The effect of subclinical experimental Cowdria ruminantium infection in ewes on the growth and milk consumption of pre-weaning lambs

An alternative control option for heartwater (Cowdria ruminatium infection) is the establishment and maintenance of endemic stability which would lessen the existing dependence on acaricides. In an endemically stable state, animals become infected by vaccination or natural challenge at an early age,...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Martínez, T.A., Meltzer, M.I., Perry, Brian D., Burridge, M.J., Mahan, S.M.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Elsevier 1999
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/29501
_version_ 1855515160583602176
author Martínez, T.A.
Meltzer, M.I.
Perry, Brian D.
Burridge, M.J.
Mahan, S.M.
author_browse Burridge, M.J.
Mahan, S.M.
Martínez, T.A.
Meltzer, M.I.
Perry, Brian D.
author_facet Martínez, T.A.
Meltzer, M.I.
Perry, Brian D.
Burridge, M.J.
Mahan, S.M.
author_sort Martínez, T.A.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description An alternative control option for heartwater (Cowdria ruminatium infection) is the establishment and maintenance of endemic stability which would lessen the existing dependence on acaricides. In an endemically stable state, animals become infected by vaccination or natural challenge at an early age, following which the immunity so created is boosted by continuing tick challenge. In this study, growth rates, health and hematological parameters were monitored at regular intervals for lambs born to two matched groups of ewes until weaning at 4 mo of age. One group of ewes was infected multiple times with Cowdria ruminantium; the other group remained uninfected. The overall mean leucocyte count of lambs born to infected ewes was significantly lower than that of lambs born to uninfected ewes (P=0.04). However, there were few other significant differences in the other hematological data between the two groups. The mean birth weight of single lambs born to unifected ewes (4.6 kg) was significantly higher than the mean birth weight of single lambs born to infected ewes (4.4 kg) (P=0.02). Trends in milk consumption and growth rates were similar for the two groups, with few significant differences detected. Likewise, there were no significant differences in the incidences of health problems or pre-weaning mortalities between the two groups of lambs. The results of this study indicate that there is no detectable effect on productivity of pre-weaning lambs when their dams are carriers of C. ruminantium - a situation likely to occur in an endemically stable state. Hence, maintenance of endemic stability would be a suitable control option for heartwater.
format Journal Article
id CGSpace29501
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 1999
publishDateRange 1999
publishDateSort 1999
publisher Elsevier
publisherStr Elsevier
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace295012024-05-01T08:15:21Z The effect of subclinical experimental Cowdria ruminantium infection in ewes on the growth and milk consumption of pre-weaning lambs Martínez, T.A. Meltzer, M.I. Perry, Brian D. Burridge, M.J. Mahan, S.M. cowdria ruminantium lambs ewes growth milk consumption reproduction mortality blood infection An alternative control option for heartwater (Cowdria ruminatium infection) is the establishment and maintenance of endemic stability which would lessen the existing dependence on acaricides. In an endemically stable state, animals become infected by vaccination or natural challenge at an early age, following which the immunity so created is boosted by continuing tick challenge. In this study, growth rates, health and hematological parameters were monitored at regular intervals for lambs born to two matched groups of ewes until weaning at 4 mo of age. One group of ewes was infected multiple times with Cowdria ruminantium; the other group remained uninfected. The overall mean leucocyte count of lambs born to infected ewes was significantly lower than that of lambs born to uninfected ewes (P=0.04). However, there were few other significant differences in the other hematological data between the two groups. The mean birth weight of single lambs born to unifected ewes (4.6 kg) was significantly higher than the mean birth weight of single lambs born to infected ewes (4.4 kg) (P=0.02). Trends in milk consumption and growth rates were similar for the two groups, with few significant differences detected. Likewise, there were no significant differences in the incidences of health problems or pre-weaning mortalities between the two groups of lambs. The results of this study indicate that there is no detectable effect on productivity of pre-weaning lambs when their dams are carriers of C. ruminantium - a situation likely to occur in an endemically stable state. Hence, maintenance of endemic stability would be a suitable control option for heartwater. 1999-07 2013-06-11T09:23:47Z 2013-06-11T09:23:47Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/29501 en Limited Access Elsevier Preventive Veterinary Medicine;41(2/3): 105-118
spellingShingle cowdria ruminantium
lambs
ewes
growth
milk
consumption
reproduction
mortality
blood
infection
Martínez, T.A.
Meltzer, M.I.
Perry, Brian D.
Burridge, M.J.
Mahan, S.M.
The effect of subclinical experimental Cowdria ruminantium infection in ewes on the growth and milk consumption of pre-weaning lambs
title The effect of subclinical experimental Cowdria ruminantium infection in ewes on the growth and milk consumption of pre-weaning lambs
title_full The effect of subclinical experimental Cowdria ruminantium infection in ewes on the growth and milk consumption of pre-weaning lambs
title_fullStr The effect of subclinical experimental Cowdria ruminantium infection in ewes on the growth and milk consumption of pre-weaning lambs
title_full_unstemmed The effect of subclinical experimental Cowdria ruminantium infection in ewes on the growth and milk consumption of pre-weaning lambs
title_short The effect of subclinical experimental Cowdria ruminantium infection in ewes on the growth and milk consumption of pre-weaning lambs
title_sort effect of subclinical experimental cowdria ruminantium infection in ewes on the growth and milk consumption of pre weaning lambs
topic cowdria ruminantium
lambs
ewes
growth
milk
consumption
reproduction
mortality
blood
infection
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/29501
work_keys_str_mv AT martinezta theeffectofsubclinicalexperimentalcowdriaruminantiuminfectioninewesonthegrowthandmilkconsumptionofpreweaninglambs
AT meltzermi theeffectofsubclinicalexperimentalcowdriaruminantiuminfectioninewesonthegrowthandmilkconsumptionofpreweaninglambs
AT perrybriand theeffectofsubclinicalexperimentalcowdriaruminantiuminfectioninewesonthegrowthandmilkconsumptionofpreweaninglambs
AT burridgemj theeffectofsubclinicalexperimentalcowdriaruminantiuminfectioninewesonthegrowthandmilkconsumptionofpreweaninglambs
AT mahansm theeffectofsubclinicalexperimentalcowdriaruminantiuminfectioninewesonthegrowthandmilkconsumptionofpreweaninglambs
AT martinezta effectofsubclinicalexperimentalcowdriaruminantiuminfectioninewesonthegrowthandmilkconsumptionofpreweaninglambs
AT meltzermi effectofsubclinicalexperimentalcowdriaruminantiuminfectioninewesonthegrowthandmilkconsumptionofpreweaninglambs
AT perrybriand effectofsubclinicalexperimentalcowdriaruminantiuminfectioninewesonthegrowthandmilkconsumptionofpreweaninglambs
AT burridgemj effectofsubclinicalexperimentalcowdriaruminantiuminfectioninewesonthegrowthandmilkconsumptionofpreweaninglambs
AT mahansm effectofsubclinicalexperimentalcowdriaruminantiuminfectioninewesonthegrowthandmilkconsumptionofpreweaninglambs