Use of epidemiologic principles to identify risk factors associated with the development of diarrhea in calves in five beef herds

Abstract

The objective of the study reported here was to identify and measure risk factors associated with the incidence of diarrhea in calves in 5 beef herds in North Dakota. Risk factors associated with calves developing diarrhea during the 1992 calving season were used to develop the following intervention strategies that were implemented during 1993: heifers calved in a separate location, diarrheal calves and their dams were placed in a quarantine area, and pregnant cattle were fed a diet supplemented with protein and copper. The risk of calves developing diarrhea was 5 times higher during the first year, compared with the second year, suggesting that the management changes made during the second year were contributing factors in reducing the percentage of calves with diarrhea. The risk of diarrhea developing in calves born to heifers was 3.9 times greater than that in calves born to cows. Analysis of our data indicated that the use of an epidemiologic approach can identify risk factors, which can lead to the development of intervention procedures that may decrease the incidence of diarrhea in calves in beef herds.