgios Arsenos1, Georgios E. Valergakis1. PL were: RBC, 96.2% and 71.2%; HGB, 95.8% and 61.4%;
1
Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, HCT, 91.6% and 79.3%; MCV, 97.5% and 91.9%; MCH,
Box 393, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki, 98.7% and 85.8%; MCHC, 93.6% and 97.0%; WBC, 83.4%
Greece, Thessaloniki, Greece; 2Clinic of Farm Animals, Department and 96.6%; neutrophils, 83.0% and 88.9%; lymphocytes,
88.9% and 99.0%; N:L ratio, 77.9% and 81.0%,; monocytes,
of Clinics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of
77.5% and 72.5%; eosinophils, 99.5% and 96.0%; platelets,
Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki, Greece, Thessaloniki, Greece.
95.7% and 95.0%; TP, 97.0% and 84.3%. For PP8, percent-
age of cows correctly classified compared to DP and PL were:
Objectives: Hematologic profile of Holstein cows has RBC, 99.0% and 92.3%; HGB, 96.7% and 88.8%; HCT, 97.0%
been investigated mostly during peak and mid-lactation and and 96.0%; MCV, 98.6% and 94.7%; MCH, 96.6% and 91.8%;
dry period. However, comparative studies for hematology of MCHC, 91.7% and 92.2%; WBC, 84.1% and 97.1%; neutro-
post-parturient Holstein dairy cows versus the other stages of phils, 89.7% and 88.7%; lymphocytes, 93.7% and 97.0%; N:L
lactation is scarce. Therefore, the objective of this study was to ratio, 83.0% and 72.5%,; monocytes, 97.1% and 92.3%; eo-
establish hematology reference intervals (RIs) from the same sinophils, 99.0% and 94.0%; platelets, 85.4% and 96.0%; TP,
population of Holstein dairy cows during different production 99.0% and 97.6%; fibrinogen, 83.8% and 99.3%.
stages and estimate the percentage of cows correctly classi- Conclusion: More than 10% of cows during the first week
fied if they were used interchangeably. post-partum would be misclassified as non-healthy based on
Material and Methods: Initially, after clinical examina- their hematology profile, if dry period and peak-lactation RIs
tion, 68 dry period (DP) and 87 peak-lactation [PL, between were used. Reference intervals derived from cows in dry peri-
30 and 120 days-in-milk (DIM)] healthy Holstein cows from 10 od or peak lactation are not suitable for fresh cows. Only RIs
dairy herds were enrolled in the study, blood sampled once, specially established for the first week post-partum should be
and used to establish DP and PL RIs. Samples from each used.
cow were collected into 3 sterile vacuum tubes: a) with anti- Keywords: Hematology reference intervals, Holstein dairy
coagulant (K3-EDTA, for hematology), b) with 3.2% Sodium cows, post-partum period.
Citrate (for fibrinogen), and c) without anticoagulant [for total
protein (TP) concentration]. Complete Blood Count (CBC), fi-
brinogen and TP concentrations were determined using AD-
VIA 120 hematology analyzer, QBC VetAutoread, and ATAGO
Τ2-ΝΕ desk refractometer respectively. Relevant RIs (DP
and PL) were established with the Reference Value Advisor
v.2.1. freeware. Subsequently, 1,021 Holstein cows from the
same 10 herds were blood-sampled twice during the imme-
diate post-partum period (on DIM2 and DIM8). Samples were
collected and analyzed as previously described. These 1,021

263
IM-17 with physiotherapy may be effective. Further studies are nec-

essary, increasing the number of cases to be analysed, in or-
Use of epidural long action steroids on calving paralysis der to ensure with certainty the effectiveness of this treatment.
treatment
Keywords: Calving paralysis, epidural, methylpredniso-
Francisco Gálvez Sánchez1, Carlos Coronel Araújo2, Javier Blanco lone.
Murcia2, Michela Re2, Isabel Romero1.
Javier Blanco y Asociados Servicios Veterinarios, Los Molinos, Spain;
1
Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary

2
Medicine, University Complutense, Madrid, Spain.

IM-18
Objectives: Calving paralysis is a syndrome that involve Bright blindness in a goat flock associated with fern
motor and/or sensitive disability and proprioception deficit of (Pteridium aquilinum) intake
the hind limbs. This syndrome can present in different ways
Maite Rodríguez Hernandorena, Asier Albite, Jorge Gimeno, Marina
with a marked abduction associated to inability to adduce the
Ríos, Janira Magreñán, Paula Artigot, Paula Pacual, Jose Antonio
hind limbs. Cows were diagnosed with one or more neuro-
García Del Jalón, Enrique Castells, Luis Miguel Ferrer, María Climent.
logical syndromes: sciatic, tibial paresis, obturator or femoral,
based on clinical findings consistent with damage to these pe- Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
ripheral nerves or their nerve roots. These cases of paralysis
are more common in beef cattle since they are directly related
Objectives: In the month of August 2021, a clinical case of
to prolonged or dystocic calving, due to a maternal-fetal dis-
blindness in a goat flock was referred to the Ruminant Clinical
proportion. The treatment that has been commonly established
Service of the University of Zaragoza by a practitioner work-
for this syndrome is based on systemic steroids and NSAIDs
ing in the Basque Country (Spain). Affected animals belong
(nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), B-Complex vitamins to a pet flock of 12 Valais breed goats reared in an exten-
and physiotherapy. This conventional treatment has shown sive production system.The goats were grazing in a 4-hectare
relative success, being calving paralysis a syndrome that can field along with some animals of other species. According to
hardly be reversed in beef cattle. The objective of this study the veterinarian, there was little food in the pasture, and ferns
is to provide a new tool for the calving paralysis treatment, predominated, which the farmer reported that the goats ate
through the application of methylprednisolone acetate epidural greedily.
route. This innovative therapy is based on human medicine
studies in which use this way to treat low back pain with very The practitioner referred that in June 2021, six goats were
few systemic side effects. Applying epidural steroids, we get presented with nervous clinical signs. After neurological ex-
them to act directly by spreading from the epidural canal to pe- amination, he noticed almost complete blindness in all six an-
ripheral nerves, thus decreasing the perineural inflammation imals.
that has occurred, encouraging a faster recovery. Material and methods: A clinical examination of the af-
fected animals was performed. They presented a low body
Material and methods: This retrospective clinical study
condition (2/5), heart and breath rates were normal, as well as
gathers the cases of 21 beef cows with calving paralysis. All
body temperature. In addition, the examination revealed mild
patients underwent a clinical examination and a thorough
blindness as the only neurological clinical sign. The farmer re-
medical and musculoskeletal clinical examination including
ferred that goats presented a bright greenish light in the eyes
flexor-withdrawal and sensitive test, that showed recumben-
at night.
cy and sensory incapacity of their hind limbs, so they were
treated with methylprednisolone acetate (0.5mg/kg) epidural One of the goats died and was referred to the Pathological
route, being able to repeat the treatment at 10-15 days if it Service of the Veterinary Science Faculty for the post-mortem
were necessary. All epidurals were performed between 0 and exam. Cerebellum, encephalon and the eyes were taken for
24 hours postcalving. Along with the epidural, every cow re- histopathology, while sterile swabs were collected for microbi-
ceived a dose of NSAIDs. This study shows the follow-up of all ology and Rt-PCR.
these cases, until the patient is properly able to stand up or, on Results: A differential diagnosis was carried out based
the contrary, the death or sacrifice of the cow. on the clinical signs and the history. Some disorders such as
Results: The treatment based in the application of meth- heavy metal or fern intoxication were taken into consideration.
ylprednisolone acetate [Depo-Moderin®] (0.5mg/kg) epidural Likewise, listeriosis, vitamin A or B deficiency and individual
route was successful in 72% of the patients studied, getting up causes such as retinal detachment, cataracts or an eye ulcer
on their own on different days: 60% of the cows were able to were included in the differential diagnosis.
stand up on the first 2 days, 27% of the cows on the 3rd or 4th The main suspicion was intoxication based on the chron-
day, and the remaining 13% from the 10th day. ic ingestion of fern (Pteridium aquilinum) referred to by the
Conclusions: In calving paralysis, the longer the cow farmer. These plants contain high concentrations of ptaqui-
remains in decubitus position, the worse the prognosis. So, loside, a toxic component that causes stenosis in the retinal
with this results, the use of epidural long action steroids is vessels damaging and vanishing the layer of rods and cones
proposed as a treatment to improve the prognosis and accel- completely. This narrowness caused an increase in tapetum
erate the recovery of patients. If the patient has a good body lucidum reflectance,which is called "bright blindness".
condition and is alert, epidural long action steroids combined Microbiological study and Rt-PCR showed negative results

264
for Listeria monocytogenes, and thus the necropsy revealed it Ingelheim Animal Health Austria, Vienna, Austria; 21Boehringer
was not an inflammatory process but degenerative. Ingelheim Animal Health META Ltd, Dubai, United Arab Emirates;
At the post mortem macroscopic examination, there were
22
Boehringer Ingelheim Switzerland, Basel, Switzerland.
no major findings in the brain, and no signs of cerebrocortical
necrosis were found under ultraviolet light. The following histo- Objectives: This abstract summarises the outputs of an
pathological study only revealed representative damage in the expert group of calf health professionals, who met remotely
eye: the layer of rods and cones had almost completely dis- to discuss this topic in October 2021. The objective was to
appeared, and the consequent retinal degeneration reached provide an updated, qualitative assessment of the current
the macula. challenges on farm with regards to calf scour, including diag-
Conclusions: The ingestion of Pteridium aquilinum is as- nostic methods used and opportunities for improvement. The
sociated with intoxication that can have an acute or chronic ultimate objective was to help vets to re-establish themselves
evolution with different clinical pictures. Acute poisoning, also as the go-to people for calf scour on farm.
called haemorrhagic fever, is more common in cattle than Material and methods: A meeting was held on 6th October
sheep and presents the characteristic clinical picture of a hae- 2021, using the Zoom virtual meeting platform. Ten calf health
morrhagic syndrome. The continued intake of low doses of experts from across Europe and the Middle East attended,
toxins (chronic intoxication) is associated with the appearance along with 13 Boehringer Ingelheim technical managers with
of bovine enzootic haematuria, gastrointestinal carcinomas, extensive calf health experience. Six of the experts were in
polioencephalomalacia (action of thiamine) and a particular the same room as their country BI technical managers. Partic-
form of the disease described in sheep known as "bright blind- ipants engaged in a 2 hour workshop, covering 4 main areas,
ness". This clinical picture has not been described so far in with interaction through the Miro whiteboard platform. Firstly,
goats. participants were asked about the rational and emotional chal-
Progressive bilateral blindness characterises this disor- lenges of veterinarians and farmers from calf scour. Secondly,
der due to a degeneration of the retinal neuroepithelium. The participants considered the methods of detecting the causes
eyes glow abnormally in the gloom. There is no inflammation of and contributors to diarrhoea, and methods of treatment.
or opacity of the cornea. After the eye exam, the veins and Thirdly, participants were asked to consider the strategies for
arteries are narrower, and the main vessels are more separate dealing with these causes. And lastly, participants were asked
than normal. to consider the opportunities for reducing the impact of calf
diarrhoea.
Keywords: Brigth Blindness, Fern, Goat.
Results: In considering the rational challenges of diar-
rhoea in calves for the vet and farmer, there is often poor un-
derstanding among farmers of the disease, including econom-
ic impact, and the need for prevention as well as treatment.
Investigation of a disease outbreak often requires a much
IM-19
larger investigation to consider underlying contributing factors
A Consensus on Calf Scour – Repositioning Vets at the such as general health status, hygiene, nutrition and the trans-
Centre of the Solution fer of passive immunity. Farmers find treatment difficult and
time-consuming, therefore it needs to be straightforward, and
Matt Yarnall1, Marie-Louise Ryan2, Susana Astiz Blanco3, Alice involvement of the vet is required to help appreciate the “big-
Nothhelfer4, Sabrina Bertani5, Henk Schooneveld6, Bart Pardon7, ger picture”. Vaccination should have a good ROI and farmers
Thomas Vahlenkamp8, Trine Fredslund Matthiesen9, Barbara must remember to continue vaccinating after the disease has
Wolfger10, Ibrahim Haggag11, Sioned Timothy12, Manuel Cervino13, gone.
Arnaud Bolon14, Nicola Morandi15, Monique Driesse16, Jo Maris17,
When considering the emotional challenges of diarrhoea,
Martina Bechter18, Thomas Manske19, Philipp Kukla20, Mohamed
the vet needs to be recognised as the expert and to feel con-
Alnahrawy21, Manfred Lang22. fident in the interventions they recommend. The vet needs to
1
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Ingelheim, Germany; 2Mulcair feel empathy with the farmer, recognising the extra workload
Veterinary Clinic, Cappamore, Republic of Ireland; 3Instituto Nacional that disease brings to farmers, as well as sharing the decision
de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Madrid, Spain; “journey” in developing interventions. The farmer cares about
4
VetHelfer, Chasselay, France; 5Ferraroni mangimi Ltd., Milan, Italy; their animals’ welfare, seeing healthy animals makes them
6
Schoonveldeweg, Koekange, Netherlands; 7Gent University, Merelbeke, feel good and they want to make sure their farm practices are
Belgium; 8Institut für Virologie Zentrum für Infektionsmedizin the best they can be. They want more than just medicines and
Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; 9Gråsten Kvægpraksis, Gråsten, vaccines from their vet and need a good relationship if they are
Denmark; 10Tierarztpraxiswolfger, St. Michael, Austria; 11Al Safi to bring the best to their farm. They want to be confident in the
Danone Dairy farm, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia; 12Boehringer Ingelheim sustainability of their enterprise, but also have time to spend
Animal Health UK, Bracknell, United Kingdom; 13Boehringer Ingelheim with their family now. They also want to give a good image to
Animal Health Spain, Madrid, Spain; 14Boehringer Ingelheim France, the public by producing good, high-quality food.
Lyon, France; 15Boehringer Ingelheim Italy, Milan, Italy; 16Boehringer When considering the methods of identifying the causes
Ingelheim Animal Health Netherlands, Alkmaar, Netherlands; of diarrhoea, a standard clinical examination, as well as an
17
Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Belgium, Brussels, Belgium; investigation of the overall farm environment and calf nutri-
18
Boehringer Ingelheim Germany, Ingelheim, Germany; 19Boehringer tion, are essential. Antigen tests (cow-side and laboratory) and
Ingelheim Animal Health Nordics, Copenhagen, Denmark; 20Boehringer other diagnostic opportunities may more specifically identify

265
an infectious cause. Farm audit and investigation of colostrum

management are also of value. Farmers are often reluctant to
support a full farm audit owing to the cost and time required,
even though non-specific factors may be more significant in
some outbreaks.
On-farm opportunities to reduce the impact of calf diar-
rhoea focus around creating a pride in producing a high-qual-
ity, high-welfare animal, and improving education and under-
standing of the disease (including economic impact) by the
farmer, with the provision of formalised, specific treatment pro-
tocols and improved data recording. Ensuring good colostrum
management is still considered an opportunity for improving
calf health, and technological opportunities to improve the
monitoring of calf health are considered valuable.
Conclusions: The diverse group of calf health experts
identified that there is much potential for improvement on
farm with regards to calf scour. This is despite the relatively
widespread use of vaccines, however the vet has, in some
instances, become disconnected from this discussion. The
consensus of this Calf Expert Group was that vets are ideally
positioned to provide a calf health solution, combining an un-
derstanding of and interventions in management, environment
and immunity of neonatal calves.
Keywords: Calf scour, diarrhoea, consensus, vaccine,
veterinary engagement.

266
ORAL — Immunology and Vaccinology
IV-01 depend on the mycobacterial species. In contrast, the fact that

IL-1β release was higher in neutrophil cultures in response to
Macrophages regulate neutrophils’ IL-1β release in the Map and higher in MDM cultures in response to Mbv suggests
presence of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis a different mode of action that can be species dependent. As
Iraia Ladero1, Angela Holder2, Jeannine Kolakowski2, Heather far as we know, no one has described before the IL-1β produc-
Harris2, Joseba Garrido1, Natalia Elguezabal1, Dirk Werling2. tion in response to Map by neutrophils. These findings support
an important role of bovine neutrophils against Map triggering
NEIKER – Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and
1
the Th17 response through IL-1β release and starting an ef-
Development, Derio, Spain; 2Royal Veterinary College (RVC), Hatfield, fective response phagocytosing and immobilising bacteria with
United Kingdom. their NETs. As a consequence macrophages are attracted by
IL-1β production and phagocytose neutrophils, being provided
Objective: The main objective was to test the impact of IL- with the antimicrobial compounds that result from neutrophils’
1β secretion and extracellular trap (ET) formation by neutro- first contact with MAP.
phils on inflammasome activation of macrophages in response Keywords: Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculo-
to Mycobacterium bovis BCG (Mbv) and Mycobacterium avi- sis, Mycobacterium bovis, Neutrophils, Macrophages, IL-1β.
um subsp. paratuberculosis (Map).
Material & Methods: Blood was extracted from healthy
cows (300 ml, n=5). Monocytes were isolated using anti-
CD14-coupled microbeads (Miltenyi®) after peripheral blood
mononuclear cell (PBMC) isolation with Lymphoprep®. 1x105 IV-02
monocytes were grown in 96 well plates supplemented with
recombinant bovine M-CSF at 37°C and 5% CO2 for 7 days Efficacy of a live Trichophyton verrucosum vaccine for
to generate monocyte derived macrophages (MDMs). Neutro- control of bovine dermatophytosis in veal calves
phils were isolated after the Lymphoprep® isolation step, by
Flaminia Valentini1, Isabella Nicola2, Edoardo Ramacciotti3, Alberto
hypotonic lysis to eliminate red blood cells and were seed-
Garofalo1, Giulia Cagnotti1, Antonio D'Angelo1, Paola Gianella1,
ed 2x105cells/well in 96 well plates. Cultures of MDMs and
Claudio Bellino1.
neutrophils from the same cow were incubated separately and
together. Cultures were stimulated with PMA, zymosan, Map 1
Department of Veterinary Sciences, Torino, Italy; 2Université de
K10-GFP and Mbv-GFP and incubated for 4 hours at 37°C Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Canada; 3Veterinary practitioner, Torino,
and 5% CO2 in 96 well plates for fluorimetric estimation of ET Italy.
and in 24 well plates containing round-coverslides for ET visu-
alization by confocal microscopy after immunostaining against
histones and neutrophil elastase. IL-1β levels were measured Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the safety
in culture supernatants with a specific bovine IL-1β ELISA kit and the efficacy of a single dose injection of a commercially
(Invitrogen®). available live Trichophyton verrucosum vaccine for control of
ringworm in veal calves.
Results: Fluorimetric assay results revealed that ET re-
lease was higher in MDM-neutrophil co-cultures (Map: 16%, Materials e methods: A blinded case-control clinical trial
Mbv: 18%) compared to neutrophils (Map: 12%, Mbv: 11%) was carried out on 709 veal calves of both sexes reared in
and MDM cultures (Map: 5%, Mbv: 9%) after stimulation with multiple stalls in two farms of Piedmont region, in which the
mycobacteria. prevalence of dermatophytosis was about 30%. Animals of
both herds were randomly divided into two groups: Exp) ex-
MDM cultures showed more IL-1β release against Mbv
perimental group (n = 340) and Ctr) control group (n =369). In
(55-60pg/ml) than MDM-neutrophil co-cultures (20-24pg/ml)
each group, calves with and without dermatological lesions
and neutrophil (21-22pg/ml) cultures. However, neutrophils
were matched. The Exp group received a single dose of the
released more IL-1β when challenged with Map (57-68pg/ml)
commercially available live vaccine against Trichophyton
than MDM- neutrophil co-cultures (13-19pg/ml) and MDM cul-
verrucosum (TRICHOBEN, Bioveta a.s) inoculated intramus-
tures (27-38pg/ml).
cularly in the neck 20 days after their arrival in farm (T0),
ET formation was seen in neutrophil cultures stimulated while the control group did not receive anything. Calf were
with Mbv or Map. MDMs with internalized Mbv and Map were examined at T0 and at 5 subsequent experimental times:
seen in MDM cultures. In MDM-neutrophil co-cultures, Mbv T1=35 d; T2= 55 d; T3= 75 d; T4= 80d; T5 = 95d. A thor-
and Map stimulation caused a loss of cell integrity leaving only ough physical examination was performed in order to identify
a few MDMs with internalized mycobacteria. possible local or systemic side effects and a dermatological
Conclusions: Neutrophils have been implicated in the examination was performed in order to assessed the number
pathogenesis of bovine paratuberculosis (PTB) and tubercu- of lesions of ringworm (typical annular, rick, grayish-white
losis (TB), but their role is not yet well defined and increasing crust lesion) present on each calf. Data was expressed as
knowledge in this field can aid in better vaccine designing. IL- mean ± standard deviation (SD). The Student t test and the
1β has shown to be important for host resistance to human tu- z statistic were then used in order to assess differences be-
berculosis infection. Here we present data generated by using tween groups over experimental times. Statistical differences
an ex vivo assay designed to study the interaction of bovine were set at p <.05. The Bonferroni p correction method was
neutrophils with MDMs during mycobacterial infection. used for multiple comparisons. Statistical analysis was per-
ET release results suggest that this mechanism may not formed using R 3.4.3.

267
Results: No local or systemic side effects were observed Federal de Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil; 5Universidade Cruzeiro
in animals that received a single dose of the vaccine. do Sul, São Paulo, Brazil.
Overall, 217 out 709 calves (30.6%) showed lesions of
ringworm at T0. The percentage of animals of the Exp group Vaccines for bovine S. aureus intramammary infections
that showed dermatological lesions was 32,4% (n=110) at T0, (IMIs) have been pursued for decades and approaches have
17,4% (n=59) at T1, 10,3% (n= 35) at T2, 1,2% (n=4) at T3, focused mainly on opsonic antibody response aiming anti-
0,6% (n= 2) at T4 and 0,3% (n=1) at T5. The percentage of body-mediated bacterial clearance. However, immunoglobu-
animals of the Ctr group that showed dermatological lesions lins do not provide enough protection, and consequently the
was 29,0% (n=107) at T0, 19.5% (n=72) at T1, 8,4% (n= 31) available mastitis vaccines only result in the reduction of the
at T2, 3,2% (n=12) at T3, 1,3% (n= 5) at T4 and 0,5% (n=2) at severity of clinical cases and increase the odds of cure of
T5. Overall, the number of calves that showed dermatological pre-existing cases of S. aureus IMIs. To be effective, the ideal
lesions decreased significantly in both herds and groups over S. aureus mastitis vaccine should either prevent infection or
all experiment intervals (p < .0001). No statistical differenc- clear the bacteria from the mammary gland shortly after infec-
es were found between Ctr and Exp group over experimental tion. It would seem that S. aureus mastitis vaccine that meets
times (p < .05). The average number of lesions recorded per these criteria has not been developed yet. Thus, here we
animal in Exp group was 9,01 (± 9,9) at T0, 7,1 (± 10,1) at T1, aimed to evaluate the expansion of a protective population of
3,2 (± 2,9) at T2 and 3 (± 1,8) at T3. Two calves showed 2 γδ T cells subpopulation (Vγ4+) in mice vaccinated with three
lesions at T4 while one showed 3 lesions at T5. The average Staphylococcus aureus recombinant proteins with a potential
number of lesions per animal recorded in Ctr group was 9,2 to prevent new intramammary infections in association or not
(± 13,3) at T0, 9,1 (± 12,1) T1, 8,7 (± 14,0) at T2 and 5,5 (± with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-
6,4) a T3 and 5,8 (± 4,3) at T4. Two calves showed 1 and 9 CSF) DNA vaccine, which could boost antigen presentation.
lesions respectively at T5. The average number of lesions did For the present study were used 18 mice (six mice per group)
not significantly differ between Ctr and Exp group over the five C57bl/6J lineage with six weeks of age. The animals were
experimental times (p > .05). divided in three groups, each group with a different vaccine
Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest protocol. Firstly, we produced three S. aureus recombinant
that ringworm had a high prevalence among veal calves. proteins ATP synthase subunit alpha (SAS); succinyl-diamino-
Since Trichophyton verrucosum infection is influenced largely pimelate desuccinylase (SDD); and cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase
by immunological status, young animals are probably the most (CTS), that was previously identified as potential candidates
susceptible. As previously reported for different vaccine formu- for preventing new IMIs in a previous study carried out by our
lations, any local or systemic effect following vaccine admin- research group using serum immunoproteomics. Beyond that,
istration was observed in the present study. When comparing we also produce a DNA vaccine for granulocyte-macrophage
the experimental and control groups, a single administration stimulating factor (GM-CSF). The first group (G1) received the
of a T. verrucosum live vaccine to veal calves with ringworm recombinant proteins and saponin as adjuvant at days 14, 28
did not seem to hasten the resolution of lesions. However, the and 42, and the second group (G1) received the same recom-
significantly decrease of infected animals in the non vaccinate binant proteins and the GM-CSF at day 0. The third group (G3)
group suggests that spontaneous recovery, with a low spread received just the adjuvant saponin and serve as a unvaccinat-
of the disease, is likely in younger veal calves. Further studies ed control group. The spleen’s γδ T cells subpopulation (Vγ4+)
are needed to evaluated if a protocol with 2 vaccine injection was determined by flow cytometry using a specific monoclonal
could increase the efficacy of the commercial live vaccine in antibody. We choose this population because the expansion
preventing/treating Trichophyton verrucosum ringworm in veal of this lymphocyte population has been associated with pro-
calves. tective against subsequent infections. The data were analyzed
Keywords: Bovine dermatophytosis, Trichophyton verru- using the FlowJo software (Becton, Dickinson and Company,
cosum, live vaccine, veal calves. Oregon, United States). Statistical analysis was performed
using GraphPad Prism 7 (GraphPad Software, Inc., San Di-
ego, USA). Firstly, the data were tested for normality of the
distribution using the Shapiro-Wilk test. As the data showed
Gaussian distribution, the data were subjected to a variance
analysis followed by Tukey’s test. The animals that received
IV-03
the three Staphylococcus aureus recombinant proteins with
A step toward an effective vaccine against Staphylococcus a potential to prevent new intramammary infections together
aureus mastitis in a mouse model with the GM-CSF DNA vaccine showed the highest percent-
age of this cell population .(4.40 + 8.53; P = 0.01), followed by
Kamila Reis Santos1, Fernando Nogueira Souza2, Marcos Bryan those that received just the recombinant proteins (2.94 + 0.28;
Heinemann1, Eduardo Milton Ramos Sanchez3, Luiza Campos Reis3, P = 0.03), which both are statistically different from the unvac-
Hiro Goto3, Adriano França Da Cunha4, Mônica Maria Oliveira cinated control group (2.65 + 0.38). Thus, our immunogenicity
Pinho Cerqueira4, Camila Freitas Batista5, Alice Maria Melville Paiva findings indicated that these recombinant proteins identified in
Della Libera1. a previous serum immunoprotemic study have an important
1
Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade property associated with protective immunity against S. au-
de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; 2Universidade Federal da Paraíba, reus infection.
Paraíba, Brazil; 3Instituto Medicina Tropical da Universidade de São Keywords: Mastitis, immune response, protective immu-
Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; 4Escola de Veterinária da Universidade nity, vaccine, Staphylococcus aureus.

268
IV-04 In vivo assay: fourteen male Holstein-Friesian calves, 10

days old, were randomly allocated to control (milk replacer)
Assessment of in vivo immune and health status parameters and experimental (milk replacer with 1% C. vulgaris) groups.
in Holstein-Friesian calves fed milk replacer supplemented Prior to the beginning of the trial, animals were weighted, clin-
with microalgae displaying in vitro macrophage- ical evaluation was performed, and blood was collected for
stimulatory activity serum IgG and complete hemogram evaluation. Calves were
Ana Rita Violante Pedro1, Margarida Rosa Garcez Maia2, Elisabete fed 7 L of milk replacer (140 g/L) in two equal meals for 42
Gomes Martins3, Carla Mendonça4, Isabel Costa Ramos5, Catarina days. Starter feed, meadow hay and freshwater were provided
Gonçalves6, Tânia Lima7, Cátia Mota8, Joana Laranjeira9, Ana Rita ad libitum. Milk intake and refusals, faecal scores and health
Cabrita2, António Mira Da Fonseca2, Manuel Vilanova10, Alexandra parameters were recorded. Animals were periodically weighed
Correia10. to evaluate average daily gain. Faeces were collected for pH,
short-chain fatty acids and microbiome profiling. Blood was
1
ICBAS/i3S/LAQV/REQUIMTE-UP, Porto, Portugal; 2LAQV/ collected for hemogram and serum cytokine evaluation and
REQUIMTE/ICBAS-UP, Porto, Portugal; 3ADM/EPIUnit-UP/ to isolate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) for as-
EUVG, Coimbra, Portugal; 4Centro de Estudos de Ciência Animal- sessment of proliferation and cytokine production in response
Instituto de Ciências, Tecnologias e Agroambiente-UP, Porto, Portugal; to mitogens; peripheral blood monocytes were challenged with
5
Cooperativa Agrícola de Vila do Conde CRL, Vila do Conde, Portugal; several toll-like receptor (TLR) and C-type Lectin-like recep-
6
International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Braga, Portugal; tor (CLR) agonists to evaluate cytokine expression, and MDM
7
i3S/IBMC-UP, Porto, Portugal; 8ICBAS/LAQV/REQUIMTE-UP, were used for phagocytosis assays.
Porto, Portugal; 9Allmicroalgae, Pataias, Portugal; 10ICBAS/i3S-UP,
Results: Digestion products of C. vulgaris, N. oceanica,
Porto, Portugal.
and Tetraselmis sp., induced mRNA expression and produc-
tion of all assessed cytokines, as well as of ROS by MDM.
Objectives: Morbidity in newborn calves derives most These results indicate that microalgae supplementation has
commonly from gastrointestinal infections and respiratory syn- a stimulatory effect on bovine macrophages. The in vivo sup-
dromes. Although difficult to precise and extremely variable plementation of replacer milk with C. vulgaris had no nega-
among regions, it has devastating effects on animal welfare tive impact on average feed intake, average daily gain, and
and on long-term productivity and profitability. Most neonatal health parameters. Serum cytokines and innate immune cells’
diseases derive from an imbalance in the pressure posed by response (cytokine mRNA and protein expression, phagocy-
pathogens in the surrounding environment and the host im- tosis) were similar between control and experimental groups.
mune response to these pathogens. Maintaining good man- Also, no differences were found between groups regarding
agement practices is crucial to control morbidity rates; never- MDM phagocytosis capacity or PBMC proliferation. Assess-
theless, strategies that could enhance calves’ immunity would ment of faecal pH, short-chain fatty acids and microbiome pro-
be helpful in preventing disease, animal loss, suboptimal per- filing is currently ongoing.
formance, and the overuse of antibiotics. Dietary supplements Conclusions: Microalgae had an immunostimulatory ef-
have been used to enhance calves’ innate and acquired im- fect on bovine macrophages. However, supplementation of
munity. Yeast-derived beta-glucans trigger Dectin-1-mediat- calves’ milk replacer with 1% C. vulgaris did not result in signif-
ed signalling, inducing epigenetic changes in innate immune icant alterations in the evaluated parameters. Higher inclusion
cells, which result in a higher response to a subsequent stim- levels of C. vulgaris may be necessary to evidence putative
ulus (innate memory). Although scarcely studied, microalgae immunomodulatory effects of C. vulgaris supplementation on
are promising alternatives as immune-modulators, due to their
immune and growth parameters in newborn calves.
content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, organic minerals, be-
ta-glucans, and antioxidants. This work addressed the effects Funding: This work received financial support from Fun-
of digestion products of microalgae on bovine innate immune dação para a Ciência e Tecnologia/Ministério da Ciência, Tec-
cells and the use of microalgae as dietary supplements to new- nologia e Ensino Superior (FCT/MCTES) through the project
born calves. We aimed at characterizing the in vitro response UIDB/50006/2020 and through the Project AlgaValor from
of macrophages to these dietary supplements and the zootech- Portugal 2020 (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-035234; LISBOA-01-
nical performance and immune parameters of newborn calves 0247-FEDER-035234; ALG-01-0247-FEDER-035234). AP
fed milk replacer supplemented with 1% Chlorella vulgaris. was supported by phD grant PD/BDE/135540/2018 from FCT/
MCTES, ADM Portugal S.A., and Cooperativa Agrícola de
Material and methods: In vitro assay: Peripheral blood
Vila do Conde. MM was supported by FCT through program
monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM), from eight Hol-
DL57/2016–Norma transitória (SFRH/BPD/70716/2010).
stein-Friesian calves, were stimulated with digestion products
of C. vulgaris, Nannochloropsis oceanica and Tetraselmis sp. Keywords: Bovine, microalgae, dietary supplementation,
Monogastric (pre-ruminant) in vitro digestion of microalgae cytokines.
was performed according to previously described methodol-
ogy. Two different dilutions of digestion products (1:10; 1:100)
were used as representative of 2 and 0.2% supplementation,
respectively, considering a daily intake of 8 L of milk replacer.
Cytokine production (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, IL1β, IL-10), cytokine
mRNA expression (TNFA, IL6, IL8, IL10, IL1 β, IL12A, IL12B
and IL23A), and reactive-oxygen species (ROS) production
were evaluated.

269
IV-06 the neutralizing serum titers against BoNT/D were 2.06 UI for
bovines vaccinated with the toxoid-based vaccine and 4.87 UI
Comparison between immune response observed in cattle for bovines immunized with the recombinant vaccine.
vaccinated with a traditional toxoid vaccine or with the
Conclusions: A two-dose subcutaneous immunization
recombinant Hc-domain of botulinum neurotoxin type C
with the recombinant vaccine stimulated a robust humoral re-
and D
sponse compared with control groups.
Luca Zandonà1, Elena Tonon1, Matteo Cornaggia1, Adriana Di Our results demonstrate that the neutralizing antibodies
Castri1, Ilenia Dirigo1, Christelle Mazuet2, Alessia Rizzardi1, Joachim titers against BoNT/C and BoNT/D stimulated by the recom-
Frey3, Luca Bano1. binant vaccine were respectively 8 and 2 times higher than
1
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Diagnostic and those of the classic toxoid vaccine included in the study. The
Microbiology Laboratory, Treviso, Italy; 2Institut Pasteur, Centre recombinant vaccines encompass the immunogenic part of
National de Référence des Bactéries anaérobies et du Botulisme, Paris, the protein that is biologically inactive, and does not contain
France; 3Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, Bern, Switzerland. formalin, hence it represents a safer tool for operators. The
lack of protective antibodies against BoNT D/C in sera of bo-
vines vaccinated with the recombinant peptides can be ex-
Objective: In the present study, we compared the immune plained with the low structural homologies between the C-ter-
response occurring in cows immunized with the recombinant minal-Hc of BoNT/DC and the C-terminal-Hc of BoNT/D (37%)
heavy chain (Hc) domain of Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin and BoNT/C (77%). To prevent bovine botulism sustained by
(BoNT) type C and D (HcBoNT/C and HcBoNT/D), with that BoNT/DC, a new subunit vaccine set up with the C-terminal
elicited by a commercial toxoid-based vaccine. part of the heavy chain of the mosaic BoNT/DC should be test-
Materials and methods: Ten male calves, four-month-old, ed.
were vaccinated twice with a bivalent (C and D) traditional tox- References:
oid-based vaccine and ten male calves, hosted in the same
1. Stahl C., Unger L., Mazuet C., Popoff M., Straub R.,
stable, at the same age, were vaccinated with three doses of
Frey J. (2009) “Immune response of horses to vacci-
the Hc-BoNT recombinant vaccine. HcBoNT/C and HcBoNT/D
nation with the recombinant Hc domain of botulinum
were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified as previously
neurotoxin types C and D”. Vaccine 27: 5661–5666.
described (1). Besides, five calves were injected three times
with the only adjuvant, while other five were untreated and 2. Hatheway C.L., Dang C. (1994) “Immunogenicity of
were included in the study as negative control. All in vivo ex- the neurotoxins of Clostridium botulinum”. In: Jankovic
periments were approved by the ethical committee and autho- J., Hallett M. (eds) Therapy with botulinum toxin. Mar-
rized by the Italian Ministry of Health (n° 417/2017-PR). cel Dekker, New York, pp 93–107
Serum samples were collected before the first vaccination 3. Nakamura K., Kohda T., Shibata Y., Tsukamoto K.,
and three weeks after the second and the third vaccination. Arimitsu H., Hayashi M., Mukamoto M., Sasakawa N.,
To evidence the antibody response, two ELISA tests were de- Kozaki S. (2012) “Unique biological activity of botuli-
veloped in-house using the immunogens as capture antigens. num D/C mosaic neurotoxin in murine species”. Infect
The neutralizing antibodies were investigated by means of a Immun 80:2886-2893.
mouse protection assay (MPA) performed with BoNT type C, Keywords: Botulism, recombinant vaccine, cattle.
D and D/C (2). The neutralizing titer was quantified using two
reference antitoxins.
Results: The group of cows vaccinated with the recombi-
nant vaccine showed an average antibody titre of 1.031 ELI-
SA units (EU) for type C and 1.14 EU for type D. In contrast, IV-07
the average titre in animals vaccinated with the bivalent toxoid
vaccine was lower, i.e. 0.461 EU for type C and 0.182 for type Reduction in BRD cases and antibiotics consumption using
D. dry cow vaccination combined with early intranasal calf
The average antibody titers in untreated animals and an- vaccination in a commercial Danish dairy farm
imals inoculated with the adjuvant were 0.171 EU and 0.097 Jørgen Kragsig Olesen1, Jonna Hjorth2, Henrik Schmidt2, Marina
EU, respectively. Solé3, Martijn Seelie3.
After two vaccinations, the mouse protection assay per-
Kvægdyrlægerne Midt, Bording, Denmark; 2HIPRA Nordic ApS,
1
formed with BoNT type C revealed average neutralizing titers
VEJEN, Denmark; 3HIPRA laboratorios, Amer, Spain.
of 5.1 International Units (UI)/ml in bovines vaccinated with
the recombinant vaccine or 0.625 UI/ml in those vaccinated
with the toxoid vaccine. Despite the high humoral response Objectives: Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) has a
evidenced by ELISA, the mouse protection assay performed considerable negative impact on production economics and
with BoNT type D/C did not show any protection titre after two on calf welfare, as well as a major impact on antibiotic con-
vaccinations and the antibody response recorded after the sumption. The objective of this case study was to measure
third vaccination was equal (1.25-2.5 UI/ml) to that obtained the changes in number of BRD treatments and the impact on
with the toxoid vaccine after two vaccinations. This result is antibiotic usage in the period 1-120 days of life when vaccinat-
probably due to the limited homology of the HcBoNT/DC with ing dry cows with HIPRABOVIS® SOMNI/Lkt (M. haemolytica
the HcBoNT/D (37%) and HcBoNT/C (77%) (3). The means of leucotoxoid & H. somni vaccine - HIPRA) in combination with

270
early intranasal calf vaccination with NASYM (live attenuated IV-09

BRSV vaccine - HIPRA).
Single-shot vaccines against bovine respiratory syncytial
Materials and methods: A closed 285-cow dairy herd lo-
virus (BRSV): comparative evaluation of long-term
cated in Denmark, with an average of 14 heifer calves born per
protection after immunisation in presence of BRSV-specific
month, experienced massive BRD problems among calves
maternal antibodies
from the first days of life until 2 months of age.
Newborn calves are fed 3.8 L of good quality colostrum Jean François Valarcher1, Sara Hägglund1, Katarina Näslund1, Luc
(Brix>22%) and are housed individually the first two days of Jouneau2, Ester Malmström3, Olivier Boulesteix4, Anne Pinard4, Dany
life. After this they are housed in pairs. From approximately Leguéré4, Alain Deslis4, David Gauthier4, Catherine Dubuquoy2,
three weeks of age, they are housed 6 calves per pen. Vincent Pietralunga2, Aude Rémot5, Alexander Falk6, Ganna
Shevchenko7, Sara Bergström Lind7, Claudia Von Brömssen8, Karin
Vaccination protocol: Dry cows are vaccinated subcuta-
Vargmar9, María Jose Rodriguez10, Marga Garcia Duran10, Isabelle
neously with HIPRABOVIS® SOMNI/Lkt around dry-off and a
Schwartz-Cornil2, Geraldine Taylor11, Sabine Riffault2.
2nd dose 3-4 weeks later. NASYM is applied intranasally in
calves during the first week of life. 1
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Dept. of Clinical Sciences,
Treatment data were gathered from April 2019 until De- Ruminant medicine, Host Pathogen Interaction Group, Uppsala,
cember 2021. Sweden; 2Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, INRAE, VIM, Jouy-en-
Josas, France; 3Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Dept. of
A period of 12 months of vaccination is compared with a
Clinical Sciences, Ruminant medicine, Host Pathogen Interaction
12-month period prior to vaccination. An analysis of the first
Group, Uppsala, France; 4INRAE, PFIE, Nouzilly, France; 5Université
120 days of life of all heifers born during the two periods has
de Tours, INRAE, ISP, Jouy-en-Josas, France; 6Uppsala University,
been performed. Bull calves are not included in the dataset as
Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry-BMC, Uppsala,
they are sold at the age of 2-5 weeks.
Sweden; 7Uppsala University, Analytical Chemistry, Department of
The number of BRD treatments and days under treatment Chemistry-BMC, Uppsala, Sweden; 8Swedish University of Agricultural
pre- and post-vaccination was compared in order to estimate Sciences, Dept. of Energy and Technology, Unit of Applied Statistics and
the impact of vaccination on the disease. Treatments are con- Mathematics, Uppsala, Sweden; 9Swedish University of Agricultural
sidered as a new case if there are 14 days or more between Sciences, Dept. of Biomedicine and Veterinary Public Health, Uppsala,
cases. Sweden; 10Inmunología y Genética Aplicada, S.A. (INGENASA),
Results: Heifers born during the vaccination period had a Madrid, Spain; 11The Pirbright Institute, Woking, United Kingdom.
significantly lower risk of experiencing one or more BRD treat-
ments during their first 120 days of life compared to the heifers Objectives: The objectives of this work were to compare
born during the 12-month period prior to the start of vaccina- the safety and the long-term clinical and virological protection
tion. The average number of BRD treatments per heifer was induced by three single-shot vaccines against bovine respira-
significantly reduced, from 1.04 before the start of vaccination tory syncytial virus (BRSV) in calves with BRSV-specific ma-
to 0.36 in the vaccination period (p<0.001). A significant re- ternally derived antibodies (MDA).
duction was seen in the percentage of animals treated (from
Materials and methods: Four groups of six 3.5 to 8 week-
73.5% to 30.8% p<0.001), and in the risk of being treated
old calves with BRSV-specific MDA were vaccinated either
more than once (from 23.9% to 4.1% p<0.001).
with i) 100 μg of the stabilised pre-fusion form of the BRSV
If we consider the number of therapeutic days, there is a F protein (PreF) in 2 ml ISA 61 VG adjuvant (MontanideTM,
significant reduction from 8.62 before vaccination to 1.92 days SEPPIC, France) intramuscularly (i.m) ii) 5 x 106 PFU of ΔSHr-
of treatment per animal in the vaccination period, which means BRSV intranasally (i.n) or iii) one dose of a commercial vac-
a reduction of 78%, with a corresponding decrease in antibi- cine (CV) containing BRSV strain 375 (105.0-107.2 Cell Culture
otic consumption. Infective Dose 50 %, Zoetis, France) i.n., or iv) were inject-
The reduction in therapeutic days was significant through- ed with a placebo consisting of 2 ml of ISA 61 VG i.m. Three
out the entire study (p<0.001) but was highly significant from months later, calves were challenged with BRSV Snook strain
1-60 days of life. by aerosol and were monitored during 13 days post challenge.
Conclusions: On a 285-cow dairy farm with known respi- Clinical, immunological, virological and pathological investiga-
ratory problems in calves, dry cow vaccination with HIPRA- tions as well as mass spectrometry-based proteomic analyses
BOVIS® SOMNI/Lkt and intranasal vaccination of the young were performed to assess the vaccine efficacy and safety.
calves with NASYM resulted in a reduction of average number Results: In line with previous results from this experimen-
of BRD treatments per animal from 1.04 to 0.36 (p<0.001). tal model, all controls developed mild to severe clinical signs
The number of therapeutic days was reduced significantly of respiratory disease. All vaccinated calves were clinically
by 78% (p<0.001), with a corresponding decrease in antibi- protected to some extent. The PreF vaccine tended to afford
otic consumption. The reduction was noted in both the num- better clinical protection than either ΔSHrBRSV or the CV.
ber of animals treated, and in the risk of being treated more Virus RNA was detected by RT-qPCR, in all controls and in
than once. The reduction in therapeutic days was significant all ΔSHrBRSV- and CV-immunised calves, but not in 3/6 and
throughout the entire study (p<0.001) but was highly signifi- 4/6 PreF-immunised calves, in nasal secretions and broncho-
cant from 1-60 days of life. alveolar lavage (BAL), respectively. Based on the area under
Keywords: BRD, VACCINATION, Intranasal, passive im- the curves of the nasal virus shedding, PreF induced a 10-fold
munity, cow vaccination. better protection than ΔSHrBRSV and a 100-fold better pro-

271
tection than the CV. Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate and de-
At necropsy, although performed 13 days post challenge, termine the immunoglobulin G content of colostrum in Finn-
lesions of interstitial pneumonia and emphysema were pres- ish beef cows by digital Brix refractometer and ELISA (en-
ent in 6/6 controls and 3/6 CV-vaccinated calves, whereas zyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Colostrum quality of beef
none or only very limited lesions were observed in calves cows has not previously been studied in Finland at the cow or
vaccinated with PreF or ∆SHrBRSV. Histopathological anal- farm level.
ysis revealed an acute to subacute bronchointerstitial pneu- Material & Methods: The study was conducted on Finnish
monia in controls, with an increased infiltration of neutrophils beef cow farms in the spring of 2021. Colostrum samples were
in the airways, compared to that in vaccinated calves. Based collected from 19 farms. The farm collected calving and co-
on BAL cytology and proteomic data with a focus on neutro- lostrum related data and took colostrum samples; in total 137
phil proteins, calves immunised with PreF or ΔSHrBRSV were colostrum samples; 6 to 25 samples per farm. The colostrum
significantly better protected than those immunised with the samples were frozen in the farm and sent later to laboratory.
CV. Three PreF-immunised calves had the highest number of The breeds of the cows were Hereford (n=37), Aberdeen an-
eosinophils in a lung section, however no adverse clinical re- gus (n=42) and other beef breed (n=43). Immunoglobulin G
actions were observed. (IgG) levels were evaluated via total solids with a digital Brix
In contrast to ΔSHrBRSV and the CV, PreF induced meter (Atago PAL-S, Atago CO, Japan) and determined by
BRSV-specific humoral responses pre challenge in most an- ELISA (Bovine IgG ELISA kit, Bethyl Laboratories, Inc., Texas,
imals, such as BRSV-neutralising antibodies in 4/6 calves by USA). The measurement results were collected in an Excel
D56 post vaccination (PV) (36 days pre challenge). On D84 (Microsoft Office 365) and the statistical analysis was per-
PV (8 days pre-challenge), PreF-vaccinated calves had sig- formed with Stata software version 17.0 MP-Parallel Edition,
nificantly higher titres of BRSV-specific serum IgG, and IgG1, (Texas, USA). The association of IgG content and variables
than those vaccinated with ΔSHrBRSV or the CV. Addition- was evaluated with a regression model. Variables included to
ally, BRSV-specific serum IgG2 levels tended to be high- the colostrum model were farm, parity and breed of the dam.
er in PreF-vaccinated calves than in calves immunized with The correlation between Brix measurement and IgG was test-
ΔSHrBRSV or the CV on D84 PV. All three vaccines primed ed with Pearson pairwise correlation test.
for rapid IgG responses following BRSV challenge and PreF Results: Total solids Brix percentages of the beef cow's
primed for neutralising antibodies, but not IgA, in contrast to colostrum were median 24.5%, mean 24.7% and standard de-
ΔSHrBRSV and the CV. BRSV-specific and IFNγ expressing viation (sd) 3.84%. Immunoglobulin G levels in the beef cow's
T cells were detected by ELISpot in two CV-immunised calves colostrum were median 122.0 g / l, mean 128.7 g / l and sd
84 days PV and in several calves in all groups 13 days PI, but 40.5 g / l. Dam’s parity did not affect the IgG results of colos-
without any significant differences between calves from the trum(p> 0.05). Breed and farm were highly associated to each
different groups. other and both were associated with IgG when set separate-
Conclusions: The i.m. PreF-based BRSV-vaccine in- ly into the final model. Aberdeen angus cows had higher IgG
duced slightly better clinical protection and a stronger viro- content in colostrum compared to Herefords or the group other
logical protection than the two i.n. live-attenuated vaccines breeds (coeff 23.8; p=0.006). Also the farm was associated to
(ΔSHrBRSV and CV), in calves having BRSV-specific MDA the IgG content of colostrum (Wald’s test p=0.02). The lowest
at vaccination. Overall, ΔSHrBRSV performed better than the herd level mean IgG content was 89.3 g / l, and highest 173,0
CV for pathological and virological protection. No safety prob- g /l.
lems were observed after vaccination and challenge. Finally, Conclusion: IgG levels in beef cow's colostrum were suffi-
as a subunit vaccine, PreF allows the development of a DIVA cient in all farms. IgG levels in beef cow colostrum differed be-
(differentiation between infected and vaccinated animals) test tween breeds and farms. Affordable Brix meters can be used
that can facilitate monitoring the efficacy and the safety of the as a tool to predict colostrum quality to ensure sufficient calf
vaccine in the field. The vaccine can additionally be used in immunity in beef farms.
control programs. Keywords: Beef cow, Colostrum, IgG, Brix, ELISA.
Keywords: BRSV, vaccine, PreF, ΔSHrBRSV, long-term
protection.
IV-11
IV-10 Evaluation of the influence of vaccination with a Type 1 and

Type 2 BVDV vaccine on the milk yield of lactating cows
Immunoglobulin G levels in beef cow colostrum in Finland
Lucy Metcalfe1, Kathrin Sommer2, Christian Guidarini1, Matthew
Tuomo Kähkönen1, Heli Simojoki1, Heidi Härtel2, Tuire Tuukkanen2, Yarnall1.
Maiju Pesonen3. 1
Boehringer Ingelheim, Ingelheim, Germany; 2Boehringer Ingelheim,
1
University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; 2HKScan Finland Oy, Turku, Hannover, Germany.
Finland; 3Natural Resources Institute Finland, Ruukki, Finland.
Objective: To determine whether there was an influence
of vaccination with Bovela on milk yield in lactating dairy cows

272
under field conditions. IV-12

Materials and Methods: This field study was a random-
Impacts of meloxicam on IBR, BRSV, PI3, and CV titers
ized, blinded and negative controlled study according to the
and morbidity when administered concurrently with a
principles of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) in lactating cows.
modified-live respiratory vaccine in abruptly-weaned beef
A total of 139 lactating cows in their high lactation phase, be-
calves
tween 1 month after calving and 6 months of lactation, with
different serological BVDV status were included in the study. Elizabeth R. Homerosky, Craig Dorin.
Seven of the study animals were excluded before adminis-
Veterinary Agri-Health Services, Ltd., Airdrie, Canada.
tration of IVP. Sixty-six (66) animals (group 2) were vaccinat-
ed once with a commercial titre of 105 TCID50 / 2 ml vaccine.
The same number of animals in the control group (group 1) Objectives: The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories
received 2 ml of solvent (WPBS). The test and control items (NSAIDs) to mitigate pain and inflammation following stressful
were administered intramuscularly (i.m.) in the same manner. events or painful procedures has become common practice in
Daily milk yield, compared between both groups, was the the beef industry. However, a recent in-house study revealed
primary parameter measured using an automatic milking sys- that calves administered meloxicam on arrival at the feedlot
tem from one week before (day post vaccination (DPV) -7) were more likely to be treated for bovine respiratory disease
vaccine administration until day 21, termination of the study. (P=0.035). It remains unknown if the increased risk was due
The experimental unit was the lactating cow. For each animal to impaired inflammatory response, decreased vaccination re-
a baseline was calculated as the mean of the daily milk yields sponse, or a combination thereof. The objective of this study
of DPV-7 – 0. The absolute changes from baseline and per- was to determine the effect of meloxicam on vaccination re-
cent changes from the preceding seven days were calculated sponse and health by measuring titers for infectious bovine
per animal for each day post vaccination (study days 1 – 21) rhinotracheitis (IBR), bovine respiratory syncytial virus, para-
and the mean daily milk yields were calculated per animal for influenza 3, and coronavirus at three time points during the
each study week post vaccination. The period after vaccina- feeding period.
tion was divided into 3 segments (DPV 1-7, DPV 8-14 and Materials and Methods: For this randomized controlled
DPV 15-21). blinded clinical trial, 271 abruptly-weaned 650lb. steer calves
Other parameters investigated were BVD-related clinical were inducted into a single pen at an Alberta feedlot during
signs, rectal temperature, mastitis, injection site and BVDV-1 October 2018. Upon induction, a venous blood sample was
and BVDV-2 specific antibodies. collected and calves received a 5-way modified-live respira-
Results: The mean daily milk yield ranged between mini- tory vaccine, 8-way clostridial vaccine, growth implant, anthel-
mum of 26.43L on DPV 9 and a maximum of 29.07L on DPV mintic, and macrolide antibiotic. Calves randomly allocated to
17 in group 1 and a minimum of 26.40L on DPV 7 and a max- the control group (N=135) were administered saline, whereas
imum of 29.13L on DPV 17 in group 2. calves allocated to the experimental group (N=136) received
injectable meloxicam. Subsequent blood samples were col-
No statistically significant difference were observed be-
lected at day 7 and 21 to measure early and peak immune
tween group 1 and group 2 with regard to mean daily milk
response. Antibody titers were quantified using an ELISA test
yield when comparing the three different periods (DPV 1-7,
and results were interpreted by an immunologist. Calves were
DPV 8-14 and DPV 15-21) after vaccination as well as be-
monitored daily for clinical signs of disease and treatments
tween group 1 and group 2 with regard to changes from base-
were recorded until an out-weight was measured at day 45.
line when comparing the three periods after vaccination. No
changes in mean milk yield of 10% or more was detected Results: There were no differences in the direction and
when comparing the daily mean milk yield of both groups to magnitude of antibody titers between treatment groups. Addi-
the milk yield of the seven preceding days. tionally, there were no differences in the proportion of calves
that seroconverted to any of the viruses at day 7 and 21 be-
The mean rectal temperature post vaccination stayed with-
tween treatment groups except for IBR. At day 21 a greater
in the physiological range. There were no BVD-related clinical
proportion of calves in the meloxicam group seroconverted
signs or reactions at the injection site reported. Antibody titres
to IBR compared to the saline group (P=0.01). Morbidity was
of the vaccinated group showed a statistically significant in-
associated with treatment group as all four treated calves re-
crease from study day (SD) 0 to 21 for both BVDV types. The
ceived meloxicam on arrival (P<0.05) and a single calf sub-
antibody titre of the vaccinated group was also significantly
sequently died. There were no differences in performance
higher than of the control group on SD21.
parameters at any handling events between treatment groups.
Conclusion: The primary parameter milk yield was evalu-
Conclusion: The association between meloxicam and in-
ated between both study groups and revealed no statistically
creased morbidity is unclear, however decreased vaccination
significant difference between vaccinated and control groups
response is likely not a contributing factor. Stress associated
after vaccination. This demonstrates that there is no influence
with abrupt weaning methods, coupled with concurrent admin-
of vaccination with Bovela on milk yield. The vaccine is safe for
istration of vaccines and long-acting NSAIDs likely creates a
use in lactating cows under field conditions.
complex immunological response. Further research is war-
Keywords: Vaccination, BVDV, bovine viral diarrhoea, ranted to explore the relationship between NSAID administra-
milk yield. tion and health outcomes.
Keywords: NSAIDs, immunity, bovine respiratory disease,
feedlot, ELISA.

273
IV-13 trol group. Both booster groups had significantly lower IFN
alpha and IFN gamma secretion (p<0.0001) compared to pri-
Disease Protection and Immunogenicity of Two mary vaccination groups.
Commercial Intranasal Vaccines Evaluated with a BHV-1
The NasIP booster group was the only group displaying
Challenge of Weaned Beef Calves
a significant increase in BHV-1 serum IgG antibody titres
Michael Bolton1, Philip Griebel2, Kevin Hill3, Scott Nordstrom3, three days after booster vaccination compared to controls
Geert Vertenten4. (p<0.0001) and all other vaccine groups (p<0.0003). There
were no significant differences in BHV-1-specific IgA antibody
Veterinary Consultant, Michigan, MI, United States; 2Intervac
1
responses among treatment groups during the post challenge
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan, Canada; 3Merck Animal
period (p=0.60).
Health, Madison, NJ, United States; 4MSD Animal Health, Boxmeer,
Netherlands. Conclusions: Differences in primary and boostered
groups demonstrated that NasIP and Inf3 intranasal vaccina-
tion of young calves, when neutralizing maternal antibody was
Objective: This study compared both immunogenicity and present in blood, induced BHV-1 specific immune memory that
disease protection between 2 commercial intranasal vaccines persisted for at least 4 months in the upper respiratory tract,
(Nasalgen IP® and Inforce 3®), when used in beef calves and evident primarily as significantly greater reductions in body
challenged with BHV-1. temperature and IFN secretion post challenge. Primary vacci-
Materials and Methods: One hundred, 4 to 10 week-old nation with NasIP resulted in a more rapid onset of reduction in
calves at processing were randomly assigned to five intrana- virus shedding compared to primary vaccination with Inf3 and
sal treatment groups (n = 20/group): Group A - vaccine diluent primary NasIP vaccination resulted in a significant reduction in
at processing and weaning, Group B – NasIP (Nasalgen IP® the number of days virus was shed but primary Inf3 vaccina-
) at processing and booster at weaning; Group C – vaccine tion did not. When comparing booster vaccination with NasIP
diluent at processing and primary NasIP at weaning; Group and Inf3 there were small but significant differences in clinical
D- Inf3 (Inforce 3®), at processing and booster at weaning; disease but not virus shedding. The NasIP booster group was
and Group E –vaccine diluent at processing and primary Inf3 the only group to show a significant (p=0.0003) increase in
at weaning. The analysis of BHV-1 serum neutralizing anti- specific serum IgG three days after booster vaccination.
body titres confirmed IN vaccination was performed with ma- Keywords: Intranasal vaccines, BHV-1, protection, immu-
ternal antibodies present. All calves were removed from dams nogenicity.
at 5- 6 months of age and 14 healthy, BVDV negative calves
from each group were shipped the same day from the ranch to
the research station. The day after arrival, calves received the
designated weaning vaccination. Three days later all calves
were aerosol challenged with BHV-1 and monitored daily for IV-14
clinical respiratory signs, body weight, and rectal temperature.
Nasal secretions and serum samples were collected to quan- Iron supplementation modulates the early immune
tify innate and acquired immune responses. response after intranasal vaccination of calves
Results: Analyses of clinical responses following BHV-1 Hans-Joachim Schuberth1, Alina Kauke1, Lennart Golbeck2, Walter
challenge revealed mean rectal temperatures among all vac- Grünberg2, Imke Cohrs3, Theresa Scheu3, Esther Humann-Ziehank4.
cinated animals were significantly (p≤0.0001) lower than ani-
mals receiving diluent. Weight loss following BHV-1 infection University of Veterinary Medicine / Institute for Immunology,
1
was reduced compared to controls in all vaccination groups Hannover, Germany; 2University of Veterinary Medicine / Clinic for
(p<0.0001). Differences in temperature and weight were sig- Cattle, Hannover, Germany; 3Educational and Research Centre for
nificant among vaccination groups but were numerically small. Animal Husbandry, Hofgut Neumuehle, Münchweiler an der Alsenz,
Germany; 4LABVETCON - Laboratory Veterinary Consulting,
Over the duration of the study all vaccinate groups shed
Burgdorf, Germany.
less virus than the diluent control calves. Inf3 booster vacci-
nation significantly (p=0.0008) reduced virus shedding when
comparing to primary Inf3 vaccination. NasIP booster group Objectives: Iron is involved in immune cell differentiation,
shed significantly (p<0.0007) less virus beginning on day 4 metabolism and function. We addressed the question whether
post-infection. However, a significant reduction in virus shed- iron supplementation and the route of supplementation affects
ding was not observed until day 5 post-infection with both Inf3 the response of calves towards an early intranasal vaccination
booster vaccination (p=0.0001) and NasIP primary vaccination with a live vaccine.
(p=0.03). The primary Inf3 vaccination significantly reduced Materials and methods: A total of 29 healthy, purebred
virus shedding only on day 6 (p=0.04) and day 9 (p=0.001) Holstein-Friesian calves were randomly assigned into one
post-infection and this group did not significantly (p=0.197) re- of three groups. Calves were born to pluriparous cows over
duce the number of days virus was shed compared to the con- the course of 11 months. Within 1h of birth calves received
trol group. In contrast, NasIP primary (p=0.017), NasIP boost 4L of fresh colostrum from their respective dam (voluntary +
(p=0.0007), and Inf3 boost (p<0.0001) significantly reduced rest drenched) and were treated with either a subcutaneous
the number of days on which individual animals shed virus. injection of 1000mg Fe3+ (INJ, n = 10), 1050 mg Fe3+ mixed
IFN alpha and gamma secretion was significantly into the colostrum (ORAL, n = 9) or with 0.9% NaCl as a sham
(p<0.0001) lower in all vaccinate groups compared to the con- treatment (CON, n = 10). Calves were then transferred to iglus

274
for 21 days and grouped thereafter. 10L of fresh milk from the IV-15
own dam were fed for 5 days, feeding was then switched to
10L of milk replacer (1500 g/d, 15% DM, 65 mg FE/kg). Comparing the effects on calf health after use of a
commercially available Mycoplasma bovis vaccine in dairy
Calves were intranasally (i.n.) vaccinated at day 11 (be-
herds in Scotland
tween day 8 and 14 post natum) with a modified life vaccine
against parainfluenza 3 and bovine respiratory syncytial virus Graeme Fowlie.
(Bovalto Respi® intranasal). Heparinized blood was taken
Meadows Veterinary Centre, Oldmeldrum, Inverurie, United Kingdom.
immediately before i.n. vaccination and 24 hours later. Major
blood leukocyte subpopulations (granulocytes, lymphocytes,
monocytes) were quantified flow cytometrically after hypotonic Objectives: Mycoplasma bovis is a bacterial pathogen of
blood lysis. Mononuclear cells obtained after density gradient cattle with rising significance in the UK. With variable clinical
centrifugation were incubated with bovine-specific directly signs such as pneumonia, mastitis and lameness causing
labelled monoclonal antibodies and cellular subpopulations substantial morbidity and mortality in all age groups and cattle
(CD4+, CD8+, and gd T-cells, CD21+ B-cells, CD21-/MHC systems coupled with difficulties in diagnosis and treatment
class II+ lymphoid cells, NK cells, classical, intermediate and Mycoplasma bovis control presents a real challenge to the cat-
non-classical monocytes) were determined flow cytometrical- tle industry. Control methods of M. bovis infection include ex-
ly. Changes in leukocyte subpopulation numbers and ratios tended antibiotic courses metaphylactically, segregating and
between cell types (24 h after vaccination versus before vac- culling animals and pasteurising colostrum. Improvements in
cination) were recorded as fold changes (FC). At day 30 (be- herd biosecurity has been recommended to prevent disease
tween day 28 and 32 post natum) all calves were vaccinated incursion into negative herds. Vaccination using autogenous
subcutaneously (s.c.) with an inactivated vaccine (Bovalto Re- vaccines has been used for some time in the UK with positive
spi® 3). Calves were categorized into those showing a swell- results in published data. A commercial 3-strain M. bovis vac-
ing within 2 days at the injection site (SWELL+) and those with cine available in the US, but not Europe, was acquired for this
no side effect (SWELL-). study. There is very limited published data on the efficacy of
any commercially available M. bovis vaccine. The objectives
Results: Within the ORAL group, intranasal vaccination
of this study were to evaluate this commercial vaccine under
resulted in significant FCs > 1 of total leukocytes (FC: 1.10, p =
UK field conditions in terms of safety, ease of incorporation
0.008), lymphocytes (FC: 1.35, p = 0.006), CD2+ T cells (FC =
into existing vaccine protocols (i.e. proof-of-concept), reducing
1.6, p = 0.04), gd T cells (FC = 1.32, p = 0.012). The monocyte/
mortality and reducing antimicrobial use in dairy calves up to
lymphocyte ratio was significantly lower (FC = 0.79, p = 0.009)
200 days old.
and the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio dropped in tendency (FC
= 0.87, p = 0.098). Within the INJ group, the numbers of CD4+ Materials and Methods: 4 dairies in North-East Scotland
T cells dropped in tendency (FC = 0.85, p = 0.078) whereas with evidence of mycoplasma herd infection and calf pneu-
the ratio between intermediate and non-classical monocytes monia were selected for vaccination, 4 other dairies were ob-
displayed a significant rise (FC = 1.34, p = 0.0425). CON served as controls. 902 calves born prior to vaccination (first
time-period) and 680 calves born after vaccination was com-
calves responded with a significant higher CD4/CD8 ratio (FC
menced (second time-period) were observed up to 200 days
= 1.29, p = 0.033). The numbers of CD21-/MHC II+ lymphoid
old for antibiotic use and mortality. Cows were vaccinated
cells dropped in tendency (FC 0.86, p = 0.094), whereas num-
once at drying off (8 weeks pre-calving). Calves were vacci-
bers of intermediate (FC = 1.28, p = 0.078) and non-classi-
nated at 4 weeks of age. No changes to pre-existing farm vac-
cal monocytes (FC = 1.38, p = 0.080) tended to rise. After s.
cine protocols or routine herd management were made on any
c. vaccination on day 30, 1/9 ORAL calves, 4/10 INJ calves
of the 8 farms during the study. A Kruskal-Wallis Rank Sum
and 3/10 CON calves were SWELL+ (chi2, p > 0.1). SWELL-
Analysis was performed on mortality data. Antibiotic usage
calves differed significantly (p < 0.02) from SWELL+ regarding
was analysed using a Student’s Independent T-Test two-sam-
their previous response after i.n. vaccination: SWELL- calves
ple assuming unequal variance. Vaccine safety and ease of in-
displayed positive FCs of lymphocytes (FC= 1.24 ± 0.08),
corporation into existing vaccine protocols was assessed with
CD4+ T-cells (FC = 1.61 ± 0.22) and CD8+ T cells (FC = 1.04
herd manager discussions.
± 0.12). FCs of SWELL+ calves were < 1 (lymphocytes: FC =
0.85 ± 0.07; CD4+ T cells: FC = 0.66 ± 0.09; CD8+ T cells: FC Results: No adverse reactions were reported during
= 0.69 ± 0.06). the study in either calves or cows. All farms enrolled in the
study successfully completed the vaccine protocols in cows
Conclusions: Intranasal vaccination generates signals and calves. All farms continued to use the vaccine after the
resulting in an altered circulation behavior of immune cell sub- conclusion of the study. There was a significant reduction in
populations and/or their release from primary and secondary post-weaning mortality after vaccination in the second time
immune organs. Iron supplementation and the route of sup- period (P<0.02). There were 31 deaths in pre-vaccination
plementation alters vaccination-induced changes of leukocyte born calves during the post weaning period (n=534), there
subpopulation numbers in blood. A lack of side effects after were 2 deaths in the post-vaccination born calves during the
s.c. vaccination in calves responding with raised numbers of post-weaning period (n=398). Calves born on non-vaccinating
circulating lymphocytes after i.n. vaccination, more frequently farms showed a slight increased mortality risk in the second
seen in orally iron supplemented calves, supports route-spe- time-period. There was a significant reduction in antibiotic
cific immune modulatory effects of iron supplementation. usage after vaccination compared to control farms (p<0.05).
Keywords: Iron supplementation, calves, vaccination, im- Vaccinating farms purchased 70.2% less antibiotics after vac-
mune response. cination. Control farms (with qualifying data) purchased 33.9%

275
more during the second time-period. treatment groups (P > 0.05). Mortality was not observed
Conclusions: This preliminary study demonstrated the among treatment groups during the pre-weaning period. The
safety and proof-of-concept of a commercially available Myco- mean serum IgG and STP at 24 hours were similar between
plasma bovis vaccine in UK dairy herds. Due to study design CR (27.6 g/L and 6.32 g/dL, respectively) and MR (26.42 g/L
and data gathering insufficiencies the significant reductions in and 6.17 g/dL, respectively) calves (P > 0.05). Individual body
post-weaning mortality and antimicrobial usage can only be weights were similar among treatment groups from birth to
broadly suggestive of an effect of the vaccine. Further work on weaning and from weaning to calving (P > 0.05). The mean
assessing the effect of this vaccine in European cattle herds corrected 305-ME lactation was similar among heifers from
infected with M. bovis is warranted. the CR and MR groups (P > 0.05); however, survival to sec-
ond lactation was greater in the CR group (P < 0.05). A greater
Keywords: Mycoplasma bovis, vaccine, dairy calves.
number of heifers in the MR group were culled due to health
reasons compared with heifers from the CR group (4 vs. 0,
respectively).
Conclusions: The administration of 300 g of IgG through
a colostrum-based commercial colostrum replacer to newborn
IV-16
calves results in serum IgG levels superior to what is consid-
Evaluation of health and lactation performance of dairy ered excellent transfer of passive immunity (25 g/L) in dairy
heifers supplemented with colostrum during the pre- calves. Supplementation of dairy heifers with colostrum IgG
weaning period throughout the pre-weaning period results in disease-sparing
effects that extend to the start of the second lactation.
Jenna Stockler1, Manuel Chamorro1, Thomas Passler1, Herris
Keywords: Colostrum, IgG, Diarrhea, Survival, Lactation.
Maxwell1, Manuel Campos2, Tom Earleywine3, Debbie Haines4.
1
Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn, Alabama,
United States; 2Saskatoon Colostrum Company Ltd., Saskatoon,
Canada; 3Land O' Lakes Animal Milk Products, Dane County, United
States; 4University of Saskatchewan College of Veterinary Medicine, IV-17
Saskatoon, Canada.
Cellular and humoral immune response elicited in cattle
through combined mucosal and systemic immunization
Objectives: To determine if supplementing dairy heifers
with Neospora caninum membrane antigens
with 60 g of colostrum-Immunoglobulin G (IgG) in the daily
milk-replacer ration during the first 75 days of life resulted in Alexandra Correia1, Carla Mendonça2, Margarida Duarte Araújo3,
lower incidence of health events, greater first-lactation milk Mariana Resende1, Elena Pérez Antón4, Luzia Teixeira5, António
production, and greater survival to second lactation compared Rocha2, Manuel Vilanova1.
with age-matched dairy heifers that did not receive IgG sup- 1
Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, University of Porto;
plementation.
i3S/IBMC, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; 2Instituto de Ciências
Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled clinical Biomédicas Abel Salazar, University of Porto; Centro de Estudos de
trial was performed. Thirty Holstein heifers from a single dairy Ciência Animal-Instituto de Ciências, Tecnologias e Agroambiente,
herd were separated from the dam immediately after birth University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; 3Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas
and received 300 g of IgG from a colostrum-derived commer- Abel Salazar, University of Porto; LAQV/REQUIMTE, University of
cial colostrum replacer within 6 hours of birth. At 24 hours of Porto, Porto, Portugal; 4i3S/IBMC, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal;
age (Day 1), heifers were assigned to two different treatment 5
Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, University of Porto;
groups. Group CR (n=15) received 150 g of a commercial co- Unidade Multidisciplinar de Investigação Biomédica, University of
lostrum replacer containing 30 g of IgG mixed with 304 g of a Porto, Porto, Portugal.
commercial milk replacer twice daily until weaning (day 75).
Group MR (n=15) received 453 g of milk replacer with no co-
lostrum replacer supplementation twice daily until weaning Neospora caninum is an obligatory intracellular protozoan
and acted as the control group. Blood samples were collected causative of abortion and stillbirths in cattle posing an esti-
from all heifers at birth, at 24 hours of life to evaluate serum mated global economic burden exceeding one billion dollars
total protein (STP) and serum IgG levels. On-farm personnel per year to dairy and beef industries and farms. Vaccination
blinded to treatment allocation monitored the calves daily and is considered the most cost-effective approach to manage
recorded morbidity and mortality events as well as treatments. neosporosis, however no commercial vaccine is currently
Individual body weights were collected from all heifers monthly available to prevent this disease. We have developed an ex-
until calving. Milk production was recorded during first lacta- perimental intranasal vaccine against neosporosis, using N.
tion and the corrected 305 Mature-Equivalent (ME) milk pro- caninum membrane antigens (NcMP) plus CpG adjuvant, that
duction was calculated for each heifer. conferred IFN-gamma-dependent long-term protection to mice
challenged with this protozoan.
Results: During the pre-weaning period (Days 1 to 75),
a greater proportion of diarrhea events and treatments were Objectives: We aimed at improving the immunogenicity
recorded in the MR group compared with the CR group (P < and mucoadhesiveness of this experimental vaccine in cattle
0.05); however, respiratory disease, umbilical infection, joint by adding an additional adjuvant and administration route.
infection and other morbidity events were similar between Material&Methods: Holstein calves were immunized by in-

276
tranasal administration of bovine-specifc CpG and NcMP, plus Respi® Intranasal was at least as effective as Rispoval® RS
a carbomer-based adjuvant. To enhance the systemic immune + PI3 Intranasal, with a pre-stated margin of non-inferiority δ
response elicited by the reformulated mucosal immunization, for the prevention of BRD in newborn beef cattle. Sample size
we combined the intranasal administration with a subcutane- was determined to demonstrate non-inferiority assuming α =
ous boost of NcMP plus CpG. Cellular and humoral responses 0.05, β = 0.20, δ = 0.05 and a prevalence of BRD in the ac-
were evaluated in immunized and sham-immunized calves. tive control vaccine group of 10%. Primary outcome was BRD
Expression of genes encoding putative antimicrobial proteins cases during the in-housed risk period up to 3 months after
was evaluated in bovine monocyte-derived macrophages in- vaccination. The statistical analysis of the primary outcome
fected with N. caninum and stimulated with IFN-gamma. was carried out using a mixed logistic regression model. The
Results: The immunized calves presented elevated levels variable in-housed risk period was kept in the model to adjust
of parasite-specific IgG and IgA antibodies. Peripheral blood BRD occurrence to the variation of the duration of exposition
mononuclear cells collected from the immunized animals re- to pathogens between calves. Least squares means were cal-
stimulated ex vivo with N. caninum antigens showed a marked culated from the model and used to calculate the difference
proliferative response and elevated production of IFN-gamma. in BRD prevalence between vaccine groups PBRD(Bovalto Re-
This host protective cytokine induced the in vitro upregulation spi® Intranasal) - PBRD(Rispoval® RS PI3 Intranasal) and its
of genes related with NO and ROS production, and autophagy 95% confidence interval (CI). Secondary outcomes were com-
in bovine monocyte-derived macrophages. These results show pared between the two vaccine groups using the chi-squared
that the used immunization strategy induces parasite-specific test or Fisher test (mortality and lethality of calves, as well as
humoral and cellular immunity in the bovine host. Additionally, antibiotic, non-steroidal and steroidal anti-inflammatory treat-
it also stimulates the IL-12/IFN-gamma axis, a key protective ments administered during the in-housed risk period) and Stu-
mechanism against neosporosis. dent’s t-test (time between the vaccine administration and the
Conclusion: Taken together, these results suggest that occurrence of BRD).
this optimized immunization approach may induce a protective Results: A total of 935 Charolais calves from 39 farms
response in cattle, a hypothesis that is currently being tested were enrolled and randomized into 2 vaccine groups (Boval-
in calves. to Respi® Intranasal n = 468; Rispoval® RS PI3 Intranasal n
Funded by FEDER through COMPETE 2020 and FCT - = 467). Age at vaccination, duration of in-housed risk period,
PTDC/CVT-CVT/31020/2017. parity of dams, sex ratio, and occurrence of diseases before
vaccination do not significantly differ between the two exper-
Keywords: Neospora caninum, mucosa, vaccination,
imental groups. There was no significant difference between
IFN-gamma.
the two vaccines regarding the occurrence of BRD during
in-housed risk period. Using least squares means of model
outcome, the difference of prevalence PBRD(Bovalto Respi®
Intranasal) - PBRD(Rispoval® RS PI3 Intranasal) was estimated
at -0.4%, 95% CI = [-1.6% ; 0.8%]. Moreover, no significant dif-
IV-18 ferences were observed between vaccines regarding mortali-
ty, lethality, duration between vaccination and the occurrence
Effectiveness of two intranasal vaccines for the control of
of BRD or treatments in the 2 groups.
Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) in newborn beef calves
Conclusions: Bovalto® Respi Intranasal is at least as
Nicolas Masset1, François Meurens2, Maxime Marie1, Pauline Lesage1, effective as Rispoval® RS PI3 Intranasal for the prevention
Anne Lehébel2, Nadine Brisseau2, Sébastien Assié2. of BRD in newborn beef calves in a cow-calf system in field
INRAE, Oniris, BIOEPAR / SELAS EVA, Réseau Cristal, Nantes /
1 conditions.
Argentonnay, France; 2INRAE, Oniris, BIOEPAR, Nantes, France. Keywords: BRD, BRSV, Newborn Calf, Intranasal Vac-
cine.
Objectives: Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV)
is a major cause of Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) in
newborn calves worldwide. Vaccination is widely used to pre-
vent BRD and BRSV intranasal vaccines were developed to
overcome interference with BRSV-specific maternally derived IV-19
antibodies (MDA). Many experimental challenge trials have
proven BRSV intranasal vaccine efficacy, but evidence of ef- Systemic and local immune responses of beef calves
fectiveness under field conditions is still lacking, especially vaccinated post transportation and at the time of a mild
for newborn beef calves. The objective of this study was to respiratory tract infection
compare the effectiveness in preventing BRD of a newly avail- Victor Cortese1, Amelia Woolums2, Brandi Karisch2, Thomas Short3,
able commercial BRSV and BPI-3 intranasal vaccine (Boval- Merrilee Thoresen2, Peres Badial2.
to Respi® Intranasal, Boehringer-Ingelheim) with that of the
benchmarked one (Rispoval® RS + PI3 Intranasal, Zoetis) in Zoetis, Simpsonville, United States; 2Mississippi State University,
1
newborn beef calves reared in a cow-calf farming system in Mississippi State, United States; 3Zoetis, Parsippany, United States.
France.
Materials and methods: A randomized non-inferiority Objective: To assess the effect of transportation on im-
multicenter trial was carried out to assess whether Bovalto mune responses to vaccination in calves.

277
Materials and Methods: Seventy-five weaned beef calves groups over a rearing period of 25 to 26 weeks for mortality,
were randomly assigned to one of three groups (n=25). Group daily antibiotic dose, daily antibiotic dose as defined by the
1 was not transported (NTV) while groups 2 (TV) and 3 (TUV) SDa (Netherlands Veterinary Medicines Institute), the rearing
were transported for 12 hours (day 0). Twelve hours later, NTV cost per calf and the rearing cost per calf excluding vaccina-
and TV were vaccinated intranasally with modified live bovine tion.
respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), bovine herpesvirus −1 Results: In total 42620 animals were included in the study:
(BHV-1) and parainfluenza virus type 3(PI3V), and subcutane- 17839 vaccinated and 24781 not vaccinated. The average
ously with modified live bovine viral diarrhea (BVDV) 1 and 2 animal group was 1115 and 991 animals for respectively the
with Mannheimia haemolytica (Mh) leukotoxoid vaccine. Nasal vaccinated and non-vaccinated groups. The average mortality
secretions and serum were collected pre and post vaccination was 2.54% in the vaccinated and 3.54% in the non-vaccinated
for measurement of nasal interferon alpha, beta, and gamma group (p<0.001). The daily antibiotic dose (real and the one
and IgA to BHV-1 and BRSV, and serum neutralizing (SN) ti- as defined by SDa) was significantly lower in vaccinated an-
ters to BHV-1, BRSV, and BVDV 1 and 2. imals compared to non-vaccinated animals: 30.56 vs 40.20
Results: At vaccination some cattle had nasal discharge, daily dosages (p= 0.001) for the real daily antibiotic use and
fever, and coughing. Nasal swabs tested for common respira- 13.06 vs 18.20 daily dosages (p=0.009) for the daily antibiotic
tory viruses pre-vaccination were negative. During the study, dose as defined by the SDa. Finally, the average rearing costs
5 cattle were treated for naturally occurring BRD. The BHV-1 were slightly higher in vaccinated (17.64 euro) compared to
and BVDV 1 and 2 SN titers were significantly higher in vacci- non-vaccinated animals (17.21 euro), but if the rearing cost ex-
nated than nonvaccinated calves on days 14 and 21. BVDV2 cluding vaccination is considered, it is significantly (p=0.012)
titers were significantly higher in TV than NTV. Response to lower in the vaccinated group.
vaccination was demonstrated in the systemic, but not nasal Conclusions: Vaccination against Salmonellosis with an
antibody responses. inactivated vaccine is beneficial in Dutch veal conditions as
Conclusions: This study demonstrates that cattle can there is less mortality and a strong reduction in antimicrobial
mount a humoral response to vaccination in spite of transport use.
and respiratory disease. Differences in serum and nasal re- Keywords: Salmonellosis, vaccination, veal, antimicrobial
sponses further demonstrates the division between the local reduction.
and systemic immune systems.
Keywords: Mucosal, immunity, vaccination, stress,
shipping.
IV-22
The effect of local and systemic passive immunity acquired

IV-21 from maternal colostrum on clinical protection of beef
calves against experimental challenge with BRSV.
Vaccination against Salmonellosis in veal farms in the
Manuel Chamorro1, David Martinez1, Thomas Passler1, Ricardo
Netherlands is an effective prevention method to reduce the
Stockler1, Gage Raithel1, Scott Silvis1, Merrilee Thoresen2, Paul Walz1,
use of antimicrobials
Amelia Woolums2.
Niels Geurts1, Henk Kuijk2, Geert Vertenten2.
Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn, Alabama,
1
DAP Thewi, Tilburg, Netherlands; MSD Animal Health, Boxmeer,

1 2
United States; 2Mississippi State University College of Veterinary
Netherlands. Medicine, Starkville, Mississippi, United States.
Objectives: Salmonellosis has been recognized as a dis- Objectives: 1. To determine if vaccination of beef cows
ease in cattle all over the world for several decades. It has during the last trimester of gestation with two doses of an in-
primarily been associated with S. enterica subsp. enterica se- activated bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) vaccine re-
rovar Dublin (S. Dublin) and S. enterica subsp. enterica se- sulted in greater transfer of local and systemic BRSV-specific
rovar Typhimurium (S.Typhimurium). In view of the economic passive immunity through maternal colostrum. 2. To determine
importance to the cattle industry and the potential to infect the the role of nasal BRSV-IgG-1 and IgA and serum neutraliz-
human population, different vaccines have been developed. ing antibodies transferred from maternal colostrum on clinical
The objective of this study was to evaluate effect of vaccina- protection of beef calves against experimental challenge with
tion with an inactivated Salmonellosis vaccine on mortality and BRSV.
reduction of antimicrobial use in veal farms in the Netherlands. Materials & Methods: A randomized, controlled, clinical
Materials & Methods: Forty-one animal groups in 6 Dutch trial was performed. Forty, 3-month-old Black Angus-cross
veal farms with a history of both S. Dublin and S. Typhimurium beef steers were assigned to 1 of 2 treatment groups. Group
were involved in the studies. Sixteen groups were vaccinated Vacc (n=20) nursed colostrum from cows vaccinated with 2
with an inactivated Salmonellosis vaccine (Bovivac® S, MSD doses of an inactivated-BRSV vaccine before calving. Group
Animal Health) according to the product data sheet and the NoVacc (n=20) nursed colostrum from unvaccinated cows. At
other groups remained unvaccinated against Salmonellosis. 3 months of age, calves were challenged with BRSV by intra-
The vaccinated groups were compared to the non-vaccinated nasal nebulization. Following challenge, respiratory signs were

278
scored. Nasal secretion and serum samples were collected ministration such as vaccines. Many vaccines against mastitis
before and after challenge for BRSV-specific nasal IgG1, IgA, due to SAU have been tested with debated results, especially
and serum neutralizing antibody testing. Nasal secretion sam- in field conditions1,3.
ples were collected after challenge for identification of BRSV The aim of our work was to evaluate the cell-mediated
by RT-PCR. immune response elicited by a bivalent tailor-made vaccine
Results: Following BRSV challenge, mild respiratory produced with SAU and SAG as inactivated antigens, in field
scores were recorded in both groups (P > 0.05). The propor- conditions.
tion of calves with fever (rectal temperature > 39.7 C) was Materials and methods: The herd was composed by 89
greater in NoVacc calves. Nasal BRSV IgG-1 titers and serum lactating Friesian cows hosted in the same experimental con-
neutralizing antibodies were greater in Vacc calves at 48 hours dition and served by an automatic milking system.
of life (P < 0.05); however, decayed similarly in both groups
by 3 months of age (P > 0.05). Nasal BRSV IgA titers were SAU and SAG were previously detected in the bulk tank
non-existent following colostrum intake and before BRSV milk. Bacteria were cloned and a tailor-made bivalent inac-
challenge and increased similarly (P > 0.05) in both groups af- tivated vaccine was prepared with a final concentration of
ter challenge. Calves in the NoVacc group had a higher proba- 7.5x108 UFC/ml.
bility of shedding BRSV in nasal secretions after challenge (P Eighty-two subjects were vaccinated twice (V group) while
< 0.05). A greater proportion of NoVacc calves tested positive 7 subjects served as negative controls (C) and received only
by BRSV RT-PCR after challenge (P < 0.05). the placebo composed of the adjuvants and vaccine medium
Conclusion: Vaccination of beef cows during the last tri- without bacteria.
mester of gestation with two doses of an inactivated BRSV-vac- The peripheral whole blood and the individual milk sam-
cine was safe and resulted in greater transfer of local and ples were collected from 7 animals randomly selected within
systemic passive immunity to their calves. Moderate to low the V group and 7 from the C group at 0, 1, 2 and 3 months
levels of BRSV serum neutralizing antibodies provide clinical after the first immunization.
protection against experimental challenge with BRSV. Nasal The cell mediated response was investigated by flow cy-
BRSV IgG-1 and IgA transferred from maternal colostrum do tometry on the blood samples measuring the lymphocytes T
not play an important role on clinical protection of 3-month-old CD4+ and CD8+ previously stimulated in vitro for 24h with
beef calves against experimental challenge with BRSV. heat-shocked cultures2 (HSC) of SAU and SAG, and the lym-
Keywords: Colostrum, IgG-1, IgA, neutralizing, BRSV. phocyte activation pattern CD25+ was recorded. Concanav-
alin A (ConA) and PBS stimulation were used as a positive and
negative control respectively.
Linear mixed models were adopted to evaluate the effects
of groups (V and C), type of stimulation (SAG, SAU, ConA or
IV-23 PBS) and sampling time on parameters.
Results: Differences in cell response were significant
Evaluation of the cell-mediated immune response of
(p=0.001) when blood was incubated in the wells with HSC,
dairy cattle vaccinated with an autogenous vaccine
ConA and PBS. Statistical analysis revealed a significant dif-
against mastitis sustained by Staphylococcus aureus and
ference in the increase expression of CD4+CD25+ against
Streptococcus agalactiae
SAG (p= 0.0037) in the V group after the immunization. No
Matteo Cornaggia1, Genovese Serena2, Valentina Bertazzo2, Katia differences were recorded for SAU vaccination.
Capello2, Giulia Zarpellon2, Tiziana Ferro2, Lucillo Cestaro3, Giulio Bacteriological evaluation of the individual milk resulted
Severi4, Annalisa Stefani2, Luca Bano2. negative to SAG while 1 subject resulted positive to SAU in
1
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Padova - Istituto the V and C groups, respectively.
Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia ed Emilia-Romagna, Conclusions: The study of the antigen-specific cellular
Brescia, Italy; 2Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, subsets activated in response to SAG and SAU was aimed to
Padova, Italy; 3Veterinary Practitioner, San Donà di Piave, Italy; achieve an in vitro test for cell-mediated response evaluation
4
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e Marche, Perugia, to study the effectiveness of vaccine against bovine mastitis.
Italy.
The specific increase expression of CD4+CD25+ lympho-
cytes in the V group against SAG suggest that vaccination is
Objective: Mastitis causes heavy economic losses in the able to stimulate properly the cells of the immune system and
dairy industry due to milk discharge, therapeutic costs, and this observation is supported also by the nonproliferation in the
culling rate of infected animals4. C group which received only the adjuvant.
Staphylococcus aureus (SAU) and Streptococcus aga- The poor results obtained with SAU are probably due to
lactiae (SAG) are important contagious bacteria agents of the expression of S. aureus exotoxins that act as superanti-
mastitis of cattle. In positive herds, their widespread is usually gens and result in the overproduction of cytokines and activa-
contained through the application of high hygienic standard tion of T cells that make the measurement inconclusive.
measures, segregation, and blanket dry cow treatments that This preliminary study needs further confirmation in experi-
lead to a high consumption of antibiotics. mental conditions to better understand the role of the vaccines
For this reason, authorities and consumers encourage the in the stimulation of the cell-mediated immune response for
development of effective alternatives to the antimicrobial ad- the prevention of mastitis in cattle.

279
References: were determined using a standard fluorescent antibody virus

1. Bröker, B. M., Mrochen, D., Péton, V. (2016). The T neutralisation test in all samples of colostrum and scour paste.
cell response to Staphylococcus aureus. Pathogens. The antibody titres reported were the reciprocal of the final
dilution at which significant neutralisation of the virus by the
2. Brown, A. F., Murphy, A. G., Lalor, S. J., Leech, J. M.,
sample was still seen.
O’Keeffe, K. M., Mac Aogáin, M., McLoughlin, R. M.
(2015). Memory Th1 cells are protective in invasive Results: From the 12 scour pastes that were tested; there
Staphylococcus aureus infection. PLoS Pathogens. was an average virus neutralisation antibody titre of 10800
(min 80, max 81920) for coronavirus and 4341 (min 40, max
3. Pereira, U. P., Oliveira, D. G. S., Mesquita, L. R., Cos-
14482) for rotavirus.
ta, G. M., Pereira, L. J. (2011). Efficacy of Staphylo-
coccus aureus vaccines for bovine mastitis: a system- The average virus neutralisation antibody titres of the
atic review. Veterinary microbiology. same volume of colostrum from the vaccinated cows and heif-
ers was 57383 (min 7241, max 81920) for coronavirus and
4. Ruegg, P. L. (2017). A 100-Year Review: Mastitis de-
tection, management, and prevention. Journal of dairy 33846 (min 10240, max 81920) for rotavirus.
science. Conclusions: The 6 brands of calf scour pastes tested in
Keywords: Dairy cows, flow cytometry, vaccine, mastitis. this study contained on average markedly numerically lower
levels of rotavirus and coronavirus antibodies compared to the
same volume of colostrum from vaccinated cows. Although
often listed as components of the tested scour pastes in this
study, values for antibody quantities were not stated on the
‘contents’ or ‘ingredients’ labels. This study determined that
IV-24 on average commercial scour pastes do contain substantially
UK study: comparing antibody quantities in commercial lower levels of antibodies. The numerical value of antibody ti-
calf scour pastes vs. the same volume of colostrum from tres in the scour pastes varied considerably between brands.
cows vaccinated with a commercial calf scour vaccine Feeding a new-born calf 10% body weight (4L in a 40kg
calf) of colostrum in the first hours of life is recommended to
Kat Baxter-Smith1, Robert Simpson1, Geert Vertenten2.
ensure a high level of passive immunity4. Using the results of
MSD Animal Health, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom; 2MSD Animal
1 this study based on average scour paste antibody levels, giv-
Health, Boxmeer, Netherlands. ing 4 Litres of scour vaccine-boosted colostrum would provide
the calf with the antibody equivalent of 700-1000 scour pastes
(paste size 30g).
Objectives: Neonatal calf diarrhoea (scour) is a common
and costly disease on farm. There are many preventative ap- Scour pastes are not licensed for the prevention of calf
proaches which can be undertaken to reduce the incidence scour and evidence is lacking to support their use for this
and severity of this disease. It has been demonstrated pre- Therefore, this study illustrates that calf scour pastes are not a
viously that feeding colostrum with high levels of antibodies suitable substitute for good colostrum management and dam
is protective against calf scour1,2. No published peer-reviewed vaccination in preventing calf scour.
evidence could be found on a literature search for the effica- Farmers could be misinformed if they consider scour
cy of scour pastes in preventing calf scour, however a recent pastes and vaccination as equally efficacious at preventing
survey completed by 479 UK cattle farmers revealed that they calf scour; and more education from vets is needed.
rated dam vaccination and scour pastes as equally efficacious Keywords: Calf scour, antibodies, scour paste, vaccine.
scour prevention tools3.
Little information is available regarding quantity of antibod-
ies in commercial scour pastes, therefore the aim of this study
was to measure antibody levels of rotavirus and coronavirus
in commercially available calf scour pastes, and compare the IV-25
results with the same volume of colostrum from cows vaccinat-
ed with a commercial calf scour vaccine (Rotavec® Corona, Can an injectable trace element supplement increase the
MSD Animal Health). This vaccine is licensed to reduce the immune response of dairy calves?
incidence and severity of calf scour by raising the level of an-
tibodies to rotavirus, coronavirus and E. coli K99 in the dam’s Andrew Bates1, Matt Wells2, Richard Laven3, Line Ferriman4, Axel
colostrum. Heiser5, Clare Fitzpatrick6.
Materials and Methods: Six different popular commercial 1
Vetlife Scientific Ltd, Temuka, New Zealand; 2Virbac Ltd, Hamilton,
scour paste brands were sourced from various agricultural New Zealand; 3School of Veterinary Sciences, Massey University, New
trade stores. 2 tubes of each brand were purchased. Zealand; 4Vetlife Ashburton, Ashburton, New Zealand; 5AgResearch,
Samples of colostrum from 13 randomly selected heifers Hopkirk Research institute, New Zealand; 6Department of Microbiology
and cows which had been vaccinated during pregnancy with and Immunology, Otago University, New Zealand.
a commercial calf scour vaccine (Rotavec® Corona; as per
SPC) were collected directly after calving and transported to Objectives: This study was carried out on a pastoral
the lab. spring calving dairy farm in New Zealand with approval from
Rotavirus and coronavirus antibody titres in all samples Massey University Animal Ethics Committee. It was designed

280
to investigate the effect of TMS supplementation on the im- ternal immunity.

mune system in young calves before weaning. Keywords: Trace mineral supplement, mmunity, phago-
Recent New Zealand (NZ) work suggests that neo-natal cytosis, calf.
injection of a trace mineral supplement (TMS) containing cop-
per, selenium, manganese, zinc and chromium can reduce
morbidity and mortality on NZ dairy farms in the first 140 days
of life. Overseas, evidence from older calves indicates this
form of TMS leads to a heightened immune response. In light IV-26
of the association between TMS and reductions in morbidity
and mortality, this study was designed to investigate the effect Field efficacy trials with a new intranasal BRD vaccine
of TMS supplementation under NZ pastoral conditions on the
Birgit Makoschey1, Piet Nuijten1, Björn Sander2, Eva Zschiesche2,
immune system in young calves before weaning.
Geert Vertenten1.
Materials and methods: The first 40, Jersey-Friesian
cross-bred heifer calves born after the mid-point of calving on
1
MSD Animal Health, Boxmeer, Netherlands; 2MSD Animal Health,
a mid-Canterbury dairy farm (43.91° S, 171.75° E), were blood Schwabenheim an der Selz, Germany.
sampled within 24 hours of birth for serum total protein, Cu,
Se and Zn. Thirty of these were selected, using stratified ran- Objective: The objective of these studies was to deter-
domisation to form two equal groups (treatment and control) mine the efficacy of a new intranasal BRD vaccine (Bovilis® IN-
with the same distribution of serum total protein, Cu, Se, Zn tranasal RSPTM Live) under field conditions. The vaccine con-
and for the breed and age. From the remaining 10 calves, five tains live, attenuated BRSV and PI3 strains. During lab studies
were selected using stratified randomisation to form a sentinel it was shown that it significantly reduced nasal shedding and
group to verify no field exposure to Salmonella sp. occurred clinical symptoms caused by BRSV and PI3 challenge infec-
during the trial period. tions as well as reduction of lung pathology and viral load in
All calves were housed in covered, open fronted bay-sheds the lungs in a BRSV infection model.
with solid walls up to 1.5m in groups of 10-12 and 1.5m2 allo- Materials and methods: Two blinded, randomised, pla-
cated space per calf. Treatment and sentinel groups were ran- cebo-controlled field trials were conducted to investigate the
domly distributed amongst the housing groups. Calves were efficacy. The first one was conducted in Portugal (3 farms) and
bedded on wood chips which were topped up weekly and all the second one in Germany (2 farms) and France (6 farms).
calves remained on the farm of origin for the period of study. Calves (approx. 250 in total) aged 5 to 12 days received the
All calves received two injections of a killed vaccine con- vaccine or a placebo intranasally directly from the tip of a sy-
taining Salmonella typhimurium, S. bovis-morbificans, S. hind- ringe. Groups were separated as much as possible during the
marsh and S.Brandenburg at two and six weeks of age. At the first 2 weeks after vaccination as spreading of the live vaccine
same time as vaccination, the treatment group received an viruses is known to occur. Animals were monitored for signs of
injection of a TMS containing 40mg Zn, 10mg Mn, 5mg Se, BRD like increased rectal temperature, coughing, increased
15mg Cu per ml. Sentinel animals received no injections. All breathing rate, nasal discharge, ocular discharge and depres-
animals were bled weekly from 2-9 weeks. Samples were an- sion. In case of BRD a bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was per-
alysed for neutrophil and monocyte phagocytic function, gam- formed. Nasal swabs (NS) were taken weekly starting 2 weeks
ma interferon response, Salmonella sp. antibody titres and after vaccination. BAL and NS samples were tested by PCR
serum selenium, copper and zinc and differences examined for 8 different BRD pathogens, including BRSV, PI3, BCoV,
using Bayesian statistics. BoHV-1, Mycoplasma bovis, Histophilus somni, Pasteurella
Results: At weeks 3 and 4 there was a wide difference multocida and Mannheimia haemolytica. Sera were collected
between TMS and control calves in the percentage of white on day 0, 14, 28 and 84 and tested in virus neutralisation (VN)
blood cells phagocytosing with the 95% predictive interval (PI) assays for antibodies against BRSV and PI3. The efficacy of
for the difference in the distributions excluding zero (+15% the vaccine was assessed based on differences between vac-
(95%PI=10.0-20.0) and +8% (95%PI=2.0-13.0) respectively. cinated and control calves in 1) clinical signs of BRD, 2) PCR
At weeks 3,4 and 5 phagocytosis per cell was also greater in results for BRSV and PI3 in BAL and NS samples, and 3) VN
the TMS calves (+12% (95%PI=2.1-21.6), +19% (95%PI=8.2- titers against BRSV and PI3.
28.8) and +10% (95%PI=1.6-20.6) respectively). There was Results: In the first study in Portugal, 124 calves were in-
no statistical evidence of a difference in gamma interferon or cluded, 62 in each group. In the vaccinated group 4 animals
antibody production between TMS and control claves although were excluded (N=58), whereas in the placebo group 17 ani-
gamma interferon response was numerically greater in the mals were excluded (N=45), of which 15 animals were tested
TMS group. positive for the PI3 vaccine strain using a specific PCR. This
Conclusions: This study adds to the evidence that TMS proved the transmission of the PI3 vaccine strain from vacci-
supplementation can increase some components of the innate nated to some of the placebo calves.
immune systems in young calves. Neutrophil and monocyte There was a notable difference in clinical signs between
function were increased, with a numerical increase in gamma the two groups: more animals in the vaccinated group were
interferon production. Although we found no conclusive evi- without clinical scores than in the placebo group: 19% of the
dence for an increase in antibody response in supplemented vaccinated calves had a total clinical score of 0 versus 11.1%
calves, both treatment groups showed an antibody response in the placebo group, 55.2% of the vaccinated calves had
greater than the sentinel calves despite the presence of ma- BRD scores of 0 versus 37.8% in the placebo group, and

281
29.3% of calves in the vaccinated group had no BRD symp- (vaccination and control) within blocks. Health and reproduc-
toms and a negative BRSV and PI3 PCR result versus only tive outcomes were monitored and compared to matched, ran-
15.6% in the placebo group. PCR analyses of many BAL and domly assigned control cows.
nasal swabs were positive for several other BRD pathogens Results: The greatest effects of vaccination were signifi-
like Pasteurella, Mannheimia and BCoV. As expected, se- cant decreases in total cows removed from the herd through-
rological responses were low on average and VN titers de- out the lactation, decreased presentation of retained fetal
clined over time. membranes, and significantly lower incidences of pneumonia
In the second study, a very low incidence of infection in and mastitis. Overall, a greater impact was determined with
France occurred but in Germany a BRSV field infection took two doses and, if one dose was administered, the results tend-
place. Further detailed analysis of the different efficacy pa- ed to favor administration at calving.
rameters for Germany showed: i) a significant difference Conclusion: This study indicates that using this INV
(p=0.0406) for nasal swab samples positive for BRSV be- during the periparturient period can improved several postpar-
tween the vaccinated group (61.5%) and in the placebo control tum health outcomes due to the up regulation of the immune
group (85.7%), ii) that BRD clinical scores had the tendency system and supports earlier work indicating better immune re-
to be higher in the placebo control group, iii) no clear differ- sponses when administered on the day of calving. While this
ences in serological responses against BRSV or PI3, iv) a no- vaccine can be used for immune modulation, more importantly
table difference of BAL samples positive for BRSV: 30.8% in this study suggests that future immune modulators may have
the vaccinated group was positive for BRSV in comparison to a better outcome if administered to the local immune system.
42.9% in the placebo control group.
Keywords: Postpartum health, postpartum immune sup-
Conclusion: Field studies to determine the efficacy of vac- pression, calving stress, intranasal vaccination, immunomod-
cines against BRD pathogens are complex and influenced by ulation.
animal health status, weather conditions, farm management
and exposure to various pathogens including those that are
not part of the vaccine. Indeed, in both studies most samples
contained several other BRD pathogens, besides BRSV and
PI3. Nevertheless, this new intranasal BRD vaccine (Bovilis®
IV-28
INtranasal RSPTM Live) induced significant protection against
nasal shedding of BRSV during an outbreak. This is the first Benchmarking of the immune response induced by
EU-licensed intranasal BRD vaccine for which efficacy has commercial intranasal vaccines against BRSV in dairy
been proven in a field trial. calves
Keywords: BRD, intranasal vaccination, field efficacy, PI3,
Gilles Foucras1, Lola Romanos1, Nathan Cebron2, Blandine
BRSV.
Gausseres2, Julie Cournet2, Christian Tasca2, Stéfanie Bernheim3.
ENVT, Toulouse, France; 2IHAP, Toulouse, France; 3Zoetis France,
1
Malakoff, France.
IV-27 Objectives: BRSV is a main respiratory agent in young

calves. The intranasal vaccine Rispoval® Intranasal RS+PI3
Effect of periparturient intranasal vaccination on post
(Zoetis) is available for more than ten years and has a long
parturient health parameters in Holstein cows
history of protective effects in bovine herds. Recently three
Victor Cortese1, Pablo Pinedo2, Juan Rodrigo Pedraza3, Thomas new vaccines based on the same principle became available
Short3, D. Manriquez2, A. Velasquez-Munoz2, G. Solano2. on the European market. However little is known about the
local immune response provided by this way of immunization
Zoetis, Simpsonville, KY, United States; 2Colorado State University,
1
in cattle, and if there is any difference in the priming capacity
Boulder, United States; 3Zoetis, Parsippany, United States.
of the viral strains used in these vaccines.
Materials and methods: Cross-bred dairy calves (n=40)
Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the were allocated randomly to one of the four commercial vac-
effect on health and reproductive performance of vaccinating cines (10/group), with equal numbers of males and females.
Holstein cows were vaccinated with an intranasal modified Calves had received 4L of fresh pooled colostrum (Brix index
live viral bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), modified >22) at birth, and were housed in individual hutches. At the age
live, temperature sensitive bovine herpesvirus −1 (BHV-1) and of 8-17 days according to the label of the summary of product
modified live, temperature sensitive parainfluenza virus type 3 characteristics, calves were vaccinated intranasally with one
vaccine (INV) during the peri-parturient period. of the four vaccines following the manufacturer’s recommen-
Materials and Methods: In a large commercial dairy, 4834 dations with the indicated material and modalities for appli-
multiparous cows were vaccinated 18-24 days prior to expect- cation. Blood was collected before immunization and serum
ed calving date (n=1198), within twelve hours after parturition BRSV-specific antibodies were assessed (Monoscreen AbE-
(n=1250) or at both time points (n=1141). A group was left as LISA BRSV, BioX Diagnostics), so that titres were not known
unvaccinated controls (n0 intranasal vaccination, n=1245). at the time of vaccine administration. Mucosal lining was col-
Cattle were blocked based on parity group and expected lected using nasal swabs (Copan) at 0, 7, and 14 days after
calving date and randomized to the experimental treatments vaccination. Virus load was quantified by RT-qPCR (Biosellal).

282
Local immune response was assessed by quantifying cytokine antimicrobial treatment at arrival on the rearing unit. The vac-
production with a Multiplex bovine cytokines assay (Milliplex, cination protocol was continued with either 2 administrations
MERCK-Millipore) and by ELISA (Kingfisher Biotech). at 2 and 6 weeks after arrival with a monovalent attenuated
Results: At the time of vaccination, all calves had vaccine (Rispoval® RS, Zoetis) (control group (cg)) or a mul-
BRSV-specific IgG1 antibodies with a mean value of 74% tivalent, inactivated BRSV-Parainfluenza-3-Mh vaccine (Bovi-
[43;105%] compared to the positive control of the ELISA kit. lis® Bovipast RSP (MSD Animal Health) trial group (tg)). Paired
No group difference of the serum BRSV-specific antibodies serum samples were taken from relevant subsets of animals
of the calves before vaccination can be detected. BRSV was in the cg and tg. The first sampling was performed just before
detected in 8/10 calves vaccinated with Rispoval® IN RS+PI3 the first vaccination and the second sampling 12 weeks later.
at one of the two dates post-vaccination, but was more incon- BRSV and Mh antibodies were measured in the Centre
stantly detected in other vaccine groups. Cytokine concentra- for Diagnostic Services (MSD Animal Health, Boxmeer, The
tions were normalized to the total protein amount recovered by Netherlands) by in house developed ELISAs and titers were
nasal swabing. Most of the 15 cytokines were detected in the expressed as log2.
mucosal lining and varied according to the date of sampling Seroconversion for BRSV and Mh was defined as a titer
upon vaccination. Only trends were seen despite differences change of 2 log2 steps or more.
of BRSV strains, modalities of application, volume of vaccine
A statistical evaluation was done for several parameters
and amount of virus administered in one or the two nostrils.
with significance level 0.05.
Rispoval® IN RS+PI3 had a good capacity to induce Interferon
gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10 or CxCL10) production ear- Results: In total 1.127 calves (farm A n=931, farm B
ly at d7 in all calves tested. n=196) were included in the study. Eventually, paired samples
were taken from 196 calves corresponding to approx. 12 %
Conclusions: With this design, no significant difference
of the local immune response was noticed during a period of (n=137) of the calves in cg and 5 % (n=59) of the calves in tg.
two weeks after vaccine application, despite some favorable The baseline serum titers for BRSV and Mh ELISA at the
trends and an homogeneous response induced by Rispoval® time of the first sampling were not significantly different be-
IN. Further data are needed to define further the difference of tween groups (p=0.28) and there was no influence of age to
priming capacity among intranasal vaccines, and the conse- the humoral response (p=0.44).
quences on the protection herewith afforded. Most calves in the control group showed no humoral re-
Keywords: BRSV, vaccine, intranasal, calves, immunity. sponse in BRSV titer. Moreover, the titers dropped in a quar-
ter of the calves. Only in 5 calves (4 %) the BRSV -titers in-
creased 4 fold (>2 log2 steps) and consequently identified as
a seroconversion. In contrast to this, 58 % of the animals in
the trial group seroconverted. If one assumes that the infection
IV-29 pressure is equally high in both groups, one can establish a
significant (p<0.0001) better induction of antibody formation
Influence of vaccination on the seroconversion of 2 major after vaccination with the trivalent inactivated vaccine. Apart
respiratory pathogens in German beef rearing farms from the vaccination with the inactivated vaccine, additional
field infections might play a role in this seroconversion. A good
Egon Thesing1, Geert Vertenten2.
BRSV response to vaccination with the multivalent inactivated
Intervet Deutschland GmbH, MSD Tiergesundheit, Unterschleißheim,
1 vaccine (Bovilis® Bovipast RSP) has already been described
Germany; 2MSD Animal Health, Boxmeer, Netherlands. by Berge et al. (2021).
Concerning the Mh antibody induction, 42% of the cg
Objectives: An important part of the German beef sector calves had a seroconversion despite the absence of a Mh
is the fattening of Simmental/crossbreed bulls. BRD (Bovine strain in the administered vaccine. This is indicative for a field
Respiratory Disease) is the main health problem on those infection in those animals. A clear humoral response for Mh
farms. The causes are multifactorial, but the contribution of under field conditions in young dairy calves is reported also by
different pathogens is widely accepted. Bovine Respiratory Jozan (2021). Almost twice the rate (81%) of animals showed
Syncytial Virus (BRSV) and Mannheimia haemolytica (Mh) are serum conversion in the tg (17% > 2 log2 steps; 64% > 4 log2
2 major pathogens playing a pivotal role in the BRD complex. steps) which is due to the combination of the vaccine effect
Nowadays, the diagnostic of pathogens is mainly done by an- and the field infection as demonstrated in the cg.
tigen detection on respiratory samples, rather than serologi- Conclusion: Serological screening of antibodies in beef
cal identification of antibodies. As serological studies during calf rearing farms provides useful and practical insights into
the rearing time in beef calves are not commonly available, a the occurrence of infections and the impact of vaccinations.
study was performed to obtain insights in the serodynamics of Interpretation of this data supports the establishment of target-
BRSV and Mh using paired blood samples including different ed prophylactic measures. Mannheimia haemolytica is a fre-
BRD vaccination schemes. quently circulating pathogen in beef calf rearing farms in which
Materials & Methods: The study was done on 2 beef the use of a trivalent inactivated BRSV-Parainfluenza-3-Mann-
rearing farms in different regions of Germany over 2 separate heimia haemolytica vaccine (Bovilis® Bovipast RSP) leads to a
years (2017-2018) during the winter season. All calves were clear humoral response.
vaccinated with a live intranasal BRSV-Parainfluenza-3 vac- Keywords: Seroconversion, BRSV, Mannheimia haemo-
cine (Rispoval® RS-Pi3, Zoetis) and received metaphylactic lytica, vaccination, German beef farms.

283
IV-30 IgM concentrations associated with vaccination but no signifi-

cant differences for the other immunoglobulin isotypes (Table
Impact of prepartum administration of an infectious calf 1). Furthermore, the difference in mean non-vaccine-specific
diarrhea vaccine on nonspecific colostral immunoglobulin colostral IgM concentration between vaccinated and control
concentrations of dairy cows cows (2.72 mg/ml) was larger in magnitude than the difference
Greg Chambers1, William Kelton2, Grant Smolenski3, Emma in vaccine-specific IgM concentration (0.15 mg/ml). Though
Cuttance1. not statistically significant at the 5% level, the predicted dif-
ference in mean non-vaccine-specific IgG1 concentration be-
1
VetEnt Research, Te Awamutu, New Zealand; 2Te Huataki Waiora tween vaccinated and control cows was 10.78 (95% CI = -9.03
School of Health, The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand; - 30.58) mg/ml, which was larger than what was explained by
3
MS3 Solutions Ltd, Hamilton, New Zealand. the difference in vaccine-specific IgG1 concentrations of 0.98
mg/ml. This increase in IgG1 concentrations drove the bulk of
Objectives: Passive transfer of colostral immunoglobulins the 12.9 (95% CI = -10.26 - 36.07) mg/mL increase in overall
from the cow to the calf is essential for calf health. The objec- non-vaccine-specific immunoglobulin concentrations.
tive of this study was to determine if prepartum administration
of a vaccine stimulates increased concentrations of colostral
immunoglobulins of dairy cows beyond what is explained by Table 1. Predicted mean concentrations of non-vaccine-specific
vaccine-specific immunoglobulins. colostral immunoglobulins for control (n=20) and vaccinated (n=20)
cows in a cohort study evaluating the effect of prepartum vaccination
Materials & Methods: A prospective cohort study was
of pregnant dairy cows with a calf diarrhea vaccine on colostrum
conducted on a spring-calving commercial dairy farm that had
immunoglobulin concentrations.
applied a policy of only vaccinating cows with even ear tag
numbers with a calf diarrhea vaccine, while cows with odd ear Mean (95% CI) concentration (mg/

ml)
tag numbers were left unvaccinated. Cows in the vaccinated
group (even ear tag numbers, n=204) received a sensitizer Immunoglobulin Vaccinated
Control group P-value
and booster vaccination with a vaccine against bovine rota- class group
virus (serotypes G6 and G10), bovine coronavirus and E. coli IgG1
95.30 106.08
0.278
having the K99 pili adherence factor. A sensitizer was given (81.30, 109.31) (92.07, 120.08)
because the study vaccine was different to the vaccine previ- IgG2a 4.73 (3.96, 5.50) 4.71 (3.95, 5.48) 0.972
ously used. Cows in the control group (odd ear tag numbers, 9.87 8.73 (6.88, 11.10)
n=194) received a 2 mL subcutaneous sterile saline solution. IgA1 0.462
(7.79, 12.50)
Both groups received two treatments at a three-week interval,
IgM1 5.78 (4.74, 7.05) 8.76 (7.18, 10.67) 0.005
completing the treatments approximately two weeks prior to
the planned start of calving. During the calving period, tech- 100.03 110.79
IgG 0.294
(85.57, 114.49) (96.33, 125.24)
nicians separated calves from cows immediately after partu-
rition and prior to suckling, and cows were completely milked 115.46 128.37
Total Ig 0.267
(99.08, 131.84) (111.99, 144.75)
out within six hours of parturition. Using novel techniques,
vaccine-specific, total, and nonvaccine-specific (total minus
vaccine-specific) concentrations of immunoglobulin classes A, 1. Values were log transformed and then transformed
G1, G2a and M (IgA, IgG1, IgG2a and IgM respectively) were back to the original scale due to non-normality.
quantified by mass spectrometry for 20 colostrum samples
Conclusion: It is possible that the vaccine, in addition to
from each treatment group.
managing infectious calf diarrhea, may also improve colostrum
Results: Technicians harvested colostrum from a total quality through increased non-vaccine-specific colostrum im-
of 47 cows (n=24 control cows and n=23 vaccinated cows). munoglobulin concentrations. Further research is necessary
Two cows were excluded due to low BCS (n=1) and a spu- to determine the mechanism for these preliminary findings and
rious colostrum volume (n=1), leaving 45 eligible samples. what impacts it may have on calf health outcomes.
After matching, 20 samples from each treatment group were
Keywords: Vaccination, colostrum, immunoglobulin, dairy
randomly selected for analysis. The mean colostrum Brix %
cow.
was 24.65 and 26.20% for unvaccinated vaccinated cows re-
spectively, but this difference was not significant at the 5% lev-
el. We found 2.2- to 3.0-fold higher concentrations of vaccine
specific IgG1, IgG2a and total immunoglobulins in the colos-
trum of vaccinated cows compared to control cows, and no
difference in the concentration of IgA. We also found a 1.6-fold IV-31
increase in the concentration of IgM. IgG2a concentrations
were lower but still within the detection range of our assay. Bovine Myeloid Antimicrobial Peptide-28 (BMAP-28)
While no significant differences were observed for the other mRNA Expression by Bovine Cells and Effects of Synthetic
immunoglobulin isotypes, we found a 1.5-fold increase in total BMAP-28 on Bovine Respiratory Disease Pathogens.
IgM concentrations associated with vaccination. Santiago Cornejo Tonnelier1, Cassandra Barber1, Merrilee Thoresen1,
After subtracting vaccine-specific from total immunoglobu- Daryll Vanover2, Hannah Peck2, Philip Santangelo2, Amelia
lin concentrations, we again found a 1.5-fold increase in total Woolums1.

