NovaVive Inc., an animal health immunobiology company, today announced that research data related to its regulator-approved immunotherapy for calf scours (Amplimune®) was presented at the 2019 American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) Annual Conference in St. Louis, MO last week. This presentation included data that shows an economic benefit to the use of Amplimune in calves prior to shipping.
In this study, newborn calves were divided into one of three groups: control, pre-shipment treatment or arrival treatment. All treatments were administered subcutaneously. Calves were health scored weekly based on nasal/ocular discharge, coughing, ear position, temperature,attitude and fecal consistency.
“The dairy operation involved in the study was very well-managed, so the overall number of disease treatment events was lower than the national average.” said Dr. Caixeta. “As a result, weekly health scores did not differ between the treatment and control groups. However, the calves receiving the immunotherapy before transport had fewer treatments for pneumonia within the first 30 days of life.” Health and performance of pre-weaned dairy calves have great influence on adult life performance. Amongst the diseases that affect young dairy calves, diarrhea (scours) and pneumonia are the most prevalent and economically important.
Bovine Respiratory Disease complex (BRD) – which includes all diseases infecting the lower and upper respiratory tract, including pneumonia – can be caused by viral or bacterial pathogens. Environmental stressors are major drivers of the disease, and the risk of BRD among cattle is greatest during or soon after transportation. BRD is one of the most common and costly diseases affecting the cattle industry, and often involves treatment with antibiotics.
Amplimune is a potent immunomodulator that is an emulsion of mycobacterium cell wall fractions (MCWF). When injected into the animal, it enhances innate immunity to fight bacterial infections without the use of antibiotics. The product has received regulatory approval for the treatment of E. coli K99 scours (diarrhea) in both the U.S.A. (by USDA) and Canada (by CFIA). Amplimune is OMRI listed for use in organic production.
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