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Characterizing bacteremia in neonatal calves with diarrhea: a case-control study.
Luiza S Zakia1,2, Diego E Gomez3, Peter D Constable4
1Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine
|February 26, 2026
Summary
Bacteremia affects 37% of calves with diarrhea. Clinical signs like scleral injection and enophthalmos, along with low albumin and red cell distribution width (RDW), can help identify infected calves.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Neonatal Calf Health
- Infectious Disease Diagnostics
Background:
- Bacteremia in neonatal calves indicates systemic infection requiring prompt antimicrobial therapy.
- Early detection is crucial for effective treatment and improved outcomes in young cattle.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of bacteremia in neonatal calves experiencing diarrhea.
- To investigate the association between clinical and blood variables with bacteremia in a commercial setting.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 100 neonatal calves with diarrhea.
- Blood cultures were used to detect bacteremia.
- Exact conditional logistic regression and classification and regression tree (CART) analyses were employed to assess variable associations.
Main Results:
- The prevalence of bacteremia was 37%, with Streptococcus ruminantium and Escherichia coli being the most common pathogens.
- Multivariable analysis revealed that lower bicarbonate (HCO3-) and albumin concentrations were associated with decreased odds of bacteremia.
- Scleral injection significantly increased the odds of bacteremia, while CART analysis identified low heart rate, enophthalmos, low monocyte count, and low red cell distribution width (RDW) as key predictors.
Conclusions:
- Clinical indicators such as scleral injection, elevated rectal temperature, enophthalmos, and electrolyte derangement are valuable for identifying bacteremia.
- Lower RDW and albumin concentrations are also associated with bacteremia in diarrheic neonatal calves.
- These findings aid in the early diagnosis and management of systemic infections in neonatal calves.
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