ARTICLE FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE March 2023 67 Are there any ways to predict which cows in a dairy herd are most likely to contract HBS? Occurrence of HBS is sporadic, and very difficult to predict when it may occur. There are reports where a producer has had one or two cases in a short span of time and then no cases again for a year or two. It is unclear what makes one cow more susceptible to become an HBS case than her herd mates that are consuming the same feed with the same level of mold present. It appears that there has to be a certain combination of things, or events, to align for that one cow to develop HBS when other cows in the herd don’t. It’s the ‘perfect storm’ so to speak, a stressful event or series of events, resulting in compromised immunity, while the cow is consuming the mold which allows it to become invasive and that one cow becomes an HBS case. Feeding OmniGen has been shown to ameliorate the effects of stress on the immune system, which along with good feeding and management practices, may help keep a cow that is more susceptible than her herd mates from developing HBS. How can producers confirm that a cow was affected by HBS and not another intestinal syndrome or disease? Necropsy is the best and most conclusive method to diagnosis HBS. However, since Aspergillus fumigatus is a suspected primary agent that can initiate HBS, detection in feeds and blood of cows is a good starting point to determine level of exposure and potential risk of cows for developing HBS. Analytical methods are available, specific for AF, to detect levels in both feeds and the blood of cattle. Phibro sales representatives can help producers collect and submit feed and blood samples to look for the presence of mold to help determine the herd’s exposure level. About James D. Chapman James Chapman supports Phibro’s nutritional products research program and technical support activities in the U.S. and around the world. He supports all facets of Phibro’s robust research program, including new product development, supervision of current product portfolio research, and analysis and presentation of research data. He regularly contributes to industry manuscripts and technical conferences and is a member of industry organizations including the American Society of Animal Science, American Dairy Science Association and the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists, to name a few. Chapman obtained a Master of Science in Reproductive Physiology from Texas Tech University and a Doctorate of Philosophy, Ruminant Physiology and Nutrition from the University of Georgia.
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