Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Enteritis in Neonatal and Juvenile Ruminants.

Common causes of infectious enteritis in neonate and juvenile ruminants include viral, bacterial, and protozoal pathogens. The most common presenting sign in ruminants with infectious enteritis is diarrhea. Diagnosis of the cause of enteritis has important zoonotic and herd health implications. Severity of clinical signs with similar pathogens may differ between calves and small ruminants. Treatment of enteritis involves supportive care to correct fluid and electrolyte imbalances, provision of nutritional support for neonates, prevention and treatment of endotoxemia or sepsis, and pathogen-specific treatments when relevant and available

Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Enteritis in Adult Ruminants.

Infectious enteritis in adult ruminants is often a result of 1 or more viral, bacterial, or parasitic pathogens. Diagnosis of etiologic agents causing enteritis is important when considering herd implications and zoonotic potential of some etiologies. Differential diagnoses for enteritis in adult ruminants is not simple based on clinical signs alone. Diagnostic samples include feces, blood, and antemortem and postmortem tissues. Treatment of infectious enteritis is aimed at correcting dehydration and electrolyte imbalances secondary to diarrhea. In cases of some bacterial and parasitic pathogens, additional targeted treatment and control are recommended. Management of enteritis may be instituted while awaiting laboratory test results

Effect of colostral administration practices on serum immunoglobulin concentration in dairy calves

The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file.Vita."May 2008"Thesis (Ph. D.) University of Missouri-Columbia 2008.Despite the accumulated understanding of the factors which affect passive transfer of colostral immunoglobulins and its recognized importance in dairy calves, approximately 35-40 % of US dairy calves have inadequate passive transfer of colostral immunoglobulins. The objectives of this research were 1) determine the frequency and role of precolostral serum immunoglobulin concentration in dairy calves, 2) Compare various methods in assessing colostral immunoglobulin concentration, 3) determine the amount of colostral IgG required for adequate passive transfer of colostral immunoglobulins in calves fed colostrum by oroesophageal tubing and evaluate other accepted factors on passive transfer of colostral immunoglobulins in dairy bull calves, and 4) determine factors affecting serum IgG concentrations in bottle fed heifer calves. There was no apparent link between precolostral serum immunoglobulin against common infectious agents known to be transmitted transplacentally. The weight of first milking colostrum as a test method has low sensitivity, thus its use in identifying colostrum with low IgG concentration is not justified. At least 150 to 200 g of colostral IgG is required for adequate passive transfer of colostral immunoglobulins in tube fed calves. Probability of FPT in calves ingesting 3 L at first feeding and 3 L at 12 hours was < 0.05 even at low colostral IgG concentrations bottle fed calves.Includes bibliographical reference

Comparison of serum immunoglobulin G half-life in dairy calves fed colostrum, colostrum replacer or administered with intravenous bovine plasma.

In calves, passive immunity of immunoglobulins can be acquired through ingestion of colostrum or colostrum replacers. Plasma can been used to supplement immunoglobulins in healthy or sick calves. Serum half-life of colostral derived immuglobulin G (IgG) is estimated to be 20 days. Half-life of IgG is important in determining response to antigens and timing of vaccination in calves. To date studies evaluating half-life of colostrum replacer or plasma derived IgG are lacking. The objectives of this study were to compare the serum half-life of IgG derived from colostrum, colostrum replacer and plasma in dairy calves reared up to 35 days of age. Thirty Jersey calves were randomly assigned to receive colostrum or colostrum replacer by oroesophageal tubing or plasma by intravenous administration. Serum samples were collected at 2, 5, 7, 10, 14, 21, 28 and 35 days. Serum IgG concentrations were determined by radial immunodiffusion. The results indicated that half-life for IgG in colostrum fed (28.5 days) or plasma transfused calves (27.3 days) was longer than colostrum replacer fed calves (19.1 days). Further studies are required to evaluate pathogen specific immunoglobulins in order to recommend vaccination timing in calves fed colostrum replacers

Is a veterinary student's performance on multiple-mini interviews affected by personality preferences?

ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were to evaluate the association between a student's Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) preference pairs and resulting types and his or her multiple-mini interview (MMI) scores upon admission, and to determine the proportions of types among veterinary classes over five years.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted for data collected from 706 students admitted into the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine (UCDSVM) program beginning in the fall of 2013 and ending in the fall of 2018. Data consisted of a candidate's MBTI preference pairs and types which were collected during the first week of enrollment and multiple-mini interview scores from his or her admission data.ResultsA total of 706 students from 5 classes completed the MBTI survey. Multivariate analysis showed no significant association between the MBTI preference pairs of extroversion and introversion (F(1, 697) = 3.30, p=0.0959), sensing and intuition (F(1, 697) = 0.40, p=0.4395), thinking and feeling (F(1, 697) = 3.59, p=0.0591), or judging and perceiving (F(1, 697) = 0.38, p = 0.5657) and MMI score. Analysis showed no trends (χ2 (60, N=706) =76.51, p=0.074) in the student's MBTI types over the 5-year period.ConclusionsThe MMI score of a candidate admitted into the UCDSVM is unlikely to be affected by personality preferences. Therefore, it is unlikely that multiple-mini interview scores included in the admission process will affect the personality diversity of candidates admitted into a veterinary class

Correction to: Assessment of burnout in veterinary medical students using the Maslach burnout inventory-educational survey: a survey during two semesters.