284
1
Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Bavarian Animal Health Service, Poing, Germany; 2Meltl GmbH &
1
Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University., Mississippi State, Co.KG, Grabenstätt, Germany.
MS, United States; 2Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical
Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University,
Objective: Coxiella (C.) burnetii is a zoonotic pathogen.
Atlanta, Georgia, United States.
Endemic infection in dairy cow farms is frequently observed.
A vaccine (CoxevacTM, Ceva Santé Animal) is available to
Objectives: Mannheimia haemolytica (MH) is the prin- control infection in cattle. In this case report a controlled vac-
cipal bacterial pathogen associated with bovine respiratory cination scheme was implemented in an infected dairy cow
disease (BRD) in cattle. Bovine Herpes virus type 1 (BHV-1) farm over a time period of 4½ years. Shedding of C. burnetii
can cause BRD by itself or it can be associated with MH or with milk and during calving was monitored. A long-term fol-
other opportunistic bacteria. Existing antimicrobials do not low-up and characterization of chronically infected cows was
consistently prevent BRD due to MH, and do not have an ef- possible as these were not immediately removed. In order to
fect against viruses; bovine antimicrobial peptides (AMP) have avoid side effects of vaccination no regular revaccination of
immune-stimulating and nonspecific antimicrobial effects that all cows every 9 months was performed, however, long-term
could improve BRD control. Messenger RNA (mRNA) treat- vaccination consisted of a primary vaccination of heifers and a
ment could be used to induce AMP expression in cattle, but single booster vaccination before 1st and 2nd breeding (after 1st
efficacy must first be confirmed in vitro. Synthetic AMP can calving), respectively. The immune response of seronegative
be generated to use as standards when characterizing mR- heifers was assessed by phase-specific antibody ELISA and
NA-expressed AMP. We hypothesized that bovine cells can IFN-γ-Recall assay (IFN-γ-RA) before/after primary vaccina-
express synthetic mRNA coding for the AMP BMAP-28 and tion and revaccination.
that synthetic BMAP-28 can inhibit the growth of MH and elicit Materials and Methods: In 2015 acute infection (abortion
antiviral effects against BHV-1 virus. and stillbirths) was observed in a dairy cow farm (225 lactat-
Materials & Methods: Madin-Darby bovine kidney cells ing cows, Simmental cattle). C. burnetii was identified as a
were cultured and transfected with mRNA coding for BMAP-28 possible cause. The farmer asked for coordinated interven-
linked to the reporter nanoluciferase. After 4, 12, 24, and 72 tion measures. Since October 2015 until January 2020 patho-
hrs, relative light units (RLU) and protein concentration were gen-shedding during calving was monitored by vaginal swabs.
measured. Results were expressed as RLU/µg of protein. Additionally, individual milk samples were collected yearly. In
MH at 500 CFU/ml was incubated with synthetic BMAP-28 spring 2016 primary vaccination of cattle (>12 months) was
at 10 or 100 µg/ml for 0, 12, or 24 hrs, and quantitative culture performed.
was performed. Vaginal swabs and milk samples were tested by quanti-
BHV-1 at 10 and 10 IU/ml were treated with synthetic
3 4 tative PCR (Böttcher et al., 2013); milk and serum samples
BMAP-28 at 10 or 100 µg/ml and incubated at 37ºC for 2 hrs. were tested for phase-specific antibodies and Li-heparin blood
A TCID50 assay on Madin-Darby bovine kidney cells was per- samples were tested by IFN-γ-RA (Böttcher et al., 2017).
formed for each treatment. TCID50 units were calculated after A group of 15 heifers (2017) were tested before (t0),
5 days post-infection (dpi). 4 months (t1), 16 months after primary vaccination (t2 i.e.
Results: Bovine kidney cells expressed mRNA coding at revaccination) and 1 month after revaccination (t3) for
for BMAP-28 with peak expression occurring at 24hs in cell phase-specific-antibodies and IFN-γ-reactivity.
lysates and supernatants. Synthetic BMAP-28 at 10µg/ml in- Results: Detection rates of C. burnetii in vaginal swabs
hibited MH growth at 12 and 24hs post-treatment. Synthetic were 9/59 in 2015 (Oct-Dec), 20/142 in 2016 (Jan-Jun),
BMAP-28 at 100 µg/ml elicited antiviral effects against BHV-1. 19/145 in 2016 (Jul-Dec), 1/236 (2017), 6/253 (2018), 5/292
(2019) and 0/56 (Jan/Feb 2020). Two chronically infected
Conclusions: Treatment of bovine cells with synthetic
cows (#129, #934) shed C. burnetii at calving in 2018. Four
mRNA induces BMAP-28 expression in vitro. BMAP-28 can
cows in the same calving pen with #129 tested positive (<103
inhibit MH growth and BHV-1 replication. These results pro-
C.b./swab), too. In 2019, #129 tested negative at calving, how-
vide support for further research to test the mRNA-expressed
ever, 5 cows in the same calving group tested positive (<103,5
product against BRD pathogens in vitro and in vivo. mRNA
C.b./swab). Detection rates of C. burnetii in milk were 7/191
treatment to induce AMP expression could lead to new BRD
(2015), 5/225 (2016/Mar), 13/211 (2016/Aug), 8/190 (2017),
control strategies.
0/161 (2018), 2/229 (2019) and 3/225 (2020).
Keywords: BMAP-28, mRNA, BRD, Mannheimia haemo-
Five and three chronically infected cows were present
lytica, BHV-1.
in the herd in 2018 (## 126, 129, 133, 214, 934) and 2019
(##129, 214, 934), respectively. Cow #129 shed C. burnetii
at 2nd, 3rd and 4th, cows #126 and #934 only once at 2nd and
6th parturition, respectively. Vaginal swabs of #133 and #214
tested negative at parturition. Cows #126, #129 and #934
IV-32 constantly shed large amounts in milk (mean 103,4, 104,1, 103,4/
ml, respectively) whereas #133 and #214 showed intermittent
Q fever: Vaccinate as much as needed and as little as possible
low-level shedding in milk (mean 101,4, 101,2/ml, respectively).
Jens Böttcher1, Gregor Siegl2, Stephanie Geischeder1, Frank Mean PhI-/PhII-titres (milk) of cows #126, #129, #133, #214,
Dautzenberg1, Elisabeth Deckinger1, Michaela Alex1, Vanessa #934 were 2705/5561, 1324/6053, 566/95, 294/114, 109/2639,
Turowski1, Britta Janowetz1. respectively. Cow #214 was the last one that established a

285
chronic infection (since Aug2016). cific immunity was monitored in cattle in one Swedish dairy
Primary vaccination and revaccination of heifers was an- herd following a BRSV-outbreak. The herd consisted of 534
alysed: PhI-titre (serum) was negative until t2, after revacci- cattle with an average age of 33 months and an average year-
nation (t3) a mean titre of 10000 was reached. PhII-titre in- ly milk production of 9971 kg ECM/cow. Cows were housed
creased to 10000 at t1, decreased to 2000 at t2 and increased in a free stall with cubicles, weaned calves in group pens and
to 100.000 at t3. IFN-γ-RA increased from <15% to 40% of unweaned calves in hutches outdoor. During the outbreak, two
the poke-weed-mitogen-reactivity at t1, decreased negative cows died in respiratory distress and there was a loss of de-
(<15%) at t2 and increased to 80% at t3. livered milk that had an estimated value of 2300 Euro. BRSV
was detected by ELISA (seroconversion) and/or virus isolation
Conclusions: To our knowledge this is the first report de-
and/ or RTqPCR in cows, heifers and calves.
scribing the long-term shedding of C. burnetii in a vaccinated
herd. Herd vaccination decreased shedding of C. burnetii at Blood and milk (when applicable) was collected from 33
calving about 9 months later. In other words, vaccination had female cattle of the Swedish red and white breed every two
no effect on the infected uterus. Vaccination had no effect on months during 26 months after the outbreak (post outbreak,
chronic shedders. Primary vaccination and only one revacci- PO). The sampled animals were either born during or just af-
nation protected cows from becoming chronic shedders. The ter the outbreak (n=5), or were aged 2-3 months (n=6), 4-5
strong PhII-titres and IFN-γ-reactivity after revaccination ex- months (n=6), 7-11 months (n=8), or 23-30 months (n=8) at
ceeding the level after primary vaccination suggests the in- the time of the outbreak. The oldest animals were either at < 6
duction of an immunological memory by primary vaccination. (n=4) or > 6.5 (n=4) months of gestation.
Acknowledgements: This study was financially support- Nasal secretions and saliva were repeatedly collected
ed by the Free State of Bavaria and the Bavarian Joint Found- from five animals. To verify the absence of BRSV re-circula-
ing Scheme for the Control and Eradication of contagious tion in the herd, blood was collected at the end of the study
Livestock Diseases. from 24 additional animals born >4 months PO. BRSV-specif-
ic antibodies of different isotypes were analysed by ELISAs,
References:
along with BRSV-neutralising antibodies (NAb) by a virus neu-
Böttcher, J. et al. (2013) Berl Münch Tierärztl Wochenschr tralisation assay. Furthermore, attempts were made to detect
126, 427-435. BRSV-specific T cell responses in peripheral blood, by lymph-
Böttcher, J. et al. (2017) J Vet Med Res 4(9):1106. oproliferation and ELISpot assays.
Keywords: Q fever, Coxiella, vaccination, chronic shed- Results: All cattle that were older than 2 months at the
ding. time of the outbreak had or developed BRSV-specific serum
IgG and BRSV-F competing antibodies, which remained sta-
ble during at least 26 months. The four cows in > 6.5 months
of gestation had the lowest levels of such antibodies and two
cows did not secrete detectable BRSV-specific IgG in milk. The
IV-33 youngest cattle, which were possibly infected in the presence
of maternally derived antibodies, became seronegative within
Duration of immunity after a natural infection with bovine 4-6 months PO (within 3-5 months of age) and remained so
respiratory syncytial virus for at least 26 months, inferring that no re-infections occurred.
All animals that were born >4 months PO were seronegative
Sara Hägglund1, Katarina Näslund1, Hakan Enul1, Cecilia
at the end of the study.
Lefverman1, Leonore Pascal1, Anna Svensson1, Menno Holzhauer2,
Karin Alvåsen3, Catherine Dubuquoy4, Isabelle Schwartz-Cornil4, The BRSV-NAb responses and the BRSV-specific serum
Sabine Riffault4, Geraldine Taylor5, María Jose Rodriguez6, Marga IgG2 followed a similar pattern as IgG, but with a greater indi-
Garcia Duran6, Jean François Valarcher1. vidual variation. The highest NAb-titres were detected in some
of the heifers that were 5-11 months old at the outbreak, but
1
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Dept. of Clinical titres dropped within 4-6 months. Another such heifer, from
Sciences, Unit of Ruminant Medicine, Host Pathogen Interaction which virus had been isolated, developed very poor NAb re-
Group, Uppsala, Sweden; 2GD Animal Health, Deventer, Netherlands; sponses but high levels of BRSV-specific IgG2.
3
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Dept. of Clinical Sciences,
BRSV-specific IgA was detected in nasal secretions of all
Unit of Epidemiology, Uppsala, Sweden; 4Université Paris-Saclay,
sampled cattle two months PO, but these responses were
UVSQ, INRAE, VIM, Jouy-en-Josas, France; 5The Pirbright Institute,,
not stable over time. In contrast, BRSV-specific local IgG2
Woking, United Kingdom; 6Inmunología y Genética Aplicada, S.A.
responses were more stable but varied between individuals,
(INGENASA), Madrid, Spain.
in agreement with the data on BRSV-specific IgG2 in serum.
Overall, BRSV-specific IgG2 and IgA were poorly detectable
Objectives: Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) in saliva. It was not possible to detect BRSV-specific T cell
infections commonly occur as epizootic outbreaks in nearby responses in peripheral blood two months PO.
cattle herds. In parallel with improved biosecurity, the main- Conclusions: In conclusion, it was demonstrated that
tenance of herd immunity could contribute to minimize virus BRSV-specific IgG lasts for at least two years in animals in-
circulation. With the overall goal to identify vaccine targets, the fected above 2 months of age but are not always detectable
objective of this work was to monitor the duration of BRSV-spe- in milk. The BRSV-specific IgG2 antibody responses and the
cific humoral and cellular immunity in cattle. BRSV-NAb titers varied between individuals. In young animals,
Materials and methods: Local and systemic BRSV-spe- a drop of NAb titers was observed within 4 months, whereas

286
in adults, the NAb titers were low but stable. Cows that were IV-35
near calving during an outbreak and all calves born later than
two months before an outbreak, appear as the most critical Efficacy of a vaccine to control Coxiellosis in goats 1 year
candidates for vaccination in order to limit virus circulation in after primo-vaccination: assessment of the duration of
the field. More investigations are needed to confirm these data immunity
and to identify if previously infected animals are virologically Philippe Gisbert1, Tamas Szalai2, Jean De Foucauld1, Georges
protected by their antibodies upon reinfection. Orszagh2.
Keywords: BRSV, immunity, duration, neutralising anti-
Ceva Santé Animale, Libourne, France; 2Ceva Phylaxia, Budapest,
1
bodies, respiratory disease.
Hungary.
Objectives: In small ruminants, Coxiellosis also named Q

fever is responsible for abortion, stillbirth and weak born. In
IV-34 addition, Q fever is a zoonosis which can cause flu-like syn-
dromes in humans but also abortions or cardio-vascular disor-
Virus detection by PCR following vaccination of naive ders. It is therefore a major public health concern. Control of Q
calves with intranasal or injectable multivalent modified- fever is therefore of main interest.
live viral vaccines In this challenge study, the efficacy of an inactivated vac-
Victor Cortese , Paul H. Walz , Benjamin W. Newcomer , Kay P.
1 2 2 cine against Coxiella burnetii - Nine Mile strain phase I (Cox-
Riddell2, Daniel W. Scruggs3. evac®, Ceva Santé Animale) one year after primo vaccination
on goats was evaluated on two main criteria:
1
Zoetis, Simpsonville, United States; 2Auburn University, Auburn,
• Reduction of abortion rate.
United States; 3Zoetis, Parsippany, United States.
• Reduction of shedding in milk, faeces and vaginal mu-
cus.
Objective: To evaluate the duration and cycle times of
Material and methods: The study was conducted in com-
PCR-positive results following administration of modified-live
pliance with the provisions of Directive 2010/63/EU relative of
viral (MLV) vaccines to sero-negative beef calves.
the protection of animals used for scientific purposes.
Materials and Methods: Twenty beef calves were ran-
Forty 3 months old goats were vaccinated twice 3 weeks
domly assigned to either group 1 and vaccinated intranasal-
apart according to the product’s label (Coxevac® 2 mL sub-
ly with a MLV vaccine containing bovine alpha herpesvirus 1
cutaneously); forty goats of the same age were not vaccinat-
(BoHV-1), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), and bo-
ed and were included as control. Eleven months later, goats
vine parainfluenza virus 3 (BPIV-3), or to group 2 and vacci-
were mated after oestrus synchronization. Finally, 14 pregnant
nated subcutaneously with a MLV vaccine containing bovine
goats in the vaccinated group and 7 from the non-vaccinated
viral diarrhea virus 1 and 2 (BVDV-1, -2), BoHV-1, BRSV, and
were selected.
BPIV-3. Deep nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) and transtracheal
washes (TTW) were collected from all calves, and whole blood At 75 +/- 7d of pregnancy (1 year and 27 days after the
was collected from group 2 calves and tested by PCR. second injection of the vaccine), goats were challenged sub-
cutaneously with a heterologous field strain of Coxiella burnetii
Results: In group 1, the proportions of calves that tested
(CbC1).
PCR-positive to BVDV, BoHV-1, BRSV, and BPIV-3 on any
sample at any time were 0%, 100%, 100%, and 10%, respec- Abortion rate and number of live kids were assessed. Fae-
tively. In group 1 calves, 100% of calves became PCR-posi- ces and vaginal shedding were measured by qPCR from 14
tive for BoHV-1 by day 3 post-vaccination and 100% of calves days post challenge to 35 days post abortion/kidding. Milk
became PCR-positive for BRSV by day 7 post-vaccination. In shedding was measured by qPCR from the day of abortion/
group 2, the proportions of calves that tested positive to BVDV, kidding to 35 days. For these three types of samples, both
BoHV-1, BRSV, and BPIV-3 on any sample at any time were ratio of shedders animals and quantity of excreted Coxiella
50%, 40%, 10%, and 0%, respectively. All threshold cycle burnetii were measured.
(Ct) values were >30 in group 2 calves, irrespective of virus; Results: Five out of seven goats of the control group
however, Ct values <25 were observed in group 1 calves from aborted (71.4%) while there were only three out of 14 in the
PCR-positive results for BoHV-1 and BRSV. All calves were vaccinated group (21.4%). The difference between the two
PCR-negative for all viruses after day 28. groups was significant (p=0.0408).
Conclusion: Following intranasal MLV viral vaccination, The rate of non-viable or aborted kids was 71.4% and
PCR results and Ct values for BRSV and BoHV-1 suggest that 11.1% in the control group and in the vaccinated group, re-
attempts to differentiate vaccine virus from natural infection is spectively (p=0.0017).
unreliable. From d56 post challenge to d35 post kidding/abortion, the
Keywords: Bovine virus vaccination, deep nasopharyn- proportion of shedders in faeces and vaginal mucus was signifi-
geal swabs, PCR. cantly higher (p<0.003 and p<0.002, respectively) in the control
group than in the vaccinated group. The mean level of excretion
in faeces (measured in bacteria per g) was reduced by 4 log10
between the control and the vaccinated group. This reduction
was 5 log10 for vaginal mucus (measured in bacteria per mL).

287
Regarding the shedding in milk, the excretion of Coxiella 6 months after the primo vaccination and 1 month after the
burnetii was significantly higher in the control group than in the booster vaccination.
vaccinated group (p<0.0002). The mean quantity of bacteria Results: There was no significant difference in T0 titres
excreted per milliliter was reduced by 4 log10 in the vaccinated between the groups. No negative control calves seroconvert-
group. ed, whereas respectively 15 and 75% of the BTO and BPAST
Conclusion: This study showed that goat vaccination vaccinated calves seroconverted for BRSV after primovacci-
(Coxevac®, Ceva Santé Animale) was effective for one year nation and respectively 0% and 75% of the BTO and BPAST
in reducing the abortion rate due to Coxiella burnetii and ex- vaccinated calves seroconverted to BRSV after booster vac-
cretion of the bacterium. This is of main interest to control the cination. The BPAST vaccinated calves had significantly high-
disease in the flocks and to reduce the zoonotic risk. er BRSV SN titres AUC following the primo vaccination and
Keywords: Q fever, goats, vaccine, immunity. booster vaccination compared to the negative control calves
and the BTO vaccinated calves. The BTO vaccinated calves
did not have a significantly different BRSV SN titres AUC re-
sponse after the primo or booster vaccinations compared to
the negative control calves.
IV-36 Although some animals experienced a natural infection
with BPI3V, Mh or both, some differences in the antibody re-
A field study evaluating humoral immune response sponses between the different groups could still be identified.
in calves vaccinated with two multivalent respiratory BPAST and BTO vaccinated calves mounted a significantly
vaccines higher AUC ELISA OD for both BPI3V and Mh compared to
negative control calves after primovaccination with the high-
Anna Catharina Berge1, Thibault Jozan2, Camille Levesque3, Geert est AUC measured in the BPAST vaccinated calves. This in
Vertenten4. contrast with booster vaccination where only the BPAST vac-
Berge Veterinary Consulting BV, Vollezele, Belgium; 2MSD Santé
1 cinated calves mounted a significantly higher AUC ELISA OD
Animale, Beaucouzé, France; 3LABOCEA, Javené, France; 4MSD for both BPI3V and Mh compared to negative control calves.
Animal Health, Boxmeer, Netherlands. Conclusion: This study indicates that despite containing
antigens targeting the same BRD pathogens, immunogenicity
Objectives: Calf vaccination may be adversely affected by of vaccines can be very different. Early vaccination of calves
maternal antibodies. Two trivalent inactivated Bovine Respira- with multivalent adjuvanted inactivated BRD vaccines (e.g.
tory Disease (BRD) vaccines that are commercialized in Eu- Bovilis® Bovipast® RSP) can elicit a humoral response with a
rope (Bovilis® Bovipast RSP or Bovilis® Bovigrip, MSD Animal memory effect as indicated by the serological response after
booster vaccination.
Health (BPAST) and Bovalto® Respi 3, Boehringer Ingelheim
(BTO)), can be administered to calves from 2 weeks of age. Keywords: BRD vaccines, commercial calves, BRSV, PI3,
BPAST has proven efficacy in calves with maternal antibodies, Mannheimia haemolytica.
while BTO is only indicated for use in seronegative animals. In
field conditions, calves rarely remain seronegative for BRSV
due its high prevalence in cattle herds. The objective of this
field study was to evaluate the seroneutralising (SN) antibody
responses against bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) IV-37
and specific humoral (IgG) ELISA response to BRSV, bovine
parainfluenza 3 virus (BPI3V) and Mannheimia haemolytica Concurrent vaccination for pneumonia in pre-weaned
(Mh) in young calves vaccinated with either BPAST or BTO calves; a longitudinal study on the safety, and serological
and after booster vaccination 9 to 11 months later. response elicited by delivery of two live intranasal vaccines
Materials & Methods: This field study was performed on Anna Flynn1, Catherine Mcaloon2, Katie Surgrue1, Ricki Fitzgerald1,
one dairy farm in France, with 30 dairy calves that received at Cara Sheridan3, Bosco Cowley3, Emer Kennedy1.
least 3L colostrum during the first 6h of life. Three study groups 1
Grassland Science Research Department, Animal & Grassland
were created of 12 calves vaccinated with BPAST, 13 with BTO
Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc Moorepark, Cork, Republic
and 5 non vaccinated negative controls. Vaccines were admin-
of Ireland; 2School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin,
istered at 15-30 days of age (T0), 1 month (m) later (T0+1m)
Dublin, Republic of Ireland; 3MSD Animal Health, Dublin, Republic
and at 9-11 months of age (T10). Blood samples were taken
of Ireland.
at T0, T0+0.5m, T0+1m, T0+1.5m, T0+2m, T0+2.5m, T0+3m,
T0+4m, T0+5m, T0+6m, T10, T10+0.5m and T10+1m. Serum
antibodies in the individual calves after primo (first 2 injec- Objectives: Bovine respiratory disease complex (BRD) is
tions) and booster (3rd injection) vaccinations were evaluated an economically important disease with a high mortality rate.
by calculating the areas under the curve (AUC) of the Log2 In Ireland, it remains the leading cause of death in calves be-
transformed BRSV SN titres and the optic density measures tween 1 and 12 months of age. Moreover, as antimicrobial re-
of the ELISA tests for BRSV, BPI3V and Mh. A seroconversion sistance and animal welfare are areas of growing public con-
was defined as a four-fold or more increase in titres. Multivari- cern, control of BRD through prophylactic vaccination will be
ate general linear models were used to evaluate the influence increasingly important in decreasing calf rearer reliance on an-
of the vaccination on the AUC of the serum measures within tibiotics. It has been suggested that vaccination of pre-weaned

288
calves from two weeks of age in the face of maternally-derived Conclusion: Although concurrent intranasal vaccination
antibodies (MDA) can provide efficacious protection from the with a live vaccine against BHV-1 and a live vaccine against
viruses most commonly associated with pneumonia. BRSV and PI3V is outside of the licensed use of the two prod-
Although numerous respiratory vaccines suitable for calves ucts, in our study the concurrent use in 3-week old seroposi-
are available, achieving early protection is often challenging tive calves caused no adverse effect on weight gain or clinical
due to a limited vaccination time-window and labour demand. parameters compared to calves vaccinated with the vaccines
Reportedly, it is now common practice on farms to administer individually and non-vaccinated controls. Moreover, the en-
multiple intranasal vaccines together to pre-weaned calves. hanced immune response against BHV-1 and RSV following
However, this practice is currently unlicensed and there is lim- booster vaccination might suggest that the immune system
ited information on the effects of concurrent intranasal admin- had been primed. Any decision to use these vaccines concur-
istration of these vaccines. The objective of this longitudinal rently needs to be made on a case-by-case basis by a veteri-
study was to determine the safety of concurrent administra- nary professional.
tion, from 3 weeks of age, of two currently available intranasal Keywords: concurrent vaccination, intranasal, pneumo-
vaccines for the viruses Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus nia, safety, serology.
(BRSV), Parainfluenza-3-virus (PI3V) and Bovine Herpes Vi-
rus 1 (BHV-1) and to examine the serological responses they
elicited in the face of high levels of MDA.
Materials & Methods: Forty dairy (n=30) and dairy beef
(n=10) calves, male (n=13) and female (n=27) were balanced
in a randomised block design with 4 treatments; i) Live BHV-1
vaccine only (Bovilis® IBR Marker Live, MSD Animal Health)
(BHV-1 only) ii) BRSV/PI3V vaccine only (Bovilis® INtrana-
sal RSP Live, MSD Animal Health) (RSV/PI3V only) and iii)
Concurrent vaccination with live BHV-1 and BRSV/PI3V vac-
cines (Bovilis® IBR Marker Live & Bovilis® INtranasal RSP®
Live) (CV) and iv) non-vaccinated control group. Calves were
vaccinated intranasally (IN) at an average age of 21.6 (±4.8)
days with a 2 ml dose of each vaccine, 1 ml per nostril. Calves
in the CV treatment received both vaccines separately, and
consecutively. Control calves were given a placebo of the dilu-
ent used for both vaccines. All calves from vaccinated groups
received booster vaccination against BHV-1 (Bovilis® IBR
Marker Live, 2ml i.m) and RSV&PI3V (Bovilis® Bovipast®
RSP, MSD Animal Health, 5ml, s.c.) at the age of 4 months.
The serological response to vaccination was measured at 3
weeks post intranasal vaccination and following booster. The
antibody response was measured with commercially available
indirect ELISA test kits, and the results were compared be-
tween treatment groups.
In addition to serology, clinical health scores, including rec-
tal temperature were taken before and after IN vaccination.
Calves were weighed weekly and growth rates were compared
between treatments. All data analysis was performed using
SAS version 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc.) and significant associa-
tions in mixed models were confirmed at the P<0.05 level.
Results: There was no significant difference in rectal
temperature before and after IN vaccine administration (P=
0.219). Concurrent vaccination had no adverse effect on
weight gain or clinical score, with CV calves gaining on aver-
age 0.28 kg (±0.14) kg/week more than BHV-only and BRSV/
PI3V only calves. Intranasal vaccination with BRSV/PI3V at
three weeks of age resulted in an improved anamnestic re-
sponse to the PI3V and BRSV antigens following subsequent
administration of an inactivated vaccine against PI3V, BRSV
and M. haemolytica. Therefore, intranasal vaccination at three
weeks of age in the face of high levels of MDA acted to prime
the immune response for a subsequent parenteral dose of in-
activated BRSV/PI3V vaccine. BHV-1 antibodies increased in
all treatment groups including the controls post-IN vaccination,
which may indicate circulation of wild BHV-1 in the herd.

289
ORAL — Lameness
LA-01 have an SU in peak lactation if they already had SU at enrol-

ment comparing to cows that did not have SU at enrolment.
A prospective cohort study into the association between
Conclusion: These initial results are consistent with those
early-lactation mastitis and the development of sole ulcers
described previously by Griffiths et al. (2018). A strong associ-
in dairy cows
ation has been found between mastitis in the first 30 days and
Christopher Watson1, Matthew Barden2, Bethany Griffiths2, the presence of SU in peak lactation. The mechanism respon-
Alkiviadis Anagnostopoulos1, Cherrill Bedford1, Androniki Psifidi3, sible for this association is not yet clear and warrants further
Georgios Banos4, Georgios Oikonomou1. investigation.
1
Department of Livestock Health and Welfare, Institute of Veterinary References:
Science, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High 1. Sanders AH, Shearer JK, De Vries A. Journal of Dairy
Road, CH64 7TE, UK, Neston, United Kingdom; 2Department of Science. 2009;92(7):3165-74.
Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global 2. Shearer JK, van Amstel SR. Veterinary Clinics: Food
Health, University of Liverpool. Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Animal Practice. 2017;33(2):283-300.
CH64 7TE, UK, Neston, United Kingdom; 3Department of Clinical
3. Breen JE, Green MJ, Bradley AJ. Journal of Dairy Sci-
Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, North Mymms,
ence. 2009;92(6):2551-61.
Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, UK, North Mymms, United Kingdom;
4
Animal & Veterinary Sciences, SRUC, Roslin Institute Building, Easter 4. Griffiths B, Mahen P, Hall R, Kakatsidis N, Britten N,
Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK, Neston, United Kingdom. Robinson L, et al. Cattle Practice. 2018;26:81-.
Keywords: Dairy cattle, lameness, sole ulcer, mastitis.
Objectives: Sole ulcers (SU) are a major cause of lame-
ness in dairy cattle and their incidence is highest in early to
mid-lactation (1). SU take 8-12 weeks or more to develop, and
it has been suggested many originate from an insult in the
periparturient period (2). The risk for clinical mastitis is high- LA-02
est in the first 30 days in milk (DIM) (3) and we postulate a
Metagenomic analyses of the bovine foot skin microbiome;
potential link between early-lactation mastitis incidence and
associations with development of Bovine Digital Dermatitis.
later development of SU. A preliminary study that was carried
out by our group involving 455 animals on 3 commercial dairy Veysel Bay1, Amy Gillespie2, Erika Ganda3, Nicholas Evans2, Stuart
farms found that cows were significantly more likely to devel- Carter2, Luca Lenzi2, Anita Lucaci2, Sam Haldenby2, Matthew
op SU in early lactation if they had mastitis in the first month Barden2, Bethany Griffiths2, Enrique Sanchez-Molano4, Rodrigo
post calving (4). The aim of this prospective cohort study was Bicalho5, Georgios Banos6, Alistair Darby2, Georgios Oikonomou2.
to further investigate this association employing a much larg- 1
Aegean Agricultural Research Institute, Izmir, Turkey; 2University
er dataset and more intensive recording of lameness-causing
of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom; 3Penn State University,
foot lesions.
Pennsylvania, United States; 4The Roslin Institute, University of
Materials and Methods: Data were collected from 2186 Edinburgh, United Kingdom; 5Cornell University, Ithaca, United States;
Holstein-Friesian cows and heifers raised in four commercial 6
Scotland's Rural College, Midlothian, United Kingdom.
dairy farms in the UK. Data were collected from each animal
on three occasions: - at drying off or 30-60 days before their
expected first calving, in the first 10 days post calving and at Objectives: Previous studies have described the micro-
50-120 days post calving. On each occasion, feet were lifted biome of the different lesion stages of Bovine Digital Derma-
and presence and severity of SU was recorded by a quali- titis (BDD). The present study was designed to examine the
fied veterinary surgeon. Mastitis episodes were recorded by healthy bovine foot-skin microbiome and determine differenc-
trained farm staff. A series of univariable analyses were initially es in microbial populations associated with future develop-
performed. Outcome of interest was the presence of a SU in ment of BDD lesions.
early lactation. In order to account for potential confounding Materials and Methods: Swabs were taken from the
factors, a multivariable logistic regression model was also fit- heel bulb region of the back-left foot of 259 Holstein-Friesian
ted to the data. cows from three commercial UK dairy farms 3-4 weeks prior
Results: 21.4% of cows that had mastitis in the first 30 to calving. Feet were re-examined at one, four and 8-10 weeks
days post calving developed SU in early lactation, whilst only post-calving to record any lesions that had developed and
4.9% of cows that did not have mastitis in the first 30 DIM de- classify cows into four foot-health groups: those that remained
veloped SU in early lactation (P = 0.0028). After correcting for healthy (HtHt), those that became infected (HtIn), those that
parity group (primiparous versus multiparous), farm, and the were always infected (InIn) and those that were infected at
presence or not of a SU at enrolment, cows that had mastitis enrolment but recovered (InHt).
in the first 30 days post calving were found to be 6.66 times 16SrRNA gene amplicon sequencing was carried out for
more likely to have a SU in early lactation (CI 2.50-17.73, P all samples using the Illumina® HiSeq 2500 platform, and tax-
<0.0001) comparing to cows that did not have mastitis in the onomic assignment of OTUs carried out using QIIME and the
first 30 days post calving. Multiparous cows were 1.64 times RDP classifier. Chao 1, Shannon and Simpson indices were
more likely (CI 0.95 -2.85, P = 0.078) to have SU in peak lac- calculated to describe alpha-diversity, and weighted and un-
tation than cows that were in their first lactation. Finally, cows weighted UniFrac distances were analysed using Principal
were 13.3 times more likely (CI 6.36 – 28.02, P < 0.0001) to Coordinates Analysis and used to describe beta-diversity for

290
ORAL — Lameness
foot health groups and farms. Robust response screening ginning of a pathogenic process in HtIn samples detectable
(JMP Pro 12, SAS Institute Inc., USA), was performed to eval- prior to development of visible BDD lesions.
uate differences in relative abundance of OTU assignments at Keywords: Digital dermatitis, Microbiome, Metagenomics,
genus level between samples from the HtHt and HtIn groups. Lesion development, Lameness.
A subset of five samples from the HtHt and HtIn groups
were used for shotgun metagenomic analysis to provide high-
er taxonomic resolution and detect differences in the functional
profiles of the microbiome. Prepared libraries were sequenced
using the Illumina® HiSeq 4000 platform and results analysed LA-03
using LefSe to determine taxa most likely to explain differenc-
es between the two groups. HUMAnN2 was used to function- Initial validation of an intelligent video surveillance system
ally annotate read data to show biological pathway abundance for automatic detection of dairy cattle lameness
and completeness.
Alkiviadis Anagnostopoulos, Bethany Griffiths, Joseph Neary, Rob
Results: Differences in sample richness and evenness Smith, Georgios Oikonomou.
were identified between foot-health groups. Alpha-diversity
metrics overall suggested that HtHt samples had significantly University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston, United Kingdom.
greater microbial diversity than InIn or InHt samples, and a
tendency to greater microbial diversity than HtIn samples.
Objectives: Lameness is a major welfare challenge fac-
Focussing on comparing HtHt to HtIn groups (where ing the dairy industry worldwide. Monitoring of herd lameness
samples originated from morphologically healthy feet), PCoA prevalence, early detection and treatment of foot lesions are
showed clustering between HtHt and HtIn groups, indicating important aspects of lameness control. The objective of this
that overall the two groups share the same species. Howev- study was to evaluate the performance of a commercially avail-
er, response screening showed at genus level that Macrococ- able video surveillance system for automatic detection of dairy
cus spp. and Brachybacterium spp. were more abundant in cattle lameness (CattleEye Ltd.). Our aim was to investigate
samples from the HtHt group, whilst Succiniclasticum spp., the validity of the mobility scores provided by the system by
Porphyromonas spp., Acholeplasma spp., Fastidiosipila spp., comparing them against those recorded by two experienced
Peptoclostridium spp. and Prevotella spp. were more abun- assessors. Additionally, we examined the system’s ability to
dant in samples from the HtIn group. Treponema spp. were detect cows with at least one potentially painful foot lesion.
present in the top 20 most prevalent genera for HtIn samples,
Materials and Methods: CattleEye utilizes an inexpen-
but not for HtHt samples.
sive 2D surveillance camera placed above the passageway
Shotgun metagenomic analysis showed some differences exiting the milking parlour. Footage of cows exiting the milking
in taxa present in HtHt compared to HtIn samples. HtHt sam- parlour is sent directly to company servers where it is stored
ples had increased relative abundance of many gram positive and processed. The final result of the analysis is a number
bacteria from the phylum Actinobacteria which would be ex- between 0.0 and 100.0, indicating the degree of lameness.
pected to be part of the healthy foot skin flora. HtIn samples This variable is then transformed into 0-3 scale score ( score
showed biologically relevant increases in wall-less bacteria 0 for 0-24, score 1 for 25-49, score 2 for 50-74 and score 3 for
from the Tenericutes phyla, which has previously been found 75-100).From November 2020 to February 2021 three farms
to be more abundant in BDD lesions. Taxonomic assignment equipped with the CattleEye mobility scoring system were
of reads was low and therefore the significance of these find- visited once a week by an experienced scorer (Assessor 1).
ings is uncertain; however, there may be some agreement with During each visit, the entire milking herd was scored using the
the 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis in finding increased Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB) 0-3
Acholeplasma spp. in HtIn samples and increased Brachybac- scale scoring method. Reports containing CattleEye scores
terium sp. in HtHt samples. were also stored but were not available to Assessor 1 before
Eight functional pathways were identified as significantly the end of the study. Assessor 1 also recorded lesions found
more abundant in the HtIn group. One indicated production during foot-trimming visits for two of the farms. Finally, a sec-
of 4-deoxy-L-threo-hex-4enopyranuronate, which is a uronic ond experienced scorer (Assessor 2) recorded mobility scores
acid resulting from the degradation of many polymers. These on those two farms once during the study and within 48 hours
include plant polymers such as pectin and gellan, but also of the last visit by Assessor 1. Percentage of agreement and
important components of connective tissue such as heparin, Cohen’s Kappa was calculated comparing the scores record-
heparin sulfate, hyaluronan and chondroitin sulfate. ed by Assessor 1 and the CattleEye system in binary form
Conclusion: This is the first study to associate taxonomi- (Lame/ Not Lame). The same analysis was performed for all
cal differences in the healthy foot-skin microbiome with future possible pairs on the dataset containing scores from Assessor
development of BDD lesions. Our data suggest that loss of 1, Assessor 2 and the CattleEye system. Using the lesions
diversity may begin before the appearance of morphological recorded and their severity, cows were classified as having
lesions, and that Macrococcus spp and Brachybacterium spp. at least one potentially painful lesion or not. Lesions included
may be protective whilst Succiniclasticum spp., Porphyro- in this analysis were: M2 stage of digital dermatitis, toe ulcer,
monas spp., Acholeplasma spp., Fastidiosipila spp., Peptoclo- sole ulcer and severe white line disease lesions. Confusion
stridium spp. and Prevotella spp. may initiate dysbiosis that matrixes were calculated using the binary lesion score as ref-
leads to lesion development. Upregulation of a functional path- erence and the binary form of Assessor 1 scores and the Cat-
way associated with polymer degradation may indicate the be- tleEye scores as predictors.

291
ORAL — Lameness
Results: By the end of the study 6,040 mobility scores es SSTT measurements and its association with a number of
were collected by Assessor 1 that also had a corresponding explanatory variables.
CattleEye score, from which 1,102 also had corresponding Materials & Methods: Across four commercial UK dairy
scores from Assessor 2. Foot lesions from 84 cows were re- farms, 2,352 Holstein Friesian cows were prospectively en-
corded. rolled prior to a calving date expected to occur between April
Assessor 1/ CattleEye and September 2019. Animals were assessed at four time
Agreement between the binary scores of Assessor 1 and points relative to their calving date; prior to calving (mean: -55
the CattleEye system for Farms 1, 2 and 3 were 82.6%, 84.1% days, standard deviation (SD): 18), immediately post-calving
and 88.9% respectively. The Cohen’s Kappa for the same (mean: +5 days, SD: 3), during early lactation (mean: +84
combinations were 0.44, 0.34 and 0.41 respectively. days, SD: 14) and again in late lactation (mean: +200 days,
SD: 31). At each check the animals were mobility and body
Assessor 1/ Assessor 2/ CattleEye
condition scored, all four feet were assessed for infectious and
For Farm 2, agreements between Assessor 1 and Assessor non-infectious foot lesions and these were graded for severity.
2, Assessor 1 and CattleEye, and Assessor 2 and CattleEye An image of the digital cushion on the lateral claw of the hind
were: 80%, 77.6% and 81.6% respectively. Cohen’s kappa for left foot was taken using B mode ultrasonography for mea-
those pairs were: 0.30, 0.26 and 0.30. Agreement among the surement at a later date.
same pairs but for Farm 3 were: 90.1%, 88% and 85% re-
In total 7,866 digital cushion images were analysed by a
spectively. Cohen’s Kappa for those pairs for Farm 3 were:
single assessor blinded to cow, farm and stage of lactation and
0.44, 0.40 and 0.32 respectively. Kappa values for agreement
using Image J software. Univariable analysis was undertaken.
between Assessors 1 and 2 for farms 2 and 3 (0.30, 0.44 re-
Simple linear regression models were constructed, from which
spectively) were very similar to those between Assessor 1 and
least square means were calculated and Tukey HSD tests un-
CattleEye throughout the entire validation process (0.34, 0.41
dertaken (R Core Team, 2020). The SSTT was the outcome
for farms 2 and 3 respectively).
variable.
Assessor 1/ CattleEye/ Foot lesions
Results: The SSTT nadir was shortly after calving, with
When using the lesion score as reference and Assessor SSTT then increasing throughout lactation (P <.0001). Parity
1 binary scores as classifier the confusion matrix produced a was significant, with lower parity animals having significantly
combination of 35% sensitivity and 88% specificity. Positive thinner SSTT compared to higher parity animals (P <.0001),
predictive value (PPV) was 38% and negative predictive value this was especially apparent for primiparous compared to mul-
(NPV) was 87%. When using CattleEye scores as classifiers tiparous animals. There were significant differences in SSTT
the confusion matrix produced a combination of 71% sensi- between farms (P<.0001), and a farm by stage interaction was
tivity and 81% specificity; PPV was 43% and NPV was 93%. noted (P<.0001). Two distinct patterns of SSTT change over
Conclusion: This study shows that the CattleEye system the course of the lactation emerged. The first is as previously
had a comparable performance to two experienced scorers described, the SSTT starts relatively high, drops at calving and
when mobility score was used as a reference and outper- then increases in size again throughout lactation. This was ev-
formed the human scorer when lesion presence was used as ident on two of the farms. The other pattern featured a decline
the gold standard. in SSTT from the dry period through to the nadir at early lacta-
tion, the SSTT then recovers in size by the late lactation visit.
Keywords: Automatic lameness detection, dairy cattle.
An interesting parity by time point of measurement by sole ul-
cer incidence interaction was also observed. Primiparous ani-
mals that developed a sole ulcer in early lactation exhibited a
greater drop in SSTT thickness at calving compared to those
primiparous animals which did not develop a sole ulcer. This
LA-04 change was echoed in the multiparous animals, but was not as
sizeable. Initial analysis has also indicated that taller cows had
Sole Soft Tissue Thickness changes over the Periparturient
thicker SSTTs, whilst cows with thinner sole horn had thicker
Period and its Association with Sole Ulcers in Dairy Cattle
sole soft tissues.
Bethany Griffiths1, Alkiviadis Anagnostopoulos1, Matthew Barden1, Conclusion: To the best of the author’s knowledge this is
Androniki Psifidi2, Georgios Banos3, Georgios Oikonomou1. the largest study of sole soft tissue thickness measurements.
University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom; 2Royal Veterinary
1 Initial analyses have highlighted that freshly calved animals
College, London, United Kingdom; 3Scotland's Rural College, and heifers have significantly thinner sole soft tissues and our
Midlothian, United Kingdom. project adds further evidence that fresh cow management and
heifer management are important stages for managing the risk
of lameness in the production cycle of dairy cows.
Objectives: Sole ulcers are a leading cause of lameness
Acknowledgements: The authors thank BBSRC and AHDB
in dairy cattle. Despite their importance, we are still yet to fully
for their support.
elucidate their aetiopathogenesis. The sole soft tissues, which
includes the digital cushion, has been theorised to play a role References:
in the development of these lesions (Newsome et al., 2017). Newsome RF, Green MJ, Bell NJ, Bollard NJ, Mason CS,
This abstract describes preliminary analyses of SSTT data Whay HR and Huxley JN 2017. A prospective cohort study
collected longitudinally on a large number of dairy cows. The of digital cushion and corium thickness. Part 1: Associations
objective of this analysis was to describe periparturient chang- with body condition, lesion incidence, and proximity to calving.

292
ORAL — Lameness
Journal of Dairy Science 100, 4759–4771. LA-06

R Core Team (2020). R: A language and environment for
Impact of hoof lesions and moment of occurrence in milk
statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing,
production in dairy cattle
Vienna, Austria. URL https://www.R-project.org/.
Keywords: Dairy, Lameness, Sole Ulcer, Digital Cushion. Almudena Molinero Arguello1, Nayara Magalhaes Goncalves2, Juana
C. C. Chagas3, Phd Marcos Inácio Marcondes4.
1
UNIFORM-Agri BV, Pamplona, Spain; 2UNIFORM-Agri BV, Belo
Horizonte, Brazil; 3Affiliation: Department of Agricultural Research for
Northern Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU),
LA-05 Skogsmarksgränd, 90183, Umeå, Sweden; 4Dairy Cattle Production
and Nutrition, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Brazil.
Use of intra-articular administration of isopropyl alcohol
for facilitated ankylosis of the distal interphalangeal joint
in cattle with septic arthritis Objectives: Lameness is one of the main reasons for ear-
ly culling in dairy cattle. Most lameness cases are caused by
Katharine Simpson1, Chad Baumwart2, Robert Callan1. lesions in the hooves with dramatic consequences in cow’s
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, United States; 2Highland
1 life. Thus, we aimed to describe the impact of lameness in
Veterinary Clinic, Arapahoe, Oklahoma, United States. milk production, depending on hoof lesion type and moment
of occurrence.
Materials and methods: In this retrospective study, we
Objectives: To determine whether intra-articular (IA) in- used records of 5.565 cows from four farms located in the UK,
jection of 70% isopropyl alcohol and hoof block application to which included data from 86,407 Milk Test records between
the adjacent healthy claw will result in clinical ankylosis of the September 2014 and October 2019. Lactations with less than
distal interphalangeal joint (DIPJ) in cattle with septic arthritis five records were removed from the dataset. Lameness was
(SA), and whether lameness scores will be improved. considered as affecting MY if observed at least 21 d before
Materials and Methods: Four beef cows were diagnosed the milk test day, and was scored as 1) horn lesions, and 2) in-
with SA of the DIPJ via clinical and radiographic exam (4), fectious diseases of the hoof. Non-specified lameness lesions
and/or culture of synovial fluid (2). Lameness scores were re- were removed from the databank. The effect of lameness on
corded. Six to 20 mLs of 70% isopropyl alcohol was admin- milk yield was studied based on the drop in MY when cow
istered into the affected DIPJ following regional intravenous was lame. Firstly, we removed all lameness records from the
perfusion of 2% lidocaine. A wooden hoof block was affixed data and fitted a wood’s curve (WC) for each cow and lactation
to the adjacent healthy claw. Cattle were re-examined, lame- number. Secondly, we returned the lameness data to the data-
ness re-scored following hoof block removal, and clinical de- bank and tested the effect of lameness in each WC parameter
termination of ankylosis performed at follow-up visits at 2.5 following the model: MY = ( 1+ 1×Lame) × Wk 2+ 2*Lame × e-( 3+
– 7 (average 3.8) months later. Radiographs were repeated if 3*Lame) × Wk
, where 1, 2 and 3 were parameters determined for
economics permitted (2 cases). Long-term follow-up (> 1 year) each cow, 1, 2 and 3 were the effect of lameness on MY, Lame
was obtained by clinical and radiographic exam (1), by video is the binary occurrence of lameness, and Wk is the week of
(1), and/or via contacting the owner by telephone (all cases). lactation. The lameness score (LS) was tested on all parame-
Results: All 4 cows had improved lameness scores and ters. Lastly, a general WC was fit including in the general WC
clinical ankylosis of the affected DIPJ. Long-term follow-up to estimate the MY loss throughout the lactation. Farm was
indicated that all cattle were pasture sound. Two cows had included as random effect in all models. The model was run
calved and all 4 were rebred. All owners expressed satisfac- using PROC NLMIXED (SAS University edition) and parame-
tion with the outcome. ters were considered different when P < 0.05.
Conclusions: Clinical ankylosis and improved lameness Results: A total of 180 cows had, at some point of their life,
scores were observed following an IA injection of 70% isopro- a LS recorded. There were 87 cows with LS 1 and 93 with LS
pyl alcohol into the DIPJ in cows with SA. All cows remained in 2. Number of lactation when lameness occurred varied from
the herd and were productive. Additional studies are warrant- 1st lactation to 10th lactation. Also, there was a big variability
ed to determine efficacy of this procedure. of occurrence among days in milk (from 4 to 443). The LS did
not impact 1 (P = 0.119) but did affect 2 (P = 0.029) and 3 (P
Keywords: Lameness, cattle, septic arthritis. =0.046). Additionally, lameness did not impact 1 parameter (P
= 0.397), thus one equation was fit for each LS as follows: LS
= 1) MY = 34.064 × Wk0.160-0.025×Lame × e-(0.018-0.002×Lame) × Wk; and LS
= 2) MY = 34.064 × Wk0.160-0.080×Lame × e-(0.018-0.007×Lame) × Wk. Com-
pared to her colleagues, a lame cow had a lower milk yield at
lactation peak. Lame cows with an infectious disease had a
peak production of 38,5 kg/d and 36 kg/d at peak for cows with
hoof horn lesions, while healthy cows had on average 41,5
kg/d of milk production at peak. Milk loss was, on average,
between 0,9 kg/day and 1,8 kg/day. Our analysis revealed that
in some cases, infectious disease had no impact in milk loss
(late lactating cows). On the other hand, cows with hoof horn

293
ORAL — Lameness
lesions had a milk yield loss from 0,25 kg/day to 4,5 kg/day. cattle. Swabs were taken from each hoof knife before trimming
Week of lactation where lameness occurred had a strong im- (as a negative control) and after trimming. Knives were briefly
pact in milk production. Highest loss was detected between rinsed in water to remove gross contamination, then the blade
weeks 12 and 19 of lactation, and percentage of total milk loss was submerged for 20 seconds in one of three disinfectants
during this period was up to 4,7% for horn lesions and up to (1:100 FAM30®, 2% Virkon® and 2% sodium hypochlorite) or
12% for infection diseases of the hoof. water only for comparison. A third swab was taken to provide
Conclusions: In conclusion, lameness impacted milk pro- post-disinfection samples. There was no hoof knife contact
duction and it is lower for infectious diseases than for hoof with the BDD lesion during trimming in 22 cases, whilst contact
horn lesions. Additionally, the lameness impact is related with was made with the lesion in 111 cases for treatment purposes.
the time of lameness occurrence, being higher during weeks Detection of bacteria from the Treponema genus, and from
12-13 of lactation. three known BDD-associated pathogenic phylogroups, was
Keywords: Lameness, dairy cattle, milk losses. undertaken via two methods. Nested PCR of sample swabs
taken directly from the hoof knife blades, and nested PCR of
samples extracted from cultures given six weeks to grow was
carried out according to previously established protocols (2).
The former method is more sensitive for detecting Treponema
LA-07 DNA and the latter provides a measure of bacterial viability
demonstrated by an ability to grow in liquid medium.
A Disinfection Field Trial to Remove Bovine Digital Results: Where direct contact was not made with BDD
Dermatitis Treponemes from Hoof Knives after Foot- lesions during trimming, 12/22 (54.5%) of swabs taken from
Trimming hoof knives were positive for at least one of the three patho-
Amy Gillespie1, Stuart Carter1, Roger Blowey2, Nicholas Evans1. genic phylogroups after trimming using nested PCR. After dis-
infection 10/22 (45.4%) remained DNA positive. In terms of
University of Liverpool, Institute of Infection and Global Health, United
1
microorganism viability, pathogenic treponemes were detect-
Kingdom; 2Wood Veterinary Group, Gloucester, United Kingdom.
ed by nested PCR of cultures after six weeks in 1/22 (4.5%) of
these cases after trimming, and disinfection using 2% Virkon®
Objectives: Although lameness caused by bovine dig- removed culturable organisms.
ital dermatitis (BDD) is widespread and much researched, Where contact was made with BDD lesions (n= 111), 100%
the mode of transmission has not been clarified. Hoof knives of swabs taken from hoof knives after trimming and tested di-
become contaminated with BDD treponemes during foot-trim- rectly were DNA positive for at least one of the three pathogen-
ming(1), and these bacteria may survive for up to two hours ic phylogroups. After disinfection 38/111 (34.3%) of knives re-
under aerobic conditions on hoof knife blades(2). mained DNA positive. Pathogenic treponemes were detected
This study tested a protocol for disinfecting hoof knives by nested PCR of cultures after six weeks in 47/111 (42.3%) of
to mitigate the risk of transmitting BDD during foot-trimming. cases after trimming. All three disinfectants (and water alone)
Three disinfectants were previously identified as candidates were effective at removing culturable organisms (Table 1).
for hoof knife disinfection in vitro using a 20 second contact
Conclusions: BDD-associated treponemes can be culti-
time(2). The current study tests these three disinfectants:
vated from hoof knives in 4.5% of cases after foot-trimming of
1:100 FAM30®, 2% Virkon® and 2% sodium hypochlorite- un-
BDD affected feet where no contact is made with the lesion.
der field conditions during foot-trimming.
Where contact has been made with BDD lesions, BDD trepo-
Materials and Methods: This study was approved by the nemes are culturable in 42.3% of cases. Rinsing hoof knives
University of Liverpool Veterinary Research Ethics Committee briefly in water then disinfecting the blades for 20 seconds in
(Ref: VREC662). 1:100 FAM30®, 2% Virkon® or 2% sodium hypochlorite was
Samples were collected on three commercial farms during shown to be effective for removing culturable BDD-associated
foot-trimming of 133 BDD-affected feet from lactating dairy treponemes from hoof knives.
Table 1. The effect of disinfectants on viable treponemes on hoof trimming knives (determined by PCR of cultures), before use, post-
trimming and post-disinfection. In all samples knife-BDD lesion contact occurred during trimming.
Disinfectant PRE-TRIMMING POST-TRIMMING POST-DISINFECTION
Treponema BDD phylogroups Treponema BDD phylogroups Treponema BDD phylogroups
genus genus genus
2% Virkon® (n=32) 0/32 0/32 18/32 13/32 0/32 0/32
2% sodium 0/21 0/21 10/21 10/21 0/21 0/21
hypochlorite (n=21)
1:100 FAM30® 0/20 0/20 12/20 10/20 0/20 0/20
(n=20)
Water 0/38 0/38 24/38 14/38 0/38 1038
(n=38)
Total (n=111) 0/111 0/111 64/111 (57.7%) 47/111 (42.3%) 0/111 0/111


294
ORAL — Lameness
References: trim within the correct, randomly allocated, time window. This
1. Sullivan LE, Blowey RW, Carter SD, Duncan JS et was due to unforeseen circumstances associated with farm
al. Presence of digital dermatitis treponemes on cat- staffing. Of the 543 cows eventually used for data analysis,
tle and sheep hoof trimming equipment. Vet Rec. 304 were in the EIT treatment group and 239 were in the LIT
2014;201. treatment group. Lactation group was a significant predictor of
pregnancies per artificial insemination (P/AI) to first service.
2. Gillespie A, Carter SD, Blowey RW, Evans N. Survival
An effect of treatment group could not be supported for P/
of bovine digital dermatitis treponemes on hoof knife
AI to first service, time to conception or time to first service
blades and the effects of various disinfectants. Vet
analyses. Median time to conception (95% lower and upper
Rec. 2019;67.
confidence limits) was 106 (94 – 112) days for EIT and 112
Keywords: Digital dermatitis, Treponeme, Lameness, (97 – 129) for LIT (P = 0.99).
Foot-trimming, Disinfection.
Conclusion: Industry standard timing for early lactation
routine inspection +/- trimming is usually at 80-100 days in
milk. Our data provide a degree of confidence that subsequent
reproductive performance will not be affected, if animals are
inspected earlier. An earlier foot inspection and trim if required,
LA-08 may help remodelling of the foot prior to sole ulcer formation,
but further work is required in order to test this hypothesis.
Comparing the effect of timing of routine early lactation
foot inspection and trimming (if required) on fertility Keywords: Dairy Cattle, Lameness, Fertility, Routine
performance in high yielding dairy cows Trimming, Conception.
Jonathan Duncan1, Helen Higgins2, George Oikonomou2.

1
Willows Vet Group, Northwich, United Kingdom; 2University of
Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
LA-09
A randomised, positive-controlled trial to compare the ef- Evaluation of the use of ketoprofen for the treatment of
fect of timing of routine early lactation foot inspection and trim- digital dermatitis in dairy cattle: a randomised, positive
ming (if required) on fertility performance in high yielding dairy controlled, clinical trial
cows.
Konstantina Kasiora1, Alkiviadis Anagnostopoulos1, Cherril
Objectives: Routine, early lactation foot inspection and Bedford1, Theologia Menka1, Matthew Barden1, Bethany Eloise
trimming (if necessary) is a common preventative strategy Griffiths1, Damien Achard2, Katherine Timms3, Vinicius Silva
used to reduce lameness and improve productivity. The per- Machado4, Amy Coates1, George Oikonomou1.
ceived benefits are well accepted across the industry and
some evidence does exist to support the use of this interven-
1
University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom; 2CEVA Animal
tion (Oultram and others 2017, Griffiths and others 2018). Health LTD, Libourne, France; 3CEVA Animal Health, Amersham,
However, evidence regarding the optimal timing of this inter- United Kingdom; 4Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United
vention is scarce. Anecdotally, it is suggested that handling States.
animals for routine foot inspections and treatment (if required)
very early in lactation (and therefore around the end of the Objectives: Digital dermatitis (DD) is one of the main dis-
voluntary waiting period), could provide enough stress to have eases causing lameness in dairy cattle and it is described as
a detrimental effect on fertility. This randomised controlled trial an infectious dermatitis of the digital skin that can be painful to
was designed to assess the subsequent fertility of dairy cows touch (Krull et al. 2016). Given that DD is a painful condition,
that were randomly allocated at calving to one of two different the use of NSAIDs alongside antibiotic treatment may be jus-
treatments, receiving early lactation foot inspections and trims tified on welfare and possibly on economic grounds; however,
at either 26-64 days in milk (early routine inspection +/- trim, this is yet to be proven. The objective of this randomized, posi-
EIT), or 76-114 days in milk (late routine inspection +/- trim, tively controlled study was to explore the potential benefits of a
LIT). single administration of ketoprofen when treating active digital
Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on a dermatitis lesions.
single large dairy unit in the UK and all cows were inspected/ Materials and Methods: 158 cows that presented signs of
trimmed by the same qualified foot trimmer who was blinded to active DD (M1, M2 or M4.1 stage) were randomly allocated to
the treatment groups. 1,885 were initially randomly allocated either the control or the treatment group. All cows were treated
(at calving) to one of the two different treatments. Data related with topical application of oxytetracycline spray. The treatment
to animals’ reproductive performance were available from the group additionally received an intramuscular injection of ke-
farm’s management software. Multivariable logistic regression toprofen (3 mg/kg, Ketofen 10%, Ceva Animal Health). Cows
and Kaplan-Meyer time to event analyses were used for data were mobility scored just before they were treated and then
analysis. again one week later. Information regarding their daily milk
Results: 1,885 animals were initially randomly allocated to production was also collected. Treatments for each animal
one of the two treatment groups but only 985 of them did ac- from both the control and the treatment group were adminis-
tually receive a trim. From these animals, 543 did receive their tered by one person, who also performed the lesion examina-

295
ORAL — Lameness
tion. The mobility score assessor was not involved in treating different stages of digital dermatitis (DD) lesions and (2) de-
the cows. Multivariable regression models were used for data velop and validate models that can use IST measurements to
analyses. identify cows with an active DD lesion.
Results: Animals in the control group were at 2.57 (95% Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on
C.I.: 0.82-8.01, P = 0.10) times higher odds to be lame at the four dairy farms in the UK. Between March 2019 and March
second evaluation compared to those that received ketopro- 2020, infrared thermographic images of hind feet were taken
fen as well. This was a numeric but not statistically significant from 2,334 Holstein cows. We recorded the maximum tem-
difference. When only cows that were lame prior to treatment perature reading from infrared thermographic images of the
were considered, cows that did not receive ketoprofen were interdigital skin between the heel bulbs on the hind feet. A Flir
at 20.20 (95% C.I.: 1.40 – 291.29, P = 0.03) higher odds of E8 Wi-Fi Thermal Camera was used. Pregnant animals were
remaining lame a week post treatment comparing to cows enrolled approximately 1 to 2 mo precalving, reassessed 1 wk
that did receive ketoprofen. Cows that received ketoprofen did after calving, and again at approximately 50 to 100 d post-
produce more milk per day the week after treatment than the partum. At these time points, IST and the clinical stage of DD
cows in the control group with adjusted means (± standard (M-stage scoring system2: M1–M4.1) were recorded in addi-
error) being 45.35 ± 0.71 and 42.37 ± 0.87 kg per day respec- tion to other data such as the ambient environmental tempera-
tively (P < 0.01). The effect of ketoprofen administration was ture, height, body condition score, parity, and the presence of
more prominent on cows that were freshly calved and lame at other foot lesions. A mixed effect linear regression model with
enrolment; these cows produced 58.38 ± 1.85 kg per day the IST as the dependent variable was fitted. Subsequently, the
week after treatment if they were in the ketoprofen treatment capacity of IST measurements to detect the presence or ab-
group comparing to the control ones that produced 47.89 ± sence of an active DD lesion (M1, M2, or M4.1) was explored
1.81 kg per day (P <0.05) . by fitting logistic regression models, which were tested using
Conclusions 10-fold validation. A mixed effect logistic regression model with
the presence of active DD as the dependent variable was fitted
The addition of ketoprofen in the treatment of active DD le-
first. This model was then restricted so that only explanatory
sions appears to have potential benefits for animal welfare as
variables that could be practically recorded in a nonresearch,
it was associated with an improvement in lameness status and external setting were included.
for animal productivity as it was associated with an increased
daily milk production. Further research would prove useful to Results: A total of 2,334 cows were included in this proj-
solidify the value of NSAIDs when treating active DD lesions. ect, providing a total of 12,221 hind feet with lesion records
and thermal images for analysis. The mixed effect linear re-
References: gression model showed that Interdigital skin temperature was
Krull AC, Shearer JK, Gorden PJ, Scott HM, Plummer PJ. associated with DD lesions; compared to healthy feet, IST
Digital dermatitis: natural lesion progression and regression in was highest in feet with M2 lesions, followed by M1 and M4.1
Holstein dairy cattle over 3 years. J Dairy Sci. 2016. lesions. The average area under the curve for mixed effect
Keywords: Digital dermatitis, Lameness, NSAIDs, Keto- logistic regression model was 0.80 when its ability to detect
profen. presence of active DD was tested on 10% of the data that
were not used for the model’s training; an average sensitivity
of 0.77 and an average specificity of 0.67 was achieved. Vali-
dation of the simplified logistic regression model demonstrated
an average area under the curve of 0.78, a sensitivity of 0.88,
and a specificity of 0.66 for 1 of the time points (precalving).
LA-10
Lower sensitivity and specificity were achieved for the other 2
Investigating the use of thermal imaging as a diagnostic tool time points.
for the detection of different stages of Digital Dermatitis in Conclusion: The study showed that IRT imaging can be
dairy cattle effective in detecting active BDD lesions. M2 stage lesions re-
sulted in the highest IST which was significantly higher than
Alkiviadis Anagnostopoulos1, Katherine Williams1, Matthew
that of any other stage. Additionally, we highlight the potential
Barden1, Bethany Griffiths1, Cherrill Bedford1, Mollie Rudd1,
for infrared thermography to be used for routine on-farm diag-
Androniki Psifidi2, Georgios Banos3, Georgios Oikonomou1.
nosis of active DD lesions.
University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston, United Kingdom;
1
References:
Royal Veterinary College, North Mymms, Hertfordshire, United
2
1. Evans NJ, Murray RD, Carter SD. Bovine digital der-
Kingdom; 3Scotland's Rural University College, Roslin Institute
matitis: Current concepts from laboratory to farm. Vet
Building, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United Kingdom.
J. 2016;211:3-13. doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2015.10.028.
2. Solano L, Barkema HW, Jacobs C, Orsel K. Valida-
Objectives: Bovine Digital Dermatitis (BDD) is one of the tion of the M-stage scoring system for digital derma-
major causes of lameness in dairy cattle with increasing eco- titis on dairy cows in the milking parlor. J Dairy Sci.
nomic and welfare importance1. The use of Infrared Thermog- 2017;100(2):1592-1603. doi:10.3168/jds.2016-11365.
raphy (IRT) imaging could prove a non-invasive and reliable
Keywords: Digital dermatitis, thermography, dairy cattle.
diagnostic tool for the early detection of BDD lesions. Our aims
were to (1) determine how interdigital skin temperature (IST),
measured using infrared thermography, was associated with

296
ORAL — Lameness
LA-11 significant relationships between mobility score and the pres-

ence of lesions (p<0.002), both of them from the PL for the 4th
Time-series observations of cattle mobility: accurate label HE (Visit-8~Exam-4 (p=0.0011, coeff=0.31), Visit-9~Exam-4
assignment from multiple assessors, and association with (p=0.0016, coeff=0.32). The choice of the outcome variable
lesions detected in the feet. (scoring methods or loss function) did not significantly affect
Konstantina Linardopoulou1, Lorenzo Viora1, Francesco Fioranelli2, the p-values or the coefficients in the GLMs (p>0.05). Howev-
Julien Le Kernec1, Qammer Abbasi1, George King1, Elena Borelli1, er, there was a significant negative effect of visits on the p-val-
Nicholas Jonsson1. ues of the GLMs with HLS (average for all visits, p = 0.030)
and a significant positive effect on the coefficients (average for
University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom; 2TU Delft, Delft,
1
all visits = 0.22).
Netherlands.
Conclusions: The agreement among raters when using
the AHDB scoring method was poor but was improved by bina-
Objectives: To provide accurate diagnostic labels to mary transformation and convergent scoring. However, the sys-
chine learning algorithms for automated mobility analysis in tem used for aggregating scores and assigning labels did not
cattle, we compared repeated subjective lameness scores significantly affect the strength of the GLM models. Through-
from multiple assessors with the presence of lesions at re- out the study, agreement among raters improved, and the re-
peated hoof examinations. We aimed to determine the extent lationship between hoof lesions and all mobility score meth-
to which mobility classification by multiple assessors and its ods became significantly stronger, as indicated by diminishing
variations using video capture was associated with identifying p-values and increasing coefficient estimates. The addition of
lesions during sequential hoof-trimmer examinations. an extra scorer after visit5 might also have been a factor. We
Materials and Methods: We recorded videos of 40+ cows consider that the loss-function approach to aggregating mul-
fortnightly on 9 visits (405 recordings), and the 4 hoof exam- tiple assessments performed slightly better than the other ap-
inations (HE) performed monthly (176 records). The record- proaches and is worth further investigation. Our findings high-
ed videos were assessed individually by expert assessors - 3 light the challenges of making reliable mobility assessments in
on visits 1-5 and 4 on visits 6-9. The “AHDB-Dairy” system cows to be used as labels for automated lameness detection.
(scores 0,1,2,3; 0 no abnormality - 3 severe lameness) was Keywords: Lameness, mobility classification, time-series,
used throughout. Evaluators were shown calibration videos labels, automated detection.
(AHDB 0-3) before scoring each visit. Assessors could record
a second score if they were not confident in their assessment.
A convergent score (ConvS) was constructed for each cow and
visit where the maximum agreement was sought from second
scores where the first scores differed among assessors. After
LA-12
completing individual scoring for each visit, the assessors con-
vened to discuss each video and agreed to reach a consensus Can a three-point locomotion scoring system reflect the
score (CS) for each cow. Each score ConvS and CS were con- actual claw health?
verted to a binary score in which 0/1 became 0 (not lame), and
2/3 became 1 (lame), giving binary convergent scores (Con- Sarah Hertle1, Isabella Lorenzini1, Katharina Grimm2, Bernhard
vSB), and binary consensus scores (CSB). The probability of Haidn1.
lameness (PL) of any animal was estimated with the Bayesian Bavarian State Research Centre for Agriculture, Poing, Germany;
1
loss function using the 1st AHDB scores. A binary score for the Hoof Health Associates, Dres. med. vet. Fiedler, Grimm und Kröger,
2
hoof lesions (HLS) was derived; 1= any of white line disease, Munich, Germany.
sole ulcer, digital dermatitis, stones, cracks, underrun; 0=none
of these. The scores from all scoring methods were used as
the dependent variables in generalized linear models (GLM) Objectives: The detection of lame cows is the first task
with the scores from HLS and lactation number as explana- when it comes to dealing with lameness on dairy farms. Early
tory variables. The performance (coefficients and p-values) of identification of lameness and thus of claw problems enables
the GLMs were compared among the scoring methods for the immediate treatment and therefore prevents further disease
visits immediately preceding and following a foot examination. progression. This not only leads to reduced treatment costs,
The Bonferroni correction was applied to give alpha = 0.002 but also minimises production losses, reduces early cow re-
as 24 association tests were conducted. We calculated the placements and increases cows’ individual wellbeing. The aim
Cohen’s and Fleiss’ Kappa Κ inter-rater reliability (IIR) statistic of this study was to validate a three-point locomotion scoring
for the individual ratings for each visit. system to evaluate its suitability for future lameness scorings.
Results: In total 393 videos were retained for scoring af- Material & Methods: The investigated locomotion score
ter eliminating unsuitable videos. The IRR between assessors was established as an in practice applicable reference system
ranged from poor (Κ = 0.0038) to moderate (Κ = 0.565) agree- in 2017 during a project about indirect automatic lameness de-
ment. Κ values and percentage agreement differed significant- tection. With this scoring system, cows with an irregular, asym-
ly between scoring methods (ConvSB> ConvS > CSB > CS) metric and uneven gait are scored as “lame” (score=3), cows
and visits (no consistent pattern observed). The GLM showed without gait alterations, but showing signs like head bobbing,
a weak effect on lactation number (p ranged 0.01-0.64), and an arched back or a compensatory posture are considered
only weak associations were seen between lameness and the “unsound” (score=2), and animals who present without any of
presence of lesions: 2 out of 24 GLMs showed statistically these features are categorised as “sound” (score=1).

297
ORAL — Lameness
In a first examination, this locomotion score was tested on support for digitalisation in agriculture as funding organisa-
two different Bavarian dairy farms in a new project on indi- tion.
rect automatic lameness detection. Locomotion scoring was Keywords: Lameness, Claw Health, Locomotion Scoring.
performed one day prior to farm claw trimming by examining
video recordings of the cows leaving the milking robot. The
results of locomotion scoring were compared to the findings
of the farm claw trimming together with a pain test carried out
with claw pliers on each claw. A three-level lesion score was
LA-13
assigned to the observations recorded during claw trimming.
Score 1 was given to animals with a negative pain test without Effectiveness of tildipirosin injectable solution for the
any visible findings or with minor disorders like sole bleedings, treatment of naturally-occurring acute, bovine interdigital
stage 1 digital dermatitis or chronic defects like stage 4 digital necrobacillosis (foot rot) caused by Fusobacterium
dermatitis. Cows with either a positive pain test without find- necrophorum
ings or the combination of a negative pain test and clinical
findings like white line disease, ulcers, tylomas, laminitis or Andre Pacheco De Carvalho1, Carlos Roberto Da Silva2, Francisco
acute digital dermatitis (stages 2 and 4.1) were rated as score Barufi1, Heitor Amaral1, Luis Vettorato1, Mauricio Morais1, Rafael
2. Score 3 was given to animals experiencing pain and concur- Chiummo3, Siddartha Torres4, Rodolfo Mingoti1.
rently suffering from noticeable claw diseases. MSD Animal Health, São Paulo, Brazil; 2GAIA- Saúde Animal Ltda,
1
The analysed data was comprised of two different data- Uberlândia, Brazil; 3MSD Animal Health Innovation, Schwabenheim,
sets, each including two different claw trimming dates. The Germany; 4Merck Animal Health, Madison, NJ, United States.
first dataset included data from 110 cows from November 2020
and May 2021 and included findings documented by claw trim-
Objectives: Foot rot disorders in cattle are necrotic dis-
mers as a reference. The second one consisted of data from
eases that affect the connective tissue of the interdigital region
115 cows from July and November 2021 and had the results
and are caused by bacteria, mainly Fusobacterium necropho-
recorded by a veterinarian as a reference.
rum. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of a
In a subsequent investigation, the intra- and inter-rater treatment with a single subcutaneous dose of tildipirosin in-
agreement were calculated for the locomotion scoring system jectable solution (Zuprevo®) against naturally occurring foot
using observations from 355 cows on one project farm. rot.
Quadratic weighted Cohen’s kappa (K), the 95% confi- Materials and methods: Fifty-nine Crossbred bulls (Bos
dence interval (CI) as well as the percentage of agreement taurus × Bos indicus), aged between 18 and 24 months and
(PA) were calculated for all datasets of both examinations. 300 to 500 kg BW, from a commercial feedlot farm, located
Results: Regarding the comparison of lesion and loco- in Buritizal, São Paulo, Brazil, were included. Animals were
motion score, K was 0.51 (CI=0.34-0.68) for the first dataset randomized into two groups: Tild-Group (n=29) were treated
and the PA was 66.4%. The results of the second dataset on with a single subcutaneous administration of tildipirosin at a
the other hand showed better results (K=0.72, CI=0.58-0.86, dose of 4 mg / kg body weight (0.022 mL Zuprevo®/ kg BW);
PA=80%), which imply that the actual value might be moder- the Control-Group (n=30) was treated subcutaneously with
ate to almost perfect. 0.9% saline at the same volume (0.022 mL / kg BW). Before
For the intra-rater agreement, the computed PA yielded and after treatment, both groups were housed in the same
paddocks during rainy season. At inclusion, experimental
93% and the K 0.89 (CI=0.84-0.94), indicating an almost per-
cattle presented lesion scores ≥ 2 (Lesion Score Guide) and
fect agreement. The inter-rater reliability resulted in a PA=82
lameness scores ≥ 3 (Lameness Scoring Guide). Before treat-
% and K=0.72 (CI=0.64-0.81), meaning the inter-rater reliabil-
ment, bacteriological samples were collected from the infected
ity was substantial to almost perfect.
hooves of the enrolled cattle. Lesions and lameness were also
The examination of the first dataset showed deficits which assessed on Days 2, 4 and 7. On Day 7 another sample for a
might have been caused by missing claw health information, bacteriological examination was collected from all animals and
as some findings may have not been documented by claw all samples were evaluated by PCR. Efficacy was determined
trimmers. More promising results were achieved with the val- by a reduction of the lesion and lameness scores and the re-
idation of the second dataset and the inter-/ intra-rater agree- sults of the bacteriological examination of the animals infected
ment. by Fusobacterium necrophorum 7 days after treatment com-
Conclusion: In conclusion, the validation based on the pared to day 0. Statistical analysis was performed by Fisher’s
second dataset and the examination of the inter-/ intra-rater Exact Test of FREQ procedure of SAS (v. 9.2; SAS Institute
agreement show that in this study the three-point locomo- Inc., Cary, NC).
tion scoring system was a reliable reference system for claw Results: Comparison of the claudication scores between
health. In order to generalise and confirm the presented re- days 0 and 7 revealed that 100% (29/29) of the Tild-Group
sults additional comparable data sets from other farms and under evaluation presented a reduction of at least one point
observers should be examined. in the score, whereas the Control-Group presented 56.7%
The project is supported by funds of the Federal Ministry (17/30). Tild-Group group had 20.69% animals that showed
of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) based on a decision of the a reduction in lameness and lesion status and other 20.69%
Parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany. The Federal that had improvement on their foot rot lesion status, and le-
Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) provides coordinating sions became milder (P=0.05). On the other hand, only one

298
ORAL — Lameness
animal of the Control-Group (3.33%) reduced lameness and the host’s genotype and two bacterial genera associated with
lesion scores post treatment, and 10% improved their lesion DD. The heritabilities for relative abundances of Peptoclos-
status. Prior to treatment, 68.96% (20/29) and 60% (18/30) of tridium spp. and Treponema spp. were 0.59 ± 0.18 and 0.52
animals were positive for F. necrophorum in the Tild-Group ± 0.00, respectively. One suggestive SNP on BTA6 and one
and Control-Group, respectively. After treatment, 37.93% significant SNP on BTA 19 were associated with relative abun-
(11/29) and 73.33% (22/30) animals were positive for F. necro- dance of Peptoclostridium spp. Four significant and two sug-
phorum in Tild-Group and Control-Group, respectively. Tild- gestive SNPs on BTA1, one suggestive and one significant
Group showed a statistically and clinically significant decrease SNP on both BTA9 and BTA17, one significant SNP on BTA16,
(P<0.05) in the occurrence of F. necrophorum 7 days after and one suggestive SNP on BTA2, BTA6, BTA8, BTA19,
treatment (P<0.05) compared to day 0. BTA21 and BTA29 were associated with relative abundance
Conclusion: This study demonstrates the efficacy of til- of Treponema spp.
dipirosin in the treatment of naturally occurring F. necropho- On BTA1, the region associated with relative abundance
rum related foot rot in cattle under typical feedlot conditions of Treponema spp. explained 9.88% of the total genomic vari-
in Brazil. ance and included the genes GMPS and PLCH1. GMPS en-
Keywords: Foot rot, tildipirosin, cross-breed bulls, Brazil. codes guanine monophosphate synthetase which plays a role
in de novo synthesis of guanine nucleotides; the cyclic GMP
was shown to be associated with immune signaling pathways3.
PLCH1 is a member of the phospholipase enzyme family that
generates the secondary messengers inositol 1,4,5-trisphos-
LA-14 phate (IP3) and diacylglycerol (DAG) by cleaving phosphati-
dylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2). Phospholipases
Associations of host genotype with foot skin microbiota were shown to be involved in inflammation mechanisms4, es-
profiles and digital dermatitis related bacteria pecially the expression of PLCH1 were shown to be downreg-
ulated by lipopolysaccharides (LPS)5 which is found in the out-
Veysel Bay1, Enrique Sánchez-Molano2, Amy Gillespie3, Georgios
er membrane of Gram-negative bacteria6. These associations
Banos2, Georgios Oikonomou4.
may explain the role of the genomic region on BTA1 in immune
1
Ege University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science, and inflammatory response against the Gram-negative Trepo-
Turkey; 2The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, nema7 infections. The region associated with relative abun-
United Kingdom; 3Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of dance of Treponema spp. on BTA16 explains 34.78% of the
Liverpool, United Kingdom; 4Institute of Veterinary Science, University total genomic variance and includes the gene PTPRC encod-
of Liverpool, United Kingdom. ing a transmembrane tyrosine phosphatase which was shown
to be upregulated after administration of external bacteria to
Objectives: Associations between host genetics and skin the intestine of mice8.
microbiota profiles have been shown in humans1 and mice2. Conclusion: In the present study, DD-linked foot skin mi-
We have recently described the bovine foot skin microbiota us- crobiome traits were investigated using GWA and RHM ap-
ing 16S rRNA amplicon and shotgun metagenomic sequenc- proaches, leading to a first understanding of the genomic ar-
ing and showed associations with the development of digital chitecture of these traits.
dermatitis (DD) in dairy cattle. Here we used genome wide References:
association and regional heritability mapping approaches to
1. Si J et al. BMC Genomics. 2015.
provide first evidence for significant interactions between the
host’s genotype and the bovine foot skin microbiota profiles. 2. Belheouane M et al. Microbiome. 2017;5(1):59.
Materials and Methods: Swabs were taken from the heel 3. Wu J et al. Science (80- ). 2013;339(6121):826-830.
bulb region of the back-left foot of 259 cows from 3 UK farms 4. Lemos MVA et al. BMC Genomics. 2016;17(1):213.
3-4 weeks before calving. 16SrRNA amplicon sequencing was 5. Lo Vasco VR et al. Inflammation. 2013;36(4):862-868.
carried out for all samples using the Illumina® HiSeq 2500
6. Heumann D & Roger T. Clin Chim Acta. 2002;323(1-
platform, and taxonomic assignment of OTUs carried out us-
2):59-72.
ing QIIME and the RDP classifier. Chao 1, Shannon and Simp-
son indices were calculated to describe alpha-diversity, and 7. Holt SC. Microbiol Rev. 1978;42(1):114-160.
weighted UniFrac distances and non-metric multidimensional 8. Nerstedt A et al. Br J Nutr. 2007;97(6):1117-1127.
scaling values were used to describe beta-diversity. Keywords: Digital dermatitis, Microbiome, Genetics, Ge-
Cattle genomic DNA samples were genotyped using a 50K nomics, Lameness.
SNP chip. Genome wide association analyses (GWA) and
regional heritability mapping (RHM) of consecutive 20 SNPs
were performed to identify genomic regions associated with
various diversity indices and with the relative abundance of
genera found to be associated with the development of DD
lesions.
Results: Host genotype was not found to be associated
with the overall richness and diversity of the foot skin micro-
biome. However, significant associations were found between

299
ORAL — Lameness
LA-15 as lame due to CHL and showed a tendency to be diagnosed

as lame due to CHL_INL (P=0.06), compared to non-SCK
Association of subclinical ketosis with lameness, locomotion ones. Impaired locomotion due to INL type was not significant-
score and hoof lesions in post-partum dairy cows ly associated with SCK. Cases classified as SCK+CHL were
Alexandros Kougioumtzis1, Vangelis Tsiamadis1, Aikaterini Soufleri1, diagnosed earlier, compared to non-SCK+CHL: (MST medi-
Nektarios Siachos1, Georgios Arsenos1, Georgios Banos2, Georgios E. an±se) 5.00±1.65 vs. 9.00±0.43 weeks. Cases classified as
Valergakis1. SCK+INL had a significantly shorter MST (median±se), com-
pared to non-SCK+INL ones: 2.00±1.96 weeks vs. 7.00±0.61.
1
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle Cases classified as SCK+CHL_INL had a significantly shorter
University of Thessaloniki, Greece, Thessaloniki, Greece; 2Faculty of MST (median±se), compared to non-SCK+CHL_INL ones:
Veterinary Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University 2.00±0.82 weeks vs. 7.00±1.01.
of Thessaloniki, Greece, Scotland's Rural College/Roslin Institute,
Conclusion: Subclinical ketosis significantly increased
Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, Thessaloniki, Greece.
the odds and severity of lameness; in addition, SCK was as-
sociated with claw horn lesions but not with infectious ones.
Objective: Lameness is a debilitating condition that neg- Occurrence earlier in the lactation period in subclinically ketot-
atively affects animal welfare and productivity. Subclinical ic cows is expected to aggravate the harmful effects of lame-
ketosis (SCK) is associated with most metabolic diseases in ness. Management efforts to reduce incidence of SCK would
post-partum dairy cows but its link with lameness is not ade- favor hoof health and cow welfare.
quately researched. The aim of this study was to investigate Keywords: Lameness, subclinical ketosis, dairy cows.
the association of SCK with lameness severity and hoof lesion
type in Holstein dairy cows during the post-partum period.
Materials and methods: The study was conducted at a
large commercial farm located in Northern Greece and includ-
ed 288 first parity Holstein cows. All cows were blood sampled
LA-16
and locomotion scored on a five-point scale weekly, during
the first 13 weeks of lactation, by an experienced veterinar- Genetic selection can reduce the incidence of claw horn
ian. Cows with a locomotion score (LS) ≥2 were considered lesions in dairy cattle
lame; cows were hoof trimmed by the same veterinarian, who
identified, recorded and scored all lesions on a 1 to 3 severity Matthew Barden1, Alkiviadis Anangnostopoulos1, Bethany E.
scale (mild, moderate and severe, respectively); appropriate Griffiths1, Cherry Bedford1, Marco Winters2, Bingjie Li3, Mike
treatment was subsequently provided. Concentration of β-hy- Coffey3, Androniki Psifidi4, Georgios Banos3, Georgios Oikonomou1.
droxybutyric acid (BHBA) was measured by a spectrophotom- University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom; 2AHDB, Stoneleigh,
1
eter and SCK was defined as BHBA≥1,100 μmol/L. Lesions United Kingdom; 3SRUC, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; 4RVC, London,
were categorized as either claw horn lesions (e.g. sole ulcer, United Kingdom.
white line disease etc) or infectious (e.g. digital dermatitis,
pododermatitis etc). During the study period, cows would be
hoof-trimmed and lesions identified and recorded multiple Objectives: Sole haemorrhage (SH), sole ulcers (SU),
times if needed (a new case was defined as LS≥2, 4 weeks af- and white line lesions (WL) are often grouped under the col-
ter the previous diagnosis). Cases of lameness were classified lective term “claw horn lesions” (CHL) (Offer et al. 2000). Claw
in one of the following groups, based on lesion and severity horn lesions have a high prevalence in dairy cattle (Offer et
score: a) CHL (n=196): cases with only or predominately claw al. 2000) and, relative to other foot lesions, CHL have been
horn lesions, b) INL (n=153): cases with only or predominate- associated with the most severe pain responses (Pastell et
ly infectious lesions and c) CHL_INL (n=48): cases with both al. 2010), economic impacts (Bruijnis et al 2010), and envi-
type of lesions, of equal severity. The data set included 3,676 ronmental consequences. In 2018, a genetic selection index
observations (BHBA measurements and locomotion scores) for lameness, termed “Lameness Advantage”, was published
and 397 cases of lameness. For each observation, cows were by the UK Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board
classified as SCK or non-SCK. Herd level association of SCK (AHDB). The Lameness Advantage index is calculated using
with cow lameness, LS and case classification (CHL, INL and lameness events from farm records (collected via milk record-
CHL_INL) was estimated with Cox regression survival anal- ing organisations) in combination with traits from type clas-
ysis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to estimate sification. The objective of this study was to determine the
cow median survival time (MST) of repeated observations association between the Lameness Advantage genetic index
within each hoof lesion group. All analyses were performed and the frequency of four outcomes: sole haemorrhage (SH),
with SPSS ver. 25. Statistical significance threshold was set sole ulcers (SU), white line lesions (WL), and lameness during
at P≤0.05. mobility scoring.
Results: Incidence of SCK and lameness was 23.96% and Materials and Methods: We enrolled 2,352 Holstein dairy
82.29%, respectively. Cows with SCK were 2.7 (1.7-4.7) times cows from four farms in the UK. Cows were mobility scored
more likely to be diagnosed as lame compared to non-SCK and foot lesions recorded at four time points from before calv-
ones. Cows with SCK were 4.1 (2.1-8.3) times more likely to ing to late lactation. Over 90% of foot lesion identification and
be scored with a LS of 3 compared to non-SCK ones; SCK recording was performed by a single researcher. Cows were
was not significantly associated with LS=-2 and LS=4+5. Cows genotyped and genetic indexes were assigned to each cow
with SCK were 3.2 (1.7-6.1) times more likely to be diagnosed following national genetic evaluations. Lameness records and

300
ORAL — Lameness
genetic indexes were successfully matched for 2,107 cows. Materials and Methods: As part of a larger study, 371
Four separate multivariable logistic regression models, which Holstein cows from two commercial dairy farms that were due
included farm and parity as covariables, were used to quantify to calve between April and September 2019 were prospec-
the association between the Lameness Advantage index and tively enrolled prior to calving. Animals were assessed at four
SH, SU, WL, and lameness. time points relative to calving date; prior to calving (mean: -59
Results: The odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for days, SD: 30) immediately after calving (mean: +5 days, SD:
one point increase in the Lameness Advantage index were 4, fresh), approximately two weeks after calving (mean: +12
0.79 (0.72 - 0.86), 0.68 (0.59 – 0.78), 0.94 (0.84 – 1.04), and days, SD: 4, fresh 2) and in early lactation (mean: +77 days,
0.82 (0.74 – 91) for SH, SU, WL, and lameness, respectively. SD: 10).
The same trends were present when the sire’s Lameness Ad- At each visit, body condition (BCS) was assessed. The
vantage index was evaluated in place of the animal’s own, al- animal was restrained in a foot trimming crush, and all feet
though the strength of this association was generally weaker. assessed for the presence of infectious and non-infectious dis-
Conclusion: The Lameness Advantage index is associ- ease, with lesions graded for severity. Serum samples were
ated with SH, SU, and lameness, therefore selection on the collected from each animal at fresh, fresh 2 and the early lac-
Lameness Advantage index could be considered in herds aim- tation time points. Animals were excluded from the study if a
ing to reduce lameness. Where genomic testing of heifers is serum sample was missing. All eligible primiparous animals
not conducted, sire Lameness Advantage index may still be (60) were enrolled and a further 140 multiparous animals were
effective to reduce SH and SU incidence. randomly selected from the rest of the enrolled population.
Relaxin, insulin, β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and non-esterified
References:
fatty acids (NEFA) were measured using commercially avail-
Bruijnis MRN, Hogeveen H, Stassen EN. Assessing eco- able kits.
nomic consequences of foot disorders in dairy cattle using
Univariable analysis was undertaken and a multivariable
a dynamic stochastic simulation model. J Dairy Sci. 2010
logistic regression model was then fitted with presence of
Jun;93(6):2419–32.
a SU at the early lactation check as the outcome. BHB and
Offer JE, Logue DN, McNulty D. Observations of lame- NEFA concentrations were categorised into normal or elevat-
ness, hoof conformation and development of lesions in dairy ed based on reference ranges (1.2mmol/l, and 0.7mmol/l re-
cattle over four lactations. Vet Rec. 2000;147(4):105–9. spectively). Relaxin and insulin concentrations were analysed
Pastell M, Hänninen L, de Passillé AM, Rushen J. Mea- as quartiles.
sures of weight distribution of dairy cows to detect lameness Results: In total, 600 serum samples from 200 animals
and the presence of hoof lesions. J Dairy Sci. 2010 Mar were analysed for relaxin, insulin, BHB and NEFA at three time
1;93(3):954–60. points (fresh, fresh 2 and early lactation). Eighteen animals
Keywords: Genetics, lameness, lameness advantage, (9%) exhibited a sole ulcer at the early lactation check.
claw horn lesions. At univariable analyses, parity (P= 0.014), serum NEFA
concentrations at fresh 2 (P= 0.014), and serum relaxin con-
centration at fresh (P= 0.004) were statistically significantly as-
sociated with the presence of a SU. The latter highlighting that
animals in the first quartile (lowest relaxin concentration) were
LA-17 more likely to display a SU. Trends were also noted; animals
with greater serum BHB’s at fresh 2 (P= 0.068), and NEFA at
Hormonal profiles and serum biomarkers for fat fresh (P= 0.078) were more likely to display a SU, as were an-
mobilisation and their association with sole ulcers in dairy imals which displayed a SU in the fresh time point (P= 0.067).
cows Odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for variables re-
Bethany Griffiths1, Alkiviadis Anagnostopoulos1, Matthew Barden1, tained within the final multivariable logistic regression model
Cherrill Bedford1, Mollie Rudd1, John Graham- Brown1, Stuart were calculated for an animal exhibiting a SU in early lacta-
Carter1, Androniki Psifidi2, Georgios Banos3, Georgios Oikonomou1. tion. Animals with elevated BHB concentrations at fresh 2 and
NEFA concentrations in early lactation were at 11.12 times
University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom; 2Royal Veterinary
1
(2.07-59.69, P= 0.005) and 3.76 times (0.92-15.35, P= 0.065)
College, London, United Kingdom; 3Scotland's Rural College, higher odds of being affected with a SU (comparing to animals
Midlothian, United Kingdom. below the elevated levels threshold) respectively. Animals with
an insulin concentration in the fourth quartile (highest concen-
Objective: Sole ulcers (SU) are painful, non-infectious tration) in early lactation were 11.57 times (1.19-112.53, P=
lameness causing lesions. Relaxin and insulin have been 0.035) more likely to display a SU than those in the first quar-
speculated as playing an important role in their development, tile. Those in the second and third quartile were 5.49 (0.56-
through the relaxation of the suspensory apparatus at calving 53.55, P= 0.14) and 5.86 times (0.57-60.54, P= 0.14) more
or insulin dysregulation induced damage to the corium. Peri- likely to display a SU than those in the first quartile.
parturient fat mobilization has also been implicated in their de- Conclusions: This preliminary analysis has confirmed
velopment. The objective of this study was to evaluate wheth- the importance of previously described risk factors (excessive
er serum biomarkers for fat mobilisation and specific hormonal periparturient fat mobilization) and identified novel associa-
profiles are associated with the odds of a cow displaying a SU tions between serum biomarkers and the development of sole
in the early lactation period. ulcers. Further analysis is required to fully characterise this

301
ORAL — Lameness
association between high serum insulin concentrations in ear- feeding duration (FD, odds ratio OR = 0.51, confidence inter-
ly lactation and the development of SU’s that could further our val CI 0.49-0.53) and a later stage of lactation (OR = 0.61,
understanding of the disease’s aetiopathogenesis. CI 0.58-0.64) being a protective factor for lameness and that
Keywords: Sole ulcers, dairy, relaxin, insulin. the ratio between lying duration during daytime and night-time
(OR = 1.17, CI 1.13-1.22) and an increased lying duration per
day (LD) (OR = 1.42, CI 1.36-1.48) increased the probability of
an animal being lame.
The interaction effects were particularly interesting as they
LA-18 offered insight into the complexity of the relationship between
the single predictors. The interaction effect between the av-
Complexity of the relationship between behaviour, erage daily milk yield (MMY) and FD for example, shows that
performance, and claw health in dairy cows with mean and above average FD, MMY hardly influences the
probability of a cow being lame. With a low FD however, an
Isabella Lorenzini1, Katharina Grimm2, Bernhard Haidn1.
increased MMY has a strong positive effect on the probability
Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture, Grub, Germany; 2Hoof
1
of being lame. Similarly, a higher parity number in combination
Health Practice Drs. Fiedler, Grimm & Krögerr, Munich, Germany. with a low number of lying bouts (LBN) are associated with a
higher risk of lameness, possibly indicating less willingness
to stand up often. Cows in their first lactation, however, have
Objectives: Lameness in dairy cows is a sign of pain and
a higher probability of being lame if they have a high LBN.
an important welfare issue. Cows tend to hide signs of pain,
This could be an indication of enhanced social stress in heif-
making visual lameness detection difficult for farmers and
ers after first being integrated in the herd after calving, which
vets. Furthermore, research shows that farmers only recog-
affects cows’ behaviour and their time budget. If this effect,
nize about a quarter of lame animals on their own farms.
which leads to spending less time feeding and lying, is more
Digitization in dairy farming has the potential to improve prominent in heifers, it could in turn affect their hoof health
health monitoring of individual animals. Previous studies have more than in older cows.
attempted to combine automatically collected behaviour and
Conclusions: Using automatically collected behaviour
performance data to indirectly detect lameness in dairy cows,
and performance data to detect lame animals could be a
but have only achieved moderate levels of prediction accura-
promising tool for early lameness recognition. However, using
cy, possibly due to the differences between individual farms
single behaviour and performance parameters to try and pre-
and animals and also due to the correlation between parame-
dict lameness doesn’t reflect the complexity of the relationship
ters as well as the interactions thereof.
between claw health, behaviour, and lactation data. Further
The aim of this study was to gain a deeper insight into the research is needed to understand this type of interaction both
relationship between claw health, behaviour, and performance on a herd and an individual-animal level.
in dairy cows to improve indirect automatic lameness detec-
Keywords: Claw health, precision dairy farming, lame-
tion methods.
ness, behaviour, performance.
Materials and methods: Data was collected between
April 2017 and June 2018 on four commercial dairy farms and
one research farm in Bavaria. Claw health reference data was
collected manually by scoring the locomotion of all animals
every fortnight through videos using a three-point score. All
LA-21
cows in the study were fitted with pedometers (ENGS Dairy
Solutions, Israel). The pedometers measure activity, lying and Evaluating the Effectiveness of Organic Therapies for the
feeding behaviour. Treatment of Bovine Digital Dermatitis
The data from the pedometers as well as data from two
Cassie Krebill1, Jan Shearer1, H. Morgan Scott2, Sebastian Umase3,
milking robots were combined into an SQL-database calculat-
Ivan Sanabria3, Jonatan Baron3, Romina Hernandez3, Romeo
ing daily values for each parameter and each cow. The refer-
Hernandez3, Paul Plummer1.
ence claw health data and data from monthly milk-yield tests
for farms with milking parlours were added to the database. 1
Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal
Data analysis was carried out using RStudio (R version Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, United States; 2Department
3.6.2). The data were cleaned, centred, scaled, and balanced of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas AM &University, College Station,
using the SMOTE algorithm. A generalised linear model with United States; 3Aurora Organic Dairy, Platteville, United States.
all variables from the dataset and combinations thereof was
run using 10-fold cross validation to find relevant interaction Objectives: Bovine digital dermatitis (DD) is an infectious
parameters. A random intercept was added for the individual bacterial disease that causes acute and chronic lameness
cows and the full multilevel model was reduced by non-signifi- in dairy cattle. DD has created welfare concerns within the
cant predictors using backward step regression. dairy industry since its discovery in the United States during
Results: The final dataset contained 71.497 data points the 1980s. Common effective topical therapies for DD often
from 381 different animals. The final model had 25 predic- include antibiotics. This makes it difficult to manage DD in or-
tors, of which 15 were interaction effects. The findings in ganic production systems while abiding by the United States
the study support those found in literature, such as a higher National Organic Standards Board. The primary objective of

302
ORAL — Lameness
this prospective randomized clinical trial was to identify one significant differences between the non-copper sulfate groups.
or more effective and organic-approved products to provide All cows did show improvement over time, with cows remain-
improved treatment outcomes for DD. ing in the study at D112 having improved outcome measures
Materials and Methods: Dairy cattle (n=385) with DD le- compared to D0; in addition, differences were non-significant
sions were enrolled at D0 on two, similarly managed, commer- (P>0.05) among all treatments at D112). However, the effects
cial organic dairy farms. Cows were blocked by days in milk of culling and switching to the alternative treatment at D28
and lactation number for randomization and assigned to one may have confounded those findings. Copper sulfate is the
of four topical treatments: a.) 15 grams of copper sulfate, b.) superior topical treatment to manage bovine DD.
20 grams of iodine, c.) 20 grams of honey, and d.) 20 grams Keywords: Digital dermatitis, locomotion, organic.
of hydrogen peroxide. All treatments were lightly wrapped
with a bandage and removed after 3 to 5 days. The assigned
treatment was applied on D0, D7, and D14. The cows were
evaluated in a hoof-trimming chute on D0, D7, D14, D28, D56,
and D112. All data were collected by trained veterinarians and
LA-22
professional hoof trimmers. Metrics of locomotion score (LO-
COSCORE: 1 = best, 2, 3, 4, 5 = worst), an adapted digital The Effects of Lameness on Weight Gain and Carcase
dermatitis scoring system (DDSCORE: 1 = best, 2 3, 4, 5 = Classification of UK Finishing Cattle
worst), and an algometer pressure reading (ALGOSCORE:1
= worst through, 10 = best) were collected at each evaluation Jay Tunstall, Helen Higgins, Dai Grove-White, Jo Oultram, Karin
to determine the effect of the assigned treatments on changes Mueller.
in metrics since enrollment. Body condition scores and digi- University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
tal photographs of the lesion were collected and recorded at
each evaluation. Treatment failures were switched to a 50:50
copper sulfate and iodine topical solution. Statistical analyses Objectives: Lameness in UK dairy cattle is widely re-
were performed using ordinal (proportional odds) regression ported to have significant effects on yield, fertility and wel-
for DDSCORE and LOCOSCORE versus linear regression fare. However, the effects of lameness of UK beef cattle is
for ALGOSCORE. Farm was treated as a fixed effect while unknown. Furthermore, there is minimal information regarding
treatment by day effects were modeled in full factorial designs. the effects of lameness on beef cattle internationally. There is
Margin means were estimated for each treatment at each day. however evidence suggesting a lower price can be expected
For ordinal outcomes the probability a cow exhibited either at slaughter for cattle having experienced lameness.
score 1, 2, 3, or 4 was the outcome of interest, with increasing The absence of appropriate information regarding the im-
probability of lower scores the desirable outcome. For ALGO- pact of lameness makes treatment and prevention planning
SCORE, a more rapid rise towards higher scores was desir- more complicated, in particular making it more difficult to de-
able. termine intervention points. This lack of evidence may poten-
Results: The results of this study show copper sul- tially lead to lameness being undervalued as an issue, and
fate was clearly the most effective treatment to rapidly and therefore not treated or prevented adequately.
significantly improve all outcome measurements over the Knowledge regarding the impact of lameness on produc-
112-day trial. Copper sulfate treatment showed a significant tion measures would support veterinarian and farmer decision
(P<0.01) increase in relative odds of becoming a lower cate- making, highlighting the importance, and justifying treatment
gory DDSCORE in each post treatment evaluation. With lower and prevention measures. With beef finishing units, Average
scores, the physical appearance of the lesion is drier and more Daily Live Weight Gain (ADLWG) is useful measure of per-
regressed. Cows treated with copper sulfate were estimated formance as faster growth will lead to shorter time on farm
to exhibit an ALGOSCORE of 7.1 (95% CI 6.41, 7.69) at D28 and generally lower total input costs. Carcase classification is
compared to 3.4 (95% CI 2.47, 4.26), 4.0 (95% CI 3.16, 4.75), another measure of performance, which represents the con-
and 2.7 (95% CI 1.91, 3.49) for honey, hydrogen peroxide, and formation and fat coverage at slaughter. Carcass classification
iodine respectively. The ALGOSCORE, or pain-free pressure will affect the price per Kilogram paid to the farmer.
applied to the lesion, increases as the lesion regresses. The
analysis for LOCOSCORE resulted in copper sulfate produc- This study identified the effects of lameness on growth
ing the most rapid recovery and highest probability of an ideal rates and carcass classification of finishing cattle on three UK
LOCOSCORE of a 1, no visible lameness, throughout each farms.
follow-up evaluation. All three statistical analyses showed Materials and Methods: A longitudinal observation study
global significance of treatment (3 degrees of freedom), peri- was carried out on three farms located in England between
od (5 degrees of freedom) main effects and their interactions July 2018 and August 2019. Animals of interest were housed
(p<0.05). cattle, in the finishing period and being reared for beef produc-
Conclusion: Of the four organic-approved treatments tion. Three farms were recruited, where eligible animals were
tested in this trial, copper sulfate was by-far the most effective weighed and locomotion scored approximately monthly from
treatment in decreasing DDSCORE and LOCOSCORE most the start of the study for the duration of their time in the finish-
rapidly as well as increasing ALGOSCORE indicating lesion ing group. Slaughter dates and carcass grading information
regression and healing. While the other treatments improved was obtained.
over time, none showed significantly improved changes Results: Farm 3 results have been presented here. On
throughout the four interim evaluation points and there were no this farm, 275 animals received at least two locomotion scoring

303
ORAL — Lameness
visits before being finished. Of these animals, 265 were Aber- stage (M1-M4) and localization of DD lesions were recorded
deen Angus (AA) or AA crossbred. The mean age at slaughter by a single operator. Stainless steel forceps that allow holding
was 20.4 months (standard deviation (SD) 1.7 months). 82 of the interdigital cleft open were used for a precise assessment
these animals were lame at least one locomotion scoring visit, of DD lesions. A multicriteria lameness score was also attribut-
with 34 being lame for multiple visits. Animals being scored as ed to each cow on standing position. Photographs of each cow
lame during one or more locomotion scoring visit were more in standing position and of each hoof were submitted to anoth-
likely to have a lower ADLWG (p<0.001) than animals never er expert for an independent evaluation. Cows were randomly
having been scored as lame. The ADLWG from first scoring assigned into either the oxytetracycline group (OTC) or the
to last scoring was 1.37Kg (SD 0.43) for animals not experi- thiamphenicol (TH) group. The topical treatments were admin-
encing lameness, compared to 1.1Kg (SD 0.48Kg) for animals istrated for 3 seconds on each DD lesion by the same operator
that experienced one or more lameness events. The ADLWG in a trimming cage, during 3 consecutive days, after the hoofs
for cattle that were lame at all scoring visits was 0.66Kg (SD have been cleaned and dried. For animal welfare and ethical
0.59Kg). Details of other farms are discussed, along with car- reasons, the study did not include a non-treated control group.
cass grading information and the association with lameness. DD lesions and lameness were further evaluated at D0+7,
Conclusion: The ADLWG was lower for animals expe- D0+14 and D0 +28 days using the same protocol.
riencing at least one lameness event compared to animals All initial M1, M2 or M4 DD lesions that were subsequently
not experiencing a lameness event, which would correlate scored M0 on D7, D14 or D28 were regarded as cured, and
with production loss data available for the dairy industry. In uncured otherwise. The probability of cure was modeled us-
the dairy industry, some evidence suggests that higher yielding mixed multivariate logistic models, with the DD lesion as
ing cattle are more likely to become lame than lower yielding the epidemiological unit. The estimated effect of the treatment
cattle. This study doesn't identify whether faster growing beef group was adjusted on herd, DD lesion stage at D0, hoof level
cattle are more likely to become lame, but if true, this may be factors (number of DD lesions at D0 observed on the hoof) and
masking some of the effects of lameness on ADLWG. cow level factors (number of affected hoofs, lactation number
This research suggests that prevention of lame animals and days in milk at D0). A treatment group x DD lesion stage
may be important to increase growth rates and achieve better interaction was tested into the models, and a cow random ef-
carcass classification, increasing productivity and farm profit- fect was included. Separate models were fitted for D7, D14
ability. and D28.
The authors would like to thank The Animal Welfare Foun- Results: In total, 225 DD lesions, including 77 M1-stage
dation, who supported this research through the Norman Hay- (34.2%), 113 M2-stage (50.2) and 34 M4-stage (15.6%) were
ward Research Fund. diagnosed at D0 on 156 foots from 116 cows. A majority of
Keywords: Lameness, Beef, Finishers, Mobility, Locomo- cows (77, 66.3%) had only one affected foot, 37 (31.9%) had
tion. two affected feet and only 2 cows had three affected feet. Al-
most all DD lesions were observed on the plantar surface of
the hoof (205, 91.0%) with 49.3% of them located in the inter-
digital cleft. At D28, the overall cure rates were similar for both
treatment groups (OTC: 76.6%; TH: 79.9%, p=0.63) with M1-
LA-23 stage lesions being almost all healed (OTC: 97.1, TH: 92.7%,
p=0.62). Adjusting for potential confounders, the cure odd was
Comparison of thiamphenicol and oxytetracycline based marginally statistically higher in the OTC group than in the TS
topical treatments for the control of digital dermatitis group (p=0.04) at D7, but not at D14 (p=0.70) and neither at
lesions in dairy cows: a multicentric randomized clinical D28 (p=0.52). No significant treatment group x lesion stage
trial interaction was found. Compared to M1-stage lesions, M2-
stage lesions were at a lower odd to be cured at D7 (OR=
Fabien Corbiere1, Charly De Campos1, Marc Delacroix2, François
0.17; 95%CI: 0.04-0.65, p=0.009), D14 (OR=0.10, 95%CI:
Schelcher1.
0.06-0.61, p=0.0125) and D28 (OR=0.23, 95%CI: 0.06-0.89,
National Veterinary School of Toulouse, Toulouse, France; 2Boen
1
p=0.029). Whatever the date and the treatment group, M4-
Veterinary Practice, Boen sur Lignon, France. stage lesions had the lowest cure rate (OTC:35.2%, TH:
27.8% at D28, p=0.72).
Objectives: This trial compared the effect of the topical Conclusion: In this study the use of thiamphenicol or oxy-
administration of thiamphenicol (Taf Spray® and oxytetracy- tetracyclin based topical treatments yielded similar cure rates.
cline (Oxytétrin®) on the curation of Digital Dermatitis (DD) The high cure rates found for M1-stage lesions was probably
lesions of various evolution stage. partially due to spontaneous healing, that might have been fa-
Materials and methods: A multicentric randomized clin- vored the foot washing and drying before all examination and
ical trial was set up in four flocks with a history of high DD treatment administration. This observation reinforces the piv-
prevalence. The study involved 116 Prim-Holstein and 8 otal role of foot hygiene in the control of DD. Finally, the fact
Montbéliardes cows ranging in age from first to fifth lacta- that only a low proportion of M4-stage lesions was cured after
tion and diagnosed with DD lesion on the first examination. a 28 days’ follow-up emphasizes the need to avoid chronicity
On the first examination (D0), hindlimb and forelimb hoofs of for a higher probability of positive outcome.
included cows were cleaned, washed with clear water, dried Keywords: Digital dermatitis, topical treatment, random-
and trimmed by a professional hoof-trimmer, and the number, ized clinical trial, thiamphenicol, oxytetracyclin.

304
ORAL — Lameness
LA-24 ated with conception at 1st insemination (p-values < 0.00 and
0.005 respectively). Prevalence of DD at first inspection was
A study on the association between occurrence of Digital not statistically significantly associated with age at conception
Dermatitis and reproductive performance in a cohort of (p-value 0.30). However, this was a preliminary analysis and a
maiden heifers total of 116 heifers were right censored due to no conception
Lara Robinson1, Alkiviadis Anagnostopoulos2, Lauren Thomas2, data at the time.
Lucy Gleave2, Rob Smith2, Georgios Oikonomou2. Cox proportional hazard analysis showed that DD at 1st in-
spection was not statistically significantly associated with time
1
Daleside Veterinary Group, Wrexham, United Kingdom; 2Department
to first insemination (p-value = 0.39). Season of birth and daily
of Livestock Heath and Welfare, Institute of Veterinary Science,
liveweight gain between birth and 1st observation were sta-
University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom.
tistically significantly associated with this outcome (p-values
= 0.004 and <0.001 respectively). As expected, growth rate
Objectives: Digital dermatitis (DD) is an infectious bovine was strongly correlated to age at 1st insemination (for every 1
foot lesion first described in the early 1970’s1 as a painful, ero- kg increase in daily liveweight gain the risk ratio for reaching
sive, wart like lesion. It is a common condition in dairy cattle the first insemination was 9.1 with a 95% confidence interval
globally and has been shown to affect heifers too2. Given it is between 3.66 and 22.88).
a painful condition which has high herd level prevalence, DD Conclusion: This study has shown that DD period preva-
is an important disease for the modern dairy herd. Heifers ex- lence in maiden heifers can be high. A previous study showed
periencing the disease pre-calving were more likely to experi- that DD events in pregnant heifers increased the risk of future
ence it again in 1st lactation2. They also had significantly lower DD events and affected fertility in 1st lactation2. Preliminary
conception rate and longer days open in the 1st lactation2. To analysis of our data (data collection is still ongoing) showed
our knowledge, there has been no work looking at the associa- that DD was not associated with growth rate or fertility in the
tion of DD with maiden heifer fertility. The aim of this study was studied cohort of maiden heifers.
to investigate whether one or more DD events in the 3-month
References:
period before and after first service was associated with repro-
ductive performance in maiden heifers. 1. Cheli, R., And C. Mortellaro. La Dermatite Digitale Del
Bovino. 8th International Conference On Diseases Of
Materials and Methods: Data were collected from 530
Cattle, 1974. 208-213.
Holstein heifers from one commercial dairy unit in the UK be-
tween April 2021 and December 2021. Heifers were enrolled at 2. Gomez, A., Cook, N. B., Socha, M. T. & Döpfer, D.
an average age of 388 days and observed at monthly intervals 2015b. First-Lactation Performance In Cows Affected
for a total of 3 observations. At each observation body weight By Digital Dermatitis During The Rearing Period. Jour-
and body condition score were recorded. The hind feet of the nal Of Dairy Science, 98, 4487-4498.
heifers were washed with water before being inspected for DD Keywords: Digital dermatitis, Heifers, Fertility.
using a mirror with LED lights. DD lesions were scored based
on physical appearance using the M-stage classification sys-
tem. Active lesions (M-stages 1, 2 and 4.1) were treated with
topical oxytetracycline spray. Fertility data were collected after
the end of the study period. Any animals that became preg- LA-25
nant during the study were not inspected after confirmation of
pregnancy. Univariable and multivariable analyses were con- Modified Thomas splint-cast use in cattle limb fractures:
ducted on the data. characteristics and predictors of long-term survival of 185
Results: 530 heifers were enrolled into this study of which cases (2013-2021)
502 heifers had 3 inspections for digital dermatitis during the Linde Gille, Bayrou Calixte, Casalta Hélène, Djebala Salem, Eppe
study period. Pregnancy diagnosis data was available for 406 Justine, Sartelet Arnaud.
heifers at the time the data was initially analysed. DD period
prevalence was 45%. University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Univariable regression with conception rate at 1 service
st
as the outcome showed that the variable season during which Objectives: Traumatic limb fractures are an important
1st insemination took place was statistically significantly as- cause of premature animal loss. Generally, the most cost-ef-
sociated with conception at 1st service (p-value <0.001) and ficient and humane way to handle injured cattle is emergency
there was a tendency for inseminator to be associated with slaughter on site. However, in the EU, this is only an option if
it too (p-value = 0.08). Two multivariable logistic regression the animal has an acute injury making transport impossible
models were run using conception at 1st rate as an outcome for welfare reasons, is in a further healthy condition, and has
variable and, accounting for these confounding variables. Nei- not received any medication with a withdrawal period (Eurlex
ther having DD at the 1st inspection nor having DD ever during 2004). Furthermore, given the cost involved, it is generally
the study was statistically significantly associated with concep- only carried out on animals with a certain weight to avoid in-
tion rate at 1st service. curring more costs than can be gained by slaughtering.
Cox proportional hazard analysis with time to conception For calves and animals under withdrawal period, salvage
as the outcome variable showed that season at 1st insemina- options are limited and often expensive. Walking-casts are
tion and season of birth were statistically significantly associ- limited to lower limb fractures and have a weight limit in gen-

305
ORAL — Lameness
eral. Repair trough surgical reduction with internal or external

fixation is costly and specialized, also due to the need for gen-
eral anesthesia. External coaptation methods like the Thomas
splint, initially developed for humans, stay relevant to date in a
modified form for cattle due to their low cost and relative ease
of use on-farm. Studies differ in opinion on their success rate,
and relatively few data are available on long-term success to
slaughter which makes treatment decisions hard. As such, in
order to evaluate survival rate and treatment success, the aim
of this study was to describe the long-term outcome and re-
lated characteristics of cattle with limb fractures treated with a
modified Thomas splint-cast (MTSC), by use of their medical
records and national cattle database (SANITEL) data.
Materials and methods: To perform this study, the hospi-
tal file of 211 cases of cattle having received a MTSC between
September 2013 and December 2021 were retrieved from the
clinic database system (SAP). After removal of duplicates (9),
MTSC use for other reasons then fracture (5) and animals not
retrievable in the national database (12), 185 cases were with-
held. Data retrieved included gender, breed, birth date, site
of fracture, time since fracture and cause of fracture. From
the national herd database (SANITEL), date and type of death
was retrieved to perform follow-up until 10 weeks after place-
ment of the MTSC for all animals and a follow-up until death or
slaughter for animals deceased.
Results: In 80 % of cases, cattle that received a MTSC
were presented for a tibial fracture. Of all animals treated with
a MTSC, 42.16 % survived to be slaughtered, 41.08 % died
naturally or were euthanized, and 12.43 % was still alive at
the time of data retrieval (4.32% was lost to follow-up). Of the
animals that did not survive until slaughter, 84.21 % died within
10 weeks after placement of the MTSC, with significantly high-
er odds of non-survival >10 weeks if their weight was above
275 kg (OR 2.59 p<0.05). There was no gender difference on
survival. Cause of fracture was recorded in 49 % of cases: the
main risks were manipulation (15.7%) and the placement on
pasture (13%). Twenty-five percent of fractures where a time
since fracture was known were presented two or more days
after fracture, with outliers to 15 days after initial fracture.
Conclusions: MTSC have their use in practice as a sal-
vage procedure to raise young animals that suffered from
a limb fracture until an acceptable slaughter weight can be
reached. The prognosis drops with increasing weight, and
placement of MTSC should as such be reserved for young an-
imals below 275 kgs. Animals were presented for cast place-
ment only after two or more days in 25 % of all cases. Even
though prognosis was not different in this study, this could be
a severe welfare issue for the affected animals.
Keywords: Cattle, Limb fractures, Trauma, Modified
Thomas Splint-Cast.

306
ORAL — Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases
NU-01 protein (363 vs 379 kg, p<0.001), fat (354 vs 372 kg, p<0.001),
305-d milk (9195 vs 9579 kg, p<0.001), T-ECM (11891 vs
Influence of ketosis prevalence during first lactation 12374 kg, p<0.001) and 305d-ECM (9712 vs 10193 kg,
and subsequently on the cow's performance through its p<0.001) regardless those cows developed ketosis during 2nL
following lactations or not. Ketosis prevalence during 2ndL was higher for those
Juan Cainzos1, Cristina Andreu-Vázquez2, Ramiro Fouz3, Maria cows developing ketosis during 1stL (28.79 vs 17.26%, for ke-
Luisa Barreal4. totic and healthy cows during 1stL respectively, p<0.001). Mul-
tinomial regression model, including 1stL 305d-ECM and keto-
1
Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, United States; 2Universidad Europea sis prevalence at 1stL and 2ndL (r2=0.17, p<0.001), indicated
de Madrid. Faculty of Biomedial and Health Science. Department of that 2ndL 305d-ECM was impaired in a bigger extent when
Medicine., Madrid, Spain; 3Africor Lugo, Lugo, Spain; 4Laboratorio ketosis occurred in 1stL than in 2ndL (9776b; 10121a,b; 10254a;
interprofesional galego de análise do leite (LIGAL), A Coruña, Spain. 10122a kg for ketotic animals in 1stL, 1stL and 2ndL, 2ndL and
healthy animals, respectively, p<0.001). Contingency analysis
Objectives: Ketosis, defined as hyperketonemia (high indicated that ketosis prevalence during 3rdL was higher for
levels of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) in blood, milk or urine) those animals developing ketosis during 1st and 2nd calving
during first weeks postpartum, is a common and costly dis- compared with animals developing ketosis during first or sec-
ease. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact ond and healthy animals in previous lactations (47.4, 31.6,
of first milk test ketosis prevalence on first lactation perfor- 31.3 and 17.9% respectively, p<0.001). In the same way, 1stL
mance as well as on the subsequent lactations’ ketosis preva- ketotic cows yielded less total milk (10639.6 vs 11178.7 kg;
lence and lactation performance. p<0.001), protein (344.3 vs 366.5 kg; p<0.001), fat (412.8 vs
440.6 kg; p<0.001), 305-d total milk yield (9436.5 vs 10076.7
Materials and methods: Cow information, test-day pro- kg; p<0.001), T-ECM (11303.2 vs 12000.4 kg; p<0.001) and
duction data, and milk BHB concentrations were obtained from 305d-ECM (9962.6 vs 10759.6 kg; p<0.001) during 3rdL than
the Africor Lugo database (Lugo –Spain), including 22018 an- non-ketotic 1stL cows.
imals with first calving occurring during 2015. Information from
these animals was obtained until May 2019, including farm Conclusions: Many DHI organizations offer clients an
name and cow ID (coded), date of birth, date of culling, and infrared test to detect milk BHB as a herd surveillance test
for each lactation: calving data, lactation number, total milk, fat and it has been recommended to monitor ketosis on a herd
and protein yield (kg), 305d corrected milk (305d-milk), fat and level when evaluating nutritional management or preventative
medicine strategies in herds (Renauld et al., 2018. JDairySci.
protein yield (kg), lactation length (days) and days in milk (DIM)
102:1–5). Current results indicate a strong impact of a positive
and BHB (µmol/L) content at first test. Energy-corrected milk
result in the first test of the 1stL on cow’s performance, not
(ECM, kg/d, Santichi et al., 2016 (JDairySci. 99:9263–9270)),
only on the current but also future lactations.
for both total ECM (T-ECM) and 305 days ECM (305d-ECM).
Milk samples were analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared Keywords: Ketosis, Transition, Management.
(MilkoScan FT6000, Foss Electric, Hillerød, Denmark) and
ketosis was determined when milk BHB values were ≥ 0.10
mmol/mL (Viña et al., 2017, JAnimPhysiol An N, 101:835–
845).Only cows with DIM at first test <26 days were consid-
ered, excluding 9445 animals (Santichi et al., 2016, JDairySci. NU-02
99:9263–9270). All statistical analysis were performed using
JMP 13.1.0 (SAS). Evaluating plasma methionine in response to feeding three
Results: Retrospective analysis of data from 12573 heif-
rumen-protected methionine products
ers from 1326 farms and first time calving during 2015 indi- Merrick Smith1, Shane Cronin1, Javier Mateos2, Diego Martinez Del
cated that 80.53% (n=9.220), 56.88% (n= 5.244), 10.51% Olmo2, Fernando Valdez3, Tanya Gressley1.
(n=551) and 0.73% (n=4) of animals reached second (2ndL), 1
University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, United States; 2Kemin
third (3rdL), fourth (4thL) and fifth (%thL) lactation respec-
Animal Nutrition and Health, Herentals, Belgium; 3Kemin Industries,
tively during the observational period. Ketosis prevalence
Inc., Des Moines, Iowa, United States.
was 22.99% (n=2632), 19.91% (n=1836), 23.55% (n=1235),
22.87% (n=126) and 0% (n=0) for animals reaching first, sec-
ond, third, fourth and fifth lactation respectively. Animals devel- Objectives: Rumen protected (RP) amino acid products
oping ketosis had longer lactation period (353.1 vs 346.9 days, offer the opportunity for precision feeding of limiting amino
p=0.013), yielded less total milk (9836 vs 10114 kg, p<0.001), acids to ruminant animals. The efficacy of such products is
total protein (318 vs 333 kg, p<0.001), 305d-milk (7909 vs dependent on survival in the rumen and availability in the in-
8286 kg, p<0.001), T-ECM (10481 vs 10759 kg, p=0.003) and testines, necessitating estimates of bioavailability. Plasma me-
305d-ECM (8315 vs 8703 kg, p<0.001) and tended to lower thionine (Met) is linearly related to intestinal Met absorption,
total fat yield (384 vs 390 kg, p=0.080) during 1stL. and, thus, can be used as a tool to assess RP-Met bioavail-
Compared to non-ketotic cows, positive cows on 1stL had ability. However, rates of ruminal passage and absorption may
higher odds ratio of developing ketosis during 2nL, 3rdL and differ among products, so time of blood sampling relative to
4thL (OR= 1.94, 95%CI: 1.73-2.17; 2.19, 95%CI:1.90-2.; and feeding may be an important consideration.
2.39, 95%CI:1.54-3.71, respectively). During 2ndL, positive The primary objective of this work was to compare the
cows at 1stL yielded less milk (11138 vs 11506 kg, p<0.001), plasma methionine levels of cows fed with three different

307
RP-Met supplements under similar feeding and experimental Keywords: Rumen protected methionine, plasma methi-
conditions. This study examined the comparability of a new onine response.
RP-Met product to two existing and well-studied products. The
comparison was not made against a control diet but again
each other as internal controls. The second objective was to
determine whether time of blood sampling relative to feeding
impacted relative differences among products. NU-03
Materials and methods: Ten multiparous Holstein cows,
280 ± 73 days in milk, were used in a replicated 3x3 Latin square Bioavailability of rumen-protected choline chloride sources
design (three complete squares, one incomplete square), with based on in situ rumen degradability and in vitro intestinal
7-day experimental periods. Treatments consisted of a control digestibility criteria
diet plus 12 g/d of either RP-Met K (KESSENT® M, Kemin Cristian Faturi1, Maria Ercilda Rodriguez-Prado2, Fatima Francia2,
Animal Nutrition and Health, Herentals, Belgium), RP-Met S
Deepak Dubey3, Sanjeewa Ranathunga3, Sergio Calsamiglia2.
(Smartamine® M, Adisseo Inc., Antony, France), or RP-Met M
(Mepron®, Evonik Nutrition & Care GmbH, Hanau-Wolfgang, Universidad Federal Rural de la Amazonia, Brazil, Brazil; 2Animal
1
Germany). Amount of Met contained in each of the three prod- Nutrition and Welfare Service, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona,
ucts was similar. Cows were fed ad-libitum with 33% of their Bellaterra, Spain; 3Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health, Herentals,
daily feed allotment and RP-Met treatment provided every 8 Belgium.
h. Milking occurred at twice daily with milk samples collected
on days 5-7 of each period. During d 5-7 of each experimental
Introduction: Choline is a vitamin-like substance that inter-
period, blood samples were collected from jugular catheters
acts very closely with methionine and vitamin B12 metabolism
at 2, 4, 6, and 8 h after the morning feeding. At the end of
as a methyl donor. It plays an important role in animal produc-
the experiment, samples were sent to Missouri Agriculture Ex-
tion, reproduction, and health (Jayaprakash et al., 2016, Morri-
periment Station Chemical Laboratories, USA, for amino acid
son et al., 2018). Choline is rapidly degraded in the rumen, so
analysis by cation-exchange chromatography.
effective supplementation requires the use of rumen-protect-
Prior to statistical analyses, plasma methionine was con- ed forms that are digestible in the small intestine (Grummer,
verted to percentage of total amino acids minus methionine as 2008). There are several commercial protected products in the
calculated below: market, but the amount of choline delivered to the small intes-
methionine, % of total amino acids minus methionine = tine for absorption (bioavailability) may vary largely between
methionine (μg/mL) / (sum of all amino acids [μg/mL] – methi- products (Sales et al., 2010, Humer et al., 2019). Therefore,
onine [μg/mL]) * 100% it is important to determine their rumen solubility, potentially
Treatment effects on plasma free methionine were evalu- degradable fraction, rate of degradation, effective degradation
ated using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS (SAS Institute Inc., in the rumen and intestinal digestibility. However, this infor-
2011). The model included fixed effects of treatment, period, mation is often not available. The objective of this project was
square, hour of sampling (2, 4, 6, or 8), day of sampling (5, 6, to evaluate rumen degradability and intestinal digestibility of
or 7), and all interactions among treatment, hour of sampling, three different rumen protected choline products.
and day of sampling. Plasma free methionine prior to the start Mateiral and methods: The study was conducted at the
of the experiment was included as a covariate, and cow was Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, following approved stan-
included as a random effect. Significance was declared at P dard protocols. Rumen-protected choline products were Cho-
< 0.05. liGEM (Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health), product R and
Results: There was no significant effect of treatment on product N containing 5.75, 3.23 and 2.71% N (% DM), respec-
dry matter intake or production parameters. Plasma Met as tively. Rumen microbial degradation was determined using the
a % of total amino acids minus Met was 1.5085, 1.5267, and in situ nylon bag technique. Samples (2.020.018 g) of each ru-
1.3622% for RP-Met K, RP-Met S, and RP-Met M, respec- men-protected choline product were weighed into nylon bags
tively. RP-Met K and RP-Met S were not found to be different and incubated in the rumen of a Holstein dry-cow for 0, 2, 4,
(P=0.3420), however RP-Met K and RP-Met M were different 8, 16, 24 and 48 h, in duplicate bags and in two consecutive
(P<0.0001), with RP-Met K yielding greater plasma Met Levels. periods. Ruminal degradability was calculated with the expo-
There was a significant effect of time of sampling on plasma nential function: Y=a+b*(1-exp^(-ct)); where a was the amount
Met as a percentage of amino acids minus Met (P=0.002), due of N disappearing from the bag at 0 h; b was the potentially
to higher Met at 2 h (1.508%) than 4, 6, and 8 h (1.439, 1.447, degradable fraction; and c was the degradation rate. The ef-
and 1.469% respectively). However, the relative differences fective degradability of N (EDN) was calculated as: EDN,%=
among treatments remained consistent at all time points. a+[(b*c)/(c+k)]; where k (estimated at 10%/h; Dufreneix et
Conclusions: The relative bioavailability of a new RP-Met al., 2019) was the rate of outflow from the rumen, and a, b,
product was assessed by comparing plasma Met response and c were the same parameters described earlier. For the
to that of existing products. Similarities in plasma Met levels determination of the intestinal digestion, the in vitro three-step
between RP-Met K and RP-Met S treatments would suggest procedure (Gargallo et al., 2006) was used. The undegraded
comparative bioavailabilities and bioavailability greater than residue after 12 h incubation in the rumen was incubated in
that of RP-Met M. Differences among products were consis- vitro in a HCl-pepsin buffer at pH 2.0, 38oC and 1h, followed
tent at all blood sampling times, suggesting that time of sam- by a phosphate-pancreatin buffer incubation at pH 7.0, 38oC
pling relative to feeding is relatively unimportant. and 24h.

