A study on neonatal calf diarrhea induced by rotavirus

This review summarizes the results of a study on rotaviruses isolated from calves affected by neonatal diarrhea. The results indicated that rotavirus infection is widespread and supported the evidence for an etiologic role of these viruses in neonatal diarrhea. Differences in virulence among bovine rotaviruses appeared also to be confirmed. Conventionally reared calves were fully susceptible to the experimental infection induced by rotaviruses originating from heterologous hosts, i.e. monkeys, pigs and rabbits. When rotavirus strains of bovine, simian and rabbit origin were compared by cross neutralization tests, it was found the simian and porcine strains were indistinguishable and both appeared to relate antigenically to the bovine strain. Finally, it was proven that feeding newborn calves with colostrum and first milk of their dams, previously vaccinated with an inactivated adjuvanted rotavirus vaccine, could prevent the neonatal diarrhea from occurring.