Recumbency is a frequent symptom occurring throughout lactation. Its cause can be related to the energy or mineral metabolism, or to trauma or infectious diseases. We compared various clinical chemistry parameters between healthy and recumbent cows and between cows with different causes of recumbency and determined if hypocalcaemia manifests in later lactation. Recumbent (n = 32) and healthy (n = 32) German Holstein cows were studied. After clinical examination, a serum sample was taken to measure the concentrations of Mg, Ca, Fe, Na, K, Pi, β-hydroxybutyrate, total bilirubin, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), urea, and creatinine as well as activities of alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatine kinase (CK), and γ-glutamyl transferase in recumbent cows > 5 d in milk and control cows matched for age, lactation number, and pregnancy stage. In recumbent cows, mean serum concentrations of NEFA, bilirubin, and CK were statistically higher, while those of Fe, K, and Pi were significantly lower. Parameters compared between different recumbency diagnoses showed some descriptive Fe, K, urea, and AST differences, but these were not statistically significant. The results show that only a limited number of parameters have diagnostic besides therapeutic value. Although of minor importance in our study, hypocalcaemia should be considered a cause of recumbency, even outside the typical risk period of parturient paresis.

Introduction: Bovine parainfluenza virus-3 (BPIV3) and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) are the cause of respiratory disease in cattle worldwide. With other pathogens, they cause bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) in ruminants. The aim of the study was the detection and molecular characterisation of BPIV3 and BRSV from nasal swabs and lung samples of cows in and around the Erzurum region of eastern Turkey. Material and Methods: In total, 155 samples were collected. Of animals used in the study 92 were males and 63 females. The age of the animals was between 9 months and 5 years, mean 1.4 years. Most males were in the fattening period and being raised in open sheds; females were in the lactating period and kept in free stall barns. All samples were tested for the presence of viral genes using RT-PCR. Gene-specific primers in a molecular method (RT-PCR) identified BRSV (fusion gene) and BPIV3 (matrix gene) strains at the genus level. Results: RNA from BRSV and BPIV3 was detected in two (1.29%) and three (1.93%) samples, respectively, one of each of which was sequenced and the sequences were aligned with reference virus strains. Phylogenetic analyses clustered the strains in genotype C/BPIV3 and subgroup III/BRSV. Conclusion: The results indicate that BRSV and BPIV3 contribute to bovine respiratory disease cases in Turkey. This is the first report on their detection and molecular characterisation in ruminants in Turkey.

Oestrus resynchronisation (RES, Resynch) programmes for non-pregnant cows allow shortening the period between an unsuccessful insemination and the next attempt on the same cow. The protocol of oestrus RES may be started after ruling out pregnancy by means of ultrasonography carried out 28 days after insemination or after performing a test for pregnancy-specific glycoproteins (PAG) in blood or milk. The Resynch protocol can be based on a double application of prostaglandins, the OvSynch protocol, or hormonal therapy with exogenous sources of progesterone (CIDR intravaginal devices). The efficiency of the method depends on the functional state of the ovaries, the diameter of the corpus luteum, external factors, and the health and maturity of the cows. The present paper constitutes a comparison of research findings concerning the effectiveness of RES programmes.

Introduction: Numerous mutations in the bovine tumour necrosis factor receptor type two (TNF-RII) gene have been identified, but their biological consequences remain poorly understood. The aim of this study was to determine whether polymorphism in the analysed loci of the bovine TNF-RII gene is linked with the size of cell subpopulations naturally infected with bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) which serve important immune functions in the host. Material and Methods: Samples originated from 78 cows. Polymorphisms in the studied gene were determined by PCR-RFLP and DNA sequencing by capillary electrophoresis. BLV infection was diagnosed by the immunofluorescence (IMF) technique and nested PCR. Cell subpopulations were immunophenotyped with IMF. Results: Similar and non-significant differences in the average percentages of TNFα+, IgM+TNFα+, and CD11b+TNFα+ cells infected with BLV were noted in individuals with various genotypes in the polymorphic sites g.-1646T > G and g.16534T > C of the TNF-RII gene, and significant differences in the percentages of these subpopulations were observed between selected microsatellite genotypes (g.16512CA(n)). Conclusion: STR polymorphism and the number of CA dinucleotide repeats in intron 1 of the TNF-RII gene influence the frequency of TNF+, CD11b+TNF+, and IgM+TNF+ subpopulations naturally infected with BLV. Polymorphism in the gene’s other two sites do not affect the size of these cell subpopulations.

The characteristics of immune factors in somatic cells from lactating dairy cows and their association with commensal bacteria in normal milk have not been clarified. This study investigated the relationship between the pathogenic bacteria in milk and somatic cell immune factors in healthy lactating cows. In total 44 healthy Holstein cows were studied on one farm. Milk samples were collected aseptically using a cannula and these samples were cultured for detection of bacteria and analysis of mRNA of immune factors expressed by somatic cells. Cows were divided into two groups based on the microbial status of their milk samples: 12 cows showed bacteria in cultures (positive group), and the other 32 cows did not (negative group). The mRNA levels of IL-6, lactotransferrin, and cathelicidin expressed by somatic cells after milking decreased significantly compared to those before milking in both groups (P < 0.05). There were significantly lower mRNA levels of IL-6 and cathelicidin in the positive group compared to those in the negative group before milking. These results suggest that mRNA levels of IL-6 and cathelicidin expressed by the somatic cells may be affected by the presence of bacteria in healthy lactating dairy cows.

