Preventive veterinary medicine最新文献

{"title":"Sources of Salmonella infection in pigs in the Netherlands: Epidemiological risk factors and subtyping-based source attribution","authors":"Hester Bloem ,&nbsp;Indra Bergval ,&nbsp;Tryntsje Cuperus ,&nbsp;Maren Lanzl ,&nbsp;Greetje Castelijn ,&nbsp;Ben Wit ,&nbsp;Marieke Opsteegh ,&nbsp;Lapo Mughini-Gras","doi":"10.1016/j.prevetmed.2026.106792","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.prevetmed.2026.106792","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Effective <em>Salmonella</em> control in pigs requires understanding how the pathogen is introduced and spreads on farms. This study aimed to identify potential sources of <em>Salmonella</em> infection in pigs using both epidemiological and microbiological methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 148 fattening pig farms in the Netherlands. Porcine fecal samples were collected and tested for the presence of <em>Salmonella</em>, and a questionnaire on farm characteristics was completed. Risk factors significantly associated with <em>Salmonella</em> presence at farm-level were identified through logistic regression analysis. For source attribution based on microbial subtyping, serotyped <em>Salmonella</em> isolates obtained from the Dutch national laboratory surveillance system (2016–2023) were used. Pig isolates (<em>n</em> = 494) were attributed to nine putative sources (<em>n</em> = 4171 isolates) using the modified Dutch (mDM) and modified Hald (mHM) models.</div><div>A farm-level prevalence of 9.5 % (14/148; 95 % CI 5.3–15.4 %) was found. Cleaning the pens between batches (odds ratio [OR] 0.139, 95 % CI 0.030–0.625) and moving piglets at a later age to the fattening unit (in weeks, OR 0.538, 95 % CI 0.290–0.998) were significantly associated with reduced odds of <em>Salmonella</em> presence, whereas the presence of cattle on the farm increased the odds (OR 4.860, 95 % CI 1.346–17.544). Both mDM and mHM attributed most pig isolates to other pigs (mDM: 43.0 %; mHM: 72.6 %), followed by cattle (mDM: 22.6 %; mHM: 11.0 %) and broilers (mDM: 9.2 %; mHM: 5.0 %), as sources.</div><div>This study indicates pig-to-pig transmission as the main source of <em>Salmonella</em> in pigs and suggests that cattle may significantly contribute to <em>Salmonella</em> introduction into pig herds on multi-species farms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20413,"journal":{"name":"Preventive veterinary medicine","volume":"249 ","pages":"Article 106792"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146070869","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A new era of coccidiosis control: Eimeria and Clostridium perfringens dynamics in vaccinated broiler flocks after the ionophore phase-out in Norway","authors":"Eva Lena Estensmo ,&nbsp;Silje Granstad ,&nbsp;Kim B. Stevens ,&nbsp;Sokratis Ptochos ,&nbsp;Marianne Økland ,&nbsp;Mona Nordmark ,&nbsp;Siri Kulberg Sjurseth ,&nbsp;Sigrid Gossé ,&nbsp;Magne Hansen ,&nbsp;Adrian L. Smith ,&nbsp;Damer P. Blake ,&nbsp;Camilla Sekse ,&nbsp;Øivind Øines","doi":"10.1016/j.prevetmed.2026.106786","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.prevetmed.2026.106786","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Norway discontinued the prophylactic use of coccidiostats in broiler production in 2016, and all broilers are now raised without the routine use of coccidiostats. As an alternative strategy to control coccidiosis, all broiler flocks in Norway are now routinely vaccinated at hatch with vaccines based on live attenuated <em>Eimeria</em> oocysts. In this study, we investigated the population dynamics and interactions of <em>Eimeria</em> spp. and <em>Clostridium perfringens</em> in Norwegian broiler flocks vaccinated against coccidiosis in field settings. We also explored how this may be influenced by farm management practices. Fresh pooled fecal samples were collected as part of a longitudinal time-series and through a case-control design from commercial broiler flocks diagnosed with coccidiosis, necrotic enteritis (NE) or both. Samples were analyzed using conventional and molecular methods targeting the relevant pathogens. Management data were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression models to identify factors associated with coccidiosis and NE. The occurrence of <em>Eimeria</em> oocysts showed varying dynamics over time across individual flocks and companies, and <em>Eimeria</em> species composition largely reflected the content of the vaccine used. Higher numbers of <em>E. maxima</em> and lower