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Simple Summary: Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica infections critically affect cattle health, producing high rates of morbidity and mortality in calves and reducing the performance of adult cows. Some European countries implemented surveillance and control programs decades ago, but in Italy, there is no national control program for dairy cows. This study describes an outbreak of Salmonella Bredeney in a dairy herd and the consequent control strategies applied. Control strategies included sample collection visits to the farm in order to identify the prevalence of Salmonella spp. and assess biosecurity levels. In this outbreak, there was a higher prevalence in calves and this condition was associated with poor biosecurity practices. Subsequently, the practitioner and farmer were provided with a health management plan to reduce the prevalence and control the outbreak. During the follow-up period, monitoring and testing revealed repeated negative results, indicating adequate control over the outbreak. The procedures undertaken in this project made it possible to collect useful data for the definition of measures for the management of outbreaks of salmonellosis in dairy cows. Salmonellosis in dairy cattle represents an increasing problem for both animal and public health. Nevertheless, in Italy, there is no control plan in place on dairy farms. The aim of this study was to describe a Salmonella Bredeney outbreak that occurred on a dairy farm and the measures that were adopted to control the outbreak. Management consisted in identifying the spread of infection and assessing the environmental contamination of Salmonella spp. and the associated risk factors. After the farm visit, laboratory investigations showed that 48% of rectal swabs collected from calves and 33% of environmental samples were positive for S. Bredeney, and a poor biosecurity level was detected. The farmer and practitioner were provided with a health management plan to control the spread of Salmonella spp., followed by a monitoring period and a follow-up visit in which all samples resulted negative. The results demonstrated the efficacy of indirect prophylaxis measures in reducing the circulation of Salmonella spp., leading to the extinction of the outbreak. Collaboration with farmers, practitioners, and public health veterinarians and the introduction of measures reported in the health management plan constitute a possible model for the management of Salmonella spp. outbreaks in dairy herds, even in complex farm situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neonatal calf diarrhoea (NCD) poses a significant health challenge in cattle herds, resulting in considerable economic losses and antimicrobial use. In response to the escalating threat of antimicrobial resistance, viable alternatives are imperative, aligning with European policies. This study evaluated the in-milk supplementation of the chestnut and quebracho tannin extract in preweaning calves on performance, diarrhoea occurrence, Cryptosporidium spp. shedding, protein digestibility, and intestinal health. Twenty newborn calves were divided, after colostrum administration, into two experimental groups for 30 days as follows: the control (CTRL) was fed with whole milk and solid feed, and tannins (TAN) were fed whole milk supplemented with 6/g day of tannin extract and solid feed. Faecal samples were collected on days 0, 3, 7, 14, and 30 for the evaluation of Cryptosporidium oocyst shedding and protein digestibility. Faecal consistency was evaluated during the sampling using the faecal score scale (0–3 scale, considering diarrhoea > 1). The results showed a significant reduction in diarrhoea frequency in the TAN compared to the CTRL group (p < 0.05) over 30 days of the trial. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. was generally low (12%), considering all analysed samples. Protein digestibility revealed comparable values for the TAN and CTRL groups, suggesting that tannins did not negatively affect milk protein availability. In conclusion, the in-milk supplementation of 6/g day of the chestnut and quebracho tannin extract could be considered a valuable functional feed additive to decrease NCD occurrence, thus supporting animal health and decreasing antibiotic use in livestock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]