Vaccination of cows with a combined rotavirus/enterotoxigenic "E. coli" K99 vaccine to protect newborn calves against diarrhoea

Abstract

The protective effect of a combined rotavirus/enterotoxigenic E. coli K99 vaccine against naturally occurring neonatal diarrhoea was evaluated in two dairy and two beef herds. Before vaccination, frequency of diarrhoea in these herds was 46% up to 60% with losses of 7% to 20%. After vaccination of pregnant cows and heifers mild diarrhoea occurred in 14% to 20% of their calves, one out of 144 calves died with enteric symptoms. In 13 out of 26 calves of nonvaccinated controls where diarrhoea was noted, one of them died. K99-positive enterotoxigenic E. coli were not detected in any of the faeces tested. Rotavirus was found in one of the beef herds.