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Results Are In--The Importance of Prevention, Surveillance and Good Treatment Practices
The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) funds a variety of research projects on animal health and welfare, environmental sustainability, forage and grasslands, feed efficiency, food safety, beef quality, and more. This post is part of an ongoing series highlighting recent research results. Find the BCRC’s entire catalog of research summaries under “For Producers” in the navigation.
Do better vaccine practices make healthier calves?
This team found that good vaccine practices are vital to generate protective immune responses and increase herd immunity. While the impact of good vaccine practices varies by pathogen, shorter mixing times and storing the mixed vaccine in a cooler at the right temperature (2 to 8°C) increased the number of calves showing higher immunity to bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV). The booster vaccination prior to weaning was also essential for provoking an immune response in weaned beef calves.
The different clinical signs observed by pen checkers may be related to different stages of bovine respiratory disease (BRD); nasal secretions appear to be an under-emphasized predictor of fever (but not all cattle with fever go on to develop BRD).
What are the effects of avermectins and tetracyclines on the microbiomes and resistomes of beef cattle?
The ‘mectin ingredients found in Ivomec, Bimectin, Bovimectin, Ivermectin, Solmectin, Dectomax, Eprinex, Longrange and Cydectin are related to macrolide antibiotics (e.g., Hymatil, Micotil, Pulmotil, Tilcomed, Tilmicosin, Tilmovet, Zactran, Zuprevo, Draxxin, Increxxa, Lydaxx, Macrosyn, Rexxolide, Tulamaxx, Lulaven, Tulinovet, Tulissin), but their use doesn’t appear to increase macrolide resistance in rumen or fecal bacteria. Tetracycline use, however, did contribute to tetracycline resistance.
Can we boost breeding efficiency for new feed and forage barley and triticale varieties?
This team was not only able to advance the knowledge of plant breeding resulting in improved methodologies for future breeding projects, but also developed three new varieties: FB22816 (feed barley), TR21665 (malting barley) and T301 (spring triticale).
This research team found that using rotational grazing practices appears to improve the soil organic carbon and nitrogen storage of pastures in Southern Ontario.
Are there more rapid, accurate and cost-effective BRD diagnostics?
Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) tests to diagnose BRD pathogens or antimicrobial resistance are much faster and simpler than traditional diagnostic tests, but a high “false negative” rate also means they might generate the wrong answer more quickly. More refinement is needed before they can be used with confidence.
Is there an association between the persistence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in cattle and clinical infections in the same geographic region?
The human adapted STEC strains have continued to evolve and can be distinguished from the STEC strains most common in cattle. Not all STEC strains are equally dangerous, and the strain that causes the most serious human health risks is quite uncommon in cattle.
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