Following publication of the original article [1], we've been notified by an author that they have published their manuscript without seeking permission for the survey that was included in one of their tables (Table 1)

Short communication: Use of a digital refractometer in assessing immunoglobulin G concentrations in colostrum and the first 5 transition milkings in an Irish dairy herd

peer-reviewedTransition milk is a source of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and could potentially be used to provide calves with passive immunity, when the IgG concentration is ≥50 g/L. Assessment of IgG concentrations in transition milk would be required before feeding and could be conducted using cow-side tests such as refractometers. Currently, limited information is available on the ability of refractometers to assess transition milk quality. We hypothesized that digital refractometry could be used to provide an accurate cow-side assessment of IgG concentrations in colostrum and transition milk, and IgG concentration in colostrum and one or more transition milking in an Irish herd is >50 g/L. The objectives of this study were to determine the IgG concentrations in colostrum and first, second, third, fourth, and fifth transition milk, and determine the utility of a digital refractometer in assessing quality of colostrum and transition milk produced by cows in a pasture-based dairy production system. A convenient sample of 75 dairy cows were enrolled. Colostrum and transition milk IgG concentrations were determined by radial immunodiffusion and refractometry. Sensitivity and specificity of the refractometer were determined and cut-off points that maximized sensitivity and specificity were determined using receiver operating characteristic curves. Median (range) IgG concentrations in colostrum and first, second, third, fourth, and fifth milking were 99.6, 43.5, 12.5, 5.3, 1.9, and 1.8 g/L, respectively. The sensitivity (0.8–1) of digital refractometry in identifying samples with low IgG concentrations in colostrum, first, second, and third transition milk was acceptable. In contrast, digital refractometry was not useful for assessing IgG concentrations in the fourth and fifth milking due to low IgG concentrations

Short communication: Effect of feeding pooled and nonpooled high-quality colostrum on passive transfer of immunity, morbidity, and mortality in dairy calves

peer-reviewedPooling colostrum is commonly practiced on Irish dairy farms. Pooling can result in dilution when colostrums with high and low IgG concentrations are mixed, thereby predisposing calves to failure of passive immunity. The objectives of this study were to compare IgG concentrations in colostrum from individual cows with colostrum pooled from several cows, and assess serum IgG concentrations, morbidity, and mortality among calves fed colostrum from their own dam, from a different cow, or pooled from several cows. We hypothesized that pooling colostrum reduces IgG concentration due to dilution compared with colostrum from individual cows, and that calves fed pooled colostrum achieve lower serum IgG concentrations than calves fed colostrum from individual cows. Calves were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: (1) fed colostrum from their own dam (n = 20); (2) fed colostrum from a different dam (n = 20); or (3) fed pooled colostrum (n = 18). A sample of colostrum fed to each calf was collected. Serum samples were collected from calves at birth (0 h) and at 24 h after colostrum feeding. Colostrum and serum IgG concentrations were measured by radial immunodiffusion. Calves were weighed at birth and at weaning, and the health status of each calf was assessed twice daily. Health assessment was based on general demeanor, rectal temperature, fecal consistency, respiratory rate, and the presence of cough, nasal, or ocular discharge. Colostrum and serum IgG concentrations, and weaning weights were compared using ANOVA. Associations between group and morbidity or mortality rates were compared using χ2 or Fisher’s exact tests. Median and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of IgG concentrations of colostrum were 99.4 (81.8–111.5), 95.2 (84.1–107.2), and 100.7 (90.5–104.4) g/L for own dam, different dam, and pooled groups, respectively. We did not find any differences in colostrum IgG concentrations among the colostrum sources. Median (95% CI) serum IgG concentrations at 24 h were 52.0 (45.6–65.9), 55.7 (51.2–65.9), and 53.1 (46.2–63.7) g/L for calves that received colostrum from own dam, different dam, and pooled, respectively. All calves achieved adequate passive immunity. Serum IgG concentrations at 24 h, weaning weights, and proportions of morbidity and mortality were not different among the 3 groups. Our results suggest that on dairy farms where median colostrum IgG concentrations are high and colostrum management is optimal, pooling has a minimal effect on passive immunity and subsequent calf health

Exploring issues surrounding mental health and wellbeing across two continents : a preliminary cross-sectional collaborative study between the University of California, Davis, and University of Pretoria

Mental health and wellness research continue to be a topic of importance among veterinary students in the United States of America (US). Limited peer reviewed literature focusing on South African veterinary students is available. South African veterinary medical students might benefit from approaches to improve mental health and wellness similar to those recommended in the US. However, these recommendations may not address the underlying risk factors for mental health and wellness concerns or mismatch resources available to South African veterinary medical students. The purpose of this collaborative study was to compare the mental health and wellness among veterinary students enrolled at the University of California, Davis (UCD), and the University of Pretoria (UP), the only veterinary school in South Africa. Our primary research question was; Are the measures of mental health and wellness for students at similar stages in the veterinary curriculum different between the two schools? We hypothesized that mental health and wellness as determined by assessment of anxiety, burnout, depression, and quality of life between the two schools is different. A cross-sectional study of 102 students from UCD and 74 students from UP, at similar preclinical stages (Year 2 for UCD and Year 4 for UP) of the veterinary curriculum was performed. Anxiety, burnout, depression, and quality of life were assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and Short Form-8 (SF-8), respectively. Students from both schools had moderate levels of anxiety, high levels of burnout, mild to moderate levels of depression, poor mental health, and good physical health. Our results suggest that similar mental health and wellness concerns in South African veterinary students is comparable with concerns in veterinary medical students in the US. Recommendations and resources to improve mental health and wellness in US veterinary medical students might be applicable to South African veterinary medical students.The University Capacity Development Grant of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) of South Africa, and the UC Davis Faculty Discretionary Support funds.http://www.plosone.orgam2021Production Animal Studie