ENTERITIS IN FOALS INDUCED BY ROTAVIRUS AND ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI

Abstract

SUMMARY: Colostrum‐deprived, colostrum‐fed or suckling foals were orally inoculated with foal rotavirus and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli derived from a calf. Neither agent given alone caused diarrhoea in foals aged 1 or 2 days, although with rotavirus, 2 of the 3 inoculated foals became depressed 3 days after inoculation and all 3 were excreting rotavirus in the faeces. Inoculation of both agents induced diarrhoea in colostrum‐deprived, colostrumfed or suckling foals aged up to 16 days. There was an apparent age‐related resistance to diarrhoea which developed between 2 and 3 weeks of age. it was related to failure of rotavirus to establish apparent infection in older foals and was independent of preinoculation maternal antibody.