Calf mortality constitutes a substantial loss for agriculture economy-based countries and is also a significant herd problem in developed countries. However, the occurrence and frequency of responsible gastro-intestinal (GI) pathogens in severe newborn diarrhea is still not well known. We aimed to determine the seasonal and age-associated pathogen distribution of severe diarrhea in newborn calves admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Erciyes University animal hospital over a year. Fecal samples were collected during the ICU admissions, and specimens were subjected to a diarrheal pathogen screening panel that included bovine coronavirus (BCoV), Cryptosporidium spp., ETEC K99+, and bovine rotavirus, using RT-PCR and conventional PCR methods. Further isolation experiments were performed with permissive cell cultures and bacterial enrichment methods to identify the clinical importance of infectious pathogen shedding in the ICU. Among the hospitalized calves aged less than 45 days old, the majority of calves originated from small farms (85.9%). The pathogen that most frequently occurred was Cryptosporidium spp. (61.5%) followed by rotavirus (56.4%). The frequency of animal admission to ICU and GI pathogen identification was higher during the winter season (44.9%) when compared to other seasons. Most calves included in the study were 1–6 days old (44.9%). Lastly, co-infection with rotavirus and Cryptosporidium spp. occurred more frequently than other dual or multi-infection events. This study was the first to define severe diarrhea—causing GI pathogens from ICU admitted newborn calves in Turkey.

Bovine rotaviruses (BRVs) are significant causative agents of severe diarrhea in newborn calves, resulting in substantial economic losses in the livestock industry. Inhibition of bovine rotavirus using extracts prepared from a Cucurbitaceae plant, which contains trypsin protease inhibitors, might offer a potential anti-rotaviral effect in vitro. Ecballium elaterium (E. elaterium) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, indigenous to the Mediterranean, contains E. elaterium trypsin isoinhibitors (EETIso), and has been used in traditional medicine. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro efficacy of E. elaterium extract against bovine rotavirus infections. Ethanol extracts were prepared from E. elaterium seeds and fruit juice, and their non-toxic concentrations were determined using MA-104 cells. The cells were infected with bovine rotavirus in the presence of E. elaterium extract. The results demonstrated a significant decrease in the rotavirus titer in vitro upon treatment with the E. elaterium extract, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic agent against bovine rotavirus-induced diarrhea in calves. The utilization of E. elaterium extract may contribute to reduced calf mortality, lower medication costs, and improved economic value in cattle farming.

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a highly contagious pathogen that affects several animal families. While animals of all ages are susceptible, puppies face the highest risk. This study aimed to detect CDV in dogs with suspected infection, isolate the virus and develop a sensitive antigen‐ELISA test using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. Samples were collected from 40 dogs and tested by RT‐PCR, then cultured positive samples in MDCK cells for virus isolation. In addition, the CDV F protein gene sequence obtained from the MDCK‐34388 isolate was added to GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the isolate belongs to the Asia‐1 genotype. Among the 40 tested dogs, 29 (72.5%) tested positive for CDV, exhibiting respiratory, neurological and mixed symptoms in 62.5%, 15% and 22.5% of cases, respectively. Using an inactivated CDV isolate, we produced monoclonal antibodies in BALB/c mice and polyclonal antibodies in New Zealand rabbits. For ELISA development, we HRP‐labelled the 1G10‐1A monoclonal antibody that targets the CDV F protein. The antigen ELISA test we developed showed 90% sensitivity and 87.5% specificity, with positive and negative predictive values of 87.8% and 89.74%, respectively. These findings indicate that the antigen ELISA test is a reliable diagnostic tool for CDV detection, complementing RT‐PCR and supporting effective disease management for veterinary practice.

Feline panleukopenia (FPL) is a serious viral disease caused by Feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) that causes leukopenia, lymphopenia, and neutropenia, particularly in young or unvaccinated cats. There is no specific antiviral treatment available for FPL, and treatment protocols generally consist of fluid therapy and supportive care. This study evaluated the clinical and hematological efficacy of filgrastim, a granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) that has shown successful results in treating FPL in various studies, and the paraimmune activator-inactivated Parapoxvirus ovis (iPPVO) in 49 cats naturally infected with FPV. Cats were randomly assigned to four groups: low-dose filgrastim (5 µg/kg, n = 13), high-dose filgrastim (20 µg/kg, n = 14), iPPVO (n = 12), and standard supportive treatment (n = 10). Clinical signs and complete blood counts were assessed on days 0 and 7. By day 7, high-dose filgrastim showed greater increases in white blood cell, lymphocyte, monocyte, and neutrophil counts compared with the other groups (p < 0.05), whereas moderate improvements were observed in the iPPVO group. Leukopenia and lymphopenia resolved faster in the high-dose filgrastim group than in the low-dose filgrastim and standard treatment groups. Clinical recovery, including reduction in vomiting and lethargy, was more pronounced in the high-dose filgrastim and iPPVO groups. Survival rates did not differ significantly among groups (p = 0.615), although the high-dose filgrastim group showed the lowest mortality (42.9%). These findings suggest that high-dose filgrastim may contribute to cytopenias and promote hematological recovery in FPL, while iPPVO may serve as a supportive immunomodulatory therapy. However, it should be noted that the efficacy of filgrastim and/or iPPVO treatments has not been definitively confirmed, likely due to the small sample size and the lack of well-controlled randomized studies.