Passive transfer failure in horses: incidence and causative factors on a breeding farm.
Abstract: A prospective study was performed to determine the incidence and associated maternal and managemental factors of failure of passive transfer (FPT) in foals on a breeding farm. The zinc sulfate turbidity test (ZSTT) and latex agglutination test (LAT) were compared for accuracy in estimating serum immunoglobulin (Ig)G of foals, as determined by single radial immunodiffusion (SRID). Complete past and present foaling histories of 136 Standardbred mares were obtained. All foalings were witnessed by farm attendants, and colostral samples were collected from mares within 2 hours after parturition. Foals that did not rise and nurse were supplemented with colostrum from the dam, using a bottle or nasogastric tube. Serum samples were prepared from foals and mares between 24 and 36 hours after parturition, and from some mares 45 to 90 days before parturition. Serum IgG concentrations of mares and foals and colostral whey were determined, using SRID. Serum IgG also was estimated in foals, using ZSTT and a commercially available LAT. Four of the 136 foals (2.9%) had FPT (serum IgG less than or equal to 400 mg/dl). Serum IgG concentrations in foals significantly correlated with colostral IgG (P less than 0.001). A significantly larger proportion of foals with FPT were bottle-fed their colostrum (P less than 0.01). Month of parturition, mare age, parity, number of barren seasons, incidence of assisted births or retained placenta, or prepartum serum IgG concentrations did not significantly affect colostral IgG concentrations or serum IgG concentrations in foals. As serum IgG concentrations in foals decreased and as colostral IgG concentrations decreased, the proportion of mares that prelactated significantly (P less than 0.01) increased.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Publication Date: 1985-11-01 PubMed ID: 4073639
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- U.S. Gov't
- P.H.S.
Summary
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The study investigates the prevalence and causes of passive transfer failure (FPT) in foals on a breeding farm, relating it to maternal and operational factors. The research also compares the accuracy of two tests in measuring foal serum immunoglobulin (IgG).
Objective of the Study
- The purpose of this research was to understand the incidence and contributing factors of failure of passive transfer in foals on a horse breeding farm.
Methods and Tools Used
- A prospective study approach was adopted with complete foaling histories of 136 Standardbred mares used.
- All foals were observed by farm attendants, and colostral samples were collected from mares just after childbirth.
- When foals did not rise and nurse independently, they were bottle-fed or nasogastric tubed with colostrum from the dams.
- A range of tests, including zinc sulfate turbidity test (ZSTT), latex agglutination test (LAT), and single radial immunodiffusion (SRID) were used to measure serum IgG concentrations in mares and foals and colostral whey.
Findings
- Out of 136 foals, four or 2.9% had FPT with low serum IgG levels.
- There was a significant link between foals’ serum IgG levels and colostral IgG.
- A significantly larger proportion of foals with FPT were bottle-fed with colostrum, suggesting some potential impact of manual interventions in colostrum feeding.
- Several expected factors like the month of birth, the age of the mare, the number of times the mare had previously given birth (parity), previous barren seasons, incidence of assisted births or retained placenta, and pre-birth mare serum IgG levels did not significantly affect serum or colostral IgG levels.
- The occurrence of mare pre-lactation significantly increased as serum and colostral IgG levels decreased, suggesting some potential link between mare pre-lactation and lowered IgG levels.
Cite This Article
APA
Morris DD, Meirs DA, Merryman GS.
(1985).
Passive transfer failure in horses: incidence and causative factors on a breeding farm.
Am J Vet Res, 46(11), 2294-2299.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Colostrum / analysis
- Colostrum / immunology
- Female
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / etiology
- Horse Diseases / immunology
- Horses / immunology
- Immunization, Passive / veterinary
- Immunoglobulin G / analysis
- Latex Fixation Tests
- Pregnancy
- Prospective Studies
- Sulfates
- Zinc
- Zinc Sulfate
Grant Funding
- S07 RR05464 / NCRR NIH HHS
Citations
This article has been cited 6 times.- Rampacci E, Mazzola K, Beccati F, Passamonti F. Diagnostic characteristics of refractometry cut-off points for the estimation of immunoglobulin G concentration in mare colostrum. Equine Vet J 2023 Jan;55(1):102-110.
- Turini L, Bonelli F, Nocera I, Meucci V, Conte G, Sgorbini M. Evaluation of Different Methods to Estimate the Transfer of Immunity in Donkey Foals Fed with Colostrum of Good IgG Quality: A Preliminary Study. Animals (Basel) 2021 Feb 15;11(2).
- Aoki T, Chiba A, Itoh M, Nambo Y, Yamagishi N, Shibano KI, Cheong SH. Colostral and foal serum immunoglobulin G levels and associations with perinatal abnormalities in heavy draft horses in Japan. J Equine Sci 2020 Jun;31(2):29-34.
- Haas SD, Bristol F, Card CE. Risk factors associated with the incidence of foal mortality in an extensively managed mare herd. Can Vet J 1996 Feb;37(2):91-5.
- Roncaglia-Pereira VA, Dumard CH, Monteiro-Machado M, Melo PA, Fonseca J, Meirelles L, Cunha-Ribeiro L, Souza P, da Silva JL, Castilho L, de Oliveira AC, Gomes AMO, Strauch MA. Long-Term Maintenance of High Neutralizing Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Titres in Mares' Milk and Offspring Serum After Pregnant Mares Immunization With SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein. Vet Med Sci 2025 Sep;11(5):e70488.
- Terpeluk ER, Schäfer J, Finkler-Schade C, Rauch E, Rohn K, Schuberth HJ. Feeding a Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fermentation Product to Mares in Late Gestation Alters the Biological Activity of Colostrum. Animals (Basel) 2024 Aug 24;14(17).
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