Maternal antibody uptake, duration and influence on survival and growth rate in a cohort of indigenous calves in a smallholder farming system in western Kenya

Philip Toye; Ian Handel; Julia Gray; Henry Kiara; Samuel Thumbi; Amy Jennings; Ilana Conradie Van Wyk; Mary Ndila; Olivier Hanotte; Koos Coetzer; Mark Woolhouse; Mark Bronsvoort

doi:10.1016/j.vetimm.2013.06.003

Maternal antibody uptake, duration and influence on survival and growth rate in a cohort of indigenous calves in a smallholder farming system in western Kenya

Philip Toye, Ian Handel, Julia Gray, Henry Kiara, Samuel Thumbi, Amy Jennings, Ilana Conradie Van Wyk, Mary Ndila, Olivier Hanotte, Koos Coetzer, Mark Woolhouse, Mark Bronsvoort

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The passive transfer of antibodies from dams to offspring via colostrum is believed to play an important role in protecting neonatal mammals from infectious disease. The study presented here investigates the uptake of colostrum by 548 calves in western Kenya maintained under smallholder farming, an important agricultural system in eastern Africa. Serum samples collected from the calves and dams at recruitment (within the first week of life) were analysed for the presence of antibodies to four tick-borne haemoparasites: Anaplasma marginale, Babesia bigemina, Theileria mutans and Theileria parva. The analysis showed that at least 89.33% of dams were seropositive for at least one of the parasites, and that 93.08% of calves for which unequivocal results were available showed evidence of having received colostrum. The maternal antibody was detected up until 21 weeks of age in the calves. Surprisingly, there was no discernible difference in mortality or growth rate between calves that had taken colostrum and those that had not. The results are also important for interpretation of serosurveys of young calves following natural infection or vaccination.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	129-134
Number of pages	6
Journal	Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology
Volume	155
Issue number	1-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetimm.2013.06.003
Publication status	Published - Sept 2013

Access to Document

10.1016/j.vetimm.2013.06.003

Maternal antibody uptake, duration and influence on survival and growth rate in a cohort of indigenous calves in a smallholder farming system in western Kenya
Open Access article funded by Wellcome Trust License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Final published version, 1.06 MBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC-BY)

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165242713001761

3 Finished

ISP1: Analysis and prediction in complex animal systems
Tenesa, A. (Principal Investigator), Archibald, A. (Co-investigator), Beard, P. (Co-investigator), Bishop, S. (Co-investigator), Bronsvoort, M. (Co-investigator), Burt, D. (Co-investigator), Freeman, T. (Co-investigator), Haley, C. (Co-investigator), Hocking, P. (Co-investigator), Houston, R. (Co-investigator), Hume, D. (Co-investigator), Joshi, A. (Co-investigator), Law, A. (Co-investigator), Michoel, T. (Co-investigator), Summers, K. (Co-investigator), Vernimmen, D. (Co-investigator), Watson, M. (Co-investigator), Wiener, P. (Co-investigator), Wilson, A. (Co-investigator), Woolliams, J. (Co-investigator), Ait-Ali, T. (Researcher), Barnett, M. (Researcher), Carlisle, A. (Researcher), Finlayson, H. (Researcher), Haga, I. (Researcher), Karavolos, M. (Researcher), Matika, O. (Researcher), Paterson, T. (Researcher), Paton, B. (Researcher), Pong-Wong, R. (Researcher), Robert, C. (Researcher) & Robertson, G. (Researcher)
BBSRC
1/04/12 → 31/03/17
Project: Research
Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution
Matthews, K. (Principal Investigator)
UK-based charities
1/10/11 → 31/03/17
Project: Research
IDEAL: Infection dynamics and disease burden of East African cattle
Woolhouse, M. (Principal Investigator) & Bronsvoort, M. (Co-investigator)
UK-based charities
1/09/06 → 30/04/13
Project: Research

1 Doctoral Thesis

The epidemiology and clinical outcomes associated with Theileria parva in a cohort of East African short horn zebu calves
Jennings, A., 2013
Research output: Thesis › Doctoral Thesis

Cite this

Toye, P., Handel, I., Gray, J., Kiara, H., Thumbi, S., Jennings, A., Van Wyk, I. C., Ndila, M., Hanotte, O., Coetzer, K., Woolhouse, M., & Bronsvoort, M. (2013). Maternal antibody uptake, duration and influence on survival and growth rate in a cohort of indigenous calves in a smallholder farming system in western Kenya. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, 155(1-2), 129-134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetimm.2013.06.003