308
Results: Fraction a was 27.6, 0.4 and 24.7%; fraction b (DMI) and lactation performance were recorded, and FE was
was 57.1, 5.8 and 73.6%, and fraction c was 0.032, 0.002 and calculated for FCP and ELP by dividing the energy-corrected
0.081 /h for CholiGEM, product R and product N, respective- milk yield (ECM) with DMI.
ly. Effective ruminal microbial N degradation was very low in Results: The AAT depot had about 2 to 3 times higher
product R (0.5%), moderate in CholiGEM (41.4%) and relative- mass than SCAT. The HBC cows had greater fat depot mass-
ly high in product N (57.6%). However, intestinal digestion was es and mobilized more from both depots during FCP and ELP.
low in product R (12.2%) compared with CholiGEM (98.4%) The two groups did not differ in DMI, but the HBC group had
and product N (80.9%) resulting in the highest bioavailability greater ECM than LBC cows. As consequence, the HBC cows
for CholiGEM (57.6%), intermediate for product N (34.3%) and showed better FE compared to LBC cows. Correlation analy-
lowest for product R (12.1%). sis revealed that during FCP, the more SCAT was mobilized
Considering rumen degradation kinetics is not sufficient to the better the feed efficiency was (r2: 0.18). However, in case
define the bioavailability of protected choline chloride sourc- of AAT no correlation was found (r2: 0.01). On the other hand,
es. Results indicate that intestinal digestibility is a critical step mobilization of fat from both depots correlated positively with
in the evaluation of bioavailability of rumen protected choline FE (r2: 0.35 and 0.33, resp.) during the ELP.
sources. There are considerable differences in rumen degrad- Conclusions: During ELP and partly FCP, excessive li-
ability and intestinal digestibility among rumen protected cho- pomobilization increased estimated feed efficiency. Results
line products in the market. indicate that the parameter feed efficiency may not be suitable
Conclusions: Evaluation of the quality of products re- for evaluation of performance efficiency in dairy cows during
quires determination of rumen degradability and intestinal di- early lactation because it may lead to selection of cows for
gestibility. Results indicate that bioavailability was very differ- lipomobilization and possibly subclinical ketosis.
ent among commercial sources tested. Keywords: Dairy cattle, feed efficiency, fat mobilization,
Keywords: Rumen protected choline, ruminal degradabil- fresh cow period, early lactation.
ity, intestinal digestibility.
NU-05
NU-04
Rumen degradability and intestinal digestibility of different
Correlation between feed efficiency and mobilization of rumen protected lysine products determined in situ and in
fat in dairy Holstein cows during the fresh cow period and vitro
early lactation
Fatima Francia1, Maria Ercilda Rodriguez-Prado1, Cristian Faturi2,
György Szura , Stephanie Schäfers , Dirk Von Soosten , Ulrich
1 1 2
Diego Martínez3, Javier Mateos3, Sergio Calsamiglia4.
Meyer2, Jeannette Klüß2, Gerhard Breves1, Lena Ruda1, Sven 1
Animal Nutrition and Welfare Service, Universitat Autonoma
Dänicke2, Jürgen Rehage1.
de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain; 2Universidad Federal Rural de la
1
Amazonia, Brasil, Brazil; 3Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health,
Germany; 2Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Braunschweig, Germany. Madrid, Spain; 4Universidad Federal Rural de la Amazonia, Bellaterra,
Spain.
Objectives: Feed efficiency (FE), a parameter to estimate
the effectiveness of dairy production, gained importance for Introduction: The supply of metabolizable protein to dairy
economic and ecological reasons in recent years. However, cows is important for optimizing milk and milk protein yields.
after parturition lipomobilization, a consequence of negative However, excess MP in dairy cow diet results in a reduced
energy balance, may compromise estimates of FE. Thus, we efficiency of N utilization and an increase in the emission of N
aimed to examine the connection between FE and fat mobi- to the environment (St-Pierre and Thraen, 1999). This problem
lization during the fresh cow (FCP) and early lactation peri- may be minimized by supplying dairy cows with the correct
od (ELP) in Holstein dairy cows with initially lower and higher amount and proportions of essential amino acids. There is
condition. consensus that most current diets are deficient in Lysine and
Materials and methods: The study was performed at the Methionine (Schwab and Broderick, 2017). There are several
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (FLI), Braunschweig, Germany. rumen-protected Lysine and Methionine products in the mar-
Thirty-one pluriparous German Holstein cows were used to ket, but their rumen degradability and intestinal digestibility
determine the estimated depot mass (eDM) of subcutaneous may vary considerably (Whitehouse et al., 2017). The objec-
(SCAT) and total abdominal (AAT) adipose depots by ultraso- tive of the current study was to determine the bioavailability
nography on day (d)-42, 7, 28 and 70 relative to parturition. of the rumen-protected Lys products in dairy cows using the
Cows were allocated into two experimental groups accord- in situ ruminal degradation and the in vitro intestinal digestion
ing to the eDM of SCAT on d-42 relative to parturition (low methods.
body condition (LBC) group: n=16, mean eDM 8.61 kg; high Material and methods: The thee rumen-protected Lys
BC (HBC) group: n=15, mean eDM 15.6 kg). Average daily products were LysiGEM and LysiPEARL (Kemin Animal Nutri-
change (aDC) of adipose mass was calculated for the FCP (d7 tion and Health), and AjiPro L3G (Ajinomoto). Rumen microbial
to d28) and ELP (d28 to d70). Additionally, dry matter intake degradation was determined using the in situ nylon bag tech-

309
nique. Samples (0.38±0.01 g) of each rumen-protected Lysine NU-06

products were weighed into nylon bags. Duplicated bags were
incubated in the rumen of a Holstein dry-cow for 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, Production performance of lactating dairy cows fed two
24 and 48 h. The process was repeated in two consecutive rumen protected methionine supplements
periods. Degradability of Lysine in the rumen was calculated Fatima Francia1, Maria Ercilda Rodriguez-Prado1, Sergio
as N disappearance from the rumen using an exponential Calsamiglia1, Marc Piera2.
function: Y=a+b*(1-〖exp〗^(-ct); where a was the amount of N
disappearing from the bag at 0 h; b was the potentially de- Animal Nutrition and Welfare Service, Universitat Autonoma de
1
gradable fraction; and c was the degradation rate (Mathers Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain; 2Centre Veterinari Tona, Tona, Spain.
and Miller, 1981). The effective degradability of N (EDN) was
calculated as: EDN (%)= a+[(b*c)/(c+k)]; where k (estimated Intorduction: The new formulation systems have refined
at 10%/h; Dufreneix et al., 2019) was the rumen passage rate, requirements and supplies of digestible protein and amino ac-
and a, b, and c were the same as described earlier. The un- ids through the description of different feed protein fractions
degradaded sample residue after 12 h ruminal incubation was and digestive processes, and the incorporation of dynamic
used to determine the intestinal digestibility using the in vitro adaptation (NRC, 2001; INRA, 2018, CNCPS, Van Ambourgh
three-step procedure (Gargallo et al., 2006): samples were et al., 2015). Despite all these improvements, the efficiency
incubated in a pepsin-HCL solution (Sigma 77160) at 39ºC reported at 23.7% 50 years ago (Stone et al., 1960) remains
and pH 1.9 for 1 h, followed by a second incubation in a buf- virtually unchanged at 24.0% (Hristov and Huhtanen, 2008).
fer-pancreatin (Sigma P1750) solution at pH 7.75 at 39ºC for This low efficiency represents a production cost and the emis-
24 h. The in vitro intestinal digestion was calculated as the sion of excessive N to the environment. Recent evidence in-
amount of the sample N (rumen-exposed residue) minus the dicates that at least part of this inefficiency is associated with
N remaining after pepsin-pancreatin incubation divided by the the unbalanced supply of essential amino acids (Doepel and
amount of sample N. Lapierre, 2010). The supply of intestinally available essen-
Results: The soluble fraction (%) was lower in AjiPro L3G tial amino acids is currently achieved through the use of ru-
(2.6) compared with LysiGEM (20.4) and LysiPEARL (24.6). men-protected forms of these amino acids. However, there are
The potentially degradable fraction (%) was larger in LysiP- large differences in bioavailability of different protected me-
EARL (70.7) compared with LysiGEM (48.6) and AjiPro L3G thionine sources (Whitehouse et al., 2017) which may affect
(49.1). Rate of ruminal degradation (/h) was highest in LysiP- performance. The objective of this research is to determine the
EARL (0.05), intermediate in AjiPro L3G (0.013) and lowest effect of feeding two different sources of Met on milk produc-
in LysiGEM (0.006). The resulting effective degradation in the tion and composition of lactating Holstein dairy cows.
rumen (%) was highest in LysiPEARL (48.2), intermediate in Material and Methods: Ninety-four multiparous lactating
LysiGEM (23.2) and lowest in AjiPro L3G (8.2). In contrast, in- Holstein dairy cows from 50 to 110 days in milk were divided
testinal digestibility was lowest in AjiPro L3G (49.6) compared in 3 groups to determine the effect of feeding different rumen
with LysiGEM (87.3) and LysiPEARL, suggesting that AjiPro protected Methionine sources on milk production and compo-
L3G was overprotected. Overall bioavailability (%) was high- sition. Cows were fed a 46:54 forage to concentrate based on
est for LysiGEM (67.1), intermediate for LysiPEARL (50.3) and corn silage once daily formulated to meet current NRC (2001)
lowest for AjiPro L3G (45.5). There were differences in ruminal recommendations (17.5% CP, 28.4% NDF, 33.2% starch and
degradation and intestinal digestion among different commer- 4.6% fat and balanced for Lysine). Treatments were the con-
cial products. Bioavailability is the result of the combination of trol diet (CTR), and the same diet supplemented with 11.4 g
the degree of rumen resistance to degradation and the intes- of metabolizable methionine from either KES (KESSENT® M,
tinal digestibility of the undegraded fraction. The quality of ru- Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health) or SMT (Smartamine® M,
men protected lysine products requires the determination not Adisseo Inc.). Experimental animals were blocked by previous
only of the degree of protection from ruminal degradation, but milk production, assigned to three different lots and supplied
also the intestinal digestibility of the undegradable proportion with one of the three treatments. Cows were milked three
of Lysine. times daily. After 30 days on treatment, milk production and
Conclusion: Results indicate that differences in bioavail- composition were determined in weeks 6 and 10 postpartum
ability from the different Lysine sources may be important and (milk samples taken 3 consecutive days). Data were analyzed
needs to be considered in diet formulation. using the PROC GLM procedure of SAS as a completely ran-
domized model.
References:
Results: Milk yield (kg/d) was higher (P<0.002) in KES
Gargallo S., et al., 2006. J. Anim. Sci. 84:2163-2167.
(46.7) than CTR or SMT (43.9 and 44.5, respectively). The
Dufreneix F., et al., 2019. J. Dairy Sci. 102 :3010–3022. 3.5% fat corrected milk (kg/d) was numerically higher in KES
Mathers J.C., Miller E.L. 1981. Br. J. Nutr. 45 ;587-604 and SMT (51.3 and 50.6, respectively) compared with CTR
Schwab C.G., Broderick G.A., 2017. J. Dairy Sci.100:10094- (48.8), but did not reach significance (P<0.11). Milk fat content
10112. (%) tended to be higher (P<0.06) in SMT (4.38) than in CTR
or KES (4.16 and 4.14, respectively). Milk protein content (%)
St-Pierre N.R., Thraen S.T. 1999. J Anim Sci. 77(suppl.
was higher (P<0.04) in KES and SMT (3.09 and 3.11, respec-
2):72-83.
tively) compared with CTR (3.04). Similar effects (P<0.02)
Whitehouse et al., 2017. J. Dairy Sci. 100:9585-9601. were observed for casein (%) (2.40, 2.43 and 2.45 for CTR,
Keywords: Rumen protected lysine, rumen degradability, KES and SMT, respectively). Milk fat yield (kg/d) was similar
intestinal digestibility, bioavailability. among treatments (1.90), but protein yield (kg/d) was higher

310
(P<0.01) in KES (1.43) compared with CTR and SMT (1.33 prevalence was 21%: 15% for lact=1, 19% for lact=2 and
and 1.38, respectively). Casein yield (kg/d) was also higher 27% for lact≥3. Possibly, due to on demand KET monitor-
(P<0.01) in KES (1.13) compared with CTR and SMT (1.05 ing, prevalence for CANT was significantly lower than other
and 1.09, respectively). regions with 15.25% vs. 21.23% for GAL, 21.58% for CAT
Conclusions: Both rumen protected Methionine supple- and 22.09% in CYL. Running the analysis by farm, 37.1%
ments improved dairy cow performance compared with con- (n=763) of all farms with at least 20 tests each (n=2055) had
trol, but also significant differences between commercial sup- a Ketosis prevalence >25%; this percentage varied by region
plements were observed. with CANT 17.1%, CYL 40.3%, CAT 38.0% and GAL 39.7%.
Mean number of cows controlled per farm and test had a sig-
Keywords: Rumen protected methionine, dairy cow per-
nificant impact on KET prevalence: in the Atlantic area the
formance.
1st quartile (<5 cows) had a KET prevalence of 27.09%, 2nd
quartile (5-7 cows) 20.47%, 3rd quartile (7-11 cows) 17.88%
and 4th quartile (>11 cows) 16.62%. In the rest of Spain KET
prevalence was: for 1st quartile (<12 cows) 25.7%, 2nd quar-
tile (12-24 cows) 22.13%, 3rd quartile (24-51 cows) 19.66%
NU-07 and 4th quartile (>51 cows) 19.96%. In the Atlantic area, Win-
Ketosis monitoring in Spain using testday samples ter and Spring had the highest KET prevalence, conversely
in the rest of Spain Summer and Fall had the highest KET
Marcello Guadagnini1, Gregorio Alcantara2, Rita Casals3, Fernando prevalence. Statistically significant differences for KET risk
Ruiz4, Ramiro Fouz5, Juan Cainzos6. were found across parities (3+ vs. 2, Relative Risk (RR)=1.54
1
Elanco Animal Health, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy; 2Federación Frisona 95%CI=1.50-1.58; 3+ vs. 1, RR=2.03 95%CI=1.97-2.08; 2 vs
Castilla y León (FEFRICALE), Leon, Spain; 3Federación Frisona 1, RR=1.31 95%CI=1.27-1.35) and across age at first calv-
de Cataluña (FEFRIC), Vic, Spain; 4Asociación Frisona Cantabria ing for lact=1 (>27mo vs. <24mo, RR=2.15 95%CI=1.98-2.33;
(AFCA), Torrelavega, Spain; 5Asociación de Control lechero de Lugo, >27mo vs. 24-27mo, RR=1.48 95%CI=1.28-1.59; 24-27mo vs.
Lugo, Spain; 6Elanco Animal Health, Alcobendas, Spain. <24mo, RR=1.44 95%CI=1.34-1.56). Cows with a singleton
male had slightly more risk of having KET than cows calving
singleton female (M vs F RR=1.05 95%CI=1.01-1.10). Ketotic
Objectives: Ketosis (KET) is one of the most impactful cows were more prone to have, at the same time, subclini-
diseases in dairy farming and it represents a good indicator of cal mastitis (>200 000 cell/ml, Ruegg P. 2017) (KET Yes vs
a poor adaptation to high energy demand during the transition No RR=1.69 95%CI=1.63-1.75). Finally, accounting for parity,
period (Duffield T., 2009). β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and KET farmcode, DIM 1st test, month and year fresh, Ketotic cows
can be monitored in milk (Carrier J., et al., 2004) using testday yielded 1.29 kg less milk at first test compared to cows without
milk samples (de Roos A. et al., 2007). The main goal of this KET (p<0.0001). As it was not possible to account for previous
project was to map KET prevalence across Spain and identify lactation milk production, this milk loss might represents an
risk factors and consequences. underestimate of the true milk loss attributable to KET.
Materials and Methods: Data from 4 DHI associations Conclusions: KET prevalence and proportion of high risk
across Spain have been joined into one dataset: Cantabria herds is higher than perceived by much of the dairy indus-
(CANT), Castilla y Leon (CYL), Cataluña (CAT) and Galicia try. Elevated BHB was associated with lower milk production
(GAL). The dataset includes 337,759 first tests occurring at first test and higher prevalence of subclinical mastitis. The
during 2018 and 2019. Since BHB monitoring best performs in idenfied risk factors can help design better prevention strate-
cows ≤25 days in milk (DIM) (Renaud D. L. et al., 2019), sam- gies.
ples outside the interval of 5-25 DIM were excluded, so that
Keywords: Ketosis, testday, Spain, dairy.
the final dataset contains 200,593 first tests belonging to 2242
farms. A BHB 0.1 mmol/liter cut-point has been choosen for
KET (Viña C. et al., 2017). Variables used to investigate KET
risk factors were: fresh season, parity, milk production and so-
matic cell count (SCC) at first test. First calving age in catego-
ries (<24mo; 24-27mo;>27mo), calf outcome (Male, Female, NU-08
Twins) were also available except for GAL. Mean number of
cows controlled per farm and test was divided into quantiles Associations of serum calcium and subclinical
as a proxy of farm size. Calving season effects were evaluated hypocalcemia at calving with productive, reproductive and
via 2 classes: Atlantic climate regions (GAL and CANT) and health outcomes in multiparous Jersey cows
the rest of Spain (CYL and CAT). Descriptive statistics were Ainhoa Valldecabres Inchaustegui, Noelia Silva-Del-Río.
used to describe current KET prevalence across Spain. Mul-
tivariate models were built to evaluate specific risk factors for University of California, Davis, Davis, United States.
KET and to assess its relationships with milk production and
udder health. Statistically significant results were identified us- The most appropriate blood calcium (Ca) threshold to de-
ing a p<0.05. fine subclinical hypocalcemia is still under study. Currently,
Results: 32% of cows were lact=1, 27% lact=2 and 40% there is a wide range of suggested definitions, and variability
lact≥3. 31% of lact=1 calved with <24mo, 41% between 24- on its reported associations with productive, reproductive and
27mo and 27% >27mo. Twinning rate was 3%. Overall KET health outcomes, which have not been described in Jersey

311
cows. Our aim was to evaluate the associations of serum Ca NU-09

concentration and subclinical hypocalcemia at calving with:
subsequent lactation milk and energy-corrected milk yield, A prospective cohort study on periparturient muscle tissue
fat%, protein%, somatic cells count linear score, mastitis, herd mobilisation in high producing dairy cows
removal, and pregnancy at 1st service and by 150 days in milk Cara Hatfield1, Robert Smith1, Jean Routley1, Rachel Hall1, William
(DIM), in 609 multiparous Jersey cows from 2 commercial Tulley2, Bethany Griffiths1, Andreas Foskolos3, Georgios Oikonomou1.
herds fed acidifying prepartum diet.
1
Livestock Health and Welfare, Institute of Veterinary Science, UoL,
Blood samples for total serum Ca concentration determi-
Leahurst Campus, Neston, Wirral, CH64 7TE, United Kingdom;
nation were collected from the coccygeal vessels at 3 h 10 2
Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global
min (±2 h 17 min) after calving. Monthly test milk yield, fat%,
Health, UoL, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom; 3Deparment of
protein% and somatic cells count information up to the 10th
Animal Science, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Thessaly, Greece.
test was obtained from the Dairy Herd Improvement Associ-
ation. Additional information was obtained from herd records.
Statistical analyses were conducted with multiple linear, Pois- Objectives: Dairy cattle at the onset of lactation experi-
son, log-binomial, and Cox’s proportional hazards regression ence a period of Negative Energy Balance (NEB). Adipose tis-
using SAS (version 9.4). Considered explanatory variables for sue is mobilised to meet energy demands for milk production.
all outcomes were: parity, herd, previous lactation length and There is evidence that some cows will also begin to mobilise
305-days mature equivalent milk yield, dry period length, calv- muscle during the dry period prior to fat mobilisation1. 3-meth-
ing body condition and locomotion scores, calving easiness, ylhistidine (3-MH) is a very specific indicator of muscle metab-
and oral Ca supplementation. Additional variables considered olism in cattle which is not further metabolised nor produced
were: somatic cells count linear score at test for milk yield, through any other metabolic pathways2. The main objective
fat%, and protein%; milk yield at test for fat%, protein% and of this study was to investigate the changes in the thickness
somatic cells count linear score; and DIM at 1st service and of the longissimus dorsi muscle in high producing dairy cows
breeding code (timed artificial insemination and heat breeding) in the periparturient period and the possibility to use a com-
for pregnancy at 1st service. Serum Ca thresholds among 1.80 mercial ELISA kit for 3-MH measurements as a correlate of
and 2.20 mmol/L (7.2 and 8.8 mg/dL) at 0.02 mmol/L (0.08 changes in muscle thickness.
mg/dL) intervals were used to define subclinical hypocalcemia Materials and Methods: We enrolled 455 cows from three
when serum Ca concentration (in a continuous scale) was as- farms with data collected for 500 lactations (312 from Farm 1,
sociated with the outcome. Serum Ca thresholds that better 75 from Farm 2, and 113 from Farm 3). Data were collected
predicted the outcome (continuous outcomes: smallest P-val- from each animal on three occasions per lactation: 3-4 weeks
ue and most extreme estimate; categorical outcomes: max- before the expected date of parturition (Pre-calving (PC)),
imized sensitivity and specificity on receiver operating char- 0-10 day’s post-partum (Fresh (FR)) and approximately 60-80
acteristic curve analyses) were chosen to define subclinical days post-partum (Early Lactation (EL)). At each time point
hypocalcemia. blood samples were collected from the coccygeal vein, Body
Subclinical hypocalcemia (Ca ≤2.18 mmol/L; 8.7 mg/dL) Condition Score (BCS), Muscle Thickness (MT), and Back Fat
was associated with 1.52 and 1.88 kg/d more of milk and en- Thickness (BFT) were also recorded. Muscle and fat thickness
ergy-corrected milk yield, respectively (P < 0.001). Milk fat% were measured using an Easi-Scan ultrasound machine. Lon-
was 0.12 units of percentage higher and milk protein% was gissimus dorsi depth was measured perpendicular to the skin
0.06 units of percentage lower per day for cows with subclin- at the fourth lumbar process. Genomically estimated breeding
ical hypocalcemia (Ca ≤1.96 and ≤1.80 mmol/L, respectively; values (GEBVs) were also available for these animals. A com-
7.9 and 7.2 mg/dL, respectively), compared to normocalcemic mercially available ELISA kit (Abbexa Ltd, 96 test kit) was also
cows during the subsequent lactation (P = 0.01 and P = 0.03, evaluated for measurement of 3-MH concentration in bovine
respectively). Subclinical hypocalcemia was associated with serum. Descriptive and univariable analyses were undertak-
lower 1st service pregnancy risk [Ca ≤2.08 mmol/L (8.3 mg/ en between variables, before multivariable regression models
dL); risk ratio = 0.70; P = 0.03] and hazard of pregnancy by were constructed. Cox Proportional Hazards Analysis was
150 DIM [Ca ≤1.90 mmol/L (7.6 mg/dL); hazard ratio = 0.50; used for analysis of time to first service and time to conception.
P < 0.001]. No association was observed among serum Ca Results: Explanatory variables using MT as an outcome
concentration, mastitis and herd removal. Similar effects were found assessor had a significant effect on MT (P < 0.0001).
observed for additional thresholds evaluated. Muscle thickness decreased in the period between the PC
and FR measurement. Cows in the lowest Milk PTA tercile
Establishing a single serum Ca threshold for subclinical
had higher MT measurements comparing to the other two
hypocalcemia definition based on productive, reproductive
terciles but there was no significant Milk PTA tercile by time
and health outcomes doesn’t seem feasible. Further studies
interaction. Interesting Farm*Time-point interactions were also
are needed to elucidate the applicability of a subclinical hypo-
observed. Higher MT PC was associated with increased MT
calcemia definition.
loss (Estimate -0.39 ± 0.04, P < 0.0001). Higher BFT PC was
Keywords: Dairy cow, hypocalcemia, transition cow. associated with decreased MT loss (Estimate 0.23 ± 0.06, P
< 0.0001). A longer period between the PC and FR measure-
ment was also associated with increased MT loss (Estimate
-0.1 ± 0.03, P = 0.0006). Cows in the MT Pre-EL 3rd tercile
(cows that had minimal loss of MT or gained MT during the
studied period) were served earlier than cows in the 1st tercile

312
(cows with the greater loss of MT) (Hazard ratio: 1.39, CI = treatments arranged in a cross-over design. The experiment
1.004-1.94, P = 0.046). Additionally, cows in the top fertility in- consisted of 2 experimental periods of 14 days each, preced-
dex tercile (better genetics for fertility) were served earlier than ed by a 14-day pre-experimental period to allow the cows to
cows in the lowest fertility index tercile (Hazard ratio: 1.58, CI become adapted to the experimental rations. Two different
= 1.17-2.13, P = 0.003). diets were fed during the experiment, with the basal rations
The 3-MH ELISA produced a good standard curve using being identical and consisting of a low Mg diet without Mg-bu-
assay buffer but the co-efficient of variation was large in du- tyrate (L-Mg, 3.1g Mg/kg dry matter) and a high Mg diet with
plicate serum samples potentially suggesting an interfering Mg-butyrate (H-Mg, 3.9 g Mg/kg dry matter). The magnesium
substance within the serum. The polyclonal antibody in the kit content of the diets was modified via a pelleted experimen-
was found to be raised against 3-MH conjugated to bovine-se- tal beet pulp. For the H-Mg group, the experimental beet pulp
rum-albumin (BSA) and the BSA in the serum may have been contained Mg-butyrate (Rumen-Ready®, Palital Feed Addi-
competing with the 3-MH. Despite trying two different meth- tives, Velddriel, The Netherlands) whereas the experimental
ods of extraction (acetone and 5% sulfosalicyclic acid) previ- beet pulp for the L-Mg diet did not. The Mg-butyrate from Ru-
ously published for separation of 3-MH from plasma or serum men-Ready® is completely released and solubilized within the
proteins, none gave reliable results, therefore the kits were rumen, i.e., it is 100% available for absorption. Both types of
deemed unsuitable for use. experimental beet pulp contained TiO2, which was used as an
inert marker for determination of fecal output. Feed refusals
Conclusions: Although US measurements are an acces-
and milk yield were recorded daily during each experimental
sible way to measure MT, a more specific method which would
period, and any feed refusals stored at -18 °C. During the last
avoid assessor effect, such a looking at 3-MH, would have
4 days of each experimental period, all spontaneously voided
provided further insight into the amount of MT loss occurring.
feces and urine were collected between 9:00 and 17:00. At
Until a more cost-effective way can be found to monitor mus-
the end of each collection day, the individual feces collections
cle catabolism it will be hard to reliably use the current meth-
were stored at -18 °C whereas the individual urine collections
ods of monitoring it on a commercial setting. This is an area of
were stored at 5 °C. All individual feces, urine and feed refusal
study that requires further investigation.
collections were pooled per cow and mixed thoroughly prior to
References: chemical analysis. The Mg content of pooled samples of the
1. Van der Drift, S. et al. (2012). Journal of Dairy Science, feces, urine, feed and feed refusals was measured by means
95(9), pp.4911-4920. of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and the ti-
2. Houweling, M. et al. (2012). Journal of Dairy Science, tanium concentration of the experimental beet pulp and feces
95(6), pp.3125-3130. was determined using a spectrophotometer.
Keywords: Dairy Cow, Muscle Mobilsation, Periparturien. Results: Cows offered the L-Mg diet ingested 54.7 g Mg/
day while the cows fed the H-Mg diets ingested 66.3 g Mg/day
(P < 0.001). The fecal excretion of Mg, however, was similar
between the two experimental diets (P = 0.174). Consequent-
ly, apparent Mg absorption was found to be 7.9 percentage
units greater (P = 0.038) when the cows were fed the diet sup-
NU-10 plemented with Mg-butyrate. The greater Mg absorption after
feeding the H-Mg diet was, however, not reflected by a greater
Magnesium butyrate is a readily available magnesium
urinary Mg concentration (P = 0.228). These results indicate
source in dairy cow nutrition
that the availability of Mg from the Mg-butyrate supplemented
Bastiaan De Groot1, Joan Edwards2, Thomas Schonewille1. diet was high (34.1% of intake). The absolute fractional Mg ab-
sorption from Mg butyrate (i.e. 8.3 g/d) was at least 1.5 times
Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands; 2Palital Feed Additives,
1
greater than that of similarly derived values for the fractional
Velddriel, Netherlands.
Mg absorption from a highly soluble MgO (using previously
published data). Thus, it appears that Mg butyrate, relative to
Objectives: Magnesium (Mg) is an essential nutrient for MgO, is superior in supplying Mg available for absorption. The
cows. This means that dairy rations need to supply a suffi- fractional Mg absorption from Mg-butyrate was calculated to
cient amount of absorbable Mg in order to safeguard the cow’s be 71.6%.
health, for example decreasing the risk of milk fever and grass Conclusion: Mg-butyrate is an attractive alternative to
tetany. Currently, Mg-oxide is widely used to supplement dairy supplement dairy rations with Mg.
cows with Mg. In dry cow nutrition, however, Mg-butyrate can
Keywords: Rumen, ruminant, apparent absorption.
be considered of interest as an alternative source of supple-
mental Mg. This is because the use of Mg-butyrate, instead of
Mg-oxide, is potentially advantageous. Butyrate, but not oxide,
may stimulate the growth of rumen papillae which is instru-
mental to prevent rumen acidosis. However, the bioavailability
of Mg from Mg-butyrate is not known. Therefore, an experi-
ment was conducted with dairy cows to measure the apparent
absorption of Mg from Mg-butyrate.
Materials & Methods: Six mid-lactation Holstein Friesian
dairy cows were used in an experiment which had two dietary

313
NU-11 therefore included in the multivariate model. Stepwise selec-

tion based on AIC retained flank temperature at T0, T2 and
Utilising infra-red thermography to evaluate rumen T3 and occurrence of pneumonia in the final model which ac-
development in dairy youngstock counted for 47.6% of the variance in post-weaning growth rate
Nick Britten, Rebecca Hopper, Gareth Pearce. (adjusted r2= 0.476, p<0.01).
Conclusions: Measurement of flank surface temperature
University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
in calves shortly after introduction of solid feed was a signif-
icant predictor of growth rate after weaning - with measure-
Objectives: Timing of weaning is a critical issue for the ment at one week after the introduction of solid feed (T1) being
efficient management of dairy youngstock. Successful tran- the largest contributor variable and therefore the best single
sition to a solid diet as soon as possible provides economic time for this prediction.
advantages due to the high cost of milk or milk replacer prod- It is suggested therefore that infra-red thermography of the
ucts when compared with solid foods. However, successful left flank in dairy calves represents a viable method of identi-
transition to a solid diet requires sufficient ruminal function to fying differences in rumen function between calves of similar
be present before weaning off milk. Accurate determination of age. As the differences in rumen function soon after introduc-
ruminal development in calves is therefore an important mea- tion of solid food identified using infra-red thermography had
sure in calf management. Calves with increased solid feed significant impacts on growth rate post-weaning, this method
consumption, and therefore more rumen development before offers considerable promise as a non-invasive method to iden-
weaning show greater weight gain postweaning (1). Current- tify individual differences in young calves that will have signifi-
ly available rumen function evaluation methods involve direct cant commercial implications.
sampling of rumen fluid or tissue which is both costly and inva- References:
sive. Infra-red thermography of the left flank has been used to
1. Sweeney et al. Journal of Dairy Science. 2010 Jan
quantify rumen activity in adult cattle with flank temperatures
1;93(1):148–52.
rising 21% after feeding due to increased heat production
through fermentation (2). This study evaluated the use of flank 2. Salles et al. Animal Production Science. 2017 Jun
temperature to measure rumen function over time in calves 15;58(11):2032–41.
between 6 and 105 days of age. Keywords: Dairy, Calves, Weaning, Rumen, Thermogra-
Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in 30 phy.
Holstein heifer calves born over a 3-month period at Cam-
bridge University Farm, UK. Calves were housed in individual
pens immediately after birth and bottle fed 3l of milk replacer
twice daily for one week. Calves were then moved to group
housing at an average age of 10±4 days and fed 8l milk replac- NU-13
er per day by free access to a machine feeder (Vario Smart
Feeder, Volac) for 40 days before beginning a reduction of Iron deficiency anemia in whole milk fed calves
0.5l/day until complete weaning at 56 days of age. Hay and Jennifer Allan, Peter Plate, Steven Van Winden.
concentrate pellets (18% crude protein) were provided ad libi-
tum. After weaning calves were housed in groups of 8 and fed Royal Veterinary College, London, United Kingdom.
2.5 kg concentrate pellets per head per day and ad libitum hay.
Calves were weighed every 7 days from entry to group Objectives: This is one of the first studies to assess the
housing (T0) for 42 days until weaning (T6) and 42 days post prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in whole milk fed dairy
weaning until average age 101±4 days (T12). During weighing calves on farms in the United Kingdom and the effect of a sin-
the mean maximum surface temperature of the left flank was gle parenteral iron supplementation on haemoglobin (Hb) lev-
measured in each calf using an infra-red camera (T335, FLIR els and daily liveweight gain (DLWG).
Systems, UK). Materials and methods: 268 whole milk fed dairy calves
All data were analysed using RStudio 2022.02.0. Uni- from seven farms in the south of England were recruited in the
variate regression was used to quantify the relationship be- study. Six of the farms were organic, one was non-organic. All
tween flank temperature and bodyweight at each time point calves were blood sampled for total protein and Hb levels and
pre-weaning (T0-T6) and growth rate post-weaning (T6-T12). weighed from one to ten days after birth. They were then ran-
Variables with a p-value ≤0.1 in the univariate analysis were domly assigned to either receive or not receive 1 gram of iron
included in a multivariate model of post-weaning growth rate as iron dextrane (UniferonTM, Virbac Animal Health) by intra-
simplified by stepwise selection based on Akaike Information muscular injection immediately after thist first blood sampling
Criterion (AIC). Recorded cases of pneumonia and diarrhoea and weighing. Calves were again weighed and blood sampled
were included in the multivariate model to examine the influ- for Hb at around six weeks of age and weighed only at around
ence of these diseases on growth rate. 12 weeks of age. Hb levels and DLWG were compared be-
tween treated and untreated animals.
Results: Univariate regression demonstrated significant
positive correlations between growth rate post-weaning and Results: There were no reported adverse effects to the
flank temperature at T0 (r2=0.146, p<0.05), T1 (r2=0.336, iron injection in any of the treated calves.
p<0.01) T2 (r2=0.208, p<0.05) and a tendency for a positive Parenteral iron dextran had a significant effect on DLWG
correlation at T3 (r2=0.08, p<0.1) and these variables were from one to six weeks with an average 52g per day increase

314
in the treated calves compared to the control group. Iron had from 362 primiparous Holstein cows that calved between
a significant effect on Hb concentrations at six weeks and the January 2005 and July 2006 and the second (B) BHBA mea-
difference between Hb at week one and week six, with calves surements from 287 primiparous Holstein cows that calved
in the treated group having a higher average Hb concentration between January 2008 and April 2010. Management condi-
than calves in the control group (112.2 vs 97.0g/l). Over that tions were greatly improved during the second period (mainly
period Hb levels in the treated group increased by 4.5 g/l while regarding feeding and housing conditions during the transition
levels in the control group decreased by 10.1 g/l. Calves with period). On both time periods, all cows were blood-sampled
higher DLWG and calves in the control group were significant- weekly, during the first 13 weeks of their lactation. Blood was
ly more likely to have Hb levels below 90 g/l at six weeks: 35 drawn from the coccygeal vein and samples were left to clot
% of calves in the control group (42 out of 120) and 3.4 % of at room temperature for approximately 30 min and then cen-
the treated group (4 out of 118) showed Hb values below this trifuged at 2,000 ×g. The serum concentration of BHBA was
level. assayed with the use of an enzymatic kinetic method based
There was farm variation in both Hb levels and DLWG on the oxidation of BHBA to acetoacetate by β-hydroxybutyr-
differences between groups. The size of the effect on DLWG ate dehydrogenase; a total of 8,437 samples were analyzed.
could not be predicted for any particular farm from either Hb Subclinical ketosis was defined as a BHBA concentration ≥
measurement at week one or six. 1.2 mmol/L. Prevalence of SCK was calculated for each of the
However, there was a consistent effect of iron across all 13 weeks by dividing the weekly number of cows with SCK by
farms, suggesting a generalized finding. the total number of cows tested. Incidence of SCK was calcu-
lated as the number of cows with at least one positive BHBA
Conclusion: The current industry recommendations are
test result, either for the first 3 weeks of lactation (3W) or over
to feed higher volumes of milk for longer to achieve high-
the entire 13-week sampling period (OV). Median first positive
er growth rates. On a significant proportion of organic and
BHBA test and number of repeated positive test results per
non-organic farms in the United Kingdom whole milk is fed to
cow were also calculated for 3W and OV.
to dairy replacement calves, and iron supplementation should
be considered in these calves. Results: Prevalence of SCK in data-set (A) was 12.2%,
9.7%, 8.0%, 8.6%, 6.9%, 4.8%, 5.7%, 3.3%, 3.0%, 5.2%,
Keywords: Calves, anemia, iron, whole milk.
5.0%, 2.5% and 3.0% for the 13 weeks, respectively. Preva-
lence of SCK in data-set (B) was lower, at 2.1%, 3.5%, 2.8%,
4.9%, 3.5%, 2.1%, 1.4%, 3.1%, 1.7%, 0.3%, 0.3%, 0.3% and
0.0% for the 13 weeks, respectively. Incidence of SCK in da-
ta-set (A) was 23.2% (84/362 cows) for 3W, while it was 46.7%
NU-14 (170/362 cows) for OV. Incidence of SCK in data-set (B) was
9.1% (26/287 cows) for 3W and 19.2% (55/287 cows) for OV.
Epidemiology of hyperketonemia in first parity Holstein
Median first positive BHBA test was at week1 and week2 for
cows. Is subclinical ketosis a problem of fresh cows, only?
3W and data-sets A and B, respectively; it was at week4 for
Georgios E. Valergakis1, Alexandros Kougioumtzis1, Aikaterini OV for both data-sets. When overall incidence of SCK was
Soufleri1, Nektarios Siachos1, Georgios Banos2, Georgios Arsenos1, high (data-base A) % of cows with ≥2 positive tests were also
Georgios Oikonomou3. high, both in 3W and OV (42.9% and 39.4%, respectively).
When overall incidence of SCK was lower (data-base B), cows
1
with ≥2 positive tests was only 3.8% in 3W but a considerable
School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124
27.3% in OV.
Thessaloniki, Greece, Thessaloniki, Greece; 2Laboratory of Animal
Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Conclusion: Subclinical ketosis is present well beyond
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece/ the first 21 days of lactation; actually, overall incidence dou-
Scotland's Rural College/Roslin Institute, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, bles when the monitoring period extents to 13 weeks post-par-
Thessaloniki, Greece; 3Department of Livestock Health and Welfare, tum. Therefore, more than half of positive cows would be mis-
Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, UK, Liverpool, classified as non-ketotic if monitoring was limited to the first 3
United Kingdom. weeks of lactation. Testing cows for SCK during the post-fresh
transition period may be useful in finding associations with
clinical diseases prominent during the first month of lactation,
Objectives: Subclinical ketosis (SCK) is a common dis- like metritis and displaced abomasum. However, the effects of
order of dairy cows, associated with several clinical diseases
SCK on reproduction and milk yield would be better evaluated
during the post-partum period. Although negative energy bal-
if monitoring continues beyond the post-partum transition pe-
ance lasts on average up to 8-10 weeks, commonly recom-
riod, especially when considering the remarkable presence of
mended herd monitoring programs are mostly limited to the
repeated positive tests.
first 3 weeks of lactation. The objective of this study was to
explore stage-of-lactation related epidemiologic parameters of Keywords: Dairy cow, subclinical ketosis.
SCK.
Materials and Methods: This retrospective observational
study was based on two data sets established for two published
genetic studies. Data were collected on a large commercial
free-stall dairy farm located in northern Greece. The first da-
ta-set (A) included β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) measurements

315
NU-15 has also highlighted a number of dietary risk factors associat-

ed with the occurrence of eNEB in dairy cows including feed-
Risk factors associated with excessive negative energy ing of conserved forages such as maize silage and wholec-
balance in commercial United Kingdom dairy herds rop to dry cows, and access to grazed grass for both milking
Alastair Macrae, Elizabeth Burrough, Julie Forrest, Alexander and dry cows. Understanding the risk factors associated with
Corbishley, Geraldine Russell, Darren Shaw. eNEB in commercial dairy herds assists in both the implemen-
tation of herd monitoring programs and reduction of eNEB in
University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian, United Kingdom. dairy herds, with consequential benefits that could potentially
include reductions in transition cow diseases, increased per-
Objectives: Numerous studies have shown that exces- formance and improvements in herd fertility.
sive negative energy balance (eNEB) in dairy cows, charac- Keywords: Dairy cow, BHB, NEFA, glucose, ketosis.
terized by elevations in blood biochemical parameters such
as β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA)
and reductions in glucose concentrations in either late preg-
nancy and/or early lactation, is associated with an increased
risk of transition cow diseases (such as ketosis, metritis and NU-16
displaced abomasum), an increased risk of culling in early lac-
tation, decreased milk production and poorer herd fertility. The Effect of postpartum milking strategy on plasma calcium
objectives of this study were to use the results from a commer- concentration and risk of subclinical hypocalcemia in
cial laboratory service specializing in dairy cow biochemical multiparous dairy cows
analyses to 1) assess the individual cow risk factors for eNEB
Ainhoa Valldecabres1, Rubia Lopes1, Alfonso Lago2, Cedric Blanc3,
in UK dairy herds 2) assess the dietary risk factors for eNEB
Noelia Silva-Del-Río4.
and 3) assess the relative importance of these different risk
factors. 1
University of California - Davis, Davis, United States; 2DairyExperts
Materials and methods: Between April 2006 and March Inc., Tulare, United States; 3Lely International, Nevada, United States;
2015, blood samples were analysed for BHB, NEFA and glu-
4
University of California - Davis, Tulare, United States.
cose from a commercial nutritional monitoring service provided
by the Dairy Herd Health and Productivity Service (DHHPS) at The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of
the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at The Univer- different postpartum milking strategies on plasma calcium (Ca)
sity of Edinburgh, UK. For each cow that was blood sampled, concentration and risk of subclinical hypocalcemia in multipa-
additional details were collected of the calving date (milking rous dairy cows. Additionally, effects of the evaluated milking
cows), predicted calving date (dry cows), lactation number, strategies on colostrum quality and yield, and milk yield and
body condition score (BCS) and daily milk yield. Information somatic cell count (SCC) at 1st monthly test were assessed. A
was standardized for each herd using identical data collection total of 83 Jersey and Jersey × Holstein crossbreed cows of
forms. In addition, data was collected of the ration being fed to 2nd to 8th parity, were enrolled in the study before 1st postpartum
the cows (in kg fresh weight fed each day). milking. The study was conducted in a commercial dairy where
Results: Following removal of all potential duplicate cows, cows were fed a negative dietary cation-anion difference ra-
a final dataset of 69,161 unique individual cows was obtained tion prepartum. Milking strategies implemented during the first
including biochemical results, individual cow information and 2 days postpartum were: once-a-day milking (M1; cows were
feed data. Use of generalized linear mixed-effect models and milked every 24 h; n = 24), twice-a-day milking (M2; cows
multivariable classification tree-based models showed that were milked every 12 h; n = 21), delayed milking (MD; cows
individual cow risk factors for eNEB included: days relative were not milked for the first 24 h, and were milked every 12
to predicted calving date (dry cows); Days In Milk (lactating h afterwards; n = 19), and restricted milking (MR; cows were
cows); Body Condition Score (BCS: lactating cows ≥ BCS 4; milked 3 L every 12 h; n = 19). Blood samples for total plasma
OR 2.1); milk yield (around 40 litres per day); parity (first lacta- Ca analysis were collected from the coccygeal vessels into
tion heifers OR 0.46 compared to older cows during lactation); heparinized vacuum tubes starting before 1st postpartum milk-
chronic inflammatory conditions as assessed by globulin lev- ing, every 4 h up to 48 h and at 72 h postpartum. Colostrum
els ≥ 50 g/l (OR 0.79 for elevated NEFA values). There was a and transition milk yield was recorded using clear buckets pri-
higher prevalence of eNEB during April to October (OR 1.19), or to manual homogenization and sample collection for IgG
with the lowest prevalence in November. Feeding grass silage determination at each study milking. Plasma Ca concentration
and wholecrop (silage made from cereal crops) to dry cows was determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma–Optical Emis-
was associated with a reduced prevalence of eNEB, whereas sion Spectrometry (ICP-OES). Colostrum and transition milk
access to grazed grass was associated with a higher eNEB IgG concentration was determined by radio immunodiffusion.
prevalence in both the dry period (OR 1.32) and lactation (OR First monthly test milk yield and SCC information was obtained
1.33). from the Dairy Herd Improvement Association. Multiple linear
Conclusions: This study has shown that prevalence of regression with Dunnett adjustment was used to evaluate
eNEB (as indicated by three separate biochemical measures plasma Ca concentration changes, 1st monthly test milk yield
of energy balance: elevated BHB and/or NEFA values as well and SCC. Poisson regression was used to evaluate the risk of
as low plasma glucose) in dairy cows is associated with cow subclinical hypocalcemia (Ca ≤2.12 mmol/L; Ca ≤8.50 mg/dL).
level risk factors such as BCS, parity and milk yield. This study Prevalence of subclinical hypocalcemia at enrollment was

316
48%. Overall, plasma Ca concentration was lower and tended cows. Average milk yield on the farm was 9926 ± 227 kg/stan-
to be lower for M2 cows (2.04 mmol/L; 8.18 mg/dL) compared dard lactation with 3,75 ± 0,03 % fat and 3,27 ± 0,03 % pro-
to MD (2.16 mmol/L; 8.66 mg/dL) and MR cows (2.13 mmol/L; tein according to national milk recording control. Only healthy
8.54 mg/dL), respectively. Plasma Ca concentration was not multiparous cows, with the prediction of at least one more lac-
statistically lower for M1 cows (2.11 mmol/L; 8.46 mg/dL). Risk tation, were included in this study. Eighty-five cows were ran-
of subclinical hypocalcemia during the study period was lower domly assigned in the control group and 25 cows in test group.
for MD compared to M1 [Risk ratio (95% confidence interval) = Cows in the test group received monensin controlled release
0.63 (0.46 to 0.86)] and M2 cows [Risk ratio (95% confidence boluses (Kexxtone®) three weeks prior to calving, because
interval) = 0.54 (0.39 to 0.76)]. Good quality colostrum (>50 g prevalence of SCK in the heard at the time of the study was
of IgG/L) was harvested at 1st postpartum milking from ≥80% unknown. Non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) were measured in
of the M1, M2 and MR cows, and from 17% of the MD cows. At all cows three weeks prior to calving. First postpartum check-
2nd postpartum milking, good quality colostrum was harvested up was carried out 7-14 days and the second one 28-35 days
form 68% of MR cows. Milk yield and SCC at 1st monthly test after calving. Blood samples were taken from all the cows to
were not affected by the milking strategy. measure β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). Reproduction parameters,
Our results suggest that postpartum plasma Ca concentra- milk yield and number of culled animals were taken out of the
tion and risk of subclinical hypocalcemia may be influenced by national milk recording database.
the postpartum milking strategy, without negatively affecting Results: SCK threshold for BHB was set at 1,2 mmol/L
subsequent milk yield and SCC. Additionally, the implementa- and for NEFA at 400 µmol/L. NEFA was in normal ranges for
tion of once-a-day (M1) or restricted (MR) postpartum milking all cows 3 weeks before parturition. The first check-up postpar-
strategies allows to harvest enough good quality colostrum to tum revealed that 6 % of cows in control group had SCK and
feed the calves. Postpartum milking warrants further study as none in the test group. At the second check-up 20 % of cows in
a prophylactic strategy for hypocalcemia. Project funded by control group and 8 % in test group had SCK. Two cows in the
USDA-NIFA (1013457 CFAH). control group had SCK at both check-ups for BHB. During this
study 29 cows were culled, 31 % of those were from control
Keywords: Dairy cow, hypocalcemia, transition cow.
group and 12 % from the test group. Major reason for culled
cows was failure to conceive (reproduction problems). There
were 14 % of cows from control group and 4 % of cows from
test group culled due to reproduction problems. From control
group 3,5 % of cows were culled because of metabolic dis-
NU-17 ease and none from the test group. Average days open in test
group was 139 ± 72 and 156 ± 72 in control group. Average
The effect of monensin controlled release boluses on
lactation energy corrected milk (ECM) was 32,0 ± 3,8 kg/day/
subclinical ketosis, consequent health and production in
cow in test group and 31,9 ± 3,9 kg/day/cow in control group.
dairy cows
Conclusions: SCK is present in the herd in ranges es-
Rok Marzel1, Rok Klančnik2, Klemen Jug3, Tadej Virk4, Primož tablished also by other authors. The use of ruminal monensin
Klinc5, Jože Starič5. controlled release boluses can decrease the number of cows
1
VOA Ihan, Kočevje, Slovenia; 2Veterinary faculty student, Ljubjana, with SCK and therefor attribute to better reproductive and
Slovenia; 3Veterinary faculty student, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 4Agriculture metabolic health, which was reflected in the number of cows
and Forestry Institut, Celje, Slovenia; 5Veterinary faculty, Ljubljana, culled for reproductive failure and metabolic disease in the
Slovenia. control group compared to test group. In cows that finished the
lactation milk yields were not different between the groups and
the average days open ware slightly lower in the test group.
Objectives: Subclinical ketosis is one of the most import- Even though ruminal monensin controlled release boluses can
ant hidden conditions in high yielding dairy cows. It is directly be successful in prevention of SCK, they cannot fully prevent it
corelated with different management approaches for cows in and should be used as an addition to good management and
dry period, transition period and also in later lactation. Subclin- feeding practice.
ical ketosis is usually associated with negative energy balance Keywords: subclinical ketosis, monensin controlled re-
that occurs in transition period and in first trimester of the lac- lease capsule, Kexxtone®.
tation. It affects the outcome of transition together with occur-
rence of diseases typical for this period and is known to have
an impact on the most productive stage of lactation. The aim
of the study was to determine prevalence of subclinical ketosis
(SCK) on a dairy farm and success of preventive intervention
NU-18
using ruminal monensin controlled release boluses. We mon-
itored health status, production, reproduction and culling rate Expression of ADAMTS-7 in myocardial dystrophy
of 110 dairy cows included in this study, to determine the effect associated with white muscle disease in lambs
of monensin controlled release boluses.
Nihat Yumusak1, Akin Yiğin2, Pelin Fatos Polat3, Mustafa Hitit4,
Materials and methods: The study was conducted be-
Rahsan Yilmaz1.
tween years 2017 and 2019 on a dairy farm with about 300
Holstein cows. Total mix ration (TMR) was fed to all the cows 1
Dept. of Pathology, Fac. Vet. Med., University of Harran, Sanliurfa,
according to NRC 2001 recommendations for dry and lactating Turkey; 2Dept. of Genetics, Fac. Vet. Med., University of Harran,

317
Sanliurfa, Turkey; 3Dept. of Internal Med. Fac. Vet. Med., University of 0.820 Kg/day has been set up as “excellent”2. The aims of
of Harran, Sanliurfa, Turkey; 4Dept. of Genetics, Fac. Vet. Med., this study were: a) to evaluate if birth weight and preweaning
University of Kastamonu, Kastamonu, Turkey. length have an impact on ADGprew and b) to evaluate AGD-
prew impact on age at first insemination and survival.
Objectives: White muscle disease (WMD), or nutritional A retrospective study was conducted on a commercial
muscular dystrophy, is an acute fatal disease in young farm dairy farm in Carral (A Coruña, Spain). All rearing heifers born
animals. It generally leads to death associated with heart fail- between March 2017 and November 2021 were included in
ure. A-Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase with Thrombospondin the study and the following parameters were collected for each
Motifs (ADAMTS) genes play an important role in the patho- animal from the farm’s software Gando (Gando Nuevas Tec-
physiology of chronic inflammations. And also, recent studies nologías S.L.): calving date (CALVDATE), weaning date (WE-
have specified the role of ADAMTS-7 gene in cardiovascular ANDATE), first artificial insemination date (1ªIADATE), first
system disorders in humans. The aim of the present study was calving date (FSTCALDATE) and cull date (CULLDATE), as
to investigate the role of ADAMTS-7 gene in the pathogenesis well as birth weight (BIRTHWGHT, Kg) and weaning weight
of myocardial dystrophy associated with WMD in lambs. (WEANINGWGHT, kg). ADGprew (kg/day) and preweaning
length (PREWlenght, days) were calculated using Gando. Cor-
Materials and methods: A total of 341 cardiac tissue
relation between BIRTHWGHT and PREWlenght with ADG-
samples from lambs with WMD were used in the study. West-
prew was calculated using a linear regression. Three groups
ern-blot, real-time PCR (rt-PCR) and immunohistochemistry
were made based on ADGprew distribution: Bottom (GM-
were performed for ADAMTS-7 gene expression. Histopatho-
D<0.83Kg/d, n=124, 25.75%), Medium (0.83≤GMD<1.02 kg/d,
logical sections of the samples were stained with hematoxy-
n=245, 50.83%) and Top (GMD≥1.02 kg/d, n=113, 23.44%).
lin-eosin.
Cox Proportional-Hazards Model were performed to evaluate
Results: RT-PCR revealed that the expression level of ADGprew group impact on survival at 500 and 1000 days, as
ADAMTS-7 was statistically significantly higher in cardiac tis- well as risk of insemination during first 395 days of life.
sue with WMD compared to the control group (p<0.05). West-
BIRTHWGHT, WEANINGWGHT and ADGprew averag-
ern blot analysis confirmed significantly increased ADAMTS-7
es were 36.94 ± 4.32 Kg (range: 23 – 46), 95.80 ± 13.86 Kg
protein level in the hearts of WMD (p<0.05). The immunohis-
(range: 56 – 126.5) and 0.912 ± 0.177 kg/d (range: -0.070
tochemically a statistically significant in high density of im-
– 1.500) respectively. Animals in the Bottom group tended
munopositive cells was found from the in myocytes in which
to have an 80% higher risk of elimination at 500 days, with
degeneration and necrosis were detected by labeling with
no differences between Medium and Top groups (HR=1.81,
ADAMTS-7 (p<0.05). Histopathologically revealed myofibrils
95%CI = 1.08-3.02). In same way, culling risk at 1000 days
with irregular borders and significant swelling of cells. Diffuse
was higher for animals in the Bottom group compared with
hyaline degeneration was noticeable in myocytes.
Medium group (HR=1.74, 95%CI=1.11-2.74) with no differenc-
Conclusions: The expression of ADAMTS-7 was signifi- es between Medium and Top groups. Animals in the Bottom
cantly upregulated in myocardial dystrophy associated with group had a 38% lower risk of being inseminated in the first
WMD. Despite to this limited study, if the potential biolog- 395 days (HR=0.62, 95%CI=0.44-0.89) compared to those in
ical mechanisms of ADAMTS-7 in WMD is understood more the Medium group. Median time to first insemination was 379,
clearly. 368 and 369 days for Bottom, Medium and Top groups re-
Keywords: ADAMTS-7, myocardial dystrophy, lamb, spectively.
white muscle disease. Even in a herd with birth-to-weaning growth rates better
than those usually described in the literature, differences in
survival and age at first insemination were observed as a func-
tion of growth during preweaning period.
References:
NU-19
1. Soberon F, Van Amburgh ME. 2013. Lactation Biology
On field evaluation of preweaning period growth impact on Symposium: The effect of nutrient intake from milk or
age at first insemination and survival risk at 500 and 1000 milk replacer of preweaned dairy calves on lactation
days in dairy heifers milk yield as adults: a meta-analysis of current data.
Journal of Animal Science 91 (2), 706–712.
Guillermo Lorenzo1, David Otero2, Elisa Cáceres3, Antonio Jiménez3,
2. Average Daily Gain in Preweaned Holstein Heif-
Juan Cainzos4.
er Calves NAHMS Dairy 2014 Study Calf Compo-
1
Gando nuevas tecnologías SL., Ferrol, Spain; 2Nanta, Madrid, Spain; nent. At: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/
3
Ceva Salud Animal, S.A., Barcelona, Spain; 4ABS Progenex, Madrid, nahms/dairy/downloads/dairy17/adg-preweaned-hol-
Spain. stein-heifer.pdf. Visited on March, 10th 2022.
Keywords: preweaning, heifer, survival.
Previous studies indicated that nutrient intake and growth
during the preweaning period can influence a cow’s perfor-
mance later in life1. Thus, Average daily gain during the pre-
weaning period (ADGprew) has been stablished as a key pa-
rameter to measure the overall health of calves and a threshold

318
NU-20 Results: Among biochemical parameters, only NEFA

showed a significant difference between groups, with a pro-
Differences in the serum metabolome profile of dairy cows gressive increment according to BHB concentration. A total
according to the BHB concentration revealed by proton of fifty-seven metabolites were identified in serum samples:
nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-NMR) 27 amino acids and derivates, 10 organic acids, 5 alcohols, 4
Anastasia Lisuzzo1, Luca Laghi2, Vanessa Faillace1, Chenglin Zhu3, carbohydrates, 2 amine and derivates, 2 fatty acids, 2 ketone
Barbara Contiero1, Massimo Morgante1, Elisa Mazzotta4, Matteo bodies, 1 sulfone, 1 vitamin, 1 imidazole, 1 nucleoside, and
Gianesella1, Enrico Fiore1. 1 guanidine. The extreme groups (G0-G2) showed a statisti-
cal difference for thirteen metabolites, specifically: glutamate,
1
University of Padua, Legnaro, Italy; 2University of Bologna, Cesena, proline, serine, aspartate, isovalerate, and choline showed a
Italy; 3Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, China; 4Istituto significant reduction in G2, whereas 3-hydroxybutyrate, 3-hy-
Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy. droxyisobutyrate, acetate, succinate, 2,3-butanediol, meth-
anol, and methylsuccinate showed a significant increase. In
Abstract addition, 11 metabolites showed a trend toward significance:
lysine, alanine, arginine, formate, pyruvate, and dimethylsul-
Objectives: During the transition period, a higher nutri- fone were reduced in G2, whereas isoleucine, valine, ethanol,
ent demand and a reduction in dry matter intake induce to a trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), and acetone were increased.
negative energy balance (NEB). The nonesterified fatty acids The rPCA analysis revealed three different structure of me-
(NEFA) are then mobilized by adipose tissue and they may be tabolome, with G1 values located between G2 and G0. The
oxidized into ketone bodies (β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), aceto- ORA analysis identified three metabolic pathways possibly
acetate and acetone). This condition makes dairy cows more responsible for changes in metabolome profile: lipid metabo-
susceptible to metabolic diseases such as ketosis. The BHB lism, synthesis of phosphatidylserine, and glycosaminoglycan
concentration is commonly used for the diagnosis in high-yield- metabolism.
ing dairy cows, with a cutoff of blood BHB value above 1.0-
Conclusions: Metabolomic analysis through ¹H-NMR is
1.4 mmol/L for subclinical ketosis or hyperketonemia without
a useful tool to achieve knowledge about metabolic profiling
clinical signs. These conditions are not easily identifiable and
related to serum β-hydroxybutyrate modifications during the
are frequently related to other diseases that cause economic
transition period in dairy cows. The metabolic state of our
loss. Metabolomics is a new analytical approach that aims to
hyperketonemic cows suggests the mobilization of body re-
measure simultaneously the entire metabolite profile of a bio-
sources, increased anaerobic fermentation, alteration of lipid
logic sample. The aim of this study was to analyze the serum
metabolism, a potential oxidative stress state, and a possible
metabolome using ¹H-NMR in dairy cows with different levels
alteration of inflammatory and healing processes. This study
of BHB.
demonstrates that the metabolomic approach can be consid-
Materials and methods: Animal care and procedures ered a significant means to achieve knowledge about dairy
were in accordance with the European Directive 2010/63/EU cow diseases and their pathogenesis.
and the national law D.L. 2014/26. Furthermore, The Ethics
Keywords: Metabolomics; H-NMR; Ketosis; Dairy cows.
Statement was approved by the Animal Care and Use Com-
mittee of the University of Padua (ID number 91/2019 - “Bo-
vineOmics” Projects). Forty-nine Holstein Friesian dairy cows
between 15 and 30 days in milk were enrolled from a single
high-yielding dairy farm. The same total mixed ratio (TMR) was
used for all enrolled animals. A cross-sectional experimental NU-21
design was used. Each animal received a clinical examination
The behaviour of dairy cattle in the transition period:
by veterinarians at the University of Padua and animals with
Effects of blood calcium status
clinical signs of disease were excluded from the study. The
blood samples were collected into tubes containing clot acti- Rosie Barraclough1, Darren Shaw1, Vivi Thorup2, Marie Haskell3,
vator to obtain serum for biochemical and metabolomic anal- Wilson Lee1, Alastair Macrae1.
ysis. According to the serum BHB concentration, the animals Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute,
1
were divided into three groups: Group 0 (G0; 12 healthy an- Edinburgh, United Kingdom; 2IceRobotics Ltd, Edinburgh, United
imals; BHB≤0.50 mmol/L); Group 1 (G1; 19 healthy animals; Kingdom; 3Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Edinburgh, United
0.51≤BHB<1.0 mmol/L); and Group 2 (G2; 18 hyperketone- Kingdom.
mic animals; BHB≥1.0 mmol/L). The statistical differences for
biochemical parameters were performed by one-way ANOVA,
whereas a t-test was used to evaluate differences in metabo- Objectives: Low blood calcium concentrations at calving
lite concentration. A post hoc pairwise comparison among me- can have a detrimental effect on cow health, welfare, and pro-
tabolite concentrations was performed using Bonferroni cor- ductivity. Currently, there is no reliable method to predict if a
rection. A robust principal component analysis (rPCA), and the cow will develop clinical hypocalcaemia at calving, nor if cows
metabolic pathways overrepresentation analysis (ORA) were have subclinical hypocalcaemia without analysing blood sam-
generated to summarize the structure of the data and to high- ples.
light the metabolic pathways influenced by BHB concentration. This study aimed to use automated behavioural monitoring
A p-value<0.05 was accepted, whereas a 0.05≤p-value≤0.10 under commercial farm conditions to investigate the behaviour
was considered as trend to significance. of both primiparous and multiparous cows 1) pre-partum, with

319
the aim of predicting calcium status at calving and 2) post-par- potentially be used to predict subclinical hypercalcaemia in
tum, to quantify the subsequent effects of hypocalcaemia on primiparous cows. No behavioural differences between blood
cow behaviour. calcium status categories were found within the pre-calving
Materials and methods: Behavioural data and blood se- period for multiparous cows, suggesting that it would be diffi-
rum samples were collected from 51 multiparous and 21 prim- cult to predict blood calcium status at calving using lying and
iparous Holstein dairy cattle. Blood samples from the coccy- activity behaviours. Blood calcium status at calving affected
geal vein were taken within 24h of calving, and serum was lying time duration, the number of postural transitions, step
analysed to measure total calcium concentration. Cows were count, and motion index in the post-calving period for multipa-
classified into one of three categories: normocalcaemia (serous cows illustrating the profound and long-lasting effects of
rum calcium concentration ≥ mmol/L), subclinical hypocalcae- clinical hypocalcaemia.
mia (serum calcium concentration below 2.0 mmol/L, absence Keywords: Hypocalcaemia, transition period, dairy cow,
of clinical signs), and clinical hypocalcaemia (clinical signs and calving.
treatment).
An activity sensor (IceQube, IceRobotics Ltd., United King-
dom) was fitted to the right hind leg of cows 3 wk prior to ex-
pected calving date. Data for lying time, standing time, number
of steps, motion index (total motion), and the total number of NU-22
standing and lying bouts (postural transitions) were automat-
ically collected and summarised from the time of calving into Preliminary results of a metabolic survey for plasma
two datasets: behaviour in 2h periods and 24h periods (be- ionized Calcium and Magnesium in dairy herds from the
haviour per day). The bihourly dataset was used for the anal-
south of Chile
yses of cow behaviour on the day of calving, and data was Pedro Melendez1, Francisca Lopez2, Jorge Lama3, Bernardita Leon3,
analysed in 2h periods from -24 h to 0 h (the time of calving). Pablo Pinedo4.
The dataset containing cow behaviour per day was used to
University of Georgia, Tifton, United States; 2Austral University of
1
create 2 experimental periods based on the time relative to
Chile, Valdivia, Chile; 3Cooprinsem, Osorno, Chile; 4Colorado State
calving: pre-calving (d −14 to −1), and post-calving (d 1 to d
University, Fort Collins, United States.
21). Mixed-effect models were used to analyse cow behaviour
in the 14 d before calving (d -14 to d -1), on the day of calving,
and the 21 d post-calving (d 1 to d 21). Ionized calcium is the biologically active form of calcium;
Results: Between d -14 to d -1, the step count (no./d) of therefore, total calcium might not be the best indicator for hy-
primiparous cows with normocalcaemia decreased by 10.3% pocalcemia in dairy cows because of the changes in blood
and their motion index (unit /d) decreased by 6.1% over the pH and protein concentrations. Consequently, the objective
period. The step count and motion index of primiparous cows of this study was to determine the concentration of plasma
with subclinical hypocalcaemia remained constant. There ionized calcium and magnesium in cows at parturition from
were no behavioural differences between primiparous cows representative dairy herds from the south of Chile. The study
with normocalcaemia or subclinical hypocalcaemia on the was conducted in the southern region of Chile covering an
day of calving. In the post-calving period, step count of cows area of 20,544 km2 (214 km length, 96 km wide; -39.82 S,
with normocalcaemia decreased by 6.7% from d 1 to d 21, -73.23 W; -40.12 S, - 72.38 W; -41.39 S, -73.46 W; -41.43
whilst the step count of cows with subclinical hypocalcaemia S, -72.94 W). Mean temperature during autumn is 7°C while
decreased by 16.4% (P < 0.001). Similarly, the motion index of during spring is 10°C, while mean rainfall during autumn is
cows with normocalcaemia decreased by 7.5% from d 1 to d 850 mm, but in spring is only150 mm. The study consisted of
21, whilst the step count of cows with subclinical hypocalcae- selecting at random 11 dairy herds from a pool of 100 herds
mia decreased by 15.5% (P < 0.001). and sampling 8 cows per herd during the first 12 hours after
parturition. All herds were handled under grazing conditions
For multiparous cows, there were no behavioural differenc- and had a calving distribution of 30% in autumn/winter, and
es between blood calcium status (normocalcaemia, subclinical 70% in spring/summer. Herds consisted of Holstein cows
hypocalcaemia, clinical hypocalcaemia) in the pre-calving pe- (Australian, New Zealand, Europe, and US genetics), artificial
riod and on the day of calving (d 0). In the post-calving period, insemination breeding, and milked twice a day. Predominant
cows with clinical hypocalcaemia spent 88 min/d (1.5 h) and pasture was based on perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne).
125 min/d (2.1 h) more time lying down compared to multipa- Spring calvings received 70% of dry matter from pasture and
rous cows with subclinical hypocalcaemia and normocalcae- the rest from a partial mixed ration previous to each milk-
mia (P < 0.001). Cows with normocalcaemia had fewer daily ing and concentrate in the milking parlor. Between August
postural transitions (18.4 ± 0.5 no. /d; P = 0.01) compared to and December 2019, a blood sample for plasma collection
cows with subclinical hypocalcaemia (21.1 ± 0.3 no. /d) and was taken from a total of 88 cows from the 11 herds. Sam-
clinical hypocalcaemia (22.0 ± 0.5 no. /d). Cows with clinical ples were stored in a cooler and shipped during the same
hypocalcaemia had 10% fewer steps and 6% lower motion in- day to a certified veterinary clinical pathology lab (Cooprin-
dex compared to cows with normocalcaemia, and 6.7% fewer sem, Osorno, Chile). Samples were centrifuged and plasma
steps and 4% lower motion index compared to cows with sub- was stored in plastic vials and frozen at -20 °C until analysis.
clinical hypocalcaemia (P < 0.001). Samples were assessed for ionized Ca and Mg using the Stat
Conclusions: There was a decrease in activity across Profile® PRIME Plus VET (Nova Biomedical Corporation,
the pre-calving period for primiparous cows, and activity could Waltham, MA 02454-9141 USA). From the total samples,

320
26.7% were from parity 1, 19.6% parity 2 and 53.6% parity 3 or 0.0001); sO2 (%): 68.73 and 52.0 (P ≤ 0.01); TCO2 (mmol/L):
more. Total mean ionized Ca concentration was 1.00 mmol/L 26.59 and 18.39 (P ≤ 0.0001); pCO2 (mm Hg): 32.62 and 30.68
(range: 0.54-1.24 mmol/L) and ionized Mg was 0.615 mmol/L (P > 0.05); pO2 (mm Hg): 37.51 and 29.85 (P > 0.05). Parity,
(range=0.32 – 0.89 mmol/L). Within parity number, the con- BCS and days to parturition effect for all outcome variables
centration of ionized Ca was 1.064, 1.024, and 0.894 mmol/L were not significant (P > 0.05). Importantly, the metabolomics
for parity 1, 2, and ≥3, respectively. For ionized Mg was 0.63, data revealed that only urine concentrations of essential and
0.60, and 0.613 mmol/L, for parity 1, 2, and ≥ 3, respective- aromatic amino acids were decreased, and that concentra-
ly. Defining a cut-off value of ionized Ca for subclinical hypo- tions of total non-essential amino acids and glucogenic amino
calcemia of 1.10 mmol/L, the total prevalence of subclinical acids were increased in plasma and reciprocally decreased in
hypocalcemia at day 1 postpartum was 65% with a range urine, suggesting that the cows fed anionic salts are attempt-
of an intra-herd prevalence between 0% and 100%. From the ing to meet a high glucose demand by mobilizing gluconeo-
total number of cows (n=88), the prevalence of subclinical hy- genic amino acid reserves. The dietary anionic salts exerted
pocalcemia within parity number was 40%, 54.5%, and 86.7% marked effects on glycerophospholipids with a reduction in a
for parity 1, 2, and ≥ 3, respectively. It is concluded that sub- majority of phosphatidylcholine containing diacyl and acyl-al-
clinical hypocalcemia based on ionized Ca determination, is kyl moieties in plasma and urine. Further characterization of
a metabolic disorder more common than expected in Chilean these metabolomic profiles may lead to the development of
southern dairy cattle handled under grazing conditions. novel biomarkers for identifying cows susceptible to metabolic
Keywords: Ionized calcium, ionized magnesium, dairy alterations.
herds, Chile. Keywords: Negative DCAD, metabolic acidosis, urine pH,
metabolomics, Holstein.
NU-23
NU-24
Very low negative DCAD diet promotes severe metabolic
acidosis and alters plasma and urine metabolomics in Effect of oral or parenteral iron supplementation in early
prepartum Holstein cows life on iron concentration and hematological parameters of
Pedro Melendez1, Prasanth Chelikani1, Dhavalkumar Patel2, Eduardo dairy calves fed commercial milk replacer
Garbarino3. Lennart Golbeck1, Imke Cohrs2, Esther Humann-Ziehank3, Walter
School of Veterinary Medicine, Texas Tech University, Amarillo, TX,
1 Grünberg4.
United States; 2Health Science Center, Texas Tech University, Amarillo, 1
Clinic for cattle, University of veterinary medicine hannover,
TX, United States; 3Progressive Dairy Health Service, Clovis, NM, Foundation, Hannover, Germany; 2Educational and Research Centre
United States. for Animal Husbandry, Hofgut Neumuehle, Münchweiler an der
Alsenz, Germany; 3LABVETCON-Laboratory Veterinary Consulting,
Several nutritional strategies to prevent clinical hypocal- Burgdorf, Germany; 4Clinic for Ruminants, Justus-Liebig University
cemia in the US dairy industry and other countries have been Gießen, Gießen, Germany.
focused on feeding anionic diets. These diets reduced urinary
pH from 8.5 (normal) to as low as 5.5, which imposes a tre- Objectives: Iron supplementation is common in newborn
mendous acid load on the kidneys. However, the impact of calves. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of
anionic diets on the metabolic status of both the cows and their oral and parenteral iron supplemenation to a negative control
calves is not well understood, and such levels of over acidifi- treatment on iron concentration and hematological parame-
cation may have detrimental effects on both the dam and her ters.
offspring. Consequently, the objectives of this cross-sectional
non-intervention observational study were to compare urine Material and Methods: Thirty healthy newborn dairy
and blood parameters between cows consuming a positive calves were randomly assigned a subcutaneous injecton of
DCAD diet (early dry cows, DCAD + 250 Meq/kg DM, n=15) Fe3+(1000mg,INJ), oral administration of Fe3+(1050mg,ORAL)
with the same cows consuming a negative DCAD diet (-220 or a sham-treatment without Fe3+(CON) within 1h of birth.
mEq/kg DM) 10 days after moving them from the early dry to Calves were then fed whole milk over 5 days(d) and after-
the prepartum group. Urine pH and blood metabolites were wards switched to milk replacer (MR,1500g/d,65mgFe/kg).
analyzed by a one-way repeated measures ANOVA for paired Blood was collected before treatment, on d1,3,5,7 and once
samples using the PROC GLM of SAS (2017). Differences weekly for 7 weeks. Samples were analyzed for hematology
in metabolic classes between groups were compared using and iron concentration.
BH correction (FDR= 0.05; Graph Pad 7.0), and metabolomic Results: Red blood cell count declined by ~17% in all
analyses was conducted using Metaboanalyst 5.0. Urine pH groups, reaching a nadir within the first week. Values returned
and blood analytes for the early-dry and prepartum periods, to d0-values by d14 in INJ and ORAL and d28 in CON, and
respectively, were as follows: urine pH: 8.18 and 5.33 (P ≤ remained constant thereafter. Hemoglobin(Hb) reached a
0.0001); blood pH : 7.50 and 7.36 (P ≤ 0.0001); base excess more pronounced nadir at d7(CON) compared to d5 (INJ and
(mmol/L): 2.46 and -7.79 (P ≤ 0.0001); lactate (mmol/L): 0.99 ORAL). Hb rose and remained >100g/L from d9 on (INJ and
and 1.49 (P ≤ 0.05); HCO3 (mmol/L): 25.65 and 17.45 (P ≤ ORAL), CON calves remaind in the range of 80g/L.

321
Serum-iron peaked at d1 in ORAL (48.5 [46.9-51.7]µmol/L) model were parity, farm, CM30, stage, calving season and
and INJ (31.0[27.6-37.8]µmol/L) and declined thereafter. A incidence of sole ulcer in EL, with significant interactions be-
second peak occurred at d7 (ORAL 23.9 [21.2-38.0]µmol/L, tween stage x farm, parity x stage x farm, sole ulcer in EL
INJ 32.2 [20.9-39.1]µmol/L, CON 19.2 [12.6-20.9]µmol/L). x stage and parity x stage. Variance components analysis
Thereafter serum-iron in ORAL and INJ remained above CON. showed that 58% of variation in muscle thickness was due to
Conclusions: Oral and parenteral iron supplementation animal effects.
had similar effects on hematological parameters and iron con- In agreement with previous studies a greatest decrease in
centrations. Although Hb-values were higher in treated than muscle thickness was between PC and F (with model adjusted
control calves, hematological parameters remained within ref- means and standard error being 36.99 ± 0.90 mm and 32.59
erence limits throughout the study in all groups. ± 0.91 mm, respectively). Pattern of mobilisation varied by
Keywords: Iron treatment, hematology, neonatal calf. parity with primiparous animals having a greater decrease in
muscle thickness between PC and F, and multiparous animals
between F and EL. Differences occurred in pattern of change
in muscle thickness between farms at different stages. Farms
with greater loss in muscle thickness had higher formulated
levels of crude and metabolisable protein in early lactation di-
NU-25
ets, but no consistent difference in pre-calving diets.
Variation in Longissimus Dorsi thickness in dry and Cows with a sole ulcer at EL had significantly lower muscle
lactating Holstein dairy cows, and association with early thickness at EL compared to cows without sole ulcer. A CM30
lactation mastitis and sole ulceration by stage interaction was observed (p=0.06) with cows with
CM30 having a greater decrease in muscle thickness from PC
William Tulley, Matthew Barden, Bethany Griffiths, Alkiviadis to F.
Anagnostopoulos, Cherry Bedford, Georgios Oikonomou.
Conclusion: Decrease in thickness of longissimus dorsi
University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom. was greatest prior to calving and is not synchronous with mo-
bilisation of body fat (initial analysis; data not shown). Pattern
of muscle loss differs between different parities at different lac-
Objectives: Dairy cattle face a drastic increase in nutrient
tation stages, and different farms at different lactation stages,
demand at the onset of lactation leading to a period of neg-
suggestive of a management or nutritional influence, although
ative nutrient balance which cattle respond to by catabolism
cow factors are highly significant. Pattern of decrease in mus-
of body tissues. Adipose tissue mobilisation to meet energy
cle thickness is also associated with incidence of early lacta-
demands for maintenance, and milk production and its asso-
tion mastitis and sole ulceration.
ciation with health and fertility have been extensively studied.
Studies on the role of muscle mobilization have been limited References:
to small numbers of cows in single herds or experimental set- Megahed, A. A., Hiew M.W.H., Ragland D., Constable P.D.
tings (Megahed et al., 2019, Van der Drift et al., 2012). While (2019) ‘Changes in skeletal muscle thickness and echogenici-
a consistent pattern of muscle mobilisation has been identity and plasma creatinine concentration as indicators of protein
fied, data is lacking from large scale studies involving large and intramuscular fat mobilization in periparturient dairy cows’,
numbers of cows across multiple herds. The objectives of this Journal of Dairy Science. American Dairy Science Association,
study were to (i) describe changes in longissimus dorsi thick- 102(6), pp. 5550–5565. doi: 10.3168/jds.2018-15063.
ness before and after calving (ii) to identify variables asso- Van der Drift, S.G.A., Houweling M., Schonewille J.T., Tiel-
ciated with difference in longissimus dorsi thickness and (iii) ens A.G.M., Jorritsma R. (2012) Protein and fat mobilization
to describe associations between muscle thickness and early and associations with serum B-hydroxybutyrate concentra-
lactation health disorders. tions in dairy cows, Journal of Dairy Science. American Dairy
Materials and Methods: A cohort of 2,352 Holstein cat- Science Association, 95 pp. 4911-4920. Doi:10.3168/jds.2011-
tle were prospectively enrolled on four farms and assessed 4771.
at four different stage pre-calving (PC), immediately after Keywords: Longissimus dorsi, mastitis, sole ulcer.
calving (fresh, F), in early lactation (EL), and in late lactation
(LL). Cows were grouped by parity as either primiparous or
multiparous. At each time point, ultrasonographic images of
the longissimus dorsi muscle at the level of the 5th lumbar ver-
tebrae were stored and retrospectively measured according
NU-26
to the method described by Megahed et al (2019). Feet were
lifted, and presence and severity of sole lesions was assessed Factors affecting milk fatty acid composition on Galician
by veterinary surgeons and lesion severity recorded. Mastitis Holsteins cows: a field studyFactors affecting milk fatty acid
episodes in the first 30 days in milk (CM30) were recorded by composition on Galician Holsteins cows: a field study
trained farm staff. A mixed effects multivariable logistic regres-
sion model was fitted to the data, with muscle thickness as the Ruth Rodríguez-Bermúez1, Ramiro Fouz1, Margarita Rico1, Juan
outcome; cow was fitted in this model as a random effect to Cainzos2, Francisco Javier Diéguez1.
account for within animal clustering of measurements. 1
Departamento de Anatomía, Produción Animal e Ciencias Clínicas
Results: In total, 6,849 observations were available from Veterinarias, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Lugo,
2,186 cattle. Significant variables that remained in the final Spain; 2ABS Progenex, Madrid, Spain.

322
During the last decades, milk fatty acid composition (mFAc) NU-27
has gained the interest of manufacturers and consumers as it
influences nutritional, physical and flavor properties of dairy Economic opportunities on prevention of subclinical and
products (Bobe et al. 2007). Previous studies reported sever- clinical hypocalcemia by use of synthetic zeolite
al factors, including individual variability, genetic parameters, Per Theilgaard1, Jehan Ettema2.
and breed, influencing mFAc (Samková et al. 2012). The aim
of the present study was to evaluate type of ration, calving ViloFoss, Fredericia, Denmark; 2SimHerd, Agro Business Park, Tjele,
1
number, lactation phase and season impact on fatty acid com- Denmark.
position, including myristic (C14:0), palmitic (C16:0), stearic
(C18:0), oleic (C18:1), saturated (SFA), monounsaturated Objective: The objective of this study was to develop a
(MUFA), polyunsaturated (PUFA) and short chain fatty acid sophisticated and robust tool for dairy farmers, to quantify the
(SCFA) concentration in cow's milk in 25 Galician (NW Spain) impact of using synthetic zeolite (X-Zelit) for prevention of sub-
commercial dairy farms. 10,098 test-days samples from the clinical and clinical hypocalcemia on farm economics.
1,557 cows were collected from July 2018 to June 2019 and
Material and Methods: Dairy farmers could implement
bronopol-preserved samples from Laboratorio Interprofesion-
several solutions to decrease subclinical hypocalcemia. The
al Galego de Análise do Leite (LIGAL, Spain) were received.
solutions have different costs and efficiency in terms of reduc-
Quantity of C14:0, C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, SFA, MUFA, PUFA
ing hypocalcemia. The existing simulation model SimHerd can
and SCFA, MCFA, LCFA and total FA (in g/100 g of milk), as
quantify the economic consequences of changes in manage-
well as, fat and protein % and milk β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB)
ment for a dairy herd including youngstock. The expert-ver-
concentration (in all the animals from 1st post‐partum (PP) test
sion of the model that vets use requires intensive training,
day) were determined individually by infrared-FTIR (Fourier
and each simulation is time consuming. Therefore, in order
transformed infrared-FTIR, MilkoScan FT6000, Foss Electric,
for SimHerd to be operational for farmers, a Response Sur-
Hillerød, Denmark). On top of this analysis, data from each
face Model (RSM) was developed. An RSM is a meta-model
test-day, including cow ID, date, parity (1st, 2nd and ≥3rd), type
that approximately describes the behavior of a certain area
of ration (pasture based, grass silage-based total mixed ration
of the complex model (SimHerd). The current RSM predicts
(TMR), corn silage-based TMR or grass/corn silage-based
the change in profit (output) as a function of implementing of
TMR), days in milk (DIM) and daily milk yield were recorded. synthetic zeolite (X-Zelit) for prevention of hypocalcemia given
For analysis, animals were classified into five categories: fresh different levels of disease risk and milk yield, amongst other in-
cows without ketosis (DIM ≤ 35 and BHB concentration in the put parameters. The assumed reduction in hypocalcemia as a
first PP test-day < 0.10 mM/L), fresh cows with ketosis (DIM result of the implementation was based on scientific literature.
≤ 35 and BHB ≥ 0.10 mM/L), peak lactation (DIM > 35 to 90),
mid lactation (DIM 91-210) and late lactation (DIM >210). In this project, an RSM was created using four steps.
Data were analyzed descriptively and by means of • First, a simulation experiment with SimHerd, the expert
mixed-effect ordinal regression models. Animals feeding corn version, was designed, covering the relevant ranges of
silage-based total mixed rations (TMR) and grass/corn silage input parameters like milk yield level, the risk of mas-
based-TMR had higher C14:0, C16:0 and SFA concentrations titis, calving interval and calf mortality among others.
than those feeding pasture-based rations, but lower concen- • Secondly, simulation of all 160 scenarios from this ex-
trations of C18:0 and PUFA. Comparing to 1st parity cows, periment were done by SimHerd, using 200 replica-
2nd parity animals had higher C16:0, SFA and SCFA concen- tions and a burn-in period of 5 years.
trations and 3rd parity cows had higher C18:0, SFA and SCFA. • In the third step, the simulated results (output) were de-
With respect to spring, C14:0, C16:0 and SFA concentrations scribed as a function of the model’s input with a linear
increased in summer, autumn and winter while MUFA, PUFA prediction model. The best model was chosen by the
and SCFA concentrations decreased. In the case of C18:0 Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) using the stepAIC()
and C18:1, concentrations decreased in autumn and winter. procedure in the MASS package of R.
Considering the lactation phase, C14:0, C16:0 and SFA con- • Finally, the response of the resulting model was ex-
centrations decreased in fresh cows with ketosis comparing plored, when using combinations of input parameters,
to healthy fresh cows and increased in peak, mid, and late that were not included in the design (interpolation and
lactation (using again healthy fresh cows as reference). C18:0, extrapolation).
C18:1 and MUFA follow the opposite trend. Milk fatty acid pro-
Result: Input parameters of the RSM are herd size, milk
file varies significantly with type of ration, calving number, lac-
yield per cow-year, the herd-level incidence of milk fever, sub-
tation phase and season. The fact that the fatty acid profile has
clinical hypocalcemia, other metabolic diseases, reproductive
been associated with animal health, organoleptic properties of
diseases, culling rate. The output parameters are changes in
milk or even methane production highlights the importance of
milk yield per cow-year, replacement rate, life-time yield, num-
studying factors that affect its variation.
ber of surplus heifers and economic net return per year and
Keywords: Milk, Fatty acid, holstein. per cow-year. The RSM describes the changes in the output
as a function of the input. The equations that make up the
RSM contain two-way interactions and quadratic terms. The
RSM is used as a web-based calculator (html) embedded on
the Vilofoss website, where advisors and dairy farmers can
use it.

323
Table 1. Examples of the RSM for 4 different herds, that research is to present results from three years of testing close-
are characterized by different levels of yield, hypocalcemia up dry cows based on samples submitted to the laboratory of
and replacement rate (input). The OUTPUT shows changes Royal GD from 2019 to 2021.
in production parameters relative to current production (OUT- Materials and Methods: Results for metabolic parame-
PUT) when using calcium binder for prevention of subclinical ters in serum samples of close-up dry cow submitted to the
hypocalcemia. veterinary laboratory of Royal GD (Deventer, the Netherlands)
between January 2019 and December 2021 were evaluated.
Herd 1 Herd 2 Herd 3 Herd 4 Each submission consisted of samples from a set of 4 to 10
cows (between 21 and 2 days before calving) from one herd.
INPUT Yield, kg EKM 9.000 9.000 11.000 11.000
Serum samples were analyzed for concentrations of NEFA,
Subclinical 50 70 70 70 BHBA, urea, Mg, and haptoglobin on a clinical-chemistry
hypocalcemia, %
analyzer using enzymatic or colorimetric methods. The final
Replacement rate 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 dataset contained records of 6798 cows from a total of 1371
OUTPUT, Kg ECM +77 +87 + 114 +119 submissions (with an average of 5 samples per farm). Data
change
Replacement -1.5 -1.8 -1,8 -2.7 could occasionally originate from cows that were sampled out-
rate, % side the targeted interval of 21 to 2 days before calving, but
at a low enough incidence to be insignificant. Cut-off values,
based on earlier studies, were: cows with NEFA concentra-
Benefit pr cow, € 54 € 59 € 67 € 71 €
tions ≥0.40 mmol/L, BHBA concentrations ≥0.80 mmol/L, and/
or haptoglobin concentrations ≥0.30 g/L were indicated to be
The table shows a larger benefit in case of calcium bind- at an increased risk for postpartum disease. Cows with urea
ing in case the incidence of hypocalcemia is high; the bene- concentrations ≤3.3 mmol/L were indicated to have a insuffi-
fit increases with €59 in herd 2 and with only €54 in herd 1. cient protein supply. For magnesium concentrations, a cut-off
Furthermore, in case the herd has a high milk yield level, the value of ≤0.78 mmol/L was used to indicate increased risk for
increase in milk yield, and therefore the benefit of the interven- postpartum hypocalcaemia. The proportion of cows below or
tion, is also higher (herd 3 versus herd 2). Finally, in case the above the cut-off value were calculated for each metabolic pa-
herd has a lower culling rate and therefore a higher proportion rameter.
of older parity cows, the intervention shows a larger benefit Results: Descriptive statistics are shown in Table 1. Con-
(herd 4 versus herd 3). Many more factors can be adjusted to centrations of one or more metabolic indicators were outside
explore the benefit in the individual farm. the cut-off values in 50.5% of cows, with urea being the most
Conclusion: The developed RSM tool makes it easier for frequent, at 22.9%, and Mg being the least frequent, at 5.8%.
the farmers to see the effects of changes in herd manage-
ment. This has a potential to improve their decision making, as Table 1. Descriptive statistics for concentrations of NEFA, BHBA,
farmers can improve their economic performance, using the urea, magnesium (Mg), and haptoglobin in serum of 6798 cows
farmers’ own key figures and prices. (1371 sets of 4 to 10 samples) sent to the laboratory of Royal GD
from January 2019 to December 2021, including cut-off values and
Keywords: Hypocalcemia, synthetic zeolite, economics. proportion of results outside the cut-offs.
Mean P25 – Min - Cut-off % of
Parameter Median
(± SD) P75 Max value cows
NEFA 0.24 0.14 – 0.10 –
0.18 ≥0.40 12.8%
(mmol/L) (± 0.19) 0.27 2.07
NU-28
BHBA 0.6 0.5 – 0.1 –
0.6 ≥0.8 18.4%
Metabolic profiling of dry cows in practice: three-year (mmol/L) (± 0.2) 0.7 5.6
results from a routine laboratory Urea 4.3
4.2
3.4 – 2.0 –
≤3.3 22.9%
(mmol/L) (± 1.3) 5.1 22.3
Saskia Van Der Drift, Sietske Haarman - Zantinge, Deon Van Der
Mg 0.96 0.90 – 0.34 –
Merwe. (mmol/L) (± 0.12)
0.97
1.03 4.10
≤0.78 5.8%
Royal GD, Deventer, Netherlands. Haptoglobin 0.18 0.07 – 0.03 –

0.09 ≥0.30 9.6%
(g/L) (± 0.36) 0.14 8.05
Objectives: Metabolic parameters can be assessed in

Conclusions: A substantial proportion of close-up cows
close-up dry cows (last 3 weeks before calving) to indicate
were outside the cut-off values for one or more metabolic pa-
their risk for postpartum diseases and evaluate transition cow
rameters. Based on the high proportion of cows with low urea
management. In the Netherlands, dairy farmers can submit
serum samples from a set of close-up dry cows to the labo- results, a suboptimal protein supply in the dry period could be
ratory of Royal GD for analysis of a specific set of metabolic an important risk factor for transition cows in the Netherlands.
parameters, including non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), β-hy- Testing for metabolic parameters in close-up dry cows can be
droxybutyric acid (BHBA), urea, magnesium (Mg), and hapto- helpful to evaluate dry cow management and indicate cows at
globin. Results are presented in a herd report that can be used risk for postpartum diseases.
to improve transition cow management. The objective of this Keywords: Close-up, dry cows, metabolic parameters.

324
ORAL — Parasitism
PA-01 of cash flow in any dairy farm. Support weight gain with an
overall program including strategic deworming can increase
Assessment of body weight and weight gain of Eprinomectin the net value of heifers entering the herd. Results of this study
or Doramectin injectable strategic control against confirm that a strategic deworming of grass-fed dairy heifers
gastrointestinal helminths on grazing Holstein heifers in with injectable macrocyclic lactones improves live weight and
Brazil weight gain.
Luciana Maffini Heller1, Luiz Fellipe Monteiro Couto1, Dina Maria Keywords: Eprinomectin, doramectin, helminths, Brazil.
Beltran Zapa1, Gustave Decuadro Hansen2, Bruno Sivieri De Lima3,
Welber Daniel Zanetti Lopes1.
Centro de Parasitologia Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Goiás,
1
Goiás, Brazil; 2Virbac Latam, Santiago de Chile, Chile; 3Virbac do

PA-02
Brasil, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
On the current resistance status of stable flies from dairy
Objective: The experiment was conducted to assess the farms in Brandenburg (Germany)
expected body weight and weight gain of distinct strategic de- Sophia Reissert-Oppermann1, Ricarda Daher1, Jürgen Krücken1,
worming control program with injectable eprinomectin or dor- Burkhard Bauer1, Wiebke Weiher2, Peter-Henning Clausen1, Stephan
amectin against gastrointestinal helminths on grazing Holstein Steuber2.
heifers in central-west of Brazil from November 2018 until
June 2019.
1
Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie
Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13, D-14163 Berlin,
Material & Methods: On November 2018, 150 Holstein
Germany; 2Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety
heifers with an average age of 5.8 months belonging to the
(BVL), Mauerstr. 39-42, D-10117 Berlin, Germany.
commercial dairy farm located in Jatai (Southwest of Goiania
state, Brazil) were enrolled and weighed in order to estimate
the weight gain in the last 30 days prior the trial. Deworm- Objectives: Flies play an important role as pests and vec-
er drenches or any other antiparasitic medicine had not been tors of pathogens in ruminant production systems. During an
used on the heifers within the previous 120 days. Faecal sam- earlier study, varying degrees of resistance against insecti-
ples were taken from all heifers before turnout and parasite cides were demonstrated in 58 out of 60 Musca domestica
egg counts ranged from 0 to 300 eggs per gram (EPG). The field populations collected on dairy farms (Jandowsky et. al.,
study population was then stratified with regard to the average 2010). A further pilot study was carried out to investigate the
daily gain and age, and animals were randomly allocated in 3 potential occurrence of resistance in stable flies (Stomoxys
homogenous groups of 50 heads as follow, 1) Group 1 (G01) (S.) calcitrans) against commonly used adulticides and larvi-
were injected with eprinomectin 2 % at a dose of 1 ml/100kg cides on dairy farms in the federal state of Brandenburg.
BW (NEOPRINIL® injectable - Virbac do Brasil), 2) Group 2 Material & Methods: Based on a questionnaire survey,
(G02) received doramectin 1 % at the dose of 1 ml/50kg BW 40 dairy farms were selected for an on-farm cross-sectional
(DECTOMAX® - Zoetis Brazil), and 3) Group 3 (G03) was survey. An bioassay (FlyBox®) was concomitantly used to
designated as negative control group and was not treated with evaluate the field susceptibility of stable flies against the syn-
macrocyclic lactones, however, was injected with saline solu- thetic pyrethroid deltamethrin. To confirm the preliminary re-
tion as placebo. Treatments were performed for all groups in sults observed in the on-farm bioassay, stable flies with strong
November 2018 (age ± 5.8 months), February 2019 (age ± evidence of deltamethrin resistance were collected from 10
8.8 months) and May 2019 (age ± 11.8 months), completing a selected dairy cattle farms for further investigations.
study period of 210 days. All enlisted heifers were individually Using a susceptible reference strain of S. calcitrans, the
weighed on an electronic scale on day –30 (October 2018), discriminating dose (DD) of deltamethrin (2.3 ng/fly) and the
d0 (day of the beginning of treatment), d30, 60 and every 30 organophosphate azamethiphos (4.9 ng/fly) were calculated.
days until d210. The weight gain of each animal was calculat- Subsequently, the progeny of the 10 stable fly populations was
ed considering the difference in bodies weights achieved over each tested with 1x, 4x, and 16x of the DD following recom-
the study period. mendations of WHO (2016). Furthermore, two insect growth
Results: The average weight of monitored animals regulators (IGR), the larvicides cyromazine and pyriproxyfen,
from G01 G02 and G03 on day 0 was 147.49 kg, 147.49 kg were evaluated at different concentrations based on the man-
and 147.53 kg (n.s.), respectively. By d210, same groups ufacturers' recommendations.
showed an average weight of 268.9 kg, 264.6 kg and 258.5 kg, PASA-PCR (amplification of specific multiple alleles) were
respectively. There was no statistical difference in the average established with a forward primer matching all known alleles
weight obtained between the groups, over the study period. and reverse primers perfectly matching to the wild-type (Leu)
The average weight gain demonstrated by the heifers enlisted or resistance-associated alleles currently known in pyrethroid
in G01, was statistically higher (P≤0.05) to the average weight resistant house and stable flies (e.g. kdr, kdr-his, super-kdr).
gain showed by the control animals (G03) on d210. There was Results: The questionnaire survey revealed that pyre-
no statistically significant difference in average weight gain throids are the most frequently used insecticides (78.9 %).
between the treated groups (G01 and G02) at the end of the The on-farm survey using the cardboard box bioassay (Fly-
observation period. Box®) indicated deltamethrin resistance in all of 40 strains
Conclusion: Dairy replacement heifers represents a drain tested (100 %). The topical application of deltamethrin at 1x,

325
ORAL — Parasitism
4x, and 16x of the DD provided mean paralysis rates of 22.7 dairy systems, lactating cows and young stock graze on pas-
%, 55.3 %, and 87.9 % in the 10 suspect strains at 24 hrs. p. ture for 100% of their life and there will often be a prolonged
appl. At the highest dose applied (16x) 70 % of the stable fly worm season in dairy regions due to the high rainfall climate.
populations showed paralysis rates < 98% indicating high re- The objective of this study was to look for a correlation be-
sistance intensity according to the WHO concept (2016). The tween ODR and faecal egg count (FEC) or the presence of
topical application of azamethiphos at 1x, 4x, and 16x of the parasite eggs in faeces in corresponding cohorts.
DD revealed mean paralysis rates of 22.7 %, 55.3 %, and 87.9 Materials and Methods: Fourteen herds in south-west
% at 24 hrs. p. appl. Six out of ten populations (60 %) showed Victoria (Australia) were included in the study. All were com-
mortality rates below 98 % at the highest dose tested (16x) mercial dairy enterprises. Milk vat samples were collected
indicating high resistance intensity according to the WHO con- during the calving period for ODR. On the same day, faecal
cept (2016). The use of the IGRs cyromazine and pyriproxyfen samples were collected from recently calved cows (less than
at the recommended concentrations resulted in an inhibition 30 days in milk) for individual FEC (sensitive to 2.5 eggs per
rate of 100 % in all 10 evaluated populations indicating full gram of faeces). Fifteen primiparous and 15 multiparous an-
susceptibility against the two larvicides. imals of representative ages were sampled. Farm practices
First results of the PASA revealed kdr and kdr-his muta- including recent and routine anthelmintic use was recorded for
tions in Stomoxys calcitrans field populations being the second each property and each cohort of animals. Data analysis was
molecular confirmation of kdr resistant stable flies worldwide. then undertaken using the Jamovi statistical package.
Conclusions: There is an urgent need for re-designing Results: Bulk milk ODR was not related to measurable
strategies to control fly populations, particularly with regard to FEC in corresponding herds. Bulk milk ODR was also not re-
any non-strategic use of adulticides. Before applying insecti- lated to the proportion of animals in each corresponding co-
cides (biocides or veterinary medicinal products) it is highly hort with detected parasite eggs in faeces. Bulk milk ODR was
recommended to assess the resistance status of flies in ani- strongly correlated to the number of days since most recent
mal husbandries. Insecticides should only be used as the last anthelmintic application (r2=0.73).
resort of choice in a cascade of possible control measures Conclusion: Anti-O. ostertagi ODR is a good measure
such as improved manure management, insect traps and the of likely antibody presence against O. ostertagi. However, in
use of biological control agents. Unfortunately, none of the pastoral systems in Australia where worms are present on
aforementioned methods alone is sufficient to effectively con- pasture for sustained periods, possibly year-round, it may not
trol flies in dairy farms. Therefore, there is a considerable need be a good measure of current parasite load. ODR should not
for research. be used as the sole determinant of anthelmintic application in
References: Victorian pastoral dairy herds.
Jandowsky, A. et al. (2010): Occurrence and distribution Keywords: Australia, pasture-based, dairy, ODR, FEC.
of insecticide resistance in house flies (Musca domestica) on
dairy farms in Brandenburg, Germany, Der praktische Tierarzt,
91, 590-598.
WHO (2016): Test procedures for insecticide resis-
tance monitoring in malaria vector mosquitoes, 2nd edt., PA-04
ISBN 978 92 4 151157 5. www.who.int/malaria/publications/
Prevalence and risk factors for hair loss in outdoor-wintered
atoz/9789241511575/en/
beef cattle during cold weather conditions
Keywords: Stomoxys calcitrans, insecticide resistance,
kdr, cattle, Germany. Ylva Persson1, Katinca Fungbrant2, Giulio Grandi1, Wonhee Cha1.
1
National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden; 2Farm & Animal
Health, Stockholm, Sweden.
Keeping cattle outdoor year-around is an attractive alter-

PA-03 native for farmers due to low investment costs. Furthermore,
Anti-O.ostertagi antibody ODR in bulk tank milk assesses keeping the animals outside can promote animal health and
exposure not parasitism welfare compared to confined settings. In the Nordic countries,
the climate can be a challenge though, as extreme cold and
Tom Loughnan1, David Beggs2, Peter Mansell2. harsh wind can negatively affect an animal's thermal balance.
The hair is an important parameter in the thermal retention
Colac Vet Clinic, Colac, Australia; 2The University of Melbourne,
1
capacity of an animal. Thus, if the hair thins out and bald spots
Melbourne, Australia.
appear, the welfare of the animal can get negatively affected
along with the production value of the animal. Therefore, we
Objective: International research has suggested that anti conducted a repeated cross-sectional study to examine the
O. ostertagi antibody optical density ratio (ODR) of vat milk epidemiology of hair loss in outdoor cattle in Sweden during
can indicate the level of milk production benefit producers will the winters of 2019-2021. The three main objectives were (1)
get from applying effective anthelmintic treatments to lactating to describe the prevalence of hair loss in outdoor cattle, (2) to
dairy cows. ODR is an assessment of the magnitude of anti- examine the development of hair loss in animals when there
body production specific to O. ostertagi. In Australian pastoral was no prophylactic ectoparasite treatment (delousing) ap-

326
ORAL — Parasitism
plied, and (3) to investigate the associated factors for the hair PA-05
loss outcome.
Effect of injectable eprinomectin on milk production and
During January-February of 2019-2021, each group of
quality of dairy ewes reared semi-intensively and naturally
outdoor cattle had an annual visit where they were inspected
infected with gastrointestinal nematodes
for hair loss, and group-level data, such as size, breed, and
information on delousing treatment (date, drug), was collected Sofia Afroditi Termatzidou1, Nektarios Siachos1, Panagiota Kazana1,
along with the inspection parameters in the Swedish control Smaragda Sotiraki2, Katerina Saratsi2, Damien Achard3, Hamadi
program for outdoor cattle. A subset of the study population, Karembe3, Georgios Bramis4, Georgios Arsenos1.
among groups with no prophylactic delousing treatment, was 1
followed up for investigating development of hair loss in animal
School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece;
level. Logistic regression was used to examine the association 2
Laboratory of Parasitology, Veterinary Research Institute, Hellenic
between collected animal- and group-level factors and sta-
Agricultural Organization Demeter, Thermi, Thessaloniki, Greece;
tus of hair loss with group and farm added as random effects 3
Ceva Santé Animale, Libourne, France; 4Ceva Hellas Ltd, Alimos,
when relevant. All the analyses were done using R.
Greece.
A total of 463 groups from 75 farms were included in the
study. The median size of the groups was 30 animals (range
2-698). 25.7% (n=119) of all the groups had at least one an- Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate
imal with hair loss. Prevalence of hair loss within group var- the effect of treatment with injectable eprinomectin on milk
ied from 0.6% to 47.9% (mean 8.2%). Thirty-one farms had production and quality of dairy ewes grazing in communal pas-
no hair loss observed. In the final model, group size (p<0.01) tures and naturally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes.
remained to be significantly associated with the hair loss out- Material and methods: One-hundred and fifty (150) clin-
come with the small groups (<14 animals) having lower odds. ically healthy adult lactating ewes (2nd-4th month of lactation)
Also, having at least one dirty cow in the group significantly from 3 flocks (50 animals per flock) were included. They were
increased the odds for hair loss (OR=4.34, p<0.01), while de- raised semi-intensively and had good body condition (BCS
lousing treatment significantly lowered the likelihood for hair ≥2.5), good udder health and negative California Mastitis Test.
loss in a group (OR=0.43, p<0.05). Among the groups with On day -7, ewes of each flock were randomly allocated in 2
delousing treatment (n= 336), having at least one dirty animal groups of 25 ewes: Control (group C) and Treated (group T).
in the group significantly increased the odds to have hair loss Groups were balanced for faecal egg count (FEC), milk yield
outcome (OR=12.64, p<0.00001), while delousing the animals record and Maedi-Visna seropositivity. On day 0, ewes in group
before November significantly decreased the odds (OR=0.26, T received a single subcutaneous injection of eprinomectin
p>0.05). For the groups that did not have any prophylactic de- at a dose rate of 0.2 mg/kg BW (Eprecis® 20 mg/mL, CEVA
lousing treatment (n=127), only the big group size (>68 ani- santé animale). Ewes in group C were left untreated during the
mals) was associated with the hair loss outcome (OR=3.64, whole experiment. Ewes in group T with a FEC >300 eggs per
p<0.05) in the final model. g on day +60 were given a second injection with eprinomectin
A total of 3673 animals were included in the groups in at the same dose rate. Faecal samples were individually col-
which no prophylactic delousing was performed for the study. lected on days -7, 0, +30, +60, +90, +120 for FEC estimations
At the first visit, 249 animals showed hair loss (6.78%) while and coprocultures. On days -7, 0, +30, +60 and +90, individual
the proportion increased to 12.02% at the second visit and milk yield (MY) was recorded using ICAR approved volumetric
18.22% on the third visit, suggesting spread of hair loss within milk meters. Moreover, at the same test-days, individual milk
the group over time. In the final model, being >2 years old samples were collected for chemical composition and somatic
(OR=11.89, p<0.001) and having bedding (OR=4.13, p<0.001) cells counts (SCC). Energy corrected milk yield (ECMY) for
were significantly associated with higher likelihood of hair 6% fat was also calculated. Milk composition [fat (F%), protein
(P%) and lactose (L%) content] was determined by infrared
loss in an animal. Also in the final model, compared to Here-
analysis (FTIR interferometer) using Milkoscan FT6000 (Foss
ford, Angus had significantly higher odds to develop hair loss
Electric, Denmark) and SCC were evaluated by flow cytome-
(OR=8.59, p<0.05).
try using Fossomatic FS (Foss Electric, Denmark). On each
In conclusion, the study showed a wide range of hair loss test-day, individual fat and protein yield (FY and PY, respec-
prevalence between farms and groups. Applying prophylactic tively) were calculated. Total lactation MY (TMY), total ECMY
delousing treatment significantly decreased the likelihood to (TECMY), total FY (TFY) and total PY (TPY) were comput-
develop hair loss in a group while increase in the proportion ed according to ICAR recommendations (ICAR, 2016). The
of animals with hair loss was observed among animals with- effect of treatment on FEC (ln-transformed numeric FEC +1)
out delousing treatment in the follow-up visits. Along with the and milk parameters (MY, ECMY, F%, P%, L%, FY, PY, and
statements of veterinarians in the field, these findings suggest Log_SCC) were assessed with mixed models for repeated
ectoparasites, i.e., lice, as a significant cause for the hair loss measures accounting for the random effect of each ewe and
in these outdoor cattle. Yet, there were farms which had no each farm. Last, the effect of treatment on TMY, TECMY, TFY
cows with hair loss during all three years without any delous- and TPY was assessed with general linear models accounting
ing treatment, indicating good farm management, like having for the random variation within each farm. All analyses were
no dirty cows, and keeping the group size more manageable performed with IBM SPSS v.25 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.).
can also be effective measures against hair loss.
Results: The most prevalent parasite at pre-treatment and
Keywords: Range cattle, lice, ectoparasites. post-treatment days was Haemonchus spp. Treatment had a
significant effect (P<0.001) on FEC reduction throughout the

327
ORAL — Parasitism
trial; the overall efficacy on days +30 and +90 was 97.27% and had been administered during the last five months.
98.80%, respectively. In two out of the three farms, 80% and Impression smears, multiple skin scrapes, swabs for bac-
91.3% of T ewes received a second treatment on day +60, due terial culture and skin samples for histopathology were col-
to high parasitic challenge and burden (FEC >300 eggs per g). lected from the most affected individuals. Blood samples were
Treatment had a significant effect (P=0.033) on MY. Estimat- taken and haematological parameters, activity of erythrocyte
ed marginal means showed an average benefit of ca. 105 mL glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and plasma concentrations
more milk per test-day for treated ewes compared to untreated of inorganic iodine, zinc, copper, vitamins A and E were de-
ones. No significant effects of treatment were observed on the termined. Jersey heifers were serologically examined for anti-
other parameters, although values were constantly numerical- bodies against Besnoitia besnoiti.
ly higher for treated ewes compared to control ones. T ewes
Results: Physical examination revealed no abnormalities
produced 5.7% more milk (308.8 L vs. 292.1 L, P=0.158), 4.6%
other than dermatological. Pruritus was moderate to severe.
more fat-corrected (6%) milk (311.7 L vs. 298.1 L, P=0.236),
Severe and extensive lesions of alopecia, lichenification and
2.4% more fat (15.2 kg vs. 14.8 kg), P=0.557) and 6.4% more
crusting were observed on the jaws, dewlap, face and distal
protein (11.8 kg vs. 11.1 kg, P=0.115) across the whole lacta- limbs. Crusts overlying yellowish oozing material were present
tion compared to untreated ones. on the perineum and above the udder. Only Jersey cows were
Conclusion: In this field trial, injectable eprinomectin had affected (10/13 lactating cows and 3/3 2-years-old heifers)
a high overall efficacy against gastrointestinal nematodes, with with varying degrees of lesions severity. Lesions were more
Haemonchus spp. being the most prevalent species identified. intense in 2-years-old Jersey heifers compared to the adults.
Treatment had a beneficial effect on daily milk yield and po- The other group of heifers remained unaffected.
tentially could lead to higher milk, fat and protein yield during Differential diagnoses were parasitic skin disease (psorop-
a whole lactation. tic or chorioptic mange, besnoitiosis, trombidiosis), zinc defi-
Keywords: Eprinomectin, dairy sheep, milk yield, milk ciency, superficial bacterial infection (staphylococcal pyoder-
quality. ma, dermatophilosis).
Cytologic examination of direct skin smears revealed very
high numbers of eosinophils but no micro-organisms. Micro-
scopic examination of skin scrapes showed numerous speci-
mens of small-sized Trombiculidae larvae (150 µm x 250 µm)
PA-06 identified as Leptotrombidium spp and no other ectoparasite
[1, 2]. Histopathological examination of skin biopsy specimens
Severe eosinophilic dermatitis in Jersey cows infested with revealed severe hyperplastic, superficial and deep perivascu-
Leptotrombidium spp (Acari: Trombiculidae) lar, and oedematous eosinophilic dermatitis. Bacterial culture
Marie-Christine Cadiergues1, Jean-Paul Moulin2, Marie-Noëlle yielded Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and Pantoea agglomer-
Lucas3, Philippe Dorchies4, François Schelcher5. ans, gram negative facultative anaerobic strains, considered
as contaminants from the soil. Jersey heifers were seroneg-
1
Small Animal Clinic, Université de Toulouse, ENVT - UDEAR, ative for besnoitiosis. Complete blood counts revealed mild
Université de Toulouse, INSERM, ENVT, Toulouse, France; 2Clinique to moderate eosinophilia (0.6-1.3Ʌ109/L, reference interval
vétérinaire, Saint-Céré, France; 3Large Animal Clinic, Université de 0.1-1.2Ʌ109/L). GSH-Px activity and plasma concentration of
Toulouse, ENVT, Toulouse, France; 4Université de Toulouse, ENVT, inorganic iodine, zinc, copper, vitamins A and E were in normal
Toulouse, France; 5Large Animal Clinic, Université de Toulouse, range. Final clinicopathological diagnosis was eosinophilic
ENVT - IHAP, Université de Toulouse, INRA, ENVT, Toulouse, France. dermatitis likely due to Trombiculidae bites. No treatment was
administered. Lesions had completely self-resolved by the
Objectives: In cattle, the lesions of eosinophilic derma- end of December in the absence of any specific or concurrent
titis are attributed to different causes, but mainly to scabies treatment or major modification of the feeding or husbandry
and insect bites (stable flies, horn flies, tabanids, …). Harvest conditions. Further complete blood counts and skin scrapes
mites, also known as chigger mites, are rarely implicated and revealed a 20 % reduction of eosinophils and no presence of
this work reports cases observed in Jersey cows. This study parasite.
describes the clinical and histopathological lesions of several Conclusions: This case report emphasizes the need to
Jersey cows in an organic farming dairy herd in south-west include harvest mites in the differential diagnosis of bovine
France, that developed a severe outbreak of pruritic dermatitis pruritic dermatoses. Around 3000 nominal species of Trom-
mid-October suspected to be induced by Trombiculidae. biculidae are known worldwide. Only a few have been iden-
tified on cattle [3]. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this
Material and methods: The herd consisted of 28 cows,
is the first report of Leptotrombidium sp. in cattle in Europe. A
including Jersey (21), Bretonne pie noir (3) and crossed
concurrent contributing role of biting flies cannot be excluded.
Abondance-Montbéliarde (4) breeds. Lactating cows (17) had
Finding lesions only in Jersey cows remained unexplained,
permanent grazing access except for indoor milking times
but could be hypothetically consistent with individual genetic
since June. In addition, they received hay, concentrate and
susceptibility to develop hypersensitivity reactions [4], or with
a vitamin/trace mineral supplement. Five 2-year-old and six
numerous predisposing breed factors (feeding habits, skin
1-year-old heifers had been permanently kept in two different
characteristics…).
meadows, with no contact between them or with adults, since
the beginning of the summer. Licking buckets of vitamin/trace Selected references:
mineral supplement were available. No antiparasitic treatment 1. Brennan, J.M. and M.L. Goff, Keys to the genera of

328
ORAL — Parasitism
chiggers of the western hemisphere (acarina: trom- herd to test for the presence of D. viviparus. We implemented
biculidae). J Parasitol, 1977. 63(3): p. 554-66. a targeted selective treatment in three positive dairy herds by
2. Shatrov, A.B., et al., Mouthparts in Leptotrombidium treating with injectable eprinomectine approximately 50% of
larvae (Acariformes: Trombiculidae). J Morphol, 2016. the dairy cows including clinically affected, primiparous and
277(4): p. 424-44. postpartum cows.The follow-up was implemented one and
three months after the targeted selected treatment by perform-
3. Gamboa, R., J. Velazquez, and M. Podesta, Trombid-
ing broncho-alveolar lavage and a pooled McKenna sedimen-
iosis en bovinos de Costa Rica. Ciencias Veterinarias,
tation. The farmers recorded clinical signs of dictyocaulosis at
1983. 2-3: p. 95-98. the herd level during the whole study period.
4. AHVLA disease surveillance report, Rhinitis associat- Results: In the three followed dairy herds, symptoms of
ed with allergic nasal granuloma in Jersey cattle. Vet dictyocaulosis vanished after the targeted selective treatment.
Rec, 2012. 171(19): p. 468-71. After the treatment, we assessed a dictyocaulosis incidence
Keywords: Jersey cows, eosinophilic, skin, Leptotrombid- rate of 2% by month during the whole follow-up, which indi-
ium, Trombiculidae. cates a low but persistent circulation of the parasite in the
herd. Clinical signs of dictyocaulosis remained very low to in-
existent in the three herds during the whole study period.
Conclusion: The targeted selective treatment implement-
ed in the three herds of this study was efficient to control dic-
PA-07 tyocaulosis at the herd levels. To our knowledge, this study is
the first to prove the potential interest of a targeted selective
Efficacy of a targeted selective treatment in dairy herds treatment to control dictyocaulosis at the herd level. These re-
affected by clinical dictyocaulosis sults should be confirmed in a larger study with more herds.
Thibaut Lurier1, Thomas Hilaire2, Claire Henon2, Philippe Camuset3, Keywords: Dictyocaulus viviparus - target selected treat-
Gilles Bourgoin4, Marie-Anne Arcangioli2. ment - dairy cattle - bronchoalveolar lavage - baermann sed-
imentation.
1
Université de Lyon, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA, Marcy l'étoile,
France; 2Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup, Marcy l'étoile, France;
3
SNGTV, Yvetot, France; 4Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS,
UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Marcy
l'étoile, France.
PA-08
Bovine dictyocaulosis is a pulmonary disease caused by Ctenocephalides felis (cat flea) infestation in neonatal dairy
the presence and development of the strongyle Dictyocaulus calves managed with deltamethrin pour-on in Australia.
viviparus in the trachea and bronchi of cattle. This parasite is Fei Man Bernice Tsoi, Jan Šlapeta, Michael Reynolds.
mostly observed in temperate countries, with potential import-
ant clinical and economical impacts. Individuals that already Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Sydney, Australia.
had contact with the parasite normally develop a strong ac-
quired immunity. However, when the first contact with the par- Objectives: Fleas are worldwide distributed hematoph-
asite was poor and the contamination of the environment is agous ectoparasites (Lawrence et al., 2019). The cat flea
high, clinical signs can occur. In such a context of clinical dic- (ctenocephalides felis) is considered the most pervasive flea
tyocaulosis outbreak in dairy herds, current recommendations with veterinary significance principally centred around owned
are to treat the whole herd with anthelmintic because of the dogs and cats (Rust, 2017; Šlapeta et al., 2011). From the
presence of subclinical infestations. However, current guide- veterinary perspective, livestock are rarely recognised as cat
lines against anthelminthic resistance recommend the use of flea hosts, or suffer from flea infestations (Araujo et al., 1998;
selective treatment on adult cattle in order to maintain a refuge Dryden et al., 1993; Kaal et al., 2006). Here we report on an
helminth population unexposed to anthelmintic. According to outbreak of a flea infestation in neonatal dairy calves in east-
the heterogeneity of acquired immunity in a herd, and hence, ern Australia.
of sensitivity of animals to parasitic infestation by D. viviparus,
Materials and Methods: The described events took place
an early targeted selective treatment of clinically affected and in April to June 2018 and included a group of calves (0–12
main shedders animals may be effective to control the disease weeks) on a privately owned dairy farm in eastern New South
in the herd. Such a strategy was never tested for dictyocaulo- Wales, Australia, under the care of the University Veterinary
sis and a field validation is thus necessary to ensure a proper Teaching Hospital, Camden, Livestock Unit. The farm oper-
control of ditycocaulosis at the herd level. ates an all year round calving herd of 600 Holstein-Friesian
Objectives: This study is a pilot study designed to assess cows and 400 youngstock.
the clinical relevance of a targeted selected treatment against All calves (n = 25) were individually restrained and their ear
D.viviparus at the beginning of a dictyocaulosis outbreak in tag recorded for numerical identification. The body condition
dairy herds. score (BCS) was assessed using the Penn State University
Materials and methods: In each herd with clinical signs method on a scale of 2–5, with 0.25 increments. A capillary
of dictyocaulosis, we performed broncho-alveolar lavage on 6 refill time (CRT) was evaluated for each calf. Fleas were col-
cows and a pooled McKenna sedimentation on 10 cows of the lected from the sternum and ventral inguinal area of the calves

329
ORAL — Parasitism
using a metal flea comb (JW Gripsoft Flea Comb, Australia). PA-09
Each calf was combed for 90 seconds in each area, 3 min-
utes per calf. The total flea count for both sites was reported. A Gastrointestinal Parasites in Australian pastoral lactating
commercially available deltamethrin pour-on formula (Arrest dairy cows
Easy-Dose, Virbac Animal Health, Australia) was used ac- Tom Loughnan1, David Beggs2, Peter Mansell2, Matthew Playford3.
cording to the registered label (1.9mg/kg). A Flea count was
performed immediately before each treatment, and two weeks Colac Vet Clinic, Colac, Australia; 2The University of Melbourne,
1
after the last treatment and the geometric mean calculated Melbourne, Australia; 3Dawbuts, Camden, Australia.
for the BCS and flea burden present. The flea reduction post
treatment was calculated as a percentage difference between Objectives: In Australian pastoral dairy systems, a variety
the pre-treatment and post-treatment geometric mean count. of ‘routine’ anthelmintic programs are used in lactating cows.
Statitical analysis was undertaken using the Mann-Whitney These programs vary from no use of anthelmintics to adminis-
test and exact P values calculated using GraphPad Prism 7.02 tration of two doses to cattle annually. This suggests that there
(GraphPad Software, CA) with significance level considered at may be either some overuse potentiating the development of
P-value<0.05. anthelmintic resistance, or underuse with consequential pro-
Results: In early April 2018 examination of 15 affected duction inefficiencies. We aimed to identify the predominant
calves (age 0–4 weeks) revealed a geometric mean bur- gastrointestinal parasites in recently calved dairy cows in
den of 41.51 (15–75) fleas (treatment group TA at timepoint south-west Victoria, Australia. We also assessed the different
1 {TA1}). The affected calves showed dull and quiet demea- anthelmintic management practices used on commercial, pas-
nour, with the geometric mean BCS of 2.67 (2–4). At eight ture-based dairy farms and their effect on measurable worm
weeks (TA4), all calves showed bright, alert and responsive burdens.
demeanour. The affected treated calves mean BCS was 4.04 Materials and Methods: The study included 18 commer-
(3.75–4.5) and mean count at TA4 was 2.29 (0–2) fleas on cial, pasture-based dairy farms in south-west Victoria, Aus-
affected treated calves (n = 10), representing a 94.8 % reduc- tralia. Faecal egg counts (FEC) were measured in recently
tion from TA1 count. In mid-April 2018, an examination of 10 calved cows (<30 days in milk). Fifteen primiparous and 15
calves (age<4 weeks) revealed a geometric mean burden of multiparous animals were selected based on age (multipa-
9.32 (2–33) fleas (treatment group TB at timepoint 1 [TB1]). rous; 3-4 animals from each age up to 6 years of age) and
Demeanour of all calves was bright, alert and responsive. The calving date. Parasitism of individual animals was assessed
geometric mean BCS was 3.79 (3–4.25). At four weeks (TB3), through ultra-sensitive FEC, sensitive to 2.5 eggs per gram
all 10 calves showed bright, alert and responsive demeanour. of faeces, in recently calved cows. These animals were sam-
The calves mean BCS was 3.67 (3.25–4). The mean count pled for individual FEC and pooled larval cultures (per group
at TB3 on the treated calves (n = 10) was 0.68 (0–4) fleas of 15 animals). Farm data such as recent anthelmintic use,
representing a 92.7 % reduction compared to TB1 counts.The management and cow body condition score (BCS) at sampling
initial flea burden between TA1 and TB1 (geometric mean) was recorded. Data analysis was undertaken using the Jamovi
was reduced by 77.5 % in the youngest calf category with no statistical package.
clinical disease apparent and improved BCS from 2.67 to 3.79 Results: Thirty-six per cent of all animals and 46% of
in calves at TB1, 4 weeks post first application of pour-on del- primiparous cows had FEC of greater than 2.5 eggs per gram
tamethrin. Both the flea count and BCS scores between TA1 (epg). Ostertagi ostertagi was the most commonly identified
and TB1 were significant (Mann-Whitney test, P-value<0.05). gastrointestinal nematode in all age groups and on all farms.
Conclusion: Deltamethrin is a synthetic insecticide struc- Cooperia oncophora were found to be the most frequent Coo-
turally based on natural pyrethrins (Mestres and Mestres, peria spp, however C. pectinate or C. punctata were also pres-
1992) and causes rapid knockdown effect through paralysis ent on some farms.
of the insect nervous system. In cattle in Australia, deltame- Multiparous cows in low BCS post calving are more likely
thrin is used for the treatment of lice and flies (Mestres and to have a FEC of greater than 5 epg. Herds utilising anthel-
Mestres, 1992). We took advantage of the existing registered mintic routinely during lactation or at drying off did not have
pour-on formulation for cattle, therefore assuring safety, and significantly different mean FEC or proportion of cows with
the knowledge that that the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis), is individual FEC > 0 compared to those which did not utilise an-
susceptible to its active ingredient based on previous studies thelmintics in lactating cows. Primiparous animals were more
in dogs. The application of deltamethrin pour-on achieved the likely to have a reduced FEC post calving if the most recent
objective of improving the health and welfare of the calves, anthelmintic was administered less than 50 days prior to calv-
through a reduction in the number of fleas. ing.
Keywords: Fleas, Neonatal, Calves, Deltamethrin. Conclusion: Measuring the FEC at a sensitivity of 2.5 epg
is an effective indicator that parasites are present in primipa-
rous dairy cattle and may still be useful in assessing the pres-
ence of infection in multiparous animals if BCS is low. Whilst
O. ostertagi is the most pathogenic and important gastrointes-
tinal nematode in south-west Victoria, Cooperia punctata or
C. pectinata are more prevalent than previously reported. In
some herds these parasite species are still abundant in mul-
tiparous animals in moderate levels.

