AHDB Cryptosporidiosis Webinar.

greysides

I found this a down-to-earth run down of Crypto from someone who should know about it.

Cryptosporidium in young calves can impact the animal not just during the time it is infected but throughout its growing period. Understanding the routes of infection and the role that management has to play in minimising risks are covered in this webinar with Dr Beth Wells of Moredun Research Institute.

greysides

Key Points:

Colostrum is very important, as it is for all neonatal diseases. Vaccinate for other scour pathogens.

Disinfectants. Only a few are effective. Best combined with steam cleaning (over 60 C) and a period of desiccation beforehand and generous straw bedding afterwards.

Keep age groups together, a two week age span is recommended.

Isolate scouring animals and keep isolated for a week after scour stops.

charolais0153

greysides wrote: »

Key Points:

Colostrum is very important, as it is for all neonatal diseases. Vaccinate for other scour pathogens.

Disinfectants. Only a few are effective. Best combined with steam cleaning (over 60 C) and a period of desiccation beforehand and generous straw bedding afterwards.

Keep age groups together, a two week age span is recommended.

Isolate scouring animals and keep isolated for a week after scour stops.

Would you reccommend blanket treating all calves born with halocur. It would save a lot of time and money

Base price

charolais0153 wrote: »

Would you reccommend blanket treating all calves born with halocur. It would save a lot of time and money

I have experienced the economic loss of buying what appears to be fit healthy calves from dairy herds that have dosed their calves to the point of sale with Halocur unknown to us. Within hours or so of arrival home they develop that watery scour :mad:
The real possibility of human contamination, initial Veterinary treatment, cost of disposal of carcasses and associated preventative treatment for the rest of the stock is substantial.
IMO Cryptosporidium parvum should be a notifiable disease.

greysides

charolais0153 wrote: »

Would you reccommend blanket treating all calves born with halocur. It would save a lot of time and money

When the disease is known to be present, yes. It is very common though. There are on-farm kits available to rapidly diagnose it.

When Rotavec Corona came out it was a Godsend for some farmers and they had a few years of bliss. Then, due to lack of competition in the gut, Crypto took over....

greysides

Base price wrote: »

I have experienced the economic loss of buying what appears to be fit healthy calves from dairy herds that have dosed their calves to the point of sale with Halocur unknown to us.

All I could suggest is buying older, less-susceptible calves but that may not suit your circumstances.

Base price

greysides wrote: »

All I could suggest is buying older, less-susceptible calves but that may not suit your circumstances.

If the disease was notifiable and restricted the same way a BVD is then the purchaser would not have to deal with the fall out.
However I reckon I'm one of the few that is barking up this tree.

greysides

Base price wrote: »

If the disease was notifiable and restricted the same way a BVD is then the purchaser would not have to deal with the fall out.
However I reckon I'm one of the few that is barking up this tree.

It's so common that you'd never source calves.

Gawddawggonnit

greysides wrote: »

When the disease is known to be present, yes. It is very common though. There are on-farm kits available to rapidly diagnose it.

When Rotavec Corona came out it was a Godsend for some farmers and they had a few years of bliss. Then, due to lack of competition in the gut, Crypto took over....

Prevailing weather conditions seem to have a huge effect. From now until April/May it’s everywhere and once temps get high there’s no sign of it.
We don’t vaccinate cows that are calving from May to Sept. and no bother.

Mild wet weather seems to make it explode. We haven’t lost a calf to it since we started to use Parafor. At first sign, rehydration salts,Parafor, 2cc Marbocyl, 2cc Nuflor and usually ok after a few days.
Tried fumigation and steam washing. Didn’t work.

blackdog1

Gawddawggonnit wrote:

Mild wet weather seems to make it explode. We haven’t lost a calf to it since we started to use Parafor. At first sign, rehydration salts,Parafor, 2cc Marbocyl, 2cc Nuflor and usually ok after a few days. Tried fumigation and steam washing. Didn’t work.

Plus one on parafor. Also recommended metecam anti inflammatory and a calf blanket as crypto in my experience causes the calf temp to drop. Also make sure you vaccinate for rota. Calves went great here over the winter. Parafor is a fantastic drug. Never using halacour again.

whelan2

Explain parafor please. Is it a preventitive? Looked on google and nothing about it

Gawddawggonnit

blackdog1 wrote: »

Plus one on parafor. Also recommended metecam anti inflammatory and a calf blanket as crypto in my experience causes the calf temp to drop. Also make sure you vaccinate for rota. Calves went great here over the winter. Parafor is a fantastic drug. Never using halacour again.

I’m giving the Nuflor because they usually catch a chill that can lead to pneumonia. I can see the importance of the blanket...how much are blankets?

Yes Parafor is way better than Halocur, and cheaper...

Gawddawggonnit

whelan2 wrote: »

Explain parafor please. Is it a preventitive? Looked on google and nothing about it

I’ll take a pic and post it if you want.
I tried your idea of colostrum for 11/12 days and it made no difference.

