BCRC Video: How “One Health” Strategies Helped a Farm Family Navigate Their “Winter from Hell”

For Tyler and Nancy Haraga, March 10, 2018, will forever stand out in their minds. It had been a brutal winter, with unrelenting cold and record snowfall. In order to give their expected calves a fighting chance against the cold, the Haragas cleared snow off a large area and packed it with clean, dry straw

As the cold persisted and the calves began to come, Tyler started to notice a few sick calves. “There were a couple with scours, and we never have had scours,” says Tyler, who attributed it to the unusually harsh conditions.

At first, the calves seemed to respond to treatment, but as more calves hit the ground, he realized there was a major problem. As the sick calves kept piling up, they had nearly 40 calves on IV therapy at one time. 

 “Despite the stress the Haragas showed resilience and forward-thinking, seeking out options through the Diagnostic Services Unit (DSU) at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM)”

Despite the stress the Haragas showed resilience and forward-thinking, seeking out options through the Diagnostic Services Unit (DSU) at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM). The DSU works in cooperation with the local attending veterinarian to help in cases where further investigations are required beyond what the local practitioner is able to provide. 

In the Haragas’ case, the DSU diagnosed the fast-acting pathogen infecting their calves as Cryptosporidium, or “crypto” for short. Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite that has a tough outer shell making it very durable in harsh conditions. The parasite spreads through contact with infected animal feces or contaminated water sources. 

Cryptosporidium, like many scour-causing pathogens, is a “zoonotic” disease, meaning the pathogen can infect both animals and human hosts, transmitting from one to another. The potential for exposure for the Haraga family was high, and the entire family was at risk. So, when their 8-year-old son began showing symptoms, it was no surprise to the Haragas that one of them had fallen ill to the highly contagious zoonotic pathogen.

Watch the BCRC’s latest video, in which the Haragas and the experts they consulted at the Diagnostic Services Unit at UCVM and Public Health share the full story of collaborative diagnosis, recovery and biosecurity following the “One Health Initiative” model of care

Read the full post at BeefResearch.ca

The Beef Cattle Research Council is Canada’s industry-led funding agency for beef, cattle and forage research.