330
ORAL — Parasitism
Anthelmintic use in Australian pasture-based systems In the field study, animals were randomized in a 1:3 ra-
during lactation or dry off is not likely to be effective at reduc- tio to serve as saline-treated control or to be administered
ing the worm burden of cows in early lactation. Further inves- Eprinomectin-PRI. Animals were weighed and fecal samples
tigation of timing and value of anthelmintic use in multiparous collected at intervals starting pre-treatment through 120 days
cattle is warranted. after treatment for fecal egg and lungworm larval counts. At
Keywords: Dairy, roundworms, FEC, Australia, gastroin- each site, six sentinel animals grazing in intervals with the
testinal parasites. study animals were necropsied to characterize the nematode
challenge of the study animals.
Results: As expected based on the release characteris-
tics from the Eprinomectin-PRI polymer-based formulation,
the eprinomectin plasma profile is characterized by an initial
PA-10 release peak (observed one to five days post administration)
declining into a ʻtroughʼ region which is followed by a sec-
Evaluation of the plasma profile and efficacy of eprinomectin ond peak around 80 to 100 days post administration and a
50 mg/mL prolonged-release injection administered at the subsequent rapid decline. Mean eprinomectin plasma con-
base of the ear of cattle in Europe centrations of >1 ng/mL were observed up to 126 days after
Eprinomectin-PRI administration. The basic pharmacokinetic
Dietmar Hamel1, Pascal Dumont2, Michael Kellermann1, Valerie
parameters (Cmax, Tmax, AUC) were comparable for male and
Kvaternick3, Becky Fankhauser2, Steffen Rehbein1.
female cattle (P>0.05).
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH, Rohrdorf, Germany;
1
The therapeutic efficacy studies demonstrated Eprinomec-
Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., Athens, Georgia,
2
tin-PRI is efficacious (>90%, P<0.05) against developing L4
United States; 3Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc.,, North Bunostomum phlebotomum, Cooperia oncophora/surnabada,
Brunswick, New Jersey, United States. C. punctata, Dictyocaulus viviparus, Haemonchus contortus,
Nematodirus helvetianus, Oesophagostomum radiatum, Os-
Objectives: To characterize the plasma profile and the tertagia ostertagi/lyrata, Trichostrongylus axei and T. colub-
therapeutic and preventive anthelmintic efficacy of eprinomec- riformis; against inhibited L4 Ostertagia spp., Cooperia spp.
tin 50 mg/mL prolonged-release injection (Eprinomectin-PRI) and Nematodirus spp.; and against adult B. phlebotomum,
when administered at 1 mL/50 kg bodyweight (equivalent to 1 Chabertia ovina, Cooperia curticei, C. oncophora/surnabada,
mg eprinomectin/kg) to cattle at the base of the ear in Europe. C. punctata, D. viviparus, H. contortus, Nematodirus battus, N.
Materials and methods: Data from one GLP study were helvetianus, O. radiatum, Oesophagostomum venulosum, O.
used to characterize the plasma profile of Eprinomectin-PRI. ostertagi/lyrata, O. leptospicularis, T. axei, T. colubriformis and
In this study, blood was drawn from male and female Simmen- Trichuris discolor.
tal cattle in intervals up to 136 days after Eprinomectin-PRI The persistent efficacy studies demonstrated Eprinomec-
administration and the plasma was analyzed for eprinomectin tin-PRI prevents the establishment (>90%, P<0.05) of B. phle-
levels using a HPLC method. botomum, D. viviparus, H. contortus, O. ostertagi/lyrata and
For the characterization of the efficacy, a total of 268 young T. colubriformis for minimum 120 days, and of C. oncophora/
cattle were included from four experimentally induced (96 an- surnabada, C. punctata and O. radiatum for minimum 100
imals) and one naturally acquired (16 animals) nematode in- days.
fection studies (three controlled studies to confirm the thera- Examination of the sentinel animals for characterization of
peutic efficacy against developing and inhibited fourth-stage the parasite challenge in the field study identified 18 species of
larval [L4] and adult nematodes; two controlled persistent ef- gastrointestinal nematodes, D. viviparus lungworms, and Mon-
ficacy studies) and one multicenter field efficacy study (four iezia spp. cestodes. At all post-treatment sampling intervals,
sites, 156 animals) which were compliant with VICH GCP Eprinomectin-PRI-treated cattle had significantly (P<0.0001)
and WAAVP and VICH anthelmintic evaluation guidelines. lower strongylid egg and Dictyocaulus larval counts than the
The studies included cattle of both sexes and several breeds controls with 98.8% and 100% reduction, respectively, af-
(Brown Swiss, Hereford, Holstein, Montbéliarde, Pinzgauer, ter 120 days of grazing and Eprinomectin-PRI-treated cattle
Simmental and various beef crosses) and were conducted in gained significantly (P<0.05) more weight than the controls.
France, Germany and the UK. Conclusions: Results of the studies consistently demon-
In each therapeutic efficacy study, cattle were randomly strated that Eprinomectin-PRI can provide high levels of con-
assigned to groups and received either saline (controls) or trol of all important nematode parasites of cattle including pre-
Eprinomectin-PRI (treated) when the parasites were devel- vention of infection for up to four months following a single
oping L4, inhibited L4 and/or or adult nematodes. In the two administration. The unique biphasic plasma profile supports
persistent efficacy studies, cattle were randomly assigned the efficacy demonstrated in the controlled and field efficacy
to controls (saline-treated) or two Eprinomectin-PRI-treated studies.
groups and were challenged daily with a combination of infec- Keywords: Eprinomectin prolonged-release injection, cat-
tive larvae of parasitic nematodes from 80 to 100 or 100 to 120 tle, efficacy, parasitic nematodes, plasma profile.
days after treatment. Percent efficacy was calculated based
on the comparison of geometric mean nematode counts of the
Eprinomectin-PRI-treated vs. control animals established fol-
lowing necropsy.

331
ORAL — Parasitism
PA-11 Conclusion: These results demonstrate the impact of low

to moderate FEC in growing cattle, thereby highlighting the
Productivity impacts of low to moderate faecal egg counts impact of the emerging problem of anthelmintic resistance in
in growing cattle: Implications from meta-regression of cattle and demonstrating the importance of integrated parasite
faecal egg count and average daily weight gain management.
Andrew Hancock1, Richard Shephard2, Matthew Playford3, Sally Shephard, RW, Hancock, AS, Playford, M, and Oswin S.
Oswin4. A systematic review and meta-analysis of impact of strongyle
parasitism on growth rates in young cattle. Under review.
Zoetis, Dublin, Republic of Ireland; 2Herd Health, Maffra, Australia;
1
Dawbuts, Camden, Australia; 4Zoetis, Sydney, Australia.

3 Keywords: faecal egg count, gastrointestinal parasitism,
productivity, average daily gain, anthelmintic resistance.
Objectives: Quantify the productivity impacts of low to

moderate faecal egg counts (FEC) in growing cattle using the
results of a meta-analysis and meta-regression of the associa-
tion between FEC and average daily weight gain (ADG).
PA-13
Material and Methods: To quantify the association be-
tween strongyle parasite burden and productivity, results were Attempts to achieve apparent (in the field) nematocidal
used from a meta-analysis and meta-regression of the rela- efficacy while using popular anthelmintics with varying
tionship between differences in FEC and ADG (Shephard et degrees of anthelmintic effectiveness
al., under review). In this process, papers from all continents
Tom Yazwinski, Chris Tucker, Eva Wray.
were included, and 27 publications containing 86 groups and
59 comparison ratios were analysed. This analysis identified Animal Science Department, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
a 0.127 linear reduction in average daily weight gain ratio for Arkansas, United States.
every log10 increase in the difference between comparison and
reference group faecal egg count. For example, compared
Objectives: The studies reported herein were conducted
with an animal with FEC of 1 egg/g, an animal with FEC of 10
to further assess the effectiveness of routinely-applied an-
eggs/g would have 12.7% lower ADG.
thelmintic treatment and then attempt to achieve efficacious
This association was then incorporated into a determin- treatment via means not normally used but which should be
istic model, with several input scenarios of starting FEC over put in place if the debilitating effects of nematode parasitism
two specified growing period durations (Table 1). Average dai- are to be addressed. For more than a decade, it has been
ly weight gains were determined based on the starting FEC, well recognized that there has been the lack of a commer-
compared with a referent FEC of 1 egg/g, and then extrapo- cially-available, single active, broad spectrum, efficacious an-
lated out for the specified growing period. The starting body- thelmintic for use in ruminants. Producers and veterinarians
weight for cattle in all scenarios was set at 100kg. who have recognized this shortfall, have attempted to achieve
Results: effective nematode control in a variety of husbandry (pasture
Table 1. Two scenarios of defined growing period, and de- management, dietary inclusions, grazing management, etc.)
fined target weight, at various starting FEC. and treatment (frequency, dose level, targeting, combinations,
etc.) schemes. Anthelmintic combinations, formulated as such,
represent a logical means of biding our time until a new, effica-
Growing Period 120 days cious compound becomes available. Said combinations have
Starting ADG (kg/day) Final Weight Difference in not become available in the USA, where it is now common that
FEC (kg) Final Weight (kg) combinations be actuated “animal side”; with the effectiveness
(eggs/g) Compared with FEC of some of these treatment practices evaluated in the studies
of 1 eggs/g reported here.
1 1.25 250 - Materials and Methods: In three recent field studies, we
10 1.09 228.5 -21.5 looked at apparent anthelmintic efficacies via the fecal egg
count reduction test (FECRT) in naturally-infected replacement
40 0.99 216.9 -33.1
and stocker cattle; assessing various single and combined an-
80 0.94 211.4 -38.6 thelmintics. In all instances, at least ten animals were placed
Target Weight 250kg in each treatment group, with fecal egg counts recorded for
Starting ADG (kg/day) Days to Reach Difference in Days to all animals on the days of treatment and again 14 days later.
FEC Target Weight Reach Target Weight Coprocultures were conducted on all individual fecal samples
(eggs/g) (d) Compared with FEC with egg counts > 20 eggs per gram (EPG).
of 1 egg/g
Results: In the first field study (utilizing beef steers), inject-
1 1.25 120 - able ivermectin and oral fenbendazole were evaluated at 1X
10 1.09 139 +19 and 2X prescribed dose rates, and as a combination of both at
1X. Neither treatment with ivermectin as the sole anthelmint-
40 0.99 152 +32
ic resulted in a FECR rate of > 47%. All treatment regimens
80 0.94 160 +40 wherein fenbendazole was used resulted in FECR rates >
99%. In the second field study (utilizing replacement heifers),

332
ORAL — Parasitism
1X dose rates of moxidectin injectable, moxidectin topical, matobia irritans) and their impact on grazing calves weight
ivermectin injectable, doramectin injectable and eprinomec- gain (Bos taurus x Bos indicus) in humid tropical farms of Ve-
tin long-range were evaluated. During the 14-day post-treat- racruz, México.
ment period, fecal egg counts actually rose for ivermectin Materials and methods: The study was conducted for 90
treated cattle (42%) and for doramectin treated cattle (9%). days and was carried out 4 farms located in the north-cen-
Treatment with moxidectin topical, moxidectin injectable and tral region of Veracruz, México with a humid warm tropical cli-
eprinomectin long range decreased egg counts by 6, 26 and mate. A total 100 calves (Bos taurus x Bos indicus cross) on
56%, respectively. As a follow-up to the second field study and four farms were included in the study. Farm 1 (T1): 40 calves
utilizing cattle from the same herd, oxfendazole and levam- (mean weight ± SD 174 kg ± 12.0 kg) were poured- on with
isole drenches, given separately at labeled dose rate, were Flumethrin (Bayer) 0.5% plus Ciflutrina 0.5% (1.0 ml/10 kg of
evaluated. Both treatments resulted in FECR rates > 98%. weight) on the back when the average fly infestation exceded
For the cattle used in the 3 field studies, Cooperia punctata 200 flies/animal; Farm 2: 32 calves (mean weight ± SD 109
and C. oncophora accounted for > 90% of the coproculture kg ± 20 kg) were sprayed with 22.47% Cypermethrin (Bayer)
larvae harvested on a treatment group basis at both pre- and spray (1.0 ml of 22.4 % formulation diluted with 1 litre of water)
post-treatment. when the average fly numbers infestation exceded 200 flies
Conclusions: It is generally accepted that FECR rates > per animal. Farm 3: 14 calves (mean weight ± SD 126 kg ±
90% are necessary in order for an anthelmintic to be assumed 35 kg were tagged with Diazinon (40%) impregnated eartags
to be effective. Given the results obtained herein, it is appar- and were given mineral salt mixed with oral Tetrachlorvinfos
ent that the avermectins (ivermectin, doramectin, eprinomec- larvicide (Bayer) at doses of 780.0 mg/animal/day from the
tin) are not effective at normal or double dose rates, and that start of trial and pour on application of Flumethrin 0.5% plus
moxidectin is not efficacious at 1X. Fenbendazole, oxfenda- Cyflutrin 0.5% (1.0 ml/10 kg weight) on the back of the animal
zole (benzimidazoles) and levamisole (an imidazothiazole) ad- when average fly infestation was greater than 200 flies/animal;
ministrations are still proving to be efficacious (> 90% FECR); Farm 4: 14 calves (mean weight ± SD 134 kg ± 16 kg were
a guarded assessment of true nematocidal effectiveness giv- given 25.0 g of mineral salt (Bayer) mixed with an oral Tetra-
en the potential disparity between egg count and worm count chlorvinfos larvicide (97.3%) at a dose of 780.0 mg/animal/day
reductions. Combinations of a macrocyclic lactone (ML) with from the start of trial. The animals were weighed and fly count-
a benzimidazole or imidazothiazole also result in acceptable ing were done at the beginning and every 15 days until the
FECR percentages, most likely due to the non-ML in the com- end of the study. The initial weights (IW), final (FW) and daily
bination. The implications of these findings, coupled with the weight gains (DWG) of calves and fly infestation (FI) were ana-
findings of many others, are that macrocyclic lactone use in lyzed using an ANOVA for completely random designs and the
cattle should be augmented with combination. Clearly, gastro- means were compared with the Tukey test.
intestinal nematodiasis is not being effectively abated with ML Results: The IW of T1 T2, T3 and T4 were 174.0±12.0,
use; use that results in: (1), prolonging the deleterious effects 109.0±20.0, 126.0±35.0 and 134 kg ±16.0 respectively, with
of subclinical infections, (2) perpetuation of the selection and no statistical differences between them (P> 0.05). The FW in
propagation of ML-resistant parasites, and (3), continued eco- T1 was 159.7±18 kg with a weight loss each animal in 90 days
nomic losses (wasted monies spent on non-efficacious prod- of 14.3±8.0 kg (P<0.05), coinciding with the high level of Hae-
ucts and continued poor animal health and productivity). At matobia irritans infestation, while the FW in T2, T3 and T4 the
the present time, we are clearly past the time of routine “ML calves had a weight 140.0±40 kg, 160.0±25 kg, 165.0±30 kg
remedy” for nematodiasis in herbivores. The looming query at respectively (P> 0.05). The infestation of flies in each calf for
hand is what we do presently to preserve animal health. T1, T2, T3 and T4 was 211, 135, 57, 113 respectively, T3 was
statistically different from the other treatments (P<0.05). Daily
Keywords: Cattle Nematodes, Effective Anthelmintics.
weight gains (DWG) were affected by the level of fly infestation
being the highest in T3 with 446.0 g/day/animal (P<0.05) while
in T2 and T4 it was 368.0 and 346.0 g/day. In T1 the aver-
age weight loss/animal during (90 days) was 14.3 kg ± 9.0 %
equivalent to $ 32.5 dollars/calf.
PA-14
Conclusion: The most effective protocol for the control of
Evaluation of four protocols for Haematobia irritans Haematobia irritans was T3, where a combination of eartags,
control and their impact on the productivity of grazing application of adulticide solution and oral use of a larvicide
calves on tropical farms in Veracruz resulted in higer weight. From return on investment point (ROI)
of view protocol (T3) offers a higher economic returns for farm-
Fernando Livas Calderón1, Eduardo Ramírez España1, Miguel Angel ers in the tropics.
Alonso Díaz2, Chandra Bhushan1. Keywords: Horn fly, Haematobia irritans, calves, grazing,
1
Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia. Universidad Nacional weight gains.
Autonoma de Mexico, Tlapacoyan, Veracruz, Mexico; 2 Facultad de
Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia. Universidad Nacional Autonoma
de Mexico, Tlapacoyan, VER, Mexico.
Objectives: The objective of the study was to compare dif-

ferent chemical control protocols on horn fly infestation (Hae-

333
ORAL — Parasitism
PA-15 Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche “Togo

Rosati”(IZSUM), Perugia, Italy.
Seroprevalence and risk factors associated with Toxoplasma
gondii in breeding ewes from western Mexico
Objectives: Coccidiosis, or Eimeriosis, is a common clini-
Jaime Alcalá Gómez1, Leticia Medina Esparza1, Teódulo Quezada cal or subclinical cause of poor performance, illness, and eco-
Tristán2, Carlos Cruz Vázquez1, Irene Vitela Mendoza1. nomic loss in dairy calves (Drackley J., 2008). The prevalence
Instituto Tecnológico el Llano Aguascalientes, El Llano, Aguascalientes,
1 of Eimeria infection in cattle is generally high (Daugschies A.
Mexico; 2Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, et al., 2005). As the epidemiology of Eimeria is different from
Aguascalientes, Mexico. farm to farm due to specific calves raising conditions, proper
coccidiosis’ control requires an understanding of the life cycle
and transmission dynamics (Keeton S. et al., 2018). The aim
The objective of the study was to determine the seroprev- of this analysis is to describe Eimeriosis’ age dynamics in Ital-
alence and risk factors associated with Toxoplasma gondii ian dairy cattle farms by summarizing the results of a coprolog-
in breeding sheep from western Mexico. 184 blood samples ical diagnostic service (Elancox) developed by Elanco Animal
were collected in six municipalities of the state of Jalisco, Mex- Health together with IZSUM laboratories.
ico. Sampling was performed by venipuncture of the jugular
Material and Methods: In this data analysis only dairy
vein using tubes without anticoagulant. To obtain serum, blood
cattle farms with Eimeria confirmed presence have been in-
samples were centrifuged at 3,000 revolutions per minute for
cluded. Individual fecal samples were collected directly from
five minutes. Serum was placed in 1.5 mL polystyrene tubes
the animal.
and stored at -20°C until use. Diagnosis was made using the
commercial ELISA kit [IDEXX Toxotest Ab Test, IDEXX Lab- Samples were grouped into pools and then processed us-
oratories, Inc., Westbrook, Maine], with 100% specificity and ing FLOTAC® double technique (Cringoli G. et al. 2010) with
98.9% sensitivity. The manufacturer's recommendations were sucrose and potassium iodomercurate (Rinaldi) solution. For
followed, diluting the sera 1:400; the plates were read at an Eimeria identification, feces were mixed with 2.5% potassium
optical density of 450 nanometers and a cut-off point of > bichromate solution and placed in a Roux bottle for 2 weeks,
0.30. Determination of positive and negative cases was per- at 25 °C, away from light. After incubation, samples with more
formed using xChekPlus software [IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., than 250 Eimeria oocyst per gram of feces (OPG) were exam-
Westbrook, Maine]. During the visit to the farms, a survey was ined at light microscope 400X and identified using morpholog-
applied with the objective of identifying possible risk factors, ical criteria described in literature.
through a logistic regression analysis, calculation of Odds Ra- Additional epidemiological data have been collected: num-
tio (OR) and Confidence Intervals (CI). The OR values were ber of animals on farm, mean age at weaning, mean calves’
estimated using the independent variables that showed sta- age for every pool.
tistical significance in the multivariate analysis (p < 0.05). The Results: From January to December 2021, 110 farm
analysis was carried out using the Statistics and Data Science samples (395 pools), belonging to 105 farms mainly located
(STATA) v. 10.1 software. An overall seroprevalence of 61.96%
in Northern Italy, have been analyzed. Herd size averaged
(114/184; 95% CI 62.09 – 61.81) was identified. The identified
586±558 animals; this variable was further divided in classes
risk factors were: Poor hygiene conditions (OR 12.5; 95% CI
for the data analysis: <400 animals (46%; n=50), between 400
3.4 - 45.1 P<0.05), Presence of cats (OR 9.5; 95% CI 1.9 -
and 800 animals (31%; n=34) and >800 animals (23%; n=25).
45.7 P<0.05), Presence of others domestic animals (OR 5.7;
95% CI 1.5 – 21.3 P<0.05), Urban context of the farm (OR 9.5; Each farm sample was composed by 1 to 6 pools. Species
95% CI 2.5 – 35.4 P<0.05) Public water supply (OR 5.3; 95% identification was possible in 68% (n=75) of the farm samples.
CI 1.0 – 26.1 P<0.05). In conclusion, T. gondii is an import- According to a previous study by these authors (Guadagni-
ant parasite in sheep farms in western Mexico, identifying a ni M. et al., 2021), Eimeria oocysts counts above 400 OPG
high seroprevalence that may be associated with reproductive were considered as high: 77% (n=85) of the samples had at
losses. The risk factors identified in this study may be useful least one pool with high oocyst count and 45% had 2 or more
to veterinarians in the region, farmers, and health personnel to high count pools. Overall, 10 species were identified with an E.
reduce exposure to this parasite and the damage it causes to zuerni prevalence of 88% (n=66), E. bovis 67%(n=50), E. al-
public and animal health. abamensis 15% (n=11), E. cylindrica 44% (n=33), E. ellypsoi-
dalis 69% (n=52), E. auburnensis 39% (n=29), E. subspherica
Keywords: Parasite, Protozoan, Serology, Sheep Farm,
16% (n=12), E. wyomingensis 9%(n=7), E. pellita 3%(n=2), E.
Mexico.
brasilensis 3%(n=2).
In 96% (n=72) of the samples at least one pathogenic spe-
cies was found (E. zuerni, E. bovis, E. alabamensis). Age at
sampling varied between 20 and 350 days, with an average of
107±54 days.
PA-16
Mean age at first detection of a high OPG count was 85±43
Eimeriosis age dynamics in Italian dairy cattle farms days, with 16% of the farm samples having a high OPG only
pre-weaning, 34% only post-weaning and 22% both pre- and
Marcello Guadagnini1, Alessandra Bazzucchi2, Marco Gobbi2,
post-weaning. Herds with more than 800 animals had higher
Nicoletta D'Avino2.
proportion of samples with at least 1 pool with high OPG (<400
Elanco Animal Health, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy;
1 2
Istituto animals= 68%; 400-800 animals= 79%; >800 animals=92%;

334
ORAL — Parasitism
p=0.04) and a different distribution of high counts over time sitological examinations, of bodyweight gain and feed conver-
(p=0.009) with more pre and post-weaning high counts com- sion ratio and of carcass characteristics.
pared to smaller herds (<400 animals=14%; 400-800 an- Results: There were no differences in mean epg counts
imals=24%; >800 animals=36%) and less pre-weaning only between the two groups at the start of the study: 545 for T
high counts (<400 animals=12%; 400-800 animals=27%; and 550 for C group (p=0.87), with 98% and 97% of larvae in
>800 animals=8%). Mean age at weaning was not correlated coprocultures identified as Haemonchus contortus. After treat-
with the risk of detecting high OPG, and no age pattern was ment, mean epg counts from T group were 0 until the end of
detected for any single Eimeria species. A positive correlation the study, whilst those from C group were >540 epg with ≥97%
was detected between age at weaning and the risk of detect- of larvae in coprocultures identified as Haemonchus spp.
ing high OPG pre-weaning(p=0.02). throughout the study. Animals in T group had a higher body-
Conclusion: Very little knowledge is described in literature weight gain and a better feed conversion ratio than animals in
regarding Eimeriosis age dynamics, as this aspect seem to be C group: 355.5 kg and 3.85 versus 254.5 and 6.07, respec-
farm specific and highly correlated with housing and manage- tively (p<0.0001 for all comparisons). Moreover, animals in
ment practices. Data presented in this work show that there T group yielded on average heavier carcasses and of better
is wide age range for Eimeriosis, and pathogenic species quality that carcasses yielded by animals in C group: 350.5 kg
detection is frequent. No Eimeria species pattern by age has of median U class (very good) with slight fat cover (2) versus
been recognized, but rather relevant differences have been 254.5 kg of median R class (good) with average fat cover (3),
described among farm size, with bigger farms having high respectively (p<0.01 for all comparisons).
chance to show high OPG counts and for a longer period. In Conclusions: The study evaluated the effects of Haemon-
summary, data confirm the key role of an accurate sampling chus infection on the production and carcass characteristics of
and diagnostics protocol, to determine farm specific Eimeria fattening calves in a long-term assessment. The results indi-
dynamics and build a control strategy. cated that Haemonchus-infected animals had adverse lower
Keywords: Eimeriosis, Age, Italy, Cattle. production characteristics (bodyweight gain and feed conver-
sion ratio) of calves and yield lighter carcasses of inferior qual-
ity than parasite-free animals.
Keywords: Haemonchus contortus, feed conversion rate,
PA-17
average daily gain, carcass, Limousine breed.
Effect of Haemonchus contortus on feed conversion rate,
average daily gain and carcass characteristics of Limousine-
cross calves
Konstantinos Arsenopoulos1, George Fthenakis2, Elias Papadopoulos1.
1
Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, School of Veterinary
Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece;
2
Veterinary Faculty, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece.
Objectives: The objective of the study was to evaluate the

potential effects of Haemonchus contortus infection on: (a) av-
erage daily gain and feed conversion ratio of Limousin-cross
male calves and (b) carcass yield and carcass quality at
slaughter.
Materials and Methods: The study was conducted for
200 days (April to October 2020) in an intensive-management
fattening farm with Limousin-cross male calves in Central
Greece. The animals (average age: 8.13 months), which had
been naturally infected, were allocated, based on age match-
ing, in two equal (n=12) groups, with animals that underwent
anthelmintic treatment (T group) and remained as untreated
controls (C group). Standard parasitological examinations
were performed throughout the study to monitor the gastroin-
testinal parasitic burden of all animals at weekly intervals. Five
days after group allocation, animals in group T were adminis-
tered ivermectin (dose rate: 200 μg per kg bodyweight) subcu-
taneously. Bodyweight of animals was measured at the start
and the end of the study. Consumption of feed (concentrate
and roughage) by animals of the two groups was calculated
daily. At slaughter, carcasses were weighed and assessed by
means of the standard EU scale for the classification of car-
casses of bovines for conformation class and fat cover class.
Statistical analysis was performed to compare results of para-

335
ORAL — Public Health, Food Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance
PH-01 incidence. The tendency of antimicrobial resistance, shown in

the different E. coli isolates that cause clinical mastitis, have
Antibiotic resistance and genomic characterization of slightly grown towards penicilin, cephalosporins and fluoro-
Enterobacteriaceae involved in bovine in mastitis using quinolones resistance. This is worrying, as these antibiotics
Nanopore technology are of great importance for human health, according to WHO
Maria Eugenia Revilla Ruiz1, Carlo De La Serna1, Irene Sanchez1, and the One Health approach. In the collected isolates during
R. Matamoros Bosco1, Jose Delgado1, Emilia Wedel1, Manuel Ares1, 2019 we can observe an extensive resistance to ampicillin
Natalia Montero,1, Carlos Martin2, Víctor García2, Bruno González with resistance to to 3rd generation cehalosporins. The genes
Zorn1. encoding these resistances are also found in human isolates.
The levels of resistance found underline the imortance of re-
Antimicrobial Resistance Unit, Department of Animal Health and
1
ducing the use of antibiotics to preserve their action as long
VISAVET, Veterinary Faculty, Complutense University of Madrid, as possible
Madrid, Spain; 2Calidad Pascual, Madrid, Spain. Keywords: Mastitis, antibiotic resistance, Escherichia coli.
Objectives: Bovine mastitis is the most common and

costly disease in dairy cattle. Among the causative pathogens,
Escherichia coli has recently emerged as one of the most
prevalent causative agents. Mastitis treatment is mainly based PH-02
on the use of antibiotics, being one of the main causes for an-
tibiotic use in farms. The use of antibiotics is considered a risk
factor in the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria. There- Molecular diagnosis of Coxiella burnetii in bovine milk
fore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the presence tank from small rural properties in Brazil
of resistance determinants in mastitis pathogens from Spanish
Simone Baldini Lucheis1, Thainá Valente Bertozzo2, Amanda Bezerra
dairy farms.
Bertolini3, Suzane Manzini2, Marcela Alexandrino2, Maria Eduarda
Materials & Methods: More than 10.000 bacterial isolates Cavalheiro2, Jackieline Sampaio Steinle3, Andresa Xavier Frade
were recovered over the past 10 years from clinical and sub- Gomes3, Isabella Neves Aires4, Nassarah Jabur Lot Rodrigues2, Maria
clinical mastitis. The causative agents and their antimicrobial Izabel Merino De Medeiros1, Virgínia Bodelão Richini-Pereira5.
resistance pattern was recorded. Further, mastitis30 isolates
from both clinical and subclinical mastitis from different dairy
1
Paulista Agency of Agribusiness Technology - APTA, Bauru, Brazil,
farms in Spain collected during 2019. Bacterial identification Bauru, Brazil; 2Department of Tropical Diseases and Image Diagnosis,
was performed using MALDI-TOF (Matrix Assisted Laser De- São Paulo State University, Botucatu, Brazil; 3Department of Animal
sorption/Ionization- Time of flight). Agar disk diffusion method Production and Preventive Veterinary Medicine, São Paulo State
was used to determine the susceptibility of all isolates. 15 E. University, Botucatu, Brazil; 4Department of Biology, São Paulo State
coli isolates were tested for their antimicrobial susceptibility University, Bauru, Brazil; 5Adolfo Lutz Institute, Regional Laboratory
against fourteen antibiotics via Minimal Inhibitory Concentra- of Bauru, Brazil, Bauru, Brazil.
tion (MIC), based on the criteria of the European Comittee on
Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST). All E. coli iso- Objectives: Therefore, the aim of this study was to investi-
lates were sequenced using Nanopore technology in order to gate Coxiella burnetii in milk from cattle from small rural prop-
determine its resistance genes. erties in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
Results: Analyzing the trends in antimicrobial resistance Material & Methods: Milk samples from bulk tank were
over the last 10 years, we can observe the resistance to ampi- collected from 102 family farms and sent to the laboratory
cillin has been maintained in these 10 years. Ampicillin, amox- for molecular testing. DNA extraction from milk samples was
icillin clavulanic and trimethoprim/sulfamide are the antibiotics performed and subsequently the polymerase chain reaction
with the highest levels of resistance. We observed that the (PCR) was performed using specific primers targeting the C.
bacteria that is causing the highest number of clinical mastitis burnetii IS1111 transposase region. For the conventional PCR
is E.coli, followed by Streprococcus uberis; on the other hand the set of primers Trans1/Trans2 were used and for the nested
Streptococcus uberis and coagulase negative S. aureus are PCR, the primers N3+ and N4- were used. Then, electropho-
the ones that cause subclinical mastitits. resis was performed to estimate possible positive bands, and
E. coli was detected in 15 samples, Klebsiella oxytoca was negative and positive controls were used.
detected in 2 samples, Klebsiella pneumonie was detected in Results: Of the one hundred and two samples collected,
2 samples. The highest antimicrobial resistance was observed 16 (15.6%) were positive for the bacteria by molecular tests.
for sulfonamides and tetracyclines due to the presence of the Subsequently, these positive samples were sequenced and
genes sul1, sul2, sul3, tet(A), tet(B), tet(M), blaTEM-1B, blaTEM-1A, compared with sequences in Blastn. The samples demonstrat-
blaCARB-2. These genes are related with mobile elements that ed a similarity level of 98.4 to 100% with the samples in the
can favour the dissemination of resistance genes to other bac- database.
teria. Conclusion: The presence of the bacterium in milk
Conclusions: The main pathogens that cause mastitis are demonstrates the need for its active research into properties,
Streptococcus uberis, coagulase negative Staphylococcus, as it can cause economic losses and infect humans. In addi-
Staphylococcus coagulase positive, E. coli and Klebsiella spp. tion, it demonstrates the circulation of C. burnetii in different
Staphylococcus coagulase negative, the bacteria with a higher municipalities, showing that the bacteria have the potential to

336
cause outbreaks and cases of Q fever. Therefore, it is neces- atives, as well as contamination environmental, since Toxo-
sary that surveillance be carried out continuously so rural pro- plasma gondii is reported worldwide. Other diagnostic tests,
ducers can be made aware and to draw the attention of public like bioassay in experimental animals, would be opportune to
health agencies to the adverse effects of infection by the agent validate the infection capacity of these samples.
and contamination of food, such as milk and its by-products, Keywords: Toxoplasmosis, Bulk tank, Bovine milk, Molec-
in addition to contamination environmental, since Coxiella bur- ular diagnosis, Zoonosis.
netii is reported worldwide.
Keywords: Coxiellosis, Q Fever, Bulk tank, Bovine milk,
Molecular diagnosis.
PH-04
Antimicrobial resistance profiles of Escherichia coli from

PH-03 dairy farms participating on an antimicrobial stewardship
educational training program for farm employees
Molecular investigation of Toxoplasma gondii in raw bovine
Adriana Garzon1, Rafael Portillo2, Gregory Habing2, Noelia Silva-
milk from small rural properties in Brazil
Del-Rio3, Betsy Karle4, Richard Pereira3.
Simone Baldini Lucheis1, Suzane Manzini2, Amanda Bezerra 1
Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of
Bertolini3, Thainá Valente Bertozzo2, Marcela Alexandrino2,
Veterinary Medicine,University of California, Davis, Davis, United
Nassarah Jabur Lot Rodrigues2, Maria Eduarda Cavalheiro2,
States; 2Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, College of
Jackieline Sampaio Steinle3, Andresa Xavier Frade Gomes3, Isabella
Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, United
Neves Aires4, Maria Izabel Merino De Medeiros1, Virgínia Bodelão
States; 3Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School
Richini-Pereira5.
of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, United
1
Paulista Agency of Agribusiness Technology - APTA, Bauru, Brazil; States; 4Cooperative Extension, Division of Agriculture and Natural
2
Department of Tropical Diseases and Image Diagnosis, São Paulo Resources, University of California, Davis, Orland, United States.
State University, Botucatu, Brazil; 3Department of Animal Production
and Preventive Veterinary Medicine, São Paulo State University,
Botucatu, Brazil; 4Department of Biology, São Paulo State University, Objective: The increase in antimicrobial resistant (AMR)
Bauru, Brazil; 5Adolfo Lutz Institute, Regional Laboratory of Bauru, bacteria is one of the biggest public health threats of our time.
Brazil., Bauru, Brazil. Although current AMR is monitored through reports such as
the U.S. National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System
integrated report, there is a knowledge gap for on-farm AMR
Objectives: This study aimed to investigate Toxoplasma monitoring data. Our goal was to evaluate the antimicrobial
gondii in 102 samples of bovine milk from expansion tanks, resistance of Escherichia coli (EC) from pooled fecal samples
in small properties located in different cities of the Midwest before and after implementation of an on-farm animal health
region of São Paulo, Brazil. and diagnostic training program for farm workers in antimicro-
Material & Methods: Samples from bulk tank milk were bial stewardship in adult dairy cattle.
collected from 102 family farms. The collection of milk samples Methods: Pooled fecal pat samples were collected from
was approved by the Ethics Committee on the Use of Animals the hospital pen (cows treated with antimicrobials with a milk
– CEUA – protocol 1367/2020, of the Botucatu Medical School withhold period), the fresh pen (1 to 3 DIM) and the mid-lacta-
- UNESP. The samples were submitted to DNA extraction us- tion pens (90 to 150 DIM) in conventional dairies in CA (n=9)
ing the commercial GFX Genomic Blood Kit (GE Healthcare) and OH (n=9). Fecal samples were collected as part of a
with modifications and subsequently the polymerase chain re- larger study with a quasi-experimental design that assigned
action (PCR) was performed using specific primers targeting farms to training intervention group (TG; 9 per state) or control
the Toxoplasma gondii ITS1 region. For the PCR the set of group (CG; 3 per state). For the TG, farm worker(s) identified
primers NN1 and NN2 were used and for the nested PCR, the as having the task of diagnosis and treatment of adult cows
primers TgNP1 and TgNP2 were used. The amplicons were on the farm participated in training program on antimicrobial
subjected to 2% agarose gel electrophoresis, with fragments stewardship practices. Samples were collected at enrollment
amplified at 227 bp. and three months after completing the intervention. For each
Results: Thirteen samples (12,74%) were positive for T. pooled sample, EC was isolated. Standard culture, antimicro-
gondii. bial sensitivity testing using the broth microdilution approach,
Conclusion: The presence of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in and categorization of isolates as susceptible, intermediate, or
milk demonstrates the need for investigated into properties, resistant was used. Logistic regression models were used to
due it can cause economic losses and infect humans. In ad- evaluate the association between EC antimicrobial resistance
dition, it demonstrates that circulation of T. gondii in different profiles and farm-level factors.
municipalities, showing the potential to cause outbreaks and Results: A total of 504 EC isolates were tested for anti-
cases of Toxoplasmosis. Therefore, it is necessary that sur- microbial susceptibility. All isolates were susceptible to azith-
veillance be carried out continuously and to draw the attention romycin and sulfisoxazole. The antimicrobial resistance more
of public health agencies to the adverse effects of infection by commonly found was against tetracycline (TET, 18.3%), strep-
the agent and contamination of food, such as milk and deriv- tomycin (STR, 16.3%), ceftriaxone (AXO, 10.7%) and ampicil-

337
lin (AMP, 11.1%). Resistance to ceftiofur (XNL) was only found through determining ESBL production by E. coli isolates from
in 1.98% of the isolates, one of the most commonly used drug 32 dairy farms.
on the study farms to treat sick cows, while 15.3% isolates Material & Methods: In each farm, fecal samples were
were classified as multidrug resistant. Among the most com- collected from the rectum of five healthy calves in the first
monly found MDR patterns were streptomycin-ceftriaxone-tet- month of life and pooled into a single container. Five isolates
racycline (n=5), streptomycin-chloramphenicol-tetracycline from each sample were selected and confirmed to be E. coli
(n=5), and streptomycin-ampicillin-chloramphenicol-tetracy- by amplification of the 16S gene. ESBL production was deter-
cline (n=4). mined phenotypically on 148 isolates from 31 farms by use
No significant effect on the proportion of AMR isolates was of antimicrobial susceptibility testing to cefotaxime, ceftazidine
found associated to the intervention compared to the control both alone and after impregnation with clavulanate. Genotypic
farms. However, the univariate analysis showed that samples confirmation of ESBL production was performed by PCR for
from OH had a higher proportion of AMR isolates to nalidix- the genes blaCTX-M-1, -2, -8, -9 and blaCMY-2. A question-
ic acid (NAL) and TET, while samples from CA had a higher naire was performed regarding potential risk factors for the
proportion of isolates resistant to XNL. There was also a high- emergence of antimicrobial resistance. A univariate analysis
er proportion of EC isolates resistant to STR, XNL and TET was performed to evaluate which risk factors should be in-
from the enrollment visit compared to the visit after interven- cluded in a multivariable logistic regression. Statistical anal-
tion was completed. Finally, samples from the fresh cow pen ysis was performed with the software R®, version 3.5.1, with
had significantly higher proportion of EC isolates resistant to p<0.05 considered statistically significant.
cefoxitin (FOX), STR, AMP and NAL, while samples from the Results: Phenotypically 40 E. coli isolates from 15 farms
hospital and mid-lactation pens had higher proportion of iso- (48.4%) were found, whereas genotypically 55 isolates from
lates resistant to XNL and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (AUG), 20 farms (64.5%) were found. The questionnaire revealed
respectively. that 28 out of 31 farms (90.3%) fed waste milk to calves. On
Conclusion: Differences on the antimicrobial resistance all of the farms that had this practice, waste milk comprised
profiles of Escherichia coli from dairy farms included in this milk from animals being treated with antimicrobials and milk
project were detected, and although, there was not a signif- originating from animals during the withdrawal period for an-
icant difference in the AMR profiles after the educational in- timicrobial treatment. For 17 of the farms, waste milk also in-
tervention, this supports the need for more research to get a cluded milk from animals with high somatic cell counts. On 7 of
better understanding of the resistome and its changes over the 31 farms an antimicrobial was added to milk, either waste
time on dairy farms. milk or milk replacer, in a preventative way. The questionnaire
also revealed that the number of different intramammary tubes
Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance, education, cattle.
used as treatment options for mastitis in the past year varied
from 1 to 7. The multivariate analysis identified feeding milk
with preventative antimicrobial to calves as the main risk factor
with this routine leading to a 2.5 times higher risk of calves in
their first month of life shedding ESBL-producing E. coli. An-
PH-05 other risk factor identified by our study was the use of a higher
number of antimicrobial treatment options for the treatment of
ESBL resistance genes in fecal E. coli of calves fed waste mastitis, which led to a 1.3 times higher risk of calves shedding
milk with antimicrobial residues ESBL-producing E. coli on those farms. In our study, feeding
Manuel Cardoso1, Inês Prata1, Inês Rebelo2, Telmo Nunes1, Carla waste milk to calves was not significantly associated with an
Carneiro1, Ricardo Bexiga1. increased risk for the presence of E. coli producing ESBL in
the faeces of calves in the first month of life, although farms
Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, ULisboa, CIISA, Lisboa, Portugal;
1
that had this routine, had a 5.2 higher risk of ESBL-producing
Proleite, Oliveira de Azeméis, Portugal.
2
E. coli.
Conclusion: Feeding waste milk to calves was a very
Objectives: Beta-lactamases are enzymes capable of common practice on the participating farms, with it including
hydrolysing β-lactam antimicrobials, conferring resistance to milk from animals under antibiotic treatment, during the with-
Gram-negative bacteria. Among β–lactamase enzymes, the drawal period for antibiotic treatments and milk from animals
extended-spectrum β–lactamase enzymes (ESBL) provide re- with subclinical mastitis. Some farmers also added antibiotic
sistance to a wide variety of β-lactam antimicrobials including to waste milk to prevent neonatal calf diarrhea, a procedure
penicillin and 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins. In- that increased significantly the likelihood of calves in their first
fections caused by Gram-negative bacteria harbouring these month of life shedding ESBL-producing E. coli in their feces.
enzymes are challenging to treat and have increased in inci- The other risk factor that significantly contributed to this out-
dence in the human as well as in the dairy cattle population. come was the use of a higher number of intramammary antibi-
Feeding waste milk to calves, a mixture of excess colostrum, otic options to treat mastitis.
transition milk and non-saleable milk from cows that are being Keywords: ESBL, waste milk, calves, antimicrobial resis-
treated with antimicrobials, has been observed to lead to in- tance.
creased antimicrobial resistance in faecal isolates of calves.
This study aimed to evaluate the association between feed-
ing waste milk to calves and the occurrence of antimicrobial
multi-resistance by extended spectrum β-lactamase enzymes

338
PH-06 respectively). Category I AMs were more frequently used

as intramammary than injectable formulations. A positive
An observational cohort study on antimicrobial usage in and linear association was identified between herd size and
dairy farms from Québec, Canada global AMU. A positive and non-linear association was iden-
Hélène Lardé, David Francoz, Marie Archambault, Jonathan Massé, tified between diseases level and global AMU. Incidence of
Jean-Philippe Roy, Simon Dufour. diseases only explained 31% of the global AMU, and 2.2% of
Category I AMU.
Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Canada.
Conclusion: This study provides a detailed description
Quantification of antimicrobial use (AMU) is crucial to of the AMU over one year on Québec dairy farms. Oral and
measure the impact of intervention programs targeting a more intrauterine formulations were infrequently collected and other
judicious use, to determine associations between usage and methods of data collection should be considered to obtain a
resistance, to compare populations and to promote bench- more complete picture of AMU for these formulations. The
marking. technique based on garbage can audit could be imperfect and
Objectives: The objective of the study was to describe incomplete for reporting on AMU in dairy farms; other methods
quantitatively AMU in Québec dairy herds over one year as such as using veterinary prescriptions (or invoices) or treat-
a whole, then by administration route (intramammary, inject- ment records could be used in Québec to estimate the AMU.
able, oral, intrauterine), and by category based on importance This study highlights that AMU is positively associated with
in human medicine according to Health Canada (4 categor- herd size (mainly for Category IV AMs) and with level of dis-
ies: Category I “Very high importance”, II “High importance”, III eases.
“Medium importance”, and IV “Low importance”). A secondary Keywords: Antimicrobial usage, dairy cattle, defined
objective was to evaluate the effect of herd size, production course dose, garbage can audit, quantification.
level, and disease level on AMU.
Material & Methods: Data were obtained from 101 dairy
farms randomly selected in 3 regions of the Québec prov-
ince of Canada (Montérégie, Estrie, Centre-du-Québec) by
collecting and recording all empty drug packaging between PH-07
spring 2017 and spring 2018 (garbage can audit method).
The quantity of medicated feed sold during the same period Salmonella eradication on 57 dairy cattle farms in Finland
was obtained directly from the feed mills. Antimicrobial usage
was reported in number of defined course doses (DCDbovCA) Olli Ruoho1, Leena Seppä-Lassila2, Miia Kontturi2.
per 100 cows-year (calculated as a whole, by administration Animal Health ETT, Seinäjoki, Finland; 2Finnish Food Authority,
1
route, and by category). The intramammary route was separ- Helsinki, Finland.
ated between antimicrobial agents (AMs) administered during
lactation for treatment of mastitis and AMs administrated at the
time of drying-off. The oral route was separated between AMs Objectives: Finland has a salmonella control program that
administered as individual treatments (boluses, oral solutions, covers cattle, pigs, and most of the poultry species. The aim of
etc.) and AMs administered in the feed. The participating dairy the control program is to maintain Salmonella prevalence of all
producers completed an in-person questionnaire between serotypes below 1% in the food chain and thus reduce the risk
January and March 2018. The number of dairy cattle in the of human salmonellosis. If Salmonella is detected on a farm
farm was collected by age group, as well as the amount of or at the slaughterhouse sampling, it must be eradicated from
milk produced. Questions were asked regarding number of the farm. On a dairy farm eradication includes e.g., sampling
animals experiencing some common diseases during the last of animals and the environment, eliminating the possible infec-
12 months by age group. Effect of herd size, production level, tion source, and thorough cleaning and disinfection. For the
and diseases level on AMU was evaluated by using negative present group insurances through dairies have been available
binomial regression models. A predictive model was also built for farms to partly cover the costs of eradication.
to predict how the level of infectious diseases on a farm could Our aim was to investigate Salmonella eradications on
explain its AMU. dairy farms, describe the principles of the eradication process
Results: The average size of the population was 66.5 and to clear out the most likely cause of the infection. Based
cows per farm (range 20-150); 2/101 farms were organic. on these findings, it would be easier to advice the prevention
Overall, a median of 429 DCDbovCA /100 cows-year was and guide the eradication of Salmonella on dairy herds.
used. The most frequent administration was through the Materials and methods: Our data included 57 dairy
intramammary route: median of 161 and 67 DCDbovCA herds with Salmonella infection and an eradication that an ex-
/100 cows-year for lactating and dry cow formulations re- perienced veterinary advisor (Dipl. ECBHM Olli Ruoho) had
spectively. A median of 47 and 12 DCDbovCA /100 cows- planned and guided during 2009–2019. These dairy herds
year was observed for the injectable route and the feed route had an average 76 milking cows (range 17-260). The most
respectively. The intrauterine route and the oral individual common serotypes detected were S. Typhimurium (n=30),
route (other than in the feed) were infrequently used (median S. Enteritidis (n=11) and S. Altona (n=4). We calculated the
of 0 DCDbovCA /100 cows-year). Category II antimicrobials length of the eradication from the start and end date of the
were the most frequently used (median 181 DCDbovCA /100 official restrictions of the farm prescribed by legislation. Based
cows-year), followed by categories III, I, and IV antimicrob- on environmental and animal sampling at the beginning of the
ials (median of 79, 62, and 23 DCDbovCA /100 cows-year eradication process, we defined the Salmonella infection of

339
the farm as non-existent, restricted, average, or vast. 10 mL raw milk using a fixed angle rotor at 30 minutes and
Results: The eradication lasted 21-533 days (mean 114, 2,000 x g and 5 mL raw milk using a "swing out" rotor at 30
median 90). It lasted longer (52-533 days, mean 156, median minutes and 4,000 x g. For both settings, half of the volume of
120) on 31 farms (54%) where the infection was considered as feed added was recovered as the water phase. For the anal-
average or vast at the beginning. Other typical reasons for a ysis of the water phase, an ion chromatography system was
prolonged eradication were: if the source of the infection was used, the 930 Compact IC Flex System with Dosin gradient
undetected at the beginning, if salmonella positive animals technology for the determination of anions after sequential
were not culled in time, if cleaning and disinfection procedures suppression and conductivity detection (IC-CD). For each
were inadequate or lack of labour leading to exhaustion. On 46 determination, 0.25 mL of water phase was injected into the
farms (81%) the source of the infection was birds or rodents, analyser. At the beginning of the development, the anion ma-
and in most of these cases birds. Occasionally, the possible trix in the water phase was collected from milk samples that
source was Salmonella positive animals, humans, or contam- were free of chlorate and perchlorate. To improve the detec-
inated feed. However, the management of salmonella risk in tion limit, the characteristic anion matrix of the water phase
commercial feeds is at a high level in Finland. has been subtracted when evaluating the results. The chlorate
and perchlorate content was determined using spiked sam-
Conclusions: Eradicating Salmonella from a dairy farm
ples in standard series and also in native samples. In order
is possible. However, proper planning is essential as well as
to obtain comparability with previously used methods, the in-
working systematically throughout the eradication process.
vestigated raw milk samples were simultaneously analysed in
Furthermore, a competent supervision and guidance during
a contract laboratory using the modified Quppe method and
the process are important as well as having enough skilled
liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry cou-
labour on the farm. Nevertheless, the focus should be on Sal-
pling (LC-MS/MS).
monella prevention by improving the on-farm biosecurity like
protecting the barn and especially feed storage from birds in Results: In direct comparison to well-established sample
a way that there will be no easy access to feed. This includes preparation methods, such as Quechers and Quppe, there is a
furnishing the barns with anti-bird nets, covering all the feed significant saving in working time and thus personell costs due
storage, maintaining the barn and farm area tidy that uneaten to the passive sample preparation using a table top centrifuge.
feed is taken away regularly, and enhancing the overall pest In addition, the complete elimination of extraction solvents or
control. Moreover, the whole sector should discuss the means other additives leads to further cost savings in the laboratory
how to reduce the risk of spreading Salmonella infections from process chain, simultaneously excluding the risk of unwanted
dairy farms to calf rearing units and thereby to beef production contamination. In the water phase, detection limit of 0.003 mg/
chain since all calves can not be tested against Salmonella. kg chlorate and perchlorate could be achieved by using IC-
CD. In the analysis of the water phase by means of LC-MS/MS
Keywords: Salmonella eradication, dairy cattle,
detection limit of down to 0.001 mg/kg chlorate and perchlo-
biosecurity.
rate could be achieved.
Conclusions: The application of the fractionation unit
(FraMiTrACR C/PC) shows that it is possible to determine
defined analytes directly from the water phase of the milk
without further preparation. The advantage of this method is
PH-08
that milk samples are prepared in one step, passively and
Fractionation of milk for trace analysis of contaminants without further additives. This leads not only to a reduction
and residues in personnel costs by reducing the active working time of the
laboratory staff, but also to a reduction in the costs of operat-
Jan Steils1, Christian Baumgartner1, Klaus Schöne2. ing resources, stock-keeping and stock management of oper-
1
PureMilk analytical GmbH, Pörnbach, Germany; 2Sartorius Lab ating resources. Sample contamination is prevented as well,
Instruments GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen, Germany. as the sample only needs to be filled into the fractionation unit
(FraMiTrACR C/PC) and then closed. The risk of carry-over or
contamination within the laboratory can thus be reduced to a
Objectives: Contamination of dairy products with deter- minimum. With the method described, it will also be possible,
gents and disinfectants and their degradation products such depending on the analytical equipment available, to analyse
as chlorate and perchlorate raise challenges for stakeholders raw milk just-in-time before processing. It should be empha-
in the dairy food chain, as these substances are a potential sised that sample preparation and subsequent analysis using
threat for food safety. The aim of this work was to develop a a comparatively low-cost method, IC-CD, led to comparable
passive sample preparation for raw milk, apart from the well- results to sample preparation using the modified Quppe meth-
known Quechers or Quppe methods, which does not require od and analysis by LC-MS/MS. In the methods compared, the
any additional extraction agents and enables a cost-effective limit of quantification was 0.01 mg/kg chlorate and perchlorate
just-in-time analysis of milk raw materials for chlorate and per- and the detection limit was below 0.01 mg/kg chlorate and per-
chlorate. chlorate. This also shows that the sample preparation method
Materials and Methods: Unprocessed raw milk was can be used universally for many other analytical methods.
separated into the phases “water”, “fat” and “protein”, using Basically, the fractionation unit (FraMiTrACR C/PC) opens up
a fractionation unit (FraMiTrACR C/PC®). The separation by new possibilities for residue and contaminant determination
FraMiTrACR C/PC® requires the use of a standard table top in dairy products. More analytes will be investigated with this
centrifuge. Different sample volumes were processed, both method in further studies.

340
Keywords: Fractionation, milk, residues, chlorate, per- sociation of knowledge and AMU with demographic character-
chlorate. istics, attitudes and other various factors such as frequency of
contact with the veterinarian and implementation of AMU best
practices. Significant explanatory variables from univariable
analysis (P<0.2) were included in multivariable logistic regres-
sion models for the two outcomes.
PH-09 Results: The survey was completed by 61 respondents
(7.3 % of the total target population). Overall, farmers ex-
Knowledge, behaviours and attitudes of Scottish dairy pressed good understanding of the phrase antimicrobial resis-
farmers towards antimicrobial use tance (AMR) however, 31 % thought antibiotics were effective
Elena Borelli, Kathryn Ellis, Martin Tomlinson, Emily Hotchkiss. against viruses and 25 % against parasites. The vast major-
ity (90%) had implemented practices to reduce AMU, such
University of Glasgow - Veterinary School, Glasgow, United Kingdom. as written treatment protocols and selective dry cow therapy.
Additionally, 70 % expected a further reduction in AMU in the
Objectives: Scientific evidence demonstrates that antimi- future. Limited knowledge and poor facilities were reported as
crobial usage (AMU) in animals may contribute to the emer- the main barriers. It was found that veterinarians are usually
gence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In the UK, dairy not consulted before treating animals with antibiotics, even if
farmers can administer antibiotics without the veterinarian be- they are regarded as the most influencing and reliable source
ing present and thus, they play a crucial role in the decision of information. The majority of farmers (89 %) thought it was
making around AMU. Further understanding of how antimicro- important to reduce AMU on farm; however, only half of them
bials are used in dairy production as well as stakeholder be- were concerned about AMR in the dairy sector. Future work
liefs relating to their use is essential to help ensure responsible will look at associations between outcomes, such as farmer
AMU. To the authors’ knowledge, no work to date has been knowledge and AMU, and selected explanatory variables.
carried out exploring these aspects in the Scottish dairy sec- Conclusions: For dairy practitioners, understanding farm-
tor. Therefore, the aims of this study were: to identify the fac- ers behaviour and attitudes is essential to engage with them
tors influencing knowledge, AMU and attitudes towards AMR towards antimicrobial usage reduction. These preliminary re-
and to determine the barriers and motivators to uptake of best sults suggest farmers’ need for more training and support for
practice recommendations. responsible AMU and veterinary practitioners have a key role
Materials and Methods: To address this study, a ques- on this. Farmers generally agreed on the importance to reduce
tionnaire was designed for administration via an online survey; AMU; however, they often do not perceive AMR as a current
the target population was Scottish dairy farmers (n=840). To threat to their own farm. It is important for veterinarians to con-
inform the design of the questionnaire, a focus group and a sider the different levels of attitude and awareness of farmers
workshop were held with representatives of the industry with in order to implement tailored interventions.
the aim of eliciting free discussion around the topics of AMU Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance, dairy, farmer be-
and AMR. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus haviour.
group was held via Zoom, and participants (n=5) were a con-
venience sample of farmers. The workshop was part of an on-
line agricultural event (Agriscot).
The questionnaire was structured in four main sections.
Section One explored farmers’ awareness and understanding PH-10
of antibiotics and AMR. Section Two contained some ques-
tions to identify factors that may influence farmers’ AMU, as Antimicrobials resistance in Escherichia coli and
well as the main barriers and drivers for responsible usage. In Enterococcus fecalis commensal bacteria in north-eastern
addition, some specific scenarios of dairy cows’ diseases were Italian dairy farms
posed to assess farmers’ behaviour. Section Three investigat- Matteo Cornaggia1, Elena Mazzolini2, Luca Palazzolo3, Benedetta
ed farmers’ attitudes towards AMR and AMU best practices. Cordioli3, Alessia Rizzardi3, Serena Bottin3, Giulia Zarpellon3, Angela
Section Four covered demographic information of the partici- Guolo3, Tiziana Ferro3, Cosetta Bacchin3, Luca Bano3.
pants and the farm.
1
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Padova - Istituto
A pilot study was performed using a preselected group
Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia ed Emilia-Romagna,
of farmers (n=5) to test survey duration and suitability of the
Brescia, Italy; 2Istituto zooprofilattico sperimentale delle Venezie,
questions to the target population. The questionnaire was
Padova, Italy; 3Istituto zooprofilattico sperimentale delle Venezie,
launched online and was open from May to September 2021.
Treviso, Italy.
The survey URL was promoted via multiple ways (farming
press, social media, veterinary practices, and milk buyers).
Data analysis was performed using R Core Team Objectives: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is of public
(2020). Responses were analysed using descriptive statistics. and animal health concern worldwide.
Two outcomes were explored in initial analyses – participant Aim of our work was to identify an AMR indicator to clas-
knowledge and AMU. These were derived scales, determined sify healthy dairy herd according to antimicrobial susceptibility
by answers provided in sections One and Two. Univariable (AST) in indicator bacteria Escherichia coli (EC) and Entero-
logistic regression models were established to explore the as- coccus fecalis (ENT) towards an harmonized list of antimicro-

341
bials as suggested (European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), ue (ECOFFs;www.eucast.org/mic_distributions_and_ecoffs/).

2019). The overall farm health condition or prevalence of an- Isolates displaying MICs above the ECOFF were classified as
imal diseases were not considered yet the animal category non-wild type. Antimicrobial resistance index (ARI) was cal-
(whether milking cows (VL), dry cows (VA), heifers (M) and culated for each bacterial isolate by dividing the number of
calves (V)) of the isolate origin was analyzed to identify within resistances by the number of antimicrobials tested to provide
heard different source of AMR. descriptive statistics of the AMR herd indicator as reported
Materials and methods: Thirty-three dairy farms were en- (Agnoletti, 2018).
rolled in this study, caring that both small and larger farms locat- Results: 620 EC isolates and 229 ENT were AST as-
ed in foothills or ground level of the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia sessed. The percentage of non-wild strains for each animal
Giulia regions of Italy were selected. According to preliminary categories for each active ingredient are summarized in ta-
analysis (data not shown in this paper) in each herd the follow- ble 1 and table 2 for EC and ENT, respectively. EC isolates
ing sampling protocol was applied: individual fecal samples showed high proportions of non-wild phenotype towards sul-
were collected VL, VA, M and V to isolate 20 Escherichia coli famethoxazole and tetracycline. In calves EC non-wild pheno-
(EC) and 10 Enterococcus fecalis (ENT). Isolates were AST types are largely diffuses when compared to the other animal
with broth microdilution (CLSI VET01, 2020) using a commer- categories. Among ENT, non-wild phenotypes were mainly ob-
cial kit EUVSEC3 and EUVENC (ThermoFisher, US) to deter- served for gentamicin (dry cows), erythromycin (calves) and
mine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). MICs were tetracycline (calves).
interpreted according to European Committee on Antimicrobi- The herd level indicator ARI ranged from 0 to 0.14 (mean
al Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) epidemiological cut-off val- 0.08) for E. coli towards 13 antimicrobials tested (presumptive
Tables.
Antimicrobial A L M V
Sulfamethoxazole 35/68(51.5) 131/254(51.6) 69/160(43.1) 103/138(74.6)
Trimethoprim 2/68(2.9) 5/254(2) 6/160(3.8) 29/138(21)
Ciprofloxacin 1/68(1.5) 2/254(0.8) 3/160(1.9) 28/138(20.3)
Tetracycline 3/68(4.4) 14/254(5.5) 15/160(9.4) 71/138(51.4)
Meropenem 0/68(0) 0/254(0) 0/160(0) 0/138(0)
Nalidixic Acid 1/68(1.5) 0/254(0) 3/160(1.9) 24/138(17.4)
Azithromycin 0/68(0) 0/254(0) 0/160(0) 0/138(0)
Cefotaxime 1/68(1.5) 4/254(1.6) 0/160(0) 8/138(5.8)
Chloramphenicol 2/68(2.9) 3/254(1.2) 1/160(0.6) 19/138(13.8)
Tigecycline 0/68(0) 0/254(0) 0/160(0) 0/138(0)
Ceftazidime 0/68(0) 0/254(0) 2/160(1.2) 2/138(1.4)
Colistin 0/68(0) 1/254(0.4) 0/160(0) 0/138(0)
Ampicillin 4/68(5.9) 8/254(3.1) 8/160(5) 53/138(38.4)
Gentamicin 0/68(0) 0/254(0) 1/160(0.6) 6/138(4.3)
Presumptive_ESBL 1/68(1) 4/254(2) 2/160(1) 8/138(6)
Table 1. Number of non-wild strains of E. coli divided for animal category.
Antimicrobial A L M V
Gentamicin 26/33(79) 40/73(55 8/16(50 60/107(56)
Chloramphenicol 0/33(0) 5/73(7) 0/16(0) 21/107(20)
Ampicillin 0/33(0) 1/73(1) 0/16(0) 1/107(1)
Vancomycin 0/33(0) 0/73(0) 0/16(0) 0/107(0)
Teicoplanin 0/33(0) 0/73(0) 0/16(0) 0/107(0)
Erythromycin 10/33(30) 15/73(21) 3/16(19) 38/107(36)
Quinuopristin_Dalfopristin 4/33(12) 9/73(12) 2/16(13) 9/107(8)
Tetracycline 14/33(42) 19/73(26) 2/16(13) 73/107(68)
Tigecycline 0/33(0) 0/73(0) 0/16(0) 0/107(0)
Linezolid 0/33(0) 2/73(3) 0/16(0) 0/107(0)
Daptomycin 3/33(9) 4/73(5) 0/16(0) 3/107(3)
Ciprofloxacin 0/33(0) 0/73(0) 0/16(0) 2/107(2)
Table 2. Number of non-wild strains of E. fecalis divided by animal category.

342
ESBL were defined as being not wild for at least one among using graph theory was used to develop networks. Five NMAs
cefotaxime and ceftazidime) and 0.04 to 0.29 (mean 0.13) for were carried out according to most commonly reported bac-
E. faecalis towards (12 antimicrobials tested). teria causing CM worldwide (Staphylococcus aureus, Esche-
Conclusions: Microbiologic resistance against molecules richia coli, non-aureus staphylococci, environmental strepto-
widely employed in Veterinary Medicine (sulphonamides, tet- cocci and Klebsiella spp.). Potential sources of heterogeneity
racyclines, aminoglycosides, macrolides, and phenicols) was and inconsistency, including use of supportive therapy, were
detected in the sampled dairy herds. Yet with the exception assessed using sensitivity analysis.
of fluorchinolones, EC isolated showed low levels of microbi- Results: Our search strategy yielded 9,173 records, from
ologic resistance against antimicrobials classified of highest which 30 studies were included. Out of 30 studies, 25 were
critical importance for human therapy (hstCIA; WHO, 2020). randomized controlled trials. Staphylococcus aureus was
However, enterococci displayed high levels of microbiologic the most frequently studied pathogen (22 studies), where-
resistance towards erythromycin and gentamycin. Compared as relatively few studies (n = 8) reported on BC of Klebsiella
to adult bovines, including heifers 6 months aged, isolates spp. There was no evidence supporting the need of CIAs for
from calves were keener to microbiologic resistance, which treating non-severe CM caused by most commonly reported
may be attributable to inappropriate farmer behavior of feeding bacteria worldwide; no protocol including the use of CIAs had
calves with waste milk from cows treated with antimicrobials. superior BC rates of non-severe CM than protocols relying on
Calves must be considered when monitoring AMR to avoid un- non-CIAs. Additionally, there was no evidence to support use
derestimate data. of antimicrobials for treating non-severe CM caused by Kleb-
References: siella spp. or E. coli, as the probability of BC was similar for
Agnoletti F, et al. Longitudinal study on antimicrobial con- treated versus untreated cows.
sumption and resistance in rabbit farming. International Jour- Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first systemat-
nal of Antimicrobial Agents 2018. ic review comparing efficacy of CIAs and non-CIAs for treating
Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance, dairy cows, calves. non-severe CM caused by the 5 most commonly isolated bo-
vine mastitis pathogens worldwide. Antimicrobials other than
CIAs were equally effective to treat non-severe CM in dairy
cows. In addition, antimicrobial treatments did not alter BC
rates of non-severe CM caused by the Gram-negative bacteria
E. coli and Klebsiella spp., although the relatively low number
PH-11
of studies reporting on BC rates of CM caused by Klebsiel-
Critically important antimicrobials are not needed for la spp. warrants further investigation. Due to the comparable
treating clinical mastitis in lactating dairy cows efficacy of CIAs and non-CIAs and assuming all other vari-
ables impacting safety, choice and use of antimicrobials are
Diego Nobrega, Syed Naqvi, Herman Barkema. equal, no adverse effects in terms of animal health and wel-
University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada. fare should be expected by ceasing use of CIAs for treating
non-severe CM in dairy cattle. Findings from this study will be
important to inform public strategies aimed to promote antimi-
Objectives: There is ongoing debate regarding whether crobial stewardship in veterinary medicine.
critically important antimicrobials (CIAs) should be used to
Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance, antimicrobial use,
treat infections in food-producing animals. Mastitis accounts
critically important antimicrobials, dairy cows, mastitis.
for majority of worldwide antimicrobial usage (including CIAs)
in dairy cattle. Objectives of this network meta-analysis
(NMAs) were to evaluate whether critically important antimi-
crobials (CIAs) were necessary to treat non-severe clinical
mastitis (CM) caused by the most commonly isolated bacterial
pathogens worldwide. The literature reporting on bacteriolog- PH-12
ical cure (BC) rates of antimicrobials used to treat lactating
dairy cows with non-severe CM was analyzed using a set of Longitudinal study of fecal commensal Gram-negative
networks. bacteria resistant to critically important antimicrobials
found in healthy lactating dairy cattle on three farms from
Material and Methods: On March 30, 2019, the data- Île-de-France
bases CAB Abstracts, Web of Science (all databases), MED-
LINE, Scopus (Elsevier) and PubMed were screened for po- Vincent Plassard1, Sophie Granier2, Philippe Gisbert3, Yves
tentially relevant articles reporting on pathogen-specific BC Millemann1.
rates of antimicrobials for treating non-severe CM in lactating
Alfort National Veterinary School and AnTiBioresistance Mission,
1
dairy cows. Two reviewers reviewed all titles and abstracts
Maisons-Alfort, France; 2Anses Fougères and AnTiBioResistance
independently. Prior to analyses, categories of antimicrobial
Mission, Fougères, France; 3CEVA, Libourne, France.
treatment protocols, supportive therapy and pathogens were
generated. Antimicrobial treatment protocols were grouped
using categories defined a priori based on the WHO 5th revi- Objectives: The specific objectives of the project were to
sion of Critically Important Antimicrobials for Human Medicine evaluate on a convenient sample of three dairy cattle farms
and route of administration (systemic and intramammary). A the baseline intestinal colonization with commensal gram-neg-
frequentist approach using generalized linear models applied ative bacteria resistant to carbapenems and 3rd generation

343
cephalosporins (3GC) using specific selective media and nor- Farm B Farm C
malized methods for evaluation of antibiotic resistance.
Total number of phenotypically 83 117
Materials and methods: Three peri-urban dairy farms resistant bacteria
were selected because they are included in a regular repro-
Number of presumptive ESBL 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
ductive follow-up by Alfort Bovine Theriogenology Unit. The producers (%)
study lasted 1 complete year. Basically, 10 healthy produc-
ing cows were sampled in each herd on a monthly basis. The Number of presumptive AmpC 12 (14.5%) 10 (8.5%)
producers (%)
samples consisted in rectal swabs, easy to make and to pro-
ceed rapidly afterwards in the lab. In addition, the bulk tank Number of MDR bacteria (%) 12 (14.5%) 10 (8.5%)
filter was sampled monthly in 2 out of 3 herds. The selective Table 2: number of resistant bacteria isolated in bulk tank filters for
used media aimed at selecting for Gram-negative bacteria farms B and C during the year 2018.
resistant to 3rd generation cephalosporins and carbapenems.
For that purpose, we used 2 commercial media (Carba and
Conclusions: The intestinal colonization baseline of
Oxa48) (ChromID®, Biomérieux) and one especially prepared
healthy dairy cattle by Gram-negative bacteria resistant to
media on the basis of scientific literature (MacConkey with 1
3GC or carbapenems on a convenient sample seems to vary
mg cefotaxime /L). Isolates were identified through a Maldi-Tof
greatly between farms. By monitoring this resistance for a
device, and resistance to critically important antibiotics was
confirmed via disk diffusion antimicrobial susceptibility testing whole year on a monthly basis, we observe an increase of the
implemented on Mueller Hinton agar according to EUCAST proportion of resistant bacteria during summer. These data will
recommendations. be confronted to the antimicrobial consumption data as well as
pasture and fertilization conditions in these farms.
Results: In farm A, the average monthly percentage of
sampled cows harboring bacteria resistant to 3rd generation The presence in the milking machine of AmpC-produc-
cephalosporins was over 15% (table 1). This percentage was ing phenotype Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Farms B and C
highest in June at 70%. Among the 16 resistant isolates col- needs to be confirmed and investigated further by determining
lected during the year, antimicrobial susceptibility revealed the support of this resistance. The milking industry would be
that none was resistant to carbapenem, but all were display- greatly impacted in terms of public health image should this
ing an AmpC or an ESBL phenotype. AmpC producers all be- reservoir be confirmed.
longed to Enterobacter genus; one ESBL producer belonged Acknowledgements: Christelle Gandoin and Corinne
to the Pseudomonas genus, and all others belonged to the Bouillin are gratefully acknowledged for expert technical as-
Escherichia genus. All these ESBL producers were multi-drug sistance.
resistant (MDR) bacteria according to the classification of Ma- Keywords: Antimicrobial, critical, cattle, baseline, France.
giorakos et al.
In farm B, only one resistant bacterium was isolated on
one cow in June; this was a Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhib-
iting an AmpC-producing phenotype. By contrast, the monthly
sampling of bulk tank filters revealed the presence and per-
PH-13
sistence almost entirely throughout the year of AmpC-produc-
ing Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the milking machine (table Monitoring antimicrobial consumption in the Dairy Sector
2). All of these isolates were resistant to imipenem and MDR. in Portugal - system structure and results
In farm C, no bacterium resistant to 3rd generation ceph-
João Niza-Ribeiro.
alosporins or carbapenems was isolated in cattle during the
year. As in farm B, the monthly analysis of bulk tank filters also ICBAS-UP, Porto, Portugal.
revealed the presence and persistence throughout the year
of AmpC-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Only 20% of
these isolates were resistant to imipenem, yet all of them were Objectives: Monitoring antimicrobial (AM) consumption in
still considered MDR. the dairy sector is relevant to assess the quantity, quality and
reasons for antimicrobials usage.
Farm A Farm B Farm C
The presentation describes the Portuguese system for an-
Total number of 75 21 36
phenotypically resistant timicrobial consumption (PSAC) of the dairy sector and pre-
bacteria sents first results on antimicrobial consumption patterns from
Number of presumptive 16 (21.3%) 1 (4.8%) 0 (0%) three years of farm activity.
ESBL and/or AmpC The PSAC provides data for the ESVAC system, records
producers (%)
and analyse the data to provide benchmark information to
Number of presumptive 14 (18.7%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
farmers and veterinarians, help in establishing the baseline
ESBL producers (%)
for future target setting at farm level and serves also scientific
Number of presumptive 2 (2.7%) 1 (4.8%) 0 (0%)
AmpC producers (%) purposes.
Number of MDR 14 (18.7%) 1 (4.8%) 0 (0%) Material & Methods: The PSAC is a conjoint initiative from
bacteria (%) the Portuguese Veterinary Authority (DGAV), the Portuguese
Table 1: number of resistant bacteria harbored by sampled healthy Dairy Farmers Association (ANABLE) and Faculty of Biomedi-
dairy cattle in each farm during the year 2018. cal Sciences Abel Salazar- Porto University (ICBAS-UP).

344
Antimicrobial consumption (AMC) data used by PSAC is Data analysis suggests high heterogeneity of AMC among
supplied by the BOVNIFOR ® system. This is a WEB base herds offers ample opportunities for reduction and improve-
information system that harbours more than 70% of the dairy ment . Analysis of the use CIA raise interesting hypothesis
farms in Portugal: The Continent and Azores Islands. It is op- about the relevance of systematic use and deserves investi-
erated at national level by the dairy farmers’ association AN- gation in the future.
ABLE. Farms in PSAC adhere on a voluntary basis and are The use of interactive web-based dashboard is a popular
selected from the database of BOVINFOR ® in order to rep- solution for the farnmers and veterinarians involved.
resent, stratified by region and by size, the Portuguese dairy
Keywords: ESVAC, Dairy, Antimicrobial Consumption.
sector. The objective is to reach 250 dairy farms.
BOVINFOR ® MEDICAMENTOS records all batches of
AM purchased by the farms using the system; the registry at
the farm, of AM and other medicines prescribed by the vet-
erinarian is compulsory in Portugal. Beside AM consumption, PH-14
PSAC also collects from BOVINFOR ® data from every animal
present at the farm the last day every month, categorized as Evaluation of the longitudinal effect of metaphylaxis
milking cow, dry cow or by age group otherwise – from calf to treatment of preweaned dairy calves with enrofloxacin
heifer; milk production for every milking cow and somatic cell or tulathromycin on the susceptibility of antimicrobial
count are also collected. resistant fecal E. coli
Data treatment involves the calculation of Defined Dai- Richard Pereira1, Craig Altier2, Julie Siler2, Sabine Mann3, David
ly Doses for animals (DDDvet) and Defined Course Doses Jordan4, Warnick Lorin5.
(DCDvet) after the ESVAC recommendation, 2016. The con-
sumption of each AM substance per farm and the average
1
Department of Population Health and Reproduction, College of
weight of animals’ is calculated for the entire year after ES- Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis,, Davis,CA, United
VAC, 2016. In the analysis DDDvet or DCDvet are expressed States; 2Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences,
by 100 cow/day or cows/year. Other metrics are also calcu- College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell, University, Ithaca, NY, United
lated, like DDDvet or DCDvet per ton of milk produced yearly. States; 3Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences,
Analysis is performed for injectable, oral, intramammary and College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell, University, Ithaca,NY, United
intrauterine formulations. The use of Critically Important (CIA) States; 4Division of Primary Industries, Industry & Investment NSW,
AM is analysed separately. Wollongbar, NSW, Australia; 5Department of Population Medicine
and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell,
Standardized costing of AMC within the herds is performed
Ithaca,NY, United States.
attributing an average cost per product after yearlly consulta-
tion of the market. Total quantity of products acquired per year
provides basis for calculation. Objective: The objective of this study was to longitudinal-
Descriptive statiscical analysis of the data is performed ly quantify E. coli resistant to ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone in
as well as Principal Component Analysis to look for dominant calves treated with enrofloxacin or tulathromycin for the con-
consumption patterns. trol of bovine respiratory disease. Dairy.
Reporting is available on line, to users, using an interactive Material and Methods: Calves 2 to 3 weeks old were ran-
web-based dashboard. The dashboard allows for the farms domly selected and enrolled in each study group: (1) receiving
have a benchmark with farms from the same region and size single label dose of enrofloxacin (ENR)(n=22) ; (2) receiving
category. Standardized costing of AMC per farm, per cow in single label dose of tulathromycin (TUL)(n=23); or (3) serv-
milk/year and per ton of milk is calculated and presented in ing as a control and not receiving an antimicrobial treatment
dashboard. (CTL)(n=20). Calves were housed in individual hutches and at
approximately 60 days of age weaned and housed in group
Results: The structure and operation of the PSAC is pre-
pens. Fecal samples were collected immediately before the
sented and discussed. Advantages and limitations of treating
administration of the antimicrobial treatment and at days 2,
data from AM purchasing rather than from consumption, as
4, 7, 14, 21, 28, 56, and 112 days after beginning treatment.
well as the methodology for cost calculation are discussed.
Samples were used for qualification of E. coli using a selec-
Data from more than 100 farms of AMC and heterogeneity tive hydrophobic grid membrane filter (HGMF) master grid.
among farms is analysed. The variation in DDDvet or DCDvet Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare proportion of E. coli
reaches fivefold. The profile of AM substances used is wide resistant to ciprofloxacin and proportion of E. coli resistant to
even when the same prescriber is involved: the farmer seems ceftriaxone by treatment group over time.
to play an important role deciding the AM substances used.
Results: ENR had a significantly higher proportion of E.
The use of CIA is analysed and doesn’t seem to play important
coli resistant to ciprofloxacin when compared to the CTL and
role in higher production of better SCC.
TUL at time points 2, 4 and 7. At time point 28, a significantly
The dashboard will be explored in the presentation and the higher proportion of E. coli resistant to ciprofloxacin was ob-
way forward is discussed. served only when compared to CTL. TUL had a significant-
Conclusion: The PSAC approach involves the relevant ly higher proportion of E. coli resistant to ciprofloxacin when
stakeholders: veterinary authorities, farmers, farm veterinari- compared to the CTL at time points 2, 4 and 7. Lack of signif-
ans and academia which has so far proven to be a very pos- icant difference in shedding of ciprofloxacin resistant E.coli in
itive solution. ENR and TUL compared to CTL was because of lower total

345
CFU/g of feces shedding of ciprofloxacin resistant E.coli in of these treatments in dairy farms.
these treatment group. None of the treatment groups resulted Keywords: waste milk; drug residues; antimicrobial resis-
in a significantly higher proportion of E. coli isolates resistant tance.
to ceftriaxone.
Conclusion: Our study identified that treatment of calves
at high risk of developing BDR with either enrofloxacin or tu-
lathromycin resulted in a consistently higher proportion of cip-
rofloxacin resistant E. coli in fecal samples. PH-18
Keywords: ENrofloxacin; prohylaxis; dairy calves; BRD.
Antimicrobial sensitivities of mastitis pathogens amongst
herds with different dry cow therapy usage history
Scott McDougall1, David Dymock2, Amanda Kilby2, Joanne Holter3.
Cognosco, Morrinsville, New Zealand; 2SP Animal Health Ltd., Upper
1
PH-15
Hutt, New Zealand; 3SP Animal Health Ltd, Upper Hutt, New Zealand.
Effect of heat and pH treatments on degradation of ceftiofur
in whole milk Objectives: Antimicrobial use in animal production faces
Richard Pereira, Adriana Garzon, Pramod Pandey, Lisa Tell, Sharif increasing scrutiny due to concerns about potential selection
Aly, Robert Poppenga. for antimicrobial resistance. Intra-mammary dry cow therapy
(DCT) is the largest single indication for antimicrobial use on
University of California Davis, Davis,CA, United States. dairy farms in New Zealand (Compton and McDougall 2014).
DCT containing the beta lactams cephalonium, cloxacillin or
Objectives: Waste milk (milk that contains drug residues cloxacillin/ampicillin in combination, are the most common-
and high somatic cell counts) feeding practices of preweaned ly-used in New Zealand. However, the relationship between
dairy calves have been implicated as a potential source for the use of cephalonium or ampicillin/cloxacillin-based DCT
disseminating antimicrobial resistant bacteria among animals and the development of antimicrobial resistance has not been
and the environment. Two interventions that have shown po- examined in New Zealand. The objective of this study was to
tential for degrading antimicrobial drugs in milk are heat and compare the distribution of Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations
pH treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect (MICs) for common mastitis pathogens from cows in herds
of heat and pH treatments on the degradation of ceftiofur and exposed to cephalonium or cloxacillin-based DCT, relative to
ceftiofur free acid equivalents in milk at concentrations previ- isolates from cows on organic farms where there has been no
ously found in waste milk on dairy farms by spiking saleable recent antimicrobial exposure.
pasteurized whole milk with ceftiofur sodium. Material and Methods: Herds were selected on the basis
Material and Methods: Three heat treatments of ceftiofur of not having used any antimicrobial for at least three years
sodium spiked milk were evaluated for their ability to degrade (organic; n=7 herds) or having used either cloxacillin/ampicillin
ceftiofur: 63°C for 30 minutes (LTLT), 72°C for 15 seconds dry cow therapy (cloxacillin/ampicillin; n=11 herds) or cephalo-
(HTST) and 92°C for 20 minutes (HTLT). Two pH treatments of nium DCT (cephalonium; n=8 herds) as the predominant DCT
ceftiofur sodium spiked milk were evaluated: pH 4.0 (LpH) and in the preceding three years.
pH 10 (HpH). Control samples spiked with ceftiofur sodium In each of these herds, quarter-level milk samples (n=793)
were kept at room temperature and samples collected at cor- were collected from all cows (n=984) with an SCC >200,000
responding times for heat and pH treatments. Four treatment cells /mL at the most recent herd test. Cows that had been
replicates were performed for each treatment group. Ceftiofur treated with antibiotics for mastitis in the 30 days prior to sam-
was quantified in milk samples using liquid chromatography pling were excluded. The MIC of coagulase-negative Staphy-
mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and ceftiofur free acid equiv- lococci (CNS), Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus uberis
alents (CFAE) were measured using high-performance liquid and Streptococcus dysgalactiae isolates were determined us-
chromatography (HPLC). ing a broth microdilution plate which included 10 antimicrobials
Results: HTLT resulted in a degradation of 35.24% of the (Mastitis plate, Trek Diagnostics, CMV1AMAF).
initial concentration of ceftiofur. Ceftiofur degradation did not The MIC values were categorised as sensitive or resistant
differ between control and the remaining two heat treatment using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) cate-
groups (LTLT and HTST). HpH resulted in degradation of the gories (where available) and the effect of herd DCT exposure
95.72 and 96.28% of the initial concentration of ceftiofur and on the MICs within each pathogen/antimicrobial combination
CFAE, respectively.No significant changes in the degradation was analysed using the nonparametric Kruskal Wallis rank
of ceftiofur or CFAE were observed for control or LpH treat- test and by ordinal logistic regression.
ments. Results: For CNS isolates (n=240), 13% and 32% were
Conclusion: In conclusion, our study results were that al- resistant to ampicillin and to penicillin, respectively. Less than
kalinizing milk to pH 10 and heating milk to 92°C for 20 min- 3% of the CNS isolates were resistant to the other 7 antimicro-
utes degraded ceftiofur and CFAE in spiked simulated waste bials tested (including 0.8% resistant to cephalothin). Isolates
milk demonstrated promising potential as treatment options from organic herds had a lower risk of being in a higher MIC
for degrading ceftiofur and CFAE in waste milk, and further category for ampicillin (OR=0.14) and penicillin (OR=0.18)
research is needed to evaluate the viability for implementation than isolates from cephalonium herds. For 29% and 35% of

346
isolates were resistant to ampicillin or penicillin, respective- marketing and consumption, it gives a good indication of the
ly. Resistance was detected in 0.3% of S. aureus isolates to overall resistance situation in the dairy herds and may mirror
erythromycin and 1.2% of isolates were resistant to cloxacillin. antimicrobial use.
Isolates from organic herds had lower MICs for tetracycline Material and Methods: The study was carried out in the
than those from cephalonium (OR<0.01) herds and had lower framework of a national monitoring program on zoonotic bac-
MICs for ampicillin and penicillin than for cloxacillin/ampicil- teria and antimicrobial resistance in the food chain in Germa-
lin exposed herds (both P<0.05). The MICs for ampicillin and ny. Randomly chosen dairy herds (n=471) were included in
penicillin were lower (P<0.05) in cloxacillin exposed herds this study in 2009, 2010, 2014 and 2019. A new random se-
than cephalonium exposed herds but were not different be- lection was carried out in every year, i.e. different herds were
tween organic and cephalonium herds. For S. dysgalactiae tested over the years. In 2014 an additional sampling frame
(n=50), 2% of isolates were resistant to ceftiofur, 4% were re- included organic dairy herds. No. of conventional herds was
sistant to erythromycin, 2% were resistant penicillin/novobio- distributed across the country proportionate to the number of
cin, 2% were resistant to pirlimycin, and 8% were resistant to dairy cows in the respective federal state. Data for 2019 are
tetracyclines. There were insufficient isolates of S. dysgalac- still subject to further validation. Final data will be presented at
tiae to analyse the effect of DCT-exposure on MIC. Amongst the conference.
S. uberis isolates, 1.1% were resistant to erythromycin, 1.6%
Escherichia coli were isolated from bulk tank milk by re-
were resistant to pirlimycin, and 0.5% were resistant to tetra-
gional state laboratories using routine methods. Isolates were
cycline. Organic herds had lower MIC’s for ampicillin, ceftiofur,
submitted to the National Reference Laboratory for Antimi-
cephalothin, penicillin, pirlimycin, sulphadimethoxine, and tet-
crobial Resistance (NRL-AR) for antimicrobial susceptibility
racycline than isolates from cephalonium herds, and similarly
testing (AST) using the broth microdilution method according
organic herd isolates had lower MICs for ampicillin, ceftiofur,
to CLSI guidelines. For the comparison, minimum inhibitory
cephalothin, penicillin, pirlimycin, and tetracycline than those
concentrations were evaluated based on epidemiological cut
from cloxacillin/ampicillin herds.
off values (ECOFF) provided by EUCAST and Commission
Conclusions: Antimicrobial resistance was detected Implementing Decision 2013/652/EU. Fourteen antimicrobi-
amongst some bovine mastitis pathogen/antimicrobial combi- als were included in the testing annually. However, due to a
nations. Higher MICs were observed for some pathogen/an- change in the panel of antimicrobials only ten antimicrobials
timicrobial combinations amongst isolates drawn from herds (gentamicin, chloramphenicol, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, cipro-
with a history of exposure to either cloxacillin or cephalonium floxacin, nalidixic acid, ampicillin, sulfamethoxazole, trimetho-
DCT, compared with isolates from organic herds. It should be prim and tetracycline) were available for comparison across
noted that these differences in MIC distribution generally oc- all years, while some antimicrobials were only included in the
curred at MIC values below clinical cutpoints as defined by first two years (kanamycin, streptomycin and florfenicol) and
CLSI, such that the antimicrobials are likely to remain clinically replaced by others (azithromycin, tigecycline and meropen-
effective. Bimodal MIC distributions for some antimicrobials em) in 2014. Colistin was tested in all years. However, con-
within some bacterial species were observed in organic herds centrations tested in 2009 and 2010 did not cover the current
suggesting that recent DCT usage is not the only factor affect- ECOFF. Therefore results from those years could not be in-
ing MICs. Given the observed findings, further work is required cluded in the analysis.
to determine if indeed exposure to DCT is in fact causal of
Results: Overall, antimicrobial resistance in the tested
elevated MICs, and whether reduction or removal of DCT from
E. coli was low in all years, with more than 80 % of the iso-
herds alters the MIC of mastitis pathogens from herds.
lates susceptible to all antimicrobials. The highest proportion
Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance, dry cow treatment, (95.9 %) of fully susceptible isolates was observed in isolates
dairy cow. from organic farms (n=74) that were tested in 2014. The lowest
rate was seen in 2010 with 75.8 % fully susceptible isolates.
Overall, highest resistance rates were observed to sulfame-
thoxazole (10.0 %), tetracycline (6.2 %) and ampicillin (5.9 %),
while resistance to azithromycin, tigecycline and meropenem
PH-19 (tested only in 2014 and 2019) was absent. Resistance to third
generation cephalosporins (cefotaxime and ceftazidime) was
Antimicrobial resistance of E. coli in bulk tank milk from absent in 2009 and in isolates from organic farms that were
dairy farms in Germany – A 10 year perspective additionally tested in 2014. Highest resistance rates to these
Bernd-Alois Tenhagen, Katja Alt, Annemarie Käsbohrer, Jens-André substances were observed in 2019 (6.9 % and 5.7 %) while
Hammerl, Mirjam Grobbel. overall resistance rate was low (1.9 %). Resistance to fluoro-
quinolones (2.3 %) was highest in 2010 (5.3 %) and was only
German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, Germany. absent in isolates from organic farms in 2014. Resistance to
colistin was observed in one isolate from a conventional farm
Objectives: The objective of this study was to compare in 2014, but absent in isolates from organic farms in 2014 and
current antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in E. coli from bulk tank dairy farms in 2019.
milk in German dairy herds with AMR of E. coli from previ- Conclusions: Overall results indicate a constantly low
ous years collected in the same sampling framework. While rate of AMR in E. coli from bulk tank milk in Germany over
the risk of consumers due to AMR in E. coli from bulk tank the years. On the other hand, observed resistance patterns
milk is typically low as most of the milk is heat treated before have been including antimicrobials of highest priority to human

347
medicine indicating room for further improvement. with existing databases. However, they were often confounded
Keywords: Antimicrobial Resistance, Bulk Tank Milk, by multiple beef operations on a single holding or the co-pres-
Dairy, E. coli. ence of sheep, pigs or dairy operations. Furthermore, many
beef operators did not weigh their cattle and growing cattle
moved between operations without medicine records being si-
multaneously transferred. It was therefore difficult to calculate
accurate livestock weight-based metrics (e.g. mg AMs/kg cat-
tle liveweight), dose-related metrics (e.g. DDD) or individual
PH-20
animal metrics (total AM use over the animal’s lifetime/kg beef
Quantifying, benchmarking and rationalising medicines produced). Nevertheless, novel metrics that allowed cattle
use in the UK beef industry producers to benchmark and compare medicines use between
cattle groups or timepoints (e.g. percent of cattle treated with a
David C. Barrett1, Kristen K. Reyher1, Jon G. Massey1, Rachel Adams1, specific medicine) and allowed AMU to be quantified and com-
Judith L. Capper2. pared were both achievable by, and applicable to, the UK beef
Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United
1 industry, providing that the denominator could be accurately
Kingdom; 2Livestock Sustainability Consultancy, Harwell, United determined. Consequently, a standard beef cattle unit (SBCU)
Kingdom. was developed, based on characteristic and representative
cattle liveweights according to cattle breed (beef or dairy),
age, sex and system (intensive or extensive). The most appro-
Objectives: There is growing awareness of the threat of
priate metrics for AMU benchmarking were determined to be:
antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to animal, human and ecosys-
tem health, therefore livestock industries must demonstrate • Total AMU (mg/SBCU)
a clear intent to reduce, replace and refine antimicrobial use • Total Highest Priority Critically Important Antimicrobial
(AMU). Individual farmers and veterinarians must also demon- (HPCIA) (mg/SBCU)
strate responsible, evidence-based medicine use to maintain • Total non-HPCIA (mg/SBCU)
productivity, animal health and public health, and to ensure
The most-appropriate metric for benchmarking other med-
consumer confidence in animal welfare and food safety. A
icines use (e.g. vaccines, parasiticides, steroids, etc.) was the
whole-system approach to livestock health is required, incor-
percent of the at-risk population treated with the medicine per
porating measuring and improving on-farm medicines use,
annum. These novel metrics have since informed national
which is facilitated by benchmarking between time periods,
farms and industry sectors. Various medicines benchmarking AMU standards for the beef sector and the cattle eMH.
metrics are already in use within livestock production (e.g. mg Conclusion: Establishing and adopting on-farm medi-
AMs/kg liveweight, defined daily dose (DDD), etc.), with the cines use metrics will encourage farmers and veterinarians to
relevance, applicability and adoptability of each metric de- improve animal health and responsible medicines use. How-
pending on the quality and availability of input data. However, ever, it is also recognised that there is value in augmenting the
within the UK livestock industry, beef producers are unique- core benchmarking metrics recommended in this study with
ly heterogenous, with farms spanning a wide range of cattle more accurate farm-specific information as well as in moving
breeds, herd sizes, production systems and marketing strate- in the future to recording lifetime health and medicine admin-
gies, which poses significant challenges for medicines bench- istration information. In future, electronic cattle identification,
marking. data collection apps and the development of an integrated
This study analysed on-farm medicine use on beef oper- data hub that can include birth dates, movements, live/slaugh-
ations within and across UK beef sectors in order to develop ter weights, laboratory tests, herd health status, medicine ad-
medicines metrics and methodologies for on-farm data collec- ministration and treatment outcome would add value for the
tion, recording and benchmarking; and to inform the devel- industry.
opment of a national electronic medicine data recording hub Acknowledgements: This work was partially funded by
(eMH) for UK cattle. the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).
Materials and methods: A multimodal approach with in- Discussion group participation and expert input from the proj-
dustry input at every stage was employed, using farmer ques- ect’s industry stakeholder group plus numerous veterinarians,
tionnaires in conjunction with on-farm medicine and veterinary SQPs and farmers is gratefully acknowledged.
prescribing records to assess the quality and quantity of med- Keywords: AMR, Medicine, Beef, Cattle, Metric.
icines data available on UK beef farms and to develop adopt-
able, appropriate and effective data collection methodologies.
Focus groups involving farmers, veterinarians, suitably-quali-
fied persons (SQPs) and beef industry stakeholders were con-
vened, with participatory methodology used to gain insight into
PH-21
opportunities for and barriers to data collection.
Results: Although keeping detailed on-farm medicine re- An outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium RDNC in a dairy
cords is a legal requirement, no standard approach exists for herd
UK beef operations, with considerable variation in the quality,
Alan Murphy.
accessibility and extent of data recorded on farms. Medicines
records obtained in this study were shown to be consistent Animal and Plant Health Agency, Bury St Edmunds, United Kingdom.

348
Objectives: An advisory visit and a subsequent zoonosis Salmonella Dublin is routinely reported as the predomnant
sampling exercise were conducted on a dairy herd following serotype of concern in the bovine currently. As veterinary sur-
the isolation of Salmonella Typhimurium RDNC in the adult geons we must always be aware that other strains can be just
herd. The aim of the advisory visit was to establish a cause for as significant or even more so on an individual farm basis.
acute milk drop in 80% of the adult herd. When confirmed as New and emerging threats such as this with, established hu-
being due to Salmonellosis a second visit was carried out to man health significance; are timely reminders that we should
epidemiologically assess the site and establish the likely route never become complacent in the control of this bacteria.
of entry for the bacteria into the herd. This visit was also an op- Keywords: Zoonosis, Salmonella Typhimurium RDNC,
portunity to reinforce the zoonotic risk posed by the organism. Dairy.
Materials and Methods: An acute episode of milk drop
was reported over one weekend in a 120 cow dairy herd with
80% of the herd affected. The bulk tank volume dropped by
over 50% and the private veterinary surgeon involved request-
ed an advisory vist by an Animal and Plant Health Agency Vet- PH-22
erinary Investigation Officer. At the time of this initial visit the
cows were observed to be dull, with vague signs of abdominal There's more work to do: New Zealand Dairy Farmers’
discomfort and inappetance. Pyrexia had been reported in a understanding of One Health, Antimicrobial Resistance,
small proportion and supportive treatment had been admin- and the Restricted Veterinary Medicines process
stered. Walking the grazing area of the cows, casts of intesinal Kurt Arden1, Richard A Laven2, Kristina R Mueller2.
mucosa were observed with frank blood staining also.
Blood and faecal samples were submitted for assessemt Royal Veterinary College, London, United Kingdom; 2Massey
1
University, School of Veterinary Sciences, Palmerston North, New

with the primary differential being alimentary tract disease.
Zealand.
Following isolation of Salmonella Typhimurium RDNC from
all faecal samples, an advisory zoonosis visit was conducted.
This resulted in a detailed overview of the entire farm, its man- Objectives: Veterinarians play a key role in managing the
agement and a substantial amount of environmental sampling. threat of antimicrobial resistance in animal and human popu-
lations, not only by adopting antimicrobial stewardship in their
Results: The blood results were unremarkable.
treatment and prescribing decisions, but also through edu-
The faecal samples collected all yielded Salmonella Typh- cation of stakeholders. The Restricted Veterinary Medicines
imurium RDNC. (RVM) procedure under the Agricultural Compounds and Vet-
The environmental samples collected demonstrated wide- erinary Medicines (ACVM) Act 1997 is one method that veter-
spread contamination of the adult cow and feed areas, with inarians in New Zealand use to monitor antimicrobial use on
Salmonella Typhimurium RDNC dairy farms and provides an opportunity for veterinarians to
Whole genome sequencing confirmed the isolate to be one introduce farmers to the One Health model.
of concern in an ongoing human health issue under investiga- The aim of this study was to generate a pilot set of data on
tion by Public Health England. the opinions and understanding of New Zealand Dairy Farm-
Conclusion: This was an unusual presentation of Salmo- ers with regards to ‘One Health’, ‘Antimicrobial Resistance
nellosis in a group of adult cattle, given the morbidity and acute (AMR)’ and the ‘Restricted Veterinary Medicines’ operating
onset. At no point was disease observed or suspected in other plan. Furthermore, it aimed to allow a greater understanding
age groups in the herd and it was considered that this was a of how these topics impact dairy farmers’ lives and to lay the
measure of the robust biosecurity already in place. Though groundwork for further research in this globally important area.
additional means to enhance this were suggested. The cows Materials and methods: A questionnaire including 55
recovered within a few weeks with moderate losses. This com- questions (40 open questions and 15 closed questions) was
prised of one abortion, one cow death and three cases of tail distributed to a convenience sample of dairy farm clients of
tip necrosis. No further losses were reported some three mot- the Massey Farm Services Clinic. The questionnaire was then
nhs later and a full return to expected yields was reported. The completed via in-person interviews with the principal research-
strain invoved in this case had been the subject of an informa- er. The study period was from September 2021 to November
tion leaflet published by APHA in Novemner 2018 following a 2021. Results were entered into a database and processed
significant issue of mortlality in sheep flocks and associated with Microsoft Excel.
human health incidents. The latter had been linked to the con- Results: 15 out of 16 farms participated in the survey (re-
sumption of lamb and mutton. One of the flocks involved in this sponse rate of 93.75%). The average herd size of this study
case was near to this dairy farm. At the advisory visit it was was 181 cows. Only one farm reported being aware of the term
established that the outbreak coincided with the opening up of ‘One Health’ and none of the interviewees could define the dis-
a maize silage clamp, which had been heavily contaminated cipline. In comparison, 73% of interviewed farms were aware
by wild birds. Sampling of the feed area recovered the Salmo- of antimicrobial resistance and could attempt to define it. 53%
nella of interest and it was proosed that the most likely route of clients interviewed were unaware of the existence of the
of entry onto the farm had been wild bird movements from an- New Zealand Veterinary Association’s (NZVA) ‘Antimicrobial
other infected premisies. The provison of the maize silage via Traffic Light system’ and only 33% considered following the
a TMR had then enabled large scale innoculation of the adult traffic light system when choosing antibiotic treatment. 53%
herd in one event, leading to the uniformity of the clinical signs. of respondents did not use antibiotics as first line treatment

349
without seeking veterinary advice, 80% of which said they had

decreased their antibiotic use over the past 5 years.
Conclusions: The World Health organization has cate-
gorized AMR as one of the top threats facing public health
and created the global action plan on AMR in 2015. The NZVA
antimicrobial traffic light system dividing antimicrobials into
three groups (green, orange, and red) was launched in 2016,
encouraging preferential use of green light antibiotics which
are less important to human health compared to orange or
red rated antibiotics. New Zealand Veterinarians have a key
role to play within this plan and by following the NZVA traffic
light system and using the RVM process as tools to combat
AMR, the New Zealand veterinary industry is in a strong po-
sition to keep AMR at the low levels we currently see in large
animal veterinary practice. However, ensuring all relevant par-
ties understand the terms that are used to achieve One Health
goals is crucial for success and for ensuring buy-in from farm-
ers. This study identified a lack of understanding of the term
‘One Health’ in farmers which is concerning. Furthermore, in
2021, a ‘traffic light system’ for the COVID-19 response was
launched in New Zealand which could cause confusion of
terms, especially when using search engines for example.
Overall, farmers interviewed in this study found the RVM
of use to their farm; providing opportunity for clinical veteri-
narians to communicate the key themes of One Health and
Antimicrobial Resistance to receptive clientele. This study has
laid the groundwork for future research into farmer opinions of
AMR and One Health and allow all those who work in this field
to collaborate on this important global health threat.
Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance, One Health, farmer
survey, antimicrobial traffic light system.

350
ORAL — Pharmacology and Therapeutics
PT-01 PT-02
Temperatures of pharmaceutical storage areas in large Efficacy of an oral solution of paromomycin for the
animal veterinary practice vehicles in the winter treatment of newborn dairy calves with cryptosporidiosis.
Results from a comparative European multicentric field
Elizabeth R. Homerosky1, Jeff D. Ondrak2, Meredyth L. Jones3,
study
Virginia R. Fajt4.
Damien Achard1, Béatrice Besche-Barbazanges1, Gaëlle Pagny1, Jean-
1
Veterinary Agri-Health Services, Ltd., Airdrie, Canada; 2Great Plains
François Collin1, Dejan Cvejić2.
Veterinary Educational Center, University of Nebraska, Clay Center,
United States; 3Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, United States; Ceva Santé Animale, Libourne, France; 2Klifovet AG, Munich,
1
4
Texas A & M University, College Station, United States. Germany.
Objective: Many manufacturers recommend that non-re- Objective: Cryptosporidiosis is a frequent parasitological
frigerated products be stored at room temperature (20–25 °C). infection of mammals including but not limiting to humans and
Large animal veterinary practice vehicle storage units are neonatal ruminants. In newborn calves, cryptosporidiosis has
commonly outfitted with an adjustable heater to prevent freez- been repeatedly identified as a major contributor of neona-
ing as ambient temperatures in many locations in North Amer- tal diarrhoea, a dominant calfhood disease with detrimental
ica drop below these temperatures in winter. The authors have health and economic consequences. Current treatment op-
previously evaluated storage units in vehicles in the summer, tions for clinically affected newborn calves are limited. A recent
so the objective of this study was to measure storage area meta-analysis work reported halofuginone and paromomycin
temperatures in the winter to evaluate the effectiveness of as valuable oral treatment options while recognizing that halo-
heaters and the extent to which temperatures fall outside the fuginone can present important safety issues and that data is
manufacturers’ recommended range. insufficient to fully support the use of paromomycin (Brainard
Materials and Methods: A convenience sample of six et al., 2020, 2021). To address this lack of evidence, a study
vehicles from an ambulatory beef cattle practice in Southern under field conditions was performed in dairy newborn calves
Alberta was used. Ambient temperature and temperatures in clinically affected by cryptosporidiosis comparing a new dose
two storage areas (close to the heater and far from the heater) regimen of an oral paromomycin solution (Gabbrovet Multi®,
in each vehicle were recorded from November 1, 2018 – Feb- Ceva Santé Animale) to a reference product based on halo-
ruary 28, 2019, at 15-minute intervals using self-contained, fuginone (Halocur®, MSD).
battery operated temperature recording devices. Material and methods: A GCP compliant study was
Results: The lowest and highest overall temperatures re- performed according to a blinded, randomized, positive con-
corded in a storage unit were -29.7 °C and 62.6 °C, respec- trolled, multicentric design in 4 commercial farms located in
tively. The mean temperature recorded across all six storage Germany, Hungary, and Portugal. The farms enrolled had a
units was 16.8 °C near the heater and 11.6 °C far from the recent history of cryptosporidiosis and complied with several
heater, while ambient temperature averaged 2 °C. During the conditions such as vaccination for BVDV and neonatal di-
120-day data collection period, temperatures below freezing arrhea. Each newborn calves in this study were required to
were recorded between 3-48 days for each of the six vehicles. meet the following criteria for enrollment: age between 3-14
Readings far from the heater fell within the recommended days, faecal score ≥ 2, negative rapid test for E. coli, coro-
range for room temperature 11.3% of the time, whereas only navirus, rotavirus, and positive rapid test for C. parvum. Any
5.6% of readings near the heater fell within the recommended calf that presented with diarrhoea for > 24 hours or that has
been previously exposed to antibiotics, parasiticides or probi-
range.
otics was excluded. Animals were randomly allocated to two
Conclusion: Temperatures in practice vehicle storage treatment groups. Calves in group A received 150 mg paro-
units were outside recommended pharmaceutical storage momycin sulfate/ kg b.w., once daily, for 5 days by oral route
temperatures a significant portion of the winter. Furthermore, while calves in group B were orally administered 100 µg halo-
there is a discernable variation between storage areas near fuginone/ kg b.w., once daily, for 7 days. The following clinical
and far from the heater. Research is needed to determine the and parasitological parameters were monitored at fixed times
extent to which these fluctuations outside the manufacturers' during the 21 days of the study: fecal score (0-3), general
recommended storage temperatures impact efficacy of stored health observation (0-3), hydration score (0-3), oocyst counts
pharmaceuticals. (number of oocysts per gram of dry faeces), bodyweight
Keywords: Drugs, vet box, heater, frozen. and mean daily body weight gain (MDBWG). Percentages
of calves cured at day 8 and MDBWG between day 0 and
day 21 were the main criteria to evaluate the efficacy in both
treatment groups. Other criteria such as parasitological cure
at day 3, 5, 7, 14 and 21 and time to clinical cure from day 2
to day 8 were also assessed. The statistical unit was the calf
and the 5% level of significance (p < 0.05 for two-sided tests)
was used to assess statistical differences.
Results: Three hundred thirty-four dairy calves, mostly
Holstein-Friesians, with a mean age of 9.1 days and a mean
body weight of 41.8 kg were enrolled in this study. 165 calves

351
were allocated to treatment group A, 169 in the treatment the other hand, the production of lipoxin and resolvins, which
group B. At inclusion, the treatment groups were found com- are important for lung epithelial repair, can also be triggered by
parable. 94.6% (156/165) of newborn calves in group A and aspirin, by another pathway [2][3]. The effect of aspirin is high-
87.6% (148/169) in group B were considered clinically cured er on COX-1 versus on COX-2, whereas the opposite is valid
by day 8. Clinical cure rate in group A was found superior to for meloxicam. The objective of this study was to map and
those observed in group B (lower bound of the 95% CI >0). In compare the inflammatory events following early treatment
addition, MDBWG was higher for calves in group A in compar- with these different drugs against BRSV in calves.
ison to calves in group B, with a difference between groups of Material and methods: Fifteen 3-8-week-old dairy calves
0.0405 kg/day (p = 0.0086, best model); that is a bodyweight were allocated to three groups, according to age, bodyweight
advantage of 850 g at the end of the 3 weeks follow-up period. and BRSV-specific maternal antibodies, and were infected
Calves in group A were found to be cured faster in comparison with BRSV by aerosol. The calves received either 0,5 mg/kg
to calves in group B. More precisely, the probability of healing meloxicam (MET) subcutaneously on D4 post infection (PI,
first was 56.75% in favor of group A. The qualitative assess- n=5), 20 mg/kg acetylsalicylat-DL-lysin (ASP) intravenously
ment of oocyst counts (positive / negative) assessed at each on D4 and D5 (n=5), or no treatment (n=5, CRT).
time point showed no significant difference, except on Day 7
Clinical signs of disease were scored and peripheral
(76.4% and 87.0% for negative calves in group A and B re-
capillary oxygen saturation was measured on a daily basis.
spectively). Overall, seven adverse events were documented
Bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL), plasma and nasal swabs
from seven animals in group B but were not found to be related
were repeatedly collected until post mortem examination of
to the treatment.
lungs on D7 PI. The extent of macroscopic lung lesions were
Conclusion: In this European field study, daily oral treat- quantified and histological analyses were carried out. BRSV
ment with 150 mg/kg of paromomycin (Gabbrovet Multi®) for was detected in swabs and BAL by RT-qPCR. Inflammatory
5 days was found safe and highly effective to cure sick dairy cells were counted in BAL and BAL proteins were semi-quan-
calves with cryptosporidiosis and to control their oocyst bur- tified by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrom-
den. In addition, this new treatment regimen was found supe- etry. Eicosanoids were analysed in plasma and BAL by liquid
rior to the current reference treatment based on halofuginone. chromatography triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrom-
Keywords: Dairy calves, cryptosporidiosis, treatment, etry.
paromomycin, field study. Results: The calves developed mild to moderate clinical
signs of respiratory disease. All calves shed virus from D2 or
D3 throughout D7. No significant difference was observed with
regard to clinical signs, virus shedding or extent of lung le-
sions. The two calves with the most severe clinical signs and
PT-03 most extensive pathological lesions, had been treated with
ASP and MET, respectively. Meloxicam significantly increased
Effects of early treatment with non-steriod anti- the proportion of neutrophils in BAL compared to aspirin (24h
inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) against bovine respiratory after treatment) and compared to no treatment (72h after treat-
syncytial virus (BRSV) ment). Histopathological, proteomic and metabolomic data will
Sara Hägglund1, Eve Laloy2, Ignacio Alvarez3, Katarina Näslund4, additionally be presented at the meeting.
Yongzhi Guo3, Sara Rosenberg3, Mansour Naghibi3, Gabriella Conclusions: In contrast to aspirin, treatment with meloxi-
Hallbrink Ågren3, Haleh Yazdan Panah3, Ganna Shevchenko5, cam increased the influx of neutrophils in the lungs of calves
Jonas Bergquist5, Anna Hillström6, Edouard Timsit7, Jean Francois infected with BRSV, compared to controls 7 days after infection
Valarcher3. and 3 days after treatment. Neither aspirin, nor meloxicam had
a curative effect on clinical signs or lung lesions. The effect of
1
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden;
these drugs will be analysed by taking into consideration sys-
2
Laboratoire VETODIAG, Saint-Pierre-en-Auge, France; 3Swedish
temic and local eicosanoids, as well as proteins in BAL fluids
University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden; 4National
and histology. The results might contribute to evidence-based
Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden; 5Uppsala University, Uppsala,
practical handling of acute outbreaks of BRSV in the field, as
Sweden; 6University Animal Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden; 7Ceva Santé
well as to the general understanding of pulmonary inflamma-
Animale, Libourne, France.
tion, needed for development of efficient drugs.
References:
Objectives: Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
1. Francoz, D. et al. Evidence related to the use of ancil-
are increasingly used as a single and early treatment against
lary drugs in bovine respiratory disease (anti-inflam-
respiratory disease caused by bovine respiratory syncytial vi-
matory and others): are they justified or not? Vet Clin
rus (BRSV). These drugs reduce fever, but consistent reduc-
North Am Food Anim Pract 2012, 28, 23-38, vii-viii,
tion of pulmonary inflammation has not been demonstrated
doi:10.1016/j.cvfa.2011.12.003.
[1]. While some of the induced mechanisms are anti-inflamma-
tory, others might augment inflammation in the lung and delay 2. Zheng, S., et al. Lipoxin A4 promotes lung epithelial re-
the healing process. The drawbacks include increased levels pair whilst inhibiting fibroblast proliferation. ERJ Open
of leuokotriene B4, a chemoattractant for neutrophils, and de- Res 2016, 2, doi:10.1183/23120541.00079-2015.
creased levels of prostacyclin and prostaglandin E2, which 3. Gilligan, M.M., et al. Aspirin-triggered proresolving
mediate a switch from leukotriene to lipoxin production. On mediators stimulate resolution in cancer. Proc Natl

352
Acad Sci U S A 2019, 116, 6292-6297, doi:10.1073/ The onset, magnitude, and duration of caudal epidural analge-
pnas.1804000116. sia were also determined. Sedation was subjectively evaluat-
Keywords: BRSV, inflammation, NSAID, Eicosanoids, ed by the attitude of the cow, including the response to noise,
BAL proteome. carriage of the head, and the presence of excessive salivation.
Ataxia was evaluated by observing the position of the pelvic
limbs, swaying and leaning against the chute, or any knuck-
ling of the hindlimbs. Physiological variables including heart
rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), rumen contraction (RM), and
rectal temperature (RT) were assessed before epidural admin-
PT-04
istration (baseline) and at 15 min intervals thereafter for 120
Evaluation of the clinical effects of epidural butorphanol in min. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and pre-
cattle sented as mean ± SEM.
Results: Caudal epidural anesthesia was produced in all
Tomas Trucco1, Mazzini Ruben2, Cristian Leiva2, Oscar Garnero2,
heifers following the administration of BTL. The epidural in-
Reza Seddighi3.
jection was easy to perform and well tolerated by all animals.
1
Veterinaria Trucco, Private Practice, Argentina; 2Universidad Caudal epidural analgesia ranged from the tail, vulva, perine-
Nacional del Litoral, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Argentina; um, paralumbar fossa, flank fold and last rib in all heifers. Time
3
University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine, United States. to the onset of analgesia was 15 ± 2 minutes and duration of
epidural analgesia was 69 ± 7.2 minutes. In all cattle, mild to
moderate sedation (slight lowering of the head carriage and
Introduction and Objectives: Epidural administration is
lower lip and ptyalism) was noted for 68 ± 6 minutes. No signs
one of the commonly used regional blocks in bovine anesthe-
of ataxia were detected. No significant differences in heart
sia for pain control. Caudal epidural anesthesia is commonly
rate, respiratory rate, rumen motility and rectal temperature
utilized in veterinary medicine to allow diagnostic, obstetrical,
were observed between measurements before and after epi-
and surgical intervention in the perineal region of large ani-
dural administration.
mals, while allowing animals to remain in the standing position.
Local anesthetics are the most frequently used drugs for pro- Conclusion: Butorphanol (0.02 mg/kg) administered epi-
ducing analgesia by epidural injection, but other classes such durally to adult cattle produced adequate cutaneous analgesia
as α-2 adrenoceptor agonists, ketamine, and opioids have also and mild sedation without affecting the cardiopulmonary and
been widely used. It has been shown in several species that rumen motility at the doses used in this study.
opioids and alpha-adrenergic agents produce selective caudal Keywords: Bovine, opioids, epidural, pain, butorphanol.
epidural analgesia via binding to the spinal receptors. Stimula-
tion of these spinal receptors results in the inhibition of rostral
transmission of nociceptive (pain) impulses. Thus, a potential
advantage of these agents is the selective sensory blockade,
without the unfavorable depression of motor or autonomic
neurons. Although many opioids have been evaluated and
clinically used for epidural analgesia in cattle, there are no clin-
ical trials on the use of butorphanol (BTL) epidurally in cows.
Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine the
sedative and analgesic effects of butorphanol administered
epidurally (C1-C2 intercoccygeal space) in standing cattle.
Methods: Five 2 - 3 year-old Holstein heifers (mean 14.6
months ± 0.7); weighing 423 ± 41 kg were used in this study.
During the experiment, cows were restrained in a chute. The
skin area over the first intercoccygeal (Co1-Co2) space was
identified and aseptically prepared. Epidural puncture was
performed with an 18-gauge, 38 mm needle, that was direct-
ed at the right angle to the general contour of the croup. The
correct needle placement in the epidural space was confirmed
by hanging-drop technique and the lack of resistance during
administration of the injectate. Each animal received epidur-
al anesthesia with butorphanol at a dose of 0.02 mg/kg BW.
For each animal, butorphanol was diluted in saline (0.9%) to
a final volume of 5 ml. Sedation, ataxia, and analgesia were
assessed before butorphanol administration and at 5 min in-
tervals after epidural administration for 60 min, and every 15
min thereafter for 120 min. Analgesia was tested by applying
a standard noxious stimulus (skin pinching using a kocher he-
mostat) and subjectively scored based on a 3-point scale: 1)
no response 2) depressed response; and 3) normal response.

