Incidence of failure of immune passive transfer (FPT) in thoroughbred foals - Interest of a rapid diagnosis for FPT.

Kalinbacak A., Guzel M., Altintas I.

REVUE DE MEDECINE VETERINAIRE, vol.156, no.3, pp.163-165, 2005 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 156 Issue: 3
  • Publication Date: 2005
  • Journal Name: REVUE DE MEDECINE VETERINAIRE
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.163-165
  • Ondokuz Mayıs University Affiliated: No

Abstract

The occurrence of complete or partial failure of passive transfer of colostral immunoglobulin to newborns induces low blood IgG concentrations in foals and renders them highly sensitive to infectious diseases. This prospective study was conducted on 190 thoroughbred newborn foals from a breeding farm in Turkey by determining blood IgG concentrations using a rapid, semi-quantitative test, the Snap Foal IgG test. The FPT incidence was 17.4% : 6.3% of foals presented total FPT with blood IgG concentrations below 4 g/L and 11.1% presented partial FPT with blood IgG concentrations between 4 and 8 g/L. Because of the precocious FPT diagnosis, colostrum could be orally administered for correcting foal immune status in a first attempt. Consequently, equine plasma perfusion has been reserved only for foals resistant to colostrum treatment.