Scientists in Japan have developed a probiotic formulation to keep calves healthy

Scientists in Japan have developed and tested a novel probiotic formulation to control severe diarrhea in calves, ensuring their health and reducing mortality, and in turn reducing economic loss. The health of calves is a crucial component in animal husbandry; diseases that affect calves cause economic losses to livestock farms either directly, due to death of the calves, or indirectly, due to weight loss that reduces productivity over the animals’ lifespans. In Japan, bovine rotavirus (BRV) and bovine cryptosporidiosis infections are major diseases that cause severe diarrhea in calves. A team of scientists from Hokkaido, including Associate Professor Satoru Konnai of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Hokkaido University, have developed a novel probiotic supplement and verified its efficacy as an antidiarrheal medication for calves. Their results have been published in the journal Veterinary Microbiology. Diarrhea in calves (bovine diarrhea) is caused by a variety of ...