THE EFFECT OF IMMUNOSTIMULANTS ON THE ACCUMULATION OF SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES TO VIRAL INFECTION AGENTS IN THE BLOOD OF CALVES
The early postnatal period is the most crucial and characterized by the state of immunodeficiency, which causes the occurrence of associative gastrointestinal infections in young cattle, in case of which high mortality is recorded. To achieve the immune health and increase the effectiveness of vaccination, the preparations that have a targeted effect on the immune system - immunostimulants, are widely used. The studies were conducted on calves of black-and-white breed from mother cows, which were stimulated with preparations “Recombinant Bovine Interferon" (RBI) and “Immunate." Before vaccination immunostimulating preparations RBI and “Immunate" were also administered to the newborn calves of the experimental groups. Before colostrum administration, antibodies in the blood of calves to rotavirus, coronavirus and diarrhea virus - mucosal diseases - had not been found. After colostrum administration, the level of antibodies increased and reached a maximum on the 7-th day of calves’ life. The maximum values of this index were recorded in calves of the experimental groups, which were injected with immunostimulatory preparations. In calves obtained from immunostimulated cows, which were injected with immunostimulants, clinical manifestations of diarrhea were noted in three cases. The disease in such calves flowed in light form, lasted no more than 2 days and ended in complete recovery, unlike the calves of the control group. Calves born from cows injected with immunostimulatory preparations, as well as newborn animals immunostimulated with the same preparations, had significant differences in the main development indicators (absolute daily live weight gain) compared with animals that did not receive preparations.