353
ORAL — Reproduction in Beef Cattle
RB-01 univariate analysis with Chi-square test (Proc Freq, SAS sys-
tem®). In addition, the effect of treatment adjusted by the rest
Recombinant glycoprotein with eCG-like activity did not of the variables and interactions on the incidence of multiple
increase the incidence of multiple ovulation in beef cattle ovulation was evaluated by multiple logistic regression models
in a 5-day CoSynch protocol (Proc Logistic, SAS system®) using the backward elimination
Alejandro Rodriguez1, Sebastian Maresca1, Sebastian López Valiente1, procedure.
Lucas Gelid2, Maria Guillermina Bilbao3, Karen Moran3, Gabriel Results: There was no difference in the distribution of
Franco4, Pedro Ezcurdia1, Santiago Pérez Wallace5, Ana Meikle6, cows by herd (P=0.58) and cyclicity (P=0.96) between treat-
Julian Bartolome4. ment groups. At the beginning of the experiment (Day -8),
85, 84 and 89 % of heifers and suckled cows from herd 1,
1
Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental
2 and 3, respectively, were cyclic. The percentage of heifers
Agropecuaria Cuenca del Salado, Argentina; 2Instituto Nacional
and suckled cows that ovulated in response to initial injection
de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria
of GnRH was 38 and 55%, respectively. Two suckled cows
Anguil, Argentina; 3Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y
did not ovulate in response to second injection of GnRH. A
Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias Universidad
7.2% (20/279) of animals had multiple ovulation in response
Nacional de La Pampa, Argentina; 4Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias
to synchronization of ovulation protocol. In the univariate anal-
Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, General Pico, La Pampa,
ysis, the incidence of multiple ovulation was not affected by
Argentina; 5Syntex S.A., Buenos Aires, Argentina; 6Laboratorio de
treatment group [6.5% (9/139) and 7.9% (11/140) in reCG and
Endocrinología y Metabolismo Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria,
control group, respectively; (P=0.65)]. There was also not af-
Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
fected by herd (P=0.90), BCS (P=0.33), cyclicity (P=0.59) and
ovulation in response to initial injection of GnRH (P=0.76). In
Objectives: The objective was to compare the effect of a the multivariable analysis, the incidence of multiple ovulation
glycoprotein with eCG-like activity on the incidence of multiple was also not affected by treatment group (P=0.81).
ovulation in Bos taurus beef cattle synchronized with a 5-d Conclusions: In conclusion, the addition of reCG in a 5-d
CoSynch plus progesterone protocol. CoSynch plus progesterone protocol did not affect the inci-
Material & Methods: Angus heifers of 22-month-old and dence of multiple ovulation in Bos taurus beef cattle.
suckled cows were submitted at random to either a 5-d proges- Keywords: reCG, 5-day CoSynch, Multiple ovulation.
terone CoSynch with reCG (reCG; n=140) or a 5-d progester-
one CoSynch without reCG (Control; n=141). The body weight
(BW; mean±SD) and body condition score (BCS, scale 1-9)
of 22-month-old heifers of Herd 1 (n=95) and Herd 2 (n=97)
were 377±21 Kg and 382±30 Kg, and 5.2±0.4 and 6.3±0.5 re-
RB-02
spectively, while suckled cows in Herd 3 (n=89) had 460±46
Kg and 5.2±0.5 units of BCS. The day of TAI was considered Prevalence and risk factors of purulent vaginal discharge
as Day 0 of the experiment. On Day -8, BCS was recorded and cytological endometritis in French beef cows
and presence, number and location of CL (cyclicity) was de-
termined based on ultrasonography. On the same day, all ani- Vincent Herry1, Magadalena Claes2, Lamia Briant-Amirat3, Clara
mals received 100 μg of GnRH analog (Gonadoreline acetate, Bourel-Conroy4, Nicolas Masset5.
2 mL, im, Prolusyn®, Syntex) and a 1.0 g of progesterone 1
SELAS EVA veterinary clinic, Reseau Cristal, Argentonnay, France;
intravaginal device (DIB®, Syntex). Ovulation in response to 2
SELAS EVA, veterinary clinic, Reseau Cristal, Argentonnay, France;
initial injection of GnRH was evaluated by the number and lo- 3
Laboratory of Biotechnology and Reproductive Pathology, ONIRIS:
cation of CL on Day -3 in relation to Day -8 based on ultraso- The National Veterinary, Food agriculture, and food hygiene school of
nography. Also, on Day -3, all animals received 0.500 mg of Loire Atlantique, Nantes, France; 4MSD Santé Animale, Beaucouzé,
sodium closprostenol (2 mL, im, Ciclase®, Zoetis) at device France; 5Clinic for Ruminants, CHUV, Oniris, Nantes, France.
removal and were assigned randomly to receive 300 IU (1.5
mL, im, reCG, Syntex) in heifers and 400 IU (2 mL, im, reCG,
PCT/EP2019/073277, Syntex) in cows of reCG or remain as Objectives: The primary objective of the study was to de-
untreated controls. On Day -2 animals received a second dose terminate the prevalence of purulent vaginal discharge (PVD)
of closprostenol and finally on Day 0 (72 h after DIB removal), and cytological endometritis (CE) in French beef cows and to
received 100 μg of gonadoreline acetate concurrent with TAI. find out cow-related risk factors associated with PVD and CE.
On Day 7, the number of ovulations (single = 1; multiple ≥ 2) A secondary objective was to evaluate the performance of leu-
in response to synchronization of ovulation protocol was de- kocyte esterase test strips for the diagnosis of CE.
termined by ultrasonography. Data was analyzed using SAS Materials and methods: This prospective cohort study
(Statistical Analysis System). Optimal BCS was considered in was conducted in 6 herds of Charolais and Blonde d’Aquit-
heifers ≥6 and in cows ≥5. Baseline comparisons were es- aine breeds from December 2020 to April 2021 in the region
tablished evaluating the distribution of cows in both treatment of New Aquitaine in France. The cows included underwent
groups using a Chi-square test (Proc Freq, SAS system®). a thorough examination of the reproductive tract at 30 ± 15
The effect of treatment group (reCG vs. control), herd (1, 2 and days post-partum that consisted in chronological order of i) a
3), BCS (<optimum vs. ≥optimum), cyclicity (anestrus vs. cy- visual observation of vaginal mucous secretion using the Met-
clic) and ovulation in response to initial injection of GnRH (yes richeck device (Simcro Technology, Hamilton, New Zealand)
vs. no) on incidence of multiple ovulation was evaluated by ii) endometrial sample using a double-protected cytobrush, iii)

354
ultrasonographic examination in order to determine the diam- leukocyte esterase strip as an alternative test was relatively
eter of the cervix, the presence of the uterine contents and to moderate to good.
describe the ovarian structures. Keywords: Beef Reproduction Endometritis.
Immediately after the endometrial sampling, the cytobrush
was gently rolled onto a microscopic glass slide which was
subsequently colored (May-Grünwald-Giemsa) in order to de-
termine of the percentage of polymorphonuclear (PMN) leuko-
cytes. The cytobrush was cut and placed in a tube containing RB-03
1 mL isotonic sodium chloride (NaCl 0,9%) to perform a leu-
kocyte esterase test (Multistix 10 SG; Siemens, Saint-Denis, The influence of a natural Neospora caninum infection
France). substantiated by serum antibody levels on the semen
The cows were also blood sampled between 30 to 15 days quality of Belgian Blue bulls
before the expected date of calving and between 7 and 24 Celien Kemel1, Matthieu Salamone1, Hans Van Loo1, Catherine
days after calving to determine the blood concentration of Latour2, Sébastien Vandeputte2, Jozefien Callens3, Miel Hostens4,
non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and beta-hydroxybutyrate Geert Opsomer1.
acid (BHBA) respectively. The body condition score (BCS)
was determined before calving and at the time of reproduc- University Ghent, Merelbeke, Belgium; 2AWE Group, Ciney, Belgium;
1
tive examination. Some additional data regarding the calving DGZ Vlaanderen, Torhout, Belgium; 4University Utrecht, Utrecht,
3
(degree of assistance or caesarian section), post-calving dis- Netherlands.

eases (uterine prolapse, retained fetal membranes, puerperal
metritis) or the calves (twinning, birth weight, vitality after birth) Objectives: Worldwide, Neospora caninum (N. caninum),
were gathered. Risk factors associated with PVD or CE were a cyst-forming protozoan parasite, is considered as one of
identified using multivariable logisitic regression. the most important causes of bovine abortion/stillbirth. Even
Results: A total of 182 beef cows of Charolais (n=52) and though studies have shown an association of N. caninum and
Blonde d’Aquitaine (n=130) breed were enrolled in the study the failure of reproductive performances in female animals, the
among which 66 were primiparous (36.2%) and 116 were mul- importance of N. caninum on bull fertility has been neglected.
tiparous (63.8%). The prevalence of PVD and CE defined as The presence of N. caninum DNA in semen, however, indi-
a percentage of PMNs superior to 6% were 7.1% and 45.0%, cates that N. caninum can as well infect the male reproductive
respectively. Herd prevalence of PVD and CE was highly system. Recent literature showed that sperm concentration,
variable. Risk factors positively associated with PVD and CE motility, and viability were significantly lower in testes tissue
were the presence of a post-partum disease (i.e. retained fetal of slaughter bulls with natural neosporosis. To the best of our
membrane or vaginal prolapse; OR = 5.93 (1.01-30.77) and knowledge, no longitudinal studies are available in which the
OR = 7.0 (1.16-134.26) for PVD and CE respectively) and the association between sperm quality parameters and peripheral
birth weight of the calves (i.e. ≥ 53 kg, OR= 3.94 (1.09-15.99) Neospora antibody titers has been assessed. Our study aimed
or ≥ 49 kg, OR= 2.28 (1.19-4.43) for PVD and CE respective- to assess the potential impact of a natural infection with N.
ly). No association were found between occurrence of PVD caninum on the sperm quality of fresh and frozen/thawed se-
or CE and the breed, the herd, cervix diameter, pre-partum men of Belgian Blue Bulls located in Belgium, taking sperm
blood NEFA concentration, post-partum BHBA, BCS at calving samples harvested over a 1-year period into consideration.
or BCS variation around calving or the presence of a corpus Materials and methods: The present study took place
luteum at the time reproductive tract examination. The per- from January 3rd till December 31st 2020. In total 92 Belgian
centage of PMNs varied positively with the PVD score, but Blue bulls kept for breeding purposes, spread over three lo-
the correlation between PVD and CE was not significant. The cations of the Artificial Insemination Centre “Association Wal-
leukocyte esterase test was significantly correlated with the lonne De L'Elevage” (AWE, Ciney, Belgium) were used in this
% PMNs, and using a threshold of 6% PMNs for the defini- study. Every two months, each bull was serologically screened
tion CE, the sensibility, specificity, positive predictive value, for N. caninum antibodies. Only semen data of bulls that were
negative predictive value of the leukocyte esterase test was six times negative or positive for N. caninum antibodies, were
0.64, 0.66, 0.60 and 0.69 if the result is “≥1+” and 0.31, 0.94, included in the study.
0.81 and 0.63 if the result is “≥2+”. Besides PVD or CE was Semen ejaculates were collected with an artificial vagina
not correlated with noticeable ultrasonographic changes of the twice weekly. In total 10.478 ejaculates of the 92 bulls were
uterine contents. included, with 9.537 fresh samples originating from Neospora
Conclusion: Prevalence of PVD was not previously re- negative (n=84) and 941 from positive (n=8) bulls. Outcome
ported in beef cows and appeared lower than observed in variables assessed for the fresh samples included: concen-
dairy cows. Cytological endometritis, which is not strongly cor- tration, volume, and subjective motility. Only semen samples
related with PVD is much more prevalent in this study than with more than 60% of total sperm motility and concentrations
previously reported. Beef cows that gave birth to heavy calves higher than 0.3x 109 sperm cells/ml (n= 7.685 being 7.018 orig-
or suffered post-partum disease (uterine prolapse or retained inating from Neospora negative bulls and 667 from positive
fetal membrane in this study) might benefit a thorough evalu- bulls) were further extended and frozen. Immediately after
ation of “uterine health” before the breeding period because thawing, total motility, progressive motility, and morphology
they have higher risks to be affected by PVD or CE. In compar- were assessed.
ison with conventional cytology, the performance of reagent Sperm parameters were used as the dependent variable of

355
interest. Generalized linear and binomial mixed models were receiving low doses of hCG (Chorulon™ MSD- Brazil) vs eCG
used for statistical analysis of each outcome variable. Initial- (Folligon™ MSD- Brazil) after progesterone device withdrawal
ly, individual explanatory variables age, herd, Temperature on a timed AI protocol.
Humidity Index (THI) at the moment of sperm production as Materials and methods: A total of 42 anestrous (absence
well as collection, and season of sperm production and col- of CL at the first day of the FTAI protocol) Nelore cows, with
lection, as well as the Neospora caninum antibody test results average BCS of 2.73±0.05 (scale 0-5) and at 42 to 83 days
were tested in univariable models for each outcome variable. postpartum were treated on day 0 with 2 mg of estradiol ben-
Akaike information criterion (AIC) values were used to select zoate (Fertilcare Sincronização™, MSD-Brazil) and received
explanatory variables to build the multivariable model, where an intravaginal progesterone (P4) device (Fertilcare 600®,
the Neospora caninum test result was forced in all models.
MSD). On day 8, 12h before device withdrawal, an ultrasound
Results: Results revealed an overall apparent seroprev- evaluation was performed. Cows were homogeneously ran-
alence of Neospora caninum of 9,2% in our tested bull group. domized to four treatment groups according to the highest
For fresh semen: volume (negative N. caninum samples: follicle diameter. At the moment of the intravaginal P4-device
6,60 ml ± 2,55 ml; positive N. caninum samples: 6,28 ml ± 3,28 removal all cows were treated with 0.5 mg Cloprostenol (Ci-
ml) and concentration (negative: 1.395,23x106 sperm cells/ml osin®, MSD), 1 mg of estradiol benzoate, and then random-
± 493,77 x106 sperm cells/ml; positive: 1.471,53 x106 sperm ized to receive either saline (Control Group, n = 8), 100 IU of
cells/ml ± 532,41x106 sperm cells/ml) were normally distribut- hCG (Chorulon®, MSD, hCG-100 Group, n = 14), 150 IU of
ed, where the subjective motility (negative: 64,29% ± 14,71%; hCG (Chorulon®, MSD, hCG-150 Group, n = 11) or 300 IU
positive: 61,21%± 12,94%) was right skewed. After freezing: of eCG (Folligon®, MSD, eCG Group, n = 9). Subsequently,
total motility (negative: 45,11% ±11,60%; positive: 44,47% ultrasound examinations were performed at 12h intervals un-
± 12,49%), progressive motility (negative: 26,28% ± 8,17%; til 96h post P4-device removal, in order to evaluate follicular
positive: 27,11% ± 8,81%) and normal morphology (negative: growth and time of ovulation. Data for ovulatory dispersion and
96,03%± 2,53%; positive: 95,90%± 2,38%) were normally dis- ovulation rate were analyzed by least-squares ANOVA with
tributed. the PROC GLIMMIX procedure of SAS (v. 9.4; SAS Institute
Although there were numerical differences in the descrip- Inc., Cary, NC). Orthogonal contrasts were used to compare
tive results for some outcome variables, no significant associ- follicle growth means (C1=Control vs Gonadotropins; C2 =
ations were detected between natural neosporosis, substanti- eCG vs hCG; C3=100 IU of hCG vs 150 IU of hCG).
ated by ELISA-antibody levels, and any of our tested outcome Results: There were no differences in time to ovulation
variables on fresh and frozen/thawed semen samples. and distribution of ovulations across time among groups
Conclusions: Results suggest no significantly negative (51.6±0.82h; P>0.95). There were no differences in ovulation
association between N. caninum and any of the tested out- rate [83,3% (35/42); P=0.81]. Dominant follicle growth within
come variables in the fresh nor in the frozen-thawed semen 24h periods was greater on cows treated with gonadotrophic
samples. Current evidence that N. caninum seropositive bulls hormones than the Control Group [gonadotropins = 2.28 mm
have lower semen quality or semen production is therefore d-1; Saline = 0.18 mm d-1; P=0.001 (C1)], but hCG and eCG
unlikely. Based on these results, there appears to be no rea- treatments had similar results [hCG = 0.96 mm d-1; eCG = 0.75
son to advise against the rearing and use for mating of bulls mm d-1; P=0.81 (C2)] and different doses of hCG (100 IU vs
that are seropositive for N. caninum, but extensive field fertility 150 IU) had similar growth [150 IU of hCG = 1.05 mm d-1; 100
studies should further confirm this. IU of hCG = 0.75 mm d-1; P=0.26 (C3)].
Keywords: Belgian Blue Bulls; Neospora caninum; semen Conclusion: In conclusion, different doses of hCG and
quality parameters. eCG treatments resulted in similar dispersions between the
first and last ovulations, and similar ovulation rates and follic-
ular growth development rates after P4-device removal. Both
gonadotrophic treatments (hCG and eCG) resulted in higher
follicular growth rates than follicles in cows that did not receive
RB-04 a gonadotrophic stimulus.
Keywords: Anestrous, Bos indicus, Gonadotrophic, Post-
Effects of single treatment with low doses of hCG in timed
partum, Ovarian Activity.
AI protocols on: follicle growth dynamics, ovulatory
dispersion and ovulation rate on Nellore cows
Henderson Ayres1, Joao Paulo Barbuio1, Carlos Antônio De Carvalho
Fernandes2, Francisco Barufi1, Heitor Amaral1, Rodolfo Mingoti1.
1
MSD Saude Animal, São Paulo, Brazil; 2Biotran Biotecnologia Animal
LTDA, Alfenas, Brazil.
Objectives: Postpartum anoestrus is very prominent in

Nellore cows and has a negative effect on reproductive re-
sults in the breeding session. The objective of this study was
to evaluate follicle growth dynamics, ovulatory dispersion and
ovulation rate in postpartum Nelore (Bos taurus indicus) cows

356
RB-05 Maturity Development

Age (months) Phase
index (%) index (%)
Reproductive program in Avileña-Negra Iberica breed 0 6,5 57 Birth
heifers (AECRANI) for an age programmed to the first
3 18,2 65
birth of 2.5 years
7 33,6 74 Weaning
Pablo Iglesias Santiago1, Mar González Muñoz2, Javier López 9 39,2 80 Recribed
Cordero2, P. Herraiz Espinosa2, Almuneda Cabezas Albéniz3, Vicente 12 47,6 85 Recribed
Jimeno Vinatea4.
14 52,0 85 Recribed
INSAVET - Investigación y sanidad veterinaria, Salamanca, Spain;
1
16 56,4 88 Puberty
Asociación Española de Criadores de Ganado Vacuno Selecto de
2
19 63,0 89 Coverage
Raza Avileña Negra Ibérica AECRANI, Ávila, Spain; 3Facultad de 21 67,4 90 Gestation
Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; 4E.T.S.I.A.A.B., 27 78,8 100
Universidad Politécnica, Madrid, Spain.
30 85,0 100 1 postpartum week
LWA = Adult reproductive live weight; WHA = Adult reproductive
Objectives: To evaluate the reproductive efficiency of an withers height
assisted reproduction program based on estrus synchroni-
zation and fixed time artificial insemination (FTAI) in heifers
The average age of the heifers at insemination was 18.4
of the Avileña-Negra Iberica breed (ANI) for an average age
± 2.9 months, with an average live weight of 395.7 ± 56.5 kg,
programmed at the first birth of 30 months. The reproductive
withers height of 127.4 ± 4.1 cm and an average corporal
model consisted of an estrus synchronization and through a
condition of 3.0 ± 0.4 points. The average age, average live
Presynch + CIDR Cosynch and FTAI protocol with natural mat-
weight, withers height and corporal condition of the heifers of
ing (NM) after 15 post-insemination. each livestock at the moment of artificial insemination (AI) are
Materials and methods: The program has been conduct- shown in table 2.
ed with a sample of 94 ANI heifers from five livestock, located Table 3 describes the synchronization protocol (Presynch
in the provinces of Salamanca, Ávila and Segovia (Castilla y + CIDR Cosynch) applied to the heifers of the different live-
León). stock in the study.
At the moment of insemination, all the heifers from the After 15 days of the AI, the stallions were introduced in the
sample complied with the maturity and development index different livestock to review by means of natural mating (NM)
proposed by AECRANI (table 1). the heifers that were not pregnant in the AI. The diagnosis of
Table 1. Recommendations AECRANI of the maturity and pregnancy was made by ultrasonography 70 days post-AI,
development index in heifers of ANI breed, for PPE of 30 thus confirming the pregnant heifers.
months of age (PVA = 650 kg, AA = 1.40 m). Results: Through the reproduction program used in this
study, the average gestation rate in all livestock was 72.9%.
Table 2. Age, live weight, withers height and corporal condition of the ANI heifers of the different livestock studied at the time of AI.
Livestock
Livestock II Livestock III Livestock IV Livestock V
I
Number of heifers 34 11 12 20 17
Age, months 18,2±1,1 18,0±1,5 19,4±4,2 15,62±0,3 21,6±3,4
Live weight, kg 395,5±43,6 420,1±26,5 346,8±41,8 354,6±29,6 463,2±52,7
Withers Height, cm 125,5±3,7 126,6±3,4 126,8±3,4 127,6±3,9 131,8±2,9
Corporal condition 2,8±0,4 3,1±0,2 3,1±0,3 2,9±0,2 3,3±0,3
Table 3. Estrous synchronization and protocol in ANI heifers.

Presynch 14 d Day 0 5d Day 5 1d Day 6 2d Day 8
+
Aplication Retired
CIDR Cosynch FTAI
CIDR CIDR
PGF2α GnRH PGF2α PGF2α + eCG GnRH
Table 4. Percentage of pregnant heifers after the application of the reproduction program with IATF.
Livestock Livestock Livestock Livestock Livestock

I II III IV V
Number of heifers 34 11 12 20 17
Age AI, months 18,2±1,1 18,0±1,5 19,4±4,2 15,62±0,3 21,6±3,4
Pregnant rate, % 91,2 63,6 91,7 65,0 52,9

357
Table 4 shows the gestation rate in the different livestock that to goiter and chondrodystrophy independently.
have taken part in the study. Keywords: Iodine, manganese, mineral, deficiency, hypo-
Conclusions: The use of a reproductive program based thyroidism.
on the estrus synchronization and “Presynch + CIDR Cosynch”
and IATF, in combination with the introduction of stallions for
natural mating 15 days after insemination, is a recommended
method in ANI heifers at the first birth of 30 months of age, giv-
en the excellent rate of pregnant heifers obtained in this study.
Keywords: Avileña-Negra, Synchronization, Insemina-
tion, Heifers, Birth.
RB-06
An outbreak of congenital goiter and chondrodystrophy

among calves born to spring-calving beef cows
Elizabeth R. Homerosky1, Megan Johnsen1, Mei Steinmann2, Carling
Matejka2, Michael J. Jelinski1.
Veterinary Agri-Health Services, Ltd., Airdrie, Canada; 2University of
1
Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
Objectives: An outbreak of concurrent congenital diffuse

hyperplastic goiter and chondrodystrophy occurred at a com-
mercial cow-calf operation in southern Alberta during spring
2018 (Homerosky et al., 2019). All affected calves were born
to mature Angus cows and sired by one of two half-sibling
mature Red Angus bulls. Matings during the previous four
breeding seasons resulted in apparently normal calves. The
objective was to investigate non-genetic etiologies of congen-
ital goiter and chondrodystrophy.
Materials and methods: The herd was on pasture until
November 2017 when they were transitioned to a ration com-
prised of wrapped high-moisture barley greenfeed bales and
mixed grass hay bales. No supplemental trace minerals or vi-
tamins were provided during the winter feeding period. Twenty
of 35 calves born between April 5th and June 5 th, 2018 were
affected with goiter and generalized weakness in the presence
or absence of varying degrees of chondrodystrophy. Incidence
of stillbirths and neonatal deaths (N=7) and severity of clinical
signs decreased as calving season progressed. All dams were
in good body condition and appeared clinically healthy.
Results: Three deceased affected calves submitted for
additional diagnostics tested negative for bovine herpesvirus,
Leptospira spp., Neospora caninum, and bovine viral diar-
rhea. Liver concentration for iron was high, manganese was
low, and cobalt was deficient in multiple calves. Cobalt may
serve as a proxy for iodine as these two minerals must be
supplemented continuously to cattle in Alberta. As such, iodine
deficiency was determined to be the cause of goiter in these
calves. The herd was treated by providing trace minerals with
added ethylenediamine dihydroiodide.
Conclusions: Although congenital goiter and chondrodys-
trophy are observed globally in several species, there is a pau-
city of reports describing concurrent manifestations, especially
in calves. In the current outbreak, it is unclear if hypothyroid-
ism impaired normal fetal growth and development or if multi-
ple concurrent mineral deficiencies predisposed these calves

358
ORAL — Reproduction in Dairy Cattle
RD-01 RD-02
Effect of treatment of phantom cows with a progesterone- Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of diagnosing and treating
based synchrony programme phantom cows in seasonal-calving dairy herds
Greg Chambers1, Mat O'Sullivan2, Chris Compton3. Greg Chambers1, Mat O'Sullivan2, Carolyn Gates3.
Zoetis New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand; 2Veterinary Centre,
1
Zoetis New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand; 2Veterinary Centre,
1
Oamaru, New Zealand; 3Massey University, Palmerston North, New Oamaru, New Zealand; 3Massey University, Palmerston North, New
Zealand. Zealand.
Objectives: To determine the effect of a progester- Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the
one-based synchrony programme on the daily hazard of con- cost-effectiveness of using a progesterone-based synchro-
ception and the probability of being pregnant at the end of ny program to manage phantom cows on seasonal-calving
the seasonal mating period in cows not observed in oestrus dairy farms. Phantom cows were defined as cows that had
within 35–49 days of insemination and that were diagnosed been artificially inseminated ≤14 days after mating start date
non-pregnant (phantom cows) on seasonally-calving New (MSD), were not subsequently detected in estrus, and were
Zealand dairy farms. Secondary aims were to determine the diagnosed non-pregnant at a pregnancy diagnosis conducted
phantom cow prevalence and estimate the proportion of phan- approximately 49 days after MSD.
tom cows with a functional corpus luteum (CL) at enrolment. Material & Methods: Decision-tree analysis was applied
Material & Methods: Phantom cows from 14 New Zea- to data from a previous randomized controlled trial in which
land commercial dairy farms were enrolled in a randomised phantom cows (n=378) from spring-calving dairy farms were
controlled trial. Cows that were artificially inseminated ≤14 randomly allocated to an untreated control group or were im-
days after mating start date and were not subsequently detect- mediately treated with a 10-day progesterone-based synchro-
ed in oestrus were presented for pregnancy diagnosis approx- ny program with fixed-time artificial insemination. The net eco-
imately 49 days after mating start date. Non-pregnant cows nomic return of treating all cows presented by the farmer for
were diagnosed as phantom cows and randomly allocated to pregnancy diagnosis that were diagnosed non-pregnant was
treatment and control groups. A milk sample was collected for compared to no intervention. The net return was therefore cal-
progesterone assay to determine the presence of a functional culated per cow present at MSD because the decision trees
CL. Treatment consisted of an injection of buserelin and inser- followed all cows present at MSD through to mating end date
tion of an intravaginal device containing progesterone on day to account for farmers inadvertently presenting ineligible cows
0, injections of dinoprost and equine chorionic gonadotrophin for pregnancy diagnosis and possible treatment. Probabilities,
and removal of the intravaginal device on day 7, injection of costs and benefits of reproductive outcomes were based on
buserelin on day 9, and fixed time artificial insemination on published data and expert opinion. The effects of key parame-
day 10. Treatment group cows were then mixed with bulls for ters on the economic return were tested by sensitivity analysis.
the remainder of the seasonal mating period. Cows allocated Results: Phantom cow intervention delivered a net re-
to the control group were mated naturally by bulls. Statistical turn of NZ $4.51 per cow present at MSD. The sensitivity of
models were constructed to determine the effect of treatment pregnancy diagnosis, proportion of ineligible cows presented
on the daily hazard of conception and the probability of being by the farmer for pregnancy diagnosis and the prevalence of
pregnant at the end of the seasonal mating period. phantom cows were highly influential on the net economic re-
Results: A total of 378/4,214 (9.0%) cows presented for turn from phantom cow intervention.
pregnancy diagnosis were diagnosed as phantom cows. A Conclusion: These findings suggest that treatment of phan-
functional CL was diagnosed in 257/362 (71.0%) phantom tom cows in seasonal-calving dairy farms using a progester-
cows. Median predicted enrolment to conception intervals one-based synchrony program is economically viable based
were 33 (95% CI= 30-45) and 30 (95% CI= 28-33) days re- on the current model assumptions. Accurate cow selection
spectively for cows in the control and treatment groups re- and pregnancy diagnosis are essential to success. Veterinar-
spectively. The odds of being pregnant at the end of mating ians can improve the net economic return by selecting farms
were 1.70 (95% CI= 1.34-2.17) times greater for treated phan- likely to have a higher prevalence of phantom cows based on
tom cows than untreated phantom cows. Estimated marginal the presence of observable risk factors.
mean proportion pregnant at mating end date were 59.5 (95%
Keywords: Phantom cows, Reproduction, Estrus Syn-
CI= 47.9-70.1) % and 71.5 (95% CI= 62.6-79.0) % for control
chronization, Economics, Decision Tree Analysis.
and treatment group cows respectively.
Conclusion: Treatment with a progesterone-based syn-
chrony programme significantly increased the probability of
phantom cows being pregnant at the end of the seasonal mat-
ing period.
Keywords: Phantom cow, dairy cattle, reproduction.

359
RD-03 statistical analyses were carried out using lineal models (GLM
procedure in SAS version 9.1.3, SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC).
Embryo production in dairy cattle after superovulation The variance factors analyzed were: type of donor (heifer or
with gonadotrophin preparation- effect of variability in cow) and treatment (T1, T2, T3).
FSH/LH ratio-
Results: The average values for the analyzed variables
Santiago Fuentes Ibañez1, Ana Sierra Toral2, Eugenio Liébana3, Juan were: number of total embryos recovered (10.28±0.32), num-
Carlos Boixo Pérez-Holanda4, Fernando De La Fuente Crespo5. ber of viable embryos (5.66±0.23) and number of quality 1 em-
bryos (2.83±0.12).
1
Aberekin, S,A., Derio, Vizcaya, Spain., Derio, Vizcaya, Spain; 2Selection
and Animal Reproduction Center (CENSYRA), Villaquilambre, León, The donor type factor (heifer of cow), was not significant
Spain., Villaquilambre (LEÓN), Spain; 3Embryo Transfer Unit of for the three variables analyzed, however the treatment effect
Cantabria, Torrelavega, Cantabria. Spain, Torrelavega, Cantabria, was significant for the number of viable embryos (p <0.05) and
Spain; 4Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of León, León, for the number of quality 1 embryos.
Spain, LEÓN, Spain; 5Department of Animal Production. Faculty of There was no effect (P=0.08) of different FSH:LH ratios
Veterinary Medicine, University of León, León, Spain, LEÓN, Spain. of gonadotrophins on mean of total embryos recovered be-
tween Groups I, II, III (10.53 ± 0.37 vs. 9.73 ± 0.94 vs. 9.25 ±
1.03 respectively).
Introduction and objectives: Ovarian superstimulation of
dairy heifers and cows is a practical tool to increase offspring There was a main effect of different FSH:LH ratios used for
from females of high genetic merit. The success of superovu- superovulation in present trial (P = 0.0004), on viable embry-
lation and embryo recovery in cattle depends on numerous os obtained between Group I (FSH:LH ratio ≥1), with highest
factors but one of the most significant limiting factor has been value (6.06 ± 0.26) and group III (FSH:LH ratio < 0.90) with
the high between-individual variability, in the ovarian response lowest (3.26 ± 0.73). The mean showed of Group II (FSH:LH
to gonadotropin stimulation. (Mikkola & Taponen, 2017). ratio: <1 to ≥0.90) (5.07±0.67) tended (P=0.07), respect to
Group III value.
Currently the gonadotrophins preparations approved for
veterinary use derive from porcine and ovine pituitary tissue. There was also a significant effect of the treatment on the
One of the disadvantage resulting from the nature of the origin number of quality 1 embryos: donors of Group III had lesser
of the products is inconsistency among batches. This variation number (1.81 ± 0.38) than Group II (2.68 ± 0.35) (P=0.09) and
in bioactivity affects embryo yield (Kanitz et al. 2002). Group I (2.98 ± 0.13) (P=0.0043).
The more important question is the possible biological ef- Conclusions: The number of viable and quality 1 em-
fect of the so called FSH/LH ratio. Variability in FSH:LH ra- bryos recovered resulted in significantly increased in donors
tios among different batches of one product of commercially stimulated with a batch of gonadotrophin preparation in which
available gonadotrophins is a very important challange that FSH:LH ratio was ≥ 1 respect to those obtained from females
deserves to be considered. Because of this, the objective of superovulated with a batch which ratio of FSH:LH was < 0.9.
this study was to compare the outcome of embryo recovery These results suggested that relative high LH contami-
after superovulation with purified porcine pituitary extracts with nation in gonadotrophin preparations impairs the ovarian re-
different FSH:LH ratios, using a standard protocol of eight in- sponse to superstimulation, resulting in decreased yield of
jections in a decreasing dose in cows and heifers. viable and quality 1 embryos.
Materials and methods: Data of 465 superovulations and Keywords: FSH/LH ratio, SOV, embryo, cattle.
subsequent embryo collections from Spanish dairy farms were
analyzed. Donor animals were cows (n= 222) (47.74%), and
heifers (n= 243) (52.26%) of Holstein breed.
Superovulation was induced by eight intramuscular injec-
tions of gonadotrophin preparation, at 12-hour intervals over RD-04
4 days. Declining doses of 650 to 1000 IU in total was ad-
ministered for cows, whereas heifers received 500 to 750 IU. Quantification of reproductive hormone use in Dutch dairy
Embryos were collected 7 days after inseminations by trans- herds: "From no treatment to excessive use"
cervical uterine flushing according to the IETS guidelines. Savannah Van Der Laan1, Bart Van Den Borne2, Peter Vos1, Hilde
Donors were randomly divided into three groups (I, II and Aardema1, Tine Van Werven1.
III), according to treatment they had received because of differ-
Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands;
1
WUR, Wageningen,
2
ent FSH:LH ratio in follicle-stimulating hormone preparation:
Netherlands.
Group I (T1): (n= 362) Donors stimulated with a batch in
which FSH:LH ratio was ≥ 1
Objectives: Globally, reproductive hormones are used
Group II (T2): (n= 56) Donors stimulated with a batch in
in the dairy industry to increase reproductive efficiency and,
which FSH:LH ratio was <1 to ≥ 0.9
hence, to increase the longevity of dairy cows. The number
Group III (T3): (n= 47) Donors stimulated with a batch in of treatments seems to vary significantly between herds, but
which FSH:LH ratio is < 0.9 exact numbers on reproductive hormone use are lacking for
Statistical analyses: With the aim of studying factors that most countries. Variation between countries appears to be
influence on number total recovered embryos variation; num- highly dependent on a farm’s management system, includ-
ber viable embryos and number of quality 1 embryos variation, ing the type of calving pattern used. In the Netherlands, the

360
calving pattern is year-round and, consequently, hormonal farms. Farm characteristics were associated with greater use
treatments tend to be prescribed at the cow level based on of reproductive hormones. This study is a first step to achieve
diagnostics rather than by using timed artificial insemination transparency in the Dutch dairy industry by providing an ob-
protocols at herd level. jective overview of reproductive hormone use on dairy farms
Consumers’ growing interest in food safety and cases of and its association with a number of herd-level factors. Further
pharmaceutical product misuse have resulted in scepticism research will be needed to estimate the effect of reproductive
among the public regarding the use of antimicrobials and hor- hormone interventions on cow level and, hence, the impact on
mones in modern farming, although direct negative effects of reproductive performance of the herd.
reproductive hormones are not described. Transparency in the Keywords: Hormone treatment, reproduction, dairy.
process of milk production, including insight into key perfor-
mance indicators and medicinal treatments, is a strong and
effective tool in influencing social opinions and acceptance of
modern dairy farming.
The aim of this study was to estimate reproductive hor- RD-05
mone use on year-round calving dairy farms under Dutch cir-
cumstances and to obtain insight into a number of herd-level Progesterone based heifer re-synchrony in an extensive
factors that are associated with this reproductive hormone use. pasture grazing system: A case study
Materials and methods: The use of three commonly used Kristen Baxter1, Luke Smyth2, Gregory Chambers3.
reproductive hormones, namely prostaglandins, GnRH and 1
Zoetis New Zealand, Christchurch, New Zealand; 2Oamaru Veterinary
progesterone, and associated herd-level factors were studied
Services, Oamaru, New Zealand; 3Epivet Ltd., Te Awamutu, New
on 760 Dutch dairy farms selected from 5 veterinary clinics.
Zealand.
From 2017 to 2019, data on the registered sales of reproduc-
tive hormones were collected and converted into the num-
ber of reproductive hormone doses based on the prescribed Objective: The objective of this study was to determine if
amount of product per treatment on the package leaflet. The a synchrony/re-synchrony programme would prove effective in
total number of doses was expressed as the annual number achieving a pregnancy rate of >85% in 3 cycles.
of reproductive hormone doses per 100 adult dairy cows. Ad- New Zealand dairy heifers are typically raised in extensive
ditional herd-level information, including milking system and pasture based grazing systems. These systems often pre-
participation in veterinary herd health management (VHHM) clude artificial insemination (AI) from being used throughout
programs, was available for 2019. Due to the excess of ze- the mating period due to the inability to carry out extended pe-
ros in the dataset (i.e., a substantial number of nonusers), ze- riods of daily heat detection. However, with the eradication of
ro-inflated negative binomial models were used to associate Mycoplasma bovis currently underway in New Zealand, some
herd-level factors with the use of reproductive hormones. farmers are reluctant to use bulls of often unknown prove-
Results: In the entire study period from 2017 to 2019, nance for their heifers.
5.8% of the dairy farms did not use any reproductive hor- Materials and Methods: 140 nulliparous approximately
mones, varying between 0.0 and 10.3% per veterinary clinic. 15-month old dairy heifers from a single farm were used for
This proportion of nonusers was around 13.5% on an annual the study. All heifers received gonadotrophin-releasing hor-
basis. Prostaglandins were the most frequently used reproduc- mone (GnRH) intramuscularly (I/M) on Day -9, a progesterone
tive hormone in Dutch dairy cows (62.9%), followed by GnRH (P4)-releasing intravaginal device [1.38g CIDR®] from Days
(33.1%) and progesterone (4.0%). In 2019, the total number of -9 to -2, prostaglandin F2α (PGF) I/M on Day -2 and a second
reproductive hormone doses per 100 adult dairy cows ranged dose of GnRH I/M as well as fixed time artificial insemination
from 0 to 248. The mean number of doses per 100 adult dairy (FTAI) on Day 0 (Co-Synch). On Day 14, all heifers were re-
cows was 40.6, and its median was 32.8. Similar observations synchronized with insertion of a new progesterone device,
were made regarding the distribution of reproductive hormone which was removed at Day 21. From Day 22-26 heifers were
use in 2017 and 2018. Furthermore, farms participating in a mated to detected heat. On Day 35, all heifers were pregnan-
VHHM program used more reproductive hormones than farms cy tested using rectal ultrasonography, and divided into three
that did not participate in such a VHHM program and these groups. All heifers diagnosed as pregnant were removed from
farms were also a minority in the nonuser group. Technolo- the programme (Group 1). All heifers not diagnosed pregnant,
gies, such as pedometers and automatic milking systems, also but which had been mated at Days 22-25 (Group 2: possibly
had an effect on reproductive hormone use. The presence of pregnant) were treated with a new progesterone device from
pedometers or activity monitors on farms was more common Day 35 to Day 42. These devices were removed at day 42,
in the group of farmers with reproductive hormone use. Farms and heifers were mated to detected heat for Days 43-46. Heif-
with an automatic milking system used more reproductive hor- ers which were not visibly pregnant at Day 35 and which had
mones than farms equipped with a conventional milking sys- also not been mated on day 22-26 (Group 3) received another
tem, while organic herds used less reproduction hormones. Co-Synch programme followed by FTAI on day 44. The final
Lastly, hormone use was more common in larger herds com- pregnancy test was carried out on Day 74.
pared to smaller herds. Results: 123/135 (91%) of heifers which completed the
Conclusions: The veterinary clinics and farms varied re- trial conceived over the 46-day mating period. The submission
garding their use of reproductive hormones, indicating room rate (heifers mated/heifers not pregnant and available for mat-
for optimization regarding the use of hormones on a number of ing) was >90% in both re-synchrony cycles. The conception

361
rate (heifers pregnant/heifers mated) in cycle 1 (Day 0) was the odds for LEL. Logistic models were run with Proc Glimmix
64%, in cycle 2 (Days 22-26) was 52% and in cycle 3 (Days of SAS with binomial distribution and logit link function.
42-46) was 67%. Results: At d 0, the seroprevalences for BVD and IBR
Conclusions: The heifer re-synchrony programme used were 100% (46/46) for LEL and non-LEL cows. At d 28, the
was successful in achieving a >85% pregnancy rate in three seroprevalence for BVDV was also 100% (46/46) for LEL
cycles of mating in an extensive pasture based grazing sys- and non-LEL cows, whereas the seroprevalence for IBR was
tem. 93.4% (43/46) and 82.6% (38/46) for LEL and non-LEL cows,
This study was approved by the Kaiawhina Animal Ethics respectively. Seroconversion to BVD was 20.0% (9/46) and
Committee, Palmerston North, New Zealand. CIDR is a regis- 6.6% (3/46) for LEL and non-LEL cows, whereas seroconver-
tered trade mark of InterAg. ACVM No. A4559 sion to IBR was 4.4% (2/46) and 2.2% (1/46) for LEL and non-
LEL cows. The odds for LEL was associated with BVD at d 28
Keywords: Dairy cattle, synchrony, re-synchrony, heifer,
(P = 0.03) given that the risk increased 3.44 times per 1 SD of
progesterone device.
increment in titer over the mean. The odds for LEL was also
associated with seroconversion to BVD (P = 0.09) given that
the risk was 3.27 times higher in cows that seroconverted than
in herd-mates that did not. Conversely, neither IBR at d 28 nor
seroconversion to IBR were associated with the odds for LEL.
RD-06 Finally, the BVD virus was identified in all the conceptuses
from LEL cows that seroconverted (9/46).
Association between infectious diseases with late embryonic
losses in supplemented grazing dairy cow Conclusion: We concluded that seroconversion to BVD is
associated with increased risk for LEL in grazing dairy cows. In
Luis Ernesto Quintero Rodriguez1, Germán Domínguez2, María addition, the BVD virus can be detected in conceptuses from
Fiorella Alvarado3, Gabriel Travería3, Rodolfo Luzbel De La Sota1, cows diagnosed with LEL that seroconverted to BVD 28 d lat-
Laura Vanina Madoz1, Mauricio Javier Giuliodori1. er.
1
Instituto de Investigaciones en Reproducción Animal (INIRA), Keywords: Bovine Viral Diarrhea, Infectious Bovine Rhi-
Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata notracheitis, Late embryonic loss, Dairy cows.
(FCV-UNLP), 30, Argentina; 2Actividad Privada, 4, Argentina; 3Centro
de Diagnóstico e Investigaciones Veterinarias, Facultad de Ciencias
Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 15, Argentina.
Objectives: To evaluate the association between Bovine RD-07

Viral Diarrhea (BVD) and Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis
Risk factors for anovulation and its association with
(IBR) with the odds for late embryonic losses (LEL) in supple-
reproductive performance in a herd of grazing dairy cows
mented grazing dairy cows in Argentina.
Materials and Methods: A prospective cohort study was German Ariel Dominguez1, Santiago Gerardo Corva2, Eduardo
carried out in a commercial dairy herd, located in Carlos Casa- Ravera1, Santiago Martin Perez Wallace3, Mauricio Javier Giuliodori2,
res, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina (35°37′ S, 61°22′ W) Rodolfo Luzbel De La Sota4.
to assess the associations between seroprevalence and sero- 1
Private Practice, Venado Tuerto, Santa Fe, Argentina; 2Facultad de
conversion to BVD and IBR with the odds for LEL. Cows hav- Ciencias Veterinarias-UNLP, La Plata, Argentina; 3Zoetis Argentina
ing embryo with no heartbeat, or with detached membranes SA, Villa Adelina, Argentina; 4Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias-
or floating structures including embryo remnants detected by UNLP; CONICET, La Plata, Argentina.
ultrasonography (US) at 28-42 days post-AI were defined as
LEL, whereas cows diagnosed with positive pregnancy by US
28-42 d post-AI were considered as non-LEL. A total of 92 Objective: The objectives of this study were to assess the
cows were selected for the study (46 LEL and 46 Non-LEL). risk factors for anovulation and its association with reproduc-
All the cows were bled twice 28 days apart (0 and 28 d). The tive performance in a herd of grazing dairy cows.
day 0 corresponded to the day when every cow with LEL or Material and Methods: A retrospective cohort study, in-
non-LEL was diagnosed. Serological titers were determined cluding a total of 15,846 records of cows calving from Jan-
by Virus Neutralization Test (titers were from 1:2 up to 1:2048, uary 1st, 2010 to December 31st, 2016, from a dairy farm in
and from 1:2 up to 1:512 for BVDV and IBR, respectively). Argentina (~2800 milking cows) was run. Included records
Seroconversion was considered when titers at d 28 were 3X were those having an episode of anovulation diagnosed by
higher than at d 0. The conceptus from LEL cows was sam- ultrasonography at 50-64 day postpartum (dpp, n=3,975) and
pled (day 0) with an insemination pistol attached to a 10 mL those not having an episode of anovulation that were consid-
syringe, stored in a vial with RNAlater, and transported to the ered as cyclic (n=11,871). The odds for anovulation at 50-64
laboratory. Subsequently, the aspirated conceptuses from LEL dpp was tested with a Logistic Regression Model that included
cows that seroconverted were processed for virus identifica- the fixed effects of calving season (spring [SP], summer [SU],
tion by PCR. Logistic regression models were used to assess autumn [AU], winter [WI]), parity (PAR 1, 2, 3+), and disease
the association between serological titers for BVD and IBR (as status during the first 50-64 dpp (healthy [HEALTHY, no health
continuous predictors) with the odds for LEL, and the associa- events], reproductive [REPRO, retention of fetal membranes,
tion between seroconversion to BVD and IBR (yes vs. no) with puerperal metritis, clinical endometritis, and pyometra],

362
non-reproductive [NOREPRO, clinical mastitis, clinical lame- positive PCR results for Coxiella burnetii, Q fever was con-
ness], both [BOTH]). Additionally, the association between sidered as a highly probable cause of abortion. If only one
anovulation (yes vs. no) with reproductive performance was PCR result was positive, the blood serology of other animals
tested with a Kaplan-Mayer survival analysis through calving was taken into account. If at least 50% of serology tests were
to conception interval (DOPEN). positive, Q fever was considered the cause of abortion with
Results: The occurrence of anovulation at 50-64 dpp was medium probability.
25.1%. The risk for anovulation (odds ratio [OR], 95 percent An annual summary of reproductive performances was
confidence interval [95%CI]) was higher in cows that calved made for each herd and crossed with the reason for abortion.
in autumn (1.388 [1.235-1.558]), winter (1.717 [1.525-1.929]) Fertility of cows and heifers, stillbirth, culling rate, calving inter-
and spring (2.339 [2.080-2.631])than in cows that calved val, age at first calving were studied.
in summer (P<0.001). The risk was lower in cows of parity ANOVA was applied to explain reproductive criteria.
2 (0.845 [0.765-0.935]) and 3+ (0.988 [0.898-1.087])than in
those of parity 1 (P <0.001); and lastly, the risk for anovula- Results: Finally, data were available for 642 herds.
tion tended to increase with REP events (1.088 [0.977-1.211]), 12 % of the abortion events were due to Q fever with me-
and increased with NREP events (1.609 [1.454-1.780]) and dium or high probability.
with both events (1.715 [1.501-1.960]; P <0.001). Regard- In herds where Coxiella burnetii was detected as a highly
ing reproductive performance, anovulatory cows had a more probable cause of abortion, the fertility rate at first insemina-
DOPEN than cyclic cows (164.56±2.32 vs. 123.20±1.11; tion was 6.99 points lower than the average for herds in the
P<0.001). The REPRO events (126.08±1.84), NOREPRO same area and during the same period (40.16% and 47.16%
events (144.23±1.84), and BOTH events (149.51±3.03) had respectively, p=0.023). If herds with a medium probability of
more DOPEN than HEALTHY cows (123.20±1.11, P<0.001). Q fever abortion are also included, the fertility rate remains
Conclusions: In conclusion, the risk for anovulation is lower than that of herds without Q fever abortion (41.42% and
affected by season, given that it is higher in cows calved in 47.16% respectively, p=0.013). In herds with low probability of
autumn, winter, and spring than in those calved in summer; Q fever, the first insemination was almost twice as likely to be
and by parity, due to the risk is higher in primiparous cows successful as in herds with a medium or high probability of Q
multiparous ones. In addition, anovulatory cows have a longer fever (OR=1.92 CI95% [1.07 - 3.45]).
calving to conception interval than cyclic herd mates. The study also highlighted that the calving interval was ex-
Keywords: Anovulation, risk factors, reproductive efficien- tended by 4.7 days in Q fever infected herds (420 d vs 415 d).
cy, days open, grazing dairy cows. No difference was highlighted for the other criteria (fertility
of heifers, culling rate, stillbirth, and age at first calving).
From an economic point of view, the cost simulator devel-
oped by the Vets school of Nantes (Bilan de santé du troupeau
laitier - bioepar.org) showed that this drop in fertility rate was
RD-08 23 euros per cow per year, excluding the cost of abortions.
Relationship between reproductive performance and Conclusion: Dairy herds affected by Q fever abortions
Q-fever in dairy herds in Brittany (France) have lower cow fertility than others. We showed that the dis-
ease has a global impact on reproduction and not only on
Vincent Jegou1, Grégoire Kuntz2, Bertrand Maynard1, Jérôme abortions. This finding is in accordance with some data al-
Caudrillier3, Philippe Gisbert1. ready published on the involvement of Coxiella burnetii in fer-
1
Ceva Santé Animale, Libourne, France; 2GDS Bretagne / Innoval, tility, metritis/endometritis and retained placenta.
Poufragan, France; 3Evolution / Innoval, Noyal sur Vilaine, France. It appears that a control of the disease including both bios-
ecurity measures and vaccination could be of interest in such
herds to improve fertility.
Objectives: Coxiella burnetii is a small intracellular bacte-
rium responsible for Q Fever in animals and humans. In cattle, We focused herds with abortions due to Q fever. This study
Q fever is a major cause of abortion: 2nd cause according to could be complemented by another one which would consist in
the French observatory of the causes of abortion in ruminants the detection of Coxiella burnetii in herds with degraded fertili-
(OSCAR). But this disease is also responsible for low fertility. ty, even in the absence of abortions.
GDS Bretagne is a farmer association helping farmers to Keywords: Q fever, fertility, cattle, reproductive perfor-
manage sanitary issues, including abortions and fertility dis- mance.
orders. Evolution is an Artificial Insemination Company oper-
ating in the same area. These two companies together with
Ceva Santé Animale, carried out a study to compare repro-
duction performances in dairy herds depending on the reason
for abortion.
Material and methods: 831 herds with abortions were in-
cluded between November 2018 and May 2020. Causes of
abortions were determined using a combination of PCR on
vaginal discharge and serology on blood of animals from the
same cohort. In the case of two or more aborted animals had

363
RD-09 tection in dairy cows compared to algorithms based on activity

patterns only, with significantly superior specificity while pre-
Evaluation of the impact of multifactorial parameters to serving, and even slightly improving the detection sensitivity.
improve activity-based heat detection systems
This brings significant benefits to the dairy farmers using
Hila Kroll1, Doron Bar1, Juan Pedro Campillo1, Monika Ptaszynska2. monitoring system with heat detection ability. The use of Heat
Index algorithm decreases the risk that animals that are not
1
Allflex Livestock Intelligence, Netanya, Israel; 2MSD Animal Health,
in heat are selected for insemination, which reduces wastage
Milton Keynes, United Kingdom.
of semen and unnecessary expenses on service. Although
more limited, improved sensitivity of heat detection with Heat
Objectives: Heat detection devices have traditionally Index algorithm means fewer cows in heat and eligible for in-
been using changes in the activity pattern of female cows. This semination are missed. Consequently, improved heat detec-
is either done via recording of simple parameters such as the tion accuracy would contribute to improved farm reproduction
number of steps, detection of specific movements (mounting performance, reduction of days open and intervals between
behavior), or by detailed analysis of intensity and direction of calvings.
the animal’s movements. Inclusion of other parameters could Keywords: Heat detection, monitoring, heat index, estrus.
lead to an improvement in heat detection algorithm accuracy.
The restless behavior of cows in estrus is associated with a
decline in their rumination time. This was demonstrated after
the introduction of rumination monitoring collars (Bar and Sol-
omon, 2010) and confirmed in later studies (Reith and Hoy,
RD-10
2012). Inclusion of the normal estrous cycle pattern and du-
ration of behavioral heat should further increase the accura- Pastoral dairy bull procurements and management effects
cy of heat detection and monitoring. In order to increase heat on fertility
detection accuracy, Heat Index algorithm, based on the above
mentioned parameters, was developed for an automated mon- Kate Mitchell1, David Beggs2, Peter Mansell2.
itoring system. The objective of this study was to compare the 1
Scottsdale Veterinary Services/University of Melbourne, Scottsdale,
accuracy of estrus detection in dairy cows using Heat Index Tasmania, Australia; 2University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
versus activity data only algorithm.
Materials & Methods: A total of 15,000 activity increase
alerts with a very low threshold (about 25% activity index in- Objective: Dairy herd bulls are utilised on most farms as
crease) were collected from about 3,000 cows in 7 commercial a backup to AI in the southern Australian dairy system. The
farms, with all cows on farm wearing monitoring collars (Allf- current recommendations for their management include the
lex® Livestock IntelligenceTM) throughout the lactation. purchasing and movement of bulls onto farm 2-3 months pri-
or to their use. This recommendation is from the Bull Power
A novel notation method was developed defining a "gold study completed in Queensland & New South Wales, Australia
standard" to evaluate heat detection efficiency under field which assessed beef bull reproductive performance following
conditions. All heat alerts resulting in inseminations leading transportation to new properties and changes in management
to a confirmed pregnancy were classified as True Positives. conditions.
All episodes of increased activity recorded in pregnant cows
were classified as True Negatives. It is important to note that We aimed to assess dairy bulls’ reproductive performance;
the system user does not receive the false positive alerts both prior to sale and following movement onto their destina-
because the system does not present pregnant cows in the tion property under new management conditions. Links be-
"Cows ready for AI" report. From these two populations, a Re- tween stress associated with transportation & management
ceiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn for changes, semen motility, morphology and scrotal circumfer-
an algorithm based on activity change alone, or Heat Index, ence will be investigated.
combining several parameters. Methods: Holstein-Friesian & Jersey bulls (n=34) were ex-
Results: The analysis of True Positives (TP) against False amined using a veterinary bull breeding soundness evaluation
Positives (FP) revealed a significant added benefit of using (VBBSE) on their farms. Bulls were then transported to new
the Heat Index algorithm compared to the one based on the properties and a VBBSE was repeated at 20 days, 50-70 days
activity increase only. At the relevant interval (95-98% sensi- and 120-150 days following arrival. At each VBBSE semen
tivity), the use of Heat Index algorithm led to a reduction of samples were collected via electroejaculation and submitted
false heats by 28% and 36%, respectively. At 95% specificity, for morphological examination by a registered morphology
activity only algorithm discarded 51% (1839/3617) FP heats laboratory.
while Heat index algorithm discarded 79% (2857/3617) TP Management practices on the property of origin and new
heats. At 98% specificity, activity only algorithm discarded property were noted for each of the bulls. Recorded manage-
26% (940/3617) FP heats while Heat index algorithm discard- ment practices included mixing with existing bull teams, work-
ed 62% (2242/3617) TP heats; Heat Index ROC curves also load, and nutrition.
demonstrated an improvement of 1% in sensitivity of heat de- Results: Preliminary results show that following movement
tection, at the default detection level threshold. onto a new property and changes to management (BBSE 20d)
Conclusions: The Heat Index algorithm (Allflex® Live- sperm morphology & scrotal circumference are temporarily
stock IntelligenceTM) shows a better performance in heat de- negatively affected, these deficits are resolved in the follow-

364
ing BBSEs (50-70d, 120-150d). Some correlation between second times.

distance travelled and the effect on semen morphology and Results: The normalization rates of the endometrium EGF
scrotal circumference is evident in preliminary assessment of profile (≥ 4.70 ng/g tissue weight) were higher in the cows in-
the data set. fused rOPN (59.5%, n = 72) and 320 nmol peptide G151-K161
Conclusion: The current recommendations for dairy herd (55.0% n = 11) than PBS (27.1%, n = 23) (P<0.05). The nor-
bulls throughout Australia are based on data obtained from a malization rates were similar between rOPN and 320 nmol
study of beef bulls completed in 2005. This work aims to give peptide G151-K161. While the normalization rates were sim-
appropriate guidelines for minimum timing of procurement pri- ilar in the cows infused C-rOPN S162-N278 (12.0%, n = 3)
or to use as well as an indication of the likely stress associated and 32 nmol peptide G151-K161 (30.0%, n = 6) to PBS. Endo-
with mixing of bull teams. metrial EGF concentrations after treatment were higher in the
Keywords: Bull, fertility, scrotal circumference, semen cows infused with rOPN [5.91 (3.15-7.05), median (interquar-
morphology, dairy herd bull. tile range)] than PBS [2.71 (1.91-5.34)] (P<0.05), but were
similar in the cows infused with C-rOPN S162-N278 [1.91
(1.71-2.62)], 32 nmol [3.15 (1.81-5.20)] and 320 nmol [5.30
(1.94-6.35)] peptide G151-K161 to PBS. In the cows infused
with peptide G151-K161, endometrial EGF concentrations af-
ter treatment tended to be higher in the cows infused 320 nmol
RD-11
peptide than 32 nmol peptide (P<0.1).
The effect of integrin binding domain peptide and Conclusion: Integrin binding domain peptide of OPN has
C-terminal fragment of osteopontin on restoring the function to restore the endometrial EGF abnormality in RB
endometrial EGF abnormality in repeat breeder dairy cows dairy cows. However, the peptide needed a larger amount in
mole than rOPN to restore the endometrial EGF profile. Cells
Takashi Tanida1, Takayoshi Tagami2, Yojiro Yanagawa3, Seiji Katagiri3.
having integrin might have a role to normalize the endometrial
1
Laboratory of Theriogenology, Department of Clinical Sciences, EGF profile by OPN. On the other hands, the C-terminal OPN
Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, fragment may have less or no function to normalize the endo-
Sapporo, Japan; 2Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology, Division of metrial EGF profile in RB dairy cows. This may indicate that
Fundamental AgriScience Research, Research Faculty of Agriculture, CD44 might not be a main targeting receptor for normalization
Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; 3Laboratory of Theriogenology, of the endometrial EGF profile by OPN.
Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Keywords: Osteopontin, Epidermal growth factor (EGF),
Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. Endometrial biopsy, Repeat breeder dairy cows.
Objectives: In fertile cows, epidermal growth factor (EGF)

concentrations in the endometrium show two peaks on days
2-4 and 13-14 of the estrous cycle. The absence of EGF peaks
in the endometrium has been linked related to reduced fertil- RD-13
ity and around 70% of repeat breeder (RB) dairy cows lost
endometrial EGF peaks. Intravaginal infusion of seminal plas- Reproductive Prolapse in Cows in Western Thailand:
ma osteopontin (OPN) restored the endometrial EGF profile Grades, Severity and Treatment
and fertility in RB cows. However, the mechanism by which
Smit Srisomrun, Pipat Arunvipas, Niorn Ratanapob.
OPN exerts this effect is unknown. OPN can be cleaved by
thrombin, dividing into N-terminal and C-terminal fragments. Kasetsart University, Kamphaengsaen, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
The N-terminal fragment has integrin binding domain (RGD
sequence and SVAYGLK sequence adjacent to RGD). While
Objectives: This study determined grades, severity and
the C-terminal fragment interacts with CD44. The objective of
treatment of reproductive prolapse in cows in western Thai-
this study was to evaluate whether the integrin binding domain
land.
peptide and the C-terminal fragment of OPN restore the endo-
metrial EGF abnormality in RB cows. Materials and methods: This study investigated the re-
productive prolapse cases submitted to Kasetsart University
Material & Methods: 271 RB dairy cows were used in
Veterinary Teaching Hospital Kamphaengsaen, from January
this study. They were examined for endometrial EGF con-
2016 to November 2019. The data were collected from out-pa-
centrations on day 3 (day 0 = estrus) and cows showing low
tient department records and a questionnaire and analyzed
concentration (< 4.70 ng/g tissue weight) were used. Then,
by STATA.
all cows were synchronized for estrus. Each cow was infused
with either 10 ml phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) alone (n = Results: There were 90 cases submitted during the study
85) or one of the following samples prepared in 10 ml PBS period, 72 cases (80%) were beef and 18 cases (20%) were
into the vagina within 4 to 12 hours after detection of estrus; dairy cattle. Forty-nine cows (54%) were raised in the free stall
recombinant full length OPN (rOPN, 32 nmol, n = 121), re- system and 32 cows (36%) were raised in the grazing system.
combinant C-terminal fragment (C-rOPN S162-N278, 46 or Only 11 of affected cows (13%) were heifers. One-fourth of
53 nmol, n=25) and synthetic peptide (peptide G151-K161, 32 the reproductive prolapse cases found before calving occurred
nmol or 320 nmol, n = 20). Then, endometrial EGF concen- during the last trimester of pregnancy.
trations on day 3 of the estrous cycle were examined for the Grade of prolapse was divided in 5 grades. There were 20

365
vaginal prolapse (grade 1 and 2) cases (22.22%), 52 cervical For the third protocol, Double-Ovsynch (n=578), 53±3
prolapse (grade 3) cases (57.78%) and 18 uterine prolapse days after parturition, cows received an injection of GnRH,
(grade 4 and 5) cases (20%). A few factors were associated PGF2α 7 d later and GnRH 3 d after, as presynchronization.
with the severity of reproductive prolapse. More severe pro- Then at 70±3DIM, the breeding Ovsynch including an injection
lapse cases were found in beef cattle less than in dairy cattle of GnRH (G1), PGF2α (PG1) 7 d later, PGF2α (PG2) 24h later
(P < 0.001). Most of the severe cases were found after calving and GnRH (G2) 32h later, followed by FTAI 16 hours later.
(P < 0.001). All uterine prolapse (grade 4 and 5) cases were Ovarian monitoring was performed by transrectal ultraso-
found after calving and almost all of these cases (17/18) oc- nography at 43±3 and 50±3 DIM in all animals, and 70±3 (G1)
curred within the first day after calving. and 77±3 (PG1) DIM only for the cows that were synchronized.
The treatment protocols were cleaning the reproductive Pregnancy was diagnosed by transrectal ultrasonography be-
tract to decrease risk of infection, performing epidural anes- tween 28 and 35 days after AI.
thesia, replacing the reproductive organs and suturing the Results: Twenty-eight-day pregnancy rates for first AI was
vulva lips with Bühner technique, applying tincture-iodine at similar among treatment groups: Ovsynch (44%; 162/365),
the suture site and injecting an anti-inflammatory drug. Cal- PRID-synch (41%; 158/383) and Double-Ovsynch (45%;
cium solution was administered before replacement in cows 160/353). Cows with a corpus luteum (CL) at 77±3 DIM
suspected hypocalcemia. Every case was rechecked 1-7 days (PGF1) were 3.23 times more likely to be pregnant regard-
after treatment depended on severity of the reproductive pro- less of the treatment group (p<0.001). Primiparous cows were
lapse, and there was no recurrent prolapse. more likely to be pregnant at 28 days than multiparous cows in
Conclusions: The reproductive prolapse cases submitted all treatment groups (Ovsynch 59% vs 35%; PRID-synch 47%
in this study were beef cattle more than dairy cattle. However, vs 38%; and Double-Ovsynch 55% vs 39%) (p<0.001).
most reproductive prolapse cases in dairy cattle were uterine Conclusions: There was no significant difference in preg-
prolapse which is related to post-partum hypocalcemia. nancy rate at 28 days among treatment groups, which is con-
Keywords: Reproductive prolapse, cows, grade of pro- sistent with previous comparable studies (Fricke et al., 2014,
lapse. Robichaud et al., 2016). This may have been due to cows in
the first two protocols being mated to observed oestrus on
commercial farms where heat detection efficiency and P/AI
on standing oestrus were good (57% and 46% respective-
ly); which may have over-inflated the 28 days pregnancy rate
in these two groups; however, these results are reflective of
RD-14 the expected performance of the protocols in a commercial
setting. Primiparous cows submitted to Double-Ovsynch did
Comparison of three different reproductive management
not have higher pregnancy rate compared with the other two
strategies for lactating dairy cows emphasizing detection
strategies in contrast to other published reports (Souza et al.,
of oestrus or synchronization of ovulation and Timed
2008; Borchardt et al., 2016).
Artificial Insemination (TAI)
Keywords: Dairy, reproduction, oestrus, synchronization,
Richard Vazquez1, Katie Denholm1, Pedro Pinho2, Federico Randi2, TAI.
Lorenzo Viora1.
1
University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom; 2CEVA Sante
Animale, Loudeac, France.
RD-15
Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare three
reproductive management strategies for first insemination of Effect of puerperal metritis occurrence on reproductive
lactating dairy cows: Ovsynch; PRID-synch, both using oes- efficiency and milk production in grazing dairy cow
trus detection and subsequent timed artificial insemination
(TAI); and Double-Ovsynch at TAI. Santiago Corva1, German Dominguez2, Eduardo Ravera2, Mauricio
Giuliodori1, R. Luzbel De La Sota1.
Materials and methods: A total of 1681 Holstein cows
from two commercial Scottish dairy farms were randomised by 1
Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias-UNLP, La Plata, Argentina; 2Private
parity to three different reproductive strategies for first AI. For Practice, Venado Tuerto, Santa Fe, Argentina.
the first two protocols, cows were eligible to be inseminated by
detected oestrus between 50 and 70 days in milk (DIM) and Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the
were subsequently enrolled in either one of the following two effect of puerperal metritis (PM) occurrence on reproductive
protocols: efficiency and milk production in a dairy farm in Argentina
1. Ovsynch (n=541), GnRH (G1) at 70±3 DIM, PGF2α (~2800 milking cows).
(PG1) 7 d later, PGF2α (PG2) 24h later and GnRH Material and Methods: An observational retrospective
(G2) 32h later, followed by FTAI 16 h after; study, including a total of 16856 records of cows calving from
2. PRID-synch (n=562), GnRH (G1) + PRID at 70±3 DIM, January 1st, 2010 to December 31st, 2016, was used. At
PGF2α (PG1) 7 d later, PGF2α (PG2) + PRID removal parturition, calving assistance was recorded (ACAL; normal,
24h later and GnRH (G2) 32h later, followed by FTAI slight or severe assistance, c-section, abortion), and retention
16 h after. of fetal membranes (RFM) was recorded. All cows were exam-

366
ined for the diagnosis of PM (0-3) during the first two weeks Keywords: Puerperal metritis, treatment, reproductive ef-
after calving. Only cows diagnosed with PM3 (enlarged uterus ficiency, milk production, dairy cows.
and a fetid watery red-brown uterine discharge and signs of
systemic illness [decreased milk yield, dullness, or other signs
of toxemia]) were treated (TRT) with ceftiofur (6.6 mg/kg BW,
SC; Excede, Zoetis Argentina). Cows were rechecked a week
later, and cows with PM0 were diagnosed as clinically cured RD-16
(CCURE), and cows with PM1-2 were diagnosed as partial-
ly cured (PCURE). Only cows with PM3 were treated again Purulent vaginal discharge score and its association with
with the same protocol until clinically cured or culled from the subsequent reproductive performance in seasonal-calving,
herd. After three weeks, post-partum cows were examined for pasture-based dairy cows
diagnosis of clinical endometritis (CE, 0-3). After having a 50
Eber Rojas Canadas1, Mary M Herlihy2, Jonathon Kenneally2, Francis
days voluntary waiting period (VWP), cows were AI at detect-
Kearney3, Jim Grant4, Pat Lonergan5, Stephen T Butler2.
ed heat. Reproductive efficiency was measured by percent of
IA cows by 80 (AI80) days postpartum (dpp), percent of preg- 1
The Ohio Sate University, columbus, United States; 2Teagasc, fermoy,
nant cows by 100 (PRE100) and percent of open cows by 200 Republic of Ireland; 3Irish Cattle Breeding Federation, Bandon, Republic
(OPE200) dpp, percent of pregnancy losses to first pregnant of Ireland; 4Teagasc, Ashtown, Republic of Ireland; 5University College
AI (LOSS1P), and interval from calving to first IA (C1AI) and Dublin, Belfield, Republic of Ireland.
to conception (ICC). Also, milk production (kg) at 150 (MP150)
and 305 (MP305) days of lactation were measured.
Objectives: Uterine infection diminishes reproductive per-
Results: During the first week of calving, the occurrence formance in cattle. The use of Metricheck® to assess purulent
of PM0-PM3 was 47.72%, 14.04%, 22.99%, and 15.25% vaginal discharge (PVD) may help to identify uterine patholog-
(8043, 2366, 3874, and 2571/16854, respectively). First lac- ical condition. The objective of this study was to evaluate PVD
tation cows had higher occurrence of PM3 compared to 2+ as a predictor of failure of reproductive performance in pas-
lactation cows (22.96% [1510/6578] vs 10.32% [1061/10276]; ture based dairy cows to simplify diagnostic tools for uterine
P<0.01), and cows calving during the spring had higher occur- abnormalities and to reduce costs. Secondary objective was
rence of PM3 compared to cows calving the rest of the year to determine the agreement between Metricheck® with ultra-
(17.45% [634/3634] vs 11.94% [1937/16218]; P<0.01). Of a sound examination of the uterus as a tool to identify post-par-
total 2571 cases of PM3 diagnosed, 2439 had registered TRT tum uterine abnormalities in dairy cattle. Materials&Methods:
information and were used for further analysis. The CCURE First and second lactation dairy cows (n=2,600) located in
rate 24.89% (607/2439) and the PCURE rate was 53.59% the province of Munster in Ireland were enrolled in the study.
(1307/2439). About 18.49% (451/2439) of the cases did not Postpartum examinations were performed at week 3 (wk3,14
respond to TRT and remained PM3; and 3.03% (74/2439) of to 27 days in milk) and week 7 (wk7, 42 to 55 days in milk)
the cases were TRT but were not rechecked by the veterinar- after calving. Purulent vaginal discharge was established as
ian. Furthermore, 39.66% of PM3 persisted as CE after 21 follows: PV1= clear mucus; PV2= flecks of pus within clear
dpp. The interval calving to PM3 TRT was 8.81±0.77 d. Ret- mucus; PV3= 50% purulent material. Ultrasound uterine score
rospectively, cows with PM3 had more ACAL and RFM com- examination (8.5 MHz transrectal transducer Ibex Pro, Ibex®,
pared to cows without PM0 (52.98% [1362/2571] vs 72.63% Colorado, USA) was assessed as follows: G1: spoke wheel-
[5842/8043], P<0.01; 14.16% [364/2571] vs 2.00% [161/8043], shaped lumen; G2: small volume (>2 mm, ≤5 mm) of fluid of
P<0.01). Also, more cows with PM3 failed to persist in the herd mixed echogenicity; G3: Moderate volume (>5 mm, ≤10 mm)
for a subsequent lactation compared to PM0 cows (27.15% of fluid of mixed echogenicity; G4: Large volume (>10 mm) of
[698/2571] vs 26.00% [2091/8043], P<0.01). Cows with PM3 mixed echogenicity fluid. During the breeding season all ani-
had a lower IA80 and PRE100, and higher OPE200 compared mals were served after estrous detection. A post-breeding visit
to PM0 cows (58.37 [1465/2510] vs 64.55 [5036/7802], 30.89 was carried out once between 34-50 days after farm mating
[767/2483] vs 37.59 [2897/7706], 30.74% [710/2310] vs 25.64 end date to determine pregnancy status and foetal age. The
[1843/7188]; P<0.01, respectively). Furthermore, cows with reproductive parameters included in the study were: Submis-
PM3 had 4% more pregnancy losses compared to PM0 cows sion rate (SR21), pregnant to first service (P/AI1), pregnant
(30.12% [635/2108] vs 25.97% [1742/6709], P<0.01). Preg- within 21, 42 and 84 days of onset of breeding (P21, P42,
nancy rate to first IA (IC1AI) and day open (ICC) were 3 and P84, respectively) and the Mating Start day Conception Inter-
10 days longer for PM3 compared to PM0 cows (76.43±0.41 val (MSD-CI). Fisher’s Exact Test was used and was supple-
[n=2260] vs 73.67±0.22 [n=7108]; 134.42±1.43 [n=1982] vs mented by multiple logistic regression using the LOGISTIC
124.34±0.77 [n=6379]; P<0.01, respectively). Cows with PM3 procedure of SAS (version 9.3; SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC)
produced 460 kg and 675 kg less of milk compared to PM0 to calculate odds ratios and predicted probabilities. The con-
cows (5055.91±11.82 [n=6961] vs 4595.62±19.55 [n=2335]; cordance between PVS and USE was assessed using Co-
9016.34±37.35 [n=1750] vs 9691.85±22.58 [n=4834]; P<0.01, hen's Kappa Coefficient with the FREQ procedure of SAS.
respectively). Results: At wk 3, 18.7% (486/2600), 30.4% (790/2600), 26.9%
Conclusions: Cows with PM3 have more pregnancy loss- (699/2600) and 24.0% (625/2600) of animals were diagnosed
es, more days open, and produced less milk at 150 and 305 as having PV1, PV2, PV3 and PV4; and 2.2% (59/2600),
days of lactation compared to PM0 cows. The clinical cure rate 25.1% (653/2600), 60.5% (1574/2600) and 12.0% (314/2600)
and partial cure rate for PM3 cows were low, and many PM3 of animals were diagnosed as having G1, G2, G3 and G4 ultra-
cows developed CE after 21 dpp. sound uterine score, respectively. At wk7, 40.4% (1051/2600),

367
39.6% (1030/2600), 16.6% (434/2600) and 3.2% (85/2600) of negative effects of HS, proved to be successful in preserving
animals were diagnosed as having PV1, PV2, PV3 and PV4; milk production, but their impact on fertility records are rather
and 27.3% (669/2445), 48.3% (1182/2445), 23.3% (572/2445) negligible. This is related to the high sensitivity of the maturing
and 0.8% (22/2445) of cows were diagnosed by ultrasonogra- oocyte and the early embryo to the elevated temperatures as
phy as having G1, G2, G3 and G4, respectively. There was no well as to the modifications that increased temperatures bring
association between PVD at wk3 (P=0.54) and wk7 (P=0.84) about at follicular, oviductal and uterine environment.
and SR21. Conversely, animals classified as having a PV4 at The trophoblastic cells of the bovine placenta express a
wk 3 and wk7 had reduced P/AI1 (both P<0.05; - 8 and -11 series of glycoproteins named Pregnancy Associated Glyco-
percentage points) compared with animals classified as hav- proteins (PAGs) whose concentration is steadily increased
ing PV1. On the same way, cows classified as having PV3 with pregnancy progression, culminating at calving. PAG
and PV4 were less likely to achieve P21(P=0.01; -9.2 and concentration of inseminated cattle is used as a biochemical
-10.6 percentage points), P42 (P=0.008; 4.8 and 7.9 percent- marker of pregnancy and a reliable indicator for the wellbe-
age points) P84 (P=0.003; only PV4, -5.6 percentage points) ing and functionality of the placenta. Progesterone (P4) is of
and the mean MSD-CI was 4.19±0.24 and 5.03±0.19 d longer paramount importance for pregnancy establishment and pres-
(P<0.0001) compared with animals diagnosed as having PV1, ervation, however, the limits between optimal and suboptimal
respectively. Similarly, reproductive performance and MSD-CI concentrations is difficult to be accurately defined, as P4 con-
were associated with PVS at wk7. Animals classified as hav- centrations are related to various environmental and metabolic
ing PV4 had less likelihood of P42 (P=0.005; -15.35, -12.25 factors.
and -14.11 percentage points) and P84 (P=0.01; -8.61, -6.67
Here, we focused to estimate the association between
and -7.11 percentage points) compared with animals having
circulating concentrations of PAG, P4 and the early embryo
PV1, PV2 and PV3, respectively. MSD-CI was longer (P=0.04)
mortality rates during summer and winter.
in animals classified as having G4 uterine score compared
with cows classified as having PV1, PV2 and PV3 (7.4 ± 0.2, Materials and Methods: Two trials were conducted in
6.1 ± 6.18 and 6.4 ± 0.15 d, respectively). two Holstein dairy farms of central Greece. Both farms are
equipped with effective cooling systems comprising electronic
The Kappa coefficients at week 3 and week 7 postpartum
assessment of THI and automatic activation of fans and sprin-
were 0.17 and 0.13, respectively, indicating slight to fair agree-
klers. In addition, according to thermal load all lactating cows
ment between PVD and ultrasound uterine score examination had intensive cooling (soaking–drying) two to four times daily.
as diagnostic techniques for uterine abnormalities.
Τhe purpose of the first trial was the quantification of the
Conclusion: The observations arising from this study early embryonic mortality rates under HS or thermoneutral
provide evidence that PVD was strongly associated at both conditions. In 2018, a total of 279 cows were used (144 during
wk3 and wk7 postpartum in seasonal-calving, pasture-based the winter, group W, and 135 during the summer, group S). On
lactating dairy cows. Purulent vaginal score evaluation at wk3 days 24-25 post AI, all cows were diagnosed as pregnant by
and wk7 post-partum identified an unfavorable association be- transrectal ultrasonography; on days 34-36 they were re-ex-
tween PV3 and PV4 and reproductive performance. On aver- amined, and a blood sample was withdrawn for PAG deter-
age, the PVD scores were lower than ultrasound examination mination.
scores in the early postpartum period.
The second trial lasted from 2014 to 2019 and aimed at
Keywords: Uterine-infection, dairy-cattle, fertility, ultraso- PAG levels evaluation in 6109 blood samples submitted for
nography. routine pregnancy diagnosis. All samples were collected 29
to 36 days after breeding and assayed by a commercial ELI-
SA kit (DG29, Conception Animal, Canada). According to THI,
the samples were allotted into group S THI≥76 n=2388, or
into group W THI≤68, n=3721. A sample was characterized
RD-17 as positive, ambiguous, or negative (PAG ≥1000pg/ml, 500 to
999pg/ml or <500, respectively).
Effects of thermal stress on pregnancy characteristics in
Progesterone concentration was also determined in 50
dairy cows
pregnant animals from each group in serum samples collected
Ioannis Nanas1, Katerina Dadouli2, Thomas - Markos Chouzouris1, on days 31 to 33 post AI by a commercial ELISA kit (DRG,
Konstantina Stamperna1, Eleni Dovolou1, Georgios S. Amiridis1. Germany).
Univ. of Thessaly, Vet Faculty, Dept of Obstetrics & Reproduction,
1 Results: In trial 1, the pregnancy maintenance rate dif-
Karditsa, Greece; 2Univ. of Thessaly, Faculty of Medicine, Larissa, fered significantly (p=0.03) among groups (136/144 - 94.4%
Greece. and 81.5% - 110/135, for groups W and S, respectively). Ac-
cording to the PAG concentrations all animals were character-
ized as pregnant.
Objectives: Due to global warming, the adverse effects
In trial 2, PAG levels on days 33 to 36 after breading were
of heat stress (HS) on dairy cattle welfare and production are
significantly higher (p=0.043) in group S (2546.8±63.1 ng/ml )
gradually extending in northern latitudes. The combination of
compared to those of group W (2385.51±42.4 ng/ml).
high ambient temperatures and relative humidity (THI) in dairy
cows decreases appetite, milk yield, estrous expression, es- Progesterone was lower (p<0.05) in group S (6.76±0.96ng/
trus length and pregnancy rates of inseminated animals. The ml) compare to W (8.66±1.27).
extensive use of cooling systems for the abatement of the The proportions of ambiguous pregnancies were lower

368
(p<0.001) in group S (7.88%) compared to W (11.10%). stillbirth cases were observed in the NegV (0/169) group. Fe-
Conclusions: From the data presented here we infer that tal membrane retention was 14.5% (31/214), 10.0% (17/170)
during summer months the embryos that can survive HS de- and 9.4% (16/170) in NegC, NegV and PosC groups, respec-
velop a well-functioning placenta. This is in concert with our tively. The incidence of metritis was 8.4% (18/214) in NegC,
in vitro studies where we provided evidence that blastocysts 10.6% (18/170) in NegV and 7.1% (12/170) in PosC groups.
produced from oocytes exposed to HS have high expression The total of 477 cows were able to be evaluated for repro-
of genes related to placentation. On the other hand, the com- ductive parameters since there were cows (n=98) that culled
bined results of embryo mortality and progesterone might be for different reasons. First service conception rate was 29.8%
indicative that during the winter, slow developing or weak em- (54/181) in NegC, 30.1% (43/143) in NegV, 34.4% 52/151 in
bryos have more chances to survive. PosC groups. Number of inseminations per pregnancy were
1.56 (128/82) in NegC, 1.39 (96/69) in NegV and 1.44 (89/88)
Acknowledgements: Work co‐financed by the EU and
in PosC groups. Embryonic loss rates were determined as
Greek national funds through the Operational Program Com-
6.0% (5/83) in NegC, 9.2% (7/76) in NegV and 11.1% (11/99)
petitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, under the
in PosC groups. The rate of repeat breeder cows was deter-
call RESEARCH – CREATE – INNOVATE (project code:T-
mined as 4.9% (9/181) in NegC, 2.8% in NegV (4/144) and
1EDK-01078, the Summer Cow).
4.6% (7/152) in PosC groups. The data belongs to the cows
I.N is financially supported by IKY (project MIS-5000432, were completed for the first 100 days; In the NegC (n=184),
co-financed by Greece and E.U.-ESF). NegV (n=147) and PosC (n=154), the total milk yield in the
Keywords: Heat stress, progesterone, PAGs, early em- first 100 days was recorded as 4739.65 ± 46.56 kg, 4772.81 ±
bryonic death, dairy cattle. 55.27 and 4752.82 ± 47.92 kg; mean peak yield was recorded
as 56.21 ± 0.50 kg/day, 56.39 ± 0.53, and 55.91 ± 0.56 kg/
day. While the mean peak day was 64.03 ± 2.13 DIM in NegV,
it was 67.07 ± 2.43 DIM in PosC, which was higher (P<0.05)
than in Neg C (61.28 ± 1.74 DIM) groups.
RD-18 Conclusion: In conclusion, it was found that the cows
have no Coxiella burnetii antibody at the beginning of the
The effect of coxiella burnetii inactived vaccine on study (NegC) had numerically higher abortion and retention
reproductive parameters and milk yield in Holstein cows of fetal membrane rates compare to other cows in NegV and
Gulnaz Yilmazbas-Mecitoglu1, Guleycan Egesu Yildiz1, Kerem PosC groups which included the cows whether had natu-
Kucuk1, Baris Guner2, Abdulkadir Keskin1, Ahmet Gumen1. ral or acquired immunity. Stillbirth and embryonic loss rates
were numerically higher in PosC group compare to the other
Bursa Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey;
1 2
Balikesir University, groups. Also it was found that the milk peak day of the cows in
Balikesir, Turkey. PosC group was seen later than of the cows in other groups.
Acknowledgement: This research is supported by The
Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TU-
effect of Coxiella burnetii inactivated vaccine on reproductive BITAK, Project No.119O952).
parameters and milk yield in Holstein cows. Keywords: Cow, Coxiella brunetii, inactivated vaccine, re-
Material & Methods: A total of 575 pregnant cows (165- productive parameters, milk yield.
170 days of pregnancy) were examined serologically and dis-
tributed to the research groups. While the cows were sero-
logically positive formed the Positive Control (n=174, PosC)
group, the cows that were serologically negative for Coxiella
brunetii were randomly assigned into two groups: The cows RD-19
were vaccinated formed the Negative Vaccine (n=175, NegV)
and were not vaccinated served as Negative Control (n=226, HH1 double-carrier embryos develop normally to elongated
NegC) The cows in the NegV were vaccinated 3 weeks apart conceptuses
with Coxiella burnetii inactivated vaccine (4 ml, s.c. Cox- Alejandra C Quiroga, Priscila Ramos-Ibeas, Ismael Lamas-Toranzo,
evac®, Ceva, Istanbul, Turkey) and serological examinations Óscar González-Recio, Pablo Bermejo-Álvarez.
were repeated 3-4 weeks later to determine the efficacy of the
vaccine. During the study, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and INIA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
lactation processes of the cows were monitored. At the end
of voluntary waiting period, the cows were inseminated with Objectives: Intensive genotyping of Holstein population
modified G6G protocol for the first service and the cows whose has identified deleterious haplotypes impacting fertility. These
unable to get pregnant were received resynchronisation pro- haplotypes are never found in homozygosity indicating that
tocol. Pregnancy examinations performed by ultrasonography. double-carrier (i.e., homozygous) embryos die before birth.
Results: The abortion rate was 2.7% (6/226) in NegC, However, the developmental stage when embryonic or fetal
1.1% (2/175) in NegV, 0.6% (1/174) in PosC group. Due to loss occurs remains unknown. Timing of developmental arrest
the different reasons 21 cows were culled thus 554 cows were is relevant for reproductive management, as embryonic losses
monitored for postpartum period; The incidence of stillbirth was occurring before maternal recognition of pregnancy lead to lu-
1.9% (4/210) in NegC and 3.5% (6/170) in PosC groups, no teolysis and recovery of estrus cycle, whereas later losses ex-

369
ert a much greater impact on conception intervals. The objec- México, Mexico; 3Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad
tive of this study was to determine if homozygous embryos for Nacional de La Plata & CONICET, La Plata, Argentina.
Holstein Haplotype 1 (HH1) are able to develop to elongated
conceptuses, which trigger maternal recognition of pregnancy.
Objective: To study the effect of clinical and subclinical
Material & Methods: In vivo produced embryos were re- mastitis treatment with meloxicam on clinical cure rate and fer-
covered at Days 9 (D9, expanded blastocysts), 11 (D11, ovoid tility of dairy cows in Ecuador.
conceptuses) or 14 (D14, elongated conceptuses) post-fertil-
Material and Methods: Holstein cows from two dairy herds
ization from superovulated HH1-carrier cows (2 cows/stage)
from Pichincha, Ecuador, were used in a study that began in
inseminated with semen from a HH1-carrier bull. Embryos
March 2020 and ended in October 2021. Cows with 35-150
were fixed in 4 % paraformaldehyde for 10 min and kept at
days in milk (DIM) had a California Mastitis Test (CMT) done
4 ºC until analysis. D9 embryos were subjected to immunos-
every two weeks and cows with a CMT score 2 (CMT2), score
taining with anti-CDX2 to determine trophectoderm (CDX2+)
3 (CMT3), or with clinical mastitis (CM) were enrolled. Cows
and inner cell mass (CDX2-) cell number. Total and epiblast
with odd ear tags were assigned to the control group (CON,
cell numbers were determined on D11 conceptuses by immu-
n=204), and cows with even tag numbers were assigned to the
nostaining for SOX2. Conceptus and embryonic disc length
treatment group (TRT, n=189). Cows with CMT2 in the TRT
were measured on D11 and D14 conceptuses. Finally, Sanger
group were administered meloxicam (0.5 mg/kg BW, Meta-
sequencing was performed to determine the genotype of each
cam® Boehringer Ingelheim, Ecuador), whereas cows in the
embryo: non-carrier (NC), carrier (C) or double-carrier (DC).
CON group remained untreated. Cows with CMT3 and CM in
Results: Day 9 embryos showed Mendelian distribution of the TRT group were administered an intramammary antibiotic
alleles (5:8:4 for NC:C:DC). At that stage, genotype did not de- treatment (tetracycline 200mg, neomycin 250 mg, bacitracin
termine blastocyst cell counts (TE: 98±7 vs. 106±4 vs. 105±5; 2000 UI, prednisolone 10 mg, Mastijet Fort®, MSD Salud An-
ICM: 20±1 vs. 21±1 vs. 22±2; for NC, C and SC, respectively, imal, Mexico) and meloxicam (0.5 mg/kg BW); whereas cows
ANOVA p>0.05). Day 11 conceptuses also showed Mende- in the CON group were administered the intramammary anti-
lian distribution of alleles (4:12:5 for NC:C:DC). Conceptus or biotic but not the meloxicam treatment. After treatment, cows
embryonic disc size was also similar across genotypes (con- had a CMT done every two weeks to determine the clinical
ceptus length 535±84 vs. 546±89 vs. 446±68 µm, disc length cure rate (complete, CMT0; partial, CMT reduced; worst, CMT
106±13 vs. 107±12 vs. 105±7 µm, for NC, C and DC, respec- increased or maintained). After a voluntary waiting period of
tively, ANOVA p>0.05) and no differences were noted on total 55 days (d), cows were synchronized with cloprostenol (Ci-
or SOX2+ (epiblast) cells (total cells 1262±209 vs. 1291±352 clase DL®, Zoetis, Ecuador) and AI at detected heat. Cows
vs. 951±282; SOX2+ cells 50±4 vs. 54±10 vs. 50±7; for WT, not detected in heat by 80 DIM were synchronized and timed
Hz and KO, respectively, ANOVA p>0.05). Finally, Mendelian AI. In addition, for a cow to enroll in the study, the CMT2-3
distribution was also unaltered by D14 (2:3:3 for NC:C:DC) and CM event had to take place in a window of time of 30 d
indicating that DC embryos are able to develop to elongated before 45 d post-AI. Transrectal ultrasonography was used to
conceptuses. A significant cow effect was noted on concep- diagnose pregnancy status at 30±3d post-AI, and those cows
tus and embryonic disc length at D14, but genotype did not diagnosed pregnant were reconfirmed pregnant at 60±3d
influence any of these parameters (conceptus length 7.9±6.1 post-AI. The clinical cure rate (CCR) to CMT2, CMT3+CM at
vs. 5.6±5 vs. 5.7±2.7 cm; disc length 0.52±0.11 vs. 0.44±0.16 30 d post-treatment were examined. Pregnancy rate at 30d
vs. 0.57±0.13 cm, for NC, C and DC, respectively, two-way (PREGR), pregnancy losses at 60 d (PLOSS), calving to con-
ANOVA p<0.05). ception interval-days open (CCI), number of services per con-
Conclusion: HH1 double-carrier embryos develop nor- ception (SPC), and culling rate (CULLR) were also analyzed
mally to elongated conceptuses, suggesting that the develop- with logistic regression (PROC GLIMMIX, SAS 9.04).
mental arrest induced by the causative mutation occur after Results: The CCR for CMT3+CM in the TRT group was
maternal recognition of pregnancy, leading to a significant in- higher compared to the CON group (72.5% [58/60] vs. 57.3%
crease in days open. [43/75], P=0.036), but was similar between CMT2 TRT and
Keywords: Embryo; haplotype; fertility; elongation; HH1. CON groups (62.5% [152/243], P=0.73). The PREGR and
PLOSS were similar in TRT and CON groups for CMT3+CM
(41.9%, P=0.44; 36.76%, P=0.53), and CMT2 (47.22%,
P=0.56; 32.35%, P=0.35). The CCI for CMT3+CM in the
TRT group was shorter than the CON group (100.66±11.08
vs. 133.23±11.79 d, P=0.04). Also, the SPC for CMT3+CM in
RD-20
the TRT group was lower than the CON group (1.69±0.32 vs.
Effect of clinical and subclinical mastitis treatment with 2.62±0.34, P=0.05). Conversely, the CCI and the SPC were
meloxicam on clinical cure and fertility of dairy cows in similar between CMT2 TRT and CON groups (118.50±10.95
Ecuador d, P=0.46; 2.19±0.24, P=0.21). The CULLR was reduced in
CMT2 TRT cows compared to CON cows (5.50% [6/109] vs.
Christian Albuja Arroba1, Joel Hernádez Cerón2, Ramiro Rearte3, 15.5% [20/129], P=0.01), but was similar in CMT3+CM TRT
Rodolfo Luzbel De La Sota3. and CON cows (14.19% [22/155], P=0.52).
1
Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Central Conclusion: Cows with CMT3+CM that received antibi-
de Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador; 2Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y otic treatment plus meloxicam had a higher clinical cure rate
Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de than cows that received antibiotic therapy alone. Furthermore,

370
these cows had fewer days open and lower AI per conception RD-22
than the untreated cows. In addition, cows with CMT2 had no
benefit of meloxicam treatment on clinical cure rate or repro- Influence of different factors on fertility of dairy cows
ductive performance, but meloxicam treated cows had a lower submitted to fertility protocols for first insemination post-
culling rate during lactation. partum and for resynchronization
Keywords: Clinical mastitis, subclinical mastitis, meloxi- A. Francisco Álvarez Baldor.
cam, fertility, clinical cure.
AFRIVEPA, SOC COOP, Santa María del Páramo, Spain.
Objectives: The use of “fertility protocols” for artifi-

cial insemination (AI) at fixed time adding improvements to
RD-21 Ovsynch®, as presynchronization, use of a progesterone de-
vice and two doses of prostaglandin F2α (PG), has showed
Injuries of the bovine birth canal after eutocia increases of conception rate in comparison to the normal
Ovsynch protocol or natural estrus. At commercial farms level,
Theresa Maria Scheu1, Michael Berger2, Imke Cohrs1, Christian
the length of the protocol is something important so it can be
Koch1, Axel Wehrend2.
long for first insemination postpartum but should be as short
1
Educational and Research Centre for Animal Husbandry, Hofgut as possible in the case of resynchronizing open cows in order
Neumuehle, Münchweiler an der Alsenz, Germany; 2Clinic for to reduce the number of days open.
Obstetrics, Gynecology and Andrology with Veterinary Ambulance, In this study we tried two protocols for first AI: the G6G pro-
JLU Giessen, Giessen, Germany. tocol, modified to end as Cosynch (with the last GnRH dose at
the same time of AI), with 6 handlings, that lasts for 18 days,
Objectives: While there is numerous of literature describ- and a 7 d Cosynch plus progesterone device, with 4 handlings,
ing the involution of the uterus after unassisted birth, there is that lasts for 10 d. For resynchronizing open cows we used a
little information available about possible alterations of the soft Resynch protocol (modified for administering the last GnRH
birth canal in cows and heifers. So the aim of this study was at the same time of AI) starting with a GnRH 7 d before preg-
to describe potential injuries of the soft birth canal post partum nancy diagnosis, with 4 handlings, that lasts for 3 d from the
(p.p.). diagnosis of open cow. We analyzed some factors that could
Material and Methods: For this purpose, 50 Holstein-Frie- affect these protocols to understand how they can be used to
sian cows (25 heifers und 25 cows) were assessed vaginally improve reproduction efficiency in comercial dairy farms
using a speculum within eight hours after birth and on day 1, Materials and methods: The study was conducted during
5, 10, 15 and 21 p.p.. Special attention was given to lacera- 2019 in 12 dairy farms located in León, Spain. A total of 994
tions, hematomas, hyperemia and suffusions in the area of the synchronization protocols were performed and the cows were
cervix, vagina, hymenal region, vestibulum vaginae and vulva. explored by a veterinarian at the moment of insemination
Results: Immediately after birth all animals presented to evaluate the size of the follicle and the signs of estrus at
lacerations in the dorsal commissure of the vulva, which had uterine and ovarian level to inseminate only cows with estrus
healed off completely until day 15 p.p. in approximately 50% signs.
of the heifers, and on day 10 p.p. in approximately 70% of the The cows enrolled for first AI were treated as “Group G6G”
cows. Additionally, all heifers and 41% of the cows present- (n=421): day 0 PG, day 2 GnRH, day 8 GnRH, day 15 PG,
ed with lacerations of the hymenal region, which had healed day 16 PG, and day 18 AI plus GnRH; “Group progesterone
almost completely by day 15 in 75% and 99%, respectively. device” (n= 227): day 0 GnRH + insertion of progesterone de-
Hyperemia and suffusions were present in all heifers in this vice, day 7 PG and progesterone device removal, day 8 PG,
region. While the hyperemia had disappeared by day 10 p.p, day 10 AI plus GnRH. In a subgroup of cows in groups “Pro-
suffusions were still present in approximately 45% of the ani- gesterone device” and “G6G”, blood samples were collected
mals on day 21 p.p.. at the beginning of the Cosynch, at the moment of the first
Conclusions: In summary, there are injuries in the soft prostaglandin of the Cosynch and at the moment of AI. The
birth canal even after unassisted birth and it is possible to de- cows that didn’t show return in estrus, were enrolled as “Group
scribe a unique injury pattern. Particularly heifers have signifi- Resynch” (n=346) receiving GnRH 7 d before the examination
cant injuries in the area between the vulva and the hymenal re- and if diagnosed “open” the day of the pregnancy diagnosis,
gion; however, these heal entirely within a short period of time. they were treated: day 0 PG, day 1 PG, day 3 AI plus GnRH.
Keywords: Laceration, hematoma, hymenal region, vulva. Data were analyzed with Medicalc® and the different chi-
square test were performed for every variable.
Results: The synchronization rate was evaluated as per-
centage of cows accepted for AI and was high for the three
groups: “G6G” 84.03%, “Progesterone device” 88.33% and
“Resynch” 94.02% (p=0,057) with progesterone concentra-
tion profiles corresponding with that findings: beginning of
Cosynch 2,16 ng/ml, first PG 2,90 ng/ml and moment of AI
0,32 ng/ml. The conception rate was high in the three groups:
“G6G” 44.89%, “Progesterone device” 40.53% and “Resynch”

371
49,42%, (p=0,11). The median days to AI were significantly nohistochemistry (IHC) in endometrial biopsy samples and
different in inseminations with diagnosis “pregnant” or “open”: protein production (ADIPOQ and RARRES2) by ELISA in the
open 121.47 and pregnant 134.08. (p=0.007). The conception supernatants.
rate of different follicle sizes were 10 to 15: 40.43%, 16 to 20: Results: Transcription levels of ADIPOQ and ADIPOR2
40.00% and > 20: 30.77 (p=0.45%). The conception rate of were higher (p < 0.001) in CE-CE than in H and CE-H cows,
different parities were 1: 49.86%, 2: 44.73%, 3 : 39,13% and whereas ADIPOR1 mRNA levels were lower (p < 0.05) in CE-
cows with 4 or more calvings 49.26%. (p=0.08). CE cows than in H cows. Transcription levels of RARRES2
Conclusions: The numerical differences in conception and CMKLR1 were higher in CE-CE than in H and CE-H cows
rate between protocols could have been influenced by the (p < 0.01). Positive immunostaining for ADIPOQ was observed
days in milk at AI so, taking into account the high synchroniza- in the luminal and glandular epithelium, endothelial cells, stro-
tion rate and fertility of these fertility protocols, they can be im- ma and inflammatory cells of all cows. However, CE-CE cows
plemented at farm level, the longer ones for first post-partum exhibited a stronger staining than H and CE-H cows. Staining
AI considering their easiness of compliance, and the shorter for ADIPOR1 was only observed in the luminal and glandular
one for a fast resynchronization of open cows. epithelium, whereas ADIPOR2 also stained in stroma and in-
The decreasing conception rate by parity have been previ- flammatory cells. Staining for RARRES2 and CMKLR1 was
ously reported, but the high conception rate in cows with 4 or observed in all endometrial compartments of all cows. How-
more calvings could be influenced by the retention of the most ever, RARRES2 staining showed a stronger signal in CE-CE
fertile cows, showing that the retention of some old fertile cows than in H and CE-H cows. Uterine fluid ADIPOQ and RAR-
could extend the general longevity of farms. RES2 concentrations were higher (p < 0.001) in CE-CE than
in H and CE-H cows.
Keywords: Fertility, protocol, post-partum, resynchroniza-
tion, insemination. Conclusions: At 45 dpp, cows with persistent CE show
up-regulated gene transcription and protein expression of Ad-
iponectin and Chemerin in the endometrium, compared with
healthy cows and cows that recovered from CE. Results sup-
port a local production of these mediators, and a relationship
with the inflammatory status of the postpartum uterus of dairy
RD-23
cows. The local production and signalling of these adipokines
Adiponectin and Chemerin in the endometrium of prompt for an autocrine and/or paracrine role in the inflam-
postpartum dairy cows with cytological endometritis matory response exhibited by cows with subclinical endome-
tritis. This turns these adipokines into potential biomarkers of
Gonçalo Pereira1, Ricardo Bexiga1, João Chagas E Silva1, Elisabete endometrial inflammation, namely to identify cows at risk of
Silva1, Christelle Ramé2, Joelle Dupont2, Patrice Humblot3, Luis persistent subclinical endometritis. However, further studies
Lopes-Da-Costa1. are warranted to clarify their role in the establishment of sub-
1
CIISA - Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, clinical endometritis.
Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Funding: FORMAS (Grant No 2015-00888) and CIISA
Portugal; 2INRAE, UMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des UIDP/CVT/00276/2020. Gonçalo Pereira has a PhD grant
Comportements, 37380, Nouzilly, France; 3Division of Reproduction, from FCT (SFRH/BD/130923/2017).
Department of Clinical Sciences, SLU, Uppsala, Sweden. Keywords: Adiponectin, Chemerin, Endometritis, Cow.
Objective: To evaluate the relationship between the gene

transcription and expression of Adiponectin (ADIPOQ, AD-
IPOR1 and ADIPOR2) and Chemerin (RARRES2 and CM-
KLR1), and the inflammatory status of the uterus of postpar- RD-24
tum dairy cows.
The Effect of Postpartum Metabolic Diseases on Fertility in
Materials and methods: High-yielding postpartum dairy
Lactating Dairy Cows
cows (n=36) without puerperal disease were retrospectively
allocated to groups: i) Healthy (H; n=6), without cytological Gulsum Selcuk Kaya1, Serdar Dursun Ak1, İ̇smailİi̇lk Kocaer1, Ahmet
endometritis (CE) at 25 and 45 days postpartum (dpp) and Gumen2, Gulnaz Mecitoglu2, Abdulkadir Orman2.
pregnant at first AI; ii) CE-H (n=19), with CE at 25 dpp, but that
Atasancak Dairy Farm, Denizli, Turkey; 2Bursa Uludag University,
1
recovered by 45 dpp; iii) CE-CE (n=11), with persistent CE
Bursa, Turkey.
until 45 dpp. Endometrial cytology was assessed from uter-
ine swabs taken with a cytobrush device at 25 and 45 dpp
(cut-off values: 18 % and 5 %, respectively). At 45 dpp, a low Postpartum (PP) metabolic disorders may become more
volume lavage followed by centrifugation, allowed to obtain important for the modern high producing lactating dairy cows.
cellular pellet and supernatant samples of each uterine horn. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of PP meta-
An endometrial biopsy was also taken from each uterine horn. bolic disorders on fertility in dairy cows. The study was con-
Gene transcription of ADIPOQ and its receptors (ADIPOR1 ducted in a dairy farm with 5000 lactating dairy cows and milk
and ADIPOR2), and of chemerin (RARRES2) and its receptor yield was 11.148 kg for 305 d in 2019. Primiparous and mul-
(CMKLR1) was analysed in the cellular pellet by quantitative tiparous cows were evaluated for metabolic disorders such as
real-time PCR. Protein expression was analysed by immu- Retained Placenta (RP), Septic metritis (SM, Fever >39.4˚C

372
and reddish vaginal discharge with fetid odor after DIM 5), Milk consultant and farm model, 2) general data of the farm, 3) cow
fever (MF), Ketosis (BHBA higher than 1.2 ng/ml, DIM 3-7) reproduction, 4) postpartum and metabolic disease, and 5)
and Displaced abomasum (DA). In multiparous cows, BCS heifer reproduction. The median, range, and 95% confidence
(at the close up period) and its relation to PP metabolic dis- interval were determined for each question. Afterwards, a mul-
orders were also evaluated. All cows were timed inseminat- tivariate analysis, using between-group linkage via Ward´s
ed (TAI at 75-81 DIM) with Double Ovsynch protocol for first hierarchical clustering was conducted to generate clusters of
service and second service were done by Resynch protocol consultants according to their response pattern. Lastly, a Chi-
(GnRH-7d-GnRH-7d-PGF-1d-PGF-56h-GnRH-16-20h TAI). square test was conducted to assess the association between
Pregnancy diagnosis were done at the time of the first PGF years of experience of the consultant and farm size within the
(30-36 d after TAI) by ultrasonography. In multiparous cows clusters generated in each section of the questionnaire.
mean BCS was higher (P<0.01) in the cows with PP metabolic Results: The majority of the consultants considered 27
disorders compared to the cows without metabolic disorders parameters to be highly important to analyze in a first visit.
(BCS 3.42, BCS 3.37, respectively). Pregnancy rate after first
The parameters that consultants specialized in dairy repro-
(33.0%), and second (29.5%) service were higher (P<0.002)
duction mostly consider as primary KPI are:
in multiparous cows without PP metabolic disorders compared
to the multiparous cows with at least one metabolic disorders General data of the farm: Culling rate (%), pregnant cows
(21.7%, 19.0% respectively). Pregnancy rate of multiparous (%), average DIM (d), cows culled for reproductive reason (%),
cows after first service was negatively effected (P<0.001) 305-d yield (Kg), herd status for BVDV (present/absent) and %
in the cows with RP, SM, and ketosis, tended to be effected of 1st lactation cows in the herd.
(P<0.09) with MF, but not effected with DA. In addition, cows Cows’ reproduction: First service CR (%), overall pregnan-
with ketosis had also lower (P< 0.03) pregnancy rates after cy rate (%), voluntary waiting period (d), CR (%), heat detec-
second services. However in primiparous cows pregnancy tion rate (%), days open (d), cows not pregnant >200DIM (%),
rate was lower (P<0.03) only in cows with Ketosis. Thus, cows 21d. pregnancy rate (%), CR of the first service in 1st lactation
with higher BCS at close up period at higher risk of having PP cows, CR of the first service in multiparous cows (%), CR of
metabolic disorders and cows with some of the metabolic dis- the 1st lactation cows (%), CR of the multiparous cows (%),
orders such as RP, SM and ketosis in early PP period having calving to first service interval (d), CR synchronized cows (%)
more effect on fertility at first service. The negative effect of and percent conceiving of served (%).
ketosis on fertility may be more prominent compared to other Heifers’ reproduction: Heat detection rate (%), CR (%), CR
PP metabolic disorders, because it’s long lasting affect and in of the first service (%), age at first calving (d) and heifers culled
both primiparous and multiparous cows. Interestingly, primipa- for reproductive reason (%).
rous cows less effected from metabolic disorders than multip-
Conclusion: Consultants never use only one single pri-
arous cows except ketosis.
mary KPI to evaluate any of the presented sections, but they
Keywords: Metabolic disorders, Fertility, lactating dairy use several of them (in variable quantitative range). Despite
cows. the presence of a great number of parameters likely to be KPI
to assess the reproductive performance of a farm, consultants
clearly prefer parameters that provide information about heat
detection, fertility and when the pregnancy is achieved regard-
ing to the production cycle of a dairy cow.
RD-25 Consultants also show high interest in getting a general
overview of milk production, the farming efficiency and the
Key performance indicators used by dairy consultants
heifer rearing process but the farm size and the years of expe-
during the evaluation of reproductive performance in a
rience of the consultant is other factor influencing in the type
first visit
and numbers of parameters chosen to be KPI.
Ramon Armengol1, Lorenzo Fraile1, Àlex Bach2. The parameters rated with the highest importance (rate
Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain; Marlex, Barcelona, Spain.
1 2 10) that could be considered for an easy, fast and universal
use in a first visit to assess the reproductive status were: First
service CR (%), overall pregnancy rate (%) and 21d pregnan-
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to (1) describe cy rate (%) for cows and age at first calving (d) for heifers.
the KPI that consultants specialized in dairy reproduction use
Parameters that monitor postpartum and metabolic dis-
to assess the reproductive status of a conventional dairy farm
eases are not considered necessary to evaluate the reproduc-
in a first visit, (2) categorize the different KPI according to their
tion performance of a farm in a first visit.
importance to the consultants, and (3) identify primary KPI that
could be universally used in first visit to a conventional dairy Keywords: survey analysis, dairy consultant, reproductive
farm. performance, first visit, KPI.
Materials and methods: An online survey was sent world-
wide and answered by consultants specialized in dairy repro-
duction (n=49) to find out the most suitable parameters in a first
visit approach. The survey was comprised of 190 questions,
178 of them rated from 0 (irrelevant) to 10 (maximum impor-
tance) points. The questions were divided into 5 sections: 1)

373
RD-26 select, with a high probability (≈75%), those cows with vagi-
nal pathologies for a further and complete examination. This
Elevated tail: clinical sign for the early diagnosis of vaginal method will allow their prompt treatment, reducing the culling
pathologies rate due to reproduction. Further studies will be implemented
Angel Revilla Ruiz1, Susana Astiz2, Raquel Patrón Collantes1, Juan to describe the validity of this clinical sign as a diagnosis meth-
Vicente González-Martín1. od of vaginal disorders in dairy cows.
Keywords: Tail, elevated, urovagina, pneumovagina, di-
1
Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; 2Animal
agnosis.
Reproduction Department, National Institute of Agronomic Research
(INIA), Madrid, Spain.
Elevated tail is a feature seen around defecation and uri-

nation. It is a clinical sign present in pathologies related to RD-27
reproduction, urinary and digestive systems. In reproduction,
this sign has been observed with calving contusions and he- Uterine contractility patterns of early puerperal
matomas of the vagina; with minor vaginal traumas after mat- hypocalcaemic dairy cows without and with fetal membrane
ing or vaginal explorations; and in cases of necrotic vaginitis, retention
vestibulitis, and vulvitis postpartum. The sign occurs within
Arpad Csaba Bajcsy1, Gergő Kürtös2, Laura Zámbó3, János Tibold4,
1–4 days post calving and it may persist for 2–4 weeks, un-
Imre Élö4, István Mádl4, Ottó Szenci5.
til vaginitis resolves, except in cases of vaginal lacerations,
pneumo, and urovagina in which the raised tail may stay in University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover,
1
time. Vaginal disorders such as pneumovagina and urovagina Clinic for Cattle, Germany; 2Turul Veterinary Clinic and Pharmacy,
reduce the fertility of the cow and they are conditions frequent- Gödöllö, Hungary; 3Animal Hospital, Veszprém, Hungary; 4Bonafarm
ly underdiagnosed. In large farms with intensive reproduction Group, Agroprodukt, Pápa, Zsigaháza, Hungary; 5MTA-SzIE Large
management systems, it is uncommon to perform complete Animal Clinical Research Group, Üllő, Hungary.
reproductive exploration of cows, including the vagina, of all
cows, before first service. However, some cows can keep vag-
inal problems since calving and are diagnosed at the earliest Objectives: Characteristics of the early postpartum uter-
as repeat breeder with >200 days in milk, as non-pregnant ine contractility based on the measurement of intrauterine
after≥3 services, when the correcting surgery may be not any pressure (IUP) changes in hypocalcaemic cows without and
more profitable. with retained placenta during the first two days after calving
has been compared in a field study.
Objectives: The present study assesses the usefulness of
the sign of “elevated tail” as an indicator to detect in an easy Materials and methods: Myometrial contractions of alto-
and fast way, cows with vaginal pathologies. Our hypothesis gether 31 early puerperal Holstein-Friesian cows at a large-
was that selecting those post calving cows raising their tail, for scale Hungarian dairy farm were repeatedly measured using
a complete vaginal exploration during routine farm visits, will an open tip catheter system, which was suitable for digital in-
provide an early diagnosis of vaginal pathologies, allowing an trauterine pressure (IUP) recording. Cows were divided into
efficient treatment of them, without notable extra work, reduc- four groups according to their initial coccygeal venous blood
ing the culling rate due to reproduction. Ca2+-concentrations, which was measured on site between 14
and 17 hours after calving (ABLTM 77 portable blood gas and
Materials and methods: We worked in three Spanish
electrolyte analyser, Radiometer, Copenhagen, Denmark) and
dairy farms of 73, 263 and 250 cows in milk/farm, respectively,
upon their status regarding placental expulsion. Cows that had
during one routine reproductive control. The cows that showed
lower than 1.06 mmol/l blood Ca2+ concentrations at this first
elevated tail at the visit (excluding those which were defecat-
blood withdrawal either belonged to Group HC-NRFM (hypo-
ing, urinating, less than a day calvingor had recently been
calcaemic, no retained fetal membranes, n=12) or to Group
inseminated), were completely explored. This exam included
HC-RFM (hypocalcaemic, retained fetal membranes, n=6),
rectal palpation, ultrasound exam and vaginal exploration, try-
while others that had at least 1.06 mmol/l blood Ca2+, belonged
ing to identify the type of problem and vaginal content. The
either to Group NC-NRFM (normocalcaemic, no retained fetal
presence of air, urine, other vaginal content, and tears was
membranes, n=8) or to Group NC-RFM (normocalcaemic, re-
recorded.
tained fetal membranes, n=5). Initially, a 4-hour IUP recording
Results: A total of 586 cows in milk were present during was performed, starting between 14 and 17 hours after calving,
these visits; 28 raised their tail (4.78%). In 7 cases out of 28 from which only the first hour was used for the recent analysis
(25%) no pathologies were diagnosed, which would make (labelled as pp12). In 12-hour intervals, three further record-
a sensibility for the sign used as diagnoses method of 75% ings took place with a duration of 1 hour for each (labelled as
with 25% of false negatives. The remaining 21 animals (75%) pp24, pp36 and pp48, respectively). IUP data were collected
showed the following reproductive problems: postpartum vagi- from the previously pregnant uterine horn and were analysed
nitis in 6 cases (21.42%); pneumovagina 6 (21.42%); urovagi- using a semiautomatic, operator-made software (LabVIEW®
na 4 (14.29%), pneumo and urovagina 3 (10.71%) and vaginal 5.0, National Instruments, Austin, TX). Mean contraction fre-
laceration 2 (7.14%). quency (FREQ), amplitude (AMP), duration (DUR), mean and
Conclusions: Our preliminary results seem to indicate total area under the pressure curves (AUC and TAUC) of the
that the clinical sign of an elevated tail may allow to efficiently pressure cycles were calculated. At the end of each recording

374
session a further blood withdrawal has been made to deter- Objective: Cervical vaginal mucus (CVM) has important
mine Ca2+ concentrations. functions related to reproduction and reproductive disease in
Beside discovering possible associations among values of cattle. To facilitate further study of CVM, an appropriate meth-
various IUP parameters and blood Ca2+ concentrations by the od of storing and processing CVM samples needs to be de-
use of a regression analysis, repeated measures analysis of veloped. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of
variance was used to calculate group- and time-related dif- different methods of storage and processing of CVM on the
ferences. In case of significance at P<0.05, Tukey post-hoc spectra obtained by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spec-
tests were performed to explore where significance between troscopy.
groups, recording times or their interactions appeared (STA- Material and Method: 16 CVM samples were taken from
TISTICA v. 6.1., Statsoft, Inc., Tulsa, OK). 15 Norwegian Red dairy cows housed at Livestock Production
Results: All hypocalcaemic cows had a mild to moderate Research Centre at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences.
level of hypocalcaemia with the lowest initial Ca2+ concentra- The cows were selected based on convenience of the like-
tion of 0.74 mmol/l in two cows. In all IUP parameters time lihood that they would be able to provide 2ml of CVM when
dependent significant declines were found (P<0.001) when sampled.
neither RFM nor Ca2+ status were distinguished. When both The cows were secured, and their vulvas cleaned with a
the effect of RFM and Ca2+ status were considered, also none chlorhexidine solution, before being dried with paper towel. A
of the parameters showed in their values an overall signifi- Metricheck™ device was used to sample CVM. The samples
cant difference at P<0.05, which would have been attributed were transferred to Eppendorf® tubes. All samples underwent
to either of these group differences. However, at pp12, hy- light microscopy to characterise ferning patterns before freez-
pocalcaemic cows with RFM had higher TAUC values, rep- ing and after thawing.
resenting a more active uterine contractility than their NRFM The samples were separated into two equal groups (1 and
alternatives (P=0.0064). At pp12 TAUC was significantly 2) and processed as follows: 1) Samples were further split into
higher in cows with RFM (P=0.0014) and at pp24 AUC also two groups and frozen (FRO) or frozen and freeze-dried (FD).
in such cows (P=0.0325) without considering the initial levels 2) Samples were split into two groups and frozen (FRO) or
of blood Ca2+. However, without considering the time effect, kept fresh (F).
despite consequently higher mean values in all IUP parame-
ters in RFM cows, the differences were statistically not signif- FRO: Samples were frozen in a freezer at -20°C.
icant at P<0.05. When the grouping effect according to initial FD: samples were frozen in a freezer at -20°C before being
Ca2+ levels has not been taken into account, except DUR, all freeze-dried in a Labconco freeze-drier using high vacuum at
IUP parameters showed significantly higher overall means in -52°C. The samples were mixed with approximately 100µl wa-
cows with RFM than in cows without (FREQ: P=0.0017, AMP: ter/g dried sample and 70g of acid washed glass beads (710-
P=0.0079, AUC: P=0.0020 and TAUC: P=0.0001), while the 1, 180µm) /g sample before disrupting.
level of such hypocalcaemia did not influence uterine contrac- F: Fresh samples were treated directly after sampling.
tility. Blood Ca2+ has significantly changed by declining from
Once processing was complete, the FRO and FD were
pp12 to pp24 and gradually increasing thereafter (P=0.012),
thawed at room temperature. The F and FRO groups under-
but among cows with and without RFM, no difference was
went one of five treatments. These were: no treatment, three
found regarding this parameter.
durations of ultrasound treatment (5s, 10, s and 15s), and dis-
Conclusions: Dairy cows with mild or moderate hypocal- ruptor treatment. The FRO and F disruptor-treatment involved
caemia during the first two days postpartum showed rather 0.5ml of mucus applied to 250mg of acid washed glass beads.
similar uterine contractility patterns with a significant time re- All disruptor samples were run on a work program (5500 rpm,
lated decline, however, cows with RFM had higher uterine me- 6 cycles à 20s, 20s pause) in a Precellys Evolution disrupt-
chanical activity, irrespective of their calcium status within the er-machine. For the ultrasound treatment, 0.5ml of mucus was
mentioned range. placed on ice and homogenized with an ultrasonic homogeniz-
Keywords: Cattle, Uterine contractility, Hypocalcaemia, er a 2mm tip was inserted 1cm into the mucus with amplitude
Placenta retention. of 40%. Five second exposures were applied once, twice or
three times, giving samples exposed 5, 10 and 15 seconds.
After treatment, all samples were transferred to
IR-light-transparent silicon 384-well microplates (Bruker Optik,
Germany), approximately 10µl/ well, with 3 replications, and
RD-28 dried at room temperature. FTIR spectroscopy was performed
using a high-throughput screening eXTension (HTS-XT) unit
Novel methods to analyse mucus. Use of FTIR-spectroscopy coupled to a Vertex 70 FTIR spectrometer (both Bruker Optik,
to examine bovine cervical vaginal mucus Germany) allowing performance of high-throughput screening
Ida Beate Løken1, Volha Akulava1, Achim Kohler1, Volha Shapaval1, (HTS) transmission mode measurements. The spectra were
Michael Morris2, Adam Martin1. recorded in the region between 4000 and 500 cm−1 with a
spectral resolution of 6 cm−1 and an aperture of 5.0 mm.
Norwegian University of Life Scienses, Ås, Norway; 2Univerity of the
1
A general analysis of the whole spectra was performed be-
West Indies, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
fore the different informative regions were analysed. Spectra
in the 1654 cm−1-region <0.2 or >2.5, were removed from the
analysis. The data were pre-processed using a second de-

375
rivative calculated with the Savitzky-Golay algorithm, window

size 11, second polynomial order. Three informative regions
were split as follows: lipids (3050–2800 cm−1 and 1800–1700
cm−1), proteins (1700–1500 cm−1) and polysaccharides
(1200–700 cm−1). The whole spectra and the informative re-
gions were all pre-processed using Extended Multiplicative
Signal Correction (EMSC) and analysed with principal com-
ponent analysis.
Results: Light-microscopy showed little, or no, change in
ferning patterns before and after freezing. All the preparation
methods improved handling and homogenisation compared
to the F group. Scatterplots show that the variable individual
cow had a greater effect on the spectra (general and informa-
tive groups) than the preparation method. However, variation
exists between preparation methods within cow. The F sam-
ples show most inter-cow variation, followed by the ultrasound
treated samples. Whilst the disruptor samples show least vari-
ation.
Conclusions: Provisional results reveal that a homo-
genising technique may be useful in measuring changes in
CVM. Further work needs to be performed to identify the op-
timal dilution for sample analysis. Treatment with disruptors
appears to provide a better result than ultrasonographic treat-
ments, although this needs further study. Freezing does not
seem to alter the results.
Keywords: Cervical vaginal mucus, bovine, Fourier Trans-
form Infrared spectroscopy.

376
ORAL — Sustainable Cattle Productive Systems
SP-01 SP-02
Health and production benefits in veal calves born from NCD Age at First Calving in UK Jerseys; Impact on First Lactation
and BRD vaccinated cows 305-day Milk Yield, Lifetime Daily Milk Yield, Calving
Interval and Survival to Second Lactation
Magdéléna Chanteperdrix1, Béatrice Mounaix1, Marlène Guiadeur1,
Christophe Martineau1, Sébastien Assié2, Sylvie Masselin1, Christophe Fiona Boothby1, David Grove-White2, Georgios Oikonomou2, Jo
Le Nouvel3, Frédéric Leboeuf3, Geert Vertenten4, Thibault Jozan3. Oultram2.
1
Institut de l’Elevage, Paris, France; 2Oniris, site de la Chantrerie, Vale Veterinary Group, Cullompton, Devon, UK, Cullompton, United
1
Nantes, France; 3MSD Santé Animale, Beaucouzé, France; 4MSD Kingdom; 2University of Liverpool, Leahurst campus, United Kingdom.
Animal Health, Boxmeer, Netherlands.
Objectives: To determine the association between Age at
Objectives: Neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD) and bovine re- Fist Calving (AFC) and production, fertility and survivability in
spiratory disease (BRD) are the most important health prob- Jersey heifers, and to compare this with published literature
lems in veal calves. Given the increased pressure to reduce on Holstein heifers
intensive antimicrobial use, vaccination may be an efficient Material and methods: Lactation records from 7255 ped-
measure to reduce the use of antibiotics in the treatment and igree Jersey heifers from 471 UK milk recorded herds, calv-
prevention of BRD and NCD in young animals. Passive immu- ing for the first time from 1st January 2009 to 31st December
nity transfer from vaccinated dams may be applied for the pre- 2010, were examined. Heifers were grouped by AFC into 4
vention of NCD whereas BRD protection can be provided by groups comprised of AFC 18-24 months, 25-26 months, 27-
vaccinating the calves but also by passive immunity transfer. 29 months, and 30-36 months. Mixed effects multivariable
The objective of this study was to measure the benefit of regression modelling and binary logistic regression modelling
vaccinating pregnant cows against NCD and BRD (Rotavec® was used for data analysis.
Corona and Bovilis® Bovipast RSP) on the health and produc- Results: Increased Lifetime daily yield (LDY) was sig-
tion in veal calves. nificantly associated with a reduced AFC; heifers calving at
Materials and methods: 211 calves that received ade- 18-24-month-old produce 9.87 kg milk/day (mean) (CI: 9.64-
quate colostrum from cows vaccinated with inactivated mul- 10.11) (P=<0.000001), nearly 1 litre more than those calving at
tivalent vaccines against NCD (Rotavec Corona) and BRD 30-36 months (mean 8.94kg; CI: 8.72-9.16). Calving UK Jer-
(Bovilis Bovipast RSP) (V2+) and 220 calves without known sey heifers at 24 months or below is optimal. There was some
history (V-) were equally divided over 10 veal farms at an evidence that lower AFC may be associated with enhanced
age of at least 14 days and compared for clinical NCD, BRD, fertility; heifers calving at 25-26 months had a significantly low-
weight and general condition at 3 (d3) and 45 (d45) days post er mean calving interval (391 days; CI 386-397) than those
arrival, antibiotic treatments, mortality and carcass weight. calving over 30 months (399; CI 394-405) (P=0.03). Heifers
Results: At d3, V2+ (11.4%) had less clinical BRD com- with an AFC over 30 months were less likely to survive to sec-
pared to V- (19.1%) (P=0.028). The weight at d3 was higher ond lactation than those with an AFC 18-24 months; odds ratio
(P=0.026) in V2+ compared to V- and the calves in V2+ were 1.75 (CI 1.38-2.23) (P=<0.0001) more likely to fail to reach
in better condition. The mortality in V2+ (2.8%) was signifi- second lactation than heifers calving at younger ages.
cantly (P=0.01) lower than V- (11.8%). The odds of mortality in Season of first calving had a significant impact. Spring calv-
V2+ was 4.57 times lower than in V- (P=0.01). V2+ received ing heifers produced significantly less milk per day (9.87kg;
about one antibiotic treatment less compared to V- (P=0.02) CI: 9.64-10.1) than Autumn (10.18; CI: 9.94-10.41) or Winter
(3.5 versus 2.9). All other measured parameters were not sta- calvers (10.07; CI: 9.84-10.3) (P=<0.01). Heifers that calved
tistically significant different, which is not surprising for NCD at in the winter had a significantly shorter calving interval (389
d3 and d45 post arrival as NCD occurs mainly before arrival days; CI: 394-383) (P=<0.01) than heifers calved in any other
at the veal unit. season.
Conclusions: This study clearly describes several health Conclusion: The results of this study show the importance
and production benefits in veal calves receiving adequate co- of achieving a low AFC which was associated with increased
lostrum from mother cows that were vaccinated against NCD lifetime daily milk yield, improved reproductive performance
and BRD (respectively with Rotavec Corona and Bovilis Bo- and increased odds of calving for the second time. Calving
vipast RSP). It reinforces the interest to strengthen the rela- heifers over 30 months is associated with significantly poor-
tionship between the dairy and veal sector, in order for health er survivability, fertility and lifetime production parameters.
investments in dairy calves (e.g. vaccination) to be appreciat- The impact of AFC on Jersey production, fertility and longev-
ed by the benefiting veal producers. ity traits shows a similar to trend to that seen in the Holstein,
Keywords: Veal, mother vaccination, BRD, scours, ben- though potentially on a lesser scale.
efits. Keywords: AFC, Jersey, heifers, UK, dairy.

