Effect of an egg yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) product on oocyst shedding and blood and fecal IgY concentrations in cryptosporidium-infected calves
2019
Nozaki, I. (Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine (Japan). Department of Veterinary Medicine) | Itoh, M. | Murakoshi, F. | Aoki, T. | Shibano, K. | Yamada, K.
Cryptosporidiosis causes watery diarrhea in calves younger than one month of age. There is no treatment for cryptosporidiosis, but an egg yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) product, which contains the anti-cryptosporidium IgY, has been developed to prevent the calf diarrhea. In this study, the effect of this product on cryptosporidiosis was examined. Twelve calves were divided into three groups: an untreated control group; a colostrum group (received 60 g of IgY mixed in the colostrum) and a 2-week treatment group (received 60 g of IgY in the colostrum and then 10 g/day of IgY mixed in milk for two weeks). During the 21-day study period, all calves were naturally infected with Cryptosporidium parvum and developed watery diarrhea. The mean number of oocysts per gram of feces was significantly lower in the 2-week treatment group than in the colostrum and control groups (p<0.05). The total IgY and anti-cryptosporidium IgY concentrations in the serum and feces increased in both the colostrum and 2-week treatment groups, and the total fecal IgY concentration was significantly higher in the 2-week treatment group than in the colostrum group from day 5 to day 14 (p<0.05). The fecal anti-cryptosporidium IgY concentration was significantly higher in the 2-week treatment group on day 5 and 7 than in the colostrum group (p<0.05). Thus, oral administration of IgY for two weeks reduced oocyst shedding in cryptosporidium-infected calves, indicating that anti-cryptosporidium IgY may be useful for the prevention of cryptosporidiosis.
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