A comprehensive description is presented of four novel cases ofamorphus globosus (ag) foetuses originating from multiple pregnancies of Polish Holstein cows. Four amorphic foetuses were delivered by three cows. Tissue samples were collected during autopsy, embedded in paraffin, sectioned, and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Genomic DNA was isolated from tissue samples of abnormal foetuses and from blood leukocytes of their healthy siblings. PCR reactions were used to reveal the presence of Y-linked genes (SRY and AMELY) and an X-linked gene (AMELX). All foetuses were classified to the groupholoacardius amorphous (anideus). Molecular analysis clearly showed that at 17 microsatellite loci, the studied amorphous foetuses had identical genotypes to the viable co-twins. Foetuses had monozygotic origin. Histological analysis showed a low level of development of tissues of meso- and ectodermal origin, as well as features of degrading patterns.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to evaluate the occurrence of enterococci in inflammatory secretions from mastitic bovine udders and to assess their antimicrobial resistance. Material and Methods: A total of 2,000 mastitic milk samples from cows were tested in 2014–2017. The isolation of enterococci was performed by precultivation in buffered peptone water, selective multiplication in a broth with sodium azide and cristal violet, and cultivation on Slanetz and Bartley agar. The identification of enterococci was carried out using Api rapid ID 32 strep kits. The antimicrobial susceptibility was evaluated using the MIC technique. Results: Enterococci were isolated from 426 samples (21.3%). Enterococcus faecalis was the predominant species (360 strains), followed by E. faecium (35 isolates), and small numbers of others. The highest level of resistance was observed to lincomycin, tetracycline, quinupristin/dalfopristin (Synercid), erythromycin, kanamycin, streptomycin, chloramphenicol, and tylosin. Single strains were resistant to vancomycin and ciprofloxacin. All isolates were sensitive to daptomycin. E. faecalis presented a higher level of resistance in comparison to E. faecium, except to nitrofurantoin. Conclusion: The results showed frequent occurrence of enterococci in mastitic cow’s milk and confirmed the high rate of their antimicrobial resistance.

The primary objective of this study was to explore the variability of Streptococcus uberis (S. uberis) isolates by extracting multilocus sequence typing (MLST) data from whole-genome sequencing. The secondary objective was to determine the distribution of the phenotypic antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the associated AMR genes as well as the virulence gene profiles among sequence types (STs). Sixty-two isolates were recovered from 16 herds in 3 Canadian Maritime Provinces: New Brunswick (14.5%), Nova Scotia (48.3%), and Prince Edward Island (37.1%). Of these, 9, 30, and 23 were recovered from post-calving, lactational samples, and post-mastitis samples, respectively. These 62 S. uberis isolates belonged to 34 STs; 11 isolates were typed to 9 known STs and 51 isolates were classified as one of 25 new STs. Thirteen isolates were part of major clonal complexes (CCs). Post-mastitis isolates contained 10 unique STs, lactational isolates contained 11 unique STs, and post-calving isolates had 3 STs. Each farm had only 1 isolate that was a unique ST except for STs 233, 851, 855, 857, 864, and 866, which were found in multiple cows per herd on more than one farm. ST851 and ST857 were found in each of the 3 sample types, with ST857 found in cows from all 3 Maritime provinces. These results indicate that S. uberis is a diverse non-clonal pathogen with specific STs residing in clonal clusters, carrying multiple AMR genes and virulence, with a diverse phenotypic AMR.

The aim of this study was to characterize peripartum metabolic profiles, including the insulin sensitivity index, in cows diagnosed with subclinical ketosis (SCK) in the early stage of lactation. Cows that calved from January 2011 through December 2014 on a dairy farm with alarm level prevalence of SCK in Hokkaido, Japan (n = 175) were used. Blood and body condition scores (BCS) were obtained at regular health examinations in 2 consecutive periods, the first between 14 and 2 d before parturition, and the second between 3 and 14 d after parturition. Animals were divided into 3 groups at postpartum sampling: an SCK group with 35 multiparous and 15 primiparous cows having β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) concentrations ≥ 1.2 mM without clinical signs, a disease group of 36 multiparous and 9 primiparous cows that received treatment between parturition and postpartum sampling, and a control group consisting of 49 multiparous and 31 primiparous cows with BHBA concentrations < 1.2 mM. The prepartum revised quantitative insulin sensitivity check index was significantly lower in the multiparous SCK and disease groups than in the control group, demonstrating decreased insulin sensitivity in these cows, but not in primiparous cows. The prepartum BCS was significantly higher only in the multiparous SCK and disease groups. The prepartum apolipoprotein B-100 (ApoB-100) concentration was significantly decreased in the multiparous disease group, suggesting hepatic lipidosis. Conversely, primiparous cows had a higher prepartum ApoB-100 concentration. Prepartum decreased insulin sensitivity in the multiparous SCK and disease groups was considered to facilitate progression to SCK after calving.