Undifferentiated Neonatal Calf Diarrhoea

From WikiVet English
Jump to navigation Jump to search
  • A syndrome with many causes.
Clinical
  • Is seen mostly in calves between 1 and 28 days old.
  • Known as "white scour".
  • Has a high morbidity in calves that are doing well and feeding well.
  • Large amounts of milk coloured diarrhoea.
    • Tends to cover all over tail and hindquarters.
      • Often produces skin sores.
  • Condition is lost quite quickly, and a high mortality may be caused.
Pathogenesis
  • Certain conditions predispose calves to undifferentiated neonatal calf diarrhoea.
    • Stress
    • Insufficient colostrum
    • Cold milk
    • Mixing strange calves together after separating from mother.


  • A mixture of viruses and bacteria are involved, some more commonly than others.
    • Undifferentiated neonatal calf diarrhoea is, however, a primarily viral disease.
    • Some of the agents below are also found also in perfectly normal calves.
      • Other viruses not listed are also probably involved.
      • The exact cause is not always important, since are cases all treated in the same way.


Virus % Cases Bacterium % Cases
Rotavirus 40% Cryptosporidium 20%
Coronavirus 20% Enterotoxigenic E.Coli 20%
Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus 4% Campylobacter 30-40%
Calici-, parvo-, adeno-, viruses 1% each


  • The condition has a very characteristis appearance on post mortem examination.
    • The intestine is filled with gas and foam, and possibly flakes of milk.