With Parafor + Marbocyl (2cc for 3days) + Nuflor (2cc and another 2cc in 48hrs) + rehydration salts haven’t lost a calf.

Edit. I think Parafor is curative. Greysides will know.

whelan2

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

I’ll take a pic and post it if you want.
I tried your idea of colostrum for 11/12 days and it made no difference.

With Parafor + Marbocyl (2cc for 3days) + Nuflor (2cc and another 2cc in 48hrs) + rehydration salts haven’t lost a calf.

Heading to vets now. Parafor is an antibiotic? I think I asked them before about it

Gawddawggonnit

whelan2 wrote: »

Heading to vets now. Parafor is an antibiotic? I think I asked them before about it

I honestly don’t know Whelan. Vet will know. Parafor needs to be given twice a day until calf is recovered.
Post what vet says please...

blackdog1

whelan2 wrote: »

Heading to vets now. Parafor is an antibiotic? I think I asked them before about it

yes its an antibiotic its paraformycin i'm sure. its a curative. give from day 3-8 as a powder in the milk. If your vets don't have ill try and find the manufacturer name for you and they can order it. blankets are 20 euro Dawg. i find them great on sick calves, their coats are shining when you take them off after 2 weeks and they are machine washable.

Gawddawggonnit

blackdog1 wrote: »

yes its an antibiotic its paraformycin i'm sure. its a curative. give from day 3-8 as a powder in the milk. If your vets don't have ill try and find the manufacturer name for you and they can order it. blankets are 20 euro Dawg. i find them great on sick calves, their coats are shining when you take them off after 2 weeks and they are machine washable.

Ah feck, I’m trying to simplify the system.
Blankets = more work!

You give Parafor even if calves aren’t sick??
I only give to calves at the first sign of illness..

blackdog1

Gawddawggonnit wrote:

You give Parafor even if calves aren’t sick?? I only give to calves at the first sign of illness..

Yes I give every calf parafor from day 3-8 while they are on mothers milk with Rota then from day 8-21 I use milk powder with a gut protector (elvor eimerivo) and then from day 21 to weaning I use a higher skim product ( elvor precision) best calves I've ever had.

whelan2

Is this it?

blackdog1

whelan2 wrote:

Is this it?

Yes

whelan2

blackdog1 wrote: »

Yes

That's a treatment for cows with ecoli. Nothing in it to aid or treat crypto according to my vet.

blackdog1

whelan2 wrote:

That's a treatment for cows with ecoli. Nothing in it to aid or treat crypto according to my vet.

Lots of research online about paraformycin treating cryptosporidium in aids patients etc. So your vet is wrong. Every farmer online who uses it sings it's praises.

greysides

blackdog1 wrote: »

Lots of research online about paraformycin treating cryptosporidium in aids patients etc. So your vet is wrong. Every farmer online who uses it sings it's praises.

If fairness to the vets if it wasn't for Boards I wouldn't have heard about this drug either. It doesn't appear to be licensed for treating Crypto but could be used under the 'cascade system'.

Here's what I found online:

Paromomycin: an effective treatment for cryptosporidial diarrhea in patients with AIDS.

Cryptosporidiosis is a common cause of diarrhea in patients with AIDS but remains one of the most challenging AIDS-related conditions to treat. We therefore carried out an open, uncontrolled, prospective study to evaluate the efficacy of oral paromomycin for the treatment of chronic diarrhea due to Cryptosporidium in 24 successive patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Twenty-two of the 24 patients responded clinically, with complete remission occurring in 18 cases and marked reduction of the diarrhea occurring in four. Clearance of cryptosporidia from stools and/or intestinal biopsy specimens occurred within 2-4 weeks. Furthermore, all 18 patients who achieved complete remission gained weight. Ten patients relapsed either during administration of maintenance therapy or after discontinuation of treatment, but diarrhea resolved again after increasing or restarting paromomycin therapy in all but two. Paromomycin appeared to be an active and well-tolerated treatment for cryptosporidiosis in patients with AIDS. Efficacy is dose-related, and continuous maintenance therapy is required to prevent relapses. These data suggest that paromomycin might be given as first-line therapy in AIDS-related cryptosporidiosis, but this should be confirmed by the findings of a controlled, randomized trial.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8011833

However, it's not all clear cut:

Controlling the onset of natural cryptosporidiosis in calves with paromomycin sulphate


A prospective, controlled-blind field trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of paromomycin sulphate, given for 10 days from birth, in preventing natural cryptosporidiosis in calves. In the untreated control group, oocyst shedding and diarrhoea followed the pattern that had occurred on the farm before the trial, consistent with a perinatal infection, whereas in the treated group, the prepatent period was significantly longer than in the control group (P<0.01) and oocyst shedding and diarrhoea started only after the drug was withdrawn. However, the regimen did not reduce the incidence of disease in the treated group.

http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/151/20/606

However, IIRC, the online reported research on the use of Halocur isn't all one-sided either.