overall management scores were identified as risk factors associated with NE. Coccidiosis appeared to be well controlled under the current production practices, whereas NE seems to increase after the abolishment of coccidiostats. This may be related to the indirect effects of coccidiostats on <em>Clostridium</em> spp. and is a consequence that should be carefully monitored in any circumstance where there is a move towards the use of anticoccidial vaccines in broiler production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20413,"journal":{"name":"Preventive veterinary medicine","volume":"248 ","pages":"Article 106786"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146012155","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using herd frailty estimates from survival models in a mortality-based syndromic surveillance system","authors":"Jaden M. Carlson ,&nbsp;T. Brendan Murphy ,&nbsp;Luke O’Grady ,&nbsp;Jonas Brock ,&nbsp;Maria P. Guelbenzu-Gonzalo ,&nbsp;David A. Graham ,&nbsp;Guy McGrath ,&nbsp;Jamie A. Tratalos ,&nbsp;Rafael de Andrade Moral ,&nbsp;Niamh Mimnagh ,&nbsp;Niamh L. Field ,&nbsp;John F. Mee ,&nbsp;Damien J. Barrett ,&nbsp;Elizabeth A. Lane ,&nbsp;Conor G. McAloon","doi":"10.1016/j.prevetmed.2026.106785","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.prevetmed.2026.106785","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Syndromic surveillance, which monitors clinical or production data as potential indicators of disease, can complement existing diagnostic testing strategies for a more comprehensive surveillance system. Consistently recorded mortality data with established identification and traceability routes across cattle sectors could be useful indicators to monitor in a syndromic surveillance system. Ireland is progressing toward the eradication of bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) virus following a programme initiated in 2013 to identify and remove calves that test positive for BVD. As the country prepares for BVD-free status under the EU Animal Health Law, stakeholders must consider strategies to detect possible re-emergence. Historical data from the eradication programme provides a unique opportunity to evaluate mortality-based syndromic surveillance for this purpose. This study aimed to develop a syndromic surveillance model based on calf mortality data and evaluate its use for early detection of BVD re-emergence in Ireland. For years 2014 through 2023, mixed-effects Cox proportional hazards models were built using calf mortality up to 100 days of age. Herd-level frailty estimates were extracted from these models for each year, which were then clustered to identify subgroups of herds with distinct temporal patterns in herd-level mortality hazard. Four separate thresholds were used to flag herds with increased calf mortality hazard. Overall, these flags demonstrated high specificity (86–92 %) but low sensitivity (11–22 %) for herd-level BVD status, suggesting that this approach alone would not reliably detect BVD re-emergence. Nonetheless, this method could support Ireland’s ability to achieve and sustain BVD-free status while providing valuable insights for similar surveillance efforts more broadly. This methodology is adaptable to other species, diseases, and syndromes, making it a versatile tool for animal health surveillance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20413,"journal":{"name":"Preventive veterinary medicine","volume":"248 ","pages":"Article 106785"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146019401","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Use of dogs trained to search for wild boar carcasses in passive surveillance as the most effective tool to control the spread of African swine fever in Poland","authors":"Mateusz Kruszyński ,&nbsp;Magdalena Larska ,&nbsp;Beata Banaszak ,&nbsp;Jadwiga Świlak ,&nbsp;Patryk Tarka ,&nbsp;Zygmunt Pejsak ,&nbsp;Małgorzata Juszkiewicz ,&nbsp;Grzegorz Woźniakowski","doi":"10.1016/j.prevetmed.2026.106784","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.prevetmed.2026.106784","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The most effective proactive measures to combat the African swine fever virus (ASFV) and mitigate the financial losses associated with its spread to pig farms is to minimise its transmission within the wild boar population. The aim of the study was to compare traditional human ground search with alternative methods using specially trained detection dogs, hunting dogs and drones in locating and removing wild boar carcasses as the