Acute Diarrhea Flashcards by Madeleine Gauthier

What are the common ddx’s for acute diarrhea in adult cattle?

Salmonellosis, BVD, BCoV, Coccidiosis, Nematodiasis

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what are the C/S of Salmonellosis? what age?

any age

pyrexia
diarrhea (watery to mucoid, may contain blood or fibrin)
endotoxemia and bacteria may result in systemic signs
abortion
septicemia in calves
S. Dublin causes pneumonia in calves

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how do you diagnose Salmonellosis?

ID organism (aerobic culture of feces)
- intermittent shedding, so repeated samples
- ELISA for S. Dublin antibodies available

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how do you tx Salmonellosis?

Fluids + NSAIDs
- if severe dehydration, no NSAIDs until rehydrated

antibiotics: pros and cons, use if bacteremia, septicemia more likely in calves (TMPS often recommended)

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how do you manage salmonellosis?

good hygiene
- don’t house sick and dry cows together
- limit calf exposure to adult feces
- reduce manure exposure
- disinfection

vax available: may reduce severity

maintain good health

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what are the C/S of winter dysentery? what age/signalment?

decreased appetite, bloody diarrhea, pyrexia, reduced milk production

adult dairy cows housed together (common in winter)

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how do you dx winter dysentery?

PCR of feces
Antibody ELISA available

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how do you tx winter dysentery?

no specific anti-viral tx

supportive therapy as needed (fluids)
may consider antibiotics in severely affected

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how do you manage winter dysentery?

often too late to stop outbreak - but it passes in a few days

significant production loss may persist

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What are the C/S of Coccidiosis? what age?

usually younger cattle (2mo)
- prepatent period = 15-20 days –> so if neonate d+, then NOT coccidia

LI diarrhea, varying severity (straining, fresh blood, mucus)
poor growth rates
nervous coccidiosis –> opisthotonus, nystagmus, seizures

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how do you dx coccidiosis?

detection of oocysts in feces (fecal float may help)

speciation recommended to confirm pathogenic (low numbers of pathogenic more significant than high numbers of non-pathogenic)

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how do you tx coccidiosis?

primarily supportive (fluids)

therapeutic use of coccidiostats/cides may reduce shedding, but often too late once diagnosed

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how do you manage coccidiosis?

low dose exposure develops immunity, high dose = dz

control by reducing exposure while maximizing immunity

coccidiostats (and some coccidiocides) –> frequently added to feed, fed for min. 28 days, delay development (not eliminate it) so dose still important

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what are the C/S of nematodiasis? what signalment?

diarrhea and weight loss/poor gain
young grazing animals

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how do you dx BVD? general

Antigen (virus) or antibody (immunity) tests

Antigen tests: virus isolation from blood, IHC on ear notch, Ag ELISA, PCR from pooled blood or bulk milk

antibody tests: virus neutralization, blood ELISA

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how do you manage BVD?

ID herd status (screen young, bulk milk, routine tagging of calves)

if confirmed, then PI hunt
- all PIs, whether healthy or not, should be removed from the herd

if naive herd, then strict biosecurity and consider vax

following/during outbreak
- ID and remove all PIs, vax to reduce losses and PI creation, continue screening

vaccinate before first breeding

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What is the etiology of salmonellosis in cattle?

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovars: Typhimurium, Dublin (cow-adapted strain), Newport

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is salmonellosis zoonotic?

yes! some strains are (Typhimurium, Newport)

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how is salmonellosis transmitted?

fecal-oral

primarily cow to cow (carrier state possible)
transition/fresh cows most at risk (immunosuppression)
birds, rodents, and bought in feed also possible risks

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What is the etiology of winter dysentery?

bovine coronavirus (BCoV)

what is the epidemiology of winter dysentery?

high morbidity, low mortality
short lived dz of housed cattle (common in winter)

individuals usually recover within 24-36 hours

how is winter dysentery transmitted?

fecal-oral

what is the etiology of Coccidiosis?

Eimeria parasite (not all species)

Eimeria zuernii and E. bovis typically cause dz

tell me about the life cycle of the Eimeria parasite. like where does it live mainly, how does it reproduce, how do they get out into environment?

live mainly in animal
asexual, then sexual repro
oocyst sporulates in warm, wet environments

how is coccidiosis transmitted?

fecal-oral spread

how long does Eimeria live in environment?

very persistent in environment

what is another name for nematodiasis?

parasitic gastroenteritis (PGE)

what nematodes typically cause nematodiasis in cattle?

Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus, Ostertagia, Cooperia

how do you manage nematodiasis?

manage grazing risk

how do you tx nematodiasis?

anhelmintics

compare/contrast the hx for salmonellosis (S), winter dysentery (WD), coccidiosis (C), and nematodiasis (N).

S: adults or young, acute or chronic, single or small groups (basically anything and anyone) WD: adults, young (≥2mo), sudden onset, multiple animals C: young (~2mo), poor growth, variable #s affected N: grazing young, poor growth

compare/contrast the C/S for salmonellosis (S), winter dysentery (WD), coccidiosis (C), and nematodiasis (N).

S: pyrexia, foul hemorrhagic diarrhea WD: diarrhea + milk drop, recover in 1-2 days C: diarrhea, straining (poor environment) N: some diarrhea in some animals

compare/contrast the Dx for salmonellosis (S), winter dysentery (WD), coccidiosis (C), and nematodiasis (N).

S: fecal culture WD: fecal PCR for BCoV C: fecal smear/flotation N: fecal egg count

What is the etiology of BVD?

bovine viral diarrhea virus Pestivirus

true or false: bovine viral diarrhea virus always causes diarrhea in bovines.

false. it does not always, or even commonly, cause diarrhea!

tell me about the pathophys of BVD (both types) in calves

Type 1: non-cytopathic (nCP) - immunosuppression (worsens BRD, diarrhea, etc) - antibody prod. - strong immunity type 2: CP - severe acute/per-acute infection - severe thrombocytopenia - high morbidity and mortality

tell me about the pathophys of BVD (both types) in non-pregnant adult cows

Type 1: nCP - mild pyrexia, transient immunosuppression - sheds virus - antibody prod. - strong immunity, no further shedding Type 2: CP - severe acute/per-acute infection - severe thrombocytopenia - high morbidity and mortality

tell me about the pathophys of BVD (both types) in bulls

Type 1: nCP - mild pyrexia, transient immunosuppression - sheds virus - antibody prod. - strong immunity - **virus may persist in semen** Type 2: CP - severe acute/per-acute infection - severe thrombocytopenia - high morbidity and mortality

tell me about the pathophys of BVD (both types) in pregnant cows

Type 1: nCP - mild pyrexia, transient immunosuppression - sheds virus - antibody prod. - strong immunity, no further shedding - **in utero calf affected** Type 2: CP - severe acute/per-acute infection - severe thrombocytopenia - high morbidity and mortality

tell me about the pathophys of BVD (both types) in *in utero* calves

Type 1 (nCP): - early gestation (<100d): resorption, mummification, fetal loss, abortion, returns, weak calves - mid gestation (100-150d): congenital defects - late gestation (>150d): possible abortion or no effect - before 125d (if survives): persistently infected (PI) calf (bc no fetal immune system, fetus thinks BVDV is self) Type 2: CP to mother, so calf most likely aborted, more likely that mother dies

tell me about the pathophys of BVD (both types) in PI calves

in utero infection before 125d (no fetal immunocompetence) calf recognizes BVDV as self --> PI, virus in almost all tissues lifetime shedding in high levels no immunity/antibodies will develop calf may be stunted, or look completely normal

what is the primary reservoir of BVD infection?

PI calves!!

older BVD PI calves may be ID'd as _____ _____. They are a source of ____ to other calves. If they reproduce, their offspring will be _____.

poor doers infection PI's

In a BVD PI cow, the BVDv may mutate to CP strain (or WT exposure). because they have no immunity, they will develop what disease?

Mucosal Disease

if you diagnose Mucosal Disease in a herd, what does that mean?

the farm has to have BVD as well - you should tx BVD as well as mucosal disease

is mucosal disease treatable?

nope. its severe and untreatable. the most humane thing you can do is cull animal ASAP

tell me the C/S of mucosal disease.

fever, depression, mucosa disrupted (necrosis), oral lesions, nasal discharge, **diarrhea**

tell me the antigen and antibody test results from these cases: 1. healthy cow (naive) 2. PI calf 3. healthy cow (previously exposed) 4. cow shedding virus Ag, Ab

1. negative, negative 2. positive, negative 3. negative, positive 4. positive, positive

what does BVD look like from a herd level?

losses from poor calf health and repro BRD, diarrhea in calves if Mucosal Disease or congenital defects from BVD, then BVD is present on the farm and has been for a while.