Le diagnostic des carences en Iode et Sélénium chez les bovins

Selenium and iodine deficiencies are frequently present in cattle in Europe with a negative impact on animal health, reproduction and production. Deficiencies in animals also influence human health owing to consumption of their products. These deficiencies must be correctly diagnosed in order to avoid lack of diagnosis or wrong diagnosis. Since there are many interactions between nutrients, a nutritional approach only is of limited interest. Therefore, the diagnosis based on samples obtained on the animals is more reliable. Clinical signs of selenium and iodine deficiencies are rarely pathognomonic. Laboratory analyses are thus necessary to confirm the diagnosis. The present review relates the principal clinical signs of selenium and iodine deficiencies and the confirmation of the deficiency by the measurements of different nutritional and functional markers available for cattle, either on blood, milk, urine or tissues. Finally, a protocol for the diagnosis of selenium and iodine deficiencies is proposed