main source of ASFV infection. Most of wild boar carcasses 397 out of 400 (99.2 %) were found by the trained search dogs, while other 3 were located using hunting dogs. Also, the efficiency of carcass retrieval with hunting dogs was much lower than with trained dogs with 0.002 versus 2.08 ASFV RT-PCR positive WB carcasses found per search. Searches with drones, humans or mixed method were found unsuccessful. The search efficiency using dogs trained for this purpose was on average more than two and a half times higher than the values determined by the EFSA ASF exit strategy developed using the wild boar approach. The carcass retrieval by search dogs was associated with ASF seasonality in wild boar in the central Europe, however, was not affected by the harsher conditions of winter months. This is particularly important due to the ASFV ability to survive in low temperatures. The study revealed also local variation in the sampling efforts which could have affected effectivity of ASF passive surveillance. To our knowledge, the presented research is the first attempt to evaluate the use of dogs to locate wild boar carcasses as a key element of passive surveillance in ASF control.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20413,"journal":{"name":"Preventive veterinary medicine","volume":"248 ","pages":"Article 106784"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146012171","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Relative accuracy of point-of-care tests to rule-in heartworm infection in clinically suspected dogs using Bayesian latent class modelling","authors":"P.J. Atkinson ,&nbsp;C. Quimby ,&nbsp;A. Datt ,&nbsp;T.D. Nielsen ,&nbsp;C.G.B. Caraguel","doi":"10.1016/j.prevetmed.2026.106783","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.prevetmed.2026.106783","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Our prospective cross-sectional survey of dogs from Western Fiji aimed to evaluate the fitness of common diagnostic test modalities to rule-in <em>Dirofilaria immitis</em> infection in patients with suggestive clinical history or signs. In the absence of a perfect reference standard, we used latent class modelling to evaluate the relative diagnostic accuracy of two point-of-care (POC) detection modalities – the modified Knott’s test (MKT) to detect circulating microfilaria and four antigen lateral flow immunoassays (LFI): Anigen Rapid Canine HW Ag Test® (Bionote Co.), SNAP® Heartworm RT Test (IDEXX Laboratories), trūRapid Heartworm (Heska), WITNESS Dirofilaria® (Zoetis Inc.). The tests’ fitness for ruling-in infection were compared using the likelihood ratios of a positive result (LR⁺). The performances of the MKT and the Anigen Rapid LFI to rule-in infection on fresh blood of clinically suspected dogs were moderate to strong (LR⁺=13.4, 95 %PCI: 6.7–114.6; LR⁺=20.2, 95 %PCI: 5.4–138.2; respectively) but not consistently different from each other. The Anigen Rapid, SNAP and truRapid tests consistently provided the strongest evidence to rule-in infection. The LR⁺ of the WITNESS test was approximately twelve times, nine times and two times lower than the SNAP, truRapid and Anigen Rapid LFIs respectively (Bayesian p-value 0.002, 0.004 and 0.02 respectively). Overall, a positive result from MKT or LFIs is suitable to rule-in infection in dogs raising clinical suspicion and would increase the post-test probability of infection similarly. If veterinarians are choosing between LFIs, they should favour either Anigen Rapid, SNAP and truRapid over WITNESS.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20413,"journal":{"name":"Preventive veterinary medicine","volume":"248 ","pages":"Article 106783"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939814","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A bayesian analysis of phage-based qPCR and liquid culture for the early detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in young dairy calves","authors":"José M. Hernández-Agudelo ,&nbsp;Cristóbal Verdugo ,&nbsp;Herman W. Barkema ,&nbsp;Pamela Steuer ,&nbsp;Carlos Tejeda ,&nbsp;Fernando Ulloa ,&nbsp;Miguel A. Salgado","doi":"10.1016/j.prevetmed.2025.106781","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.prevetmed.2025.106781","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bovine paratuberculosis (PTB), caused by <em>Mycobacterium avium</em> subsp. <em>paratuberculosis</em> (MAP), is an endemic infectious disease causing significant economic losses, with infection typically occurring in the first months of life. However, early diagnostic in