377
SP-03 There was a difference in median time to conception be-

tween groups; the control group median was 101 days (95%CI:
A randomised control trial to explore the effect of overall 82-143 days) and high-space group 134 days (95%CI: 105-
space allowance in adult dairy cow housing on reproductive 202 days), with a P-value of 0.02. A Cox-proportional hazards
performance, behaviour and milk yield model revealed a reduced time to conception in the control
Jake Thompson1, Christopher Hudson1, Jonathan Huxley2, Robert compared to high-space group (hazard ratio 0.6, 95%CI: 0.35-
Robinson1, Kathryn Woad1, Nicola Bollard1, Jasmeet Kaler1, Martin 0.94, p=0.03). Pregnancy rates (number of conceptions/in-
Green1. seminations) in the control vs high-space group were 40% and
25% respectively (p=0.049). Commencement of luteal activity
University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom; 2Massey
1
(based on milk progesterone concentrations) showed no sig-
University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. nificant difference between groups; medians were 39 days for
control and 38 days for high-space groups. No differences in
Objectives: time to first service, week 5 AMH concentrations, endometritis
scores or antral follicle counts between groups were detected.
• To support the evidence base on optimal methods to
house dairy cows. Cows with greater living space availability spent more time
in lying (64 minutes/d) and feeding (10 minutes/d) areas, and
• To evaluate the impact of living space on dairy cow re-
less time in passageways (67 mins/d).
productive performance, behaviour and production.
Conclusions: This is the first long term study in dairy
• To evaluate the extent to which the impact depends on
cows to demonstrate that increased living space results in
parity and days in milk.
meaningful benefits in terms of productivity and behaviour.
Materials and Methods: A randomised [1:1], controlled, However, the cows with greater living space took significantly
long term (364 day), parallel-group, cross-over study designed longer to conceive than cows in the control group, despite no
to evaluate the superiority/ inferiority of a spatial intervention detectable changes to underlying reproductive physiological
was undertaken. This research was conducted in accordance parameters. Living space is a basic requirement for all housed
with government regulations under a Home Office License, in dairy cows yet its fundamental impact on physiology, health,
a unique, purpose-built facility, which allowed precise mea- reproduction and welfare has been scarcely researched. It is
surement and configuration of the housed area. The study had likely that additional living space will be of benefit to adult dairy
a cross over design to account for differences between pen cows but further research is required into generalisability and
location. cost-effectiveness of providing increased space to ensure it’s
Cows were matched based on parity and days in milk sustainable.
(±3days for cows ≤ 2nd parity, ±5days for cows ≥ 3rd parity) then Keywords: Dairy cow, housing, production, behaviour, re-
randomly allocated into a control group (total: 9m2 per cow, liv- production.
ing space: 3m2 per cow; based on GB median) and high space
group (total: 14m2 per cow, living space: 6.5m2 per cow; based
on GB upper 95%ile). The environment was controlled and
matched for each group, excluding floor space allowance. A
mirror image set-up was used to place the water trough area,
SP-04
electric brush and mineral access. Feed-face length, cubicle
stocking density and design were identical. Both groups expe- Motivation of dairy farmers to engage in primary
rienced the same management routines. prevention: current situation, drivers, and perceived
Data collection included insemination data and key repro- constraints
ductive events (e.g. conception), ultrasound scanning in early
Marijn Stok1, Jantijn Swinkels2, Nadia Lahaye1, Merel Martena1,
lactation, anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) blood sample at week
Geert Vertenten2, Tine Van Werven1, Ruurd Jorritsma1.
5 for ELISA and milk sampling (3x per week at 14-84DIM) for
progesterone ELISA. Production data was recorded via Lely Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands; 2MSD Animal Health,
1
Astronaut A4’s, to provide daily yield per cow, alongside rumi- Boxmeer, Netherlands.
nation time and weight. Cows were fitted with location sensors
providing position and acceleration data for each cow using a
Objective: While bovine veterinary medicine was tradi-
novel wireless sensor system (Omnisense Series 500 Clus-
tionally focused on treatment of diseased animals, disease
ter Geolocation System) every 7s. Direct comparisons were
prevention is currently generally accepted as the preferred
made between time budgets for both groups. Key behavioural
strategy, as this approach is favorable for animal welfare, high-
activities analysed were time spent in designated areas such
ly appreciated by the general public, and also economically at-
as loafing areas, freestall and environmental enrichment use.
tractive for farmers. Instead of allowing diseases to occur and
Data analyses were undertaken in R statistical software, prevent it from getting worse (tertiary prevention), or to pre-
including survival analysis, mixed-effects-modelling, non-lin- vent it from re-occurring in the future (secondary prevention),
ear regression and bootsampling methods. primary prevention, is implemented before the occurrence of
Results: Compared to cows in the commercial average any clinical or subclinical disease. Despite the benefits of pri-
space (control group), cows in the high-space group produced mary disease prevention, it remains challenging for many vet-
more milk per 305-day lactation (first parity cows; 12,235L vs erinarians to convince farmers to focus on it. This study was
11,592L, P<0.01, parity >1 cows 14,746L vs 14,644L, P<0.01). designed to explore underlying psychological constructs to be

378
able to understand why farmers do or do not (yet) engage in SP-05

primary preventative practices. Such underlying factors can
both facilitate and hinder the performance of primary preven- BRD vaccination strongly reduces the use of antibiotics in
tion practices. Dutch dairy calves
Materials & Methods: We conducted an online survey G. Bart Wille1, Henk Kuijk2, Geert Vertenten2.
in 15 Dutch veterinary practices. We used three established
frameworks in our study: the Transtheoretical model, the Slingeland Dierenartsen, Varsseveld, Netherlands; 2MSD Animal
1
Theory of Planned Behavior, and the Capabilities-Opportuni- Health, Boxmeer, Netherlands.

ties-Motivation-Behavior model.
The survey included close-ended questions probing the Objectives: A substantial portion of antibiotics applied in
relevant psychological constructs from the three guiding the dairy sector are used for controlling respiratory diseases
frameworks, open-ended questions to allow respondents to (BRD) in young stock. Vaccination against BRD pathogens
provide additional in-depth information about either claw or calf may be a strategy to reduce antibiotics, and therefore an opti-
health, and questions about specific preventative behaviors. mization for long-term performance of dairy cattle. In this field
Responding farmers were randomly assigned to questions on observational study, the antibiotic use in young stock on sev-
the prevention of claw or calf diseases. For claw health, the eral Dutch dairy farms was measured depending on the used
explored specific behaviors were keeping floors dry and clean; BRD vaccination program.
preventive claw trimming; and preventing overcrowding – for Materials and Methods: 250 Dutch dairy farms were in-
calf health, these specific behaviors were feeding colostrum volved. In 159 farms calves were treated against BRD and/or
within 2 hours after birth; using a separate maternity unit; and vaccinated against BRD. These 159 ‘BRD’ farms were divided
cleaning the calf hutches after every use. in 3 groups depending on the BRD vaccination protocol. Group
Results: Respondents were 226 dairy farmers: 111 were A did not vaccinate, group B vaccinated only in autumn with an
assigned to questions on the primary prevention of claw dis- inactivated multivalent BRD vaccine (Bovilis® Bovipast RSP)
ease, while the remaining 115 completed questions on the and group C vaccinated all year round with the same vaccine.
prevention of calf disease. The antibiotic treatment percentage (TP) was calculated as
Most dairy farmers appeared to be in the action and main- the number of calves of 60kg bodyweight that could theoreti-
tenance stages of change, with about 70% already engaging cally be treated with the amount of antibiotics actually used in
in primary preventative behavior regarding claw or calf health. 2017 to treat BRD in young animals divided by the number of
In addition, dairy farmers viewed preventative behaviors in calves born in 2017. Groups were compared for the number of
general highly favorably and were highly motivated to perform farms that had an antibiotic treatment percentage higher than
primary preventative behaviors. Together, this shows a strong 20 (TP>20).
willingness to engage in primary prevention to promote claw Results: Only 63 (40%) of the 159 ’BRD’ farms had a BRD
and calf health among the target group. Results also indicated vaccination program. Group A, B, and C had respectively 96,
that there are factors which hamper farmers’ ability to consis- 36 and 27 farms. The TP>20 was respectively 84%, 47% and
tently engage in all targeted behaviors. These were, primar- 26% for group A, B and C (p<0.001). The TP>20 was signifi-
ily, the limited importance of unsupported social norms (i.e. cantly different between group A and B (p<0.001) and between
seeing other farmers engage in preventative behaviors and group A and C (p<0.001), but not between group B and C
feeling like performing preventative behaviors is supported by
(p=0.14). The odds to have TP>20 is 83% lower in group B
others), confined available resources (i.e. time, equipment, fa-
compared to group A, and 94% lower in group C compared to
cilities), and low habitualness of the behavior (the extent to
group A (p<0.001).
which a behavior is engrained and performed almost automat-
ically). These are thus important factors to target with tailored Conclusion: This study clearly demonstrates the potential
interventions, since improving upon them is likely to lead to of vaccination with a multivalent inactivated BRD vaccine (Bo-
increased preventative behavior. vilis Bovipast RSP) to reduce the antibiotic use in dairy young
stock. In this study, a strong reduction was seen in the antibi-
Conclusion: We found that participating farmers had
otic treatment percentage of farms using this vaccine, with the
a strong willingness to engage in primary prevention, which
strongest reduction on farms vaccinating all year round.
could be supported by increased the importance of social
norms, available resources, and engraining of preventive be- Keywords: BRD vaccination, reduction antibiotics, dairy
havior. calves.
Keywords: Drivers, constraints, primary prevention, dairy
farmers.

379
SP-06 CAROLINE Cofund scheme, under the Marie Skłodowska-Cu-

rie grant agreement No. 713279.
Color values as a potential tool for the assessment of raw
References:
milk quality and its technological aptitude in cheesemaking
Figueroa et al. (2019). J. Dairy Sci. (Accepted for publica-
Javier Caballero-Villalobos1, Eoin G. Ryan2, José M. Perea3, Elena tion)
Angón3, Orla Keane1, Ana Isabel Garzón Sígler3.
ISO/CIE 11664-4:2019. Colorimetry - Part 4: CIE 1976
Teagasc - Animal & Bioscience Research Department, Dunsany (Co.
1
L*a*b* colour space.
Meath), Republic of Ireland; 2University College Dublin - School of Jiménez Sobrino et al. (2018). Ital. J. Anim. Sci. 17:477–
Veterinary Medicine, Dublin, Republic of Ireland; 3Universidad de 488.
Córdoba - Departamento de Producción Animal, Córdoba, Spain.
Keywords: Dairy cattle, chromaticity, milk quality, coagu-
lation.
Objective: This study aims to determine milk hygienic sta-
tus, composition and coagulation parameters by measuring its
color values in order to assess if colorimetry could be used as
an effective, quick and economical tool to predict in situ quality
of raw bovine milk. SP-07
Material & methods: This study included the analysis of
1045 individual milk samples from 20 dairy farms located in Post-partum cow milk microbiota: effect of dry cow
the Republic of Ireland. Milk samples were collected at similar antimicrobial treatment
moments of lactation from heifers and cows from a of wide Richard Pereira1, Carl Basbas2, Sharif Aly3, Emmanuel Okello3, Betsy
range of parity groups and with different health statuses. Milk Karle1, Erika Ganda4, Terry Lehenbauer3, Noelia Silva-Del-Rio5,
was analyzed using the CIELAB space, which is considered Deniece Williams3, Martin Wiedmann6.
the traditional method for an objective quantification of food
color and has been previously used to evaluate bulk tank milk
1
University of California Davis, Davis, United States; 2University of
(Jiménez Sobrino et al., 2018). This system expresses color California Davis, Davis CA, United States; 3University of California
as 3 values: L* (lightness), a* (red/green value) and b* (blue/ Davis, Davis,CA, United States; 4PennState, University Park, PA,
yellow value) (ISO/CIE 11664-4, 2019). In addition, CIELCh United States; 5University of California Davis, Davis, CA, United
(the cylindrical representation of the CIELAB system) com- States; 6Cornell University, Ithaca,NY, United States.
bines lightness with 2 other additional values to represent
color: C* (chroma or saturation) and h* (hue). The color of Objective: Given the increased scrutiny of antimicrobial
the milk can vary greatly and depends to a large extent on its use in livestock due to potential selection for antimicrobial re-
physical structure, the fat content and the pigmentation due to sistance in bacteria, research on the effects of antimicrobial
the presence of carotenoids and riboflavins. Color values of usage on the mammary gland and milk microbiota is vital. The
milk were measured with a PCE-CSM2 Color Meter (PCE In- goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of dry cow anti-
struments Ltd., Southampton, UK) by placing the lens directly microbial therapy on the udder milk microbiota by comparing
over a capsule containing the milk sample, following the meth- the microbial populations in milk at dry-off (~60 days before
odology used by Figueroa et al. (2019). calving) and post-partum from cows receiving intra-mammary
Results: After statistical analysis, variables that showed antibiotic infusion and cows that did not receive therapy.
a higher discriminant ability were L*, a* and b*. Preliminary Methods: Aseptic composite milk samples were collected
results reveal that color values of milk reflect to a large ex- as part of a selective dry cow therapy trial from 3 commercial
tent variation in milk composition and the efficiency of the dairy farms in California’s Central Valley for the purpose of
coagulation process. Color values seem to show a predictive the current study. Samples were stored at -20ºC. Cows with
ability similar to traditional technologies for quantification of clinical signs of mastitis at enrollment (dry-off) were excluded.
milk quality, such as infrared spectroscopy technologies (for Milk samples from 23 cows from the intra-mammary therapy
determination of milk composition), or the Formagraph lac- (IMT) group receiving either cephapirin benzatine or sodium
todinamograph (for monitoring milk coagulation). However, cloxacillin and 27 cows from the control (CTL) group that did
colorimetry appears to provide lesser information on raw milk not receive any IMM therapy were utilized for our study. All
hygienic quality. cows were sampled at dry-off (DRY) and 4-11 days post-par-
Conclusions: Colorimetry of milk has proved to be a use- tum (FRESH). Whey and fat was separated from milk, and
ful tool to reflect variations in milk quality. This method can DNA was extracted using DNeasy PowerSoil Kit (QIAGEN).
therefore be considered as an effective test to supplement Library preparation and 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the V4
conventional analysis. In addition, further development and hypervariable region was conducted using the Illumina Miseq
implementation of this test as a low-cost portable technology platform.
in farms or dairies would allow better control of raw milk and Results: Initial stepwise discriminant analysis between
contribute to the development of precise product characteriza- IMT and CTL group at DRY and FRESH time points did not
tion (at hygienic, nutritional and technological level). show significant difference in the abundance of the microbial
Acknowledgements: This study has received funding populations at the phyla level. The 4 most common phyla for
from the Irish Research Council and the European Union’s any sample point or therapy group were Firmicutes, Proteo-
Horizon 2020 Research & Innovation programme through the bacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria. Further analysis

380
will evaluate differences in microbiota abundance at different correlation coefficients of the measurements were performed
time points and therapy groups for lower taxonomic ranks. using SPSS® 19.0 package for Windows©.
Richness and Shannon diversity will also be calculated. Results: Fighting bulls can be described as mid-sized
Conclusions: Our initial analysis indicated that IMM dry compared with bovine species with a mean height at withers
cow therapy may have minimal impacts on the microbiota at of 128 ± 7.7 cm with significant differences between the small-
the phylum level. Further analysis of the data will determine if est encastes Vega-Villar (111 ± 3.5) and Navarra (113 ± 6.9)
this trend continues at lower taxonomic ranks. and the biggest Miura (136 ± 6.3) and Pablo Romero (135 ±
Keywords: Dry cow treatment; milk microbiota; antibiotic 2.8). There are significant correlations between the heights at
resistance. withers, loins, rump and tail, with the highest correlation value
between height at rump and height at tail (0.96). The mean
value of body length of Lidia bull (150 ± 10.8) is shorter than
other autochthonous Spanish breeds, with significant differ-
ences between Miura (162 ± 4.4) and Vega-Villar (127 ± 7.7).
Males of Lidia breed presented a harmonic morphostructural
SP-08
model with 59% of their parameters positively correlated. The
Male Lidia cattle morphometric study using photogram- encastes Núñez, Domecq, Gamero Cívico, Albaserrada and
metry technique Santa Coloma (Gracialiano and Buendia lines) presented sim-
ilar morphological characteristics with mean values of heights
Juan Manuel Lomillos Pérez1, Marta Alonso2. and greater exterior length of the horns with a maximum mean
1
CEU Cardenal Herrera, Valencia, Spain; 2Universidad de León, León, value of 72 ± 2.7 cm in the Gamero Cívico animals. These
Spain. encastes shared a common phylogenetic provenance (Vista-
hermosa).
cm Farms were chosen for their genetic purity and their
Objectives: Lidia cattle constitute an autochthonous breed
clearly belonging to an encaste reflected in the racial proto-
whose production has great economic and social importance
type, in which animals were analyzed 17 morphological mea-
in Spain, Portugal, southern France and some Latin American
surements standardized.
countries. In Spain, it is the most numerous autochthonous
bovine breed and the second, in censuses, after the Friesian. Conclusions: The results showed that Lidia males pres-
Although in recent years the knowledge about the different ge- ent smaller dimension than other autochthonous Spanish
netic variety or encastes of Lidia breed has increased substan- breeds with a considerable internal variability of the parame-
tially, still there are only a few morphometric and zoometrical ters evaluated and a high relation between these morphomet-
studies because the difficulty of applying the techniques com- ric measures and the characteristic morphology for each en-
monly used in other cattle breeds. The particular patterns of caste reported in the descriptions of the breed made visually.
behavior called bravura and the extensive rearing conditions Keywords: Lidia cattle, bull, fighting bull.
made impossible the handling and restraining necessary for
the realization of traditional manual measures using standard
zoometric tools such as sticks, non-elastic measuring tape,
compass, goniometers and calipers.
Considering all of the previously mentioned difficulties the SP-09
aim of this study was to carry out a first approach to the mor-
phological characterization of the males of Lidia breed using Using cattle tracing system databases to monitor cattle
a novel technique for zoometric measurements, called photo- production efficiency, unnecessary carbon emissions and
grammetry. financial losses at herd, sector and national level
Materials and Methods: A total of 184 bulls, 4 to 6 years Timothy Geraghty1, Andrew Barnes2, Ian Archibald2, Lesley Wylie2,
old, from 21 herds representatives of the 15 genetic lines Miu- John Berezowski3, Mary Vickers4, Steven Thomson2.
ra, Pablo Romero, Veragua, Murube, Santa Coloma-Buendía,
Santa Coloma-Graciliano, Gamero Cívico, Conde de la Corte, SRUC, Aberdeen, United Kingdom; 2SRUC, Edinburgh, United
1
Atanario-Lisardo, Domecq, Torrestrella, Núñez, Albaserrada, Kingdom; 3SRUC, Inverness, United Kingdom; 4AHDB, Kenilworth,
Vega-Villar and Navarra, were used in this study. Farms were United Kingdom.
chosen for their genetic purity and their clearly belonging to an
encaste reflected in the racial prototype. Objectives: All sectors of the economy are required to
The animals were photographed from a distance between reduce carbon emissions. Methane emissions, primarily from
10 to 15 meters, to minimize the risk for operator and the dis- ruminant enteric fermentation, account for over 50% of agricul-
turbance of the animals, with a three cameras photogram- tural emissions in the UK. Improving livestock production effi-
metric equipment, patented by our research group, adapted ciency reduces carbon output and achieves financial gain and
for both arena and farm conditions. The photographs were is the most cost-effective carbon mitigation strategy available
further processed and transformed into three dimension files to producers. Cattle Tracing Systems (CTS) databases are
with software PhotoModeler Scanner 2010© for Windows©. For a legal requirement in the EU and UK and contain the dates
each bull 20 standardized morphological measurements were of birth, death and movements of all cattle in the state. CTS
obtained following the reviewed literature standars. A descrip- databases have been underutilised for monitoring production
tive statistical analysis, ANOVA and determination of Pearson efficiency. We present a novel method of analysing CTS da-

381
tabases to measure production efficiency of the entire cattle improved between 2015 and 2020, leading to reductions in
population and present results from CTS data from England waste CO2e emissions and financial savings. Efficiency im-
and Scotland over 6 years. provements were not evenly distributed between sectors with
Materials and methods: CTS datasets for Scotland and the beef breeding sector showing no improvement. Produc-
England for the years 2015-2020 were included. Animal-day tion efficiency reduced in 2018 most likely due to an extreme
of life (d) was considered an economic input relating directly weather event demonstrating the further potential of this mod-
to carbon emissions (enteric methane) and cost of production el as a syndromic surveillance tool. The method needs to be
(variable on-farm costs). Slaughter (S) and new calf registra- further improved by measuring performance that is better than
tion (B for the calf born, C for the dam calving) were consid- the optimal model and improving the conversion method to
ered productive output, and death on farm (D) as loss. A com- better quantify resource waste.
prehensive model of optimal efficiency accounting for growth, Keywords: Efficiency, carbon, data, production, statutory.
fertility, slaughter of breeding stock and death on farm was
derived from accepted Key Performance Indicators in terms
of d required prior to or between productive events: birth to
slaughter (B-S=600d, growth); birth to first calf registration
(B-C1=730d, growth); inter-calving interval (Cn-Cn+1=365d,
fertility); final calf registration to slaughter (Cf – S=365d,
slaughter of breeding stock) and prior to death on farm
(B-D=all life up to 600d, death). Actual data was compared
to the optimal model with days meeting threshold considered
productive (required to achieve an economic output) and those
above thresholds as non-productive (leading to no additional
output). Non-productive days were considered as resource
waste and were sub-classified as being due to growth, fertility,
slaughter of breeding stock or death according to the thresh-
old broken. Crude conversion factors of 5.5KgCO2e and £1.50
cost per animal day were used to quantify the associated re-
source waste. A basic hierarchical logical process was used
to categorise herd types within the CTS database into one of
six primary systems: seasonal dairy, non-seasonal dairy, beef
breeder, beef breeder-finisher, beef finisher and grower. Total
productive efficiency was calculated at the herd, sector and
national level as:
Production Day Efficiency PDE%= (∑〖productive animal
days〗)/(∑〖total animal days〗)
Results: The dataset contained 14.9 billion d in total, of
which 11.15 billion (74.9%) were classified as productive. To-
tal d declined from 2.49 billion in 2015 to 2.42 billion in 2020
and PDE% increased from 74.3% in 2015 to 76.4% in 2020
(only 2018 had lower PDE% than the preceding year). Total
non-productive days declined from 642 million in 2015 to 575
million in 2020 (only 2018 had more non-productive days than
the preceding year) equating to reduced waste emissions of
369,000t CO2e and a saving of over £100million.
54.8% of non-productive days were due to slow growth,
21.0% due to death, 20.2% due to sub-fertility and 3.8% due
to late slaughter of breeding cows. Total non-productive days
reduced for all sub-categories over the period, most notably in
growth (12.8% reduction). Non-productive days due to death
increased in 2018 (5.2% higher than in any other year). There
were marked differences in PDE% between sectors and herds
within sectors. Dairy herds showed the greatest improved
PDE% (3.6%) while beef breeding herds had no change in
PDE%.
Discussion: This novel method can derive a compre-
hensive measure of cattle production efficiency from CTS
datasets, track efficiency over time, quantify improvements
in terms of carbon emissions and financial gain, and offer
valuable insight into causes of sub-optimal productivity. Tech-
nical efficiency of the cattle herds in England and Scotland

382
ORAL — Small Ruminants
SR-01 statistically significant. This data suggests that farms without

the reported disease have an average of 85 animals, whereas
Pseudotuberculosis, how to find the enemy hidden inside farms with confirmed disease have an average of 171 animals
doors (p < 0.001). This observation appears to mean that CLA is
Lina Costa1, Belén Huerta2, Ángela Galán-Relaño3, Lídia Gómez- more prevalent in medium to large farms (50 - 200 animals
Gascón3, Anabela Almeida4, Inês Viegas5, Alfonso Maldonado3. and > 200 animals). By performing a herd-level analysis (con-
sidering an infected farm with at least one animal positive for
1
Polytechnique Institute of Portalegre, Portalegre, Portugal; 2(2) the ELISA), of the 82 farms in the study, 66 had at least one
Department of Animal Health - Faculty of Veterinary Medicine - positive animal, leading to a value of 80% (66/82) of affect-
University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain; 3Department of Animal Health ed holdings. The performance of the ELISA test technique
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine - University of Córdoba, Córdoba, (ELITEST CLA # CK105A®) was evaluated by determining the
Spain; 4Vetdiagnos - Veterinary diagnostic laboratory, Cantanhede, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value
Portugal; 5(4) ICAAM - Institute of Mediterranean Agricultural and (NPV). In this analysis, the ELISA test allowed the detection of
Environmental Sciences, Institute of Advanced Research and Training, 57% of subclinical animals, which was confirmed by the post-
University of Évora, Évora, Portugal. mortem examination and conventional PCR assay performed
in pyogranulomatous lesions. In the group of animals in which
Objectives: The actual prevalence of CLA (caseous both tests were performed (PCR and ELISA) (n = 58), 57% of
lymphadenitis) in small ruminant flocks is underestimated in the animals positive for the ELISA test were positive for the
many countries and continues to spread without data and in- PCR assay (13/23), and all the negatives, 100%, in the ELISA
formation about its real economic impact. The difficulty in the test were negative for the PCR assay (35/35).
accurate identification of the causative agent in internal sub- Conclusion: This is the first prevalence study of CL in
clinical cases allows the disease to spread within and between small ruminants carried out in Portugal. This research clarifies
flocks. This research intends to assess the utility of an ELISA an actual problem and pointed out the importance of CLA in
(enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) test in the detection of small ruminant herds in Portugal showing that CLA is a prev-
internal subclinical cases of CLA in farms and to simultaneous- alent disease in small ruminants, with 34% seroprevalence.
ly add data on the seroprevalence of the disease in Portugal. Finally seems to demonstrate that the ELISA test is a good
Materials & Methods: In this research, we selected a field diagnostic tool for use in CLA eradication programmes, as can
population of 82 flocks of small ruminants (55 sheep and 27 detect a valid proportion of subclinically infected animals.
goat flocks).The procedure was carried out on the farm and Keywords: Caseous lymphadenitis, ELISA, Portugal, se-
in a regional slaughterhouse in the province of Alentejo in roprevalence, small ruminants.
southern Portugal. Sera randomly collected from 756 small ru-
minants (approximately 10 samples per holding), 70% sheep
(528/756) and 30% goats (228/756) were screened for anti-
bodies against Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis using
the ELISA technique based on a recombinant phospholipase SR-02
D (ELITEST CLA # CK105A®). The animals showing internal
lesions (n = 58) were sampled and a conventional PCR as- Prevalence of visceral Caseous Lymphadenitis (CLA) in
say was made for the identification of C. pseudotuberculosis sheep herds of Aragón, Spain
in pyogranulomatous lesions and for the cross-sectional study
to assess the performance of the ELISA test. The ELISA as- Héctor Ruiz1, Asier Albite1, Cristina Baselga2, Luis Figueras3, Amaia
say results were subjected to frequency analysis (prevalence Torre1, Delia Lacasta1.
of the disease). The same method was applied to the data 1
Facultad Veterinaria de la Universidad de Zaragoza, c/ Miguel Servet
regarding the species, productive aptitude, production regime, 177, 50013, Zaragoza, Spain; 2Exopol S.L., Pol. Río Gállego D8, San
and dimension (size) of the herd. The performance of the ELI- Mateo de Gállego, Spain; 3Gabinete Técnico Veterinario S.L., Zaragoza,
SA test was evaluated by association tests, namely, χ2 (Chi- Spain.
square – Fischer’s Exact Test) with a 95% confidence interval.
The statistical analysis was performed with SPSS (Statistical
Package for Social Sciences) 22. Objectives: Caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) is an infec-
tious-contagious pathology caused by Corynebacterium
Results: In this investigation, we found a prevalence of
pseudotuberculosis biovar ovis which appears frequently in
CLA of 34% (258/756), with the ELISA test showing a low
herds. When this agent affects small ruminants, it can devel-
specificity, 78% (35/45) and high sensitivity, 100% (13/13).
op a visceral clinical form that mostly affects adult animals, or
The descriptive analysis of the results suggests that the pro-
a superficial clinical form, which appears more frequently in
portion of disease higher in goats (χ2 (1, N = 756) = 30.773,
young animals. However, its subclinical appearance, especial-
p < 0.01). Regarding productive aptitude, dairy farms appear
ly of the visceral form, makes it difficult to diagnose it in clinical
to be more susceptible to CLA (χ2 (1, N = 756) = 17.458, p
practice.
< 0.01); the same propensity appears to exist regarding the
production regime, with the farms in the non-extensive regime Thus, although this pathology is widespread, many times
(intensive and semi-extensive, approximately 6% of the total reminds underdiagnosed and is not easily identified as a
sample) showing an increased propensity for the disease (χ2 cause of loss of productivity in the sheep flocks.
(2, N = 756) = 22.561, p < 0.01). When the results of the ELISA The main objective of the present survey was to study the
are analyzed regarding the size of the farm, the data are also relevance of Caseous Lymphadenitis as a cause of early cull-

383
ingin sheep herds of Aragón region, Spain, and to analyze the early culling in sheep in Aragón region. The visceral form was
main clinical presentations of the disease. the most frequently found, this being of great importance due
Material and methods: The Ruminant Clinical Service to the difficulty of the clinical diagnosis of this presentation of
(SCRUM) of the Veterinary Faculty of Zaragoza, Spain, re- the disease, which leads to the disease being frequently un-
ceives animals from the Faculty´s area of influence which can derdiagnosed.
be culling animals belonging to collaborating farms or clinical Keywords: Caseous Lymphadenitis, sheep, visceral,
cases referred by veterinarians. In the present survey, 483 prevalence.
culling animals received during the years 2017, 2018 and
2019 were analyzed.
All the received animals were subjected to the same proto-
col. After arrival, a rigorous clinical examination was performed
and blood samples were taken to carry out a blood count test. SR-03
Subsequently, depending on the preliminary diagnoses, nec-
essary ancillary tests, such as ultrasonography, thermography Evaluation of the effect of a topical wound anaesthesia
or computed tomography, were carried out. Finally, all the an- formulation on concentration of serum amyloid A in lambs
imals were humanely sacrificed to conclude with the patho- where the tail was excised surgically
logical examination. Then samples of lesions and affected Marta Borobia1, Aurora Ortín2, Maria Teresa Tejedor1, Marta Ruiz
organs were taken for microbiological, biomolecular and his- De Arcaute2, Luis Miguel Ferrer2, Delia Lacasta2, Héctor Ruíz1, Peter
topathological analysis. The isolation of the causative agent Andrew Windsor3.
was carried out in the laboratories: EXOPOL diagnóstico y
autovacunas S.L. and in the Agroalimentary Laboratory of the
1
Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain;
Government of Aragón and histopathology was performed at
2
Facultad de Veterinaria. Instituto IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza-
the Pathological Clinical Service of the Veterinary Faculty of CITA), Zaragoza, Spain; 3Faculty of Veterinary Science. University of
Zaragoza. Sydney, Sidney, Australia.
The animals included in the present study as positives to
CLA were those diagnosed observing compatible lesions at Objectives: Tail-docking is a routine global husbandry pro-
necropsy and subsequently with etiological confirmation. cedure conducted in lambs to reduce myiasis risk and improve
Finally, all the data were recorded in computer programs, fertility. It is often performed without pain relief, although use
such as MIcrosoft Office Excel 2010 and IBM Statistics Base of general anaesthesia has been advocated, at an exorbitant
22.0, which allowed the statistical study of that data. cost to farmers. There is an urgent need to find a practical
Results: The results show that 31.06% of the animals an- and affordable approach acceptable to farmers that avoids or
alysed showed CLA lesions (150/483) that were subsequently markedly reduces animal suffering. This study evaluated the
confirmed by C. pseudotuberculosis isolation. effect of a topical anaesthetic ‘spray-on’ wound management
formulation containing the local anaesthetics lignocaine and
Attending to the clinical form of presentation, 74.67% of the bupivacaine, plus cetramide and adrenalin, in a gel matrix (Tri-
animals suffered the visceral clinical form, while only 21.33% Solfen®, Bayer Animal Health, Gordon, NSW, Australia). Im-
were affected by the superficial form of the disease. The re- pacts of treatments on concentration of the major acute phase
maining 4.00% of the animals showed both clinical presen-
protein serum amyloid A (SAA) in lambs, where the tail was
tations simultaneously. That result was expected due to the
excised surgically, with and without use of general anaesthe-
average age of the studied animals that was 5.90 ±1.73 years.
sia, are reported.
However, the most relevant data of this study was that ob-
Material & Methods: This study was approved by the
tained from the analysis of CLA as cause of early culling in
Ethical Commission of the University of Zaragoza. Forty-four
sheep. Eighty-two animals out of the 150 animals diagnosed
45-day-old Rasa Aragonesa female lambs with similar weights
with CLA (54.67%) presented this pathology as the sole cause
in a farm in Zaragoza (Spain) were recruited for this study and
of culling, which could justify the loss of productivity. Moreover,
divided into 4 equal cohorts (n=11): in Group A the tail was
when these 82 animals were analyzed regarding the 483 cull-
excised using a scalpel without using anaesthesia or any addi-
ing studied sheep, it was showed that 16.98% of the culling
tional treatment; in Group B the tail was surgically excised un-
animals were discarded by this pathology as the sole cause
der general anaesthesia; in Group C the tail was removed with
of culling, demonstrating the importance of this disease as a
a scalpel without prior anaesthesia and treated immediately
cause of culling in sheep herds. The visceral clinical form was
with Tri-Solfen®; in Group D the tail was surgically excised un-
the main presentation of the disease, accounting 14.70% of
der general anaesthesia and treatment with Tri-Solfen® applied
the total, while the superficial clinical form was only de 2.18%.
before suturing of peri-wound skin to close the wound. Blood
Regarding the visceral clinical form, the primary location samples were collected (and sera were obtained and stored
was that related to the respiratory system, with affection of meat -20 ºC until analysed) prior to tail docking (T1), and at 5hr
diastinic lymphnode, lungs or both simultaneously. Likewise, (T2) and 48hr (T3) intervals, plus 7 days later (T4). The con-
the concurrent affection of several organs, such as liver-lung centration of SAA was assessed using a solid phase sandwich
liver-kidney, or other variants appeared in a significant number ELISA kit (PHASE TM Serum Amyloid A Assay, Tridelta Devel-
of animals. opment Ltd., Maynooth, Ireland). Before statistical analysis, a
Conclusions: It can be concluded that caseous lymphad- logarithmic transformation (10log) was used to normalize SAA
enitis is a relevant diseaseproducing loss of productivity and concentration. Statistical analysis were performed using IBM

384
SPSS statistics version 26 (2019) software (IBM, Armonk, NY, effect of a topical anaesthetic ‘spray-on’ wound management
USA). For each procedure (with or without anaesthesia), a formulation containing the local anaesthetics lignocaine and
two-way mixed ANOVA was run to understand the effects of bupivacaine, plus cetramide and adrenalin, in a gel matrix (Tri-
treatment (with or without Tri-Solfen®) and time (T1 to T4) on Solfen®, Bayer Animal Health, Gordon, NSW, Australia). Im-
SAA concentration. pacts of treatments on serum cortisol concentrations in lambs,
Results: In cohorts tail-docked under general anaesthe- where the tail was excised surgically, with and without use of
sia (B & D), SAA concentrations increased from T1 to T2, general anaesthesia, are reported.
achieving maximum values at T3 and decreasing by T4, with Material & Methods: This study was approved by the
T3 significantly higher (p<0.01) than at T1, T2 and T4. These Ethical Commission of the University of Zaragoza. Forty-four
findings are consistent with previously reported significant el- 45-day-old Rasa Aragonesa female lambs with similar weights
evations of SAA 48 hours after a noxious stimulus. The cohort in a farm in Zaragoza (Spain) were recruited for this study and
tail-docked with Tri-Solfen® (D) had consistently lower SAA divided into 4 equal cohorts (n=11): in Group A the tail was
levels than the cohort without this wound treatment (B), al- excised using a scalpel without using anaesthesia or any addi-
though statistically significant differences were not determined tional treatment; in Group B the tail was surgically excised un-
between these cohorts (p=0.604). In cohorts tail-docked with- der general anaesthesia; in Group C the tail was removed with
out general anaesthesia (A & C), SAA concentrations of the a scalpel without prior anaesthesia and treated immediately
untreated group (A) displayed similar trends to Groups B and with Tri-Solfen®; in Group D the tail was surgically excised
D. However, the SAA concentrations in the Tri-Solfen® treated under general anaesthesia and treatment with Tri-Solfen® ap-
group (C) failed to achieve the maximum concentrations at T3 plied before suturing of peri-wound skin to close the wound.
and were similar to T1 and T2, decreasing by T4. These re- Blood samples were collected prior to tail docking (T0), and at
sults appear to indicate that treatment with Tri-Solfen® avoided 30 min (T1), 5hr (T2) and 48hr (T3) intervals post-tail excision,
the elevation of SAA concentrations that is expected 48 hours and sera were obtained and stored at -20 ºC until analysed.
after the surgery. Although statistically significant differences Serum cortisol concentrations were determined using a com-
were not detected between lambs treated and non-treated petitive ELISA assay (Salivary Cortisol ELISA SLV-2930, DRG
with Tri-Solfen® (p=0.913), this is considered most likely due Diagnostics, Marburg, Germany). A logarithmic transformation
to insufficient sample size of each cohort. (10log) was used to normalize serum cortisol concentration
Conclusions: These results and clinical evidence of pain before statistical analysis, which were performed using IBM
relief presented elsewhere, are encouraging, suggesting that SPSS statistics version 26 (2019) software (IBM, Armonk, NY,
surgical tail-docking without general anaesthesia but wounds USA). For each procedure (with or without use of general an-
are immediately sprayed with Tri-Solfen®, is an affordable and aesthesia), a two-way mixed ANOVA was run to understand
efficacious method of conducting the procedure, although use the effects of treatment (with or without Tri-Solfen®) and time
of larger sample sizes for SAA estimates is recommended to (T0 to T3) on serum cortisol concentration.
confirm these findings. Results: In cohorts tail-docked under general anaesthesia
Keywords: Lambs, tail-docking, welfare, topical anaes- (B & D), serum cortisol concentration did not change signifi-
thesia, serum amyloid A. cantly over time (p=0.250). Moreover, serum cortisol concen-
tration did not differ significantly between the cohort treated
(D) or not treated with Tri-Solfen® (B) (p=0.919). In cohorts
tail-docked without general anaesthesia (A & C), serum cor-
tisol concentrations peaked at 30 min post tail removing and
SR-04 decreased thereafter, being T1 value significantly higher than
T0, T2 and T3 values (p<0.001). However, in the Tri-Solfen®
Effect of a topical wound anaesthesia formulation on the treated group (C) serum cortisol concentrations at T1 and T2
cortisol responses of lambs undergoing tail docking were lower than in the untreated group (A), although statis-
Aurora Ortín1, Juan José Ramos1, Marta Borobia2, María Teresa tically significant differences were no detected between the
Tejedor2, Enrique Castells3, María Pérez2, Hector Ruiz2, Peter Andrew groups (p=0.162).These results seem to indicate that treat-
Windsor4. ment with Tri-Solfen® reduced the cortisol response elicited
after the surgery without general anaesthesia. Low statis-
1
Facultad de Veterinaria. Instituto IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza- tical power due to small sample size could have prevented
CITA), Zaragoza, Spain; 2Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad de from finding significant differences between A and C cohorts.
Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain; 3Centro Clínico Veterinario, Zaragoza, The elevated cortisol response in lambs tail-docked without
Spain; 4Faculty of Veterinary Sciences. University of Sidney, Sidney, general anaesthesia likely reflects a combination of factors,
Australia. including the effect of handling, restrain and potentially haem-
orrhage, in addition to pain.
Objectives: Tail-docking is a routine global husbandry Conclusions: These results, and clinical evidence of pain
procedure conducted in lambs to reduce myiasis risk and im- relief presented elsewhere, are encouraging, suggesting that
prove fertility. It is often performed without pain relief, although surgical tail-docking without general anaesthesia but where
use of general anaesthesia has been advocated, at an exorbi- wounds are immediately sprayed with Tri-Solfen®, is an af-
tant cost to farmers. There is an urgent need to find a practical fordable and efficacious method of conducting the procedure,
and affordable approach acceptable to farmers that avoids or although use of larger sample sizes for serum cortisol esti-
markedly reduces animal suffering. This study evaluated the mates is recommended to confirm these findings.

385
Keywords: Lambs, tail-docking, welfare, topical anaes- sociation of fat and muscle reserves and mobilization parame-
thesia, cortisol. ters with BHB and NEFA status.
Results: Δ_BFT and TOTAL_T(-15d) were significant pre-
dictors of BHB status (R2=0.272). Ewes with a BFT loss had
6.7 times (P<0.001) increased probability to have serum BHB
>0.8 mmol/L; probability increased quadratically as Δ_BFT
SR-05 increased (R2=0.486; P<0.001). Moreover, ewes with TO-
TAL_T(-15d) ≤25.6 mm, which corresponds to an average BCS
Predicting energy balance in pre-partum dairy ewes by of 2.25-2.50, had 5.3 times (P<0.001) increased probability to
ultrasound measurements of backfat and longissimus dorsi have serum BHB >0.8 mmol/L; probability decreased quad-
thickness ratically as TOTAL_T(-15d) increased (R2=0.425; P<0.001).
Sofia-Afroditi Termatzidou1, Nektarios Siachos1, Georgios Δ_BFT and BFT(-30d) were significant predictors of NEFA
Valergakis1, Zoe Polizopoulou2, Danai Sklaveniti1, Georgios Bramis1, status (R2=0.316). Ewes with Δ_BFT >0.65 mm had 3.2 times
Georgios Arsenos1. (P=0.002) increased probability to have serum NEFA >0.3
mmol/L; probability increased linearly as Δ_BFT increased
1
Laboratory of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, (R2=0.441; P<0.001). Moreover, ewes with BFT(-30d) >6.86
School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece; mm, which corresponds to an average BCS of 2.75-3.00, had
2
Companion Animal Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, School of 6.7 times (P<0.001) increased probability to have serum NEFA
Health Sciences, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece. >0.3 mmol/L; probability increased quadratically as BFT(-30d)
increased (R2=0.915; P<0.001).
Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate Conclusion: Ultrasound measurements of BFT and LDT
the association of ultrasound measurements of backfat thick- during the last month of gestation can predict quite accurately
ness (BFT) and longissimus dorsi muscle thickness (LDT) with the energy status of dairy ewes. As expected, ewes that start
energy balance in pre-partum dairy ewes. The aim is to iden- losing fat a month before lambing and with a poor BCS at -15d
tify practical, on-field applicable and non-invasive methods to are at higher risk to enter in negative energy balance. More-
assess energy status. over, ewes with a high BCS during the last month of gestation
Material and methods: The study was conducted in four are at greater risk of mobilizing fat reserves pre-partum. Ultra-
commercial dairy sheep flocks, each keeping one of the four sonography, a non-invasive technique, appears useful in mon-
main breeds reared in Greece. Fifty purebred ewes were itoring energy balance during the critical pre-partum period.
pre-selected from each flock, based on ultrasound pregnan- Keywords: Energy balance, dairy sheep, ultrasound.
cy diagnosis at day 60 after ram introduction; a total of 177
ewes (Chios, n=46; Frizarta, n=40; Lacaune, n=42 and Assaf,
n=49), 3 to 5 years old, that remained pregnant and clinically
healthy until lambing, were enrolled in the analysis. Body con-
dition score (BCS) was assessed by palpation in the lumbar SR-07
region and ultrasound measurements of BFT and LDT thick-
ness were performed using a 5-MHz linear transducer, both Q fever in sheep: Long-term control of infection by
at -30 days (-30d) and -15 days (-15d) prepartum. The probe vaccination of gimmers
was placed perpendicular to the vertebral column between the
transverse processes of the 3rd and 4th lumbar vertebrae. Each Benjamin Bauer1, Britta Janowetz2, Vanessa Turowski2, Christina
time, three measurements were performed and the mean val- Ambros2, Michaela Alex2, Sabine Roth3, Ursula Domes2, Jens
ue (in mm) was calculated. The sum of BFT and LDT (TO- Böttcher2.
TAL_T), the LDT: BFT ratio (RATIO_T) on each timepoint and 1
now University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, Foundation, Clinic
the difference in BFT (Δ_BFT) and LDT (Δ_LDT) between the for Swine and Small Ruminants, Hanover, Germany; 2Bavarian
two measurements (-30d minus -15d) were also calculated. A Animal Health Service, Poing, Germany; 3State Veterinary Office,
blood sample was collected at -15d from each ewe and serum Karlstadt, Germany.
was separated within 2h of collection by centrifugation (15 min
× 2500g) and stored at -20oC until analysis. Beta- Hydroxybu-
tyrate (BHB) and non esterified fatty acids (NEFA) were meas- Introduction: Small ruminants are regarded as a ma-
ured with an automated chemistry analyzer (Vitalab flexor E., jor source of human infection with Coxiella burnetii (Cb). In
Vital Scientific N.V., Netherlands), using commercially availa- summer 2012 a Q fever outbreak was observed in a sheep
ble kits (BHB: Ben biochem. enterprise, Milano, Italy; NEFA: flock with 800 adult ewes. End of 2012 we got involved in this
Randox Laboratories Limited, UK). Negative energy balance case in order to implement a control program. At that time,
status was defined as serum BHB >0.8 mmol/L or NEFA >0.3 we assumed that most of the sheep were already infected or
mmol/L and treated as a binary variable. The receiver operat- immune. Yearly primary vaccination of gimmers (replacement
ing characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to define thresh- ewes) with Coxevac™ (Ceva Santé Animale) has been intro-
olds for fat and muscle reserves and mobilization parameters duced as a long-term measure. The vaccine is not licensed
to predict elevated BHB or NEFA status. All variables with a for sheep; therefore, a monitoring of vaccination was imple-
significant area under the ROC curve were then entered in a mented. This case-report describes the long-term effect of a
binary logistic regression as categorical variables (using the primary vaccination of gimmers until 2020.
thresholds obtained from the ROC curves) to assess the as- Methods: Gimmers were vaccinated twice three weeks

386
apart (primary vaccination), no further revaccination was per- was even detected until 2017, it did not result in shedding at
formed. parturition. Vaccination preferentially boostered an existing
The following groups were ear-tagged for control purpos- immunity, because gimmers born since 2015 showed only a
es, animals were randomly selected: weak immune response after vaccination. However, despite
this weak immune response these animals showed a strong
1. 20-30 vaccinated gimmers each year (VG13, 14, 15
immune response after a single revaccination even three
etc.),
years after primary vaccination. Consequently, primary vac-
2. As a positive control 30 ewes were vaccinated in 2013 cination of gimmers is a cost-efficient long-term measure to
(VE13). control C. burnetii in sheep. We do not know if it protects from
3. Each year 30 unvaccinated gimmers were selected infection, however, at least in case of urgency revaccination
into a group of sentinels (S). Additionally, gimmers be- of such a sheep flock would rapidly increase the herd-level
fore first vaccination were included. After seroconver- immunity.
sion animals were removed from the group. Acknowledgements: This study was financially support-
Direct pathogen monitoring was performed by PCR-testing ed by the Free State of Bavaria and the Bavarian Joint Found-
of vaginal swabs collected hours after parturition and nasal ing Scheme for the Control and Eradication of contagious
swabs. Indirect monitoring was based on blood samples from Livestock Diseases.
sentinels which were tested for seroconversion. References:
The immune response (PhI/PhII-antibodies, IFN-γ-Recall Böttcher, J. et al. (2013) Berl Münch Tierärztl Wochenschr
Assay (RA)) was assessed before and after primary vacci- 126, 427-435.
nation. The ratio of titers (PhI, PhII) or IFN-γ-reactivity was
Böttcher, J. et al. (2017) J Vet Med Res 4(9):1106.
assessed as n-fold (nx) increase. Quantitative PCR, PhI- and
PhII-antibody tests and IFN-γ-RA were performed as previous- Keywords: Coxiella, vaccination, sheep, immunity.
ly described (Böttcher et al., 2013; Boettcher et al., 2017).
Animals which had been primary vaccinated in 2013 (n=6
i.e. VG13 and VE13), 2014 (n=3), 2015 (n=10), 2016 (n=11)
and 2017 (n=10) were once revaccinated in 2018 and the im-
mune response was assessed before and 3 weeks after re- SR-08
vaccination.
Influence of housing and management on claw health of
Data were analysed by MedCalc Statistical Software ver- Swiss dairy goats
sion 19.1.3 (MedCalc Software bv, Ostend, Belgium; https://
www.medcalc.org; 2019). Groups were compared by Kruskal- Sailer Lisa-Marie1, Joan-Bryce Burla1, Patrik Zanolari2, Katharina
Wallis-test. Friedli1.
Results: From November 2012 until February 2014 the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO), Centre for Proper
1
rate of positive vaginal and nasal swabs was 78/268 and Housing of Ruminants and Pigs, Tänikon, Switzerland; 2Clinic for
67/263, respectively. The mean pathogen load in positive Ruminants, Vetsuisse Faculty University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
samples was 102,6 and 101,6 Cb per vaginal and nasal swab,
respectively. Thereafter swabs were tested negative, the num-
bers of analysed vaginal/nasal swabs per year were: 2014: Objectives: Dairy goats are commonly housed on deep
69/62, 2015: 68/39, 2016: 105/42, 2017: 158/40, 2018: 86/40, bedding without continuous access to a hard ground, at least
2019: 49/- and 2020(Jan): 97/-. during winter periods. Due to the lack of claw horn wear on
abrasive surfaces, goats have a high prevalence of overgrown
Percentages of annual seroconversion (PhII-titer >100) in
wall horn, even if trimmed several times a year (Hill et al.,1997;
sentinels were: 2013:16.8% (n=95); 2014: 25% (n=52); 2015:
Kofler, 2016). Overgrown wall horn can result in claw lesions
5,6% (n=53); 2016: 1,3% (n=76); 2017: 2,6% (n=77); 2018:
and lameness, impaired locomotion behavior and welfare, as
0% (n=105) and 2019: 0% (n=95).
well as reduced milk yield (Christodoulopoulos, 2009). How-
Groups VE13 and VG13 responded well after vaccination. ever, only scarce literature is available on the characteristics
E.g., VG13 showed an n-fold increase of PhI-, PhII-titers and and health of goat claws. Moreover, in contrast to dairy cows,
IFN-γ-reactivity of 116x, 168x and 6x, respectively. In contrast, claw trimming in goats is less organized and little is known
gimmers born after shedding had ceased (VG15-19) showed about the quality of claw trimming on Swiss farms. The aim of
only weak immune responses after vaccination. The n-fold this study was to obtain greater knowledge on the characteris-
increase of PhI-, PhII-titers and IFN-γ-reactivity e.g. in VG16 tics and health of goat claws, and on the influence of the over
was only 1x, 2,5x, 2,7x, respectively. grown wall horn on the goats locomotion behavior.
Available animals in groups VE13, VG13-17 were revac- Material & Methods: Data was collected on 28 dairy goat
cinated once in 2018. In all groups a similar strong n-fold in- farms all over Switzerland during two identical farm visits in
crease of PhI-, PhII-titers and IFN-γ-reactivity was observed autumn 2018 and spring 2019. During each visit, the same
after revaccination (e.g., VG16: PhI-titer (11x), PhII-titer (38x) veterinarian recorded claw condition (claw length, claw width,
IFN-γ (33x - in this case IFN-γ was determined as pg/ml). overgrown claw horn, abnormal claw forms) and claw lesions
Conclusions: Two years after an outbreak C. burnetii (e.g. toe ulcer, foreign body, white line lesion) of 12 randomly
was still detected in vaginal and nasal swabs, however, path- selected goats during routine claw trimming. All findings have
ogen load was very low. Although seroconversion in sentinels been documented for each animal on a “claw card”. In case of

387
a suspicion for an infectious claw disease (particularly Dich- of morbidity and mortality in lambs with high prevalence and
elobacter nodosus or Treponema spp.), swab samples were economic consequences (González, 2018). Pneumonia in
taken for further examination. Locomotion activity of the 12 sheep is a disease complex involving interactions between
goats was recorded over a period of three days, once just be- host factors (immunological and physiological conditions) and
fore and once two weeks after the claw trimming. Additionally, different infectious agents (viruses, bacteria and mycoplas-
the farmers completed a questionnaire on housing conditions mas). Mannheimia haemolytica is a key bacterium that causes
and management practices on their farms in order to identify lung damage whilst viruses and mycoplasmas are considered
potential risk factors that may contribute to claw problems. predisposing agents for the disease. Indeed, M. haemolytica
Results: Preliminary, descriptive results (final results causes serious outbreaks of acute pneumonia in neonatal,
available by summer): In total 336 goats were included in the weaned and growing lambs, as well as calves and goat kids
study. In spring and autumn all goats showed at least two (Ackermann and Borgden, 2000). Very young lambs are often
feet with overgrown claw horn. 0,72% of the examined claws affected, with very short time to protect them through active
showed no overgrown claw horn, 58.31% showed moderate immunization (Lacasta et al, 2008).
overgrown claw horn and 40.97% showed sever overgrown Inactivated vaccines based on the iron regulated proteins
claw horn. The severity of overgrowth was greater in spring (IRP) of M. haemolytica have been shown to induce a pro-
than in autumn. Animals that had been grazing in alpine re- tective immune response (over 80%) from 6 weeks after the
gions during the summer time, showed less overgrown claw first dose of primary vaccination (Lacasta et al., 2008), and
horn. Claws with sever overgrown claw horn showed more offer cross-protection to serotypes not included in the vaccine
hematomas than the ones with moderate and no overgrown (Gilmour et al, 1991). The concept of prenatal vaccination to
claw horn. Suspicious infected claws were checked for Diche- increase maternal immunity in newborn lambs during the first
lobacter nodosus and Treponema sp. with interdigital swabs, weeks of life is currently accepted for the prevention of neo-
all were tested negative. natal diarrhea; however, for ORC, very limited information is
Conclusions: Claw health, different trimming regimes, the available.
influence of overgrown wall horn on claw lesions, the goats Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the ti-
locomotion activity, and potential risk factors for overgrown ters of specific antibodies against M. haemolytica in the colos-
wall horn were evaluated and compared between autumn trum of vaccinated dams and their passive transfer in lambs.
and spring. Final results from this study will provide important Materials & Methods: A blinded and randomized study
information for dairy goat farmers, contribute to prevent claw was performed in a Spanish dairy sheep farm with 4,300 La-
problems, and thus promote goat welfare. caune sheep. Two hundred pregnant ewes were randomly
References: allocated to one of two experimental groups: Vaccinated (Ovi-
1. G. Christodoulopoulos. Foot lameness in dairy goats. lis® Ovipast, MSD Animal Health) and Negative Control (PBS
Research in Veterinary Science (2009) 86, 281-284. administration). The first 59 lambing ewes were followed (31
control and 28 vaccinated) with a collection of serum and co-
2. N. P. Hill, P. E. Murphy, A. J. Nelson, N. Mouttotou, L. lostrum samples within 6 hours after lambing. At least 200ml
E. Green, K. L. Morgan. Lameness and foot lesions of colostrum was collected to feed the lambs with a nasopha-
in adult British dairy goats. Veterinary Record (1997) ryngeal tube within 6h after birth, followed by a second admin-
141, 412-416. istration of the same amount 6–12h after birth. Subsequently,
3. J. Kofler. Klauenpflege bei Schaf und Ziege. Klauen- a sample of lamb`s serum was collected at 24-48 hours of life
tierpraxis (2016) 24, 61-68. and at the age of 4-5 weeks (just before weaning).
Keywords: Goats, claw health, housing, locomotion activ- To monitor the immune response, the titer of specific an-
ity, animal welfare. tibodies against M. haemolytica was quantified in the serum
and colostrum samples at the Centre for Diagnostic Services
in Boxmeer (MSD Animal Health, NL) using an in-house ELI-
SA test for M.haemolytica IgG. Additionally, colostrum quality
and passive transfer in lambs were monitored with a Brix re-
SR-09 fractometer.
A non-parametric means comparison test was used (Wil-
Vaccinating pregnant ewes with an iron regulated protein coxon and Kruskal-Wallis test) to compare the antibody titers
(IRP) vaccine could be a suitable strategy to control ovine between experimental groups (vaccinated versus control) in
respiratory complex both colostrum and serum with p=0.05.
J Gutiérrez1, F Hernández2, A Tirado2, Jl Blasco1, G Vertenten3, L Results: At lambing, the M. haemolytica antibody levels
Fraile4, L Elvira1. in vaccinated ewe’s serum were significantly increased ver-
sus the control group (p<0.0001). Although no significant dif-
1
MSD Animal Health, Salamanca, Spain; 2Cerromonte Farm SL, Ávila,
ference in brix-measured colostrum quality was found among
Spain; 3MSD Animal Health, Boxmeer, Netherlands; 4Department of
groups (p>0.05), the specific level of M. haemolytica antibod-
Animal Science, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain.
ies in the colostrum significantly increased in the vaccinated
group versus the control one (p<0.0001). Moreover, the level
Objectives: Ovine Respiratory Complex (ORC) is the of antibodies present in the colostrum was corelated with the
leading cause of death in all types of sheep farms, times of titer in the ewe’s serum suggesting a transfer of serum anti-
the year, regions, and breeds. It is one of the main causes bodies to colostrum.

388
Finally, no significant differences were observed in degree Objectives: The objective was to study the presence of
of passive transfer between the lambs of the two groups (born potential pathogens in samples from reindeer in Sweden with
to vaccinated versus control ewes) as measured with Brix re- and without clinical signs of IKC and examine which possible
fractometer in lamb serum at 24-48 hours of life (p>0.05). This secondary bacterial ocular infections followed the suspected
result suggests that the passive antibody transfer was simi- primary pathogens CvHV2 and Chlamydiaceae.
lar between experimental groups. The serum of lambs from Materials and Methods: Herds (n=37) with ongoing out-
vaccinated dams had significantly higher level of antibodies breaks of IKC in Swedish reindeer 2019-2021 were selected
against M. haemolytica than control ones (p<0.0001). More- for participation in the study. A referral form was developed
over, at weaning this difference was still significant (p<0.001) and implemented to gather information on clinical signs from
and showing a correlation with the initial level of antibodies affected reindeer. Conjunctival eye swabs (eSwab, Italy) were
in the lambs (p<0.0001). An interesting point to emphasize is collected from reindeer with (n=170) and without (n=30) clin-
the correlation between the Mannheimia antibody titers at dam ical signs of IKC, sent to the National Veterinary Institute in
level (serum at lambing and colostrum) and lamb level (serum Sweden (SVA), and analyzed for the presence of CvHV2 and
after colostrum intake and at weaning). Chlamydiaceae with real-time PCR. In addition, routine gener-
Conclusion: Vaccination of pregnant ewes with an iron al aerobic bacteriological culturing was performed. No specific
regulated protein (IRP) vaccine (Ovilis® Ovipast) is a suitable ethical permission was needed since the animals were sam-
strategy to provide maternally derived immunity as an aid to pled as part of routine veterinary investigations for medical
control ovine respiratory complex in young lambs. reasons prior to treatment and for clinical evaluation and with
Keywords: Ewes, ovine respiratory complex, pneumonia, the approval of the owners.
vaccination, lambs. Results: The preliminary results revealed a proportion
of 24.3% for CvHV2 (45/185) and 33.5% for Chlamydiaceae
(59/176). Only 4.6% (8/174) of the samples tested positive
for both CvHV2 and Chlamydiaceae simultaneously, whereas
50.0% (87/174) of the samples tested negative for CvHV2 and
SR-10 Chlamydiaceae.
Bacterial cultivation from 186 samples revealed bacterial
Microbial agents associated with infectious growth in 91.9% (171/186) with no specific infection in 43.0%
keratoconjunctivitis in Swedish reindeer (80/186) of the samples. The most frequent isolated bacteria
Karin Wallin Philippot1, Lena Ström2, Julia Bonevik2, Jenny Frössling3, were Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus
Charlotte Berg4, Jonas Johansson Wensman3, Anna Omazic5, Ylva cultivated in 11.8% (22/186) and 11.3% (21/186) of the sam-
Persson3. ples, respectively. Moraxella spp. and Klebsiella pneumonia
were revealed in 8.6% (16/186) and 8.1% (15/186) of the
1
National Veterinary Institute and SLU, Department of Clinical samples. Mixed flora was revealed in 81.7% of the samples
Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden; 2Swedish University of Agricultural (152/186). Data are to be investigated with regards to bacterial
Sciences, Department of Clinical Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden; 3National growth in reindeer with and without clinical signs.
Veterinary Institute and SLU, Uppsala, Sweden; 4Swedish University of In reindeer with clinical signs of IKC (n=170), there was an
Agricultural Sciences, Skara, Sweden; 5National Veterinary Institute, association between the presence of Pseudomonas aerugino-
Uppsala, Sweden. sa and CvHV2, compared to Chlamydiaceae. On the contrary,
Klebsiella pneumoniae and Moraxella bovoculi were associat-
Background: Infectious keratoconjunctivitis (IKC) is a ed with the presence of Chlamydiaceae and not CvHV2. Final-
multi-factorial, transmissible and severe ocular disease that ly, Staphylococcus aureus was more common in samples that
affects ruminants worldwide. The disease in semi-domesticat- tested positive for Chlamydiaceae than for CvHV2 and among
ed Eurasian reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) was first samples tested negative for both CvHV2 and Chlamydiaceae.
reported for more than 100 years ago. Both isolated cases The most common signs among infected reindeer, reported in
and outbreaks occur, mainly during the colder period of the 31% of the herds, were epiphora (clear eye flow), leading to a
year, and primarily affecting calves and yearlings. Intensified wet cheek, followed by shedding of pus and red mucosa/con-
herding interventions (increased handling, transport, and sup- junctivitis, reported in 21% and 15% of the herds, respectively.
plementary feeding of reindeer), raising the stress level of the Data will be complemented prior to the conference and only
animals, may contribute to the present increase in appearance preliminary results are presented here.
of IKC in Sápmi. Previous studies indicate that cervid herpes- Conclusions: In this study we hypothesized that CvHV2
virus 2 (CvHV2) works as a primary causative agent. In addi- and Chlamydiaceae act as primary pathogens of IKC in rein-
tion, the bacterium Chlamydia pecorum was isolated for the deer. Preliminary results support CvHV2 to be the primary
first time during an outbreak of IKC in 2016 in a Swedish herd cause since it was only isolated in reindeer with clinical signs,
of reindeer, but its role in developing of IKC remains unclear. which was not the case for Chlamydiaceae. In addition, sec-
Many different bacteria have been isolated from reindeer with ondary bacterial infections seem to differ depending on previ-
IKC, such as Moraxella bovoculi, Escherichia coli and Staph- ous findings of CvHV2 or Chlamydiaceae, which could be of
ylococcus spp. which all may play a role in the progression of use when deciding on treatment strategy and to improve our
disease. Further investigations, including prevalence, patho- understanding of the pathogenesis and risk factors. However,
genesis, and risk factors for IKC in semidomesticated reindeer to conclude whether detected Chlamydiaceae in general was
is therefore needed. preceded by CvHV2 requires further investigation.

389
Keywords: Cervid herpes virus 2, Chlamydiaceae, bacte- SR-12

ria, eye disease, reindeer.
Diagnostic accuracy of a digital Brix refractometer for
assessing colostrum quality and failure of passive immune
transfer in neonatal lambs
Corbiere Fabien1, Rousseau Frederic2, Gadenne Sophie1, Jacquet
SR-11 Amélie1, Rousset Anne-Lise1, Gautier Jean-Marc3.
Flock sensitivity and specificity of pooled fecal qPCR and

1
National Veterinary School of Toulouse, Toulouse, France; 2Clinique
pooled serum ELISA for screening ovine paratuberculosis Vétérinaire d'Amikuze, Béhasque-Lapiste, France; 3IDELE, Toulouse,
France.
Corbiere Fabien, Mathevon Yoann, Foucras Gilles.
UMR INRAe-ENVT IHAP, Toulouse, France. Objectives: This study aims ta assessing the diagnostic
performances of a digital Brix refractometer (Hanna HI 96801)
Objectives: The aim of our study was to evaluate the flock for the evaluation of colostrum quality and failure of transfer of
sensitivity and specificity of fecal qPCR and serum ELISA us- passive immunity (FTPI) in sheep.
ing pooled samples for screening paratuberculosis in French Materials and methods: Colostrum samples from 330
sheep. meat ewes were collected within 6 hours after lambing and
Materials and methods: Using individual feces with low frozen immediately until analysis. The immunoglobulins G1
or high qPCR Ct values from ewes sampled in 14 infected (IgG1) concentration was assessed by radial immunodiffusion
flocks, a total of 555 pools of size 5, 10 and 20 were created (RID). The colostrum total fat content was assessed by the
by diluting individual materials in negative feces and analysed Gerber method. In addition, 230 plasmas were collected in 2-
using a commercial IS900 qPCR kit. The relative performanc- to 4-day old lambs and their IgG1 concentration measured by
es of pooled serum ELISA analysis were evaluated based on RID. All colostrum and plasma samples were assessed by the
the analysis of 181 different pools of size 5 and 10, composed digital Brix refractometers. Test sensitivity (Se) and specificity
of individual serum samples of various individual S/P values. (Sp) were calculated using RID as the reference standard with
Finally, a simulation study was carried out to evaluate the per- failure of passive immune transfer (FTPI) defined as IgG <
formances of 16 screening strategies at flock level, with vary- 10.0 g/L. The IgG<50 g/L threshold was used to mark poor
ing pool size (5 to 20) and number (5 to 60). quality colostrum. Receiver operating characteristics curves
Results: For pools of size 5, 10 or 20, individual fecal sam- were created and optimal cut-offs values for each refractome-
ples with low Ct values were invariably detected. Conversely ter were selected based on the maximization of the Youden’s
fecal samples with high Ct values were associated with a low- J statistic.
er detection rate in both pools of size 5 (87.0% to 90.0%), 10 Results: The Pearson correlation coefficient between RID
(63.0% to 70.7%) and 20 (46.7% to 60.0%). After lowering the and %Brix results on lamb plasma was high (r=0.91). The
decision threshold to 25% and 15% for serum pools of size 5 RID and %Brix results on colostrum samples were also high-
and 10 respectively, the pooled serum ELISA relative sensi- ly correlated (r=0.79). A significant influence of the colostrum
tivity ranged between 62.2% and 100.0% depending on the fat concentration on the %Brix value was evidenced, with an
composition of the pools. increase of 10 g/L of fat leading to an average 0.5% increase
At the flock level the use of pooled serum ELISA led to false on the Brix scale. For the detection of colostrum with IgG1
positive detection rates ranging between 37.6% and 91.8% in concentration lower than 50g/L, the optimal decision thresh-
paratuberculosis free flocks and prevents its further use in that old value was 24.0 % Brix (Se=87%; Sp=91%) for the Hanna
context. For infection prevalence ≤ 5%, the flock sensitivity Brix refractometer. For the detection of FTPI in lambs (plasma
based on pooled fecal qPCR ranged between 39.0% (5 pools IgG1<10 g/L) the optimal decision threshold was 8.3% Brix
of size 10) and 99.9% (300 sampled individuals, with pools of (Se=97% and Sp=87%).
size 5,10 or20), and was always above 93% when the infec- Conclusion: Brix refractometry appeared to provide rea-
tion prevalence was greater or equal to 15%. sonably accurate results for the assessment of colostrum
Conclusion: We conclude that pooled-fecal qPCR but not quality and FTPI in sheep. The optimal decision cut-offs were
pooled-serum ELISA could be a useful tool to detect sheep similar to those established in cattle. For on-farm use, a digital
flocks infected with paratuberculosis. Brix refractometer can be a valuable and inexpensive tool to
help producers and veterinary practitioners in their lamb health
Keywords: Paratucerculosis, pooled samples, faecal
management programs.
qPCR, Serum ELISA, flock sensitivy and specificity.
Keywords: Colostrum, transfer of passive immunity, digi-
tal refractometer, sensitivity, specificity.

390
SR-13 acute bacterial infection. Likewise, thermography showed an

increase in the temperature of the joint of the affected limbs in
Detection of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis as an comparison with the unaffected joints. Finally, computed to-
etiologic agent causing polyarthritis in lambs mography (CT) scan performed in one of the lambs revealed
Héctor Ruiz1, Mar Juní1, Marcos Pons2, Oihane Alzuguren3, Paula an important enlargement of the popliteal lymph node of the
Cano1, Juan José Ramos1. affected limb that partially collapsed the adjacent vein, which
hinders the venous return.
1
Facultad Veterinaria de la Universidad de Zaragoza, c/ Miguel Server
Pathological findings confirmed an important purulent ar-
177, 50013., Zaragoza, Spain; 2Centro de servicios clínicos veterinarios
thritis in the affected joints in both lambs.
Osca, Avda. del Cinca 55, 22300, Barbastro, Spain; 3EXOPOL
diagnósticos y autovacuna S.L., Pol. Río Gállego D/8 50840, San Mateo In Both analyzed animals a massive and pure isolation
de Gállego, Spain. of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis was obtained in the
affected joints, in both samples, those of arthrocentesis and
those taken after necropsy.
Objectives: Polyarthritis is one of the most important pa-
Conclusions: It can be concluded that Corynebacterium
thologies in lambs, both in lactation and during fattening peri-
pseudotuberculosis can cause polyarthritis in lambs, there-
od, due to the implications that this pathology has in the econ-
fore, this microorganism should be included in the list of mi-
omy of the farm, as it produces growth losses and an increase
in mortality. Polyarthritis can be caused by some different microorganisms associated with this disorder in lambs. However,
croorganisms such as Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Erysipelo- the reason why C. pseudotuberculosis is able to migrate to the
thrix rhusiopathiae, Trueperella pyogenes, etc. joint and produce this pathology is still unknown.
Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is the etiologic agent Keywords: Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, polyar-

of the caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) which usually affects thritis, lambs, arthrocentesis.
small ruminants. The most frequent locations of the pyogran-
ulomas caused by C. pseudotuberculosis are in superficial
lymph nodes, in the superficial clinical form of the disease, or
in deep lymph nodes such as mediastinic and internal organs,
in visceral clinical form. SR-14
In this paper is described the first presentation of C.
Major concerns of the small ruminant farmer on St. Kitts
pseudotuberculosis as microorganism responsible for polyar-
thritis in feedlot lambs. Jerry Roberson1, Ninian Cameron-Blake2, Hilari French2, Souvik
Materials and methods: The Ruminant Clinical Service Ghosh2.
(SCRUM) of the Veterinary Faculty of Zaragoza, Spain, re- Long Island University College of Veterinary Medicine, Brookville,
1
ceives animals from the Faculty´s area of influence which can United States; 2Ross School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint
be culling animal belonging to collaborating farms or clinical Kitts and Nevis.
cases referred by veterinarians. Two fattening lambs coming
from two different clinical cases of polyarthritis were referred
to the SCRUM during 2019 in order to reach a final diagnosis Introduction: Small ruminants make up a large percent-
of the cause of the outbreak. age of livestock on St. Kitts but their numbers are declining,
estimated to be less than 10,000 head. Because many of the
Both animals were subjected to the same protocol of all
small ruminant farmers of St. Kitts do not own pasture, their
the animals received at the service. They were submitted to
herds and or flocks will typically be allowed free range. This
a rigorous clinical examination and blood samples were taken
complicates production and disease management practices
to carry out a blood count test. Subsequently, thermography
that could help provide improved sustainability. Small ruminant
and arthrocentesis of the affected joints were made in both
animals. In addition, a computed tomography (CT) was also productivity can be increased but only after understanding, ad-
performed in one of the animals. Finally, the lambs were hu- dressing and correcting the major issues and concerns of the
manely sacrificed to conclude with a complete pathological ex- small ruminant producer on St. Kitts.
amination with sampling of affected joints. Samples obtained Objectives: 1) Investigate the concerns and management
from arthrocentesis and post-mortem study were quickly practices of the St. Kitts small ruminant producer and 2) Prior-
submitted to the laboratory in order to perform a microbiolog- itize and provide possible solutions.
ical and biomolecular analysis. The isolation of the causative Materials and Methods: Fifty small ruminant producers
agent was carried out in the laboratory EXOPOL diagnóstico were solicited via telephone or in person to participate in this
y autovacunas S.L. study. A questionnaire was administered on site to the produc-
Results: The clinical examination of the lambs showed ers to better comprehend herd and flock management prac-
that one of the lambswas affected in the tarsal joint of the right tices. Information was gathered regarding general farm sta-
hindlimb and the other in the tarsal joint of the left hindlimb. tistics, nutrition, marketing, reproduction, disease occurrence,
The animals were lame and reluctant to move and they also disease treatment and or prevention methods and facilities.
showed a clear stunted growth. The affected joints were hot, Producers were asked to list their top three major concerns.
swollen and painful. Producers were also asked to list the top 3 major disease con-
Hematology revealed a clear leukocytosis with neutrophilia cerns.
in both animals. These parameters can be indicatives of an Results: The results indicate that predation by dogs af-

391
fected 50% of small ruminant producers. The second most ewe underwent mammary gland inspection. A mammary gland
common issues (36%) were genetic improvement and obtain- score taking into account retromammary lymph nodes (nor-
ing medications for both treatment and prevention. The fourth mally sized versus hypertrophy), left-right gland asymmetry
most common issue was theft, 30% of farms. Other major and presence or absence of nodules was established for each
issues were nutrition (26%), general disease issues (24%), ewe. Data were analyzed by ANOVA in order to assess the ef-
fencing/pens (24%), internal parasites (22%), external para- fect of vaccination on lambs’ weight at 48 hours of age, weight
sites, predominatley ticks (22%) and availability of land/pas- at weaning, DWG at weaning, clinical mastitis incidence and
ture (22%). Other issues that were listed < 10% of the time mammary gland score. A p-value below 0.05 was considered
were, dermatophilus, livestock transport, herd health, housing, as significant. Data from ewes whose lambs died or needed
wild fires, trauma (hit by bus) and marketing. Specific diseases continuous bottle feeding were withdrawn from analysis, lead-
were not among the top four concerns but the primary specific ing to 96 non-vaccinated ewes aged of 3.77±1.78 years with
disease concerns were internal parasites (76%), ticks (72%) 158 lambs and to 93 vaccinated ewes aged of 3.76±1.66 years
and dermatophilus (36%). Other diseases or clinical condi- with 146 lambs.
tions mentioned as concerns (< 20% of the time) were upper Results: While weight at birth did not differ between groups
respiratory diseases (nasal bots), abortion, contagious ecthy- (Non Vacc: 4.72±0.95 kg versus Vacc: 4.81±0.77 kg, p = 0.95),
ma, mange, spiders, foot issues, tetanus, sudden death and weight at 48 hours after birth was significantly higher in lambs
frothy mouth. raised by vaccinated ewes (Non Vacc: 5.03±0.95 kg versus
Conclusion: The major issues affecting the small rumi- Vacc: 5.25±0.89 kg, p < 0.05). At weaning around 74 days of
nant farmers were unexpected as disease issues were not in life, weight and DWG were significantly higher in lambs suck-
the top four (e. g. internal parasites). Efforts directed toward ling vaccinated ewes (weight : Non Vacc: 29.39±4.78 kg versus
decreasing dog predation and theft would benefit the small Vacc: 30.63±4.39 kg, p <0.05; DWG : Non Vacc: 0.34±0.06 kg/
ruminant farmer. Genetic improvement may be increased by day versus Vacc: 0.35±0.05 kg/day, p <0.05). Mortality of new-
importation of select sheep and goats to the island. Making born lambs equaled 4.5 % and did not differ between groups.
medications easily, economically and readily available would Regarding udder evaluation of vaccinated and non-vaccinated
benefit the St. Kitts small ruminant producer. ewes, the mammary gland score did not differ between groups
Keywords: Sheep, goat, problems, survey. (Non Vacc: 1.19±0.73 versus Vacc: 1.18±0.81, p = 0.89). In-
tramammary small-sized nodules were detected in 14% of
non-vaccinated ewes and in 15% of vaccinated ewes whereas
minor udder asymmetry occurred in 40% of non-vaccinated
and in 38% of vaccinated ewes. Clinical mastitis occurred in 1
non-vaccinated and 2 vaccinated ewes.
SR-15
Conclusions: The low prevalence of clinical mastitis in
Assessment of the impact of a biofilm-embedded bacteria- the flock made not possible to asses the impact on detectable
based vaccine against Staphylococcus in suckler flock ewes signs of mastitis. However, suckler lambs’ growth increased by
on lambs’ development and mammary gland score 4% as demonstrated by increased DWG and weight at wean-
ing in lambs raised by vaccinated ewes.
Anaïs Dubray1, Benoit Bolkaerts1, Christine Baricalla1, Leonard
Théron2, Nathalie Kirschvink1. Keywords: Mastitis, vaccine, suckler lambs, daily weight
gain.
University of Namur, Veterinary department, Narilis, Namur, Belgium;
1
Hipra Benelux, Gent, Belgium.

2
Objectives: To evaluate the effect of a vaccine against

staphylococcal mastitis in suckler flock ewes by assessing SR-16
lambs’ growth and mammary gland score in vaccinated and
non-vaccinated ewes. The used vaccine (VIMCO©, Hipra) in- Chronic Coenurosis in sheep: Spontaneous remission of
cluded an antigen based on a bacterin of Staphylococcus au- clinical signs and role of CT and MRI in the diagnosis and
reus strain, expressing the exopolysaccharide poly-N-acetyl- follow-up
glucosamine (PNAG), which is involved in biofilm formation Jorge Gimeno, Maria Pérez Barcia, María Climent, Ricardo De
by these bacteria. It was hypothesized that the vaccine would Miguel, María Teresa Ortiz, Alba Magdalena, Enrique Castells,
reduce incidence of subclinical mastitis and thereby improve Amaia Escudero, Luis Miguel Ferrer.
suckler lambs growth.
Facultad de Veterinaria Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
Material and methods: 200 pregnant Ile-de-France ewes
were divided in two similar groups based on their parity and
age. One group underwent vaccination against mastitis by 2 Coenurosis is a condition caused by Coenurus cerebralis,
intramuscular vaccine (VIMCO©) injections at 5 and 2 weeks the larval stage of Taenia multiceps, and causes enormous
before lambing (Vacc), the second group served as non-vacci- economic losses in husbandry production. C. cerebralis main-
nated control (non Vacc). Their suckling lambs were weighed ly develops in the central nervous system of sheep and other
at birth, at 48 hours of age and at weaning, allowing to calcu- ungulates whereas T. multiceps inhabits the small intestine
late daily weight gain (DWG) and age at weaning. Cases of of wild and domestic canids, being the dog the main defini-
clinically detectable mastitis were recorded. At weaning, each tive host. Proper diagnosis of Coenurus cerebralis infection is

392
challenging and although epidemiological and clinical studies In this report, CT and MRI revealed outstanding results in
are useful to guide the diagnosis, a post-mortem examina- the detection of the parasitic cysts. Moreover, valuable infor-
tion is decisive to confirm the suspicion. In alive animals, a mation of the surrounding nervous structures was obtained. In
presumptive diagnosis is usually made in the light of the neu- regards of these results, both techniques can be proposed as
rological examination, but clinical signs observed are usually the gold standard for the diagnosis of the chronic phase of this
non-specific. In the present study, a case of spontaneous clin- condition. Furthermore, CT and MRI can become key tools
ical remission of chronic cerebral coenurosis is presented for for the diagnosis of ovine encephalic affections and the devel-
the first time and the role of computed tomography (CT) and opment of new therapeutical approaches in sheep. To date,
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis and follow this is the first report of the imaging follow-up of spontaneous
up is studied. clinical remission, suggesting the role of optimal management
Five animals presenting neurological clinical signs were in the outcome of the chronically affected animals.
referred to the Clinical Ruminant Service (SCRUM) of the Uni- Keywords: Ovine, coenurosis, computed tomography,
versity of Zaragoza. All animals were adult young sheep (1-3 magnetic resonance imaging.
years old) and they belong to a meat sheep flock reared in a
semiintensive production system. No treatments were applied
to the animals prior to its reference to the SCRUM. Exhaustive
clinical examination of the five animals was performed, mak-
ing special emphasis on neurological examination. Although a SR-17
huge variety of neurological clinical signs were observed, the
most common symptoms were circling, frequent bleating, sep- A topical anaesthestic wound formulation diminishes pain
aration from the flock and visual impairment. A CT scan of the responses of lambs at tail-docking
five affected animals was performed with a Bivro CT scan of
Aurora Ortin1, Juan José Ramos1, Delia Lacasta1, María Teresa
two slides (General Electric Healthcare). CT imaging revealed
Tejedor1, Luis Miguel Ferrer1, Enrique Castells2, Marta Ruiz De
the presence of single fluidfilled cystic structures that occupied
Arcaute1, Inés Rubira3, Peter Windsor4.
40-55% of the cranial cavity, comprising and atrophying the
adjacent encephalic structures. In the light of clinical signs and 1
Facultad de Veterinaria. Instituto IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza-
CT images, diagnosis of chronic coenurosis was stablished. CITA), Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain; 2Centro Clínico Veterinario S.L.,
Four of the five animals were humanely sacrificed and the di- Zaragoza, Spain; 3Gabinete Técnico Veterinario S.L., Zaragoza, Spain;
agnosis was confirmed at the postmortem evaluation, where 4
Veterinary Faculty. University of Sydney., Sydney, Australia.
big intracranial parasitic cyst with multiple protoscolices were
found associated with severe focally extensive pressure atro-
phy of the brain. Objectives: Tail-docking is a routine global husbandry
procedure conducted in lambs to reduce myiasis risk and im-
As one of the animals was pregnant, it was hospitalized prove fertility. It is often performed without pain relief, although
until it raised the lamb. During this time, that lasted 7 months, use of general anaesthesia has been advocated, at an exor-
clinical signs remitted spontaneously in the absence of any bitant and prohibitive cost to farmers. There is an urgent need
treatment application. To clarify this outstanding clinical finding for a practical and affordable approach acceptable to farmers
both, CT and MRI (Hitachi AIRIS Mate 0.2T, Blue Star E&E) that markedly reduces animal suffering. We evaluated use of a
exams were performed. This second CT revealed a marked topical anaesthetic ‘spray-on’ wound management formulation
retraction of the parasitic cyst. In addition, a severe increase
containing the local anaesthetics lignocaine and bupivacaine,
in tisular density was found in contrast with the fluid-filled Co-
plus cetramide and adrenalin, in a gel matrix (Tri-Solfen®,
enurus cyst showed in the first CT. MRI confirmed the loca-
Bayer Animal Health, Gordon, NSW, Australia). Impacts of
tion of the Coenurus and helped to further characterize the
treatments on pain response in lambs, where the tail was ex-
morphological abnormalities in the cranial cavity. Interestingly,
cised surgically, with and without use of general anaesthesia,
MRI revealed that the area previously occupied by the parasit-
are reported.
ic cyst had been replaced by encephalic tissue and a mass of
undefined consistence. After weaning, the ewe was humane- Materials and methods: This study was approved by
ly sacrificed. Post-mortem examination of the brain showed the Ethical Commission of the University of Zaragoza. Fe-
focally extensive polioencephalomalacia localized in the right male Rasa Aragonesa 45 day-old lambs (n = 44) with similar
occipital lobe. At cut section, shrunken remnants of the par- weights in a farm in Zaragoza (Spain) were recruited for the
asitic cyst were found as a nodular greyish mass, which dis- study. The 4 equal cohorts (n=11) of lambs with: the tail ex-
torted the white matter, expanding and compressing adjacent cised with a scalpel without local or general anaesthesia and
structures. Tissue samples were fixed in 10% neutral buffered without subsequent stitching (Group A); the tail excised un-
formalin and embedded in paraffin wax for histopathological der general and local anaesthesia with stitching to close the
evaluation. Microscopically, degenerate coenurus were char- wound (Group B); the tail excised with a scalpel without prior
acterized by a disrupted 300µm thick hyaline tegument, partial- anaesthesia and without stitching but treated immediately with
ly mineralized and filled by granular acellular eosinophilic re- Tri-Solfen® (Group C); the tail excised under general and local
fringent material and multiple round basophilic structures. The anaesthesia with stitching to close the wound following imme-
parasite cyst was surrounded by moderate edema and a rim of diate treatment of the wound with Tri-Solfen® (Group D).
abundant foamy macrophages, eosinophils, lymphocytes and Pain-related behaviour was assessed using a numerical
plasma cells. The final diagnosis of chronic coenurosis with rating scale (NRS) developed previously. A trained scientist
cyst collapse and larval death was assessed. blinded to treatment observed the lambs immediately (B0),

393
2.5h (B1) and 5h (B2) after tail docking. Individual lambs Objectives: Tail-docking is a routine global husbandry
were ascribed an NRS score between 0 and 3, where: 0 = no procedure conducted in lambs to reduce myiasis risk and im-
pain-related behaviour; 1 = mildly abnormal posture, gait or prove fertility. It is often performed without pain relief, although
behaviour, including mild kyphosis without hyperextension of use of general anaesthesia has been advocated, at an exorbi-
hindlegs, ventral recumbency with hindlegs partially extended tant cost to farmers. There is an urgent need to find a practical
or mild stiffening of gait without overt limping or leg dragging; and affordable approach acceptable to farmers that avoids or
2 = moderately abnormal posture, gait or behaviour, includ- markedly reduces animal suffering. This study evaluated the
ing ‘statue standing’ with head down and prominent kyphosis, effect of a topical anaesthetic ‘spray-on’ wound management
moderate stiffening or slowing of gait or hyperextension and/or formulation containing the local anaesthetics lignocaine and
abduction of hindlegs, ventral recumbency with hindlegs fully bupivacaine, plus cetramide and adrenalin, in a gel matrix
extended; 3 = displaying severely abnormal posture, gait or (Tri-Solfen®, Bayer Animal Health, Gordon, NSW, Australia).
behaviour, including marked agitation with twisting or writh- Impacts of treatments on wound healing in lambs, where the
ing, high frequency of postural change from lying to kneeling tail was excised surgically, with and without use of general an-
or standing, distressed vocalisation, lateral or prostrate lying, aesthesia, are reported.
kneeling, dog sitting or tremors, shaking or lip curling. Data Materials and methods: This study was approved by the
were analyzed using the Mann –Whitney U test. Ethical Commission of the University of Zaragoza. Female
Results: In cohorts tail-docked under general anaesthe- Rasa Aragonesa 45 day-old lambs (n = 44) with similar weights
sia (B & D) the mean of the NRS pain score at B0 was 2.364 in an intensively-housed farm in Zaragoza (Spain) were recruit-
for untreated animals and 2.045 for animals treated with Tri- ed for the study. The 4 equal cohorts (n=11) of lambs with: the
Solfen® (p>0.05). However, in cohorts tail-docked without tail excised with a scalpel without local or general anaesthesia
general anaesthesia (A & C), the mean of the NRS pain score and without subsequent stitching (Group A); the tail excised
at B0 was lower, at 1.273 for untreated animals and 0.682 under general and local anaesthesia with stitching to close the
for treated lambs (p = 0.013). The differences between the wound (Group B); the tail excised with a scalpel without pri-
two methods of tail docking at B0, regardless of whether the or anaesthesia and without stitching but treated immediately
lambs were treated or not with Tri-solfen®, also showed highly with Tri-Solfen® (Group C); the tail excised under general and
significant differences (p = 0.004). The group not undergoing local anaesthesia with stitching to close the wound following
surgical stitching suffered less pain immediately after the pro- immediate treatment of the wound with Tri-Solfen® (Group D).
cedure, especially if treated with Tri-solfen®. These results Following the procedure, the animals were examined daily for
accord with those previously published but where tails were 15 days, with lesions photographed. This enabled analysis
removed by a hot-iron (Lomax et al. 2010). of wound healing after tail-docking and the detection of sec-
ondary infections. Data were analyzed using survival analysis
By 2.5hrs after tail docking (B1), the NRS scores had be-
(Kaplan- Meyer method and Breslow test), evaluating the days
gun to equalize, although differences were still observed be-
until the wound is found infected.
tween treatments. In cohorts without Tri-solfen® (A & B) the
mean of the pain response was 1.136 and 1.091, whereas in Results: In the period analyzed, 73% (16 of 22) of lambs
cohorts treated with Tri-solfen® (C & D) the mean was 0.864 in the two cohorts not undergoing surgical stitching (A & C)
and 0.818, respectively (p > 0.05). Finally, at 5 hours (B2) and 91% (20 of 22) of lambs in the two cohort undergoing
most of the animals, independent of the group they belonged surgical stitching (B & D), developed signs of wound infec-
to, no longer displaying pain behaviours. tion. Further, the mean of days on which the animals showed
no signs of wound infection was significantly later in the two
Conclusions: These findings and additional clinical evi-
groups not undergoing surgical stitching (A:10.2 & C:11.5) ver-
dence of pain relief presented elsewhere are encouraging,
sus those where stitching occurred (B:5.2 & D:4.6). The me-
suggesting that surgical tail-docking without general anaes-
dian, being the day when half of the lambs displayed infection
thesia but where wounds are immediately sprayed with Tri- and half did not, was: A:2 days; B: 3 days; C: 4 days; and D:
Solfen® is an affordable method of alleviating pain in lambs 1 day. Although only significant differences were found when
undergoing tail docking. comparing the two methods, with and without stitching, among
Keywords: Sheep, topical anaesthesia, pain, tail-docking. those treated with Tri-Solfen®, it was observed that the best
results was in cohort group C, being lambs whose tail was
excised without stitching and the wounds were treated with
Tri-Solfen®.
Conclusions: These results and those presented else-
SR-18 where are encouraging, suggesting that surgical tail-docking
without general anaesthesia but where wounds are immedi-
Effect of a topical anaesthetic formulation on wound ately sprayed with Tri-Solfen® is an affordable and efficacious
healing after tail-docking in lambs method of conducting the procedure, since this topical anaes-
Luis Miguel Ferrer1, Delia Lacasta1, Aurora Ortín1, María Pérez1, thesia wound treatment formulation reduces infections to a
María Teresa Tejedor1, Juan José Ramos1, Calasanz Jiménez2, Peter certain extent, hastening wound healing.
Windsor3. Keywords: Sheep, topical anaesthesia, wound healing,
tail-docking.
1
Facultad de Veterinaria. Instituto IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA),
Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain; 2Gabinete Técnico Veterinario S.L., Zaragoza,
Spain; 3Veterinary Faculty. University of Sydney., Sydney, Australia.

394
SR-19 of animals with MV-compatible lesions and 20.60% of the an-

imals classified as suspected gave a positive PCR result for
Study of the use of bronchoalveolar lavage as a live diagnostic MVV in bronchoalveolar fluid. Only 3.10% of the lungs clas-
method to detect clinical pulmonary Maedi Visna sified as non-compatible were MVV-positive in bronchoalveo-
Alba Magdalena1, Andrea Menjón1, Marcelo De Las Heras1, Marta lar lavage. The results of positive predictive value (PPV) and
Borobia1, J.l Arnal2, Julen Elorza1, Delia Lacasta3. negative predictive value (NPV) related to the presence or
absence of macroscopic lesion have a value of 82.40% and
1
Facultad de Veterinaria de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain; 2Laboratorio 96.00%, respectively.
Agroambiental de Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain; 3Instituto IA2 (Universidad
On the other hand, 29.73% of the lung parenchyma ana-
de Zaragoza-CITA), Zaragoza, Spain.
lyzed tested positive by PCR. In this case, 89.50% of the lungs
with lesions compatible with MV, 37.10% of the suspicious and
Objectives: Maedi-Visna virus (MVV) is a lentivirus that in- 14.90% of the non-compatible ones showed positive results in
fects, mainly, sheep older than two years, causing a multi-sys- parenchyma. Thus, PPV was 54.80% and NPV was 97.60%.
temic and slow progressive syndrome, inducing a chronic These results could suggest that the PCR test of lung paren-
inflammation of the lung, mammary gland, central nervous chyma also detects infected animals that do not show obvious
system and joints. It causes relevant economic losses world- MV macroscopic lung lesions.
wide and due to the lack of vaccines and treatments, a suitable Conclusions: Bronchoalveolar lavage is revealed as a
diagnosis is decisive to develop control programs. suitable technique, little invasive and innovative, for the in vivo
The main objective of this survey was to evaluate the use- diagnosis of the pulmonary form of Maedi Visna disease, with
fulness of the molecular study of bronchoalveolar lavages us- adequate predictive values both positive and negative.
ing PCR techniques to improve the live diagnosis of the pulmo- Keywords: Bronchoalveolar, lavage, diagnose, pulmo-
nary form of Maedi Visna disease (MV). In order to investigate nary, Maedi.
the efficacy of this diagnostic method, the MV compatible lung
lesions found after the necropsy of the studied animals were
analyzed and lung tissue samples were also collected to per-
form a molecular diagnosis of the MVV.
Material and methods: One hundred and fifty-five culling SR-20
sheep coming from four collaborating farms were analyzed at
the Ruminant Clinic Service of the University of Zaragoza. All Evaluation of different reproductive management protocols
the animals were subjected to the same protocol: complete to advance pregnancy onset in sarda ewe-lambs at their first
clinical examination with special emphasis on the respiratory reproductive season
system was performed and a blood sample was collected to
Antonio Spezzigu1, Francesca Daniela Sotgiu2, Cristian Porcu2,
carry out a MVV serological analysis. Subsequently, prior to
Giovanni Molle3, Fiammetta Berlinguer2.
the animals being euthanized, a bronchoalveolar lavage was
accomplished to obtain a sample of the lower respiratory tract 1
Embryo Sardegna Reproduction and Fertility, Perfugas, Italy;
in order to be analyzed by PCR. Finally, post-mortem patho- 2
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassarri, Sassari,
logical study was carried out at the Pathological Service of Italy; 3AGRIS Sardegna, Sassari, Italy.
the Veterinary Faculty of Zaragoza and lung tissue samples
were taken for molecular studies. Samples obtained in bron-
Objectives: For a successful dairy production Mediterra-
choalveolar lavages and post-mortem collections (portion of
nean dairy sheep breeding aims to initiate the mating season
lung parenchyma) were analyzed in EXOPOL diagnóstico y
in late spring for adult ewes with lambing in late autumn. The
autovacunas S.L. by quantitative PCR (qPCR). The specific
ewe-lambs born in autumn are usually mated during the repro-
EXOone Maedi Visna - CAEV oneMIX kit developed by the
ductive season of the following year (late August – December).
EXOPOL laboratory was used. The samples were considered
This scenario imposes a different management strategy for the
positive when the Cq value (quantification cycles) was ≤38.
ewe-lambs which respond poorly to the male effect and tend to
The data were recorded in SPSS STATISTICS 22.0. com- have poorer response to synchronization protocols when com-
puter program and the WinEpi web platform was used to es- pared to adult ewes. Thus, the reproductive management of
timate sensitivity and specificity values and predictive values. ewe-lambs relies mostly on natural mating, where young ewes
Results: Lungs with compatible MV lesions (12.25%) are kept with the males in a single flock. This practice leads to
were those that presented these four lesions: lung enlarge- a long lambing season with the bulk of the ewe-lambs lambing
ment, general grayish discoloration, grey subpleural dots and in March-April (pregnancy onset October-November). In addi-
a significant increase in mediastinal lymph nodes size. Lungs tion, ewe-lamb’s reproductive and productive performance are
suspicious of having MV (22.60%) were considered to be lower compared to adult ewes.
those with 2 or 3 of these lesions and lungs not compatible The present study aimed to assess if the ram effect alone
(65.15%) those with 1 or none compatible lesions. The main or associated with a GnRH administration, are able to advance
lesion found was lung enlargement (43.90%), followed by the pregnancy onset in dairy ewe-lambs of different weight, when
discoloration (32.90%), increased size of mediastinal lymph entering the first reproductive season. Treatments were tested
nodes (23.90%) and grey subpleural dots (12.25%). in different groups having low, medium and high live weight. The
Regarding bronchoalveolar lavages, 16.10% of the ana- different outcome between protocols was evaluated by com-
lyzed animals were MVV-positive by PCR. Therefore, 77.80% paring the number of days from treatment to pregnancy onset.

395
Materials & Methods: On mid-July, 131 prepubertal ewe- SR-21

lambs were selected from a single flock. Ovarian status was
evaluated by transrectal ultrasonography to ensure the ab- Effect of a topical anaesthetic formulation on viral load in
sence of cyclicity. The animals were divided in three groups lambs naturally infected with orf virus
according to live weight (live weight ± SE; high weight: HW, Delia Lacasta1, Ramsés Reina2, Juan José Ramos1, Luis Miguel Ferrer1,
39,1 ± 0,3, n=35; medium weight: MW, 33,8 ± 0,2, n=64; low Silvia Martínez1, Alfredo A. Benito3, María Teresa Tejedor1, Irache
weight: LW, 28,2 ± 0,3, n=32). Within each weight group, an- Echevarria2, Peter Windsor4.
imals were randomly allocated into two subgroups: GnRH,
treated with a GnRH analogue (gonadorelin, 40 μg/head; 0.8
1
Veterinary Faculty of Zaragoza and IA2. University of Zaragoza,
ml of Cystoreline®, Ceva Salute Animale, Italy); CTR, which Zaragoza, Spain; 2Institute of Agrobiotechnology (CSIC-Gobierno
was the untreated control. Both subgroups were exposed to de Navarra), Mutilva, Spain; 3Laboratorios EXOPOL, diagnóstico
the ram effect. GnRH groups following 1 week from the treat- y autovacunas, San Mateo de Gállego, Spain; 4Faculty of Veterinary
ment administration, were evaluated again by ovarian ultra- Science. University of Sydney., Sydney, Australia.
sound scanning. Ewe-lambs showing corpora lutea were in-
jected with a PGF2α analogue (cloprostenol, 100 µg/head, Objectives: Orf is a highly contagious eruptive skin con-
PGFVeyx, Vexy-Pharma GmbH, Germany) and then placed dition of sheep and goats, caused by a Parapoxvirus with a
with crayon marked rams. Ewe-lambs not showing signs of worldwide distribution. It affects mainly lambs and kids, with
ovulations were injected with a second dose of GnRH. After 7 more serious outbreaks often associated with intensive hus-
days, the ewe-lambs were checked again and the ones show- bandry, causing significant financial losses to livestock pro-
ing corpora lutea were injected with a PGF2α analogue, while duction. It is also a zoonotic disease, affecting mainly people
the remaining received a third injection of GnRH. After all ewe- via direct or indirect contact with infected animals. Vaccination
lambs were exposed to fertile rams. Ewe-lambs in the CTR, remains the preferred option to control the disease. However,
after the initial ultrasound scanning, were managed as single currently in Spain and many other countries, no orf vaccine is
flock with fertile rams fitted with crayon markers. available. The treatment of this disorder referred to as Conta-
Ewes mating behaviour was checked daily for 120 days gious Ecthyma and Scabby Mouth, involves standard hygiene
starting from rams introduction. The mated ewe-lambs, once practices and management of presumptive secondary infec-
identified, were removed from the flock. Pregnancy was diag- tions.
nosed within 30 days after mating using transrectal ultraso- The wound dressing formulation, Tri-Solfen® (Animal Eth-
nography. During the trial, data collection was supported by a ics Pty Ltd, Australia) is registered for use in sheep in Austra-
farm management software developed by Sementusatech®. lia, cattle in Australia, New Zealand and Laos, and is in the
The efficacy of the protocols in anticipating pregnancy onset
process of being registered to be used in cattle and pigs in
was determined by assessing differences between groups in
Europe and other countries. This formulation offers numerous
the number of days (from Day 1 - treatment start to pregnancy
advantages over current therapies, particularly as it has been
onset) needed to reach the 25%, 50%, 75% of flock pregnancy
confirmed as providing pain relief and more rapid healing of
rate.
lesions (Windsor et al, 2016). The formulation contains two
Results: There was a difference in the timing of pregnan- local anaesthetics (lignocaine and bupivacaine), adrenalin and
cy establishment between groups (p˂0.005). The GnRH-MW an antiseptic (cetramide) in a gel formulation that creates a
group showed the best performances in reaching the threshold barrier effect with a pH of ~2.7. This numbs the pain of lesions,
pregnancy rates of 25, 50 and 75% (P<0.05) when compared reduces their infectivity, hastens healing, potentially reduces
to the other groups. Both LW groups had poorer performanc- weight loss, and the antisepsis properties avoids the need for
es (P<0.05). The administration of GnRH had no effect in ad- other treatments, including antibiotics.
vancing the onset of pregnancy in the HW group (GnRH-HW)
This study explores potential antiviral roles and heal-
when compared to (CTR-HW). Both groups showed a delay
ing properties of Tri-Solfen® in orf naturally infected lambs
in reaching the 25% pregnancy rates compared to the GnRH-
through viral genome real time PCR quantification and tissue
MW group, but thereafter HW groups were able to catch up.
culture in ovine primary cells.
Conclusions: The current study showed that the hor-
Materials and methods: This study was approved by the
monal protocol can improve reproductive performances in
Ethical Commission of the University of Zaragoza. Fourteen
ewe-lambs at their first reproductive season by advancing
one-month-old Rasa Aragonesa lambs, naturally infected with
pregnancy onset and by increasing fertility rates in medium
orf, were recruited from a farm where an outbreak of orf dis-
weight ewe-lambs. The ram effect alone could be used with
ease was occurring. The animals were selected at the early
ewe-lambs that have already reached the optimal weight at
stages of the infection when lesions were initially advised and
the onset of the breeding season.
divided into two cohorts: Group A (n=11) consisting of animals
Keywords: Puberty, male effect, GnRH, ultrasound, dairy with orf lesions treated with Tri-Solfen® and Group B (n=3), a
sheep. control group without treatment.
Cotton swabs were obtained before treatment (T0) and
days 1 (T1), 3 (T2) and 5 (T3) post-treatment, then submitted
to direct DNA extraction and real-time PCR quantification (Ex-
opol) or to incubation with primary tissue cultures from ovine
skin fibroblasts (OSF) and T-immortalized goat embryonic
fibroblasts (TIGEF). Orf virus quantification was performed

396
by real time PCR on DNA from cultured cells at day 0 and 5 for the detection of PPRV fusion (F) gene and nucleocapsid
post-treatment. Data were analyzed using the non-parametric (N) gene.
Wilcoxon test for paired samples and by T-Student’s test for Results: Typical clinical signs of PPRV have obliviously
unrelated samples. appeared on the sick animals including fever, loss of appetite,
Results: In the study carried out using quantitative PCR, marked depression, erosive stomatitis, ocular catarrhal inflam-
no significant differences were found between day 0 pre-treat- mation, profuse diarrhea. Some cases revealed fetid& blood-
ment (T0) and day 5 post-treatment (T3) (p=0.722). However, stained and respiratory signs that included nasal mucous
when the viral load was assessed in primary tissue cultures of discharge, different stages of bronchopneumonia and mouth
ovine skin fibroblasts (OSF) and T-immortalized goat embry- breathing and erosions of the nasal cavity. The post-mortem
onic fibroblasts (TIGEF), there was a reduction in both groups examination of few numbers of dead animals showed con-
between T0 and T3 that was significant in the OSF cell cul- gested trachea, red lung hepatization with area firm to touch,
tures (p<0.05). particularly in the cardiac and anterior lobes and enlargement
Conclusions: These results suggest that despite the pres- of pulmonary and mesenteric lymph nodes accompanied with
ence of the viral DNA in the orf lesions at 5 days post-treat- congestion of small intestinal mucosa. The serological test
ment, this may belong to inactivated virus as the viral load shows positive results in 90 % (45 out 50) and 48 % (12 out
obtained after cell culture of the samples of the treated ani- of 25) of sick and healthy animals respectively. The results
mals was significantly less than that obtained from controls. of molecular analysis revealed 10 positive samples for PPRV,
These findings suggest that as treatment of orf lesions with Tri- and 7 F genes (PPRV/ Al Muthanna / 2017) were genetical-
Solfen® reduces the viral load present in lesions, such thera- ly close to the (PPR \ Kurdistan 2012), (KF478924) and (JF
py may also alter the clinical progression and transmission in 274480) strain previously determined in Kurdistan/ Iraq, Tur-
outbreaks of Contagious Ecthyma. key and Egypt respectively with homogeneity reached to 95%
nucleotide sequence. Moreover, three samples were geneti-
Keywords: Sheep, orf virus, topical anaesthetic formula-
cally identical for the N gene of %100 (PPR \ Kurdistan 2012),
tion, viral load.
%99 (DQ840197), %99 ( FJ 795511), and %97 (DQ 840190)
strain from Kurdistan/ Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Emirate and Israel
respectively.
Conclusions: In conclusion, PPRV was diagnosed in
small ruminants in Al Muthanna province, and the diagnosis
SR-22
was done according to clinical sings & post-mortem examina-
Clinico-serological and molecular study of peste des petits tion and confirmed by serological C-ELISA test and RT-PCR
ruminants in sheep and goats in Al Muthanna province/ molecular technique. Moreover, the results of the molecular
Iraq technique revealed the close genetic relationship between
local PPRV strain and strains isolated previously from neigh-
Karima Al Salihi. boring countries. Another molecular epidemiological study is
Al Muthanna university, Samawah, Iraq. recommended by the author to determine the origin of PPRV
in Iraq.
Keywords: Peste des petits, Sheep, Molecular , Iraq.
Objectives: This study intends to investigate the peste
des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) infection in sheep and goat
using Clinico-serological and molecular tools in Al Muthanna
province/ Iraq.
Materials and Methods: In October 2017 outbreak was
SR-23
occurred in sheep and goats in Al Muthanna province/ Iraq.
There were obvious deaths both in young and adult sheep Use of thermography for the diagnosis of chronic
and goats during the period extended from October/ 2017 to proliferative rhinitis in sheep and for the differential
March 2018. According to the case history, clinical symptoms, diagnosis of the first case affecting the dorsal tubinate
and post-mortem investigations, the PPR virus was accused.
Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein of totally Aude Levacher, Carmen Ceresuela, Silvia López-Tamayo, Juan Pedro
75 animals of the infected flocks (50 sick and 25 healthy an- Bueso, Oiane Alzulguren, Ana Rodríguez, Luis Figueras, Luis Miguel
imals) using sterile vacutainer tubes (without anticoagulant), Ferrer.
and the serum was extracted after centrifugation and kept at Facultad de Veterinaria de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
-20 O C deep freeze in the laboratory until the test is conducted.
Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ( C-ELI-
SA) was down to detect the presence of antibodies against Introduction: Chronic proliferative rhinitis (CPR) is an
PPRV. Mouth swabs ( epithelial tissue from the lesions) from upper respiratory tract disease that affects sheep and is as-
sick animals were collected, kept in a frozen box, and sent to sociated with Salmonella enterica subsp. diarizonae serotype
the laboratory. RNA was extracted from all samples according 61:k:1:5:(7). It may be unilateral or bilateral, and, although mi-
to the instructions using the RNeasy_ Mini Kit ( Qiagen, Ger- nor changes have been seen in dorsal turbinate, the ventral
many). The extracted RNA was kept at (- 120 O C ) until ampli- nasal turbinate is always affected, which makes it possible to
fication procedures. Later on, the RNA samples were used for observe the proliferative tissue emerging from the nostril.
cDNA synthesis, and specific two sets of primers were used In the following case it is described the use of a thermal

397
imaging camera in the diagnosis of an atypical case of chron- The use of thermography, a cheap and handle diagnostic
ic proliferative rhinitis in sheep. Contrary to what is normally imaging technique, can be very helpful to locate the affected
observed, this time the dorsal turbinate and ethmoidal area area, thereby facilitating clinical diagnosis of upper respirato-
where mainly affected. ry tract diseases of sheep, especially at the beginning of the
Materials and methods: The Small Ruminant Clinical Ser- process.
vice of the Veterinary Faculty of Zaragoza, Spain, (SCRUM) Keywords: Chronic, proliferative, rhinitis, thermography,
received, in 2018, a Lacaune ewe with severe upper respirato- dorsal.
ry tract clinical signs. The 3-year-old female presented a very
low body condition, despite no loss of appetite, and extreme
weakness. The ewe also showed bilateral seromucous nasal
discharge, an upper airway snoring and inspiratory dyspnea.
Moreover, a nasal deformation in the middle area of the nose SR-24
was clearly present.
In order to obtain more information, further complementary Vaccination against ovine footrot in lactating ewes has only
imaging techniques such as thermography, x rays and com- a transient effect on milk production
puted tomography scanner (CT) were carried out. Gaëlle Porcheron1, Frédéric Leboeuf2, Raphaël Jaquet3, Guillaume
Results: Thermography revealed an increase in the tem- Vautrain4, Julien Visse4, Geert Vertenten5.
perature of both nasal cavities, corresponding to the difficulty 1
CEBIPHAR, Fondettes, France; 2MSD Santé Animal, Beaucouzé,
of the cold air passing through, and a hottest area in the mid- France; 3Veterinary Practitioner, Andouillé, France; 4Clinique
dle part of the nose, which corresponded with the area of the Vétérinaire Velvet, Lacaune, France; 5MSD Animal Health, Boxmeer,
swollen dorsal turbinate. Thereafter, CT of the cranial region Netherlands.
enabled us to obtain a clear image of the damaged tissue,
showing the increase in size of swollen dorsal turbinate and
the partially affected ethmoidal area. Along with these, two lat- Objectives: A multivalent inactivated vaccine against
eral radiographic projections were made, one on each side of ovine footrot (Footvax®, MSD Animal Health) is indicated for
the affected area, and an increased opacity was observed in- the active immunization of sheep against footrot caused by
side the dorsal nose chamber. All this images were compatible Dichelobacter nodosus. The need of a non-restrictive claim on
with chronic proliferative rhinitis although affecting, for the first lactating ewes becomes obvious to reduce the use of antibi-
time in such a strong extent, the dorsal nasal turbinate and the otics, to avoid milk discard in relationship with milk antibiotic
ethmoidal area. residues and to avoid footrot related discomfort.
After the death of the animal, a post-mortem examination The aim of the study was to assess the immediate impact
was performed. When sectioning the head sagittally, an in- on milk production of vaccination against footrot in lactating
flammation of the ventral and dorsal nasal turbinates of both ewes.
nasal cavities were observed. When the dorsal turbinate from Materials & Methods: Forty-four lactating ewes were in-
the right side was removed, different polypoid formations cluded and randomised (milk production) in one farm with no
could be observed. history of footrot. Twenty-two ewes were vaccinated subcuta-
Histopathological study of the swollen turbinates revealed neously with the inactivated multivalent footrot vaccine (Foot-
a thickened nasal mucosa and an epithelium composed of vax®, MSD Animal Health) on D0 and D28 and twenty-two
several layers of disorganized epithelial cells. All the tissue received a saline solution (negative control or NaCl group) on
presented a chronic inflammation. The lamina propia was the same days. During the period following the vaccine injec-
expanded and densely infiltrated by plasma cells and a few tions, the milk production was individually measured daily for
macrophages. The intracellular presence of the bacteria in the 42 days after the first injection.
epithelium and the lamina propia was also confirmed by immu- Results: First administration of the vaccine (D0):
nohistochemistry of the affected tissue. Cumulative milk yield by ewe (L/Ewe) was 2.9% lower in
Both the microbiological (culture) and molecular (qPCR) the vaccinated group (38.6 ± 4.9 L and 39.8 ± 6.1 L respective-
study of the samples taken from the affected tissue of both tur- ly) from 0 to 14 days after vaccination. Moreover, both groups
binates revealed a massive presence of Salmonella enterica showed similar time curve of mean milk yield during the first 2
subsp. diarizonae, which was typified as serovar 61:k:1,5,(7). days after product administration. After that, the average daily
milk yield in the vaccinated group was slightly below the aver-
Discussion/conclusions (literature; acknoledgments):
age daily milk yield in the NaCl group until 12 days after vacci-
Chronic proliferative rhinitis is becoming a more commonly di-
nation when milk production was recovered in the vaccinated
agnosed disease, not only in Spain, but also in other countries
group compared to the NaCl group.
in Europe and America. To date, in all the descriptions made
of this disease the ventral turbinate was always affected unilat- Second administration of the vaccine (D28):
erally or bilaterally and only minor changes were observed in Time curve of mean milk yield per ewe in the vaccinated
dorsal turbinate or ethmoidal area. In the case here reported, a group decreased sharply the day after product administration
detailed description is made of the condition of the dorsal and until D31 (i.e. 3 days after vaccination) compared to the curve
partially ethmoidal turbinate, showing how this bacterium can in the NaCl group. There was a significant decrease in milk
deepen the respiratory tract, affecting more seriously internal yield of 8.8% in the vaccinated group compared to the NaCl
structures. group from D28 till D42. The milk yield in the vaccinated group

398
increased to the same yield of the NaCl group from D32 to 2300 breeding ewes. In total 44,000 sheep were vaccinated.
D39, demonstrating once again that vaccination led only to During the 6-9 months of the study, this targeted approach
transient milk reduction and was fully recovered 11 days after more than halved average flock lameness from 13% (range
vaccination. 3-40%) to 5% (range 1-15%). This is compared to a nation-
The second vaccination can be considered as a worst- al reduction in lameness prevalence over 17 years from 11%
case safety scenario which will in veterinary field practice not (2004) to 3.2% (2021). Among the participating farmers, 33%
that often occur in lactating ewes, because the basic repeated were previously unaware of the Five Point Plan, while 54%
vaccination schedule is normally given to lambs at a younger considered there were difficulties in implementing parts of the
age. Five Point Plan on their farm.
Conclusion: Vaccination against ovine footrot (Footvax®, The majority of participating farmers (97%) said they found
MSD Animal Health) in lactating ewes led to a transient and the project and subsequent veterinary engagement useful and
slight decrease in milk production of 2.9 %, which recovered 95% said they would continue to implement the Five Point
around 11 days after the first administration. From this, it is Plan. Moreover, 82% of farmers stated that they would contin-
clear that the milk loss due to vaccination is very moderate ue to vaccinate their sheep against footrot.
compared to potential footrot related negative consequences Conclusion: Significant gains can be made in a short pe-
such as economic impact, extra antimicrobial use and extra riod of time with concentrated focus between vet and farmer
labour. on lameness in sheep flocks. The Five Point Plan has been
Keywords: Ovine footrot, vaccination, lactation, transient demonstrated to be a highly effective way in which to reduce
effect, anti microbial reduction. lameness and this study demonstrates that farmers value vet-
erinary engagement in this area. It highlights a simple, sig-
nificant opportunity for veterinarian-farmer engagement to in-
crease the use of the Five Point Plan and reduce lameness on
sheep farms.
SR-25 Keywords: Sheep, lameness, footrot, vaccination.
The impact of veterinarian-farmer engagement on sheep

lameness: a clinical impressions study
Alexandra Ashworth, Rebecca Cole, Hannah Mckerrow, Bridget
Girvan, Liz Cresswell. SR-29
MSD Animal Health, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. Cost-benefit analysis of ultrasonographic pregnancy
diagnosis in dairy ewes in Greece: a simulation study.
Objectives: The objective of the study was to encourage Georgios E. Valergakis, Panagiota Kazana, Sofia-Afroditi Termat-
vets and farmers to engage with reducing sheep lameness in zidou, Aikaterini Soufleri, Nektarios Siachos, Georgios Arsenos,
UK flocks and to increase implementation of the ‘Five Point Alexandros Kougioumtzis.
Plan’ (developed by Food Animal Initiative farms in 2014 and
adopted as the UK national strategy for tackling lameness in Laboratory of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,
sheep). School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124
Thessaloniki, Greece, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Materials & Methods: Between January and June 2020
veterinary practices across the UK were approached by con-
venience sampling to assess interest in participation in a clin- Objectives: Ultrasonography is widely used for pregnan-
ical impressions study. Veterinarians were required to carry cy diagnosis in sheep; however, in order to be cost-effective,
out a visit to each enrolled farm to work through the Five Point pre-lambing feeding strategies must be accordingly adapted.
Plan and identify measures which could be taken to reduce The objective of this study was to perform a cost-benefit anal-
lameness on an individual flock basis. A veterinary assess- ysis of ultrasonographic pregnancy diagnosis (UPD) in dairy
ment of lameness prevalence was undertaken and where pos- ewes in Greece, based on different fertility outcomes and
sible, farm medicine and treatment records consulted to estab- feeding management strategies.
lish antibiotic usage. Individual flock-level data were retained Materials and Methods: This simulation study was based
by the veterinarian to maintain confidentiality. The participating on available local milk recording schemes’ data. For 100 ewes
farms were provided with a primary course of Dichelobacter entering the milking period and after accounting for barren
nodosus vaccine (Footvax®, MSD Animal Health) to be ad- ones, abortion during the last 2.5 months of gestation, losses
ministered to each animal in the flock. A subsequent visit was at lambing and ewe culling at the end of the lamb-rearing peri-
carried out by the veterinarian 6-9 months later to reassess od due to mastitis and low milk production, a flock size of 120
lameness, and medicine and treatment records. An anony- ewes at the beginning of the breeding period was considered.
mised questionnaire was distributed to all participants to gain The 2.5-month breeding period was divided in 4 successive
feedback on farmer perceptions of the impact of the study on conception sub-periods (CSP), each lasting 17 days. Fertility
lameness in their flocks. outcomes included 2 levels of barren ewes (5% and 10%) and
Results: Twenty-seven veterinary practices were recruit- 3 conception patterns in respective CSPs: a) early (E: 82.5%-
ed. Veterinarians from these practices enrolled a total of 70 17.5%-0.0%-0.0%), medium (M: 51.0%-41.0%-8.0%-0.0%)
farms. Average flock size was 630 with a range from 60 to and delayed (D: 25.0%-35.0%-28.0%-12.0%). For the simula-

399
tion, UPD was performed twice, 45 days after the start of the SR-30
breeding season and 30 days after its end; pregnancy status
and number of fetuses would therefore be established for all Surgical treatment of abomasal impaction in goat
ewes. At the first UPD visit, all ewes would be examined while Ana Paula Abreu Mendonça, Leticia Hirata Mendes, José Ricardo
at the second one, only those previously found empty or dubi- Barboza Silva, Nathalia Cardoso De Sousa, Lucas Vinícius De Oliveira
ous (10% of positives). Each UPD visit was charged 20€ plus Ferreira, Juliana De Moura Alonso, Carlos Alberto Hussni, Ana Liz
0.75€ per ewe examined, resulting in total expenses of 140€, Garcia Alves, Marcos Jun Watanabe, Celso Antonio Rodrigues.
155€ and 180€, for the 3 conception patterns, respectively.
Barren ewes were removed from the simulated flocks immedi- School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo State
ately after the second UPD visit and no feed was allocated to University - FMVZ - UNESP, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil, Brazil.
them thereafter, nor any expense on preventive health man-
agement (vaccinations, treatments for parasites etc; 1.5€ per
Information about disorders of abomasum in goats are
ewe) was considered. Pregnant ewes of all fertility outcomes
scarce and the aim of this report is to describe the success
were virtually allocated in either 2 or 3 feeding groups. When
of abomasotomy as a treatment of abomasal impaction in a
allocated in 2 groups, and for the 3 conception patterns, these
goat. An 8-month-old goat weighing 33kg was referred to the
consisted of: a) E, ewes conceiving at the first and second
School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science - UNESP,
CSP, b) M, ewes conceiving at the first and second+third CSP
Brazil with an apathy and decreased appetite four days ago.
and c) D, ewes conceiving at the fisrt+second and third+fourth
According to clinical history, the diet consisted of crushed hay
CSP. When allocated in 3 groups: a) E, ewes conceiving at
ad libitum and 300g of ration bran. Clinical examination re-
the first CSP bearing a single lamb, those conceiving at the
vealed apathy, pale mucous membranes, ruminal hypomotility,
first CSP bearing twin lambs and those conceiving at the sec-
reduced faecal output, tense abdomen with distension of the
ond CSP, b) M, ewes conceiving at the first, second and third
ventral quadrants and loss of ruminal stratification. Increased
CSP, and c) D, ewes conceiving at the fisrt+second, third and
chloride ion concentration (67 mEq/L) evidenced by rumen
fourth CSP. The feeding plan included a maintenance period
fluid analysis was indicative of abomasum-ruminal reflux and
(starting from the second UPD until 6 weeks before presumed
as well as compatible with the observed metabolic acidosis.
lambing), and a 3-period step-up pre-lambing program each
Transabdominal ultrasonography revealed dense hyperecho-
lasting 2 weeks as proposed by INRA-2019. Rations were
formulated according to INRA-2019 recommendations using ic content in ventral field of the left abdomen corresponding
alfalfa hay, wheat straw, corn grain, wheat bran, soybean meal to the location of all abomasum, thus suggest an abomasal
and a mineral/vitamin supplement. Cost of maintenance, step- impaction. The animal underwent exploratory laparotomy by
1, step-2 and step-3 rations (for ewes carrying twin lambs) the left flank, which revealed an empty rumen, distended and
were 0.24, 0.29, 0.36 and 0.44€, per ewe per day, respec- compacted abomasum occupying much of the abdominal cav-
tively. For conception pattern E, cost for single-lamb carrying ity. In contrast to the treatments described, by severe disten-
ewes were 0.29, 0.33 and 0.39€, for step-1, step-2 and step-3 sion of abomasum, we opted for an abomasotomy followed
rations, respectively. by emptying of the viscera, removing about 7 kg of the digest.
In addition to constant monitoring, antimicrobial medication
When combining CSPs, feeding of step-3 ration started
with ceftiofur (5mg/kg; IV once daily; six days) associated with
with the earliest lambing ewes and lasted until the end of this
gentamicin (6.6mg/kg; IV; once daily; six days) and analgesic
sub-group’s lambing period. All the above fertility scenarios
with flunixin meglumine (2.2mg/kg; IV; once daily; four days)
were compared to identical ones with no UPD and no cull-
was performed postoperatively vitamin B1 (2mL; SC; once
ing of barren ewes; the start of the 3-period step-up feeding
daily; five days), dexamethasone (0.2mg/kg; IV; once daily;
program for all ewes was based on the starting date of the
two days), transfaunation and calcium replacement for six
breeding period and the step-3 ration was fed to all ewes until
days. Furthermore, was performed the prokinetic to stimulate
they lambed. Costs were calculated accordingly. Results are
abomasal emptying like bromopride (20mg; IM; three times a
reported as differences per 100 ewes between UPD and no
day; three days), metoclopramide (0.2mg/kg; SC; three times
pregnancy diagnosis scenarios.
a day; two days), and promethazine (0.5mg/kg; IM; twice daily;
Results: Net benefit of UPD for the E pattern with 2 feed- four days). Although the goat defecated normally on the sec-
ing management groups was 200€ and 480€, for 5% and 10% ond postoperative day, abomasal emptying remained reduced
barren ewes, respectively. Forming 3 groups would increase to auscultation. Thus, with clinical suspicion of posterior func-
benefit to 240€ and 530€, respectively. For conception pat- tional stenosis, the atropine test and radiographic examination
tern M, net benefit was 300€/580€ and 330€/610€, respective- of the thorax and abdomen were performed, and they revealed
ly. For conception pattern D, net benefit was 240€/460€ and
no changes. After 14 days after surgery, the goat no longer
510€/760€, respectively.
presented abomasal motility changes, being discharged with
Conclusion: Ultrasonographic pregnancy diagnosis is recommendations to provide good quality food and water. The
cost-effective when results are used to adapt grouping and abomasotomy associated with viscera emptying and support-
feeding management. When conception is delayed, the forma- ive therapy resulted in the successful treatment of a goat af-
tion of 3 feeding groups is highly recommended. fected by abomasal impaction in the present study.
Keywords: Ultrasonography, pregnancy diagnosis, sheep. Keywords: Abomasotomy, abomasal disorder, small
ruminant.

