Effect of Halofuginone Lactate on the Occurrence of Cryptosporidium parvum and Growth of Neonatal Dairy Calves

• Published in: Journal of dairy science 2005-05, Vol.88 (5), p.1801-1806
• Main Authors: Jarvie, B. D, Trotz-Williams, L. A, McKnight, D. R, Leslie, K. E, Wallace, M. M, Todd, C. G, Sharpe, P. H, Peregrine, A. S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal productions; Animals; Animals, Newborn - growth & development; Biological and medical sciences; Cattle; Cattle Diseases - prevention & control; chemoprevention; coccidiostats; Coccidiostats - administration & dosage; Coccidiostats - adverse effects; cryptosporidiosis; Cryptosporidiosis - prevention & control; Cryptosporidiosis - veterinary; Cryptosporidium; Cryptosporidium parvum; Cryptosporidium parvum - isolation & purification; diarrhea; Diarrhea - parasitology; Diarrhea - veterinary; Feces - parasitology; feed intake; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; halofuginone lactate; liveweight gain; Male; Milk and cheese industries. Ice creams; neonatal calf; Placebos; Quinazolines - administration & dosage; Quinazolines - adverse effects; Quinazolinones; Terrestrial animal productions; Vertebrates; Weaning; Weight Gain
• ISSN: 0022-0302; 1525-3198
• DOI: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(05)72854-X

Thirty-one Holstein bull calves were purchased at birth from 3 dairy farms in Eastern Ontario. Each calf was assigned at random to oral treatment with either 5mg of halofuginone lactate in 10.0mL of aqueous carrier solution (Halocur, base comprised 10mg of benzoic acid, 100mg of lactic acid, and 0.3mg of tartrazine) or 10mL of placebo (Halocur base minus the active ingredient, halofuginone lactate) administered 15 to 30min after morning milk feeding for the first 7 d of life. Intakes of milk, calf starter, and water, and fecal consistency score were recorded daily for 56 d. Calf weights were recorded weekly for 56 d. Fecal samples were taken from all calves at approximately 2, 7, 14, 21, and 28 d of age for isolation of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts. Logistic and linear regression analyses were used to assess the effect of treatment on the incidence of diarrhea and C. parvum infection status. The odds of C. parvum shedding among calves in the halofuginone lactate-treated group was 70% lower than the odds of shedding among calves in the placebo group. In calves treated with halofuginone lactate, no oocyst shedding occurred until 2 wk of age, whereas 12.5% of calves in the placebo group began shedding oocysts during wk 1. From all ages of placebo-treated calves, 31 of 73 samples (42.5%) were positive for C. parvum, whereas only 15 of 67 samples (22.4%) from all ages of halofuginone lactate-treated calves tested positive. The largest number of C. parvum-positive samples occurred in the third week of life. There was a significant delay of 3.1 d in the incidence of diarrhea among calves treated with halofuginone lactate. Intake of milk and starter, body weight gains, and age at weaning were not significantly different between treatment groups.