Post by simplynaturalfarm on Apr 9, 2024 19:47:53 GMT -5
A lot of people don't understand the intended purpose and limitations of many tests. It has absolutely nothing to do with being against testing ( I just worked up a 70% abortion storm with testing - not in my cows)
When it comes to neospora, testing in absence of symptoms ends up in culling unnecessarily. It's not WRONG to test her as long as you don't put too much emphasis on results of this test. Why? Because they are not actually giving you a ton without previous levels tested. And many times cows test positive and never have another symptom. I have owned 3 cows that I worked up $200 abortion panels against the recommendations of my veterinarian husband who works with herds eliminating neospora. I freaked up because I had never had an abortion before the first one she went on to have nine more calves. The next two happened after DH palpated at 45 days pregnant and we found out that these cows could not be preg checked at 45 days pregnant even though they were neospora positive I never had another abortion and they calves at 11-12 month intervals.
I'm not sure if I've mentioned one of my husband's jobs is USDA vet with johnes and disease work ups. This is not a fantastic single cow test nor is it a " yup she's positive therefore the abortion was caused by neospora." It's not even a "yep she's negative so neospora didn't cause the abortion" Testing because this happened once may be beneficial (but could just be a waste of money )but it has likely to allow people to put more emphasis on the results than is accurate.
As per USDA neospora recommendations
"Generally culling cows based on serologic blood testing for neospora antibody Titers is not recommended.
Chronically infected cows have a measure of immunity. previously infected how cows have a decreased risk of abortion compared to acutely infected cattle during the neoospora abortion outbreaks.
The titer cut off between serum negative and serum positive cows is not perfect and the antibody titer in any particular cow can fluctuate above and below the cutoff level.
It herds with a chronic neospora abortion problem, selection of serum negative replacement heifers can speed the rate of reduction of neospora infected cattle.
Blood test replacement heifers in chronic neospora abortion problems anytime after 6 months of age and keep only heifers born to serum negative cows. This strategy must be accompanied by practices to reduce the risk of transmission from dogs."
www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/cmis_proxy/https/ecm.nrcs.usda.gov%253A443/fncmis/resources/WEBP/ContentStream/idd_20009C69-0000-CEBA-8493-115ADFA7775A/0/ILGM-ANIMALHEALTH_Neosporosis-Abortion-in-Cattle.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwikv7r6rbaFAxXRv4kEHYCNCSkQ5YIJegQIHBAA&usg=AOvVaw23nIBpflylL9-ep-gHeRsi
Testing can definitely give you information, whether or not that information is worthwhile I'm not sure. If it causes people to freak out and over interpret results, no it's not helpful.
If by some freak fluke, the other cow aborts , you can test and then choose to assume the first had neospora also. You'll get the same amount of information either way.
From another pub med
"All serological results for N. caninum should, however, be interpreted with caution, because the immune system is not static and antibody levels fluctuate, particularly for parasites that form cysts that wall themselves off from the host’s immune system and can recrudesce with immunosuppression. A single serum sample from an individual cow may not reflect her infection status accurately, particularly on farms without a history of N. caninum abortions. On these farms, only consistent results on multiple tests during different years or seasons of the year should be used to make culling decisions, particularly when S/P ratios are close to the cut-off values of the test. For example, congenitally infected heifers that have had a history of positive N. caninum titers have had negative titers at calving, while giving birth to a N. caninum-infected calf. Similarly, cows that abort a N. caninum-infected fetus may no longer have a significantly elevated titer at the time of abortion."
So she may not even test positive, but still have aborted from neospora .....
When it comes to neospora, testing in absence of symptoms ends up in culling unnecessarily. It's not WRONG to test her as long as you don't put too much emphasis on results of this test. Why? Because they are not actually giving you a ton without previous levels tested. And many times cows test positive and never have another symptom. I have owned 3 cows that I worked up $200 abortion panels against the recommendations of my veterinarian husband who works with herds eliminating neospora. I freaked up because I had never had an abortion before the first one she went on to have nine more calves. The next two happened after DH palpated at 45 days pregnant and we found out that these cows could not be preg checked at 45 days pregnant even though they were neospora positive I never had another abortion and they calves at 11-12 month intervals.
I'm not sure if I've mentioned one of my husband's jobs is USDA vet with johnes and disease work ups. This is not a fantastic single cow test nor is it a " yup she's positive therefore the abortion was caused by neospora." It's not even a "yep she's negative so neospora didn't cause the abortion" Testing because this happened once may be beneficial (but could just be a waste of money )but it has likely to allow people to put more emphasis on the results than is accurate.
As per USDA neospora recommendations
"Generally culling cows based on serologic blood testing for neospora antibody Titers is not recommended.
Chronically infected cows have a measure of immunity. previously infected how cows have a decreased risk of abortion compared to acutely infected cattle during the neoospora abortion outbreaks.
The titer cut off between serum negative and serum positive cows is not perfect and the antibody titer in any particular cow can fluctuate above and below the cutoff level.
It herds with a chronic neospora abortion problem, selection of serum negative replacement heifers can speed the rate of reduction of neospora infected cattle.
Blood test replacement heifers in chronic neospora abortion problems anytime after 6 months of age and keep only heifers born to serum negative cows. This strategy must be accompanied by practices to reduce the risk of transmission from dogs."
www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/cmis_proxy/https/ecm.nrcs.usda.gov%253A443/fncmis/resources/WEBP/ContentStream/idd_20009C69-0000-CEBA-8493-115ADFA7775A/0/ILGM-ANIMALHEALTH_Neosporosis-Abortion-in-Cattle.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwikv7r6rbaFAxXRv4kEHYCNCSkQ5YIJegQIHBAA&usg=AOvVaw23nIBpflylL9-ep-gHeRsi
Testing can definitely give you information, whether or not that information is worthwhile I'm not sure. If it causes people to freak out and over interpret results, no it's not helpful.
If by some freak fluke, the other cow aborts , you can test and then choose to assume the first had neospora also. You'll get the same amount of information either way.
From another pub med
"All serological results for N. caninum should, however, be interpreted with caution, because the immune system is not static and antibody levels fluctuate, particularly for parasites that form cysts that wall themselves off from the host’s immune system and can recrudesce with immunosuppression. A single serum sample from an individual cow may not reflect her infection status accurately, particularly on farms without a history of N. caninum abortions. On these farms, only consistent results on multiple tests during different years or seasons of the year should be used to make culling decisions, particularly when S/P ratios are close to the cut-off values of the test. For example, congenitally infected heifers that have had a history of positive N. caninum titers have had negative titers at calving, while giving birth to a N. caninum-infected calf. Similarly, cows that abort a N. caninum-infected fetus may no longer have a significantly elevated titer at the time of abortion."
So she may not even test positive, but still have aborted from neospora .....