@article{0fe4dbaed68c48628a57bf2a7a74aef5,

title = "Maternal antibody uptake, duration and influence on survival and growth rate in a cohort of indigenous calves in a smallholder farming system in western Kenya",

abstract = "The passive transfer of antibodies from dams to offspring via colostrum is believed to play an important role in protecting neonatal mammals from infectious disease. The study presented here investigates the uptake of colostrum by 548 calves in western Kenya maintained under smallholder farming, an important agricultural system in eastern Africa. Serum samples collected from the calves and dams at recruitment (within the first week of life) were analysed for the presence of antibodies to four tick-borne haemoparasites: Anaplasma marginale, Babesia bigemina, Theileria mutans and Theileria parva. The analysis showed that at least 89.33% of dams were seropositive for at least one of the parasites, and that 93.08% of calves for which unequivocal results were available showed evidence of having received colostrum. The maternal antibody was detected up until 21 weeks of age in the calves. Surprisingly, there was no discernible difference in mortality or growth rate between calves that had taken colostrum and those that had not. The results are also important for interpretation of serosurveys of young calves following natural infection or vaccination.",

author = "Philip Toye and Ian Handel and Julia Gray and Henry Kiara and Samuel Thumbi and Amy Jennings and {Van Wyk}, {Ilana Conradie} and Mary Ndila and Olivier Hanotte and Koos Coetzer and Mark Woolhouse and Mark Bronsvoort",

year = "2013",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1016/j.vetimm.2013.06.003",

language = "English",

volume = "155",

pages = "129--134",

journal = "Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology",

issn = "0165-2427",

publisher = "Elsevier",

number = "1-2",

}

Toye, P, Handel, I, Gray, J, Kiara, H, Thumbi, S, Jennings, A, Van Wyk, IC, Ndila, M, Hanotte, O, Coetzer, K, Woolhouse, M & Bronsvoort, M 2013, 'Maternal antibody uptake, duration and influence on survival and growth rate in a cohort of indigenous calves in a smallholder farming system in western Kenya', Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, vol. 155, no. 1-2, pp. 129-134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetimm.2013.06.003

TY - JOUR

T1 - Maternal antibody uptake, duration and influence on survival and growth rate in a cohort of indigenous calves in a smallholder farming system in western Kenya

AU - Toye, Philip

AU - Handel, Ian

AU - Gray, Julia

AU - Kiara, Henry

AU - Thumbi, Samuel

AU - Jennings, Amy

AU - Van Wyk, Ilana Conradie

AU - Ndila, Mary

AU - Hanotte, Olivier

AU - Coetzer, Koos

AU - Woolhouse, Mark

AU - Bronsvoort, Mark

PY - 2013/9

Y1 - 2013/9

N2 - The passive transfer of antibodies from dams to offspring via colostrum is believed to play an important role in protecting neonatal mammals from infectious disease. The study presented here investigates the uptake of colostrum by 548 calves in western Kenya maintained under smallholder farming, an important agricultural system in eastern Africa. Serum samples collected from the calves and dams at recruitment (within the first week of life) were analysed for the presence of antibodies to four tick-borne haemoparasites: Anaplasma marginale, Babesia bigemina, Theileria mutans and Theileria parva. The analysis showed that at least 89.33% of dams were seropositive for at least one of the parasites, and that 93.08% of calves for which unequivocal results were available showed evidence of having received colostrum. The maternal antibody was detected up until 21 weeks of age in the calves. Surprisingly, there was no discernible difference in mortality or growth rate between calves that had taken colostrum and those that had not. The results are also important for interpretation of serosurveys of young calves following natural infection or vaccination.

AB - The passive transfer of antibodies from dams to offspring via colostrum is believed to play an important role in protecting neonatal mammals from infectious disease. The study presented here investigates the uptake of colostrum by 548 calves in western Kenya maintained under smallholder farming, an important agricultural system in eastern Africa. Serum samples collected from the calves and dams at recruitment (within the first week of life) were analysed for the presence of antibodies to four tick-borne haemoparasites: Anaplasma marginale, Babesia bigemina, Theileria mutans and Theileria parva. The analysis showed that at least 89.33% of dams were seropositive for at least one of the parasites, and that 93.08% of calves for which unequivocal results were available showed evidence of having received colostrum. The maternal antibody was detected up until 21 weeks of age in the calves. Surprisingly, there was no discernible difference in mortality or growth rate between calves that had taken colostrum and those that had not. The results are also important for interpretation of serosurveys of young calves following natural infection or vaccination.

U2 - 10.1016/j.vetimm.2013.06.003

DO - 10.1016/j.vetimm.2013.06.003

M3 - Article

SN - 0165-2427

VL - 155

SP - 129

EP - 134

JO - Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology

JF - Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology

IS - 1-2

ER -

Maternal antibody uptake, duration and influence on survival and growth rate in a cohort of indigenous calves in a smallholder farming system in western Kenya

Abstract

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Projects

ISP1: Analysis and prediction in complex animal systems

Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution

IDEAL: Infection dynamics and disease burden of East African cattle

Research output

The epidemiology and clinical outcomes associated with Theileria parva in a cohort of East African short horn zebu calves

Cite this