[Pathomorphology of gastroenteritis in newborn calves]

The morphologic changes were studied in the parenchymal and digestive organs of a total of 39 calves with gastroenteritis from which pathogenic Escherichia coli organisms were isolated. A correlation was established between the age of calves and the forms of gastroenteritis manifestation. In 1 to 3-day-old calves 63.6 per cent of the cases presented histologic changes of enteritis, and 36.3 per cent presented the septic form of the disease, while in 4 to 7 day-old calves these forms were presented in equal percent. In 8 to 12-day-old animals septic changes were seen in 71.4 per cent of the cases, and toxic changes-in 28.5 per cent. The same age group showed initial changes typical of catarrhal (28.2 per cent) and interstitial (37.7 per cent) pneumonia. With the advance in age the histologic changes of septicaemia showed a rising trend as against the enterotoxaemic and enterotoxic form. The coli infections in 90 per cent of the investigated cases were accompanied by degenerative changes in the kidneys. In calves with nervous symptoms there were hyperemia, perivascular and pericellular edema and status cribrosus of the brain, and occasionally - lymphocytic and leukocytic infiltrations in the leptomeninges.