Rapid diagnosis of the viral causative agents in diarrheal calves

• Main Authors: Rawaa Saladdin Jumaa, Department of Microbiology/ College of Veterinary Medicine / University of Baghdad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Mirror of Research in Veterinary Sciences and Animals (MRVSA) 2015-04-01
• Series: Mirror of Research in Veterinary Sciences and Animals
• Subjects: Astrovirus; Baghdad; Calves; Certest (Combo Cards test); Rotavirus.
• Online Access: http://mrvsa.com/upload/article%201%20Rapid%20diagnosis%20of%20the%20viral%20causative%20agents%20in%20diarrheal%20calves.pdf

Numerous infectious agents induce diarrhea in calves, which may be present either singly or in combination. Rotavirus, coronavirus, astrovirus and calicivirus are the common viral agents that can lead to diarrhea in calves. This study was designed to detect the viral agents of calves diarrhea in Baghdad governorate using rapid diagnostic Cards test. Hundred fecal samples were collected from calves from different area in Baghdad governorate. Combo Cards test (Certest) was used for the rapid field diagnosis of viral diarrhea. The results of this study revealed that the viral agents were constituted to 96% percentage of calves suffering from diarrhea, while the rested 4% were non-viral agents. The percentages of viruses infection were; 75%, 6.25% and 2.08% for rotavirus, adenovirus and norovirus respectively. Moreover, the percentages of mixed viral infections with astrovirus and rotavirus or rotavirus and adenovirus or astrovirus, rotavirus and norovirus were 8.33%, 5.21% and 3.13% respectively. In conclusion, this study revealed that rapid diagnostic Cards test were able to approve different viral agents in diarrheal calves. The author suggests to implement the rapid diagnostic card test on large numbers of calves suffering from diarrhea in order to approve the dominant causative agents and employ the preventive program to reduce the economic implication on the production of the calves.