400
SR-31 gest that both lesions, respiratory and dermatologic, were

caused by the sporidesmin produced by the fungus Pithomy-
Obstructive rhinopathy associated with chronic ces chartarum. Pithomycotoxicosis (facial eczema) has been
pithomycotoxicosis in sheep well studied as a seasonal hepatogenous photosensitisation
Marina Pomar1, Clara Aguado1, Helena Bertran1, Laia Del Olmo1, of sheep caused by the ingestion of sporidesmin contained in
Pablo Quílez1, Sixena Villellas1, Ane Rivas2, Ane Garziandia3, Raúl the spores of the fungus Pithomyces chartarum. However, to
A. Reséndiz1, Enrique Castells4, Vicente González5, Marcelo De Las the knowledge of the authors, respiratory clinical signs have
Heras1. not been reported to date associated with this disease.
Keywords: Sheep, pithomycotoxicosis, facial eczema.
1
Facultad de Veterinaria Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain;
2
Veterinary Practitioner, Basque Country, Spain; 3Gomiztegi koop,
Basque Country, Spain; 4Centro Clínico Veterinario, Zaragoza, Spain;
5
Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón,
Zaragoza, Spain.
SR-32
Objective: Two sheep were received at the Clinical Ser- The Effects of Oxytocin and PGF2α Injections on Semen
vice of Ruminants of the University of Zaragoza (SCRUM) with Quality and Libido in Buck
respiratory and dermatologic clinical signs. A complete clinical
Cigdem Cebi Sen1, Koray Tekin2, Beste Cil2, Ergun Akcay2.
examination was performed, emphasising the respiratory tract
and skin lesions to arrive at a final diagnosis. 1
Dep. of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Faculty of
The practitioners reported that most of the flock animals Veterinary Medicine University of Harran, Şanliurfa, Turkey, Sanliurfa,
presented upper tract respiratory clinical signs. Turkey; 2Dep. of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Faculty of
Veterinary Medicine University of Ankara, Ankara, Turkey.
The objective of this work is the clinical and aetiological
study of a case characterised by an inspiratory dyspnea,
which affected a herd kept in an extensive regime, located in Objectives: The use of assisted reproductive techniques
the north of Spain. in goat breeding provides additional advantages for cryopres-
Materials and methods: The sheep came from a dairy ervation and artificial insemination. In some cases, certain an-
farm located in Anzuela, Basque Country, and were reared in imals constantly have a high libido and good semen quality for
an extensive production system, grazing most of the year, ex- evaluation, freezing or insemination, while others are reluctant
cept the winter months. for collection and have low quality ejaculates with decreased
volume and concentration or other inadequate spermatologi-
After their arrival at the SCRUM, the protocol was as fol-
cal characteristics. During the last decades, specific hormones
lows: clinical examination, highlighting in detail the signs or
(oxytocin, prostaglandins, testosterone and GnRH) were in-
lesions presented by the animal, haematology, biochemistry,
troduced to increase the sperm output, quality of male-related
computed tomography and postmortem examination.
reproductive deficiencies and to regulate the breeding activity.
Result: The animals showed inspiratory dyspnea with a The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of
characteristic respiratory noise, had bilateral serous nasal dis- exogenous oxytocin and PGF2α on seminal quality and libido
charge and an enlarged submandibular lymph nodes. In one sexualis in bucks.
of the animals, different skin lesions with alopecias and scabs
Materials and methods: This study was conducted ac-
in the dorsal area of the face, eyelids and ears were noticed.
cording to ethical laws and regulation of Ankara university
Blood biochemistry showed an elevation in gamma-glutamyl
animal experiments local ethics committee. 20 Norduz bucks
transferase, alanine aminotransferase, and lipase.
(3-4 years of age) were barned at Research Farm of Anka-
The computerised tomography scan revealed an increase ra University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (40°05’53.5”N
of the soft tissue on the rostral part with variable degrees 32°37’19.6”E). The bucks were maintained under the constant
of obstruction of the meatuses of the nasal cavities in both nutritional regime and with water ad libitum. To investigate the
sheep. Both nasal cavities were generally blocked with differ- role of these hormones on male fertility, semen samples from
ent degrees of severity. Intravenous injection of contrast did 20 Norduz bucks (3-4 years of age) were collected with an
not result in the differentiation enhancement. artificial vagina twice a week with five replications in breeding
Necropsy detected intense liver atrophy and fibrosis asso- season. Bucks were randomly assigned to five groups, control
ciated with chronic pithomycotoxicosis in the studied sheep. group was administered with 2 mL of sodium chloride, 0.9%
It confirmed slight elevations and roughness on the alar folds (w/v)) i.m., whilst the experimental groups were administered
and close nasal areas in all sheep. Histopathology of the na- with oxytocin 10 IU, i.v. (Group 1, n = 5), oxytocin 20 IU, i.v.
sal lesions using histochemical and immunohistochemical (Group 2, n = 5), PGF2α 5 mg, i.m. (Group 3, n = 5) or PGF2α
techniques to study connective tissue, identified moderate to 10 mg, i.m. (Group 4, n = 5) 20 min before each collection. The
severe arteriosclerosis in the small arteries investigated with behavioural signs of libido (leg kicking, sniffing, vocalization,
fibrosis and oedema. These lesions were similar to the ones flehmen reaction, mounting without thrust and mounting with
described in blood vessels of the liver in chronic pithomycotox- ejaculation) were recorded as the total score for libido. Semen
icosis and our cases. The results of this study suggest a direct volume, total sperm motility, sperm concentration, sperm mor-
action of the sporidesmin on this area of the nasal cavity. phology, membrane integrity and pH were recorded.
Conclusions: The clinical and postmortem findings sug- Results: According to obtained results, there was not any

401
statistical difference between the dosage groups regarding attoir and cecum digesta was collected from 2 representative
motility. However, in terms of semen volume, concentration, lambs per pen. Data was analyzed using the MIXED proce-
abnormal spermatozoa rate, intact membrane rate, and libi- dure of SAS Studio (v3.81) with pen as the experimental unit,
do test, results were statistically significant among the differ- dose as fixed effect and block as random effect. Orthogonal
ent dose groups (P<0.05). Average semen volume of Group contrasts were included to test for linear and quadratic trends,
two (1.34±0.16 mL) was found significantly higher than other and control (dose 0) vs. HFCG (rest of the doses).
groups, whereas mean values of PGF2α groups (Group-3 and Results: There were no differences on final body weight or
Group-4) were found lower than control value (P<0.05). When average daily gain. Cecum digesta pH, dry matter content, and
the concentration was taken into account, Group two has ammonia concentration were not different among treatments.
statistically higher mean value than PGF2α groups. For ab- Butyrate and total VFAs molar concentrations increased (22
normal spermatozoa rate, a significant increase in Group one and 10%, respectively; P ≤ 0.15) in HFCG-supplemented
was observed regarding other groups. A significant decrease lambs compared to controls. However, no differences in VFA
of mean intact membrane percentages was evident at Group concentrations were detected when normalized to dry matter
four comparing to group one. A significant increase in libido content.
evaluation scores for oxytocin groups (3.04±0.64; 3.2±0.5)
Conclusions: Overall, these results show signs of altered
was observed The bucks, which were administered PGF2α,
hindgut fermentation in response to HFCG supplementation.
were reluctant for mating and showed a decrease in libido.
We hypothesize that the application period was too short to
Thus, it might have enhanced hyperthermic and psychological
adequately detect differences in response to supplementation,
stress in animals. Therefore, the duration of ejaculation was
as it has been previously demonstrated that relatively long
longer in PGF2α groups than the other groups.
treatments (~56d) are necessary to influence hindgut ecolo-
Conclusions: In conclusion, administration of 20 IU oxy- gy and improve performance in beef and dairy cattle.
tocin twenty min before the semen collection have increased
Keywords: Gluconate, hindgut, ruminants.
both the semen volume and the concentration of spermatozoa
in bucks. Administration of oxytocin has increased the libido
although there were not any improvements in semen quality.
In contrast to oxytocin, PGF2α administration has led to a de-
crease of libido and has detrimental effects on semen quality.
We concluded that administration of oxytocin stimulates sexu-
al behaviour and performance in bucks.
Keywords: Buck, Libido, Oxytocin, PGF2α, Semen quality.
SR-33
Effects of hydrogenated fat-embedded calcium gluconate

on performance and intestinal parameters in growing
lambs
M.V. Sanz-Fernández1, I.P.C. De Carvalho1, D.J. Seymour1, J.M. Bello
Dronda2, J. Doelman1, J. Martín-Tereso1.
1
Trouw Nutrition, Amersfoort, Netherlands; 2Nanta, Tres Cantos,
Spain.
Introduction: Upon fermentation in the hindgut, the prebi-

otic gluconic acid and its salts have shown benefits on growth
in monogastric species, attributed to changes in fermentation
patterns and volatile fatty acid (VFA) production.
Objectives: The objective of the current study was to eval-
uate the effects of rumen-protected hydrogenated fat-embed-
ded calcium gluconate (HFCG) on performance and intestinal
parameters in a model of growing ruminants.
Materials and methods: A total of 300 male Rasa Ara-
gonesa feedlot lambs were enrolled in a dose response study
divided in 2 identical rounds. Within round, animals were
blocked by body weight at arrival (20.1 ± 2.0 Kg) and randomly
assigned to pens corresponding to 1 of 5 HFCG supplemen-
tation doses (0, 0.4, 0.75, 1.5, or 3 g/lamb/d). After 20 d of
supplementation, lambs were slaughtered at a commercial ab-

402
ORAL — Surgery
SU-01 the caudolateral aspect of the Tympanic Bulla.The interior of

the Tympanic Cavity was then visualised with a dark green-
Lateral Approach to Subtotal Bulla Osteotomy and brown coloured membranous lining (it is transparent in the
Horizontal Ear Canal Ablation to ameliorate head tilt due normal state ).
to Chronic Otitis Media attributed to Mycoplasma bovis
Curettage of the thickened diseased membranous lining
infection
of the tympanic bulla was performed ( particularly difficult off
Mike Kerby. the medial wall) and an in-dwelling fenestrated cannula and
Penrose drain inserted within the Tympanic Cavity, the former
Delaware Veterinary Group, Castle Cary, Somerset, United Kingdom.
exiting through the skin rostro-dorsal to the incision site at the
ear pinna level and the latter exiting vental to the incision site .
Objective: Otitis media caused by Mycoplasma bovis in- Post-operative treatment comprised twice daily 1% povi-
fection is well recognised in young calves in the UK and most done-iodine solution flushing for 4 days, 6 days NSAID’s[ 2.2
of the World (Foster et al., 2009 ) ,usually resulting in head tilt mg/kg Flunixin meglumine daily for 3 days(Cronyxin, Bimeda
which may not respond to antimicrobial therapy with or without ) then 0.5 mg/kg Meloxicam (Metacam, Boehringer Ingelheim
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID’s).This paper Ltd.) on day4 after surgery ] and 10 days antimicrobial cover
describes a surgical approach to attempt amelioration of the [ 8.75 mg/kg amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (Synulox RTU, Zoetis
degree of head tilt in a pedigree Guernsey heifer and is be- UK Ltd. )].
lieved to be the first such recorded in the UK.
The irrigation cannula was removed on day 5 post-oper-
Materials and Method: A 5 month-old Guernsey heif- atively and the Penrose drain on day 7 (when no further fluid
er with head tilt of 3 months’ duration was referred in early was draining ).
February 2015 having been diagnosed with otitis media in
Results: On the day of discharge (Day 13 post surgery)
November 2014 when seroconversion to Mycoplasma bovis
the degree of head tilt had reduced to approx. 25 degrees and
was reportedly demonstrated by the referring veterinarian and
6 weeks post-operatively was 15 degrees ( reported by the
having undergone various antimicrobial treatments with and
referring veterinarian) and 10 degrees by August 2015.
without NSAID’s.
Conclusion: This procedure can be considered as a via-
On initial examination, the degree of head tilt to the hor-
ble option to correct major head tilt deviation in cases due to
izontal was approximately 75 degrees to the right. Otosco-
chronic otitis media.
py revealed a ruptured tympanic membrane.Radiographs
showed an increased density within the right tympanic bulla References:
but no abnormalities in the cervical vertebrae. Foster,A.P.,Naylor, R.D.,Howie, N.M., Nicholas,R.A.,Ay-
A lateral approach to subtotal bulla osteotomy (adapted ling,R.D. (2009) Mycoplasma bovis and otitis in dairy calves in
from a technique described in dogs by Smeak and Inpan- the UK Vet.J. 179 (3):455-457.
butr,2005) along with horizontal ear canal ablation was per- Smeak D.D. and Inpanbutr N. (2005) Lateral Approach to
formed under general anaesthesia. Subtotal Bulla Osteotomy in Dogs. Compendium pp 377-384.
Induction was with Xylazine (0.2 mg/kg Rompun, Bayer Keywords: Head tilt correction, Mycoplasma bovis.
plc) and Ketamine (0 mg/kg. Narketan, Vetoquinol UK Ltd.
followed by intubation and maintenance with Oxygen and
Isoflurane (Merial Animal Health Ltd.).The right auriculo-pal-
pebral nerve was anaesthetised pre-operatively with Procaine
Hydrochloride (Adrenacaine, Norbrook) . Flunixin meglumine SU-02
was given intravenously (2.2 mg/kg, Cronyxin , Bimeda).
The horizontal ear canal cartilage was identified by pal- Association between hyperglycemia and survival in adult
pation and a 15 cm incision made in a dorso-ventral direc- cattle affected by acute gastro-intestinal disorders
tion caudal to the base of the ear.This cartilaginous ear canal Isabella Nicola, André Desrochers, Sylvain Nichols, David Francoz,
was dissected out - care was taken to avoid the Facial Nerve Marie Babkine, Julie Berman, Gilles Fecteau.
emerging from the Stylomastoid Foramen located ventral to
the mastoid process sited at 11 o’clock relative to the osse- Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Canada.
ous ear canal (the stylomastoid foramen is separated from the
External Auditory Meatus (EAM) by a distinct,readily palpable, Objective: To evaluate the association between glycemia
sharp bony ridge along the caudal edge of the EAM ). and short-term outcome in adult cattle with acute gastro-intes-
Blunt dissection of the soft tissue was performed from the tinal disorders (AGID).
lateral and ventral aspects of the Tympanic Bulla with eleva- Material and methods: We reviewed medical record of
tors.The ventro-lateral floor of the osseous EAM was then re- adult dairy and beef cattle (> 24 months), presented to the
moved using rongeurs; the soft tissue lining of the EAM was Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Université de Montréal
teased from the osseous EAM compartment ; bone removal between January 1st, 2015 and December 31st, 2019 and
was continued ventrally into the ventral tympanic cavity. diagnosed with an AGID. The type and diagnosis of the AGID
The area where the Facial Nerve runs was protected and (strangulating, non-strangulating and haemorrhagic bowel
the palpable sharp bony ridge removed at the caudal edge of syndrome (HBS)) were established based on the clinical
the osseous ear canal followed by continued bone removal on examination, the abdominal ultrasonography findings, the sur-

403
ORAL — Surgery
gery and/or the necropsy findings. All cattle with a serum bio- leakiness of vulva. It could lead to excessive starching of va-
chemistry profile, including glycemia, performed at admission gina, accumulation of urine and mucosal irritation conducted
were included. Exclusion criteria were: cattle treated with dex- chronical inflammation of genital track causing infertility. Sur-
trose, propylene glycol or dexamethasone prior to admission. gery targeted on restoration of labial closure could be an effec-
Glycemia, heart rate, packed cell volume, urea, creatinine, tive method of pneumovagina treatment.
total proteins, lactates and category of lesion (strangulating, The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of peri-
non-strangulating, HBS) were evaluated as possible predict- neoplastic surgery as a method of treatment of pneumovagina
ors for short-term outcome (discharge or not from the hospi- in dairy cows.
tal) in a logistic regression model. The association between Materials and methods: The study was performed be-
category of lesions and clinical as well as laboratory findings tween November 2018 to February 2020 in two regions of
was evaluated with a general linear model followed by Tukey’s Poland in 36 family farms on 60 dairy cows with diagnosed
post-hoc tests. P was set at 0.05. pneumovagina. Before every surgery, rectal palpation and ul-
Results: Overall, 197 records were evaluated and 112 trasound examination of genital track were performed to ex-
were selected. Median (interquartile range (IQR)) values of clude other pathologies than pneumovagina. In the presence
glycemia for animals with positive (79%) and negative out- of pathological discharge together with pneumovagina, intra-
come (21%) were 6.7 mmol/L (IQR: 5.3-9.3) and 8.15 mmol/L uterine antibiotic infusion (gentamycine, 20 mg/animal) was
(IQR: 6.6-10.7), respectively. Median values of glycemia for performed before operation. Premedication before surgery
animal with strangulating (26%), non-strangulating (59%) and was performed with xylazine (2 mg / 100 kg of body weight
HBS lesions (15%) were 7.4 mmol/L (IQR: 5.8-9.3); 6.65 mmol- (BW)) and epidural anesthesia with procaine (20 mg / 100
/l (IQR: 5.3-9.3) and 8.8 mmol/L (IQR: 7.3-10.7), respectively. kg BW). The incision was carried out at the border between
Glycemia was associated with non-survival in the univariable the skin and mucous membrane of the labia from the dorsal
analysis (OR 1.16; 95% CI: 1.035, 1.30, p < 0.05), but not in symphysis to the bottom of the designated area. Then muco-
the multivariable analysis. In the multivariable analysis, only sa and submucosal tissue were prepared to create the vault
decreased total proteins (OR 0.94; 95% CI: 0.89, 0.99), in- limiting new, reduced labial closure. In simply case there was
creased creatinine (OR 1.01; 95%CI: 1.001; 1.017) and cat- no tissue removal. In more complicated cases, scar tissue
egory of lesions (HBS OR 1.56 compared to strangulating le- was resected and labial structure was reconstructed. Then,
sions 95% CI: 1.12, 19.96) were associated with non-survival the dissected tissues were sutured with three layers of sutures
(p < 0.05). Interestingly, urea and glycemia were significantly with absorbable PGA monofilament USP 2. The first layer was
higher with HBS compared to non-strangulating lesions (p < made with Lambert's or Cushing’s suture to connect the vulva
0.05). Urea was significantly higher with HBS compared with mucosa. The second one was joined with a straight or inter-
strangulating lesions (p < 0.05). rupted suture. The skin was connected with an intradermal su-
ture. At least a two-week recovery period was recommended
Conclusion: Glycemia is an easily obtainable parameter
after surgery before insemination.
in field setting. It was not a predictor for short-term survival
in our study. However, glycemia was increased in cases with Results: By the end of February 2020, pregnancy was
a negative outcome and specifically for HBS. Further pro- confirmed in 41 out of 60 operated cows (68 %). In 19 patients
spective studies are needed in order to elucidate the valid- (46 % of pregnant cows), the first artificial insemination (AI) af-
ity of glycemia as a prognostic tool in different type of acute ter the procedure was successful, in some cases two, three or
gastro-intestinal disorders. four AIs were necessary. There was no postoperative compli-
cation as extended healing, oedema or abscesses. Among all
Keywords: Hyperglycemia, gastro-intestinal disorders,
cows already delivered in 4 cases there was a vulvar rupture
surgery, haemorrhagic bowel syndrome, cattle.
during parturition following perineoplastic surgery.
Conclusions: Perineoplastic surgery is an effective meth-
od of pneumovagina treatment in dairy cows. It allows to re-
store labial closure without creating large scar limiting vulvar
elasticity.
SU-03
Keywords: Pneumovagina, surgery, bovine.
Perineoplastic surgery for the treatment of pneumovagina
in dairy cows
Jacek Mrowiec1, Dawid Król2, Oskar Pietrasina3.
1
Hipra Polska Sp. z o. o., Warszawa, Poland; 2Wroclaw University of SU-04
Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland; 3Ovet, Koźmin
Wielkopolski, Poland. Teat lesions – Retrospective data evaluation of 116 German
Holstein Cows – Case collection of the Clinic for Ruminants
and Swine Leipzig
Objectives: The infertility associated with anatomical dis-
orders seems to be greatly underestimated in bovine medi- Kaiser Matthias, Starke Alexander.
cine. The genital tracts injuries and scars are the main source
Clinic for Ruminants and Swine, Leipzig, Germany.
of anatomical and physiological dysfunction often caused by
peri-calving disturbances. Pneumovagina is a condition asso-
ciated with air aspiration into vagina, usually caused by the

404
ORAL — Surgery
Objective: The management and treatment of teat inju-

ries represent major challenges in modern dairy farming. The
objective of this study was to create guidelines for practicing
veterinarians for the treatment and management based on the
evaluation of a large data set.
Materials and Methods: The data from patients from the
Clinic for Ruminants and Swine were analysed in a retrospec-
tive study. The location and type of injury, initial and postoper-
ative medication and treatment and outcome were analysed.
Results: The teat canal was the most common location
of injuries (70.8%), and closed injuries (without an external
wound) were the most frequent type (59.8%). Of all teat canal
injuries, 54.2% were internal and did not involve the skin. Most
of these injuries were treated under theloscopic guidance di-
rectly after initial examination irrespective of concomitant dis-
orders, such as thelitis (except severe acute), cysternitis and
mastitis. The majority of treated teats (87.4%) had functional
healing and could be milked, 7.5% of injured teats were ampu-
tated and the remaining had functional healing after a second
surgery. After at least 700 days post-treatment, owners were
asked about the outcome. Fifty percent of the nonsurgically
treated cows and 21.5% of the surgically treated cows had
been slaughtered because of complications associated with
the treated teat or the corresponding quarter. High-volume
caudal epidural anaesthesia using xylazine provided adequate
analgesia during surgery. A tilt table was found to be very con-
venient and safe for both the cow and the surgeon and useful
for restraint of standing cows or cows in lateral recumbency.
Conclusion and Clinical Relevance: Teat injuries are com-
monly seen in dairy practice. A successful outcome can be
obtained when surgical or medical treatment is given promptly
and appropriate postoperative therapy and monitoring are car-
ried out.
Keywords: Cattle, Surgery, Udder, Pain management.

405
ORAL — Teaching and Continuing Education
TE-01 TE-02
Use of a serious game in teaching bovine veterinarians Veterinary student attitudes towards careers in the
clinical communication skills: a pilot study production animal sector
Linda Dorrestein1, Jolanda Jansen2, Tessa Plagis2, Caroline Ritter3, Emily Payne, Kate Cobb, John Oldham, John Remnant.
Herman Barkema1.
University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, United Kingdom.
Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary
1
Medical Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada; 2St Anna

Objectives: Challenges with recruiting and retaining vet-
Advies, Nijmegen, Netherlands; 3Department of Health Management,
erinarians in rural and farm animal practice are widely report-
Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, ed. The aim of this study was to identify the factors influencing
Charlottetown, Canada. veterinary undergraduate students’ interest in pursuing a ca-
reer in production animal veterinary practice.
Objectives: Effective communication can aid bovine Materials and methods: An electronic questionnaire was
veterinarians in improving client relationships in herd health distributed to all veterinary students in the United Kingdom and
consultancy, improving client satisfaction, adherence to veter- Republic of Ireland. The questionnaire contained questions
inary advice and patient welfare and health. Communication collecting demographic data, likert style items, and categorical
skills are often taught using traditional role-play training, which questions on interest in farm animal careers and factors influ-
has limitations, e.g., time constraints, assessments and cost. encing these decisions. There were also free text questions
The Veterinary DialogueTrainer (VDT) is a new tool mitigat- used to gather qualitative data on these topics. The results
ing these barriers. It is a serious game platform using ‘digit- were analysed using a mixed methods approach, with induc-
al role-play’ with avatars, developed to enhance and assess tive thematic analysis used to interpret the qualitative data and
learning outcomes, improve use of learned skills, and increase descriptive statistics performed on the quantitative data.
cost-effectiveness of communication training. The objective of Results: There were responses from 1146 veterinary stu-
this pilot study was to determine suitability and applicability for dents (representing a response rate of approximately 20%),
using the VDT. with responses received from all veterinary schools and all
Materials and Methods: Twenty-four Finnish bovine vet- years of study. Free text responses were provided by over
erinarians participated in a communication training using the 90% of respondents.
VDT for training and assessment. After playing the simulation The factors most identified as influencing the respondents’
participants received scores and feedback on selected con- desire to work in farm practice or not were their personal in-
versation options. VDT scores measure multiple aspects of terests, and their experiences on extra mural studies (work
communication on a 0-100% scale, based on motivational experience carried out as part of the veterinary course). There
interviewing methodology and Calgary-Cambridge guidelines. were differences between factors listed as positive and nega-
Participants completed the provided simulation at least twice. tive between those keen to pursue a farm animal career and
Results: Mean (±SD) number of attempts participants those that that weren’t (p<0.05), although in both groups work-
played the scenario was 4.1 (±2.6), with highest total score ing conditions were the most frequent factor that didn’t appeal)
reached after a mean of 3.7 (±2.0) attempts. All participants Thematic analysis generated seven major themes relating
scored <50% at the first attempt of playing the scenario, where- to decision making regarding farm animal veterinary practice:
as most participants (n=22) increased their initial score at the relationships, preferences and interest, fit, direct experience,
second attempt. Mean score increased from 15% (±14%) to fear, ethics and values and lifestyle. These themes will be de-
43% (±29%) (paired T-test, p < 0.001) and the majority (n=17) scribed and illustrated with quotes.
of participants was able to reach a score >80% after 4.0 (±1.6) Conclusions: Veterinary students’ decisions whether to
attempts. pursue a career in farm animal practice are heavily influenced
Conclusion: Communication skills scores increased by their own personal interest and their experiences seeing
when using the VDT. Whether increased communication skills practice. There is a perception that working conditions in farm
measured through VDT will improve communication skills in practice are less favourable than other sectors. This provides
practice is subject of further study. However, based on these an opportunity to correct misconceptions as well as identifying
results there is likely a benefit of using the VDT in teaching aspects of farm and rural veterinary practice that might need
and monitoring veterinary communication competencies and addressing to enhance recruitment of new graduate veterinar-
preparing for offline role-plays and real-life conversations in ians.
veterinary practice. Keywords: Education, student, mixed methods, question-
Keywords: Dairy cattle, veterinary communication, seri- naire, motivation.
ous games, herd health management.

406
TE-03 TE-04
Ensuring the veterinary profession meets the needs of Do students feel well prepared for the digital transformation
livestock agriculture in dairy farming?
John Remnant. Karina Weimar1, Wolfgang Heuwieser2, Michael Iwersen1, Marc
Drillich1.
University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, United Kingdom.
1
Clinical Unit for Herd Health Management in Ruminants, University
Clinic for Ruminants, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary
Objectives: Recruitment and retention of farm animal and
Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna,, Vienna,
rural veterinarians is a challenge globally. This represents a
Austria; 2Clinic for Animal Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary
threat to the welfare and productivity of farmed animals, as
Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
well as a threat to the viability of existing farm animal and ru-
ral veterinary businesses. The objective of this study was to
explore approaches used to address these challenges inter- Objective: Digital technologies from milking and feeding
nationally. robots to animal-attached accelerometers and others are in-
Materials and methods: The author received funding creasingly used on dairy farms worldwide. A wide range of
from the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust to investigate data about the health, behaviour and performance of cows
the “farm vet pipeline”. Exploring challenges and solutions is captured and processed by use of algorithms and artifi-
before veterinary training (outreach and admissions), during cial intelligence with the aim to gather additional information
training (training and inspiring), after training (recruitment and and improve the management of individual cows and herds.
retention), and in veterinary businesses (services to farms). In this study, we used an online survey to collect the opinion
Interviews with veterinary students, producers, veterinary ac- and acceptance of the use of sensor technologies on dairy
ademics, and private veterinary practitioners were carried out. farms among students of veterinary and agricultural (livestock)
Interviews were conducted in The Netherlands, Canada, USA, sciences.
Australia, and New Zealand. Themes were identified that ap- The main objective of the study was to evaluate whether
plied at all stages of the pipeline. the participants felt well prepared for the digital transformation
Results: Challenges with recruitment and retention of farm in dairy farming by the universities.
veterinarians were present in all areas visited. Several themes Material & Methods: The online survey was created
and areas that could be improved applicable at all steps of the with SurveyMonkey (American polling company, San Mateo,
pipeline were identified. The themes identified were 1. values, USA) and included i) demographic data, ii) questions about
2. inclusivity, 3. flexible and out-of-hours working, 4. collabora- the knowledge of the participants of today's dairy farming, iii)
tion, 5. herd health, and 6. technology. assessments of sensor technologies, iv) associations based
Conclusions: Letting farm veterinarians conduct work on image impulses, v) visions and expectations of dairy farm-
that aligns with their values will improve retention. Highlighting ing in the future. Finally, the participants were asked whether
these values to potential and current veterinary students will they felt well prepared for the digital transformation in dairy
increase interest in farm animal careers. Throughout the areas farming by their universities. Students from eight universities
visited, the farm animal sector was not always seen as being of agricultural sciences and six universities of veterinary med-
welcoming to all demographic groups. Increasing inclusivity at icine from Austria, Germany and Switzerland took part in the
survey. The administration or the student body of the univer-
all stages of the pipeline is key to a sustainable profession.
sities distributed the link to the survey and a covering letter
The lack of flexible working patterns and need for out-of-hours
by email to all students. The survey was open for response
working are seen as negative downsides of farm and rural vet-
for six weeks from November to December 2021. Most of the
erinary practice. Taking steps to facilitate flexible working and
answers were exported directly from SurveyMonkey to Excel
manage the burden of out-of-hours work will improve inclu-
(MS Excel 2016, Microsoft Cooperation, Redmond, USA) and
sivity and make the sector more desirable to veterinary stu-
analysed. The question whether the participants felt well pre-
dents as well as those thinking of leaving the sector. Many of
pared for the digital transformation in dairy farming by the uni-
these changes will be easier by improving collaboration and
versities was an open question. Therefore, the answers had
delegation with other members of the animal health team.
to be classified into five categories before the evaluation. The
Herd Health, or population medicine, will also enable these
main focus at this point will be on the categories 1 and 2. Cat-
changes – this type of work aligns better with veterinarians
egory 1 contains the answers with “yes”, the participants feel
values and tends to take place over a more traditional working
well prepared for the digital change. Category 2 contains the
day.
‘no’ answers, the participants do not feel well prepared for the
Keywords: International, recruitment, retention, business digital change.
model, education.
Results: A total number of 429 students took part in the
online survey. Of these, 296 students (69 %) stated that they
were studying veterinary medicine and 133 agricultural scienc-
es (31 %). Overall, 25.9 % of the students felt well prepared for
the digital transition during their studies, while 42 % said they
were not well prepared. In this context, no significant differ-
ences are found between the universities in Austria, Germany,

407
and Switzerland, but between students of veterinary medicine al scores. Besides the word content, tone of voice, loudness
and agricultural sciences. Whereas 46.6 % of veterinary stu- and tempo are also evaluated. MITI specifies six summa-
dents did not feel well prepared for the digital transformation, ry measurement derived from the original 14 variables. The
this proportion was 32.3 % in agricultural sciences. Only 20.6 proportion of veterinarians reaching suggested thresholds of
% of veterinary students felt well prepared. This proportion is moderate MI skills was calculated.
significantly greater (37.6 %) in agricultural students. In the Veterinarians gathered in groups of four to eight persons at
first and second semesters, more students felt well prepared six workshops (in total 36 hrs) spread out over a 6-month pe-
than in higher semesters. riod. Between workshops participants were expected to read
Conclusions: Digitalisation and digital transformation in 30-70 pages from the main MI handbook, to practice their new
livestock farming should be given greater consideration in the skills and record conversations. At the end of each workshop,
education of students in order to better prepare them for their participants were requested to fill in a brief questionnaire about
future careers. This applies to both the universities of veteri- their experiences and the relevance to their work of their newly
nary medicine and agricultural sciences. More detailed results gained knowledge and skills. The questionnaires comprised
of the survey will be presented at the conference. of two parts, one using a 6-point Likert scale and one using
Keywords: Survey, students, digital technologies, dairy open-field questions.
farming. Descriptive statistics were calculated using Microsoft Ex-
cel. The effect of training on MI skills was evaluated using hi-
erarchical regression models.
Results: In total 31 (82%) of the veterinarians completed
the training program and participated in role-plays both before
TE-05 and after training. All veterinarians improved their communica-
tion skills in at least one MITI variable and there were signifi-
Improving dairy cattle veterinarians' communication skills cant improvements in all but three of the 16 statistically eval-
- challenges and opportunities for training in Motivational uated MITI variables. After training, veterinarians reduced the
Interviewing
amount of information given and were less persuasive, paying
Catarina Svensson1, Lars Forsberg2, Ulf Emanuelson1, Alison M more attention to exploring how clients perceived their advice
Bard3, Kristen K Reyher3, Hans Wickström4. and being more eager to investigate clients’ expectations of the
consultancies and to acknowledge clients’ knowledge. Taken
1
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden;
together, MITI results indicated that veterinarians adopted a
2
MICLab AB, Stockholm, Sweden; 3Bristol Veterinary School, University
more client-orientated approach after training. The proportion
of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom; 4MeetMe Psykologkonsult AB,
of veterinarians reaching suggested thresholds of moderate
Gothenburg, Sweden.
skills increased from 0 to 29% after training. The program was
particularly successful in reducing so called non-MI-adherent
The importance of communication skills are increasingly behaviours (persuation, confrontation), utterances known to
being recognized in the veterinary profession. For dairy cattle negatively impact the effect on outcome behaviours.
veterinarians to adopt a preventative role, a better understand- The mean (25-75th percentiles) of the veterinarians’ Likert
ing of and skills in how to facilitate client behavior change are scores (where 1=low and 6=high) for the relevance of MI skills
needed. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based in their work was 5.1 (5.0-6.0). The mean (25-75th percentiles)
and client-centered communication methodology that is in- of the veterinarians’ overall satisfaction with the program was
creasingly being adopted in human medicine and psychology. also 5.1 (5.0-6.0). Participating veterinarians reported difficul-
MI has been shown to be effective in stimulating client be- ties to find sufficient training opportunities in professional work
haviour change such as reducing smoking or alcohol abuse situations. One challenge identified by the research team was
and to adopt life style changes. It may therefore be of rele- to reach higher levels of skills in a majority of participants.
vance in veterinary herd health management (VHHM).
Conclusions: It was a challenge for this educational con-
Objectives: This presentation aims to describe results cept to provide sufficient training for a majority of participants
from an evaluation of a 6-month MI training program for dairy to reach high skills. MI training was perceived useful and rel-
cattle veterinarians involved in VHHM and discuss challenges evant by participating veterinarians and the training program
and opportunities in the communication training. was successful in improving veterinarians’ communication
Materials and methods: Communication skills of 38 skills in VHHM.
Swedish dairy cattle veterinarians involved in VHHM (who vol-
unteered to participate in the study) were measured before
and after MI training using audio recordings of role-play con- Keywords: Motivational Interviewing, education, commu-
versations with professional actors. Each veterinarian partici- nication skills, veterinary herd health management, advisory
pated in three role-plays before and three after the MI training. services.
The role-plays covered scenarios typically encountered within
VHHM.
Recordings were coded using the MI Treatment Integrity
Code 4.2.1 (MITI), a well-recognized instrument to measure
communication skills in MI. The MITI identifies frequency
counts of ten verbal behaviours and assessments of four glob-

408
TE-06 • How Motivational Interviewing techniques (as studied

by Dr Alison Bard) can be used in herd health planning
Plan to Communicate, Communicate to Plan. How can meetings, including how the author has used these
evidence-based communication training help vets improve techniques both successfully and not-so-successfully.
farmer engagement in herd-health planning? Tips and first
Conclusions: The way in which vets communicate and
opinion practitioner experience
engage with farmers can have huge implications for the suc-
Andrea Turner. cess of herd health planning as sustainable and positive be-
haviour changes need to be elicited in both farmers and farm
Langford Vets, Bristol, United Kingdom.
workers for herd health plans and related management chang-
es to be implemented successfully.
Objectives: To highlight opportunities for better vet-farmer The practical application of communication and engage-
communication and information sharing regarding herd health, ment techniques studied in academic settings can vary for
as described in the literature. different practitioners in different settings. Evidence-based
To summarise evidence-based communication and en- communication and engagement strategies have been imple-
gagement techniques which can be used by vets to improve mented by the author in her first-opinion farm animal practice
herd health planning outcomes. in relation to herd health planning. It is hoped that by sharing
To describe how evidence-based communication and en- practical experience of these techniques, practicing farm vets
gagement techniques have been used in a first-opinion farm will be inspired to apply these evidence-based strategies to
animal practice (in Somerset, UK) to improve farmer engage- their own practice. Signposting practicing vets to these com-
ment with herd health planning. munication strategies and helping them to apply these tech-
niques to their own practice is essential if the veterinary pro-
To make vets aware of communication and engagement
fession is to move forwards in engaging farmers in meaningful
techniques and signpost to further training opportunities in this
herd health planning.
area.
References:
Materials and methods: There is increasing interest and
awareness in the veterinary profession regarding communica- Bard, A., Main, D., Haase, A., Whay, B., Roe, E. & Reyher,
tion techniques and methods of engaging clients to promote K. 2017. Partnership or persuasion? A qualitative investigation
positive behaviour change. In the case of farm animal medi- of veterinary communication in the pursuit of client behaviour
cine and herd health planning, vet–farmer communication and change. PLoS ONE, Vol 12.
information sharing are crucial in order to achieve meaningful Morgans, L. 2019. A participatory, farmer-led approach to
and sustainable behaviour change in farmers and farm work- changing practice around antimicrobial use on UK dairy farms.
ers which can have maximal impact on improving herd health. University of Bristol.
Three PhD theses (Morgans, 2019, Rees, 2019) complet- Rees, G. 2019. Understanding Prescription Veterinary
ed at the University of Bristol Vet School by Dr Gwen Rees, Dr Medicine Use on UK Dairy Farms. University of Bristol.
Lisa Morgans and Dr Alison Bard will be summarised. These Keywords: Coomunication, Training, Herd health, Motiva-
theses explored farmer decision making, farmer engagement tional Interviewing, Facilitation.
through peer-to-peer learning and vet-farmer communication
(Motivational Interviewing; (Bard et al., 2017)), specifically re-
lating to antimicrobial use and herd health planning. The au-
thor (a full-time practicing first opinion farm vet) who has had
training in the facilitation of farmer peer-to-peer learning and
TE-07
Motivational Interviewing (from Dr Lisa Morgans and Dr Alison
Bard, respectively) will describe the ways in which the find- The use of the virtual-problem-based learning in veterinary
ings of these theses can, and have been applied and used in education during SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic
first-opinion farm animal practice to engage farmers in herd emergency: a resource or a disadvantage?
health planning.
Fabiana Micieli, Giovanni Della Valle, Chiara Del Prete, Paolo
Results: Experiences from, and ‘tips’ for the practical im-
Ciaramella, Jacopo Guccione.
plementation of the outcomes of each of the theses described
will be shared by the author, specifically relating to how these University of Napoli Federico II, Department of Veterinary Medicine
outcomes can help vets engage farmers in herd health plan- and Animal Productions, Napoli, Italy.
ning, including;
• How ‘what farmers really want from their vets’ (as iden- Objectives: The COVID-19 global pandemic emergen-
tified by the work of Dr Gwen Rees) can be achieved cy is forcing Veterinary College all over the world to modify
practically through farm-specific protocols, laminated deeply the traditional teaching approach employed. Due to the
posters, farm-specific herd health calendars and prac- nationwide lockdown, the social distancing and the restrictions
tice protocols. adopted in our country to reduce the virus spread, the Depart-
• How facilitated farmer meetings and farmer peer-to- ment of Veterinary Medicine of Napoli decided to replace the
peer learning (as studied by Dr Lisa Morgans) can be “traditional and in presence” hours dedicated to the clinical,
used to create co-produced herd health plans and the pre-graduating, veterinary medical training with multiple ses-
successes and pitfalls of doing this in practice. sions of clinical virtual-problem-based learning (v-PBL). In vet-

409
erinary education, problem-based learning (PBL) represents TE-08

one of the most popular and flexible teaching systems able
to replicate and simulate real-life experiences. This prospec- FarmSkills4Vets - A virtual dairy farm brings veterinary
tive cross-sectional case-control study aimed to evaluate the herd health advisory into the home office of students and
students’ perception of the v-PBLs compared to the traditional sparks their interest in cattle practice
veterinary clinically training (t-VCT). Linda Dachrodt1, Carsten Gazivoda1, Martina Hoedemaker1, Heidi
Materials and methods: All the fifth-year students who Arndt2, Svenja Woudstra3.
completed the t-VCT (76 students) or the clinical v-PBL (46 1
Clinic for Cattle, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover,
students) represented the study population. The t-VCT con-
Germany; 2Institute of Animal Science, University of Hohenheim
sisted of supervised management of clinical cases admitted
Stuttgart, Germany; 3Section for Production Nutrition and Health,
at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital or performed in the field
University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
under academic-staff supervision. The v-PBL consisted of
genuine clinical case shared by tutors throughout an online
platform. For each case, in the v-PBL group the time was ap- Objectives: Veterinary herd health advisory is a central el-
proximately divided as follow: 1h of case-introduction by the ement of modern veterinary medicine. Despite the importance,
tutor; 8h of self-learning and problem-solving activities (con- practical farm visits can be conducted with students only occa-
sisting of 15 to 20 progressive questions and activities related) sionally during their education at universities due to the limited
and 4h of virtual group-discussion activity between students resources. In addition, there is an increasing trend that fewer
and tutor. To evaluate the student perception of the teaching and fewer graduates want to work in bovine practice after their
methods, a survey with 18-Likert and two open-end questions studies. The aim of the project FarmSkills4Vets was therefore
was delivered to all the students in the study population. The (1) to develop a virtual dairy cow farm where students can
latter was divided into five sections: “demographic data”, “sat- learn the basics of veterinary herd health advisory, and (2) to
isfaction”, “clinical skills”, “supervision” and “student’s percep- evaluate if such a new learning environment might increase
tions of the training”. the students interest in bovine practice.
Results: The survey was completed by 49% of the stu- Material and methods: The virtual dairy farm was created
dents (36.8% and 69.6% for t-VCT and v-PBL, respectively). on the basis of 360°photo images from real dairy farms. The
Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for internal consistency for the individual scenes showed typical areas of a dairy farm, e.g.,
questionnaire was 0.9 (acceptable). Overall, the students’ the housing area for calves and youngstock, compartments in
satisfactions degree regarding the training experiences was the cowshed like feeding bunk, lying cubicles, maternity pen,
high in both groups. Nevertheless, the v-PBL group overall felt and area for sick cows as well as silo facilities and milking
less satisfying as compared to the t-VCT group. The students parlor. The students step into the boots of the advising veteri-
of v-PBL group perceived that they could not improve their narian and learn the basics of veterinary herd health advisory
practical clinical skills through online sessions. All students of by exploring photos, videos and audio files in a self-directed
the v-PBL group had not suggestions to improve the v-PBL al- way. Integrated questions and quizzes stimulate them to apply
though they emphasized how it could be employed as support the learned skills directly.
of traditional practical activities, in the future. All the students From August to September 2021, students from the 2nd
considered the trainings correctly focused on relevant learning to the 10th semester of the University of Veterinary Medicine
objectives and the task clearly explained. Moreover, despite Hannover had the opportunity to test the virtual dairy farm.
the social distancing imposed, the students in both groups ex- For the evaluation, 2 questionnaires were designed: Before
press an overall satisfaction for the supervision activities per- the visit of the virtual dairy farm, the students were asked
formed by the academic staff. about their interests, prior knowledge, and self-assessment
Conclusions: Stimulating the integration of knowledge (pre-evaluation). Following the visit of the virtual farm, the stu-
and lifelong learning skills replicating life experiences the dents had to evaluate FS4V, especially the format, content,
v-PBLs represented an attractive curricular alternative for and realization, and were again asked to self-assess their
veterinary education in a period in which the conventional di- skills and knowledge (post-evaluation). In the first test phase,
dactic systems have been deeply changed by the COVID-19 192 students completed the tour through the virtual dairy farm
pandemic emergency. Moreover, it should be considered to and evaluated FS4V.
integrate the traditional practical teaching approach with PBL Results: Almost all students enjoyed the visit of the vir-
to increase motivation and physiological arousal in students. tual dairy farm (94.8 %) and were sure that this format can
Keywords: Sars-cov-2, veterinary students, virtual-prob- help to better understand and apply the specialist knowledge
lem-based learning, veterinary teaching. (96.3 %). Furthermore, students felt better prepared for in-
structed or independent conduction of veterinary herd health
advisory. A large percentage of students (68.0 %) indicated
that the virtual farm visit had increased their interest in cat-
tle medicine. In addition, the visit of FS4V woke the interest
in cattle practice in some students who had indicated in the
pre-evaluation that they had not yet decided on what to spe-
cialize later (12.0%) or were more interested in small animal
or equine medicine (4.7 %). Furthermore, students indicated
that they would appreciate to have such a format for teaching

410
other veterinary topics, such as animal welfare and food safe-

ty, as well as veterinary herd health advisory of other animal
species, such as pigs and poultry.
Conclusion: The authors regard such a format as a good
opportunity to transfer the scientific knowledge in a practical
and vivid way. In addition, a playful transfer of knowledge can
help to increase the interest in cattle medicine and thus, also
win cattle veterinarians for the future.
The authors thank the participating farmers and the Minis-
try of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony for financial sup-
port (“Innovation plus” 2020/2021, No.053).
Keywords: Virtual dairy farm, education, knowledge
transfer.

411
ORAL — Udder Health and Mastitis
UH-01 group but the probability of a bacteriological cure for cows in-
fected with Staph.aureus was significantly less than that for
Selective and deferred treatment of clinical mastitis in Strep. uberis in both groups. There were numerical differenc-
seven New Zealand dairy herds es in the median bacteriological cure proportion by farm, but
Andrew Bates1, Richard Laven2, Olaf Bork3, Merlyn Hay4, Jess the coefficients spanned zero and overlapped. There was no
Mcdowell5, Bernardita Saldias6. evidence for a significant interaction between treatment group
and farm, nor between treatment group and pathogen.
1
Vetlife Scientific Ltd, Temuka, New Zealand; 2School of Veterinary
Final herd test ISCC - 225,000 cells/mL (95% predictive in-
Sciences, Massey University, New Zealand; 3Mastaplex Ltd, Dunedin,
terval (PI) =25,000-4,543,145) - and days of milk withhold from
New Zealand; 4Vetlife Oamaru, Oamaru, New Zealand; 5Vetlife
supply - 5.7 days per quarter case (95% PI=1.0-6.5) - did not
Temuka, Temuka, New Zealand; 6Centre for Dairy Excellence,
differ between groups. There were numeric differences in the
Geraldine, New Zealand.
median predicted ISCC by pathogen and farm, but the coeffi-
cients spanned zero and overlapped. There was no evidence
Objectives: This study focused on evaluating the ability of for a significant interaction between treatment group and farm,
a novel on-farm diagnostic system for bovine mastitis (Mas- nor between treatment group and pathogen.
tatestÒ ) to control antibiotic usage whilst achieving equivalent Antibiotic usage was 24% less (95% PI = 12-47%) in the
bacteriological and clinical cure rates alongside long term in- selective group with the model predicting that the there was a
dividual somatic cell count (ISCC) outcomes as conventional 98% chance that antibiotic usage in the selective group (1.3
treatment choices. daily doses per case, 95%PI=1.1-1.6) was less than in the
Mastitis is the most frequent reason for antibiotic use in non-selective group (1.7, 95%PI=1.4-1.9).
New Zealand dairy cattle and technologies reducing this use Conclusions: This study suggests that on farm decisions
contribute to responsible product stewardship. Rapid identifi- about deferred treatment of mastitis using MastatestÒ to iden-
cation of pathogen and antibiotic susceptibility facilitate target- tify the intramammary pathogen can reduce the antimicrobial
ed treatment but currently involve a minimum 24 hours delay. usage with no loss in bacterial or clinical cure and with no ef-
Studies from confinement systems where Gram-negative or- fect on ISCC over the lactation.
ganisms are responsible for a significant proportion of mastitis,
Keywords: Mastitis, deferred treatment, antibiotic sensi-
indicate selective treatment can reduce antibiotic use without
tivity, Mastatest.
reducing clinical or bacteriological cure. However, in New Zea-
land’s seasonal, pastoral dairy system, mastitis is dominated
by Gram-positive organisms and if treatment is deferred, it is
vital both short- and long-term clinical health outcomes are not
compromised.
UH-02
Materials and methods: MastatestÒ is an on-farm or clinic
diagnostic system for bovine mastitis indicating the pathogen Udder health in German dairy heifers – risk factors during
and its antibiotic sensitivity within 24 hours of sampling. first days of lactation
Mild to moderate mastitis cases in the 100 days after
Martin Tho Seeth1, Julia Nitz2, Volker Krömker3.
calving in 6,467 cows from 7 farms were milk sampled and
randomly allocated to a positive control group (non-selective 1
Chamber of Agriculture Lower Saxony, Udder Health
treatment) or a culture-based treatment using MastatestÒ. All Service / Hannover University of Applied Sciences and Art, Faculty II,
milk samples were processed on-farm. Microbiology, Oldenburg / Hannover, Germany; 2Hannover University
For the positive control, the quarter was treated immedi- of Applied Sciences and Art, Faculty II, Microbiology, Hannover,
ately with 3 treatments of procaine penicillin every 12 hours. Germany; 3University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical
For the selective treatment group, treatment was delayed for Sciences, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Section for
24 hours and then informed by pathogen and antibiotic sensi- Production, Nutrition and Health, Copenhagen, Denmark.
tivity from the MastatestÒ result. Gram-negative and no-growth
quarters were untreated. Gram-positive quarters were treated Objectives: Heifer mastitis is of great importance in many
with the antibiotic for which the lowest in vitro antimicrobial German dairy farms. Intramammary infections (IMI) prior to
sensitivity was reported. calving and during the early lactation period may influence
Re-sampling was carried out from affected quarter(s) ap- the development of the mammary glands, the future milk pro-
proximately 21 days after initial diagnosis and cultured for duction, udder health and related culling hazard negatively
bacterial identification. Clinical recurrence within 60 days and (Piepers et al., 2009). Up to now, the exact time of infection
ISCC data was recorded at herd tests over the duration of the has not been identified. However, knowing this time point
lactation. Antimicrobial usage and days of milk withhold pend- would be of major importance in order to reduce the rate of
ing clearance of residues were also noted. new IMI by possibly switching off the main risk factors. The
Results: There was no difference in bacteriological or aim of this study was to evaluate the exact moment of IMI
clinical cure rate between the two treatment groups. Out of in dairy heifers during early lactation and to demonstrate the
535 quarter cases, 451 (84%) were bacteriologically cured at most important risk factors.
re-sampling and 43 (8%) were re-diagnosed with clinical mas- Material and methods: In total, 279 Holstein Frisian heif-
titis within 60 days of the original diagnosis. Bayesian models ers reared on 3 German dairy farms were included in this
predicted no difference in the cure proportion by treatment study. The average bulk milk SCC during the test period was

412
150,000, 180,000 and 260,000 cells / ml, respectively. From (S.) uberis, S. agalactiae, S. dysgalactiae, and S. canis of rou-
September 2017 until March 2018 quarter milk samples were tine quarter milk samples.
collected from all four udder quarters for cyto-microbiological Material and methods: In 2018 and 2019 the Bavarian
diagnosis at two time points. The samples were obtained 3 Animal Health Services received quarter milk samples from
and 17± 3 days after calving in order to define the postpar- whole dairy herd tests as well as individual cows. The lab-
tum IMI status. Isolated NAS strains were differentiated using oratory used standard culture methods in accordance with
MALDI-TOF-MS (Bruker, Bremen). The farmers observed the guidelines of the German veterinary association to diagnose
heifers during the first 100 days of lactation and documented infections in quarter milk samples. The identification of Strep-
all signs of clinical mastitis. tococci was based on colony morphology, hemolysis, esculin
Results: No pathogen could be detected in 80.2% (n = 725) hydrolysis, camp factor as well as gram strain. Further differ-
of the udder quarters three days after calving and in 85.8% (n entiation of esculin-positive Streptococci was conducted with
= 776) of the udder quarters 17 days after calving. This means an in-house method that utilized Enterococcus selective agar
that on day 17 after calving an IMI could be detected in 129 plates and a disc test against Penicillin and Rifampicin. Strains
udder quarters. Based on the infection status on day 3 after of unclear results were identified by MALDI-TOF-MS (microf-
calving, 83.0% (n = 107) of these 129 quarters suffered from a lexTM MALDI BiotyperTM, Bruker Daltonik, reference database
new infection. A latent infection could be detected in 17% (n = V.3.3.1.0., Bruker Daltonik GmbH, Bremen Germany). A sub-
22) of these udder quarters. 80.4% of the udder quarters suf- set of aforementioned Streptococci was tested for sensitivity
fered from an infection caused by NAS at day 3 p.p. showed to common antibiotics using with the method of MIC (minimum
a somatic cell count of >100.000 cells/mL. The probability of inhibitory concentration) (mastitis 3 plat, Merlin Diagnosti-
IMI caused by contagious mastitis pathogens increased with ka GmbH). Breakpoints for sensitivity are based upon CLSI
elevated SCC. Heifers showed an increasing probability of IMI Vet01-A4 (2015) and CLSI Vet01S 5th edition. As a breakpoint
with NAS and coryneforms on day 17 postpartum when being for penicillin for the indication “mastitis cow” does not exist,
at a higher age at calving. Heifers with high milk yields showed an older breakpoint (CLSI M31-A2; AVID, 1998) was used
less IMI caused by environmental pathogens 17 days postpar- instead. Furthermore, intermediate results were reported as
tum and fewer clinical mastitis in the first 100 days of lactation. resistant. Results were summarized by descriptive statistics.
However, animals with high milk yield showed increased IMI Results: A total of 854,782 quarter milk samples from
caused by NAS and coryneforms pathogens on day 3 post- 218,336 cows of >7,000 individual dairy farms were ana-
partum. Udder edema was associated with an increased risk lyzed in the laboratory in 2018-2019. These included samples
of IMI caused by NAS and coryneforms on day 3 postpartum. from subclinical (based on California Mastitis Test (CMT),
A strong association between udder health of dairy heifers and n= 213,174) and clinical cases (n= 17,642). Mastitis patho-
teat-cup fell-offs with the result of sudden air ingress could gens were found in 18.7 % (n= 159,900) of all submitted sam-
also be shown. Animals from farms with increased problems ples.
during milking showed an increased probability of IMI on days S. uberis was the most commonly isolated mastitis patho-
3 and 17 postpartum. gen of clinical samples (2018: 35.0%, n= 2,566; 2019: 34.4%,
Conclusion: This study reveals that an elimination of n= 2,280). Additionally, S. uberis was the second most com-
pathogens is possible during early lactation. However, there monly isolated pathogen in samples of subclinical cases in
is a risk of new infection at the same time. In addition to the both years (2018: 23.9%, n= 12,178; 2019: 23.1% n= 9,778)
period before calving and calving itself, the period between the - only surpassed by Coagulase Negative Staphylococci
3rd and 17th day of lactation plays an extremely important role (2018: 29.5%; 2019: 30.4%).
for the udder health of dairy heifers. For this reason, the risk Of 7,345 S. uberis tested, exceedingly few isolates (n=47)
factors specific to this stage of early lactation must be taken had a breakpoint >0.125 for penicillin (2018: 0.8%, n= 33;
into account in order to apply a modern udder health manage- 2019: 0.4%, n= 14). The vast majority had a breakpoint <0,125
ment to dairy farms. for penicillin and thus was considered susceptible to penicil-
Keywords: Mastitis, intramammary infections, dairy lin in vitro. All tested isolates of S. agalactiae (n= 900) and
heifers. S. canis (n= 355) had a breakpoint <0.125 for penicillin - i.e.,
none were considered resistant to penicillin. Only five (0.2%)
of 2,684 tested S. dysgalactiae were considered resistant to
penicillin as they had a penicillin breakpoint above >0.125
(2018: 0.1%, n= 1,444; 2019: 0.2%, n= 1,240).
UH-03 Conclusion: Only sporadic Streptococci isolates had a
breakpoint >0.125 and were resistant to penicillin in vitro. The
In vitro penicillin sensitivity of Streptococcus ssp. isolated vast majority of tested Streptococci had a breakpoint <0.125
from quarter milk samples of Bavarian dairy cows (2018 - for penicillin. Therefore, penicillin should continue to be the
2019) first choice for antibiotic therapy of S. uberis and esculin-neg-
ative Streptococci in Bavaria (Southern Germany).
Reglindis Huber-Schlenstedt, Laura Macias-Luaces, Ulrike Sorge.
Funding Source: Bavarian Ministry for Food, Agriculture
Bavarian Animal Health Service, Poing, Germany. and Forestry and the Bavarian Joint Founding Scheme for the
Control and Eradication of contagious Livestock (Bayerische
Objective: The objective was to evaluate the in vitro Tierseuchenkasse).
antimicrobial resistance against penicillin of Streptococcus Keywords: Mastitis, streptococci ssp., penicillin sensitivity.

413
UH-04 nificantly higher compared to the herds with an average AMU.

In conclusion, it is advisable to closely monitor the effects on
Monitoring Udder Health on Routinely Collected Census animal health when new policies to reduce AMU are imple-
Data: Evaluating the Effects of a Changing Antimicrobial mented. The results provide confidence that AMU reducing
Policy in the Netherlands measures lead to more prudent use of antimicrobials without
Christian Scherpenzeel1, Kristel Van Den Heuvel-Van Den Broek1, jeopardizing animal health.
Inge Santman-Berends1, Gerdien Van Schaik2. Keywords: Udder health, Antimicrobial use, Census Data,
Selective Dry Cow Therapy.
1
Royal GD Animal Health, Deventer, Netherlands; 2Royal GD Animal
Health & Utrecht University, Deventer, Netherlands.
Objectives: Antibiotic resistance is becoming increasingly

important and given its potential association with antimicrobial UH-05
use (AMU), continuous actions are taken to reduce AMU in
the livestock industry. One of the most important measures to In vitro antimicrobial resistance of bacteria isolated from
avert preventive antibiotic usage was implementation of selec- clinical mastitis cows in Germany
tive instead of blanket dry cow therapy in 2013. In the Nether-
Luis Leon1, Christian Fidelak2, Thomas Breuer1, Hans-Georg Schoen3.
lands, both AMU and udder health parameters are monitored
in the Dutch cattle health surveillance system (CHSS) based Zoetis Germany, Berlin, Germany; 2Bovicare GmbH, Potsdam,
1
on routinely collected census data (17,000 dairy herds). The Germany; 3University of Applied Sciences Osnabrueck, Osnabrueck,
aim of our study was to determine whether we could moni- Germany.
tor the effect of changing AMU on udder health in Dutch dairy
farms.
Objectives: The goal of this study was to analyze the clin-
Material and methods: In total, six udder health indicators ical mastitis pathogens resistance to routinely used antibiot-
are monitored on a quarterly basis i.e. bulk milk somatic cell ics by analyzing samples collected across different regions in
count (BMSCC), prevalence and incidence of high SCC cows Germany.
(HSCC), herds with a >25% incidence of HSCC primi- and
Material and Methods: Quarter milk samples of cows
multiparous cows during the start of the lactation and herds
with clinical mastitis were analyzed at a milk quality labora-
with a >25% prevalence cows with a consistent HSCC before
tory (bovicare GmbH, Germany). The samples were pro-
and after calving. The association between udder health key
cessed for bacteriology, SCC and resistance against the most
indicators and AMU was analysed using population average
frequently intramammary used antibiotics / antibiotic combi-
multivariable regression techniques with appropriate distribu-
nations: Amoxicillin and Clavulanic acid (AMC), Cefquinome
tions and link functions. In addition, other variables that may
(CEFQ), Cefoperazone (CFP), Cephapirin (CEPA), Cephalex-
be related to udder health were included in the models.
in and Kanamycin (CKN) and Penicillin (P). The samples were
Results: With the implementation of general regulations submitted by 308 local veterinarians during September 2015
aiming to decrease AMU, the Animal Defined Daily Dosage and February 2020. The median of samples per vet was 4.
(DDDA) in dairy herds decreased from 5.78 in 2009 to 4.03 The samples were examined following NMC guidelines. Re-
in 2013 (SDA, 2014). After implementation of SDCT, DDDA sistance was determined using agar diffusion method, evalu-
in dairy herds decreased further to 3.06 in 2017 (SDA, 2018). ation of the inhibition-zone-results (S: susceptible, I: interme-
Our results showed that both implementation of regulations for diate, R: resistant) was done using literature and companies’
AMU in general (2009) and implementing selective dry cow recommendations. The resistance results were statistically
therapy rather than blanket treatment (2013), did not result in analyzed (IBM-SPSS; version 26.0) using Cochran-Q-test
a deterioration in most udder health indicators (Fig. 1a). The (S+I versus R) followed by Bonferroni-Dunn post hoc test. The
only indicator that was somewhat negatively influenced by the Kruskall-Wallis-test with the Bonferroni-Dunn correction was
implementation of SDCT was the percentage of herds with used for analysis of the region´s effects. Differences consider
>25% new HSCC in multiparous cows during the start of lac- statistically significant when P<0.05.
tation (Fig. 1b).
Results: 3,137 quarter bacteriological positive samples
Even though most udder health parameters were not were tested for resistance. From East Germany were 488
negatively influenced, the results of the multivariable mod- (47%) collected, 853 (28%) from South and 796 (25%) from
els showed that not applying antimicrobials at all resulted in Northwest Germany. The most frequent pathogen was S. uber-
a higher BMSCC (+15.6 x103 cells/mL (95% CI: 15.1-16.1)), is (36.9%), followed by S. aureus (12.8%), E. coli (11.9%) and
a higher incidence and prevalence of HSCC cows (OR=1.6) CNS (10.1%). This pathogen distribution is related in the liter-
and a higher probability to have >25% cows with a new HSCC ature. The results showed a significant difference of the in vitro
during the start of lactation. susceptibility between the antibiotics tested (p=0.000). The re-
Conclusion: The results indicate that even though AMU sistance situation for the S. uberis-Isolates was: CKNa (9%),
was decreased with 47% (from 5.78 DDDA in 2009 to 3.06 CEFQac (7%), Pbc (6%), CEPAbc (6%), CFPd (2%), AMCd (1%).
DDDA in 2017), a decrease in udder health indicators was not No differences across the regions were found. For S. aureus
observed. Thus, application of SDCT did not seem to affect the the distribution of resistant-isolates was: Pa (25%), CKNb (7%),
general udder health in dairy herds. However, in dairy herds AMCb (6%), CEPAb (5%), CEFQbc (3%), CFPc (2%). Region-
that did not use any antimicrobials the SCC of cows was sig- al differences were found only for P (less resistance in East

414
Germany). The frequency of resistant E. coli-isolates was: (C2)>200 x103 cells/mL /cows C1 ≤ 200 x103cells/
Pa (100%), CEPAb (77%), CKNc (30%), CEFQd (4%), CFPd mL and with presence in C2.
(3%), AMCd (3%). Regional differences were found only for ○○ [IL1C1] INCIDENCE (First Lactation: L1) – First
CNK (less resistance in Southern Germany). Considering all Control (C1): L1 C1 > 200 x103cells/mL current con-
pathogens, the resistance situation was as follows: Pa (32%), trol /number of L1 C1 in current control.
CEPAb (22%), CKNc (16%), CEFQd (8%), CFPe (5%), AMCe
○○ [IDP] INCIDENCE (dry period): > 200 x103cells/mL
(4%). There are differences between regions for P (more re-
first control after parturition with < 200 x103 cells/
sistances in Northern) and CEPA (less resistances for the East
Germany isolates). mL before dry period / < 200 x103cells/mL before
dry period
Conclusion: Large number of isolates showed resistance
against P, CEPA and CKN confirming the hypothesis that • Cure rates
some gram positive and gram-negative mastitis isolates are ○○ [CL] CURE (Lactation): number of cows with C1>200
not susceptible to often used antibiotics. AMC shows an activ- x103 cells/mL and C2 (second control) ≤200 x103
ity against the most important gram-positive and gram-nega- cells/mL /number of cows C1>200 x103 cells/mL
tive pathogens. AMC is an effective alternative to cephalospo- ○○ [CDP] CURE DRY PERIOD (After dry period):
rines 3rd (CFP) / 4th generation (CEFQ). Similar results were number of cows C1 ≤200 x103 cells/mL and >200
published in Germany and other countries (Zieger et al. 2014, x103cells/mL in previous control /number of cows
Leon et al. 2015, Leon et al. 2020, Bolte et al. 2020). C1, with >200 x103 cells/mL in previous control.
Keywords: Mastitis, resistance, pathogens, antibiotics, • Chronicity [CHR]
Germany.
○○ Cows >200 x103 cells/mL. in last two controls/Total
infected in the previous month (>200 x103 cells/mL).
A selection of risk factors that can impact UHI were consid-
ered. These factors were:
UH-06 • Average daily milk yield/cow/day (L/cow/day)
• Farm Size (<40, 40-65 or >65 heads)
Analysis of udder health indexes of dairy operations from
• Bedding (organic/inorganic)
Galicia, Spain
• Number of daily milkings/cow/day (2 or 3)
Manuel Angel Fernandez Sanchez1, Ana Benitez Sánchez1, Carmen
Castella2. • Dry cow therapy (yes or no)
• Grazing (yes or no)
Mafer S.A., Lugo, Spain; 2VIRBAC Espana, Barcelona, Spain.
1
• Pre-dipping (yes or no)
Logistic regression was used as a statistical model for the
Objectives: The objective of this study was to process
analysis of factors to model the probability of a certain class.
data from a dairy herd improvement (DHI) organisation of
The autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) anal-
Galicia (Spain) to identify key risk factors of intramammary in-
ysis has been used for the study of the time series and to pre-
fection (IMI) and changes in these factors over a seven-year
dict future points in the series (forecasting). ARIMA is actually
time series.
a class of models that 'explains' a given time series based
Material & Methods: Data were retrieved from the DHI on its own past values, that is, its own lags and the lagged
organisation in Galicia (Federación Frisona Gallega, FEFRI- forecast errors, so that equation can be used to forecast future
GA) which monitors 2545 farms (July 2019). Base values of values. Data were processed with Statgraphics Centurion XVI
several udder health indexes (UHI) were estimated from this software (Statgraphics Technologies, Inc., The Plains (VA),
database. Then a sub-set of 254 farms was selected at ran- USA).
dom to establish individual time series for the UHI (01/2012
Results: The logistic regression enlightened the influence
to 12/2019); this represents a total of 18563 control-days. Se-
(either positive or negative) of every UHI (Table 1). Only signif-
lected farms resorted to a consultancy service (veterinarian)
icant associations (P<0.05) are presented.
to improve quality control. The Somatic Cell Count (SCC) de-
cision-making threshold was 200 x103cells/ml (>200 x103=in-
fected, ≤200 x103=healty). UHI considered in this study were: The ARIMA analysis led to the conclusions that it does ex-
• Prevalence ist an over year tendency and a season effect for every single
○○ [PL1] PREVALENCE (first lactation cows: L1): L1 > UHI with the exception of IDP.
200 x103cells/mL in current control/total number L1 Conclusions: Statistical studies on DHI data can verify
in current control the seasonability and trends in the evolution of data in time se-
○○ [PF] PREVALENCE (Flock level): Cows > 200 x103 ries. Also, this study of major factors that influence the udder
cells/mL in current control/total number of cows in health indexes can give guidance on the way to improve the
current control. udder health status.
• Incidence rates Keywords: Udder health; cure rate; ARIMA.
○○ [IF] INCIDENCE (Flock level): cows previous con-
trol (C1) ≤ 200 x103 cells/mL and current control

415
Table 1. Significant (P<0.05) associations between risk factors and giene, biosecurity and general herd management.
magnitude, and change (increase/decrease) in selected Udder Results: Prevalence: MRSA prevalence was 23.6%
Health Indexes (UHI). (47/199) in milk-fed calves, 13.6% (26/191) in samples from
Risk factors UHI heifers, 8.6% (16/187) in post-weaning calves and 7.9%
Item Magnitude Decrease Increase
(47/595) of cows carried MRSA in QMS. In total, 68/2384
(2.9%) QMS were tested positive, indicating that multiple quar-
Higher PF, PL1, IF, ters were affected in some cows. As an indicator for mastitis,
Milk yield CDP, CL
production IL1C1, IDP, CHR
the average somatic cell count (geometric mean) was high-
Farm size Larger farms CDP PF, IL1C1, IDP er in QMS from MRSA affected quarters (357,000 cells/ml)
Bedding in comparison to all quarters (114,000 cells/ml) (p<0.05). In
Inorganic PF, PL1, IF, IDP
(small farms) BTM, MRSA was detected on 12 farms. In the environment,
Milking PF, PL1, CDP, LA-MRSA was detected in dust, teat liners and automatic calf
3x day IDP, CL
frequency CHR feeders. In samples from farm personnel, MRSA was detected
Dry cow PF, PL1, IF, on 4/7 farms.
No DCT CDP, CL
therapy IL1C1, CHR Characterization of isolates: All MRSA isolates carried
Grazing No grazing PF, PL1 CDP the mecA gene and belonged to CC398. Moreover, most iso-
lates were identified as SCCmec-type V and spa-types t011
CDP, CL, IL1C1,
Pre-dipping No teat dipping
IDP
CHR and t034. Results from NGS revealed additional genes that
mediate resistance against aminoglycosides, macrolides, tri-
methoprim, tetracycline and lincosamides. Determination of
virulence-associated genes in LA-MRSA isolates predicts low
risk for human infections.
Potential risk factors: Improper milking hygiene proce-
UH-07
dures were observed on all farms with MRSA detection in milk
Spread of livestock associated MRSA CC398 in German (n=12). Two farms did not perform any udder cleaning and on
dairy herds one farm, one udder towel was used for all cows. Five MR-
SA-positive farms had no cluster disinfection and on one farm
Arne Schnitt1, Tobias Lienen1, Heidi Wichmann-Schauer1, Christiane disinfection was only sporadically performed. Two farms did
Cuny2, Bernd-Alois Tenhagen1. not do any post dipping and on three more farms post dipping
German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, Germany;
1 was ineffective. Five MRSA affected farms kept both cattle
Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
2 and pigs at the same facility. However, MRSA was detected
in only two pig barns and on one farm MRSA genotypes were
different.
Objectives: Livestock associated methicillin resistant
Conclusions: On 20 German dairy farms, the highest
Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) often belong to clonal
MRSA prevalence was detected in nasal swabs from young
complex (CC) 398 and may colonize and infect different animal
calves. Therefore, future MRSA monitoring programs should
species including humans (Cuny et al 2015). In both, animals
include samples from young stock. Improper milking hygiene
and humans, LA-MRSA were rarely associated with clinical
as well as MRSA carrying humans and replacement heifers
infections. In dairy cows, MRSA prevalence is low especially
may enhance the spread of LA-MRSA CC398 within and be-
in comparison to pigs (Schnitt and Tenhagen 2019). Howev-
tween dairy herds. The role of pigs as a potential reservoir for
er, LA-MRSA ST398 can cause mastitis in dairy cows (Falk
LA-MRSA that may be transmitted to dairy cows needs to be
2018). Mastitis caused by MRSA is a problem in veterinary
further investigated.
medicine, since most antibiotics approved for mastitis and dry
cow therapy are β-lactams. Therefore, MRSA monitoring and References:
prevention strategies are needed for dairy herds. This study Cuny C., Wieler L.H., Witte W. (2015): Livestock-Associat-
aimed to determine the occurrence and spread of LA-MRSA ed MRSA: The Impact on Humans; Antibiotics 4(4):521-543.
on preselected German dairy farms. Falk R. (2018): Unusual outbreak of mastitis caused by
Materials and methods: Based on previous phenotypic methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in a dairy
MRSA detection, 20 German dairy herds were selected and herd in winter 2018. Animal Health Report—International
visited in 2018-19. Eight farms used automatic milking sys- Dairy Federation 9–10. https://www.fil-idf.org/wp-content/up-
tems and 12 farms used milking parlours. From dairy cows, loads/2018/09/IDF-Animal-Health-Report-Web.pdf accessed
quarter milk samples (QMS) and bulk tank milk (BTM) was February 21, 2020.
collected. Additionally, swab samples from calves, heifers, Schnitt A. & Tenhagen BA. (2019): Risk Factors for the
dust, teat liners, pigs, farm personnel and suckers from auto- Occurrence of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in
matic calf feeders were analysed. In total, 3396 samples were Dairy Herds: An Update. Foodborne Pathog Dis. doi:10.1089/
screened for the presence of MRSA using a two-step selective fpd.2019.2638.
enrichment protocol. All presumptive MRSA isolates were fur-
Keywords: Mastitis, antimicrobial resistance, MRSA,
ther analysed by MALDI-TOF, mecA/mecC PCR, spa-typing,
Staphylococcus aureus.
SCCmec-typing and certain isolates were selected for next
generation sequencing (NGS). A structured questionnaire and
on farm observations were used to collect data on milking hy-

416
UH-08 parity and 48×103 cells/ml for 1st parity animals (p<0.01). The
milk SCC showed a significant positive correlation of 0.30 with
Milk Somatic Cell Count in Buffaloes and its Relation to the 305-day lactation milk yield (p< 0.01). The evaluation of
Intramammary Infections, Parity, and Stage of Lactation milk SCC viz.-a-viz. stage of lactation revealed the average
Kanchan Arya, Baljinder Kumar Bansal, Dhiraj Kumar Gupta, Sikh milk SCC as 118×103 cells/ ml at calving, which decreased
Tejinder Singh. to 69×103 cells/ml at 35-42 d (p<0.05), and then increased to
80×103 cells/ml in mid- and 94×103 cells/m in late- lactation.
Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, The occurrence of quarter infections was minimum (10.25%)
Ludhiana, India. in freshly calved animals, which increased to 21.15% in early
Objectives: Milk somatic cell count (SCC) is a key com- lactation, 22.91% in mid-lactation and 31.03% in late lactation
ponent of regulations for milk quality and is an indicator of ud- (Chi-square = 58.00, df = 03, p < 0.01).
der health in dairy animals. The present study determines the Conclusions: Assessment of present results in buffaloes
physiological level of milk SCC in buffaloes and explores its in terms of our similar studies in HF×Sahiwal crossbred cows
relation to quarter infection, parity, and stage of lactation. under parallel dairy management exposes that buffaloes rela-
Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in tively harbor fewer quarter infections and possess lower milk
two parts. The first part of the study determined the physi- SCC. Thus, the physiological threshold of milk SCC in buffa-
ological levels and effect of quarter infection and parity on loes probably may be defined at 100×103 cells/ml and consid-
the milk SCC in buffaloes. In this, the quarter foremilk (QFM) ered pathological when >200×103 cells/ ml.
and udder composite milk samples from ninety-one buffaloes Keywords: Buffalo, Milk Somatic Cell Count, Intramam-
of different parities were analyzed for bacteriology (Microbial mary Infection, Parity, Lactation.
Procedures of the National Mastitis Council) and SCC (using
somatic cell counter SomaScope Smart, DELTA Instruments,
The Netherland). The second part evaluated the effect of
stage of lactation on the milk SCC. Here, 39 freshly calved
buffaloes were enrolled and studied for quarter infection
UH-09
and milk SCC at four different stages of lactation viz., fresh
calving (3-5 days of calving), early lactation (35-42 days), Selective dry cow therapy: the potential role of a novel
mid-lactation (120-135 days) and late lactation (210-225 biomarker panel
days). The health status of quarters was defined as per Inter-
national Dairy Federation criteria i.e. simultaneously consid- Lorenzo Viora1, Theo Pepler2, Emily L. O'reilly2, Nicola Brady2, Ruth
ering the microbiology and SCC of QFM. The threshold value N. Zadoks3, P. David Eckersall2.
of QFM SCC was taken as ≤100×103 cells/ml for defining the 1
University of Glasgow, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of
healthy quarters The Data was stored in Microsoft Excel and Glasgow, United Kingdom; 2Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health
analyzed by Chi-square test (Fisher's Exact Test), ANOVA and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and
with post HOC (Tuckey’s method), Spearman’s correlation, Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, University of Glasgow, United
t-Test and Logistic regression with backward elimination us- Kingdom; 3School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, University
ing SAS version 9.3 (SAS Institute, Cary, USA). The level of of Sydney, University of Sydney, Australia.
significance was set at p < 0.05.
Results: The evaluation of quarter health in buffaloes un-
Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate wheth-
der study revealed 7.99% specific subclinical mastitis, 11.57%
er the combination of protein biomarkers will improve the di-
nonspecific subclinical mastitis, and 7.71% latent infections.
agnostic accuracy for selective dry cow therapy compared to
72.73% of the quarters were found healthy. Animal wise,
somatic cell count (SCC) and California mastitis test (CMT).
20.88% of udders were positive for specific subclinical mas-
titis in at least one quarter. The average milk SCC in buffa- Material and Methods: Two commercial dairy farms (900
loes was found 100×103 cells/ml (range 74-126) at the quarter and 600 milking cows respectively) were enrolled in the study.
level and 105×103 cells/ml (range 58-151) at udder level. The Quarters milk samples were collected aseptically from cows at
77% of buffaloes had SCC ≤100×103 cells/ ml, with 7% show- the time of dry-off based on CMT results to enable a case-con-
ing >200×103 cells/ml. The milk SCC was found significantly trol study design. Each sample was tested for SCC, standard
(p<0.05) higher in the infected quarter (356×103 cells/ml) than bacteriology combined with matrix-assisted laser desorption/
in healthy quarters (52×103 cells/ml). The distribution of intra- ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF MS)
mammary infections (IMI) to milk SCC showed 9.59%, 20.51% and protein concentrations of five potential biomarkers*.
and 65.62% infections in quarters with QFM SCC of 0-100, Standard bacteriology wwas performed using blood agar
101-200 and > 200 ×103 cells/ml, respectively. The strepto- incubated at 37°C in aerobic conditions and examined after
cocci IMI resulted in highest milk SCC (mean 710×103 cells/ 24 hours. Plates without growth were considered negative for
ml) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (464×103 cells/ml) and mastitis-associated pathogens (bacteria absent) and those
coagulase-negative staphylococci (224×103 cells/ml) as com- with three or more morphotypes were considered contaminat-
pared to 52×103 cell/ml of healthy uninfected quarters (p<0.01). ed and excluded from the analysis. Samples yielding one or
The corynebacteria infections initiated no significant reaction two morphotypes were considered indicative of infection and
(mean SCC 54×103 cells/ml). The milk SCC increased with the isolates were submitted for species identification by matrix-as-
advancing parity; average cell counts being 168×103 cells/ml sisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spec-
for 3-4th parity buffaloes as compared to 84×103 cells/ml for 2nd trometry (MALDI-ToF MS). The results from the MALDI-ToF

417
MS were considered definitive. contagious pathogens (e.g. Staphylococcus (Staph.) aureus)

The five biomarkers were combined in a classification tree that are mainly transmitted during milking, and environmen-
model to predict bacteria presence. Its performance was com- tal pathogens (e.g. Streptococcus (Strep.) uberis) that have
pared to the SCC (≥ 200 000 cells/ml) and CMT results (> 0). their reservoirs in the environment. The diversity of a bacterial
Sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp) and accuracy in distinguishing species (i.e. number of different strains) in a herd is indicative
between bacteria presence and bacteria absent samples were of the sources of infections. If the diversity is low, a common
calculated. source of infections is assumed (contagious transmission or
an environmental hotspot). When the diversity is high, inde-
Results: Of 209 quarter milk samples, 14 (6.8%) were
pendent infection events are most probable. For some patho-
contaminated and excluded from the analysis. Of the remain-
gens like Strep. dysgalactiae, it remains unclear if they spread
ing 195 samples, 108 (55%) had bacteria present and 87
rather contagiously or if cows become infected from environ-
(45%) did not.
mental sources. Additionally, for some species (e.g. Strep.
The Sp of the biomarker classification tree model (63%; uberis) the traditional categorization has been challenged in
95% confidence interval: 53%-73%) was significantly great- recent decades. Furthermore, most studies have investigat-
er than of SCC (39%; 30%-50%) or CMT (25%; 17%-35%). ed the diversity of mastitis-causing pathogens in herds that
The Se of the biomarker model (73%; 64%-81%) was similar are experiencing mastitis outbreaks or an unsatisfactory ud-
to that of SCC (79%; 70%-85%) and significantly lower than der health situation. Therefore, the objective of the present
for CMT (90%; 83%-94%). Accuracy of the biomarker model study was to describe the diversity of selected staphylococci
(69%; 62%-75%) was not significantly different compared to and streptococci isolated from milk samples in a herd with low
SCC (61%; 54%-68%) and CMT (61%; 54%-68%). prevalences.
Conclusion: Selective dry cow therapy (DCT) is a treat- Material and methods: From June to October 2020, one
ment strategy designed to reduce antimicrobial usage, with Swedish dairy cow herd was visited 10 times with 14-day inter-
selection largely based on SCC or clinical mastitis history, vals. At each visit, quarter foremilk samples from all lactating
which are used as proxies for current infection status. There cows were collected aseptically according to DVG guidelines
have been limited attempts to evaluate whether measuring in- and transported immediately to the laboratory [1]. From each
flammatory biomarkers in milk results in more accurate selec- sample, 10µl were streaked onto esculin blood agar. Microbial
tion of infected cows for DCT. growth was evaluated after 24 and 48 hours incubation at 37°C.
We evaluated whether a combination of protein biomark- Preliminary species identification was based on morphological
ers in a classification tree model improved the diagnostic ac- and biochemical characteristics, and final species identifica-
curacy compared to SCC and CMT. The biomarker model has tion conducted by MALDI-TOF MS. For all isolates identified
greater Sp at the cost of reduced Se. as Staph. aureus, Staph. epidermidis, Strep. dysgalactiae or
Strep. uberis, strain typing based on RAPD-PCR was conduct-
Further investigations will show whether additional inflam-
ed. All isolates with the same banding pattern were considered
matory biomarkers, used independently or in conjunction with
to be the same RAPD-type. A quarter was considered infected
other data such as SCC, could refine decision making at dry-off.
if at least 100 colony-forming units per milliliter were detected
Keywords: Selective dry cow therapy, biomarkers, antimi- and infections ended when at least two consecutive samples
crobial reduction. were negative for the respective strain type.
Results: In total, 8056 milk samples from 263 cows were
collected. From 82 (1.0%), 91 (1.1%), 106 (1.3%) and 114
(1.4%) of all samples Staph. aureus, Staph. epidermidis, Strep.
dysgalactiae and Strep. uberis were isolated, respectively.
UH-10 For Staph. aureus, five different RAPD-types were found. Of
all Staph. aureus infections (n=48), 81% (n=39) were due to
Diversity of selected staphylococci and streptococci isolated the same strain. All other strains caused maximum 8% of all
from milk samples in a dairy cow herd with low prevalences Staph. aureus infections. For Staph. epidermidis, 45 different
Svenja Woudstra1, Nicole Wente2, Yanchao Zhang2, Stefanie strains were isolated. None of these strains caused more than
Leimbach2, Maya Katrin Gussmann1, Carsten Kirkeby1, Volker 5% of all infections (n=55). Seven different strains of Strep.
Krömker1. dysgalactiae were isolated. One of these caused 50% (n=18)
of all (n=36) observed infections. Two other strains were iso-
University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; 2University of
1
lated from 19% (n=7) and 11% (n=4) of the Strep. dysgalactiae
Applied Sciences and Arts Hannover, Hannover, Germany. infections. All other strains caused maximum 8% of all Strep.
dysgalactiae infections. The Strep. uberis isolates belonged
Background and objective: Most mastitis cases world- to 18 different RAPD-types. 24% (n=10) of all Strep. uberis
wide are caused by staphylococci and streptococci. Farm-spe- infections were caused by the same RAPD-type and another
cific strategies for the prevention and control of intramammary 15% (n=6) and 12% (n=5) were caused by two other RAPD-
infections with these can be developed based on the results types. All other Strep. uberis strains caused less than 10% of
from the regular microbiological analysis of milk samples from all infections.
clinical and subclinical mastitis cases. The dominant organ- Conclusions: For Staph. aureus, Strep. dysgalactiae and
isms on a farm determine if the focus should be on improv- Strep. uberis, dominating strains were isolated. This confirms
ing milking practices or the hygiene in the cows´ environment. the contagious nature of Staph. aureus even in this herd with a
This approach is based on the traditional categorization into low occurrence and indicates that also Strep. uberis and Strep.

418
dysgalactiae infections can spread mainly contagiously or via rates (cows with SCC>200K cells/ml before drying off having a
environmental hotspots. In contrast, no dominating strain was first test of SCC<200k cells/ ml after calving) and new infection
found for Staph. epidermidis. Therefore, most infections with rates (cows with SCC<200K cells/ml before drying off having
Staph. epidermidis seemed to have occurred due to indepen- a first test of SCC>200k cells/ ml after calving) were calculat-
dent infection events. ed from these data. Univariable and multivariable regression
Acknowledgements: This work was funded by FORMAS analyses were employed for data analysis.
(Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development, Results: 287 cows were included in the study, 47% of the
Stockholm, Sweden; grant numbers: 2019-02276 and 2019- cows received full insertion of the cannula/e (n = 135), 30%
02111). of the cows received AB+ITS as allocated by the farmers (n
References: = 86). There was no evidence to allow us to reject the null
hypothesis; there was no difference in post-calving SCC, new
1. DVG. (2018). Leitlinien zur Labordiagnostik der Masti-
infection rates, cure rates, or mastitis incidence when compar-
tis - Probenahme und mikrobiologische Untersuchung
ing FI versus PI. With regards to cows with low SCC before
[Guidelines for laboratory diagnostics of mastitis -
drying off, cows receiving PI were 1.01 times as likely to have
Sampling and mikrobiological investigation]. Deutsche
high SCC post calving as cows receiving FI (95% confidence
Veterinärmedizinische Gesellschaft e.V, Giessen, Ger-
interval (CI): 0.42 to 2.46, P = 0.98). Cows in their second or
many. ISBN: 978-3-86345-454-8.
greater lactation and cows calving in the Spring or Summer
Keywords: bovine mastitis, strain diversity, Staphylococ- were more likely to acquire a new infection compared to cows
cus spp., Streptococcus spp., mastitis pathogen categorization. in their first lactation and cows calving in the Autumn respec-
tively. Factors associated with a high SCC post calving were:
calving season, infection status before drying off, and lactation
group; treatment (PI vs FI) was not statistically significantly
associated with this outcome either. PI versus FI was also not
UH-12 associated with the cure rate post calving (cows receiving PI
were 1.45 times as likely to have low SCC post calving as
Applying internal teat sealants at drying off; does full versus cows receiving FI; 95% CI: 0.30 to 7.06, P = 0.65). Cows in
partial insertion of the tube cannula matter? their first lactation were 9.86 times more likely to cure an in-
Cherry Bedford1, Philippa Mahen1, Kath Aplin2, George Oikonomou1. fection comparing to older cows (95% CI: 0.83 to 117.62, P =
0.07). Cows in their second or greater lactation were 5.23
1
Livestock Health and Welfare, Institute of Veterinary Sciences, times more likely to be diagnosed with clinical mastitis the first
University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom; 2Boehringer month after calving comparing to cows in their first lactation
Ingelheim Animal Health UK Ltd, Bracknell, United Kingdom. (95% CI: 1.34 to 20.31, P = 0.02). Treatment (PI vs FI) was not
associated with mastitis incidence.
Objectives: Internal teat sealant (ITS) and intramamma- Conclusions: In conclusion this study showed that when
ry antibiotic application tubes can often be used with either the correct aseptic technique is used for drying cows off there
a short or a long insertion cannula. Leelahapongsathon et al is no difference in post-calving infection status or mastitis inci-
(2016) found that intramammary infection in early postpartum dence when comparing FI versus PI.
was significantly associated with full cannula insertion for the Acknowledgements: This study was funded by Boehring-
administration of antibiotic dry cow therapy (ADCT). There is er Ingelheim Animal Health UK Ltd. The funder was involved in
a lack of published work on the effect of using full (FI) or par- the study design but not in data collection and analysis.
tial (PI) cannula insertion for the administration of ITS. Our ran-
domised control trial aimed to test the hypothesis that FI could References:
increase the risk of introducing new infections into the udder Leelahapongsathon K, T. Piroon, W. Chaisri, and W Su-
leading to higher somatic cell counts (SCC) post-calving and riyasathaporn. 2016. Asian Australas. J. Anim. Sci. Vol. 29,
a greater incidence of mastitis post calving comparing to PI. No. 4 : 580-585
Materials and methods: Three pedigree Holstein UK Keywords: Udder health, drying off, internal teat sealants,
dairy farms were selected to take part in the study over a pe- mastitis, somatic cell count.
riod of six months. The farmers selected which cows were to
be dried off each week and dictated whether each cow would
receive internal teat sealant only (ITS, Ubroseal® Boehringer
Ingelheim Animal Health UK Ltd) or intramammary antibiot-
ic and internal teat sealant (AB+ITS). Cows were then ran- UH-13
domised to receive ITS or AB+ITS via either FI or PI of the
cannula/e. The facilitator was blinded to the insertion type until Risk of clinical or subclinical mastitis following infusion of
the cow was enrolled. One farm opted to only allow enrolment an internal teat sealant alone at the end of lactation in low
of cows receiving ITS as the antibiotic tubes used at dry off did somatic cell count cows
not have the option of partial cannula insertion. The facilitator
Scott McDougall1, John Williamson2, Khaled Gohary1, Jane Lacy-
was trained in best practise aseptic technique for drying-off
Hulbert2.
cows by three different experts in the field. All farms milk
recorded monthly and the SCC data collected was collated Cognosco, Morrinsville, New Zealand; 2DairyNZ, Hamilton, New
1
along with incidence of mastitis within 30 days of calving. Cure Zealand.

419
Objectives: To identify risk factors for subclinical and clin- UH-14

ical mastitis in dairy cows in the lactation following treatment
with a bismuth subnitrate internal teat sealant (ITS) alone. Impact of clinical mastitis on the reproductive performance
of eight Spanish dairy herds
Methods: Cows (n=1,614 in total) from 36 herds were se-
lected at random from within each herd from those cows with a Demetrio Herrera Mateo1, Lorenzo Fraile2, Oriol Franquesa1, Laura
maximum herd test somatic cell count (SCC) of <250,000 cells/ Hurtado1, Gemma Benaiges1.
mL and having had no history of clinical mastitis in the current
Q-Llet, Seva, Spain; 2Facultad de Veterinaria-UdL, Lleida, Spain.
1
lactation. In the last week of lactation, cows were assessed for
the presence of teat end hyperkeratosis, milk samples were
collected from each quarter following aseptic teat end prepara- Objective: The objective of this study was to determine
tion for microbiology, and a tube of ITS was infused into each if cows experiencing clinical mastitis within the period calv-
quarter after the last milking. Herd owners (n=22) monitored ing-conception, had worse reproductive performance than
for clinical mastitis in the first 60 days of the subsequent lacta- cows with no clinical mastitis during this period.
tion. Herd-level risk factors including average bulk milk SCC in Material and Methods: Data from dry off and pregnant
the last month of lactation, lactational cow-case clinical masti- cows were collected in eight commercial Spanish dairy herds
tis incidence, and cow-level risk factors including age, breed, from September-18 to January-20. Data collected for every
presence of a major pathogen intramammary infection, milk animal was lactation number, calving date, conception date,
yield at the last herd test of the lactation, and maximum SCC mastitis occurrence and mastitis date, days in milk to first clin-
across lactation were considered as potential risk factors in ical mastitis case and number of inseminations per pregnancy.
multilevel binary logistic regression analyses. A total of 4763 animals were analyzed, 443 cows with masti-
Results: A total of 8.9 (95%CI=7.5-10.4) % of cows had tis before conception and 4320 with no clinical mastitis before
subclinical mastitis as defined as a SCC >200,000 cells/mL conception as a control group.
at the first herd test in the subsequent lactation. Animals with Calving-conception interval (CCI) and number of insemi-
a major pathogen infection at dry-off were more likely to have nations (NI) per pregnancy were used as indicators to com-
subclinical mastitis in the next lactation than those without a pare reproductive performance between the two groups.
major pathogen (OR=4.7 (95%CI=2.29-9.65; p<0.001), ani-
The association between the presence of mastitis with
mals >3-years-old were more like have a subclinical mastitis continuous non-normally distributed variables (CCI and NI)
than 3-years-olds (OR=3.16 (95%CI=1.70-5.88), p<0.001), was analyzed using a non-parametric test (Wilcoxon test) us-
there was a positive association between cow-level milk ing SAS V.9.1.3 (SAS institute Inc., Cary, NC).
yield at the last herd test of lactation and subclinical mastitis
(OR=1.07 (95% CI=1.01-1.13), p=0.02), and there was a posi- Results: The average calving conception interval was
tive association between the natural log of the maximum SCC 39.7 days longer for cows suffering mastitis (>1 cases) before
in the preceding lactation and subclinical mastitis in the next conception than non-affected ones (P<0.001).
lactation (OR=1.54 (95%CI=1.13-2.10), p=0.01). The overall Cows suffering at least one clinical mastitis case before
clinical mastitis incidence was 3.1 (95%CI=2.1-4.4)% in the conception need on average 1.1 more inseminations to get
first 60 days after calving in the next lactation. Cows from pregnant than cows with no clinical mastitis before conception
herds with a lactational cow-case incidence of >0.24 were at (P<0.001).
higher risk of clinical mastitis than cows from herds with a lac- Conclusions: As shown in previous scientific studies, re-
tational cow-case incidence of <0.158, with cows from herds sults are indicating a strong association between the occur-
with cow case-clinical mastitis incidence intermediate not be- rence of clinical mastitis before conception and the overall
ing different from these two categories. Cows yielding >15 L/ reproductive performance in Spanish commercial dairy herds.
day at the last herd test were more likely to be diagnosed with Keywords: Mastitis, reproduction.
clinical mastitis than cows yielding <10 L/day, or 12.1 to 15 L/
day, with those cows yielding 10 to 12 L/day intermediate be-
tween these categories. There was a positive linear associa-
tion between the log maximum SCC in the preceding lactation
and the risk of clinical mastitis (OR=1.96 (95%CI=1.09-3.54),
UH-15
p=0.03).
Conclusions: Both herd-and cow-level risk factors were Study of the effects of the administration of a phytogenic
identified for subclinical and clinical mastitis in the lactation core on the decrease of milk production at dry-off in dairy
following the infusion of an ITS. Hence cow selection criteria cows
for infusion of ITS should consider herd level cow-case clinical
Plichart Gaetan1, Gwydion Pinon2, Raphaël Guatteo3.
mastitis incidence, cow-level milk yield at last herd test, as well
as individual cow SCC. Biodevas Laboratoires, Savigné l'Evêque, France;
1
Vet&Sphère,
2
Keywords: Internal teat sealant, mastitis, risk factors. Quintin, France; 3Oniris, Nantes, France.
Objective: Drying off, defined as the cessation of milking

at the end of lactation in dairy cows, is an essential step allow-
ing mammary involution, renewal of mammary epithelial cells
and even the treatment of persistent intramammary infections.

420
However, it can lead to complications such as mammary ede- UH-16

ma, source of pain and discomfort, and milk losses, which can
lead to mastitis. One of the main risk factors for such compli- MALDI-TOF Bacterial Subtyping for the Rapid Detection
cations is milk yield at drying-off. Reducing milk yield quick- of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Milk
ly should prevent these complications and improve welfare, Bacteriology
especially for cows still producing more than 20 kg of milk at Sara Fusar Poli1, Martina Penati1, Valentina Monistero1, Clara
drying off. Locatelli1, Renata Piccinini1, Paolo Moroni2, Maria Filippa Addis1.
Materials and methods: The study, approved by of an
University of Milan, Lodi, Italy; 2Cornell University, Ithaca, NY,
1
ethical committee, consisted of a randomized double-blind, United States.
multicenter trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a phytogen-
ic complementary feed on the reduction of milk yield in cows
during the two days following drying off, compared to a place- Objectives: Staphylococcus aureus is one of the main
bo. Based on the hypothesis of a 50% reduction in milk loss, pathogens involved in the development of contagious bovine
the most visible factor for a farmer, for a statistical power of mastitis and its presence is usually more associated with cas-
90%, with a precision of 5%, one hundred and six Prim'Hol- es of subclinical than clinical mastitis. This pathogen shows
stein cows producing an average of 21.9 kg of milk on the low recovery rates, also due to antimicrobial resistance. A high
day of drying off, located in 4 farms in Sarthe (France), were priority has been given to the spread of methicillin-resistant
randomly allocated into 2 groups. Cows in group A received S. aureus (MRSA), as it can have important implications for
orally after their last milking 100 mL of a placebo while cows in animal but also human health. Most of the MRSA strains pres-
group B received 100 mL of phytogenic extracts composed of ent the mecA gene, held in a staphylococcal cassette chromo-
artichoke (Cynara scolimus) and chaste tree (Vitex agnus-cas- some (SCCmec) and acquired by horizontal gene transfer. The
tus) (Parlac®, Biodevas Laboratoires). mecA gene is responsible for the synthesis of an alternative
penicillin-binding protein (PBP2A), which is characterised by a
Milk yield was evaluated indirectly before the last milking low affinity for beta-lactam antibiotics, but also associated with
(D0), then 24 (D1) and 48h (D2) afterwards by two param- a lower affinity to other antimicrobial classes. MRSA isolates
eters: the mechanical nociceptive threshold measured with are defined as multidrug-resistant. Recently, matrix-assisted
an algometer reflecting the mammary engorgement and the laser desorption ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry
morphology of the udder, evaluated by the distance between (MALDI-TOF MS) has become the reference method for the
the teats. Milk loss and rumination (through rumination collar identification of microbial species and can also be applied for
system) time were also described and compared. The statis- the detection of antibiotic resistance. The aim of this study
tical unit was the cow. A Student's t test was performed on was to assess the performance of the Bruker MALDI Biotyper
nociceptive threshold and rumination time, a mixed model with (MBT) system's subtyping module for the rapid identification
random effect was performed on teat distance and a Chi² test of MRSA isolated from milk. After the species identification of
was performed on the percentage of cows with milk loss. S. aureus, the subtyping module identifies MRSA by detecting
Results: At D0, no difference was found in the character- a peak at 2413 ± 2 m/z, which corresponds to PSM-mec, a
istics of the animals of the 2 batches, confirming the random- small phenol-soluble modulin that is encoded in the SCCmec
ization as effective. At D2, the nociceptive threshold was not locus. We compared phenotypic and genotypic analyses of S.
significantly different between the 2 groups. At D1, cows in aureus strains with results obtained with the MBT subtyping
group B tended to have a lower rear teat distance than those module to establish the diagnostic accuracy of this method in
in group A (50.56 mm vs. 60.67, p-value = 0.1). The variation routine practice.
in rear teat distance was +18.34 mm for cows in group A and Materials and methods: A retrospective study was car-
+12.20 mm for those in group B (p-value = 0.071). The total ried out on 63 isolates of S. aureus from 27 different farms,
distance between all teats was significantly lower for group B collected during the diagnostic activity in the microbiology
(403 mm vs. 445 mm for group A, p-value = 0.035) reflecting laboratory of the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the
less mammary engorgement. The percentage of cows with University of Milan. These isolates were previously classified
milk loss was significantly lower for group B (23% vs. 47% as phenotypically resistant to methicillin based on susceptibil-
for group A, p-value = 0.017). In both groups, rumination time ity to oxacillin, a specific active substance routinely used for
decreased, but less for cows in group B compared to group A, screening beta-lactam antibiotic resistance in S. aureus iso-
with -18 min and -52 min of decrease respectively, p-value = lates. S. aureus strains were genotypically investigated for the
0.06. presence of nuc and mecA genes by PCR. Species-level iden-
Conclusion: This study showed that PARLAC® reduc- tification of S. aureus was confirmed by MALDI-TOF MS with
es milk loss in the 2 days following drying off, reducing then the MBT system using the direct transfer method; a log (score)
mammary engorgement, and improving the well-being of dairy ≥ 2.0 is the threshold for species-level identification. All iden-
tified S. aureus isolates with a score ≥ 2.0 were immediately
cows (rumination less affected). It provides a natural solution
processed by the subtyping module of the MBT Compass soft-
for farmers who implement a sudden drying off and wish to
ware to detect a specific peak at 2413 ± 2 m/z corresponding
reduce the milk production of high-yielding cows to limit the
to the PSM-mec.
risk of complications.
Results: Genotypic analysis of 63 S. aureus isolates
Keywords: Dry-off, phytogenics, dairy, bovine.
showed that all were positive for nuc, which is recognised as
highly specific for S. aureus. Phenotypic resistance to oxacil-
lin was confirmed by mecA gene carriage. All the 63 original

421
isolates were identified as S. aureus with a score ≥ 2.0 and different settings based on DIM of the animals to be tested. To
therefore processed with the subtyping module, but only 11 validate the three different settings of the VETSCAN DC-QTM
strains were subtyped as 'presumptive PSM-positive MRSA'. a total of 449 cows, i.e. 1796 milk samples on quarter level,
The MBT detected only 17.5% of all MRSA identified by stan- were collected on 8 Dutch dairy herds. Inclusion criteria were a
dard susceptibility tests and molecular analysis. The sensitiv- 4-weekly DHI- participation and high new IMI rate. Cows were
ity reported was in agreement with previous results. In partic- selected on first elevated cow level SCC (≥ 200.000 cells/
ular, the PSM-mec peptide detected by MALDI is only present mL) in current lactation or with elevated SCC within 4 weeks
in the SCCmec II, III and VIII cassette types. before dry off. Quarter samples were taken aseptically be-
Conclusion: MALDI-TOF MS is a rapid and accurate tech- fore cluster attachment, within one week after DHI sampling.
nique for bacterial identification, comparing to laborious and Within 6 hours, these samples were split and QSCC (Delaval
time-consuming biochemical tests and reliable but expensive DCC) and VETSCAN DC-Q™ test were performed, BC and
PCR-based methods. On the other hand, its application to de- PCR samples were stored at -18°C and these tests were later
tect methicillin resistance in bovine S. aureus isolates is affect- performed at two different laboratories. Bayesian latent class
ed by limited sensitivity. However, it can be a valuable warning models were built to determine Se and Sp of the 4 tests, as-
tool for the presence of MRSA in the herd, as this information suming no gold standard test.
is provided by the MBT subtyping module simultaneously with Results: Results of BC and PCR were classified as minor
the identification of S. aureus without requiring further user in- or major pathogens. Of the 1794 samples analysed 23% test-
tervention, sample processing, or additional materials. Future ed positive by BC, 42% tested positive by QSCC at a threshold
studies will be required to assess its specificity. of 100.000 cells/mL (QSCC>100), 8% was positive for a major
Keywords: Mastitis, Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, pathogen in PCR, 68% was positive for a major and/or a mi-
MALDI-TOF. nor pathogen in PCR, and 41% tested positive by VETSCAN
DC-Q™. The most commonly isolated pathogens by BC were
Streptococcus uberis (8% of all samples) and Coagulase neg-
ative Staphylococcus spp. (6%).
Results from the latent class analysis model that estimated
UH-17 Se and Sp of identifying IMI caused by major or minor path-
ogens showed VETSCAN DC-QTMto have a Se varying from
Test characteristics of differential cell counts to identify
subclinical intramammary infections estimated by Bayesian 0.64-0.90 and a Sp of 0.63-0.86 for the three different lactation
latent class analysis periods. These estimates were almost similar to the test char-
acteristics of standard QSCC>100. Overall test characteristics
Tine Van Werven1, Steven Sietsma2, Mirjam Nielen1, Gerrit Koop1. were substantially better than those from BC, which had very
Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht,
1 low Se (0.37) and PCR, which lacked Sp (0.51). For diagnos-
Netherlands; 2University Farm Animal Practice, Harmelen, ing IMI caused only by major pathogens, the Se of the VET-
Netherlands. SCAN DC-QTM varied between 0.90-0.98, and Sp for “Early
Lactation” and “30+ DIM” was 0.71 and 0.76, respectively, but
Sp dropped to 0.27 in the category “Dry Off”.
Objectives: Prudent use of antibiotics requires that the
Conclusion: Altogether, our results suggest that the VET-
treatment of subclinical mastitis is based on the treatment of
SCAN DC-Q™ has good test characteristics for diagnosing
cows with a confirmed intramammary infection (IMI). Because
intramammary infections, but the added value over an undif-
subclinical mastitis is defined as an infection in absence of
ferentiated QSCC measurement remains to be demonstrated.
visible changes in milk or udder appearance, the use of a di-
agnostic test is needed. The three most commonly used tests Usability of the VETSCAN DC-QTM will depend on the goal
are: 1) somatic cell count (SCC), 2) bacteriological culture (BC) of the test. For screening cows with new IMI in early lacta-
and 3) polymerase chain reaction (PCR). All these tests are tion in order to treat infections before they become clinical or
imperfect, and lack either sensitivity (BC) or specificity (PCR) chronic, it is a useful and convenient tool, with fair to near ex-
or both (SCC). In this study, we investigate the performance cellent Se and Sp at a quarter-level. For selecting cows at the
of VETSCAN DC-Q™, an automated differential leukocyte de- end of lactation for selective dry cow therapy (SDCT) based
vice, which uses the different leukocyte counts in combination on the presence of only major pathogens, the results of the
with the total SCC to diagnose IMI. A model that accounts for VETSCAN DC-QTM might lead to a higher use of antibiotics
classification error is the latent class model, which allows es- than necessary, because of the low Sp.
timation of the sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of different Keywords: Differential cell count; dairy; subclinical masti-
tests assuming no gold standard test. tis; Bayesian latent class analysis.
The objective of our study is to determine the test charac-
teristics of the VETSCAN DC-Q™ to detect quarter level IMI
in combination with quarter level SCC (QSCC) at a threshold
of 100.000 cells/mL, BC and PCR in cows with a new elevated
cow level SCC just after calving (≤ 30 days), early lactation (>
30 days) and in cows with an elevated SCC in the last 4 weeks
before drying off.
Material & Methods: The VETSCAN DC-QTM has three

422
UH-18 Results: Quantitative analysis showed that, although there

was a slight increase in early lactation SCC in the group of
CellCheck Dry Cow Consults-supporting the adoption of cows treated exclusively with teat sealer at drying off, average
selective dry cow therapy in Ireland SCC levels remained low (<200,000 cells/ml) and similar to
Finola Mc Coy1, Catherine McAloon2, Michelle McGrath1, Eoin those of cows treated with intramammary antibiotics at drying
Ryan2, Javier Caballero Villalobos3. off. The CellCheck-recommended selection criteria for admin-
istering teat seal only at drying off were not always followed,
1
Animal Health Ireland, Carrick-on-Shannon, Republic of Ireland; with some farmers still including a small number of cows with
2
University College Dublin, Dublin, Republic of Ireland; 3Universidad a history of high SCC (>200,000 cells/ml) in this group. Re-
de Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain. sults also showed that, while a considerable number of an-
imals from each herd were eligible for SDCT, farmers were
Objectives: While blanket dry cow therapy has been com- still reluctant to fully engage in this practice and maintained a
monplace in Ireland for many years, the recent European Vet- cautious attitude.
erinary Medicines Regulation (2019/6) means that preventive The qualitative analysis identified 6 barriers and 6 facilita-
antibiotic usage in groups of animals, including dairy cows tors to implementing SDCT. Barriers to SDCT included a sig-
at the end of their lactation, is no longer acceptable. Hence, nificant fear of a resulting rise in mastitis incidence, infrastruc-
adopting a selective approach to dry cow treatment will require tural limitations, a perceived lack of availability of preventative
both a change in mindset and practice, for many Irish farmers advice, as well as peer influence. Facilitators to implementing
and their prescribing veterinary practitioners. To facilitate this, SDCT included adopting a gradual approach to SDCT, regula-
CellCheck, the Irish national mastitis control programme, de- tory pressure, high standards of farm hygiene, education and
veloped a Dry Cow Consult (DCC). The objective of this DCC the use of targeted veterinary consults. Despite cited negative
was to enable farmers to engage with their nominated vet, influences, peer influence can be utilised to encourage the
to develop farm-specific selective dry cow treatment (SDCT) farming community to change this particular behaviour.
plans, where appropriate. Conclusions: SDCT has proven to be effective when used
Materials and methods: DCCs have been delivered as in cows with an adequate udder health status. While selective
part of the Targeted Advisory Service on Animal Health (TA- dry cow therapy is now a requirement under current Veterinary
SAH) funded through the Rural Development Plan 2014-2022. Medicines Regulations, for most dairy farmers in Ireland it will
Veterinary practitioners must first complete relevant training, require a change in mindset and practice. Educating farmers
delivered through the CellCheck programme, to be eligible to on good drying-off routines is essential in order to build con-
deliver a consult. To be considered eligible for the free service fidence and create awareness about the safety of moving to
a dairy farmer must meet the following criteria: SDCT. Though there are challenges to face, engagement with
professional support will be important and can be successfully
• Average bulk milk tank somatic cell count (SCC) for the
facilitated through structures such as the Dry Cow Consult.
previous 12 months <200,000 cells/mL.
Keywords: Drying off, selective dry cow therapy, be-
• At least 4 whole herd milk recordings in the previous
haviour change.
12 months.
• Members of HerdPlus, which is the Irish Cattle Breed-
ing Federation’s (ICBF) information service, providing
herd-owners with performance data.
The purpose of the eligibility criteria was to identify farms UH-20
that have some evidence of good mastitis control, as well
as the necessary information and records to support deci- Gene expression of the teat canal epithelium in dry and
sion-making and planning. During the three-hour consult, milk lactating cows
recording results and farm records are reviewed, as well as Shirli Notcovich1, Norman Williamson1, Kristene Gedye1, David
current practices when drying off cows and dry cow manage- Wheeler2, Axel Heiser3, Jimena Yapura1, Ynte Schukken4, Cord
ment, to help identify and resolve any potential risks asso- Heuer5.
ciated with a selective dry cow strategy. Animals potentially
suitable for receiving internal teat sealant only at drying off are
1
Massey University, School of Veterinary Sciences, New Zealand;
identified. Participants of a DCC were invited to register for a
2
Department of Primary Industries, NSW, Australia; 3AgResearch,
Palmerston North, New Zealand; 4Wageningen University, GD Animal
Dry Cow Review the following year. Since 2018, 933 Consults
Health, Netherlands; 5Massey University, Epi Centre, New Zealand.
and 268 Reviews have been completed.
Whole herd milk recording results, for the last recording
before drying off and the first recording of the following lacta- Objectives: A keratin plug is formed in the teat canal
tion, were available for participating herds. Treatment records during the dry period and protects the mammary gland against
(both dry cow and in-lactation) were available, although were infections. However, mastitis incidence during the early dry
not complete for all participating herds. Telephone interviews period is high. Information about the variation of gene expres-
were carried out with the participants of the consult service in sion in the teat canal epithelium could provide insights into the
2018 (n=19). Audio recordings were professionally transcribed physiology of the keratin plug formation during the early dry
verbatim and analysed qualitatively using an inductive themat- period.
ic analysis. The objective of this study was to identify differences in

423
gene expression in teat canal biopsy samples obtained at dif- UH-21

ferent time points during the early dry period and early lacta-
tion. Early detection of mastitits using ultrasonographic teat and
udder tissue changes and measuring echogenicity using an
Materials and methods: In a first study (Experiment 1),
innovative method
the gene expression of teat canal samples from five cows
in late lactation to early dry period were analysed. Samples Omranjit Singh, Dhiraj Kumar Gupta, Swaran Singh, B.K. Bansal.
from Day 0 (dry off day) and Day 11 of the dry period were
Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University,
compared using RNA-Seq. Genes differentially expressed be-
Ludhiana, India.
tween Day 0 and Day 11 samples were selected for further
analysis. The RNA-Seq results were used to select 42 rele-
vant genes including nine keratin genes of interest that were Objective: Traditionally, the echogenicity of a tissue is ex-
analysed for variation of gene expression in Experiment 2 by pressed as anechoic, hypoechoic isoechoic and hyperechoic.
Nanostring nCounter. Repeated teat canal biopsy samples ob- However, this method is very subjective. So, a new method
tained from eight cows on days 0, 7, and 21 of the dry period, was devised to assess the level of echogenicity of a tissue with
and on approximately days 10 and 25 after calving (Day 70 the help of software ImageJ. As mastitis is of high economic
and 90) were also analysed. Oral mucosa samples were taken importance early diagnosis is necessary and USG can help in
at the same time-points to serve as controls. early diagnosis by measuring the changes in teat and udder
Results: Experiment 1 identified 36 differentially ex- tissue. So, the experiment was done to measure echogenicity
pressed genes of the teat canal epithelium at dry off (Day of infected udder tissue and to evaluate the ultrasonographic
0) and Day 11. Twenty-two of the genes were downregulat- changes due to intra-mammary infection of dairy cows.
ed. Gene ontology enrichment analyses revealed that these Materials and Methods: Ultrasonography was conducted
genes were mainly related to binding, adherence, and RNA just before milking and quarter health status was determined
transcription factors. Analysis of individual gene functions based on milk SCC and bacteriological findings to determine
showed that they were genes involved in mitosis and immune the udder and teat tissue changes with respect to quarter
response pathways. Results from Experiment 2 showed dif- health status. The ultrasound scans of teat structure were per-
ferent patterns of expression of the genes between the teat formed with a portable ultrasound scanning system (Sonosite
canal and the oral tissue (control) over time. Genes NR4R, M-Turbo) using a 10-5 MHz linear transducer by water bath
KRT17, CSRP2, KIF23, TRPS1, LOC107131159, and TFPI2 technique or cup method. The teat tissue measurements
were downregulated 7 days after drying off whereas RBB- were later done using the software ImageJ. The USG picture
P8NL, PKIB, MARKS, TLR5, BAZ1A, IRX3, KRT4, PADI1, of udder tissue captured in RGB format was converted into
PENK, RND3, SERPINA1, SYT17 only presented differences greyscale (8-bit) format by using the same software. And in
after calving (p<0.05) in the teat tissue. The expression levels greyscale there are 256 shades ranging from pure black (0) to
of the genes in a comparison of the results of both methods pure white (255). Division was done into 8 Grades(Grade1-8)
(Illumina and Nanostring) coincided, suggesting a decrease , so that grade 1 has pixels ranging from 0 to 31, grade 2
in gene expression after drying off in the teat canal related had pixels ranging from shade 32-63 and so on till grade had
to cellular functions such as binding, adhesion, mitosis and shade 224 to 255.The software was used for the first time for
immune response. the measurement of echogenicity.
Conclusion: Modern gene expression analysis of the ex- A total of 32 apparently healthy lactating HF crossbred
periments reported in this study suggests that cell proliferation dairy cows, having 121 functional teats, were ultrasonograph-
and immune response of epithelial tissue in the teat canal de- ically scanned at university dairy farm. Quarter foremilk sam-
crease during the early dry period and there is a major reacti- ples were aseptically collected and immediately transferred to
vation of gene expression after calving. The pathways affect- the laboratory. Ultrasonographic readings such as teat canal
ed might contribute to the higher incidence of mastitis during length (TCL), teat cistern diameter (CD), teat wall thickness
the early dry period. To our knowledge, this is the first study (TWT), overall teat diameter (OTD), the teat diameter at the
to investigate changes in gene expression of the teat canal level of the Furstenberg rosette (FTD) and associated chang-
epithelium during the early dry and lactating period. Further es in udder were recorded. The isolation and identification
detailed studies on the physiology of the teat canal and keratin of microbial organisms from milk samples was done as per
plug formation would be required for developing strategies to standard microbial procedures of National Mastitis Council
improve the immune response of cows against mastitis in the (Brown et al 1969). Bromothymol blue (BTB) paper test, Cal-
early dry period with the aim of decreasing the incidence of ifornia Mastitis Test (CMT), electrical conductivity and pH of
mammary infections. milk were performed. The analysis of milk samples for somatic
cell count (SCC) (Delta Instruments, The Netherlands) was
Keywords: Keratin plug, dry off period, gene expression,
also done.
teat canal.
Results: Upon comparison of teat tissue measurements
in relation to quarter health status, the TCL and CD were ob-
served to be significantly increased in specific mastitis quar-
ters compared to that of healthy ones. While TWT increased
in quarters with latent infection and specific mastitis compared
to healthy ones. The BTB score was significantly different in
both non-specific mastitis and specific mastitis quarters, when

424
compared to both healthy and latent infection quarters. Sim- application of cephapirin, because the minimal concentration
ilar observations were noted with CMT score, EC, pH and which still selects for resistance (MSC) is unknown in a com-
Log10SCC values. The TWT was found to be significantly more plex environment like the gastrointestinal tract.
in quarters with SCC 5-10 lac cells/ml of milk and in quarters Materials and Methods: A literature search has been con-
with SCC > 10 lac, when compared with quarters having <2 lac ducted, to determine the test conditions for the MSC testing
and SCC 2-5 lac /ml of milk. The TCL, TWT and FTD were sig- and to predict the maximum expected concentrations of CP
nificantly more and CD less in infected teats in comparison to in the intestinal content and in the manure of dairy cows after
non-infected ones. Log10SCC and CMT were significantly pos- intramammary treatment.
itively correlated with TWT and negatively with CD. During the
Three different laboratory experiments have been conduct-
measurement of echogenicity it was noted that pixels of higher
ed on samples from The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and
grades (more echogenicity) i.e. G7 and G8 were absent from
healthy quarters. And mean Log10G1 was significantly lesser the United Kingdom.
and Log10G3 significantly higher for quarters with specific SCM 1): Competition assay in rich culture media at 37⁰C. From
thus suggesting that the amount of normal tissue (less echo- every country, 3 ESBL and 3 non-ESBL E. coli isolates from
genic) reduced due to infection and the echogenicity was also dairy farms have been collected. A 1:3 ratio mixture of these
increased. The amount of pixels in G5 was significantly lesser ESBL and non-ESBL isolates under nine different conditions
in healthy and specific mastitic quarters as compared to quar- have been tested for their potential to select for Cefotaxime
ters with latent infection. (CTX) resistance as an indicator for ESBL selection: no an-
Conclusion: It can be concluded from the results that tibiotics baseline; no antibiotics (blank condition); 0.25 µg/ml
teat tissue changes can be detected in sub-clinically affected CTX; 0.04, 0.4 and 4.0 µg/ml of CL; 0.08, 0.8 and 8.0 µg/ml
teats with the help of ultrasonography and Echographic mea- of CP. After 6 h of incubation the percentage of resistant colo-
surements of teat were well correlated with milk inflammato- nies to CTX in each of the different test conditions have been
ry parameters so, they can be taken into consideration while assessed to determine the MSC of CP and CL for ESBL pro-
assessing for infection. Grading, as indicated by our findings, ducing E. coli.
can be used to measure echogenicity. The data is small, how- 2): Competition assay in fecal fermentations at 37⁰C.
ever with further valuation this technique can be standardized Freshly derived manure samples from 10 different healthy
for better accuracy. dairy cows were pooled and were spiked with the 3 ESBL and
Keywords: Ultrasonography, teat, udder, tissue changes, 3 non-ESBL E. coli isolates at 107 CFU/ml in 9 different tubes
echogenicity. containing anaerobic standard ileal efflux medium. A compa-
rable approach as in experiment 1 has been followed to deter-
mine the MSCs for ESBL producing E. coli in freshly derived
fecal fermentations of dairy cows.
3): Competition assay in dairy manure. Manure pit sam-
UH-22 ples from each country where taken. The same procedures
were being followed as in experiment 2, however at a tem-
The potential of intramammary administered cephapirin perature of 17⁰C.
and cephalonium to select for ESBL-producing E. coli in the Results: In experiment 1, a significant (p=0.007) increase
bovine gut and in dairy manure in CTX resistant colonies was seen between a 0.8 µg/ml (45%
David Speksnijder1, Nina Kusters1, Arjen Timmerman1, Jantijn resistant) and a 8.0 µg/ml (96% resistant) concentration of CP.
Swinkels2, Pleun Penterman2, Volker Krömker3, Andrew Bradley4, No significant increase from 0.08 (38%) to 0.8 µg/ml was ob-
Nadine Botteldoorn5, Aldert Zomer1. served. A significant (p=0.023) increase in CTX resistant colo-
nies was seen between a 0.4 µg/ml (41% resistant) and a 4.0
1
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, µg/ml (90% resistant) concentration of cephalonium.
Netherlands; 2MSD Animal Health, Boxmeer, Netherlands;
3
Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of In experiment 2, a borderline significant (p=0.079) increase
Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; 4Quality Milk Management in CTX resistant colonies was seen between a 0.8 µg/ml (44%
Services Ltd, Easton, United Kingdom; 5Animal Health Care Flanders, resistant) and a 8.0 µg/ml (75% resistant) concentration of CP.
Torhout, Belgium. The results were skewed by the unexpectedly low number of
CTX resistant colonies from the Belgian samples. In the exper-
Objectives: Selection and spread of Extended Spectrum iment with different concentrations of CL (0.04, 0.4 and 4.0 µg/
Beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae within
ml), no significant differences in CTX resistant colonies was
animal production systems and potential spill over to humans
observed (respectively 78%, 88% and 91%).
is a major concern. Orally applied cephalosporins can select
for antimicrobial resistant organisms in the gastrointestinal In experiment 3, no increases in CTX resistant colonies
tract. There is however limited research on the effect of non- have been observed in the CP and CL group at each of the
oral, locally applied, antimicrobials on the selection of resistant tested concentrations.
organisms in the gastrointestinal tract. First generation ceph- Based on available literature on pharmacodynamics and
alosporins are widely used to treat and prevent intramammary pharmacokinetics of CP and CL in dairy cows, the maximum
infections in dairy cows. We studied the potential effects of low expected concentration of CP and CL in the intestinal content
doses of cephapirin (CP) and cephalonium (CL) to select for of adult dairy cows after intramammary treatment according
ESBL producing E. coli in fresh faecal fermentations and in to the label will most probably not exceed 0.29 µg/ml. The ex-
the manure of adult dairy cows as a model for intramammary pected maximum concentration of CP and CL in manure pits of

425
average dairy farms will not exceed 0.03 µg/ml. effect of vaccine product was significant (P <0.05), pair-wise
Conclusions: We found that the expected concentrations comparisons were made using the Tukey-Kramer method to
of cephapirin in the gut and manure pits are at least 10 fold adjust for multiple comparisons.
lower than the MSC of cephapirin to select for CTX resistance Results: The overall effect of vaccine product was sig-
in the different environments. Thus, the potential of intramam- nificant (P <0.05); rejecting the null hypothesis the endotoxin
mary administered cephapirin to select for ESBL-producing E. levels were equal among products. Similarly, pair-wise com-
coli in the bovine gut and in manure pits seems low. parisons of all vaccine products indicated that all means dif-
Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance, intramammary, cep- fered significantly (P values <0.01). Model-adjusted mean for
hapirin, cephalonium, dairy cow. vaccine A was 1.43 log10 EU/ml (range 0.53 to 2.09 log10 EU/
ml) vaccine B 3.77 log10 EU/ml (range 3.62 to 3.90 log10 EU/
ml ), vaccine C 4.90 log10 EU/ml (range 4.65 to 5.19 log10 EU/
ml) and vaccine D 5.54 log10 EU/ml ( range 5.34 to 5.66 log10
EU/ml).
UH-23 Conclusion: Gram-negative, lipopolysaccharide core-an-
tigen vaccines used to control bovine mastitis differed in en-
Comparison of endotoxin concentrations among dotoxin content with a difference greater than 13,000-fold in
commercially available Gram-negative, lipopolysaccharide endotoxin units per milliliter between the lowest and highest
core-antigen vaccines used to control bovine mastitis concentrations.
Norman Stewart1, Scott Nordstrom1, John Champaign1, Alison Keywords: Endotoxins, vaccination, bovine mastitis,
Hurwitch1, Barbara Markley2, Joe Hogan3. Gram-negative.
Merck Animal Health, Madison, NJ, United States; 2Beacon

1
Diagnostics, East Falmouth, MA, United States; 3Ohio Agricultural

Research and Development Center, the Ohio State University, Wooster,
United States.
UH-24
Objective: Lipopolysaccharide core-antigen vaccines Treatment of clinical mastitis: intramammary or in

have been developed to provide cross-protection against a combination with parenteral administration of penicillin?
variety of Gram-negative bacterial pathogens capable of caus- Line Svennesen1, Alice Skarbye1, Michael Farre2, Carsten Kirkeby1.
ing clinical mastitis in dairy cows. Though a variety of prod-
ucts have been shown to reduce the severity and duration
1
University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark; 2SEGES,
of coliform intramammary infections, these products differ in Skejby, Denmark.
formulation including adjuvants and carrier solutions. A com-
positional difference of potential concern is a variation among Objectives: Antibiotics prescribed for dairy cows in Den-
products in endotoxin concentration. Adverse effects attribut- mark are mainly penicillin products for parenteral mastitis
ed to parenteral administration of endotoxin to cows include treatment (DANMAP, 2020). However, it may be possible to
reproductive failures, anorexia, and decreased milk produc- reduce the amount of penicillin used, if intramammary (IMM)
tion. The purpose of this study was to quantify the endotoxin treatment is sufficient as an alternative to parenteral or com-
concentrations in Gram-negative, lipopolysaccharide core-an- bined IMM and parenteral treatment which is the first choice
tigen vaccines used to control bovine mastitis. for Danish veterinarians (Wilm et al., 2021). This study aimed
Materials & Methods: Four commercially available bacte- to investigate if IMM administration of penicillin was non-inferi-
rins tested for endotoxin were vaccine A (Bovilis®-J5; Intervet, or to IMM combined with parenteral administration of penicillin
Inc.), vaccine B (Enviracor™ J-5; Zoetis, Inc.) vaccine C (En- regarding bacteriological cure of non-severe clinical mastitis
dovac-Dairy®; Endovac Animal Health) and vaccine D (J-Vac®; cases caused by Gram-positive bacteria.
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.). Nine bottles of each Materials and methods: The study was carried out as a
vaccine, each bottle from a unique lot/serial number, were non-inferiority longitudinal randomized clinical trial in 12 Dan-
tested for endotoxin concentration by the Limulus amebocyte ish dairy herds from May 2020 to June 2021. The treatment
lysate assay using kinetic turbidimetric detection. protocols evaluated were A) IMM treatment for three days, and
Data were analyzed using a linear mixed model for a com- B) both IMM and parenteral treatment for three days. The IMM
plete block study design. A single sample from each vaccine treatment comprised 600,000 IE benzylpenicillinprocain ad-
lot/serial number was the experimental unit, and a random in- ministered in the affected quarter once per day for three days.
tercept term was included in the model to account for the lack The parenteral treatment comprised 15,000 IE penethamate-
of independence among samples within replicates. A fixed hydroiodid/kg body weight administered in the muscle (IM)
effect of vaccine, with four categories, was included in the once per day for three days. Treatment A and B were randomly
model. The data were not normally distributed so they were assigned to cows with non-severe clinical mastitis caused by a
transformed (log10) prior to analysis with a model fitted with a Gram-positive bacteria. The farm personnel used an on-farm
normal (Gaussian) and identity link. The model was fitted with test to get an indication of this classification (Gram-positive/
restricted maximum likelihood estimation, Kenward-Roger de- negative) within the first day of symptoms and before the on-
grees of freedom and Newton-Raphson and Ridging optimi- set of antibiotic treatment. In the meantime, all clinical mastitis
zation procedures (Proc GLIMMIX SAS 9.4). When the main cases were treated with ketoprofen in a dose of 3 mg/kg body

426
weight. Subsequently, the quarter milk samples were cultured would best identify individual cows with normal and delayed
and pathogens were identified using MALDI-TOF. A case was milk ejection and for that time interval, to determine the milk
included if one or two bacterial species were identified, and at flow cutoff with the best specificity to identify cows with normal
least one of those were Gram-positive. Bacteriological cure milk ejection.
was evaluated on two follow-up samples, two and three weeks Materials and methods: We connected digital recorders
after ended treatment. A case was deemed to be cured if the to measure vacuum (VaDias, BioControl) in the short milk tube
pathogens present in the clinical sample were not detected in and mouthpiece chamber of two liners during individual milk-
any of the follow-up samples. A non-inferiority analysis was ing in 4 farms, and we collected milk flow dynamics from milk-
carried out with a margin of 15%. ing recording system software (DeLaval DelPro Software and
Results: Of almost 1,800 clinical mastitis cases registered, SCR MC200 Series Milking Control Systems), for 529 cows.
347 were eligible for evaluation of bacteriological cure based We obtained milk ejection time (seconds) after unit attachment
on treatment A or B. The results showed that the cure rate de- by analyzing the milking vacuum data, as a proxy for milk flow,
pended on the pathogen. The overall cure for treatment A was for each cow. Cows were categorized as either having delayed
76% [95% CI: 69.2-82.5] and the overall cure for treatment B ( > 30 s) or normal (≤ 30 s) milk ejection. Individual milk ejec-
was 83% [95% CI: 76.8-88.3]. Treatment A was not non-infe- tion time and milk ejection category were matched to milk flow
rior to treatment B with a margin of 15% across all bacterial during four time intervals: ≤ 15 s, 16-30 s, 31-60 s, and 61-120
species. However, the majority (183) of included mastitis cas- s. We performed univariate and logistic regressions for each
es involved Streptococcus uberis infection, either alone or in milk flow interval using milk flow as the dependent variable
combination with another species. When including only these and milk ejection time and milk ejection category as indepen-
cases in the analysis, the cure rate for treatment A was 83% dent variables, respectively, on SAS. Finally, we calculated
[95% CI: 74.1-90.1], and the cure rate for treatment B was sensitivity and specificity for milk flow cutoffs of 1.8, 2.3, and
81% [95% CI: 70.9-88.3]. Thus, treatment A was non-inferior 2.7 kg/min (4, 5, and 6 lb/min) liters per minute.
to treatment B for cases with Streptococcus uberis.
Results: Univariate (table 1) and logistic regressions (table
Conclusions: Penicillin administered IMM for three days 2) of the four-time intervals on ejection time and milk ejection
is no worse than penicillin administered both IMM and paren- category, respectively, identified milk flow between 31-60 s as
teral for three days when it comes to bacteriological cure of the best time interval to predict delayed milk ejection (R-square
non-severe clinical mastitis caused by Streptococcus uberis. 0.33, P <.0001; LS means milk flow of 1.7 kg/min and 3.6 kg/
Implementation of this result in Danish dairy herds can reduce min for delayed and normal milk ejection cows, respectively (P
antibiotics used for clinical mastitis treatment. However, the re- <.0001). For the 31-60 interval, a cut-off of 1.8 kg/min had the
duced treatment was not found non-inferior across all bacteria best specificity of 0.87, and a sensitivity of 0.64.
species. This underlines the importance of accurate mastitis
Conclusions: Delayed milk ejection lowers milking effi-
diagnostics and the need to adjust treatment protocols to the
ciency and can decrease milk production, impair teat health,
herd’s specific mastitis pathogens, in order to facilitate prudent
and can negatively impact animal welfare. Producers and
use of antibiotics.
veterinarians can use of on-farm technology that measures
The research project was funded by the Danish Milk Levy individual milk flow dynamics to identify and monitor delayed
Foundation. milk ejection incidence in their herds, allowing them to look for
References: DANMAP. 2020. Danmap 2020 - Use of an- underlying causes and intervene when needed to improve and
timicrobial agents and occurrence of antimicrobial resistance maintain milking efficiency.
in bacteria from food animals, food and humans in Denmark.
ISSN 1600-2032.
Table 1. Regressions of milk flow time intervals and milk let-down
Wilm, J., L. Svennesen, E.Ø. Eriksen, T. Halasa, and V.
time.
Krömker. 2021. Veterinary Treatment Approach and Antibiotic
Usage for Clinical Mastitis in Danish Dairy Herds. Antibiotics Milk flow time interval (s) R-Square P-value
10:189. doi:10.3390/antibiotics10020189. 0-15 0.0125 0.01
Keywords: Mastitis, treatment, intramammary, cure. 16-30 0.0735 <.0001
31-60 0.3288 <.0001
61-120 0.0087 0.03
Table 2. ANOVA of milk flow time intervals and milk ejection category.
UH-25
Milk flow time Delayed milk Normal P-value
Identification of cows with delayed milk ejection using milk interval (s) ejection LS Means
flow recordings LS Means
0-15 0.89 1.14 0.002
Paola Bacigalupo Sanguesa, Pamela Ruegg, Roger Thomson, Bo
Norby, Ronald Erskine. 16-30 2.05 2.96 <.0001
Michigan State University, East Lansing, United States. 31-60 1.67 3.6 <.0001
61-120 3.93 4.02 0.51
Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify

an interval of milk flow, from a parlor recording system, that Keywords: Milk flow, delayed milk ejection.

