Prevalence and risk factors for agents causing diarrhea (Coronavirus, Rotavirus, Cryptosporidium spp., Eimeria spp., and nematodes helminthes) according to age in dairy calves from Brazil

• Published in: Tropical animal health and production 2020-03, Vol.52 (2), p.777-791
• Main Authors: Cruvinel, Leonardo Bueno, Ayres, Henderson, Zapa, Dina María Beltrán, Nicaretta, João Eduardo, Couto, Luiz Fellipe Monteiro, Heller, Luciana Maffini, Bastos, Thiago Souza Azeredo, Cruz, Breno Cayeiro, Soares, Vando Edésio, Teixeira, Weslen Fabricio, de Oliveira, Juliana Silva, Fritzen, Juliana Tomazi, Alfieri, Amauri Alcindo, Freire, Roberta Lemos, Lopes, Welber Daniel Zanetti
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Calves; Coronaviridae; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Cryptosporidium; Diarrhea; Eimeria; Farms; Feeders; Life Sciences; Milk; Municipalities; Nematodes; Reagents; Regular; Regular Articles; Risk analysis; Risk factors; Rivers; Rotavirus; Streams; Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science; Viruses; Zoology
• ISSN: 0049-4747; 1573-7438
• DOI: 10.1007/s11250-019-02069-9

The present study attempted to verify the prevalence of and risk factors for diarrhea-causing agents in dairy calves from Brazil. Additionally, ages with a higher risk of occurrence for each agent were verified by means of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The collections were performed on 39 farms, belonging to 29 municipalities located in eight states of Brazil. It was possible to conclude that the prevalence of Coronavirus, Rotavirus, Cryptosporidium spp., Eimeria spp., and nematodes was 7.20% (95% CI 4.54–9.78), 6.37% (95% CI 3.85–8.89), 51.52% (95% CI 45.26–55.57), 3.46% (95% CI 2.24–4.67), and 3.46% (95% CI 2.24–4.67), respectively. Ages with higher probabilities of occurrence of these diseases in calves were  8, > 6, > 37, and > 36 days, respectively. Diarrhea occurred more significantly ( P