Evaluation of the influence of bacterial infection of the mammary gland in the quality of colostrum and transfer of passive immunity to newborn calves

• Grant number: 11/20707-6
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): April 01, 2012
• Effective date (End): December 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal researcher: Viviani Gomes
• Grantee: Renata de Freitas Leite
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Mastitis is an inflammation of the mammary gland mainly caused by bacterial agents. The highest rate of infection of the flock occurs during the dry period and early lactation, so cases of mastitis are detected in the first milking of cows recently calved. Therefore, the hypothesis of this research is that the inflammation of the mammary gland may change the pattern of immune response of the mammary gland, previously focused on the production of colostrum. Therefore, the objective of this research is to evaluate the influence of mastitis on the quality of immune colostrums and passive transfer of immunity of newborn calves. This research will be held to select ten cows pregnant an healthy Holstein black and white will be accompanied in the last month of pregnancy until the time of first milking. Samples taken from the first milking colostrum (n=40) and blood samples of newborn calves at different times postpartum. Initially, the colostrums samples will be submitted to bacteriological examination for detection of bacterial infection. To assess the quality of colostrum will be held the following evidence: somatic cell count and measurement of immunoglobulins by the indirect proof of zinc sulfate turbidity. The transfer of passive immunity in calves will be verified by evaluating of WBC, the levels of serum proteins, albumin, gamma globulin, gamaglutamyl transferase (GGT) and zinc sulfate turbidity. The distribution of data will be evaluated by Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. If the data are parametric distribution will be subjected to analysis of variance and their means confronted by Duncan test. Variables with non-parametric distribution will be compared using the Mann-Whitney test.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

RENATA FREITAS LEITE; CAMILA COSTA BACCILI; CYNTHIA PEREIRA DA COSTA E SILVA; SYLVIA MARQUART FONTES NOVO; VINICIUS ALVIM PASSOS BALDACIM; NILSON ROBERTI BENITES; VIVIANI GOMES. Transferência de imunidade passiva em bezerras alimentadas com colostro de vacas com mastite subclínica. Arq. Inst. Biol., v. 84, 2017.