Preventing cryptosporidiosis in calves: Symptoms, causes, and effective management
Cryptosporidium is a parasite that causes cryptosporidiosis, a gastrointestinal disease in calves which results in calves scouring (watery diarrhoea), dehydration and potential death. Cryptosporidiosis is now the most common cause of infectious scour in the UK and is found on more than 90% of GB farms, shed by both adult cattle and calves. Calf rearers should assess all areas of calf management protocol and disease prevention plans, to help reduce problems with cryptosporidiosis in calf sheds.
Symptoms of cryptosporidiosis
Calves with cryptosporidiosis are usually infected shortly after birth and develop scour at around 5-7 days old. Calves can show the following symptoms:
- Watery or loose stools
- Mucus, blood, undigested milk or bile in their stool
- Calves may be weak or lethargic
- Loss of appetite and weight
- Suckled calves may stop sucking and lie separately from the rest of the herd
- Visibly straining to pass faeces
Where do calves get cryptosporidium from?
Large numbers of eggs are shed in the faeces of infected calves and cows, which contaminate the environment. Ingesting food or water contaminated with eggs infects calves. Eggs can be found in bedding, soil and water and on pasture. Infected calves shed up to one million eggs per gram of faeces.
Farm workers handling livestock can also be a source of infection, therefore it is important to have good hygiene procedures in place. This includes cleaning footwear at the farm entrance and before entering calf accommodation. It is also important to provide clean clothing or overalls when trying to prevent the spread of the disease.
The life cycle
Once ingested, the cryptosporidium parasite attaches itself the calf’s gut wall. This causes damage that reduces the calf’s ability to digest food which results in watery scour. While attached to the gut wall the parasite multiplies, and produces eggs which can reinfect the calf, or shed from the gut into the calves environment via the infected calf’s scour. Symptoms of disease start 3-5 days after infection and following the infection a calf can shed the eggs for two weeks or more. Calves can begin to shed eggs into the environment via their faeces as early as two days old, which means they are susceptible to infection shortly after birth. Cryptosporidium parasite eggs than then be ingested by other calves in the same environment.
Diagnosis
Cryptosporidiosis diagnosis is made by identifying cryptosporidium eggs in a calf’s faeces. If you have calves scouring on farm, consult your vet to get an accurate diagnosis as treatments differ depending on the pathogen involved.
Control
Environmental
Cleaning protocol and disinfection is crucial to controlling the spread of cryptosporisiosis.
- Keep calving down area clean
- Use disinfectant at the entrance to the calf shed
- Muck out pens, steam clean and disinfect as frequently as possible
- Let pens dry before restocking (cryptosporidium does not like dry conditions)
- Use lime to help keep bedding clean
- Rodent and fly control
Animal
- Vaccinate pregnant dams against rotavirus, coronavirus and E. coli, reducing scours caused by these pathogens
- Don’t mix older calves with young calves
- Keep all calves warm and hydrated, particularly if they are scouring
- Isolate scouring calves from healthy calves
- Feed and deal with healthy calves before sick ones
- Use separate, dedicated feeding equipment for sick calves
- Focus on the five Q’s of colostrum: quality, quantity, quickly, quietly and quantify
- Ensure calf jackets are washed and disinfected with a licensed cryptosporidium disinfectant
Treatment
Rehydration of infected calves is key to survival. Feed two litres of oral electrolytes two–four times a day as soon as scour is observed and continue for at least 48-72 hours. Continue to offer scouring calves normal amounts of milk or milk replacer if they want to drink.
Always give suckler calves access to their dam, if they have stopped suckling, feed the calf via a teat or stomach tube if possible.
Use a licensed product to both prevent and treat cryptosporidiosis to reduce egg secretion and the severity of calf scour.
How Herdwatch can help
Medicine records made easy – Keep on top of all medicine purchases, treatments and inventory at the press of a button. See what animals are requiring frequent treatments, allowing you to make informed culling decisions.
Job notes / reminders – Set job notes to follow up with rehydration of a calf or make a note on an animals individual profile to record they’ve previously contracted Cryptosporidiosis.
