Correlation between Maternal Serum Antibodies and Protection against Bovine Rotavirus Diarrhea in Calves.

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The correlation between maternal serum antibodies in beef calves at 2 days old and protection against diarrhea induced by natural bovine rotavirus (BRV) infection was examined. Virus neutralizing (VN) antibody titers against BRV in sera from calves that developed diarrhea by BRV infection within 14 days of age (BRV-diarrheal calves) were significantly lower than those from calves that had no diarrhea. In the BRV-diarrheal calves, a positive correlation was found between the VN antibody titers and age of the onset of diarrhea. There were negative correlations between the VN antibody titers and duration of the diarrhea, VN antibody titers and cumulative diarrhea scores, and the VN antibody titers and duration of virus shedding. These results suggest that the VN antibody titers against BRV in newborn calf serum could be an indicator of protection against BRV-induced diarrhea. fecal samples (34.1%), and 30 of these samples were negative for other pathogenic agents. The remaining 16 samples were also positive for bovine coronavirus or Cryptosporidium spp. Thirty calves from which BRV was only detected in the feces (BRV-diarrheal calves) were monitored daily for signs of diarrhea. The fecal samples were obtained from these calves daily while they shed BRV. Fecal score was determined as follows: 0=normal, 1=soft, 2=pasty, 3=semi-liquid, and 4=watery feces. The daily fecal score was totaled as a cumulative diarrhea score to determine the severity of the diarrhea in each calf. Serum samples were collected from all calves on day 2 after birth to examine the transfer of maternal antibodies to the calves. The total IgG concentrations in the sera were measured by a single radial immunodiffusion assay (Saikin kagaku, Japan).VN antibody titers against the Lincoln strain (G6 P[1]) of BRV in calf sera were determined by fluorescent focus neutralization (FFN) tests with MA104 cells [10]. The antibody titers were expressed as the reciprocal of the highest serum dilution that resulted in an 80% or greater reduction of fluorescent foci.Significant differences in the VN antibody titers and IgG concentrations between the BRV-diarrheal calves and normal calves were determined by a Student's t-test.

Modulation by colostrum-acquired maternal antibodies of systemic and mucosal antibody responses to rotavirus in calves experimentally challenged with bovine rotavirus

“…Higher titers of passive colostral IgG1 failed to prevent BRV infection, but significantly reduced BRV diarrhea in IC calves. The protection observed in these calves might be due to neutralization of BRV by a combination of residual colostral Abs present in the intestine at the time of inoculation and IgG1 transferred into the gut from the circulation (Besser et al, 1988a;Kohara and Tsunemitsu, 2000). However, it is important to note that clearance of virus shedding in IC calves was observed only after the development of an active IgM response in the gut.…”

“…Group A bovine rotavirus (BRV) is a major cause of neonatal diarrhea in calves worldwide (Saif et al, 1994). Most calves are exposed to BRV by the third week of life and remain susceptible up to at least 8 weeks of age (Kohara and Tsunemitsu, 2000;Saif et al, 1994). Bovine rotavirus produces villous atrophy and malabsorptive diarrhea by infecting the apical villous epithelial cells of the intestine.…”

“…In addition, high titers of passive circulating Abs have been shown to have a complementary role in protection against BRV diarrhea due to transfer of serum IgG1 into the intestine of neonatal calves (Besser et al, 1988a,b;Saif et al, 1983Saif et al, , 1987. A direct correlation between virus neutralizing (VN) Ab titers in serum of neonatal beef calves and protection against BRV disease under field conditions, has been described (Kohara and Tsunemitsu, 2000). Serum antibodies are essential in dairy calves which are separated from their dams after colostrum intake and fed subsequently with milk replacers lacking antibodies.…”

Mucosal Veterinary Vaccines: Comparative Vaccinology

“…A positive correlation has been shown between serum titers of rotavirus-neutralizing antibodies in neonatal beef calves and resistance to rotavirus diarrhea (Kohara and Tsunemitsu, 2000). Vaccination of pregnant dairy cows with modified live (≥10 7 plaque-forming units), binary ethyleneamine (but not β-propiolactone) inactivated rotavirus in incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) (but not AlOH adjuvant) or recombinant 2/4/6/7 VLPs in IFA significantly increased titers of IgG1 and virus-neutralizing antibody to rotavirus in colostrum and milk Saif and Fernandez, 1996;Kim et al, 2002).…”

Biosecurity and Risk Management for Dairy Replacements

“…Failure of passive transfer of maternal immunoglobulin from colostrum is a major risk factor for neonatal diarrhea [29,[74][75][76][77][78][79] and for the incidence and severity of calfhood respiratory disease [40,75,[80][81][82][83][84][85]. Colostrum management is discussed elsewhere in this issue, but the volume, quality, and timing of colostrum feeding are vital for successful passive transfer [86].…”