Evaluation of risk factors of omphalitis in newborn beef calves with indoor housing.

BACKGROUND: Omphalitis is the third most common cause for diseases and infections in newborn calves. Its risk factors are well described in dairy production, but data in beef production is limited. OBJECTIVE: To identify and quantify the risk factors of omphalitis in cow-calf operations with seasonal indoor calving period. ANIMALS: Nine hundred sixty-four calves included from 22 cow-calf operations in central France were included. METHODS: A prospective cohort study involved data collection during two visits for each calf. Simple and multivariable logistic regression analyses evaluated the association between omphalitis and the variables. RESULTS: Among 964 included calves, 311 (32.3%) calves had an omphalitis. Accounting for farms' random effect, risk factors for omphalitis highlighted by the univariable analysis were: absence of navel disinfection (odds ratio (OR) = 2.3, [1.45-3.04]), wetness of bedding calving area (OR = 1.8-2.1, [0.78-2.83]-[0.63-3.57]), cleanliness of calves' pen (OR =1.6-2.8, [1.22-2.27]-[2.02-3.84]), wetness of calves' pen bedding (OR = 1.7-3.2, [1.12-2.06]-[3.08-3.84]), calf weight at birth >50 kg (OR = 2.0-5.0, [1.02-2.38]-[1.51-11.1]), umbilical cord length <3 cm (OR = 2.2-2.3, [1.53-3.11]-[1.24-4.38]), and sex (male vs female) (OR = 2.6, [2.08-3.69]). The multivariable analysis, accounting for farms' random effect, showed that the absence of navel disinfection (OR= 2.2, [1.44-3.09]), wetness of bedding calving area (OR = 1.9-2.4, [0.55-2.83]-[0.59-3.28]), calf weight at birth >50 kg (OR = 1.9-2.6, [1.03-2.56]-[1.43-12.5]) and sex (male vs female) (OR =2.4, [2.09-3.49]) were risk factors for omphalitis. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: These observations may help identify animals at early risk (>50 kg, male, short umbilical cord) and pay particular attention to the wetness of bedding and cleanliness of housing. This study highlights the importance of calving-pen bedding, calf characteristics and navel disinfection.

Etiology of severe mastitis in French dairy herds.

Severe clinical mastitis is not so frequent in dairy cows, but it can have a significant economic impact due to its high mortality rate and adverse effects on milk production. Surveys about the cause of mastitis typically provide overall findings without connecting them to a specific medical condition. There are few studies on the specific etiology of severe mastitis. Only etiological results obtained during field studies are available in France, and the number of mastitic milk samples analyzed is always low. In recent years, veterinary clinics have improved their ability to identify bacteria causing bovine mastitis using a widely used method. This in-clinic milk culture made it possible to better understand the etiology of mastitis according to the symptoms observed. Regarding clinical mastitis, veterinarians treat severe cases differently than less severe ones. Based on data from nineteen veterinary clinics in France and over 2000 severe mastitis cases, the current study revealed that Enterobacteriaceae, particularly Escherichia coli, is the most common cause, isolated on average from 53.9% of milk samples. This information is highly reliable for practitioners to quickly and effectively treat the condition, because early and targeted treatment is crucial to avoid the complication of endotoxic shock.

Failure of Passive Immunity Transfer Is Not a Risk Factor for Omphalitis in Beef Calves.

Omphalitis is the third most frequent disease in newborn calves after neonatal diarrhea and bovine respiratory disease (BRD), but limited data on the prevalence and risk factors are available in the literature. Failure of passive immunity transfer (FPIT) is recognized as a major risk factor for diseases and mortality in calves. However, the association between omphalitis and FPIT remains poorly described. To assess this association, 964 suckler beef calves from 22 farms were included in a longitudinal cohort study for 5 months. Each calf was examined twice (mean ages: 4.4 and 11.1 days old) to diagnose omphalitis through clinical examination and ultrasonographic evaluation (USE) if necessary. Measurements of the total solids percentage (TS-%Brix) and total protein (TP) were performed on the serum during the first visit to evaluate the calves' passive immunity status. FPIT (fair and poor) was defined as serum %Brix < 8.1 or TP < 5.1 g/dL; among calves with omphalitis, 14% had FPIT and among calves without omphalitis 12% had FPIT. The omphalitis prevalence was 32.3% in calves without any other disease (overall prevalence of 30.9%). No statistical association between the prevalence of omphalitis and FPIT was observed. Further research is needed to identify the risk factors and promote the prevention measures for omphalitis in cow-calf systems, such as calving difficulty, hygiene of housing, and navel disinfection.