427
UH-26 and 2018. While this data is from only one farm, it supports
data from MIC estimates for S. uberis isolates from bulk tank
Emergence of cloxacillin resistance in Streptococcus uberis milk across New Zealand which demonstrate increasing cloxa-
Heather King1, John Williamson2, Jane Lacy-Hulbert3, Yvette cillin MICs (McDougall et al. 2018). In New Zealand, cloxacillin
Macpherson1, Ali Karkaba1, Scott McDougall1. is widely used for therapeutic treatment during lactation, and
prophylactically at dry off. It was commonly used in the herd
Cognosco, Morrinsville, New Zealand; 2DairyNZ, Hamilton, New
1
from which these isolates were drawn. Isolates from later in
Calcedonia; 3DairyNZ, Hamilton, New Zealand. lactation had higher MIC. Whether this is due to survival of
these isolates following treatment or is associated with per-
Objective: To assess whether there has been a change sistence and host adaptation remains to be determined. The
clinical significance of the highest MICs observed i.e. 0.38 µg/
in penicillin and cloxacillin minimum inhibitory concentrations
mL for penicillin, and 4 µg/mL for cloxacillin remains unclear.
(MIC) across time (2003 to 2018) in bovine Streptococcus
However, a recent report suggests that MICs for oxacillin >0.5
uberis isolates.
µg/mL tended to be associated with reduced bacteriological
Materials and Methods: S. uberis from clinical and subclin- cure following therapy of clinical S. uberis cases (McDougall
ical mastitis cases from one farm during 2003/04 and 2018/19, et al. 2020).
were re-isolated from a preservation media (LSPQ Preserva-
References:
tion Medium, Fort Richard Laboratories Ltd, Auckland, New
Zealand). Isolates were confirmed as S. uberis based on McDougall S, Castle R, MacPherson Y, Karkaba A, Gra-
Gram stain, catalase reaction, cleaving of esculin, SF broth, ham L. The DAIRYANTIBIOGRAM; A novel way to moni-
cleavage of inulin, and MALDI-TOF confirmation for non-con- tor antimicrobial sensitivities of mastitis pathogens in dairy
clusive reactions. MIC was determined using semi-quantita- herds. In: Proc Dairy Cattle Veterinarians of the New Zealand
tive penicillin and cloxacillin test strips (Liofilchem, Roseto Veterinary Association. Hamilton, New Zealand Vetlearn,
degli Abruzzi, Italy) placed on a lawn of S. uberis grown on NZVA, 2018.
Mueller Hinton CLSI agar plates with sheep blood (Fort Rich- McDougall S, Clausen L, Ha H-J, Gibson I, Bryan M, Hadji-
ard Laboratories Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand). Differences in rin N, Lay E, Raisen C, Ba X, Restif O, Parkhill J, Holmes MA.
distribution of MIC for penicillin and cloxacillin between the Mechanisms of b-lactam resistance of Streptococcus uberis
2003 and 2018 sample sets were assessed using frequency isolated from bovine mastitis cases. Veterinary Microbiology,
distributions and histograms, and visually assessed for a bi- 108592, 2020.
modal distribution. The MIC50 and MIC90 and their 95% con- Keywords: Mastitis, S. uberis, MIC, Resistance.
fidence intervals were calculated. The key outcome variable
was the epidemiological cut-off value (ECOFF), which was de-
termined visually. Explanatory variables included: year 2003
(n=112) vs 2018 (n=44), clinical (n=46) vs subclinical (n=110)
mastitis, spring (n=128) vs other (n=28) seasons, and timing UH-27
of sampling relative to calving (≤4 days vs >4 days). Bivariate
(chi-squared and univariate logistic) and then multivariable lin- An Investigation into Optimising Antibiotic Use through
ear mixed regression models were used for analyses. Manu- Selective Use of Dry Cow Treatment at the Quarter Level
al stepwise model building approach was used and variables
Andrew Bradley1, Katharine Leach2, James Breen3, Barbara Payne2,
with a p > 0.05 were removed from the final model, so long as
Vikki White2, Martin Green3, Jantijn Swinkels4.
the odds ratio for other variables in the model did not vary by
greater than 20%. Quality Milk Management Services Ltd / University of Nottingham,
1
Results: The MIC50 and MIC90 were 0.047 (interquartile Wells, United Kingdom; 2Quality Milk Management Services Ltd,
range 0.03-0.09) and 0.19, respectively for penicillin, and 0.25 Wells, United Kingdom; 3University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington,
µg/mL (interquartile range 0.19-1), and 2 µg/mL respectively United Kingdom; 4MSD Animal Health, Boxmeer, Netherlands.
for cloxacillin. There was a bimodal distribution for the MIC
values for penicillin and cloxacillin, and the ECOFF were de- Objectives: Blanket use of antibiotic dry cow therapy
fined as 0.064 and 0.38 µg/mL for penicillin and cloxacillin, (DCT) was a cornerstone of the Five Point Plan. More recently,
respectively. A total of 28% of the isolates were above the the selective use of antibiotic DCT in combination with blanket
ECOFF points for both penicillin and cloxacillin. The propor- use of an internal teat sealant (ITS) has been successfully im-
tion of MIC values above the ECOFF increased from 23% to plemented in the UK. Historically, cow level application of an-
40% for both penicillin and cloxacillin between 2003 and 2018. tibiotic DCT has been advocated, primarily because quarters
In the final model the proportion of isolates above the ECOFF are not independent within cows and therefore an increased
increased over time (OR=1.06, CI 95% 1.08-1.11, p=0.02) and risk of infection has been perceived in ‘uninfected’ quarters in
(OR=1.07, CI 95% 1.02-1.13, p=0.01) for penicillin and clox- ‘infected’ cows. However, there is evidence that this lack of
acillin, respectively; and with a higher proportion above the independence is less marked with ‘environmental’ than ‘con-
ECOFF for samples collected outside of spring (OR= 2.95, tagious’ mastitis pathogens. The aim of this study was to in-
CI 95% 1.03-10.7, p=0.06) and (OR= 3.02, CI 95% 1.05-11, vestigate the utility of a quarter level approach to DCT in well
p=0.059) for penicillin and cloxacillin, respectively. managed low SCC herds with a low prevalence of contagious
Conclusion: The proportion of S. uberis isolates above the mastitis pathogens.
ECOFF for penicillin and cloxacillin increased between 2003 Materials and Methods: Farms with a history of low bulk

428
milk SCC were invited to participate in the study. Cows, within reduce antibiotic DCT use by selecting treatments at the quar-
herds, were stratified as ‘infected’ or ‘uninfected’ (using SCC ter level without adversely affecting udder health.
and clinical mastitis history), before being randomly allocat- Keywords: Udder Health, Dry Cow Therapy, Antibiotic,
ed to one of three treatment groups: CLT, QLT0 and QLT1. Mastitis.
The CLT (Cow Level Treatment) group were allocated, using
SCC and clinical mastitis history, into animals eligible for the
use of ITS alone (CepralockTM) or ITS in combination with an-
tibiotic DCT (CEFA-SAFETM) - importantly this decision was
applied at the cow level (all quarters within a cow receiving
UH-28
the same treatment). Within the QLT0 (Quarter Level Treat-
ment - CMT>0) and QLT1 (Quarter Level Treatment - CMT>1) Impact of selective dry cow theraphy on farm udder health
groups, quarters within cows were allocated (based on a Cal-
ifornia Mastitis Test (CMT) score of >0 or >1 respectively) to Almudena Tato Mosquera, Noelia Mourazos Garcia, Carlos Noya
receive ITS alone (score below the threshold) or ITS in com- Couto, Francisco Sesto Perez, José Luis Miguez Vázquez, Margarita
bination with antibiotic DCT (score above the threshold) de- Penelas López.
pending on the quarter CMT score at drying off. SERAGRO S.C.G, Galicia, Spain.
The bacteriological status and SCC of all quarters were
assessed at drying off and within a week post calving and for
SCC 7-14 days post calving. All cows were monitored for clini- Objectives: The aim of the present retrospective observa-
cal mastitis from dry off until 100 days post calving. tional study was to compare how the use of selective dry cow
therapy (SDCT) influences udder health instead of blanket dry
Univariable and multivariable analysis were undertaken
cow therapy (BDCT) in a set of dairy cattle farms impacts ud-
to assess the effectiveness of the three approaches for their
der health.
impact on dry period outcomes including the likelihood of a
quarter being pathogen free at calving. The impact on clinical Materials and methods: This study was carried out from
mastitis was also assessed. January 2017 to December 2018, with the implementation of
the SDCT in 25 selected dairy farms of Friesian cattle that
Results: 807 cows from six herds were recruited; 401 were
traditionally applied BDCT. These farms were located in Gali-
defined as ‘infected’ and 406 as ‘uninfected’ by historic SCC
cia (North-western Spain) and associated with the Milk Quality
and clinical mastitis data. The overall prevalence of infection
Service.
at drying off was low with only 10.5% of quarters culturing a
major pathogen. Minor pathogens were prevalent with 52.8% Selection criteria
of quarters culturing positive for these species. In order to be selected, farms must have had a sustained
In cows defined as ‘infected’ at drying off, analyses sug- constant annual somatic cell counts(SCC) <250,000, percent-
gested that there were no significant differences between age of monthly clinical mastitis <3% and no contagious iso-
treatment groups in the likelihood of a quarter being positive lates.
for a major pathogen or any pathogen post calving (p>0.05). In cow selection, for the use of internal sealants only, no
In cows defined as ‘uninfected’ at drying off, whilst there was intramammary antibiotic therapy, the criteria were that the last
no difference in the likelihood of a quarter being culture pos- three months of SCC <200,000, absence of clinical episode
itive for a major pathogen, quarters in QLT0 group (antibiotic records at least in the last three months and negative result to
DCT administered to quarters showing a ‘trace’ reaction on the California mastitis test at the time of drying.
the CMT) were at significantly lower odds of being culture Furthermore, key factors for the selection of the farm were
positive for a minor pathogen post calving than quarters in considered knowing their epidemiology, as well as good man-
cows receiving a teat sealant alone (OR 0.658; 95%CI 0.488- agement practices around the dry period . At the cow level, it
0.889). was considered important that the animals reach drying with
No significant differences in the proportion of quarters af- the anatomical integrity of the sphincter in good condition.
fected by clinical mastitis were observed between any of the Udder health parameters
treatment groups.
After the SDCT implementation during the years 2017 and
Antibiotic use was assessed with respect to the number 2018, for evaluating herd udder health we used: changes in
of cures effected by treatment. In cows defined as ‘infected’
somatic cell count and percentage of monthly clinical mamitis,
at drying off, cow level treatment achieved the highest ‘cure’
both parameters related to the subsequent lactation, compar-
rate of major pathogens (97.7%) but was associated with the
ing BDCT (2016) and SDCT (2018).
highest level of antibiotic tube usage/cure (13.66 tubes/major
pathogen cure); the QLT1 group had the lowest tube usage Also two rates of dry period performance were used: prev-
(5.3 tubes/cure) but also the lowest cure rate (89.0%). In cows alence of infections at calving (percentage of cows with first
defined as ‘uninfected’ at drying off, the ‘self-cure’ was 100% postpartum SSC> 200.00 with respect to total calves) and rate
in the CLT and QLT0 groups. Three quarters failed to ‘cure’ of new infections at calving (percentage of animals that when
in the QLT1 group, though these were due to infections with drying had a SCC 200,000 and that in the first postpartum con-
pathogens against which antibiotic DCT would not have been trol had a SCC >200,000 with respect to the total cows that
effective. were dried with a control lower than SCC 200,000).
Conclusions: In low SCC herds, with a low prevalence of Data analysis
contagious pathogens, there appears to be an opportunity to All data were stored in our own software “Gesgando”. To

429
compare the monthly SCC of the 25 farms in 2016 and 2018, may enter the bulk tank and end up in cheese, affecting the
a linear regression model was developed. The Naperian log- image of the dairy industry. Current ITS residue data are main-
arithm of monthly SCC was used as a response variable and ly based on visual presence, and objective data of their weight
year, as an explanatory variable, taking into account month in time after calving are lacking. The primary objective was
and farm as random effects. To compare the monthly percent- to determine the quantity of ITS excreted in milk, when used
age of clinical mastitis, a Poisson regression model with farm alone or combined with AB, during the first week after calving.
and month as random effects and year as an explanatory one Materials & Methods: The study was conducted on 3
has been performed. farms in NL, and 4 in DE, selected on availability of DHI re-
Results: From January 2017 to December 2018, 2,210 cords, a conventional milking system, milking 2x/d and will-
cows were dried applying the selective dry cow therapy ingness to participate and comply to the protocol. Cows were
(SDCT), only 635 received intramammary antibiotic drying, treated with AB (Cefa-safe®, MSD Animal Health) in all 4 quar-
that is, 71.27% of the cows only carried internal sealant, with ters only when the last monthly DHI test before dry-off (DO)
the consequent antibiotic reduction. showed a cow SCC > 200k cells/ml (high SCC). All cows were
The results obtained with respect to SCC were 159 cells/ dried off with ITS (ShutOut®, MSD Animal Health). At DO, teat
mL in tank (2016) to 166 cells/mL (2018). The percentage of end callosity score, body condition score, milk leakage and
average monthly clinical mastitis moved from 1.66% (2016) udder pressure were measured.
to 1.48% (2018). The effectiveness rates of drying therapy: Cow eligibility at DO included pregnancy, expected DO
prevalence of infection at calving 18.29% (2016) and 21.75% period > 32 d, > 3 functional quarters, milk yield > 5 L, good
(2018), and rate of new infections at calving 16.4% (2016) and general health, and absence of clinical mastitis and concomi-
17.76% (2018). tant treatment within 30 d of DO. During the 1st 7 DIM, 50 ml
When analyzing the data, it is observed that the monthly of milk was collected pre-milking at each milking, centrifuged,
SCC shows significant differences (pvalue <0.001) between and the amount of remaining ITS and milk solids weighed.
years, being higher in 2018 (166.62 ± 42.59) than in 2016 ITS in mg/milking was calculated by deducting the tubes total
(158.85 ± 38.68), on the contrary, percentage of monthly clin- weight from the final 2 milkings, assuming no TS was left in the
ical mastitis shows a reduction (p- value <0.001) from 2016 tubes (± 2SD), from the weight of the tube including all its con-
(2.39 ± 2.93) to 2018 (1.57 ± 2.19). tent (ITS + milk solids). Quarter milk samples were collected
aseptically prior to the final milking and DO treatment, and at
Conclusion: The transition from BDCT to SDCT resulted 3 DIM, to determine etiology and SCC. Clinical mastitis events
in a huge reduction in the number of antimicrobials used on and general health were monitored from D0 to 30 DIM. ITS
dairy herds without having a clear deleterious effect on ud- retention and treatment effects will be evaluated using gener-
der health regarding general data obtained. When managed alized linear mixed models.
appropriately the dry and transition period and selected cows
with optimal udder health can be successfully dried off without Results: A total of 103 cows were included in the prelim-
the use of intramammary antimicrobials. inary analysis, 76 cows were 'high SCC' at DO, and treated
with ITS+AB, and 27 cows were 'low SCC' at DO and treated
The increase in the SCC after the new therapy implemen- with ITS alone. At DO, 63.5% of quarters were cultured posi-
tation with a no clinical mastitis rate associated, maybe must tive and most identified pathogens were Non-aureus staphy-
be addressed with an improvement and even higher require- lococci (NAS, 20.8%), Staph. aureus (5.9%) and Lactococcus
ments in the conditions of dry cow management in a global species (2.1%). At 3 DIM, 48% of quarters were cultured posi-
context of antibiotic reduction. tive, and most identified pathogens were NAS (12.3%), Staph.
Keywords: Cow, dry, selective, theraphy, health. aureus (1.4%), E. coli and yeast (both 1.2%). Bacteriological
cure or new infection rate analysis is ongoing. Just prior to
the 1st milking, 76.6% of quarters (n=423) contained ITS >
minimum detection limit, quickly declining to 26.7% at the 2nd
milking, 8.3% at the 3rd milking, and at 1.8% at the 14th milk-
UH-29 ing. The ITS excretion curve analysis in g/milking is ongoing.
Differences could be detected between the ITS retention when
Internal teat sealant retention after selective dry cow combined with AB or not.
therapy in dairy cows Preliminary efficacy analysis of ITS was based on 219
J. M. Swinkels1, A. Deterink2, M. Holstege2, A. Schmenger3, G. D. quarters, 98 with a qSCC < 200k cells/ml and 121 qSCC >
Kempe2, T. Bruggink2, P. Penterman1, V. Kromker4. 200k cells/ml at DO. Comparing qSCC data (n=219) at DO
and at d3 after calving, using a qSCC of 200k cells/ml as a
1
MSD Animal Health, Boxmeer, Netherlands; 2Royal GD Animal threshold for imm infection, prevention of new infection rate,
Health, Deventer, Netherlands; 3Hannover University of Applied cure rate, new infection rate and rate of failure to cure, was
Sciences and Arts, Hannover, Germany; 4Faculty of Health and Medical 74.5%, 71.9%, 25.5%, and 28.1%, respectively. Generalized
Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. linear mixed models to identify risk factors for ITS retention
and ITS efficacy are currently developed and the analysis is
Objectives: Internal teat sealants (ITS) are increasingly ongoing.
used in the EU for prophylaxis of new IMI in the dry period due Conclusion: ITS residues were detected in 76.6% of
to their efficacy and the concerns for prophylactic use of anti- quarters at the 1st milking after calving, declining to < 10%
biotics (AB). ITS require no milk withdrawal time, and residues of quarters at the 3rd milking, and < 2% of quarters at the

430
14th milking. Differences in ITS excretion were detected when agement software (Ideagri®, Brazil) and the edits in the final
combined with AB or not. This study shows the importance for database included in the data analysis. Statistical analyses
farmers to comply to EU regulations to not enter colostrum in were performed using the SAS 9.4.
the bulk milk tank and to install milk filters to prevent ITS resi- Results: There was a significant effect of treatment (P <
dues from entering the bulk tank. 0.05) on milk production, in which cows treated with Cabergo-
Keywords: Teat sealant, dry cow therapy, dairy cattle. line produced significantly more milk from calving to 200 DIM
(Cabergoline: 7395 Kg vs Control: 7017 Kg; P = 0.03). There
were no differences between experimental groups in the pro-
portion of cows with clinical mastitis within 30 (Cabergoline:
6.0 ± 0.04 vs Control: 6.0 ± 0.05; P = 0.95) or 100 days post
UH-30 calving (Cabergoline: 13.9 ± 0.05 vs Control: 12.0 ± 0.04; P =
0.71). Similarly, treating cows with Cabergoline at dry off did
The use of cabergoline at dry-off increased milk production not influence proportion of cows having retain placenta (Cab-
in a commercial dairy herd in Brazil ergoline: 11.4 ± 0.4 vs Control: 11.6 ± 0.3; P = 0.97) and pro-
portion of cows conceiving by 150 DIM (Cabergoline: 69.0%
Philippe Gisbert1, João Rodrigues2, Carla Azevedo1, Fernanda vs Control: 65.5%; P = 0.45).
Viscione2, Juan Muñoz1, Alexandre Souza3.
Conclusions: Treatment with Cabergoline at dry-off effec-
Ceva Sante Animale, Libourne, France; 2Ceva Saúde Animal, Paulínia,
1
tively improved milk production in Holstein cows. In addition,
Brazil; 3Cargill, Campinas, Brazil. findings from the current trial indicate that cows treated with
Cabergoline at dry-off produce in average 1.89 kg/day more
milk than control cows. This represents extra income for the
Cabergoline is a dry off facilitator that reduces milk pro-
farmers and provide data to help producers evaluate best re-
duction at dry-off by inhibiting prolactin secretion. It has been
turn on investment of differing technologies available that can
recently demonstrated that one single injection of cabergoline
be used at the time of dry-off.
at dry-off effectively reduces milk leakage by 82% and new in-
tramammary infections by 21% (Hop et al, 2019), accelerates Keywords: Dry-off, Mastitis, Dairy Herd, Milk Production,
mammary gland involution and improves its immune response Cabergoline.
(Boutinaud et al, 2016, 2017). Interestingly, recent literature
has reported also an increase in milk production in the follow-
ing lactation, in those cows where prolactin was inhibited in
the first days after dry off (Lacasse, 2015). However, and to
the authors knowledge, no studies to date have investigated UH-31
the impact of the use of cabergoline at dry-off on dairy cow’s
milk production in the subsequent lactation and under Brazil- Productive and reproductive impact of subclinical mastitis
ian field conditions. by prototheca in a commercial dairy farm in central Spain
Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate, Natividad Pérez -Villalobos1, Marina Cañaveras2, Cristina Andreu1,
under Brazilian field conditions, the benefits of reducing pro- Raquel Patrón3, Susana Astiz4, Juan Vicente González3.
lactin secretion at dry-off on the subsequent lactation perfor-
Universidad Europea de Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, Spain; 2Clínica
1
mance with one single administration of cabergoline at dry-off
Olfato, Madrid, Spain; 3TRIALVET SL, UCM, Madrid, Spain; 4INIA,
(Velactis®, Ceva Santé Animale, Libourne, France).
Madrid, Spain.
Materials and methods: The trial was conducted from
March 2019 to February 2020 in a commercial Holstein dairy
herd in upper-Southwest Brazil in Minas Gerais State. A total The genus Prototheca is a microalgae, unicellular, aerobic
of 417 Holstein cows, producing 27,9 ± 3.8 kg at drying off, and achlorophyllic and ubiquitously distributed in commercial
were dried-off abruptly and treated with intramammary antibi- dairy farms. Although it is becoming an emerging and import-
otic therapy (Bovigan-VS®, Bayer Animal Health, Brazil) plus ant disease in dairy cattle and despite of producing a fatal
an internal teat seal (Ememast Selante®, Boehringer Ingel- mastitis, this disease has been scarcely studied in terms of
heim Animal Health, Brazil) at dry-off. Cows were randomized epidemiology, costs and specifically regarding the subclinical
to two experimental treatments, as follows: 1) Cabergoline 5.6 infections of this pathogen.
mg (5mL, Velactis®, Ceva Santé Animale, France) given intra- Objectives: Therefore, the aim of this study was to quan-
muscularly to cows with even ear tags, or 2) Control (saline, 5 tify the concrete consequences of the subclinical protothecal
mL) given intramuscularly to cows with odd ear tag numbers. mastitis, regarding yield (predicted 305-day milk yield, fat and
Immediately after treatment, cows were moved to a new dry protein yields) and udder health (mean somatic cell count).
cow pen and kept in a far-off diet for approximately 4 weeks. Matherial&methods: The retrospective and observational
Then, 3 to 4 weeks before calving all cows were moved to a study was carried out 2016-2018 due to a natural outbreak at a
close-up prepartum pen and fed an anionic-based diet until commercial dairy cattle farm in central Spain, with 900 animals
calving. Total daily milk production was recorded once within in milk and 500 heifers of which approximately 30% of the total
the week prior to drying off, and throughout lactation at 20-day herd was infected with the algae. Animals with clinical masti-
intervals during milk testing performed from calving until 200 tis, without previous lactation to the outbreak (heifers) or cows
DIM, the records on incidence of retain placenta, clinical mas- that standed in the same lactation (due to a long lactation),
titis, and breeding records were retried from the herd’s man- or without available data were discarded from the study. A to-

431
tal of 418 cows were included in the study and based on the Objectives: This study compares outcomes of clinical
analysis of its milk (PCR t first screening and microbiological mastitis treated with intramammary procaine penicillin and the
culture at periodical revisions) were distributed into the group market leading cloxacillin and examines if MIC can explain dif-
of healthy or infected cows (39.23 and 60.77% of the animals, ferences in case cure rates.
respectively). Yield, udder health and reproduction data during Material & Methods: 16,500 cows from 35 seasonal calv-
the previous lactation to the infection were compared within ing dairy herds were monitored for clinical mastitis. Pre- and
each individual cow to those to the lactation during the infec- post-treatment samples were cultured, isolates identified, and
tion. The reproductive rates studied through collective farm MIC determined using Liofilchem® test strips. Cows were
data were the days in lactation at the first insemination as well treated with either 1) cloxacillin (CL) 5 times s.i.d., 2) procaine
as at the first heat, the average number of empty days and the penicillin (PP) 3 times b.i.d. ,or 3) the PP treatment followed
interval between births. Absolute yield values during the lac- by further treatment with a product containing both PP and CL
tation of the infection of infected and healthy cows were also (PC) 3 times s.i.d. starting 48 hours after initial case diagnosis.
compared. Saphiro-Wilk test determined the non-normality of Treatment regimens were selected to conform with the New
the data and non-parametric tests (Mann Whitney U) were Zealand registered use. Case cure rate (CCR) (both clinical
used to analyze the differences. and bacteriological) was measured.
Results: The protothecal mastitis produced significant- Results: Of the 767cases S. uberis (SU) was most com-
ly lower projected milk yield to 305d in the infected cows monly isolated (43.0%), followed by S. aureus (SA) (15.29%).
(P<0.001) when compared to non infected cows (median of In the case of SU, PP had a higher CCR than CL (76.83% vs
8,847.26L vs 11,281.66 L) while non-infected cows showed no 61.25%, p=0.01). In the case of SA, the combined PC treat-
significant differences with respect to their previous lactation. ment had a higher CCR than CL (40.96% vs 24.36%, p=0.02)
The somatic cell count was 485.85 and 1,392.81 for healthy and PP tended to be better than CL (CCR = 40%, p=0.08). The
and infected cows (P<0.001). There was no significant differ- MIC50 and MIC90 of CL (0.125 and 0.250µg/ml) were higher
ence in fat and protein yields with respect to the previous lac- than those of PP (0.023 and 0.190µg/ml) in SA, and much
tation (P=0.01). higher in SU (0.380 vs. 4.0, and 0.047 vs. 0.190µg/ml, for CL
In addition to the consequences due to the productive and PP, respectively). There was no difference in MIC50 for
outcomes, we observed that collective reproductive results cases that cured vs. non-cured regarding either treatment.
showed that the reproductive performance of the farm wors- CCR for SU cases treated with CL, was lower though for iso-
ened between January 2016 and January 2017, when com- lates when MIC was ≥2µg/ml (p=0.04).
paring the days to the 1st artificial insemination, the days to Conclusion: The MIC values for PP in this study were low-
the first heat, the average number of open days and the inter- er than previous studies in NZ and fit a trend of significant de-
val between births. However, when analyzing the farm data crease in regards both SU and SA over the last 30 years. 32%
for January 2018, these indicators showed an improvement of SU isolates had a MIC of CL ≥2µg/ml which is higher than
that indicate that the measures taken were in the right way. the minimum inter-treatment concentration (ITCmin) achieved
Nevertheless, there were an obvious decrease in the number in milk. The MIC for all other isolate/treatment combinations
of total inseminations as well as in the intention to inseminate was below the ITCmin. Individual MIC was only predictive of
in the cows that were identified as positive. clinical outcome when it was >ITCmin. Better case outcome,
Conclusions: In conclusion, our data indicate that the supported by lower MIC (particularly in the predominant SU)
productive losses caused by subclinical mastitis produced by and a New Zealand Vet Assoc. classification as a more re-
Prototheca in dairy cattle are very high, with a great impact sponsible medicine class, support the intramammary use of
on the quality of the milk produced and a possible impact on procaine penicillin over cloxacillin for clinical mastitis.
reproduction, which requires individual analysis of the data Keywords: Procaine penicillin, cloxacillin, mastitis, treat-
to be clarified. To all these consequences we must add the ment.
impact of this type of infection on the prevention and control
measures used to control the outbreak. Finally, we consider
of interest to continue with the analysis of the data regarding
subsequent lactations in the positive surviving population to
study their evolution. UH-33
Keywords: Mastitis, Prototheca.
Farmer and veterinarian perception on udder health
management
Michael Farre1, Carsten Thure Kirkeby2, Tariq Halasa3, Erik
Rattenborg4, Henk Hogeveen5.
UH-32 KU SUND, Vejen, Denmark; 2KU SUND, Copenhagen, Denmark;
1
Novo Nordisk, Bagsværd, Denmark; 4SEGES Innovation, Århus,

3
Procaine penicillin for mastitis - Have we forgotten how
Denmark; 5Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands.
good it is and is it getting even better?
Mick Clews1, Matt Wells2.
Objectives: Mastitis is the most costly disease in dairy
Herd Health Services, Western Australia, Australia; 2Virbac NZ,
1
herds in developed countries (Hogeveen et al., 2019) and a
Hamilton, New Zealand. significant reason for compromised animal welfare (von Key-

432
serlingk et al., 2009). We have much knowledge on mastitis tion of two communication strategies to improve udder health
and udder health management, allowing for evidence-based management. J. Dairy Sci. 93:604–612. doi:10.3168/jds.2009-
improvement. In recent years, motivation and perception of 2531.
the farmer have received increasing attention, with communi- Jansen, J., C.D.M. Steuten, R.J. Renes, N. Aarts, and
cation research (Jansen et al., 2010b; Jansen et al., 2010a), to T.J.G.M. Lam. 2010b. Debunking the myth of the hard-to-
successfully implement procedures such as the NMC 10-point reach farmer: Effective communication on udder health. J.
plan(NMC, 2016). As a consultant, the veterinarian has a cru- Dairy Sci. 93:1296–1306. doi:10.3168/jds.2009-2794.
cial role in udder health management, and their behavior has
von Keyserlingk, M.A.G., J. Rushen, A.M. de Passillé, and
been described (McDermott et al., 2017). However, the effect
D.M. Weary. 2009. Invited review: The welfare of dairy cattle—
of veterinary consultancy depends on the interaction between
Key concepts and the role of science. J. Dairy Sci. 92:4101–
farmer and veterinarian. Because perceptions of udder health
4111. doi:10.3168/JDS.2009-2326.
can differ between farmer and herd veterinarians, it is crucial
to identify potential gaps in agreement to understand the im- Likert, R. 1932. A technique for the measurement of atti-
pact on the outcome BMTSCC. tudes.. Arch. Psychol. 22 140:55.
Material and methods: The participating dairy farmers McDermott, M.P., M.A. Cobb, V.A. Tischler, I.J. Robbé, and
and veterinarians were enrolled on the Danish National Cattle R.S. Dean. 2017. Evaluating veterinary practitioner percep-
Data Base data. The criteria for participating were: DHI re- tions of communication skills and training. Vet. Rec. 180:305.
cording, > 90 % Holstein cows, parlor milking, conventional doi:10.1136/vr.103997.
herd, herd size > 100 cows located in the western part of the NMC. 2016. Recommended Mastitis Control Program.
country. The dairy farmers were contacted first and encour- Natl. Mastit. Counc. www.nmconline.org/docs/NMC/checklist.
aged to participate in an anonymous survey conducted in a pdf. 1–2.
larger research project on udder health management. Next, Keywords: Management, udder health, social science.
the herd vet was contacted and encouraged to participate. The
study enrolled a total of 88 herds with their herd veterinarian.
The survey included questions regarding cooperation between
farmer and herd veterinarian and the consulting methods by
the vet. Veterinarians received the questionnaire by email and
were reminded if not responding within two weeks. The dairy UH-34
farmers filled out the questionnaire during the visit from the Fly repellency using deltamethrin reduces intramammary
researcher. The answers were predominantly based on the infections, stress and fatigue indicators of dairy ewes under
Likert scale (Likert, 1932) to measure agreement between intensive management
dairy farmers and herd veterinarians.
Results: The response percentage was 100 % for the Konstantinos V. Arsenopoulos1, Georgios Sioutas1, Eleutherios
dairy farmers and 94 % for the herd veterinarians. Initial anal- Triantafillou2, Athanasios I. Gelasakis3, Elias Papadopoulos1.
ysis was an agreement based on Cohens Kappa and weight- 1
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece; 2Vet
ed Kappa value. Focusing on some of the results, the farmer Analyseis, Veterinary Microbiological Laboratory, Larissa, Greece;
regards the vet as most important in handling udder health in 3
Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
the dairy herd, with 91 % answering agree or strongly agreeing
to this question. Also, in converting Evidence-Based Scientific
Data to operational consulting, 74 % of the farmers agree or Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the fly re-
strongly agree about the vet`s effort. The data will be further pellency effect of deltamethrin and link it to the occurrence of
analyzed, focusing on the agreement between the farmer and common bacterial intramammary infections (IMI), milk somatic
the vet, linked to the outcome BMTSCC as a proxy of udder cell counts (SCC), the serum cortisol (SC) and creatine kinase
health. This will high light where the herd veterinarian needs (CK) levels (stress and fatigue indicators, respectively) during
to focus to maintain the role as resource in the area udder the fly season.
health management in competition with other professionals Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in
and equipment supplier. one intensively reared dairy sheep flock of Lacaune breed,
Conclusions: The initial results highlight differences in located at Thessaloniki (Central Macedonia, Greece), be-
perception between farmer and herd veterinarians regarding tween June and July 2020. Fifty multiparous ewes were ran-
udder health. Identifying potential obstacles is essential be- domly assigned in two similar groups (n=25 ewes per group);
cause the farmer sees the herd veterinarian as critical in udder deltamethrin treated group (D group) and control group (C
health consulting. The vet translates evidence-based knowl- group). Group D ewes were individually dressed on their
edge in udder health management to apply practical solutions back with deltamethrin 10% (Deltanil® 10 mg/mL, Virbac Hel-
for the farmer. las, Greece) on day 0. The enumeration of the fly burden was
carried out by direct observation of the animals on day 0 and
References:
two more times with 15-days intervals (i.e., day 15 and 30)
Henk Hogeveen, W.S. and C.A.W. 2019. Production Dis- to assess the repellency effect of deltamethrin. Moreover, 10
eases Reduce the Efficiency of Dairy Production_A Review fly traps (5 per group) with sticky surface were set in pre-
of the Results, Methods, and Approaches Regarding the Eco- defined locations of equal distances within the pens at the
nomics of Mastitis. level of the ewes. Individual blood samples were collected
Jansen, J., R.J. Renes, and T.J.G.M. Lam. 2010a. Evalua- at the forementioned time points, while an electrochemilu-

433
minescence immunoassay method and spectrophotometry 400,000 cells for shipping milk are rather high compared to
were used to estimate SC and CK concentrations, respec- the maximum SCC of 150,000 found in a healthy udder. The
tively. On every sampling occasion, milk samples were col- objective of this study was to show that a bulk tank SCC of
lected from each individual ewe and were transported to the <200,000 is an indicator for better udder health, in terms of
laboratory to be microbiologically assayed, emphasizing on mastitis-infection rates, and better herd-management, indicat-
the isolation of Staphylococcus aureus and Coagulase-neg- ed by fertility and nutritional-related parameters, compared to
ative Staphylococci (CNS). Moreover, SCC were estimated higher SCC in the bulk tank.
using an automatic high-throughput analyzer. Mixed linear Materials and methods: Data from 24 Austrian dairy
regression models were built to estimate the random effect farms (on average 36 cows with 8470 kg milk/cow/305 days)
of the ewe and the fixed effects of deltamethrin treatment were collected for two years. Bulk-tank somatic-cell count was
and sampling occasion on the logarithmic values of flies, S. used to assign the farms to low SCC herds (LSCC; >200,000
aureus CFU (Colony-forming units), CNS CFU, SCC, as well cells/ml in maximum 10% of the tests), and high SCC herds
as SC and CK levels. All statistical analyses were performed (HSCC; >200,000 cells/ml in more than 10% of the tests).
using SPSS (v23). None of the farms ever exceeded the maximum threshold of
Results: Deltamethrin treatment was associated with a 400.000 cells for shipping milk. From the herd data of at least
reduced number of flies (mostly Musca domestica) landed on 20 routine-milk tests, individual cow data (i.e., SCC, number
treated ewes, compared to untreated ones (p<0.05). Also, the of lactations, days in milk, protein-urea class, waiting time,
application of deltamethrin was associated with decreased days open, calving interval) were extracted. The individual
colony-forming units in the case of CNS IMI (p<0.05) and SCC cow SCC were assigned to SCC-classes (class1 ≤50,000;
in the milk (p<0.001). Likewise, SC and CK levels were signifi- class2 ≤100,000; class3 ≤200,000; class4 ≤400,000; class5
cantly lower in the deltamethrin-treated ewes (p<0.001). >400,000 cells). Class 1 and 2 were considered as healthy,
class3 as suspect, class4 and 5 as infected. Cows were con-
Conclusions: Deltamethrin application was associated
sidered chronically infected with being at least two consecutive
with decreased colony forming units of CNS, isolated from IMI
tests infected, or three consecutive tests suspect or infected.
cases. Furthermore, the reduction in the logarithm of SCC in
The new-infection rate was calculated using the first milk-test-
the deltamethrin-treated group implies that fly repellency using
ing SCC of the lactation. SCC classes before and after the dry-
deltamethrin favours the health status of the mammary gland
off period of the same cow were used to calculate the infection
possibly via the reduction of pathogens transferred by flies and
or healing rate during the dry period. Statistical analysis was
the inflammation caused by them. Finally, reduced SC and CK
done using Mann-Whitney-U, Moods-Median, or chi²-Test, in-
concentrations in the deltamethrin treated ewes support the
cluding posthoc tests, depending on the variables analyzed
assumption that fly-repellency effect of deltamethrin facilitates
and data distribution. HSCC and LSCC were the fixed effects,
the control of flies and contributes to a more welfare-friendly
and the evaluated herd data and mastitis indicators as depen-
environment for intensively reared dairy ewes.
dent variables.
Keywords: Dairy ewes, deltamethrin, fly, mastitis.
Results: LSCC had more cows in SCC-class1 (51%) and
fewer cows in class3 (15%), 4 (7%), and 5 (6%) than HSCC
(28, 23, 15, 13%, respectively; P<0.01). HSCC had more
chronically infected cows (44%) than LSCC (20%; P<0.01).
LSCC had more healthy cows and less infected cows before
UH-35 dry-off than HSCC (55 vs. 31%, 22 vs. 41%, respectively;
P<0.01). New-infection rate and suspect animals at the begin-
Bulk-tank somatic-cell count as an indicator for mastitis- ning of the lactation were higher in HSCC than LSCC (24 vs.
infection rates and fertility in the herd 12%, 15 vs. 8%, respectively; P<0.001). A higher new-infection
Viktoria Neubauer1, Franz-Ferdinand Roch2, Walter Obritzhauser3, rate on HSCC was seen for both primiparous (P=0.06) and
Martin Wagner2, Beate Conrady4. multiparous (P<0.01) cows. The proportion of cows staying
healthy during the dry period was twice as high in LSCC than
1
Austrian Competence Centre for Feed and Food Quality, Safety, in HSCC (48% vs. 24%; P<0.01), and of staying infected was
and Innovation, FFoQSI GmbH, 3430 Tulln, Austria; 2Unit for higher in HSCC (15 vs. 5%; P<0.01). The waiting days, days
Food Microbiology, Institute for Food Safety, Food Technology and open, and calving intervals were shorter in LSCC than HSCC
Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 (P<0.01). LSCC had more cows in the optimum protein-urea
Vienna, Austria; 3Unit of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, class, reflecting optimal feeding regimen than at HSCC (37 vs.
Institute of Food Safety, Food Technology and Veterinary Public Health, 31%, P<0.01).
University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; 4Department
Conclusion: The study showed that a change to a bulk
of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870
tank SCC of <200,000 is an indicator for lower mastitis dis-
Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
ease rates in the individual cows. The more optimal fertility
parameters and feeding regimen prove that LSCC farms also
Objectives: Some dairies in Austria use stricter milk-qual- have better general herd management. Better udder health
ity parameters than other EU and non-EU countries. Farmers and optimal management are indicators for overall better ani-
only receive enhanced payment for the highest milk quality, if mal health on these farms. Therefore, quality programs should
the bulk-tank milk somatic-cell count (SCC) is <200,000 cells/ consider lower thresholds for the bulk tank milk to value the
ml, and the aerobic mesophilic count (AMC) is <50,000/ml. work of LSCC farms and support the improvement of HSCC
The background of more strict thresholds is that the regular farms to contribute to better dairy-cow health.

434
Keywords: New infection rate, Healing rate, cow health, UH-37

udder health.
Efficacy of a ready-to-use udder care product based on lactic
acid for daily teat disinfection after milking by spraying
Tiago Tavares1, Elien Claeys2, Lawrence Grab2, Korneel Decroos2,
Elisabet Rodriguez3.
UH-36 1
CID LINES, An Ecolab Company, Lisbon, Portugal; 2CID LINES, An
Dry period management and new high somatic cell count Ecolab Company, Ieper, Belgium; 3CID LINES, An Ecolab Company,
during the dry period in Dutch dairy herds under selective Sant Joan Despí, Spain.
dry cow therapy
Betsie Krattley1, Lotte Huybens2, Mirjam Nielen3, Tine Van Werven3. Objectives: The goal of the present trial was to assess the
efficacy of a ready-to-use udder care disinfectant based on
ULP Harmelen, Harmelen, Netherlands; 2Vet Clinic IJmond Noord,
1
lactic acid (Kenolac® SD, PT3 biocidal product-type, from CID
Castricum, Netherlands; 3Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht LINES, An Ecolab Company) for daily teat disinfection after
University, Utrecht, Netherlands. milking by spraying.
Material & Methods: Two studies were designed to assess
Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the cur- the efficacy of the product. In the laboratory study, Kenolac®
rent management practices that could influence udder health SD disinfectant efficacy was tested according to the Europe-
during the dry period and to investigate the associations be- an Norms (EN 1040 and EN 1656) against mastitis causing
tween management and new high SCC during the dry period. bacteria (test conditions: in presence of organic matter, in 5
In 2008 the Netherlands started to improve transparency and minutes contact time).
decrease the use of antimicrobials in animal husbandry. Pre-
vention of new high SCC during the dry period via antimicrobi-
al dry cow treatment (DCT) was no longer allowed in animals Test Organism Concentra- Contact Tempera- Interfering
with a low SCC before the dry period. An increase of new high tion time ture substance
SCC during the dry period was expected in dairy cows without Bacteria (EN1656) Ready to 5 mins 30 °C 1% skim
antimicrobial protection, but was not observed. Gram + use milk
Staphylococcus Dirty con-
Materials & Methods: In 2018 an online questionnaire aureus (ATCC ditions
was conducted among 1,942 Dutch dairy farms using 12 dif- 6538)
ferent veterinary clinics. The questionnaire asked about the Streptococcus
management of dry cows at the start of and during the dry uberis (ATCC
period, and around calving, considerations in the use of DCT, 19436)
Gram -
and knowledge of the 2012 guidelines for selective DCT. A to-
Escherichia coli
tal of 690 farmers (36%) responded to the questionnaire. Data (ATCC 10536)
on new high SCC during the dry period, use of antimicrobials Yeast (EN1657)
for intramammary DCT and mastitis treatment, herd size, and Candida albicans
milking system were available from other sources. Descriptive
statistics were used to evaluate the associations between the
different variables. For analysis of new high SCC on herd lev- In the field study, the impact of two methods of application
el, explanatory variables were analyzed using a generalized of Kenolac® SD on the microbiological contamination of the
linear mixed model. teats was evaluated: spray and dip. The samples are taken
during milking. Kenolac® SD was used after each milking with
Conclusion: Respondents indicated that the most import- a sprayer or a dip cup, respectively (recommended dosing
ant management factor to reduce the risk of new high SCC regimen: 5 mL per cow per application). After dipping Keno-
was reduction of milk yield before dry-off. The variables asso-
lac® SD on the teats, waiting for 3 minutes contact time was
ciated with a lower proportion of new high SCC on herd level
required.
during the dry period were the use of dip or spray after drying
off, a higher animal-defined daily dose of intramammary anti- The reduction of bacteria growth was evaluated for the two
microbials for DCT, the use of DCT in low-SCC cows based application methods. The scoring system was based on bac-
on SCC or mastitis history, correct knowledge of the guideline, teria count (colony-forming unit-cfu/ml): the bacterial reduction
and awareness of importance of low infection rate and good for Staphylococcus spp. and Coliforms count. These bacteria
hygiene during dry-off. The variables associated with a higher are a good indicator of the mastitis infection pressure, from
proportion of new high SCC on herd level were dry cow hous- contagious and from environmental sources.
ing other than cubicles and a higher animal-defined daily dose Results: Laboratory trial showed that Kenolac® SD re-
for intramammary antimicrobials for mastitis. This research duced the number of viable microorganisms tested by more
clearly indicates that farmers can balance limited use of anti- than 5 log (bacteria) and 4 log (yeast) during 5 minutes of con-
microbials at dry-off with management measures to maintain tact at 30°C under dirty conditions (1% skim milk).
good udder health during the dry period. Statistical analysis of the microbiological results obtained
Keywords: Dry cow management, selective dry cow ther- at the field trial showed similar results for the spray appli-
apy, new high SCC. cation than for the dip application regarding percentage of

435
bacteria reduction on the teats after milking. A high microbi- the cost of ITN, through production losses and expenditure,
ological reduction was achieved for spray application for total was estimated to be £1121 per farm per year. The costs were
Staphylococcus spp (93,83%, n=114), Staphylococcus aureus estimated at £720, £860 and £2133 for recovered, complicat-
(92,94%, n=114) and Coliforms (99,47%, n=114). For dip ap- ed and culled cases, respectively. The presence of udder cleft
plication, reduction was 90,76% (n=119), 91,4% (n=119) and dermatitis (UCD) (odds ratio 2.80; 95% CI: 1.54-5.07; p-val-
98,22% (n=119), respectively. ue <0.01) and chapped teats (odds ratio 6.07; 95% CI: 1.96-
Conclusions: The efficacy of Kenolac® SD, ready-to-use 18.76; p-value <0.01) in the milking herd were associated with
udder care biocide based on lactic acid, has been demonstrat- the presence of ITN at farm-level.
ed to be efficacious in reducing the amount of microorganisms Conclusions: This is the first national questionnaire of ITN
involved in dairy cow mastitis, when applied by spraying the within GB and highlights the association of UCD and chapped
teats after milking. teats with ITN at farm-level. While there are many limitations
Keywords: Mastitis, disinfection, teat dip, teat spraying, and potential bias around farmer questionnaires these findings
lactic acid. highlight several key areas for further disease investigation
and possible intervention.
Keywords: Bovine; Ischaemia; Necrosis; Questionnaire;
Risk factors; Dairy.
UH-38
Bovine Ischaemic teat necrosis: an observational study

investigating the potential farm level risk factors and UH-39
economic impact on GB dairy farms.
Hayley Crosby-Durrani1, Al Manning2, Roger Blowey3, Joao Sucena The use of cabergoline at dry-off reduces the probability of
Afonso1, Stuart Carter1, Nicholas J. Evans1, Joseph W. Angell4. milk leakage and dry-off stress-related behaviours in large
commercial dairy herds in Torreón, Mexico
University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom; 2Quality Milk
1
Management Services, Wells, United Kingdom; 3Appithorne, Philippe Gisbert1, Juan Munoz1, Oclydes Barbarini1, Rolando
Minsterworth, United Kingdom; 4Wern Vets CYF, Ruthin, United Morales2, Fernanda Quinones2, Carla Azevedo1.
Kingdom. Ceva Santé Animale, Libourne, France; 2Ceva Salud Animal, Mexico
1
City, Mexico.
Bovine ischaemic teat necrosis (ITN) is an emerging dis-
ease affecting the teats of dairy cattle with many affected an- Objectives: Cabergoline is a dry-off facilitator that reduc-
imals being culled due to the disease process. Little is known es milk leakage by 81% and new intramammary infections by
around the epidemiological and economic data that can inform 21% (Hop et al, 2019), accelerates mammary gland involution
control strategies. and improves its immune response (Boutinaud et al, 2016,
Objectives: The aim of this observational study was to 2017), and improves lying time (Bach et al, 2015). However,
investigate farmer-reported experiences, identify potential no studies to date have investigated the benefits of the use of
farm-level risk factors ad provide an estimate on the economic cabergoline at dry-off on dairy cows under Mexican field con-
impact of ITN on GB dairy farms. ditions. The objective of this study was to investigate, under
Materials and methods: In January 2018, a postal ques- Mexican field conditions, the effect of one single administra-
tionnaire with an online and telephone option was sent to a tion of cabergoline (Velactis®, Ceva Santé Animale, Libourne,
random sample of 1855 Great Britain (GB) dairy farmers. France) at dry-off on milk leakage incidence and frequency of
Descriptive statistics were utilised to understand the main at- dry-off stress-related behaviours.
risk animals and the potential outcomes of the disease. The Materials and methods: The trial was conducted in 2018,
economic impact was estimated based on the different clinical and involved 322 Holstein- Frisian dairy cows from 3 modern
outcomes. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression commercial dairy farm in the area of Torreón. Cows were en-
models were used to explore associations between the pres- rolled in the trial if they were 210 days in gestation and daily
ence of ITN on farm and various risk factors. milk production was equal or more than 25kg the day before
Results: A usable response rate of 12.3% was obtained. dry-off. All cows were dried off abruptly and randomly assigned
Fifty-one percent (95% confidence interval (CI): 44.4 - 57.8%) to one of two groups: treatment group (n = 161) received a
of farmers reported having experienced ITN on their farm be- single intramuscular injection of 5.6 mg of cabergoline after
tween 1985-2018. Rising numbers of farms indicated ITN is last milking at 217 days of gestation (dry period length of 53
an emerging disease with 46.3% of farmers reporting the first days) and the control group (n=161) was dried off at 210 days
case in the three years up to 2018. At the animal level, 47.3% in gestation (dry period length of 60 days) and left untreated.
(95% CI: 38.7-55.9%) of cases occurred during the first lacta- Cows were observed at 24- and 48-hours following treatment
tion and 78.9% (95% CI: 75.2-82.6%) within the first 90 days in for a period of 2 hours. The incidence of milk leakage and
milk. Only 20.8% (95% CI: 15.9-26.4%) of cases were report- frequency of observation of dry-off stress-related behaviour
ed to recover, whereas 22.8% (95% CI: 17.8-28.5%) of cases (agitation, increased vocalization, waiting in front of the gates
required culling. The remaining cases experienced complica- to the milking parlour, aggressive behaviour) were recorded
tions such as loss of a teat and/or mastitis. From these data, during both periods. Chi-square test was used to determine if

436
relation between variables was significant. Herd size was significantly associated with the number
Results: The results demonstrated that cows in caber- of daily milkings (p<0.001). The number of daily milkings in-
goline group were less likely to have milk leakage than cows creased with the herd size, 60.0% of the farms with more than
in control group (1.9% vs. 13.4%, P ˂ 0.01). Moreover, cows 600 cows milked the cows three or four times per day. The
treated with cabergoline were less likely to express at least type of milking parlour was significantly related to the number
one dry-off stress-related behaviour than cows in control of milkings per day (p<0.001). On dairy farms using herring-
group (9.5% vs. 29.8%, P ˂ 0.01). bone parlours the cows were mostly milked two times a day,
but where parallel or carousel milking parlour was installed the
Conclusions: It is the first time that the impact of caber-
occurrence of this milking practice diminished.
goline on milk leakage and dry-off stress-related behaviour
is evaluated in Mexican commercial dairy farms. Our data Herd size was associated with average daily milk pro-
provide evidence that a single injection of cabergoline at dry- duction per cow (p<0.001) and the average daily milk yield
off significatively reduces the incidence of milk leakage and (p<0.001). As the herd size increased, so did the average dai-
stress-related behaviour in dairy cows and therefore improves ly milk yield (p<0.001) and the average daily milk production
management, udder health and welfare of the dairy cow. per cow (p<0.001). Herd size was significantly related to SCC
(p<0.001), with the largest farms having the best quality milk
Keywords: Cabergoline, dry-off, Milk leakage, Mexico,
in terms of somatic cell count.
Cow.
The type of milking parlour was related to the average dai-
ly milk yield (p=0.039), and showed a tendency with average
daily milk production per cow (p=0.062). Dairy farms using
parallel milking parlours had significantly larger average daily
milk production per cow (p=0.033) and average daily milk yield
UH-40
(p=0.019), than farms using herringbone parlour. The type of
The impact of herd size and milking technology on milk milking parlour tended to be associated with SCC (p=0.061).
production in dairy cattle units Herringbone parlours resulted in the highest average SCC,
although no significant differences were found between the
Dorottya Ivanyos1, Attila Monostori2, Csaba Németh2, István Fodor1, different parlour types.
László Ózsvári1. Conclusion: The dairy herd size in Hungary has a huge
1
Department of Veterinary Forensics and Economics, University range and large differences can also be seen in the milking
of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, Budapest, Hungary; 2Livestock technology (e.g. parlour type, number of milking stalls, and
Performance Testing Ltd, Gödöllő, Hungary. daily milkings) and milk production parameters (e.g. daily milk
yield, SCC) between farms. However, majority of the surveyed
farms still use herringbone parlours, but over 600 cows the
Objectives: The aim of the study was to survey the milking parallel and carousel milking systems also play a significant
technology, and to assess the relationship between the milking role. Our findings show that the herd size has a greater impact
technology, the herd size, and the milk production parameters on the milk production parameters than the type of milking
on commercial dairy farms. parlour. The larger dairy farms may have better and newer
Material and Methods: The milking technology was sur- housing, feeding conditions, and milking technologies, which
veyed by using a questionnaire on 417 Hungarian dairy herds could allow for higher milk production, however the average
with 177,514 cows in 2017, and it was compared with their SCC was high in all size groups.
official farm milk production data. The surveyed farms were Acknowledgement: The Project was supported by the
categorized according to their size (Group 1: 1-50, Group 2: European Union and co-financed by the European Social
51-300, Group 3: 301-600, and Group 4: >600 cows) and to Fund: (1) EFOP-3.6.1-16-2016-00024; (2) EFOP-3.6.2-16-
their milking parlour types (herringbone, parallel, carousel, 2017-00012; and (3) EFOP-3.6.3-VEKOP-16-2017-00005.
and others). The relationships were analysed by multivariate
Keywords: Dairy, milking technology, milking parlour, ud-
linear models, one-way ANOVA, and Fisher’s exact test. Pair-
der health, milk production.
wise comparisons were performed by Tukey’s post hoc tests.
Results: The number of farms was 40 (9.6%) in Group
1, 140 (33.6.0%) in Group 2, 142 (34.0%) in Group 3, and 95
(22.8%) in Group 4. The most commonly used type of milking
parlours was the herringbone (296 farms, 71.0%), followed by
UH-41
the parallel (62 farms, 14.9%), the carousel (40 farms, 9.6%),
and others (19 farms, 4.6%). Herds with different milking par- Determining the Cut-off value of Bovine Leukemia Virus
lour types significantly differed in herd size (p<0.001), except proviral load based on the severity of clinical mastitis
for the parallel vs. other parlour types. The occurrence of paral-
lel and carousel parlour systems decreased with the herd size. Aiko Watanabe1, Hironobu Murakami2, Tomoya Hirose3, Seiichi
Kakinuma4, Koki Murao4, Kaori Ohmae4, Hirohisa Akamatsu5,
The number of milking stalls per farm increased with the
Takahiro Seto6, Yasunori Shinozuka7, Yoko Aida8, Kazuhiro Kawai7.
number of cows (p<0.001). Farms with herringbone parlour
had significantly smaller number of milking stalls than the School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University. Kakinuma
1
farms with parallel (p=0.022) and the carousel (p<0.001) par- Veterinary Hospital, Sagamihara, Honjo, Japan; 2School of Veterinary
lours. Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, Japan; 3Viral Infectious

437
Disease Unit, RIKEN, Wako, Japan; 4Kakinuma Veterinary Hospital, DNA) (AUC (area under the curve): 0.731, sensitivity: 0.781,
Honjo, Japan; 5Akamatsu Farm Clinic, Fujinomiya, Japan; 6Shizuoka specificity: 0.71) using DNA-based qPCR, and 16,777 (cop-
Prefecture Livestock Research Institute, Fujinomiya, Japan; 7School of ies/105 cells) (AUC: 0.731, sensitivity: 0.531, specificity: 0.903)
Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University. Azabu University Mastitis using cell-based qPCR. Nosignificant differences were ob-
Research Center, Sagamihara, Japan; 8Viral Infectious Disease Unit, served in either SCC or the 6-year survival rate among the
RIKEN. Nakamura Laboratory, Baton Zone Program, RIKEN Cluster three groups classified using the cut-off value; High-PVL group
for Science, Technology and Innovation Hub, Wako, Japan. (DNA- based qPCR; n=34, Cell-based qPCR; n= 21), Low-PVL
group (DNA-based qPCR; n=20, Cell-based qPCR; n=32) and
Negative group (DNA-based qPCR; n=9, Cell-based qPCR;
Objectives: Severe bovine mastitis causes considerable
n=10).
economic losses in the dairy industry due to significantly low-
ered milk production and an increase in cow mortality. Enzo- Conclusions: Using DNA- and cell-based qPCR assays
otic bovine leukosis (EBL) is caused by the bovine leukemia to determine PVL cut-off values and then estimate the sever-
virus (BLV), and its prevalence in Japan has been steadily in- ity of clinical mastitis was moderately accurate; no difference
creasing. It has been reported that the proviral load (PVL), i.e., in accuracy was observed between the methods. The results
the proviral copy number of BLV in the blood of BLV-infected implied that the cut-off value determined by both methods can
cows increases as the disease progresses, and that the prev- be used to evaluate the risk of severe mastitis. In evaluating
alence of BLV tends to be higher on farms where the majori- short- and long-term prognoses, no significant differences
ty of cows have high PVL. In addition, previous studies have were observed among the High-PVL, Low-PVL, and Negative
shown that the recurrence of bovine mastitis and morbidity groups. The results suggested that the cut-off value may not
rates were significantly higher on farms with a high prevalence be effective for predicting short- or long-term prognoses, but
of BLV compared to farms with uninfected cows. Further, oth- that it can be used as a criterion for evaluating the risk of se-
er studies have demonstrated a strong association between vere clinical mastitis.
the severity of clinical mastitis and PVL. Taken together, these Keywords: Bovine leukemia virus, Cut-off value, Proviral
findings imply that PVL may be associated with other diseas- load, Severity of mastitis.
es. Although methods for diagnosing and screening for PVL
based on DNA concentration and cell number have been de-
veloped, the application of PVL as a criterion for evaluating the
risk of clinical mastitis severity has not yet been examined. The
purpose of this study was therefore to establish whether PVL UH-42
values could be used to assess clinical mastitis severity using
two quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) methods. Comparison of various diagnostic tests for early diagnosis
The first method is targeting the BLV pol gene among evalu- of mastitis in dairy goats
ations based on DNA concentration (DNA-based qPCR), and
Rakesh Kumar, Dhiraj Kumar Gupta, B.K. Bansal, Shukriti Sharma.
the second method uses the Coordination of Common Motifs
(CoCoMo) algorithm targeting the BLV long terminal repeat Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University,
(BLV-CoCoMo-qPCR) among the evaluations based on cell Ludhiana, India.
number (Cell-based qPCR).
Materials and Methods: Milk and blood samples were Objectives: Subclinical mastitis (SCM) is one of the most
collected from a total of 63 lactating Holstein-Friesian dairy important infectious diseases in goats that affect 5-30% goats.
cows with clinical mastitis from 13 dairy farms. The severity of Early detection of mastitis followed by preventive activities in
clinical mastitis among all cases was classified as mild (milk controlling the infections becomes of utmost importance. Pa-
abnormalities; n=32) or severe (milk abnormalities, udder ab- rameters like somatic cell count (SCC), California Mastitis Test
normalities and general symptoms; n=31). DNA-based qPCR (CMT), electrical conductivity (EC), pH, milk composition and
and cell-based qPCR were used to determine the PVL at the N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAGase) have been evaluat-
onset of clinical mastitis. Utilizing receiver operator character- ed for diagnosis of SCM. SCC has been accepted as the most
istic curve analysis and the Youden index, and the severity effective index of mammary inflammation in dairy herds to
of clinical mastitis as the dependent variable (outcome) and evaluate yield and quality of milk. The CMT roughly estimates
PVL as the independent variable, we estimated PVL cut-off the number of cells of the immune system and epithelial cells
values to estimate the onset of severe clinical mastitis for both in a given milk sample. CMT levels correlate well with SCC
the DNA-based qPCR and cell-based qPCR methods. Us- levels found in caprine milk. During mastitis, NAGase activi-
ing cut-off values determined by DNA-based qPCR and cell- ty has been found to be reliable for the detection of mastitis
based qPCR as classification criteria, we classified PVL into pathogen induced IMI. Measurement of electrical conductivity
the following three groups: High PVL (above cut-off value), (EC) provides another way to detect mastitis. Concentration
Low PVL (below cut-off value), and Negative (PVL below de- of lactose in milk decreases slightly in case of inflammation,
tectable limits), and evaluated short- and long-term prognoses making it promising to be applied as an indicator of IMI. If sen-
after the onset of clinical mastitis. Specifically, short-term prog- sitivity and accuracy are the most important factors in mastitis
nosis was assessed by measuring milk somatic cell count in diagnosis methods, the milk NAGase activity test and lactose
milk (SCC) on day 1, 7, 14 and 21, and long-term prognosis by content in milk together have the highest likelihood to be the
estimating 6-year survival rates. most reliable. However, no single method is completely reli-
Results: The cut-off value was 18.4 (copies/10 ng able in detecting subclinical mastitis.

438
Materials and methods: A cross sectional study was Objective: The first 100 days of lactation is a period of
carried out involving 200 apparently healthy randomly select- physiological transition for dairy cows, critical to the health and
ed lactating beetal crossbred goats from 10 loose dairy goat production for animals during the current and future lactations.
flocks across the state. The flocks were visited during morn- Clinical coliform mastitis during this period has potentially neg-
ing hours and the Quarter foremilk (QFM) milk samples were ative impacts on the performance and longevity of a cow in
aseptically collected. The analysis of milk samples for SCC the herd. The use of Escherichia coli J-5 bacterins before par-
was done using milk somatic cell counter (DELTA Instrument, turition and in early lactation has been shown to reduce the
The Netherland). Results were expressed in × 103cells/ ml. severity and duration of clinical coliform mastitis. The purpose
CMT was conducted by as per standard method described by of the current trial was to compare the efficacies of two com-
Pandit and Mehta (1969). The EC using Electrical Conductivity mercially available Escherichia coli J-5 vaccines for reducing
Meter (Mettler Toledo), pH by digital pH meter and fat, protein the incidence of clinical coliform mastitis during the first 100
and lactose content in milk using Milk analyser were recorded. days of lactation.
The NAGase activity was measured using the spectrophoto-
Materials & Methods: Cows enrolled in the trial were
metric method of Kitchen et al (1978) with some modifications.
from a commercial herd of Holsteins. Within each projected
The tests applied for diagnosis were correlated with each oth-
treatment allocation week, cows were ranked based on their
er. Sensitivity (SE), Specificity (SP), Likelihood Ratio (LR),
previous lactation milk production, within parity group, and
Positive Predictive Value (PPV) and Negative Predictive Value
then randomly assigned to one of the two treatment groups.
(NPV) of these tests were evaluated. Discriminating Function-
Heifers were randomly allocated only by their electronic iden-
al Analysis of the diagnostic tests was done at cut-off points
tification numbers. Experimental animals within a treatment
where the tests are having maximum SE and SP to see the
group were immunized with one of two different commercially
efficacy of test to diagnose subclinical mastitis.
available bacterins: either vaccine 1 (Enviracor™ J-5; Zoetis
Results and Conclusions: The pearson correlation test Inc.) or vaccine 2 (Bovilis® J-5; MSD Animal Health Intervet
was applied to find out the correlation among different di- Inc.). Both bacterins were administered at approximately 60 d
agnostic tests. The CMT, lactose content, pH, NAGase and
prior to anticipated calving (day of drying off for cows), approx-
Log10NAGase were significantly (p < 0.01) positively correlat-
imately 30 d after the primary immunization and on day 14 of
ed with SCC. At cut-off value of 700 and 750 (×10³ cells/ml),
lactation. All immunizations were 5 ml subcutaneous approxi-
SCC was having comparatively high SE (51.40, 52.00), SP
mately 100 mm anterior of the scapula on the neck.
(89.45, 89.19), LR (4.87, 4.81), PPV (0.38 each) and NPV
(0.63 each), respectively. The SE, SP, LR, PPV and NPV at Clinical mastitis was diagnosed by farm personnel and
600 (×10³ cells/ml) were same as those at 700 (×10³ cells/ml). quarter foremilk samples collected for bacteriological analyses
So, we can consider 650/700 or 750 as most suitable cutoff prior to antibiotic therapy. The number of clinical cases was
value to differentiate infected udder halves from non-infected determined retrospectively by an investigator blinded to treat-
ones. NAGase activity at cut-off value of 25 and 30 (nMoles/ ment codes using all reports of clinical signs and culture re-
ml/min) showed moderately high SE, SP, LR , PPV and NPV. sults of milk samples. Dairy-Comp 305 recording system was
So, we can consider either of these cut-off values as most used to collect milk production following vaccination during
suitable to diagnose intra-mammary infection. For EC, pH and lactation, first service pregnancy rates, percentage of preg-
Lactose the cut-off values 6.4, 6.4 and 4.6, respectively were nancies lost, and mortality and culling data for comparisons
found most suitable to differentiate infected udder halves from between treatment groups.
non-infected ones. Results: Health and production data for 506 animals in the
At cut-off values of 750 (×10³cells/ml) for SCC, 25nMoles/ vaccine 1 group and 479 in the vaccine 2 group were analyzed.
ml/min for NAGase, 6.4 for EC, 6.5 for pH and 4.4% for lac- Rate of clinical mastitis caused by coliform bacteria during the
tose, the Discriminating Functional Analysis showed that SCC, first 100 days in milk for animals immunized with vaccine 1
NAGase, EC, pH and lactose could be able to discriminate was .0444 cases/ 100 cow-days compared with 0.0183 cases/
the positive cases with negative ones by 85.16%, 66.36%, 100 cow-days for cows vaccinated with vaccine 2 (P < 0.05).
60.82%, 69.23% and 49.94%, respectively. Rate of total clinical mastitis also differed between treatments
Keywords: Diagnosis, mastitis, goats, SCC, NAGase. with 0.1138 cases/100 cow-days in vaccine 1 cows and .0690
cases/100 cow-days in vaccine 2 cows (P < 0.05). Rates of
clinical cases caused by environmental streptococci, coagu-
lase-negative staphylococci, other pathogens and bacteriolog-
ically- negative clinical cases did not differ between vaccine
UH-43 treatment groups. Percentage of animals that died or culled
in the first 100 days in milk did not differ (P > 0.05) between
Field trial to compare efficacy of two commercially available cows immunized with vaccine 1 (4.4%) and vaccine 2 (3.8%).
Escherichia coli J-5 vaccines against clinical coliform Percentage of cows pregnant after first artificial insemination
mastitis service was 33.9% for vaccine 1 cows and 35.8% for vaccine
2 cows (P > 0.05). Pregnancy loss was 7.1% for cows in the
Norman Stewart1, Scott Nordstrom1, John Champaign1, Alison
vaccine 1 groups and 5.8% for those in the vaccine 2 group (P
Hurwitch1, Joe Hogan2.
> 0.05). Daily milk production did not differ between vaccine
Merck Animal Health, Madison, NJ, United States; 2Ohio Agricultural
1
groups for the two days prior to the immunization on day 14
Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University, Wooster, of lactation, day 14 of lactation, or the three days after the
United States. immunization.

439
Conclusion: The efficacy of vaccines differed in reducing sampling rounds from a one-year period from August 2020 un-
clinical mastitis caused by coliform bacteria during the first 100 til July 2021 in on average 1,896 herds, varying from 1,443 to
days of lactation. Use of vaccine 2 reduced the rate of clin- 2,180 herds per sampling round. The prevalence of S. aga-
ical coliform mastitis 2.4-fold greater than use of vaccine 1. lactiae per sampling round based on SOP + GBS varied from
Incidence of death and early culling, first service conception 2.4% to 2.8% of samples. By adding GBS to the SOP, 25%
rate, and pregnancy losses did not differ between animals in up to 72% more S. agalactiae positive samples per sampling
the two vaccine groups. Milk production did not differ between round were found, indicating GBS has a significant added val-
groups on the days surrounding immunization on day 14 of ue in S. agalactiae diagnosis of bulk milk samples. Comparing
lactation. 101 herds that were positive for S. agalactiae during a one-
Keywords: Field efficacy trial, vaccination, coliform masti- year period, the pathogen was found on GBS in 93 herds and
tis, E. coli, J-5 vaccines. on EDW in 84 herds at some point in time. In the 93 herds pos-
itive on GBS, S. agalactiae was also found on EDW in three or
more samples in 28 herds. In the 84 herds positive on EDW,
S. agalactiae was also found on GBS in three or more samples
in 51 herds. This indicates GBS seems to have more added
value in finding S. agalactiae than EDW, but that combining
UH-44
both media is needed to optimize sensitivity.
Streptococcus agalactiae: new insights about a long-known Disucsion and conclusion: Comparing udder health be-
mastitis pathogen tween herds positive for S. agalactiae in the SOP approach to
those in the SOP + GBS approach during the first four rounds
Annet Heuvelink1, Manon Holstege1, Christian Scherpenzeel1, Stefan
of the study did not reveal significant differences. Comparison
Bollen2, Michel Swarts1, Theo Lam3.
of AMU revealed that total AMU in adult cows as well as in-
Royal GD, Deventer, Netherlands; 2Utrecht University, Utrecht,
1
tramammary AMU was higher for S. agalactiae positive herds
Netherlands; 3Royal GD / Utrecht University, Deventer, Netherlands. than for negative controls, with a lower total and intramamma-
ry AMU for herds that were only positive in the SOP + GBS
approach than those found in the SOP approach.
Introduction and objectives: Streptococcus agalactiae is
one of the first pathogens that was described as having harm- In conclusion it seems that, contrary to reports from the
ful consequences for udder health in dairy cows. Until some start of this century, S. agalactiae is still present in modern
decades ago it was considered a strictly cow-bound pathogen dairy farms, but may behave less aggressive. Specific atten-
that was highly contagious within a herd, led to serious con- tion should be given to its diagnostics, in which Brilliance GBS
sequences with respect to subclinical and clinical mastitis, but agar has an added value. It may be so that S. agalactiae cul-
was relatively easy to manage when adapting the traditional tured on GBS only behaves different from those also cultured
five point mastitis prevention scheme. At some point in time, on EDW. This needs further study, including analysis of culture
in some regions S. agalactiae was almost considered eradi- results and possibly genome sequencing.
cated. In recent years, however, several scientific publications Keywords: Mastitis, streptococcus agalactiae, diagnosis.
indicated the pathogen was still present and even increased in
prevalence. Voices from practice in the Netherlands endorse
this, while indicating that the pathogen is not as harmful as it
used to be in previous times. In our laboratory at GD we found
that some S. agalactiae isolates had a surprising non-hemolyt- UH-45
ic character. This led to the question whether one of the most
long-known pathogens in dairy mastitis, S. agalactiae, had Presence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Staphylococci
changed over time, and whether enough attention is paid to Isolated from Bovine Subclinical Mastitis
this pathogen.
Zafer Cantekin1, Gamze Ozge Ozmen1, Melek Demir1, Zeynep
Material and methods: In the standard operating proce- Yılmaz Er1, Kemal Gurturk2, Hasan Solmaz3, Ismail Hakki Ekin2,
dure (SOP) at GD, bulk milk samples from dairy farmers par- Dilek Ozturk4, Ahmet Gozer1, Yasar Ergun1.
ticipating in the voluntary udder health surveillance program
are examined on modified Edward’s medium (EDW) for the
1
Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Hatay, Turkey; 2Yuzuncu Yil
presence of S. agalactiae. Based on the apparent changed University, Van, Turkey; 3Karabuk University, Karabuk, Turkey;
hemolytic character of some S. agalactiae strains combined
4
Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur, Turkey.
with the experience that EDW is sometimes difficult to read for
the presence of S. agalactiae, it was decided to also use Bril- Resistance to antimicrobial agents is an important prob-
liance GBS agar (SOP + GBS) for a one year period. Herd-lev- lem in the dairy industry and poses a threat to human health.
el results on the prevalence of S. agalactiae based on the SOP Antibacterial resistance in staphylococci, especially methicillin
and based on the SOP + GBS were compared. Additionally resistance, hampers the treatment and control of staphylococ-
some management characteristics as well as the antimicrobi- cal infections, which are prevalent in dairy cows. The aim of
al usage (AMU) in S. agalactiae positive herds based on the this study was to identify antibiotic resistance genes in staph-
SOP, based on the SOP + GBS and S. agalactiae negative ylococci obtained from cases of bovine subclinical mastitis in
herds were compared. three provinces (Burdur, Hatay and Van) in Turkey. In total,
Results: Bulk tank milk samples were collected during 10 283 isolates (Burdur, n = 36; Hatay, n = 47; Van, n = 200 iso-

440
lates) were studied. The isolates were first identified as Staph- coccus agalactiae, Streptococcus uberis and Escherichia coli.
ylococcus aureus and/or non-aureus staphylococci (NAS) by The enrolled cows were randomly assigned to SDCT group or
conventional phenotypic methods, and the species was then BDCT group. The animals in SDCT group were treated only
confirmed by a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A with internal teat sealant (Easiseal™, Fatro, Italy) while the
simplex PCR assay was performed to detect antibiotic resist- cows in BDCT group were treated with intramammary anti-
ance genes (mecA, mecC, aacA-aphD, ermA, ermB, ermC, biotic treatment (Orbenin extra™, Zoetis, Italy) and internal
tetK, tetM and blaZ). Among the isolates from all three provinc- teat sealant. 10 days after calving, samples of milk from indi-
es, the blaZ gene was the most prevalent antibiotic resistance vidual quarters was collected from all enrolled cows and the
gene, present in 43 out of 156 (28%) NAS isolates, 27 out animals were monitored up to 100 lactation days for the onset
of 127 (21%) S. aureus isolates and 25% of the all isolates, of clinical mastitis. Data for milk yield have been taken from
whereas tetM was the most prevalent gene in the Hatay iso- the first three DHI controls post-partum. Data were collected
lates, detected in 64% of all Staphylococcus isolates. The me- on a spreadsheet (Excel™) and, about bacteriological and
cA-gene was present in 10% of the NAS, and in 3% of the S. SCC analyses, they were analyzed using SPSS 27.0 statis-
aureus isolates. The mecC and ermA genes were not detected tical software (IBM, SPSS, Armonk, USA). The frequencies
in any of the isolates. This shows that antimicrobial resistance, of mammary infections, before dry off and post-partum, were
as determined by PCR, is common in Staphylococcus isolates compared by χ2 test, while the SCC, after the assessment of
from mastitis in Turkey, and warrants systematic treatment normal distribution of data by means of the Shapiro-Wilk test,
protocols as well as the implementation of preventative strate- was compared by means was compared by a non-paramet-
gies to reduce antimicrobial usage. ric U-Mann Whitney test because the data were not normally
Keywords: Bovine mastitis, antimicrobial resistance, distributed. Statistical significance was considered for p<0.05.
Staphylococcus. Results: Forty-six cows were included in the study due
to meeting the inclusion criteria and 24 cows were assigned
to SDTC group and 22 cows to the BDTC. Results showed a
non-statistically difference of IMIs incidence in post-partum in
the SDTC group in comparison with BDCT group. Within the
UH-46 BDCT group, there was a statistically decrease in post-partum
IMIs (p=0.033) respect pre-partum IMIs, despite the presence
Effects of selective dry cow therapy approach in an Italian of 3 quarters infected with major pathogens at post-partum
commercial Dairy Farm milk sampling. No statistically difference was recorded for
SCC in both treatments’ groups before dry-off and post-par-
Laura Filippone Pavesi, Giulia Sala, Valentina Vailati, Clara Locatelli,
tum. Using only SCC values and milk yield coming from DHI
Claudia Pollera, Valerio Bronzo.
controls, we observe a non-significant difference in milk yield,
University of Milan, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal both before dry-off and after calving, for two treatments, while
Sciences, Lodi, Italy. SCC was significantly higher in BDCT group vs SDTC group
(p=0.036) before dry-off, but non-significant differences were
observed in SCC after calving in both experimental groups.
Objective: The dry period in dairy cows is a crucial period
for udder health. It provides an opportunity to treat pre-existing Conclusion: This study confirms that it is possible to ap-
intramammary infections (IMI), using intramammary dry ther- ply selective dry off therapy without risk of new infections or
apy, but leave the udder in a high-risk situation of exposure to increase of SCC at calving, considering cows without IMI from
new IMI. Blanket dry cow therapy (BDCT) consists in treating major pathogens and SCC values <200,000 cells/ml in the
all quarters of all cows with antimicrobials at the dry off. This previous lactation period. Therefore, the use of selective dry-
therapy was widely used by dairy farmers. Due to changes off has been confirmed as an effective method for reduction
in epidemiology and increasing antibiotic resistance, efforts the use of antibiotics in dairy farms in a One-Health perspec-
are being made to reduce the use of non-essential antibiotic tive. Moreover, milk yield was not affected by the absence of
treatments. The aim of this study was to investigate chang- antibiotic treatment at dry-off.
ing in milk’s somatic cells count (SCC) values, IMI trend and Keywords: Cattle, Mastitis, Selective dry cow.
milk yield between cows treated with selective dry cow ther-
apy (SDCT) and cow treated with BDCT, in order to assess
the usefulness of administration of antimicrobial treatment to
seemingly healthy udders.
Materials and methods: The selected herd was monitored UH-47
from October 2020 to September 2021. The enrolling criteria,
as described in literature, were no clinical mastitis during pre- Barrier Characteristics of Three External Teat Sealants to
vious lactation, average SCC value lower than 200.000 cell/ml Prevent Bacterial Penetration Under In Vitro Conditions
along the lactation and no IMI from major pathogens. These Using Rubber Calf Feeding Nipples
data have been taken from dairy herd improvement (DHI) Sofie Piepers1, Igor Van Den Brulle2, Geoff Ackaert3.
controls of the previous and actual lactation, while the pres-
ence of major pathogens was detected at dry-off milk sample.
1
Ghent University, FAc. Vet Medicine, Gent, Belgium; 2Ghent University,
According to literature, as major pathogens, we considered Fac. Vet. Medicine, Ghent, Belgium; 3Inovet, Arendonk, Belgium.
Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Strepto-

441
The main objective of this study was to evaluate the barri- with. In a field study in which an evidence-based mastitis
er characteristics of a new external teat sealant for dry cows therapy system was established on dairy farms, the main eco-
(Ubera® Dry, Inovet, Arendonk, Belgium) in preventing teat nomic aspects were recorded to carry out not only a medical
penetration by 3 common major mastitis pathogens (Esche- evaluation but also an economic assessment.
richia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus uberis) Material and methods: In a three-year field study, the
compared to two commercially available external teat sealants effects of establishing a targeted mastitis therapy concept
via a novel in vitro simulation model using rubber calf feed- based on clinical scoring, the consideration of the animal's
ing nipples. All feeding nipples were filled with a sterile cotton individual mastitis history and the application of an on-farm
plug soaked in sterile Broth Heart Infusion medium and were test before therapy selection were examined on 1392 mastitis
treated as follows: teat 1 and teat 5 were sealed with Ubera® cases in 5 dairy farms in Northern Germany. All clinical mas-
Dry (Inovet, Arendonk, Belgium), teat 2 and teat 6 were sealed titis cases and treatment data were recorded over the entire
with T-Hexx® Dry (Huvepharma Livestock, Missouri, US), teat duration of the study. After analyzing the existing conventional
3 and teat 7 were sealed with UDDERgold® Dry (Ecolab Food
therapy concepts of the farms, the mastitis therapy concept
and Beverage Division, Minnesota, US), and teat 4 and 8 re-
and the on-farm culture mastDecide® were introduced. Three
mained unsealed and served as positive and negative controls,
treatment groups were compared: the conventional treatment
respectively. After drying, teats 1 to 4 were immersed in a sus-
group – before introducing the new concept (n = 483), the
pension of E. coli (i.e. experiment 1), Staph. aureus (i.e. exper-
targeted therapy group (n = 506) and the modified targeted
iment 2) or Strep. uberis (i.e. experiment 3) (≥ 1.5 x 108 CFU/
therapy group (n = 403), including the cases in which farmers
mL) for 24 hrs whereas teats 5 to 8 were not exposed to one of
deviated from the therapy concept. The investigated approach
the bacterial suspensions. All external teat sealants adhered
did not lead to any change in bacteriological and cytological
well to the rubber teats. All cotton plugs collected from the
cure rates, new infection rates or recurrence rates. The two
teats that were not exposed to either Escherichia coli, Staph.
targeted treatment groups hardly differed in terms of cures and
aureus or Strep. uberis (teats 5 to 8) remained culture-nega-
treatment effort (P> 0.05).
tive except for one (due to contamination). Of the teats that
were exposed to the major mastitis pathogens, all cotton plugs Results: The application of the test and the implementa-
collected from the teats dipped with Ubera® Dry and T-Hexx® tion of the targeted therapy concept as recommended resulted
Dry remained also culture-negative for the mastitis pathogen in a saving of 67.4 % of intramammary antibiotic doses and
they were exposed to. The cotton plugs of the teats that were 63.8 % of systemic antibiotic doses compared to the conven-
sealed with UDDERgold® Dry while being exposed to E. coli tional treatment. Furthermore, this procedure led to a lower
and Strep. uberis, resulted in positive cultures for the respec- application effort (- 56.3 %) and a reduction of milk that could
tive bacteria as demonstrated using strain-typing. The cotton not be delivered (-25.1 %). These savings were offset by in-
plugs collected from the teats that were not sealed with an ex- creased costs due to the on-farm tests used and the time re-
ternal teat sealant and that served as positive controls became quired for using the on-farm test. Included in the cost calcula-
culture-positive for the mastitis pathogens they were exposed tion are: the amount of milk discarded, the time spent on rapid
to. In conclusion, Ubera® Dry showed comparable and supe- diagnosis and treatment of the animals, the cost of the rapid
rior barrier performances against the penetration of E. coli, test and the cost of pharmaceuticals. For the average case of
Staph. aureus and Strep. uberis compared to T-Hexx® Dry and mastitis treated with a targeted treatment concept, the costs in
UDDERgold® Dry, respectively, under in vitro conditions using total were lower by 33.20 €. The reduction of costs depended
a novel simulation model. A large-scale clinical trial is needed on the pathogen group and amounted to 25.4 % of the costs of
to evaluate the adherence, duration of adherence and barrier standard therapy for Gram-negative microorganisms, 22.9 %
performances of Ubera® Dry against intramammary infection for Gram-positive microorganisms and 29.1 % for samples
under field conditions. without bacterial growth, respectively.
Keywords: Transistion management, udder health, exter- Conclusion: With the help of the targeted evidence-based
nal teat sealant. mastitis therapy concept, a reduction of antibiotic doses by
more than 60 % and of costs by 25.7 % were achieved with
unaffected cure rates.
Keywords: Mastitis, treatment, economics, targeted.
UH-48
Economic consequences of an evidence-based mastitis

therapy concept
UH-49
Anne Schmenger1, Stefanie Leimbach1, Volker Krömker2.
Impact of mastitis degree and moment of occurrence in
Hannover University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Hannover,
1
milk production in dairy cattle
Germany; 2Kopenhagen University, Kopenhagen, Denmark.
Nayara Magalhaes Goncalves1, Almudena Molinero Arguello2, Juana
C. C. Chagas3, Phd Marcos Inácio Marcondes4.
Objectives: The economic significance of targeted evi-
dence-based mastitis treatment protocols is unclear. On the 1
UNIFORM-Agri BV, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; 2UNIFORM-Agri
one hand, a greater diagnostic effort is required before thera- BV, Pamplona, Spain; 3Department of Agricultural Research for
py, and on the other hand, certain treatments are dispensed Northern Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU),

442
Skogsmarksgränd, 90183, Umeå, Sweden; 4Dairy Cattle Production this drop is greater in acute mastitis cases. Additionally, the
and Nutrition, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Brazil. reduction in milk yield due to mastitis is related to the time of
occurrence and is greater at weeks 10-14th of lactation, with
losses up to 16,5% of milk yield.
Objectives: Mastitis is the disease that causes the most
loss in the dairy industry, even though there are already many Keywords: Mastitis, milk losses, dairy cattle.
studies regarding its prevention. Due to its gravity, mastitis can
promote early culling animals, high costs with medicines, milk
withdraw and decreased milk production and quality. Thus, we
aimed to describe the impact of mastitis on milk production,
based on mastitis degree and moment of occurrence. UH-50
Materials and methods: In this retrospective study, we
Negatively controlled, randomized clinical trial comparing
used data from five dairies in the Netherlands and the data-
label intramammary use of amoxicillin to ceftiofur
bank consisted of 26,228 monthly milk test records from 1,230
hydrochloride for treatment of bovine clinical mastitis
cows, from September 2014 to January 2020. Lactations with
caused by Gram-positive pathogens
less than five records were removed from the dataset. Mastitis
was considered as affecting milk yields if observed at least 30 Tiago Tomazi1, Matthew Sumnicht1, Ana Carolina C.h. Tomazi1,
days before the milk test day, and was scored as 1) mild mas- Josiane C.c. Silva1, Leonardo Bringhenti1, Livia M. Duarte1, Marjory
titis, and 2) acute mastitis. Then, we evaluated the effect of X. Rodrigues1, Jantijn M. Swinkels2, Lowell Midla3, Scott Nordstrom3,
mastitis based on the drop in milk yield following three steps. Rodrigo C. Bicalho1.
Firstly, we removed all mastitis records from the data and fit-
Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell
1
ted a wood’s curve (WC) for each cow and lactation number.
University, Ithaca, United States; 2Global Ruminants, MSD Animal Health,
Secondly, we returned the mastitis data to the databank and
Boxmeer, Netherlands; 3Merck Animal Health, De Soto, United States.
tested the effect of mastitis in each WC parameters following
the model: MY = ( 1+ 1×Mast) × Wk 2+ 2*Mast × e-( 3+ 3*Mast) × Wk,
where 1, 2 and 3 were parameters determined for each cow, Objectives: This negatively controlled field trial aimed to
1, 2 and 3 were the effect of mastitis on MY, Mast is the binary compare clinical, microbiological and performance outcomes
occurrence of mastitis, and Wk is the week of lactation. The of label use of a narrow spectrum antimicrobial (amoxicillin)
mastitis score (MS) was tested on all parameters. Lastly, a with a wide spectrum antimicrobial (ceftiofur hydrochloride)
general WC was fit including in the general WC to estimate for treatment of non-severe clinical mastitis (CM) caused by
the MY loss throughout the lactation. Farm was included as Gram-positive bacteria.
random effect in all models. The model was run using PROC Material and methods: After microbiological culture re-
NLMIXED (SAS University edition) and parameters were consults, lactating dairy cows with non-severe CM (without sys-
sidered different when P < 0.05. temic symptoms) caused by Gram-positive bacteria were as-
Results: A total of 205 cows had, at some point of their signed to two protocols: AMOX - three infusions with 62.5 mg
life, a mastitis case recorded. There were 137 cows with mild of amoxicillin (Amoxi-Mast®, Merck Animal Health) performed
mastitis and 68 with acute mastitis. Number of lactation when ~12 hours apart; CEFT - five infusions with 125 mg of cef-
mastitis occurred varied from 1st lactation to 11th lactation. tiofur hydrochloride (Spectramast®, Zoetis) performed ~24
Also, there was a big variability of occurrence among week of hours apart; NEG-CTR – quarters assigned to this group did
lactation (2nd to 43th weeks). The mastitis level did not impact not receive any interventions until five days after diagnosis.
1 (P = 0.223) but did affect 2 (P = 0.026) and 3 (P =0.047). Before the onset of the study a randomized list was created
Additionally, Mast did impact 1 parameter (P = 0.001), thus to pre-assign all pregnant animals to one of treatment groups;
one equation was fit for each mastitis degree as follows: Mast approximately 90% of cows were assigned to one of antibiot-
= 1) MY = (31.860 + 0.966×Mast) × Wk0.162-0.075×Mast × e-(0.023- ic treatment groups (~45% in each protocol) and 10% to the
0.0056×Mast) × Wk
; and Mast = 2) MY = (31.860 + 0.966×Mast) × negative control.
Wk0.162-0.143×Mast × e-(0.023-0.012×Mast) × Wk. Cows with mastitis had low- Duplicate milk samples taken before treatment (day 0) and
er milk yield at lactation peak when compared with healthy on days 3, 5, 8 and 14 ± 3 after enrollment for analysis of milk
cows. Cows with mastitis grade 1 had a peak production of composition, somatic cell count (SCC), total bacterial count
34.5 kg/d, and a peak of 32.0 kg/d with mastitis grade 2, while (TBC) and next-generation sequencing of 16S rRNA gene
healthy cows had, on average, 37.1 kg/d of milk production at and quantitative PCR (qPCR). Multivariate logistic regression
peak. Our analysis revealed that 50% of cows with mastitis models were created to evaluate dichotomized outcomes such
grade 1 had a milk yield loss from 2.4 to 5.0 kg/day and cows as clinical cure (CC) and bacteriological cure (BC) at 14 ± 3
with mastitis grade 2 had a milk yield loss from 4.1 to 8.0 kg/ days after enrollment and quarter-level CM recurrence by the
day. Week of lactation where mastitis occurred had a strong same species up to 90 days after treatment. Repeated-mea-
impact in milk production. Highest losses were detected be- sures analysis of ANOVA was conducted to analyze the effect
tween weeks 10th and 14th of lactation, and percentage of total of treatment on milk production, SCC, composition, TBC, bac-
milk loss during this period was up to 8.5% for mastitis grade terial relative abundance (RA; based on microbiota) and 16S
1 and 16.5% for mastitis grade 2. rRNA gene copy numbers (based on qPCR).
Conclusions: In conclusion, despite a large variance in Results: A total of 477 quarter-cases of CM were evalu-
milk yield responses to mastitis, we demonstrated that mastitis ated: 198 assigned to AMOX, 223 to CEFT and 56 to NEG-
results in a reduction in milk yield regardless of severity, but CTR. The most frequent isolated species were Streptococcus

443
uberis (60.6%), Strep. dysgalactiae (19.3%), Streptococcus Objectives: To determine the antibiogram of pathogens
spp. (8.4%) and non-aureus staphylococci (6.1%). The over- isolated from milk of mastitic dairy buffaloes and to evaluate
all CC (based on least square means) was 84.1% for AMOX the California Mastitis Test (CMT) as an indicator of intramam-
and 89.0% for CEFT, and no significant statistical difference mary infection (IMI) in lactating dairy buffaloes.
(P=0.15) was observed between groups. Likewise, no differ- Materials and methods: A total of 1489 milk samples
ence (P=0.10) between groups was observed on the evalu- from 474 mastitic buffaloes were subjected to CMT and micro-
ation of BC (AMOX = 58.2%; CEFT = 66.4%). Moreover, we bial culture in Mastitis Laboratory, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary
found no statistical differences (P>0.05) between treatments and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana. Isolates were con-
when comparing CC and BC according to the mastitis-causing firmed by standard biochemical characterization and further
species (i.e., Strep. uberis, Strep. dysgalactiae or combination subjected to antimicrobial sensitivity testing (AST). A total of
of other pathogens). Compared to antibiotic treated groups, 14 antibiotics belonging to 7 groups were used to study the
quarters assigned to NEG-CTL had higher CFU, 16S rRNA drug resistance pattern. Further, the CMT was evaluated as
gene copy numbers, and Streptococcus RA until day five after an indicator of intramammary infection (IMI) in lactating dairy
enrollment. Moreover, milk samples from NEG-CTL cows had buffaloes using chi square test.
lower fat and lactose contents, and higher total protein than Results and conclusion: Of these, 643 (43.18%) quar-
antibiotic-treated cows up to the third test day after enrollment. ters were culturally positive which comprises Coagulase-nega-
A substantial reduction of bacterial load (CFU and qPCR) and tive staphylococci (68.90%), Coagulase-positive staphylococ-
Streptococcus RA was found for quarters receiving antibiotic ci (27.06%), Streptococcus spp. (1.24 %) and Gram Negative
therapy. Quarters treated with AMOX had higher CFU on days organisms (2.80%). A total of 846 quarters revealed no growth.
5, 8 and 14 after enrollment compared to CEFT. In addition, A total of 14 antibiotics belonging to 7 groups were used to
the relative abundance of Strep. uberis was higher on day study the drug resistance pattern. Overall antibiotic sensitivity
14 after enrollment for AMOX-treated quarters than for those test revealed highest susceptibility to Ceftriaxone+tazobactum
assigned to CEFT group, which may be related to the dura- (86.97%) followed by Ceftriaxone+sulbactum (78.91%) and
tion of treatment. Linear score of SCC (LSSCC) was higher Cefaperazone (73.13%), while least resistance was observed
for AMOX-treated cows than for those treated with CEFT in against penicillin (30.00%) followed by ampicillin (31.14%)
the first test day after CM, but no differences were observed and amoxicillin (38.81%). Coagulase-negative staphylococci
in the second and third test days following CM. Higher milk (CNS) were the most frequently recovered bacterial species
production was observed for cows assigned to AMOX group accounting for 68.90% of all isolates. Out of 54 CNS isolates
compared with CEFT-treated cows until the third test day antibiotic sensitivity testing was done only in 48 isolates, which
after enrollment. No significant differences between groups revealed highest susceptibility to Ceftriaxone+sulbactu fol-
(P=0.92) were found on CM recurrence (9.0% for CEFT; 9.3% lowed by Cefaperazone and gentamicin while resistance was
for AMOX), and on survival of cows in the herd after treatment observed against penicillin, amoxicillin and ampicillin. An IMI
(P=0.51). was identified in 43.18% of quarters. For buffaloes without ev-
Conclusion: Two-day protocol with three intramammary idence of clinical mastitis, the sensitivity of a CMT score more
infusions of amoxicillin (narrow spectrum antimicrobial) had than or equal to trace in predicting an IMI on a quarter basis
similar CC and BC than five administrations (once a day) with was assessed. CMT score with IMI was 1.21±0.076 and with-
ceftiofur hydrochloride (wide spectrum), and no difference was out IMI was 0.89±0.047. For quarters without evidence of clini-
observed on the risk of CM recurrence and cow survival. How- cal mastitis, the sensitivity of a CMT score ³ trace in predicting
ever, quarters treated with 5-day ceftiofur protocol had higher an IMI on a quarter basis was 0.48.
reduction of milk CFU than quarters treated with amoxicillin Keywords: Antibiogram, mastitis, buffaloes, AST, CMT.
up to 14 days after treatment. Antibiotic use remains an in-
dispensable strategy for treatment of Gram-positive bacteria,
since untreated quarters remained with high CFU, gene copy
numbers and Streptococcus spp. RA than quarters receiving
any of the antimicrobial protocols. UH-52
Keywords: Treatment of clinical mastitis, dairy cows, mi-
crobiome, Gram-positive mastitis pathogens. A Randomized Non-Inferiority Study Evaluating the
Efficacy of Two Commercially Available Teat Sealants in
Dairy Cows
Patrick J Gorden1, Jantijn Swinkels2, Michelle P Buckley3, Jenna
Bayne4, Gustavo S Silva1, Tiago Tomazi5, Brian E Miller5, Sandra M
UH-51 Godden6.
Antibiogram of pathogens isolated from milk of mastitic 1
Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal
dairy buffaloes (Bubalus Bubalis) of Punjab and association Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, Ames, United States;
of California Mastitis Test Scores with intramammmary 2
MSD Animal Health Global Ruminants, Boxmeer, Netherlands;
infection status 3
Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventative Medicine,
Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, Ames, United States; 4Auburn
Dhiraj Kumar Gupta, C.S. Randhawa.
University College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn, AL 36849,
Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Auburn, United States; 5Merck Animal Health, Kenilworth, United
Ludhiana, India. States; 6Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of

444
Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, St. Paul, United States. Cow-level events including culling, clinical mastitis, and death
within the first 120 DIM also showed no differences between
treatment groups.
Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to
compare the efficacy of a new internal teat sealant (ShutOutTM, Keywords: Teat sealant, dry cow therapy, dairy, mastitis.
Merck Animal Health, Madison, NJ, USA) (SO) to the current
US industry leader (Orbeseal®, Zoetis, Parsippany, NJ, USA)
(ORB). This comparison was based on a non-inferiority evalu-
ation of quarter-level new infection risk during the dry period,
with secondary comparisons of cure risk, incidence of clini- UH-53
cal mastitis at the cow level during the first 120 days in milk,
as well as cow-level performance in early lactation based on Cabergoline as a tool to reduce the incidence of milk
milk production, somatic cell count (SCC), and risk for removal leakage and facilitate dry-off management in large dairy
from the herd. herds. Results in Saudi Arabia
Materials & Methods: This study was conducted on six Ahmed Hamdy1, Aarafa Mohammed Shamia2, Mohamed Barghout2,
commercial dairy farms (two in Iowa and four in Minnesota) Imad B. Saleh Alhamid2, Juan Munoz Bielsa1, Alaa Fattouh1, Carla
and one university dairy (Iowa State University). On all farms, Azevedo1, Cyrille Chevtzoff1.
cows were randomly assigned to treatment groups, blocked
Ceva Santé Animale, Libourne, France; 2Nadec Dairy Farm, Saudi
1
by farm on the day of enrollment. Eligibility criteria included
Arabia, Saudi Arabia.
an expected dry period of 30-90 days, at least three functional
quarters, body condition score >2.0 out of 5, and a lameness
score <4 out of 5. Cows designated to be culled early in the Objectives: The incidence of milk leakage (ML) has been
subsequent lactation were also ineligible. Cows were exclud- proven to be a risk factor for acquiring new intramammary in-
ed from enrollment if they had received any antimicrobial treat- fections. Moreover, Zobel et al. (2013) have shown a relation-
ment within 14 days of dry off. ship between the milk production at dry-off and the percentage
Study personnel collected aseptic, quarter-level, dupli- of milk leakage. Usually many farms decide to perform a grad-
cate samples for routine aerobic culture immediately prior fi- ual dry-off procedure in order to decrease the milk production
nal milking and treatment at dry-off, and again within 14 days at the time of dry-off. However, this results in losses of milk
of calving, to evaluate risk of new intramammary infection production, extra time, labour costs and welfare issues due to
(NIMI) and cure of existing intramammary infection (CIMI). nutrient restriction and social regrouping. In this study, dry-off
Following milking machine detachment, all quarters received procedure was done abruptly to evaluate if cabergoline treat-
500 mg of cloxacillin benzathine (Orbenin DC, Merck Animal ment can facilitate the dry-off procedure and decrease milk
Health, Madison, NJ, USA) followed by their assigned sealant. leakage. The objective of this study was to investigate the ef-
Post-milking procedures and dry period care were executed fect of cabergoline (Velactis® Ceva Santé Animale, Libourne,
per individual farm protocols. Animal performance was also France) on the incidence of milk leakage after dry-off in a large
monitored for 120 days post-calving using Dairy Herd Im- commercial dairy farm in Saudi Arabia.
provement Association (DHIA) electronic records and owner Materials and methods: 861 dairy cows located in one
captured clinical mastitis events as well as culling and death commercial dairy farm (NADEC dairy farm) in Saudi Arabia
loss. Effect of treatment on dry period CIMI and NIMI in the were enrolled the day of the dry-off and followed up until 48-
first 14 DIM were evaluated using generalized linear mixed 52 hours after. All cows were dried abruptly, without changing
models. in feeding or milking frequency. 431 cows were treated with
Results: At dry off, 65.1% of quarters were not infected a single intramuscular injection of 5.6 mg cabergoline after
with no difference between groups (P = 0.16). During the last milking and 430 cows didn’t receive a treatment and were
dry period, the least square means new infection risk was considered as control group. The animal distribution was done
SO=0.266 [CI 0.233, 0.303] vs ORB=0.276 [CI 0.243, 0.313], in order to have similar proportion of primiparous and multip-
with no difference identified between treatment groups (P = arous animals between the two groups (respectively 38.28%
0.646). In post-fresh samples, least square means of cured and 61.72% for the treated group and 38.37% and 61.67%
infections were also not different between treatment groups for the control group). All levels of milk production cows were
SO=0.966 [CI 0.927, 0.984] vs ORB=0.949 [CI 0.902, 0.974] included if animals met the inclusion criteria. Milk leakage was
(P=0.259). When evaluating cow-level events within the first observed at three different time-points after the dry-off: 20-24,
120 days, there was no difference in clinical mastitis risk with 30-24 and 48-52 hours after. The study was randomized and
a probability of ORB cows developing an infection of 0.122 blinded. The drug administrator was different from the person
and 0.115 for SO cows (P=0.74). Risk of culling was also sim- who did the milk leakage observations. The individual cow was
ilar between treatment groups with ORB cows experiencing the experimental unit and the quarter was the data collection.
a probability of being affected of 0.111 and SO cows at 0.073 Data analysis was performed by using STATA® (version 14.0)
(P=0.699). Finally, death rate did not differ between treatment software. Number of quarters leaking milk per cow in each
groups with a probability of 0.019 for ORB treated cows vs group was estimated with corresponding 95% confidence in-
0.022 SO cows (P=0.956). terval.
Conclusions: No difference was identified in quarter-level Results: Overall, the percentage of cows with milk leak-
new infection and cure risks during the dry period in our com- age was lower in cabergoline treated (12%) compared with
parison of two commercially available internal teat sealants. control (49%) cows (P < 0.001). Cows in the control group

445
were 7.19 times more likely to show milk leakage compared gland). Quarters were defined as having undergone sponta-
with cabergoline treated cows When comparing the data by neous bacteriological cure if the bacterial species present prior
parity (adjusted on milk production, visit and teat score), the to an initiation of treatment were not cultured in either of the
percentage of cows leaking milk was lower in cabergoline post enrolment milk samples. A multilevel multivariable binary
treated compared to control cows, both for primiparous (1% logistic regression model was used to determine the effect of
vs. 17%) and multiparous (5% vs. 35%) cows (P < 0.001). treatment (i.e. OxBC vs control), and including potential co-
Also, the risk of having milk leakage was not statistically differ- variates such as age, bacterial species (coded as major patho-
ent between level of milk production (adjusted on parity, visit gens i.e. Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus spp. vs
and teat score): percentage of cows leaking milk was lower for others), days in milk, quarter position within cow (i.e. fore vs
cabergoline group compared to control group (P < 0.001) in rear glands), and pre-treatment quarter level SCC. Quarter
cows producing ˂17kg (2% vs. 17%), 17-24.5kg (3% vs. 22%), level SCC were natural log (ln) transformed before analysis in
24.5-31kg (3% vs. 30%), and more than 31kg (3% vs. 33%). a generalised linear mixed model with treatment and Day (i.e.
Conclusions: It is the first time that milk leakage inci- Days 0, 21 and 42) and their interaction as fixed effects.
dence is evaluated in a large and well managed commercial Results: Data from 77 vs 79 cows and 135 vs 128 quar-
dairy farm in Saudi Arabia. Our data provide evidence that a ters were available for analysis from the control vs treatment
single injection of cabergoline decreases significantly the per- feeding groups, respectively. Treatment groups did not differ
centage of milk leakage after dry-off, reducing risk factors for in terms of age, breed, cow-composite SCC prior to treatment,
udder health in both primiparous and multiparous cows and for days in milk at enrolment, or frequency of bacteria associated
different levels of milk production. Considering these results, with intramammary infection (all P>0.8). More quarters from
cabergoline can be a useful tool to be used in largest dairy cows fed OxBC underwent spontaneous resolution of bacte-
farms to optimize the dry-off management, to decrease the rial infection compared with quarters from cows fed the con-
milk production at the time of dry-off and consequently reduce trol feed (13.9% (95% CI 4.1-23.7) vs 6.9% (95% CI 4.8-9.1)
the risk for new intramammary infections after the dry-off. for quarters from OxBC fed vs control fed cows, respectively;
Keywords: Cabergoline, Dry-off, Cows, Milk leakage. odds ratio = 2.18 (95% CI 1.14-4.17); P=0.02). There was no
effect of treatment (P=0.34) or day (P=0.12), nor was there
a treatment by day interaction (P=0.17) for the quarter-level
ln SCC. Fewer of the quarters in cows fed OxBC had clinical
mastitis in the 42 days post initiation of feeding compared with
UH-54 quarters from control fed cows (1/129 (0.78% (95%CI 0.02-
4.24)) vs 6/135 (4.44% (95%CI 1.65-9.42)). The odds ratio of
Oral fully oxidized beta-carotene increases spontaneous mastitis diagnosis in quarters from cows fed OxBC was 0.17
bacteriological cure and reduces risk of subsequent clinical (95%CI 0.03-0.82) relative to quarters from cows fed the con-
mastitis in cows with subclinical mastitis trol diet.
Scott McDougall. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that oral supple-
mentation with fully oxidised beta-carotene (OxBC) of dairy
Cognosco, Morrinsville, New Zealand.
cows with subclinical mastitis resulted in a higher spontaneous
cure of existing intramammary infection and a reduced risk of
Objective: To determine if oral supplementation with fully subsequent clinical mastitis. The potential mechanism for this
oxidised beta-carotene (OxBC) would improve spontaneous effect may be enhanced innate immune response associat-
bacteriological cure rate in lactating dairy cows with subclinical ed with upregulating the numbers of pattern recognition re-
mastitis. ceptors including toll -like receptors 2 and 4 (Johnston et al.
Materials and Methods: Cows (n=4 herds) with an ele- 2014). This compound provides a non-antimicrobial approach
vated somatic cell count (SCC; >200,000 cells/mL) and which to reducing the prevalence of intramammary infection in dairy
had not been treated with antimicrobials or nonsteroidal an- herds.
ti-inflammatory drugs in the preceding 14 days had milk sam- References:
ples collected following aseptic teat end preparation for culture Johnston JB, Nickerson JG, Daroszewski J, Mogg TJ,
and quarter-level SCC determination. Cows with one or more Burton GW. Biologically active polymers from spontaneous
quarters that met the enrolment criteria (i.e. had quarter-level carotenoid oxidation: a new frontier in carotenoid activity.
SCC >200,000 cells/mL and had one or two distinct bacterial PLOS ONE 9, e111346-e, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0111346,
species isolated upon culture) were blocked by lactation num- 2014.
ber (primiparous vs multiparous), ranked on herd test SCC,
and randomly assigned to treatment (i.e. 0.3 g of OxBC, in Keywords: Subclinical mastitis, control, beta-carotene.
the form of commercial product OxC-beta Livestock 10%, in-
corporated into 0.5 kg of a cereal based pelletised feed, and
fed once daily for 42 days) or control (0.5 kg of the pelletised
feed without the OxBC). Milk samples were collected from en-
rolled quarters at 21 and 42 days after initiation of treatment
for microbiology and SCC determination. Cows were observed
daily for evidence of clinical mastitis (i.e. presence of flecks
or clots in the milk and/or heat and swelling of the mammary

446
UH-55 of farmers already knew about SDCT but didn’t apply it, mainly
due to their fear to worsen their udder health status.
Farmer´s attitude, level of application and challenges to
On the other hand, 21.8% of farmers were already apply-
implement selective dry cow therapy on Spanish dairy
ing SDCT. More than a half for two or more years (51.8%) and
farms
only a very low percentage just starting in the last 12 months
C. Carbonell1, N. Charfeddine2, M. Marcos1, L. Elvira1. (9.4%). The AMU reduction was very high with a 45.9% of
farms treating less than a 25% of cows with antibiotics at dry
1
MSD Animal Health, Salamanca, Spain; 2
CONAFE Technical
off.
department, Madrid, Spain.
One of the main challenges to implement SDCT, was relat-
ed with the high level of production of cows at dry off. Farmers
Objectives: The dry period is crucial for udder health in estimate around a 39.7% of cows still produce more than 25
the dairy cow. Indeed, this period is at the same time an op- litres at dry off. This feeling was confirmed by DHI data, with
portunity to cure intramammary infections (IMI) and a risk for 40.7% of cows producing more than 25 liters of milk in the milk
new IMI (Bradley and green 2004). For this reason, blanket control previous to the dry off.
dry cow therapy (BDCT), regardless the cow infection status,
As expected, no statistical differences were found in the
was included in the 5-point plan for mastitis control (Neave et
main KPI indicators of udder health related with the dry off
al., 1969). However, in the last years, there is an increasing
public health concern in EU about antimicrobial resistance. between SDCT and BDCT farms (19.1 and 18.5% new IMI
Consequently, a new European veterinary medicines regula- and 67.1 and 69% cure rate for SDCT and BDCT, respectively)
tion (EU 2019/6) has restricted the prophylactic use of antimi- Conclusions: In conclusion, many Spanish dairy farms
crobials. Hence, BDCT is not allowed anymore on European will have to get out of their comfort zone and move towards
dairy farms since February 2022. SDCT in a short time. It will be a great challenge for both dairy
Selective dry cow therapy (SDCT) involves only treating farmers and vets, with 78% of dairy farms still using BDCT in
infected cows with antibiotics at dry-off. Numerous studies 2021. Hopefully, as those ones starting with SDCT they will
(Kabera et al., 2021, Rowe et al., 2020, Swinkels et al., 2021) also reach it successfully.
and previous experience (Vanhoudt et al., 2018) have shown Keywords: Selective dry cow therapy, udder health, farm-
that SDCT is an alternative strategy to reduce total antimicro- er attitude, dry cow management.
bials usage (AMU) without negative consequences on udder
health. Nevertheless, a good dry cow management (DCM) is
crucial for a successful implementation of SDCT (Roodenburg
et al, 2020).
In Spain, there is a lack of knowledge about DCM and UH-56
SDCT implementation in the dairy farms.
Bacterial identification of milk samples from small family
Then the purpose of this study is to provide insight into
farms in the Pontal do Paranapanema region, State of São
(1) farmer´s knowledge, level of implementation and attitude
Paulo, Brazil
towards SDCT in Spanish dairy farms just before new EU reg-
ulation becomes mandatory, (2) DCM and possible challenge Mario Augusto Reyes1, Jeferson Carvalho1, Natalia Gaeta1, Alessandra
to implement SDCT and (3) the relationship between SDCT, Nassar2, Gisela Gregoria Choque1, Lilian Gregory1.
BDCT and the main key performance indicators related with
Departamento de Clinica Medica, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil;
1
dry cow udder health.
Laboratorio de Bacteriologia Geral, Instituto Biologico de São Paulo,
2
Materials and methods: The study was based on a sur- Brazil.

vey performed to farmers belonging to Dairy Cow National
Association (CONAFE) between August and December 2021.
It consisted of fourteen questions to collect their knowledge Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify bac-
about SDCT and the new regulation, their dry off strategy teria from milk samples from cows in rural São Paulo, in the
and DCM. To avoid bias, all the interviewers were previously Pontal do Paranapanema region.
trained and couldn’t be involved in the milk quality of the farm. Materials and methods: 2,431 samples were obtained
A random sample of 450 farms representative of the differ- from 616 animals from different small family milk productions
ent farm sizes and regions included in the DHI program were in the Pontal do Paranapanema region, State of São Paulo,
selected. At the end of the survey, we asked them for authori- Brazil. The milk samples were cultured on blood agar for 48
zation to use their DHI data to calculate the main KPI related hours to observe the growth of bacterial colonies, after which
with the dry off period: cows infected at dry-off; new infections the colonies that grew were stained with the "Gram" staining
rate, cure rate and chronic rate at calving; and percentage of technique for observation and identification under the micro-
healthy cows at calving. scope.
Results: A total of 401 questionnaires were completed, Results: We observed that from the 2,431 samples,
390 agree to respond and 364 authorized to share their DHI 46.11% (1.121 / 2.431) did not show bacterial growth, 26.28%
data. Surprisingly, 39.7% of farmers have not previously hear (639/2431) showed only growth of Staphylococcus sp.,
about SDCT, shortly before it becomes mandatory. This high- 12.58% (306/2431) showed only growth Bacillus sp., 3.82%
lights the lack of communication between the different stake- (93/2431) showed only growth of Corynebacterium sp.,
holders involved in the dairy segment. Furthermore, a 33.3% 3.16% (77/2431) showed only growth of Enterobacteria, 2.5%

447
(61/2431) showed growth of Bacillus and Staphylococcus sp., to neomycin, 0.77% (5/648) of colonies were resistant only to
0.98% (24/2431) showed only E.coli growth, 0.86% (21/2431) enrofloxacin, 0.77% (5/648) of colonies were resistant only to
showed only Enterobacter gergoviae growth, 0.7% (17/2431) gentamicin. 0.61% (4/648) of colonies were resistant only to
showed growth of Corynebacterium and Staphylococcus sp., ampicillin. 0.31% (2/648) of the colonies were resistant only to
0.53% (13/2431) showed growth of Corynebacterium and Ba- amoxicillin. 0.31% (2/648) of the colonies were resistant only
cillus sp., 0.37% (9/2431) showed growth of Non-fermenting to ceftiofur, 0.15% (1/648) of the colonies were resistant only
Gram Negative Bacteria (GNNF), 0.12% ( 3/2431) present- to enrofloxacin, 0.15% (1/648) of the colonies were resistant
ed growth of Enterobacteria and Staphylococcus sp., 0.04% only to chloramphenicol and 10.03% (65/648) of colonies were
(1/2431) presented Yeasts and Bacillus and E.coli and Staph- susceptible to all antibiotics tested.
ylococcus sp. Conclusions: These results indicate that multidrugs re-
Conclusions: It concluded, we can say that Staphylococ- sistance to antibiotics is one great problem in Brazil and was
cus, Bacillus, Corynebacterium sp. and Enterobacteria are caused by the prolonged and indiscriminate use of the same
bacterial agents that cause mastitis and play an important role active principle, for this reason, more studies must to be made
in the health of the mammary gland, in addition to the fact that with the aim to describe a picture of the situation in Brazilian
studies of this type should continue to be carried out, in order dairy farms.
to better understand what type of bacteria are affecting the Keywords: Production, bovine, cattle, hygiene, bacteria.
production of family milk in Brazil .
Keywords: Production, bovine, cattle, hygiene.
UH-57
Antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylococcus sp. isolated

from bovine milk samples from family dairy farms in the
Pontal do Paranapanema region, State of São Paulo, Brazil.
Mario Augusto Reyes1, Jeferson Carvalho1, Natalia Gaeta1, Alessandra
Nassar2, Lilian Gregory1.
Departamento de Clinica Medica, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil;
1
Laboratorio de Bacteriologia Geral, Instituto Biologico de São Paulo,

2
Brazil.
Objectives: The objective of the study was to determine

the antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylococcus sp. isolated
from samples of bovine milk production of small family dairy,
located in the Pontal do Paranapanema region in São Paulo,
Brazil.
Material and methods: 648 colonies of Staphylococcus
sp. obtained from bovine milk samples from small family dairy
farms were tested for antimicrobial sensitivity using the disk
diffusion test, approved by the Clinical and Laboratory Stan-
dard Institute (CLSI). The following antibiotics were used:
amoxicillin (25 µg), ampicillin (10 µg), cephalothin (30 µg),
chloramphenicol (30 µg), enrofloxacin (10 µg), streptomycin
(10 µg), gentamicin (10 µg), neomycin ( 30 µg), penicillin (10
IU), sulfazotrim (25 µg) and tetracycline (30 µg).
Results: We observed that 15.43% (100/648) of the col-
onies found were resistant to eight antibiotics simultaneous-
ly: amoxicillin, cephalothin, chloramphenicol, enrofloxacin,
streptomycin, penicillin, sulfazotrim and tetracycline. In addi-
tion, 29.06% (186/648) of colonies were resistant to five an-
tibiotics simultaneously: amoxicillin, ampicillin, cephalothin,
chloramphenicol and penicillin. 9.72% (53/648) of the colonies
were resistant to three antibiotics: amoxicillin, ampicillin and
cephalothin. 2.62% (17/648) of colonies were resistant only
to penciline, 2.31% (15/648) of colonies were resistant only to
tetracycline, 1.08% (7/648) of colonies were resistant only to
streptomycin , 1.08% (7/648) of colonies were resistant only
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ABSTRACT BOOK

31st World Buiatrics Congress

The National Association of Spanish Specialists in Bovine Medicine

The World Association for Buiatrics (WAB)

WBC 2022 Congress Technical Secretariat:

Marià Cubí, 4, 08006,

LIST OF THE BIENNIAL “WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESSES”

Year Venue Year Venue

WORLD ASSOCIATION FOR BUIATRICS

President Honorary President

Vice-presidents Honorary Secretary General

President Elect Honorary ExCo Members

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

WBC 2022 ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

WBC 2022 SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

Ángel Abuelo Ronald Erskine Antonio Natale

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

W01 – W03 ECBHM WORKSHOP.........................................................................................................................73

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

K01 - K04 Animal Health

Monday, September 5th, 2022 Tuesday, September 6th, 2022

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

Wednesday, September 7th, 2022

Successful dairy farming

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

Animal Health K04

Precision technology in dairy calves: new technology with

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

K11 er-vet relationships and flock health and welfare.

Effect of Estrus Expression and Estradiol Exposure on

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

at the time of removal of the P4 device. Although ECP may K14

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

diagnosis. The reduction in circulating progesterone character- Buffaloes and Camelids

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

K18 increased the proportion of viable oocytes for culture and

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

Diagnostic and surgical approached in Italian

Objectives: In the last 70 years in Italy, precisely in Cam-

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

Small Ruminants condemnations were again diagnosed at the slaughterhouse,

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

K23 NON-PRODUCTIVE DISORDERS:

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

K24 In species classified as induced ovulators, the LH surge

Optimizing use of sexed and beef semen in dairy heifers

Our objective was to evaluate reproductive management

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID

Background: Many dairy operations worldwide are in- Lameness

31st WORLD BUIATRICS CONGRESS 2022 MADRID