Causative agents and epidemiology of diarrhea in Korean native calves

Lee, Sung-Hwan; Kim, Ha-Young; Choi, Eun Wha; Kim, Doo

The occurrence of diarrhea caused by rotavirus was significantly different according to onset age. It was reported that the peak time for the identification of rotavirus in diarrheal calves is from 0 to 2 weeks of age [40] . In a previous study, rotavirus was the most common pathogen identified in each of the four age groups of Australian dairy calves (0-4, 5-14, 15-21, and > 21 days), and the highest occurrence was reported in the age group of 5-14 days [1] . Coccidiosis, a disease commonly observed in young cattle (1-2 months to 1 year), is usually sporadic during the wet seasons of the year. Diarrhea due to Eimeria spp. was the most prevalent between 5 and 6 weeks of age in KNC (the mean age: 57 days old). Diarrhea due to Giardia was also most prevalent between 5 and 6 weeks of age (the mean age: 38.1 days old), and all diarrhea caused by Giardia spp. occurred between 2 and 10 weeks of age. Other studies have reported that the most prevalent age for diarrhea due to Eimeria spp. was 4.7 to 12 weeks [3] , with a mean age of 55 days (median: 49 days old), in southern Germany [21] . The mean age of diarrhea caused by Giardia spp. was 46.5 days (median: 42 days old) in southern Germany [21] , and the mean ages of diarrhea caused by Eimeria spp. and Giardia spp. in southern Germany were very similar to those reported in the present study.