Pathogenic relationships of rotavirus, Escherichia coli, and other agents in mixed infections in calves.

Infection with agents interpreted as causing or contributing to diarrhea (rotavirus, coronavirus, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, and cryptosporidia) were demonstrated in 24 of 32 newborn calves that had naturally occurring diarrheal disease. The calves were from 12 herds in Iowa. Infections as well as enteric lesions and hypoglobulinemia occurred more frequently among diarrheal calves than among nondiarrheal calves from these same herds. In most calves, infections were mixed; ie, both viruses, one or both viruses plus cryptosporidia, or rotavirus plus enterotoxigenic E coli.

Etiologic diagnosis of diarrheal disease of calves: frequency and methods for detecting enterotoxin and K99 antigen production by Escherichia cola.

Escherichia coli isolated from calves in Minnesota and Montana were tested for enterotoxigenicity via bio-assay of cell-free broth culture fluid and for K99 antigen via a serum agglutination test. Infant mice were used to assay for heat-stable enterotoxin (ST), and adrenal cells in culture were used to assay for heat-labile enterotoxin (LT). Forty-six of the 345 E coli isolates produced ST enterotoxin, but none produced LT enterotoxin. Thirty-five of the 46 enterotoxigenic isolates had K99 antigen, and only 9 of 66 nonenterotoxigenic isolates so tested had this antigen. The enterotoxigenicity of 28 additional E coli isolates known or suspected to be calf enteropathogens and provided by investigators from 3 different laboratories was also tested. All isolates from 2 laboratories produced ST but not LT. All isolates from the 3rd laboratory produced LT but not ST. Escherichia coli organisms that were positive in the infant mouse assay also caused positive ligated, jejunal-loop responses in calves and in 9-day-old (but not in 5-week-old) pigs. It was concluded that the infant mouse and adrenal cell tests for ST and LT, combined with the agglutination test for K99, would be useful in the diagnosis of enteric enterotoxic colibacillosis of calves.

Isolation and metabolism cage system for newborn pigs.

An isolation system was designed and constructed for isolating normal and infected newborn pigs. The system consisted of an outer cage fitted with a biological diffusion filter and a dunk bath entry system and an inner metabolism cage to contain the pig. When tested with S-13 bacteriophage, the isolation and metabolism cage system was at least 99% efficient in preventing the entry or escape of microorganism. A total of 267 Escherichia coli-infected newborn pigs have been isolated in these units, with no cross contaminations.

Effect of age on epithelial cell migration in small intestine of chickens.

Villous length, crypt depth, epithelial cell migration rate, and replacement time were studied by autoradiography of histologic sections of small intestine from normal chickens exposed to tritiated thymidine (3-H-TdR). The results indicated that villi and crypts elongate, and epithelial cell migration accelerates between 1 day and 6 months of age. Epithelial replacement time seemed to increase with age of the chickens. Replacement was nearly complete in the 1-day-old group of chickens 5 days after thymidine exposure. In contrast, at this same time, replacement was only approximately 75 and 50% complete in the 3-week-old and 6-month-old groups of chickens, respectively.