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How a Properly Functioning Immune System Saves Money and Cows
It is far more cost effective to prevent disease, than it is to treat disease.

By John Combs, Ph.D.
Dairy Technical Manager
Prince Agri Products, Inc.

In today’s difficult dairy economy, taking a “preventive” approach to disease control and herd health should be every producer’s top priority. This starts with understanding the dairy cow’s immune system, and recognizing the sources of stress that can adversely affect the immune system and predispose the cow to disease and infection.

The immune system in the cow, like all higher vertebrates, is composed of two distinct yet interactive systems. These are the “innate” or non-specific immune system and the “adaptive” or antibody immune system.

The innate immune system consists of physical (skin), chemical (stomach acid), and enzymatic barriers, plus several specific types of white blood cells (neutrophils, macrophages) which function as the cow’s “first line of defense” against infection and disease causing pathogens. The function of the blood cell components is to continually survey and monitor for sites of infections and to destroy invading pathogens.

The adaptive or antibody immune system, on the other hand, is a pathogen-specific system and is involved in providing long-term protection through the formation of pathogen specific antibodies. This mechanism may take days to weeks to develop and during this period of susceptibility is when a properly functioning innate immune system is required for protection.

Research studies have shown that the normal function of both the innate and adaptive immune systems can be disrupted by stress derived from either the environment or changes in the cow’s physiology. Sources of these stressors may include hormonal and physical events associated with calving, negative energy balance initiated by the onset of lactation, or sudden or extreme changes in feed or weather which may alter feed intake patterns, overcrowding, poor cow comfort or exposure to molds, mycotoxins and pathogens. These conditions, either individually or in combination, result in immunological stress, which may lead to profit stealing diseases such as mastitis, metritis, ketosis, displaced abomasums and even death.

Estimated Economic Impact of Disease

Disease

Average $/case

Mastitis (a)

$300

Metritis (b)

$285

Abortion (a)

$200

DA’s (a)

$340

Dead Cows (c)

$2500

(a) Guard, C. as cited by Van Saun R.J. 2000.                                                                  Proceedings: Western Canada Dairy Seminar. Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.
(b) Harmon, D.S. 2006. Proceedings: Mid South Ruminant Nutrition Conference. Arlington, TX.
(c) Estimated replacement costs.

Although there are natural periods of stress in the normal lactation cycle, such as                   at dry-off and calving, dairy producers can help to reduce or minimize the causes of immunological stress by focusing on management practices for improving periparturient cow care, curtailing overcrowding particularly in early lactation groups, avoiding abrupt feed changes, and testing forages for molds and mycotoxins which are known to increase the likelihood for disease or illness.

The Role of Nutrition and Science

Good nutrition and nutrition management are essential components for maintaining a properly functioning immune system. Protein, energy, fiber, minerals and vitamins are nutrients that all contribute in one way or another to maintain, boost, or restore immune system health in the face of day-to-day stresses encountered by dairy cows.

More recently, a new science, referred to as Nutrigenomics, has emerged as a result            of significant developments in genetic research. Nutrigenomics is the study of the molecular relationships between genes, their response to specific nutrients, and how those relationships can impact animal health and performance.

Through the use of microarray technology, we can now study the impact of nutrients on specific genes and their genetic expression. Just as in humans, animal health is directly related to diet and nutrition.

Subtle changes in animal diets can “turn on” or “turn off” specific genes responsible for cellular health. This gene regulation in turn impacts the overall health of the animal, either positively or negatively. We, of course, want positive gene regulation outcomes and can now determine which combination of nutrients specifically express those genes through Nutrigenomics.

Nutrigenomics is now making its way out of laboratories and onto the farm, where improved knowledge about the role of dietary nutrients in activating gene expression              is having an impact on herd health and productivity.

Prince Agri Products has harnessed these key scientific findings from this revolutionary            new science through its Gen-Active Technology™ platform and is using it to develop innovative nutritional products designed to support normal animal health. Gen-Active Technology is a proprietary formulation of nutrients that have been specifically selected for their ability to modulate the genetic expression of genes responsible for cellular health.

OmniGen-AF® nutritional supplement from Prince utilizes the Gen-Active Technology platform to provide those critical nutrients required to support a properly functioning immune system in dairy cows.

A healthy immune system is paramount in protecting dairy cows against bacterial and viral pathogens while reducing a wide range of diseases associated with these pathogens, which                 can lead to:

Reduced somatic cell count

Reduced cases of mastitis

Reduced cases of metritis

Reduced death loss and culls

Increased milk production

Improved reproduction

Maintaining optimal immune function produces healthier cows which are more productive, more resistant to disease and more profitable.

Contact Prince Agri Products, Inc. at 800-6-PRINCE for additional information including research reports, trial studies and product distributors in your area. OmniGen-AF, and Gen-Active Technology are trademarks owned by or licensed to Phibro Animal Health Corporation and its affiliates.

Insert sidebar graphic – Blood Vessel & Udder Artwork, with number callouts.
Headline: How a healthy immune system helps reduce Somatic Cell Count and Mastitis.

Pathogens enter the udder through the streak canal and create infections.

Macrophages identify pathogens, engulf them, and then recruit neutrophils              to kill the pathogens using signaling proteins called cytokines.

Neutrophils roll along the blood vessel wall using an adhesion protein called                L-selectin. There are approximately 200 billion neutrophils in an adult dairy cow.

Neutrophils then migrate through the blood vessel when signaled by macrophages to kill the pathogens.

Neutrophils destroy pathogens by physically engulfing them in a process called phagocytosis and then kills them through the use of enzymes and reactive oxygen species (ROS).

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