Stats like that have grabbed the attention of producers concerned about the health of their cattle and pocketbooks, as well as spurring research efforts. USDA research microbiologist Rand Broadway, along with researchers from Texas Tech University, Texas A&M University, and Kansas State University examined the variables that might contribute to such high liver abscess numbers in dairy-beef crossbred animals. The group has looked at diet type, ruminal acidosis tied to high-grain diets, along with the digestive system biome for clues to the causes. Their most recent study debunks a conventional theory. It turns out high-energy diet-induced acidosis is not the sole culprit. Broadway noted, “Our research indicates that pathogen presence alone is sufficient to cause an abscess. Therefore, if we can reduce the pathogen load and block its pathway to the liver, we can control the problem.”
Naturally, the next step is to determine which bacterial pathogens might be contributing to the phenomenon, and then suss out how they make their way to the liver. USDA’s report indicates that Fusobacterium andsalmonella bacteria were present in the abscesses they tested; these pathogens are present in cattle environments and could potentially travel to the liver via the circulatory system or lacerations in the digestive system. In addition, the researchers posited that stress — whether it stems from environmental factors such as cold or heat, illness, or the presence of other pathogens that trigger inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract — could make conditions ripe for abscess development. In all, the study presents a paradigm shift: Nutrition may not be the only contributor to liver abscess formation, and the USDA report notes that the pivot in research direction has come at a crucial time as the dairy-beef trend shows no signs of slowing down soon.
