Antimicrobial and Biological Methods to Control Liver Abscesses.

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Animal Health
• Bovine Diseases

Background:

• Liver abscesses are a significant concern in cattle feedlots, impacting animal health and economic outcomes.
• Antimicrobial products are commonly used for liver abscess control, but their efficacy and data supporting their use vary.
• Reducing antimicrobial use is a goal, leading to interest in alternative control strategies like vaccination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of antimicrobial products and vaccines for controlling liver abscesses in cattle.
• To compare the available data supporting the use of different interventions for liver abscess management.

Main Methods:

• Review and comparison of existing data on antimicrobial products, specifically tylosin, against negative controls.
• Assessment of the effectiveness of available vaccines in controlling liver abscess prevalence under various disease conditions.

Main Results:

• Tylosin demonstrated significant reductions in both total (risk ratio 0.34) and severe A+ liver abscesses (risk ratio 0.31) compared to negative controls.
• Available vaccines showed limited effectiveness in controlling liver abscess prevalence.
• Vaccine efficacy appears particularly low when the overall disease prevalence in the herd is high.

Conclusions:

• Tylosin is a well-supported antimicrobial option for reducing liver abscesses in cattle.
• Current vaccination strategies are not adequately controlling liver abscess prevalence, especially in high-risk scenarios.
• Further research into effective non-antimicrobial control methods for liver abscesses is warranted.