Oral and Poster Abstracts

1126 Relationships between Paratuberculosis Sero-status and
Milk Production, SCC and Calving Interval in Irish Dairy
Herds
K. Hoogendam 1 , E. Richardson 2 , J. Mee 2
1
Van Hall Instituut, Agora 1, Leeuwarden, Netherlands
2
Teagasc, Moorepark Dairy Production Department, Fermoy, Co.
Cork, Ireland
The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of
paratuberculosis sero-status on milk yield, fat, protein, somatic cell count
and calving interval in a sample of Irish dairy herds. Serum from all
animals (n=2,602) over twelve months of age in 34 dairy herds was tested
for paratuberculosis antibodies using an ELISA (Pourquier). Herds were
categorised by sero-status into positive, non-negative and negative, where
a positive herd contained two or more positive cows, a non-negative herd
contained only one positive cow and a negative herd contained no positive
cows. The production and reproduction records of the current lactation
(year of test) were compiled from the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation
database. Data at animal, parity and herd-level were analyzed by multiple
regression using general linear models. The true animal-level prevalence
of paratuberculosis was 2.8%. At the herd-level, 33% of herds had two or
more positive cows and 50% of herds had at least one positive cow.
Positive herds (n=129 cows/herd) and non-negative herds (n=81) were
larger than negative herds (n=72) (p70 positive), the sampling frequency, the low seropositive animallevel
prevalence and the unavailability of clinical data on Johne’s disease,
these results are not surprising. This was the first study to examine the
relationships between paratuberculosis sero-status and production in a
sample of Irish dairy herds.
Key words: paratuberculosis, ELISA, milk production, dairy herds
1127 Clinical Surveys in Acute Lead Poisoning in Dairy Cattle
S. Catania 1 , O. Parolin 2 , G. Binato 1 , M. Corr 1 , E. Schiavon 1 ,
M. Merenda 1 , D. Bilato 1 , L. Iob 1
1
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Delle Venezie, Legnaro (PD),
Italy
2
Veterinary Practitioner, Legnaro (PD), Italy
Objectives of study: Lead intoxication in dairy cattle is widely
reported (Lemos 2004; Ozmen 2004) and causes mainly neurological
malfunctions and loss of production (Frape 1984; Radostits 2006).
Diagnosis is based on clinical signs and level of lead in tissues. In a
dairy cattle farm, milking cows and calves were accidentally fed with a
truck battery.
Materials and methods: After a sudden loss in milk production,
anamnesis detected the accidental inclusion in the food of an exhausted
truck battery, ingested by 52 milking cows and 4 calves. Lead
poisoning was suspected. Clinical alterations were recorded and blood
samples were taken to determine lead level, using atomic absorption
spectrometry-GFAAS. Symptoms were monitored on days 7, 12 and
15. A therapy based on Ca-EDTA was given to the 6 animals
presenting symptoms (Radostits 2006)
Results: Five cows and one calf showed clear clinical signs on day 7:
no feeding, no ruminating, intense salivation, muscular tremors, teeth
baring with clicks, mydriasis, fear, hyperesthesia and rise of heart and
respiratory rate. Two animals had blackish fetid diarrhea anticipated by
stipsis. The loss of milk production was about 85%. A cow and a calf
were blind. The remaining 47 cows showed mild excitement and fear.
Blood sampling was difficult and lead levels ranged between 0.39 and
0.76 mg/l.On day 10, 7 more cows had milder symptoms: decreased
food assumption, variable loss of milk production, irregular
rumination, nervousness, fear, mydriasis and tremors.One of the
symptomatic cows died on day 12, in spite of therapy. The autopsy
revealed haemorragic enteritis, metallic fragments in the reticulum and
a greyish coat in omasum. During the same day, 3 more calves showed
weawing and alterations while standing.On day 15 the group gradually
recovered rumination, visual functionality, milk production. One more
death was reported, due to ab-ingestis pneumonia after therapy.
