Stillbirth/perinatal weak calf syndrome: preliminary pathological, microbiological and biochemical findings
Smyth, J.A.; McNamee, P.T.; Kennedy, D.G.; McCullough, S.J.; Logan, E.F.; Ellis, W.A.
Veterinary Record 130(12): 237-240
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0042-4900 PMID: 1514226 Document Number: 397726
Microbiological, biochemical and pathological data collected from 293 calves which were either stillborn, or born alive and either failed to breathe or failed to breathe for more than about 10 minutes are presented. No bacteria were recovered from 96 of the calves (32.7%), and bacteria which were considered significant were isolated from only 4 (1.4%). Evidence of leptospiral infection was found in 75 calves (25.5%). Of 64 calves examined for bovine virus diarrhoea (BVD) and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) antigens, 2 were positive for BVD virus and none for IBR virus. The mean (+or-sd) liver vitamin E and kidney selenium concentrations, determined in 148 of the calves, were 2.0+or-0.76 micro g/g wet matter and 0.47+or-0.17 micro g/g wet matter, respectively. The thyroid iodine concentration in 15 of 71 calves (21%) was less than 300 micro g/g wet matter and the mean (+or-sd) thyroid weight of 266 of the calves was 18.5+or-11.6 g. Evidence of severe trauma was found in 19 of the calves(6.5%). Histological findings included thyroid epithelial hyperplasia, hepatic haemosiderosis, erythrophagocytosis in the spleen, perivascular haemorrhage in brain and adrenal glands, and accumulation of leucocytes in blood vessels.