Antimicrobial Use Guidelines and Treatment Strategies for Neonatal Calf Diarrhea

Presentation Description / Summary: Neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD) affects up to 50% of neonatal calves, with case fatality rates as high as 18%. The neonatal period is critical for calf health, with diseases during this time leading to long-term issues, such as reduced reproduction and milk production. Antimicrobial drugs (AMD) are used in up to 83% of NCD cases on farms, but rising concerns about antimicrobial resistance in both human and veterinary medicine highlight the need to limit AMD use to only those animals that truly require it. Currently, AMD is recommended for treating and preventing bacteremia in critically ill calves with diarrhea, based on the hypothesis that pathogenic bacteria proliferate in the small intestine and translocate to the bloodstream. However, these guidelines are based on expert opinion rather than evidence based. Therefore, determining the likelihood of diarrhea leading to bacteremia in calves and correlating it with physical exams and blood analyses is essential for improving treatment outcomes and reducing the unnecessary use of AMD. This 60-minute talk will be split into two parts. Dr. Renaud will review the current literature on bacteremia and sepsis in neonatal calves. Dr. Zakia will present findings from her research, which aimed to identify clinical and laboratory variables associated with bacteremia in NCD, investigate the gut permeability in diarrheic calves, and evaluate an evidence-based algorithm (based on the results of the first study) for treating diarrheic calves with AMD.