Effect of water quality on causes of calf mortality in cattle-farm-associated epidemics
<p>Poor-quality drinking water plays a detrimental role in the suppression of calf immunity, giving rise to an increased rate of calf mortality. The present study aims to evaluate the causes of calf mortality in beef and dairy farms in relation to drinking water quality (DWQ). A convenience sa...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Archives Animal Breeding |
| Online Access: | https://aab.copernicus.org/articles/67/25/2024/aab-67-25-2024.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797354347467636736 |
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| author | M. A. Kamal M. A. Khalf Z. A. M. Ahmed J. A. Eljakee R. A. Alhotan M. A. A. Al-Badwi E. O. Hussein B. Galik A. A. Saleh |
| author_facet | M. A. Kamal M. A. Khalf Z. A. M. Ahmed J. A. Eljakee R. A. Alhotan M. A. A. Al-Badwi E. O. Hussein B. Galik A. A. Saleh |
| author_sort | M. A. Kamal |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Poor-quality drinking water plays a detrimental role in the suppression of calf immunity, giving rise to an increased rate of calf mortality. The present study aims to evaluate the causes of calf mortality in beef and dairy farms in relation to drinking water quality (DWQ). A convenience sample of 132 Egyptian cattle farms suffering from emerging epidemics was surveyed by collecting drinking water samples for physicochemical and microbial analysis and using a questionnaire to record hygienic risk factors affecting calf health. Statistical analysis correlates water parameters with rates of calf diarrhea, respiratory problems, severe depression, sudden death and mortality. High percentages of water sample quality parameters, e.g. pH, total dissolved solids (TDSs), hardness, chloride, nitrate, sulfate, total colony count (TCC) and total coliform count (TCFC), are above permissible limits. Water parameters, except pH, show a significant moderate positive correlation with causes of calf mortality (<span class="inline-formula"><i>ρ</i></span> 0.331–0.66) in winter and summer. Each cause of calf mortality was predicted by a specific water parameter, and the water nitrate level was the highest predictor, with the highest values (<span class="inline-formula"><i>β</i></span> <span class="inline-formula">=</span> 0.504–0.577), followed by the water TDS, sulfate and microbial levels. Weak to moderate correlation (<span class="inline-formula"><i>ρ</i></span> 0.151–0.367) was found between calf mortality causes and some hygienic risk factors such as operation type, calf housing, calf feeders, bedding type, water source, water pipe type, drinker lining and wheel dipping. We could conclude that DWQ greatly affects causes of calf mortality, but we cannot exclude some farm hygienic risk factors.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T13:49:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3ae10b84665a426bb53cee1d9a2ac8ed |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0003-9438 2363-9822 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T13:49:08Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Archives Animal Breeding |
| spelling | doaj.art-3ae10b84665a426bb53cee1d9a2ac8ed2024-01-16T07:03:10ZengCopernicus PublicationsArchives Animal Breeding0003-94382363-98222024-01-0167253510.5194/aab-67-25-2024Effect of water quality on causes of calf mortality in cattle-farm-associated epidemicsM. A. Kamal0M. A. Khalf1Z. A. M. Ahmed2J. A. Eljakee3R. A. Alhotan4M. A. A. Al-Badwi5E. O. Hussein6B. Galik7A. A. Saleh8Department of Veterinary Hygiene and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, 11221, Giza, EgyptDepartment of Veterinary Hygiene and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, 11221, Giza, EgyptDepartment of Veterinary Hygiene and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, 11221, Giza, EgyptDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, 11221, Giza, EgyptDepartment of Animal Production, College of Food & Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Animal Production, College of Food & Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Animal Production, College of Food & Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi ArabiaInstitute of Nutrition and Genomics, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, SlovakiaDepartment of Poultry Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh, 333516, Egypt<p>Poor-quality drinking water plays a detrimental role in the suppression of calf immunity, giving rise to an increased rate of calf mortality. The present study aims to evaluate the causes of calf mortality in beef and dairy farms in relation to drinking water quality (DWQ). A convenience sample of 132 Egyptian cattle farms suffering from emerging epidemics was surveyed by collecting drinking water samples for physicochemical and microbial analysis and using a questionnaire to record hygienic risk factors affecting calf health. Statistical analysis correlates water parameters with rates of calf diarrhea, respiratory problems, severe depression, sudden death and mortality. High percentages of water sample quality parameters, e.g. pH, total dissolved solids (TDSs), hardness, chloride, nitrate, sulfate, total colony count (TCC) and total coliform count (TCFC), are above permissible limits. Water parameters, except pH, show a significant moderate positive correlation with causes of calf mortality (<span class="inline-formula"><i>ρ</i></span> 0.331–0.66) in winter and summer. Each cause of calf mortality was predicted by a specific water parameter, and the water nitrate level was the highest predictor, with the highest values (<span class="inline-formula"><i>β</i></span> <span class="inline-formula">=</span> 0.504–0.577), followed by the water TDS, sulfate and microbial levels. Weak to moderate correlation (<span class="inline-formula"><i>ρ</i></span> 0.151–0.367) was found between calf mortality causes and some hygienic risk factors such as operation type, calf housing, calf feeders, bedding type, water source, water pipe type, drinker lining and wheel dipping. We could conclude that DWQ greatly affects causes of calf mortality, but we cannot exclude some farm hygienic risk factors.</p>https://aab.copernicus.org/articles/67/25/2024/aab-67-25-2024.pdf |
| spellingShingle | M. A. Kamal M. A. Khalf Z. A. M. Ahmed J. A. Eljakee R. A. Alhotan M. A. A. Al-Badwi E. O. Hussein B. Galik A. A. Saleh Effect of water quality on causes of calf mortality in cattle-farm-associated epidemics Archives Animal Breeding |
| title | Effect of water quality on causes of calf mortality in cattle-farm-associated epidemics |
| title_full | Effect of water quality on causes of calf mortality in cattle-farm-associated epidemics |
| title_fullStr | Effect of water quality on causes of calf mortality in cattle-farm-associated epidemics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of water quality on causes of calf mortality in cattle-farm-associated epidemics |
| title_short | Effect of water quality on causes of calf mortality in cattle-farm-associated epidemics |
| title_sort | effect of water quality on causes of calf mortality in cattle farm associated epidemics |
| url | https://aab.copernicus.org/articles/67/25/2024/aab-67-25-2024.pdf |
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