To examine the relation between increased newborn oxygen requirements and the postnatal rise in cardiac output, we measured left ventricular (LV) output, organ blood flows, and whole-body oxygen consumption using radioactive microspheres in late-gestation sheep fetuses and in the same animals 1 and 4 hours after cesarean section delivery. LV output rose from 264 +/- 23 ml.min-1.kg body wt-1 in fetuses to 444 +/- 33 ml.min-1.kg body wt-1 in lambs at 1 hour after delivery (p less than 0.005) and was unchanged at 4 hours after delivery. This rise in LV output was associated with a more than fourfold increase in the LV flow contribution to tissues situated distal to the ductus arteriosus (fetus, 51 +/- 9 ml.min-1.kg body wt-1; lamb, 226 +/- 22 ml.min-1.kg body wt-1; p less than 0.005), which were mainly perfused by the right ventricle in utero. However, average blood flow to body tissues was similar in fetuses (37 +/- 4 ml.min-1.100 g tissue-1), 1-hour lambs (39 +/- 4 ml.min-1.100 g tissue-1), and 4-hour lambs (40 +/- 5 ml.min-1.100 g tissue-1). Oxygen consumption increased by 58%, from 7.84 +/- 0.43 ml.min-1.kg body wt-1 in fetuses to 12.38 +/- 2.4 ml.min-1.kg body wt-1 in 1-hour lambs (p less than 0.01), and was unchanged in 4-hour lambs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Escherichia coli is frequently associated with mastitis in cattle. “Pathogenic” and “commensal” isolates appear to be genetically similar. With a few exceptions, no notable genotypic differences have been found between commensal and mastitis-associated E. coli. In this study, 24 E. coli strains were isolated from dairy cows with clinical mastitis in three geographic regions of Australia (North Queensland, South Queensland, and Victoria), sequenced, then genomically surveyed. There was no observed relationship between sequence type (ST) and region (p = 0.51). The most common Multi Locus Sequence Type was ST10 (38%), then ST4429 (13%). Pangenomic analysis revealed a soft-core genome of 3,463 genes, including genes associated with antibiotic resistance, chemotaxis, motility, adhesion, biofilm formation, and pili. A total of 36 different plasmids were identified and generally found to have local distributions (p = 0.02). Only 2 plasmids contained antibiotic resistance genes, a p1303_5-like plasmid encoding multidrug-resistance (trimethoprim, quaternary ammonium, beta-lactam, streptomycin, sulfonamide, and kanamycin) from two North Queensland isolates on the same farm, while three Victorian isolates from the same farm contained a pCFSAN004177P_01-like plasmid encoding tetracycline-resistance. This pattern is consistent with a local spread of antibiotic resistance through plasmids of bovine mastitis cases. Notably, co-occurrence of plasmids containing virulence factors/antibiotic resistance with putative mobilization was rare, though the multidrug resistant p1303_5-like plasmid was predicted to be conjugative and is of some concern. This survey has provided greater understanding of antibiotic resistance within E. coli-associated bovine mastitis which will allow greater prediction and improved decision making in disease management.

The calf’s gastrointestinal tract (GIT) microbiome undergoes rapid shifts during early post-natal life, which can directly affect calf performance. The objectives of this study were to characterise and compare differences in the establishment and succession of GIT microbiota, GIT morphological changes, and the growth of dairy calves from birth until weaned. Forty-four newborn Holstein-Friesian calves were randomly selected and assigned to Treatment (TRT) and Control (CON) groups. The TRT group calves received a once-daily dose of a direct-fed microbial (DFM) liquid product containing Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, Lentilactobacillus buchneri, and Lacticaseibacillus casei, all formerly known as Lactobacillus. Fresh faecal samples were manually taken from the rectum of all calves, and gross necropsy was performed on the forestomachs and gastrointestinal tracts. Bacterial DNA was extracted from frozen faecal samples for 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Calves in the TRT group had greater live weights (p = 0.02) at weaning compared with calves in the CON group (mean = 69.18 kg, SD = 13.37 kg). The average daily live weight gain (ADG) and total feed intake were similar between the two groups. Calves in the TRT group had greater duodenum, abomasum, and reticulum weights (p = 0.05). Rumen and intestinal development (p < 0.05) and faecal microbial diversity (p < 0.05) were more pronounced in the TRT group. The relative abundances of eight genera differed (p < 0.001) between the groups. Supplementing calves with the LAB-based DFM increased live weight at weaning and had a more pronounced effect on the development of rumen and the gastrointestinal tract and on microbiota diversity and evenness. Future work is needed to better understand the potential association of LAB-DFM products on gut mucosa-associated microbiota.