Long-term use of yeast fermentation products in comparison to halofuginone for the control of cryptosporidiosis in neonatal calves

The objective of this study was to compare the effect of non-GMO Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation products (SCFP) with that of a halofuginone treatment against Cryptosporidium parvum infection in pre-weaned calves on a commercial dairy farm. A total of 123 neonatal female calves, housed in individual hutches, were enrolled sequentially based on date of birth in 41 blocks of 3 animals each. Calves within each block were allocated to one of 3 treatments: remaining untreated, fed with SCFP (Diamond V SmartCare (R) at 1 g/d in milk and NutriTek (R) at 5 g/d in starter grain) for the first 63 days of life, or treated with halofuginone (0.1 mg/kg/d) for the first 7 days of life. Fecal samples collected on days 4-21 post-partum were examined for both Cryptosporidium oocysts and coproantigen. The presence and intensity of diarrhea were monitored by scoring daily for the first 4 weeks of life. Calves were weighed at 0, 21, 42 and 63 days of age. Almost all calves were Cryptosporidium-positive at least once during the study. Halofuginone significantly reduced the number of Cryptosporidium-positive fecal samples as compared to the two other groups. Based on the coproantigen scores, both halofuginone and SCFP feeding significantly reduced the intensity of Cryptosporidium infection as compared to the untreated group. Diarrhea was recorded in almost all calves at least once. Neither the proportion of diarrheic calves nor the intensity and duration of diarrhea differed among the 3 treatment groups significantly. The mean daily weight gain during the first 3 weeks of life was significantly lower in halofuginone treated calves than in both other groups; however, at the end of the study period the total weight gain did not significantly differ among the 3 treatment groups. In conclusion, the clinical results and weight gains of pre-weaning supplementation with the SCFP were neither better nor worse than the 7-day halofuginone treatment suggesting that the SCFP feeding may be from the clinical point of view a natural alternative measure, instead of halofuginone treatment, in bovine cryptosporidiosis.