174 XXV. Jubilee World Buiatrics Congress 2008
Conclusions: Clinical data and lead levels confirm acute lead
intoxication. Symptoms arose in two moments, due to the presence of
two forms of lead inside the battery: metallic lead and lead sulphate. In
particular, lead sulphate proves to be more bioavailable with
consequent acute symptoms. Metallic lead is less absorbable and
symptoms can appear later. Metallic fragments do not disperse
uniformly in the food, and tend to sediment. This could explain the
arise of symptoms in calves, that were fed with leftovers of cow
food. Bibliography is available upon request.
Key words: lead poisoning, GFAAS, syntomps, diagnosis
1128 Bacteriological and Serological Study on the Infection of
Mannheimia (Pasteurella) haemolytica in Cattle in Ahvaz
(Southwestern of Iran)
MR. Haji Hajikolaei 1 , A. Rasoli 1 , M. Ghorbanpoor 2 ,
MR. Saifiabad-shapouri 2 , D. Ebrahimkhani 3
1
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University,
Department of Clinical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
2
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University,
Department of Pathobiology, Ahvaz, Iran
3
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz,
Iran
Pneumonic pasteurolosis of cattle (shipping fever pneumonia) which
caused by Mannheimia (Pasteurella) haemolytica and Pasteurella
multocide is a major cause of economic loss in the feedlot industry. The
disease occurs most commonly in young growing cattle from 6 months to
2 years of age. The frequency of isolation of Pasteurella spp. from the
nasal passage of normal healthy unstressed calves is low but increases as
the animals are moved to an auction mart and then to a feedlot. In order to
investigate the prevalence of Mannheimia (Pasteurella) haemolytica
infection in cattle in Ahvaz (Southwestern of Iran) bacteriological and
serological study was carried out on 250 slaughtered cattle at Ahvaz
abattoir. Nasal and nasopharyngeal swabs and blood samples were taken
from each cattle after slaughter. Nasal and Nasopharyngical swabs were
cultured in blood agar and incubated at 37 °C for 24-48 hours. The
suspected bacterial cultures were processed for isolation of multocide and
haemolytica following routine bacteriological techniques. Sera were
tested by indirect hemagglutination test (IHA) to reveal antibodies against
this organism. M. haemolytica was isolated in 1.6% cattle. Statistical
analysis showed that there were no any relation between age and sex with
bacterial infection. Serological studies showed that 71.6% tested sera
contained antibody (titer ≥ 1/16) against M. haemolytica and no relation
between age or sex with serological results.
Key words: Mannheimia haemolytica, cattle, Ahvaz, Iran
1129 Tick-borne Diseases in Dairy Cattle: Conditioning Factors in
a Mediterranean Endemic Area
L. Ceci, P. Paradies, D. De Caprariis, F. Iarussi, M. Sasanelli,
G. Carelli
University of Bari, Animal Health and Welfare, Valenzano (Bari),
Italy
Objectives of study: The aim of the study is to asses the incidence of
Tick Borne Diseases (TBDs) in a dairy herd located in an endemic area
(southern Italy). Furthermore the possible role of conditioning factors
in determining the onset of clinical forms of disease is discussed.
Materials and Methods: A dairy herd was monitored for a period of
32 months. The farm, located in Apulia (southern Italy) is composed of
140 Holsten Friesan and Brown breed cattle of different ages. Several
clinical cases of anaplasmosis by Anaplasma marginale and babesiosis
by Babesia bigemina have been registered over the years in the same
herd along with the presence of Theileria buffeli. In the herd oxytocin
was usually administered for the entire period of lactation to facilitate
milk ejection and increase production. All animals of the herd were
monitored through clinical examination and bleed for haematological
exams and molecular investigations.
Results: 38 clinical cases of TBDs were observed during the study; in
particular an outbreak of babesiosis from B. bigemina (24 cases) was
observed in December, corrisponding to a sudden decrease in
temperature. In the following 24 months 14 clinical cases of
anaplasmosis were observed in cattle during post-partum in different
seasons. In the animals showing simptoms of anaplasmosis A.
marginale was revealed at microscopy in 10 animals, A. marginale and
T. buffeli in 3, A. marginale, B. bigemina and T. buffeli in 1.