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The first objective of this study was to describe the effect of on-farm heat treatment of colostrum on colostral bacteria counts and IgG concentrations. The second objective was to describe the effect of feeding heat-treated (vs. raw) colostrum on passive transfer of colostral immune and nutritional parameters in neonatal calves. Pooled batches of colostrum were mixed and divided equally: one half was fed raw whereas the other half was fed after heat treatment at 60 degrees C for 60 min using a commercial on-farm batch pasteurizer. Colostrum samples were cultured for total bacteria count and total coliform count and analyzed for total IgG concentration. Forty-nine Holstein calves were fed either raw colostrum (n = 24) or heat-treated colostrums (n = 25) within 1 to 2 h after birth. Serum samples collected from calves at 0 h (precolostrum) and 24 h (postcolostrum) were assayed for serum total protein; IgG, IgA, and IgM concentrations; peripheral total leukocyte counts; neutrophil counts; lymphocyte counts; lymphocyte phenotypes; vitamin A, vitamin E, cholesterol, and beta-carotene concentrations. Serum samples collected from 2- to 5-d-old calves were tested for immunoglobulin function via a bovine viral diarrhea virus type I serum neutralization titer and for neutrophil bacterial opsonization activity. On-farm batch heat treatment of colostrum at 60 degrees C for 60 min resulted in lower colostrum bacteria concentrations while maintaining colostral IgG concentration. Calves fed heat-treated colostrum had significantly greater serum total protein and IgG concentrations at 24 h, plus greater apparent efficiency of IgG absorption (total protein = 6.3 mg/dL; IgG = 22.3 mg/mL; apparent efficiency of absorption = 35.6%) compared with calves fed raw colostrum (TP = 5.9 mg/dL; IgG = 18.1 mg/mL; apparent efficiency of absorption = 26.1%). There was no effect of treatment on serum concentrations of IgA, IgM, vitamin A, vitamin E, cholesterol, beta-carotene or vitamin E:cholesterol ratio, or on serum bovine viral diarrhea virus type I serum neutralization titers. There was no difference between treatment groups when examining calf plasma total leukocyte counts, neutrophil counts, lymphocyte counts, or neutrophil opsonization activity. However, the latter results were considered inconclusive.

Serum antibody titers to bovine respiratory syncytial virus were determined for 559 cattle. Serum samples were obtained through the Minnesota State-Federal Brucellosis Laboratory and were collected over a 1-year period. Results of this study revealed an antibody prevalence of 65.5% to bovine respiratory syncytial virus. The distribution of antibody titers is presented, as well as analysis of titers based on breed, sex, and age of the cattle.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for the detection of immunoglobulin G (IgG) to the capsular polysaccharide (CP) of Pasteurella haemolytica serotype 1. Purified CP was first covalently coupled to poly-L-lysine and then optimally adsorbed at a concentration of 5 micrograms/ml to microtiter plates in the presence of carbonate-bicarbonate buffer (pH 9.8). The ELISA was used to evaluate and compare the CP-specific IgG response of calves vaccinated with different P. haemolytica-derived experimental vaccines. Elevated levels of ELISA IgG titers were detected in postvaccination sera and lung lavage from calves vaccinated intradermally with live logarithmic-phase organisms or the culture supernatants. The ELISA was found to be a rapid, reproducible, and sensitive technique for the detection of CP-specific antibodies and may be useful to delineate the protective role of these antibodies in bovine pneumonic pasteurellosis.

A colorimetric microtitration assay was adapted to quantify the cytotoxicity of Pasteurella haemolytica A1 leukotoxin to bovine neutrophils used as target cells. The viability of leukotoxin-treated target cells was detected by use of a tetrazolium dye that living cells reduced to dark blue formazan. The amount of formazan formed (which was quantified by use of an ELISA plate reader) was directly proportional to the number of viable target cells. This assay system also was used to measure leukotoxin-neutralization antibody titers of bovine serum and lung lavage specimens obtained during vaccination experiments. The major advantages of this assay over other methods such as the 51Cr-release and trypan blue-exclusion assays are precision, rapidity, and low cost; it also does not use radioisotopes.

Pneumonia was induced in a group of calves that were then treated with oxytetracycline (OTC). When the plasma pharmacokinetics and tissue concentrations of this group were compared with those of healthy controls, obvious differences were observed. The volume of distribution and the half-life of OTC were increased in the group with pneumonia. Tissue concentrations of OTC (1.48 +/- 0.29 microgram/ml) were greater in the lungs of calves with pneumonia than that in the lungs (1.09 +/- 0.09 microgram/ml) of healthy controls. For the dose of OTC used, the correlation between serum concentration and tissue concentrations at 24 hours was poor. Seemingly, current concepts of antibiotic dosages and dosage intervals may be inadequate because they are based on blood and tissue values of healthy animals.

There has recently been increasing interest in feeding heat-treated colostrum to reduce transmission of infectious pathogens to calves. However early research pasteurizing colostrum using the same high temperatures as are typically used to pasteurize milk resulted in significant denaturation of colostral antibodies and often unacceptable feeding characteristics. Recent laboratory studies have suggested that heat-treating bovine colostrum at 60°C for 60 min would result in good pathogen kill while preserving antibodies. The objective of this study was to describe the effect of feeding heat-treated bovine colostrum on passive transfer in newborn calves. This study was conducted on a commercial transition cow management facility in Baldwin, WI. 8 to 16 L batches of fresh bovine colostrum were split into two equal aliquots. The first aliquot was maintained as raw, and refrigerated immediately in 4 L bottles. The second aliquot was heat-treated in a commercial batch pasteurizer at 60°C x 60 min, and then refrigerated in 4 L bottles. Fifty newborn singleton Holstein calves weighing > 70 lbs at birth were systematically (i.e. every other calf born) assigned to be fed 3.8 L of either raw (control) or heat-treated (treated) colostrum within 2 hrs of birth, using an esophageal feeder. Blood samples were collected at 0 and 24 hrs of age for determination of serum total protein (TP) and serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations. There was no effect of treatment on serum measures at 0 hrs of age. However mean (SD) calf serum TP and IgG concentrations were significantly greater at 24 hrs of age for calves fed heat-treated colostrum (TP = 6.3 ± 0.5 gm/dl; IgG = 22.3 ± 4.6 mg/ml) as compared to calves fed raw colostrum (TP = 5.9 ± 0.7 gm/dl; IgG = 17.5 ± 5.5 mg/ml) (P < 0.05). Though potential economic and health benefits still need to be described, these results suggest that farms can feed calves heat-treated colostrum to reduce pathogen exposure while maintaining, or even improving, passive transfer of colostral antibodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]