subclinical infected calves is challenging due to the paucibacillary nature and intermittent shedding of the pathogen, which limits the sensitivity (<em>Se)</em> of existing diagnostic tools. This study aimed to estimate and compare the diagnostic <em>Se</em> and specificity (<em>Sp)</em> of a Phage-Magnetic Separation (PhMS) qPCR assay against a qPCR-confirmed liquid culture for the early detection of MAP infection in young dairy calves. Using a Bayesian Latent Class Model (BLCM) that accounted for conditional dependence, we analyzed 528 fecal samples from dairy calves &lt; 60 days of age from 39 commercial herds in Chile. The model revealed that both tests have comparable moderate median <em>Se</em> (PhMS = 45 %; culture = 51 %) and high median <em>Sp</em> (PhMS = 98 %; culture = 100 %) for MAP detection. However, tests were strongly negatively correlated in MAP-infected animals (correlation coefficient, ρDPhMS,Cult = −0.66; 95 % Posterior probability interval [PPI]: −0.91 to −0.12). This strong negative correlation indicates that the tests tend to detect different subsets of the infected population, making them complementary when used in a parallel testing strategy to maximize joint sensitivity (<em>Sej</em>). The estimated mean true within-herd prevalence in calves was 13 % (95 % PPI: 8–22 %). Additionally, the <em>Sp</em> of PhMS-qPCR decreased in high-prevalence herds, possibly due to passive shedding of the pathogen. Critically, leveraging their complementary nature, a parallel interpretation of the tests achieved a high combined <em>Se</em> of 92 % (95 % PPI: 53–100 %), while maintaining a high <em>Sp</em> of 97 %. In conclusion, PhMS-qPCR and qPCR-confirmed liquid culture are complementary diagnostic tools. Their combined use in a parallel testing strategy could provide a highly effective screening algorithm, making it a powerful approach for research settings aiming to maximize case detection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20413,"journal":{"name":"Preventive veterinary medicine","volume":"248 ","pages":"Article 106781"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145885269","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Demographics of free-roaming dogs in Guwahati, India: Assessing population characteristics and comparing population size estimation methods","authors":"Laura Cunha Silva ,&nbsp;Parimala Mohanty ,&nbsp;Reda Zahri ,&nbsp;Salome Dürr ,&nbsp;Harish Kumar Tiwari","doi":"10.1016/j.prevetmed.2025.106773","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.prevetmed.2025.106773","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>India has the highest global burden of rabies, accounting for approximately 35 % of all human rabies deaths worldwide with free-roaming dogs (FRDs) playing a critical role in the spread of the disease. While several studies have assessed FRD demographics in India, none have focused on Northeast India, particularly Assam. This study 1) characterizes FRD demographics in two urban settings in Guwahati, Assam, 2) estimates FRD populations using Program MARK’s Huggin's heterogeneity models and the Application SuperDuplicates (AS), and 3) evaluates AS as a resource effective alternative to Huggin's heterogeneity models for population estimation. Photographic capture-recapture surveys were conducted in two distinct locations in Guwahati: a market area without defined boundaries and a gated university campus. We detected 183 and 141 unique FRDs at the market and campus sites, respectively. The FRD in the market area were significantly younger, exhibited lower sterilization rates, and tended to be in poorer physical condition compared to those in the campus area; differences in body condition and collar presence were not statistically significant. Population estimates using Huggin's heterogeneity models revealed a FRD population size of 252 individuals (using the Chao estimator in the Huggin’s model) at the market site, while campus estimates varied between 161 during morning transects and 153 during evening transects (using the Jackknife estimator) and with morning and evening combined (using the Chao estimator) of 164 FRD. The AS estimated 246 FRD in the market and 178 on campus. Since the AS only requires data from two transect surveys, all possible survey combinations were built to estimate the FRD population size via AS and over 70 % similarity was observed between all these AS estimates compared to Huggin's heterogeneity model results. Within the same urban setting, variations free-roaming dog population characteristics and estimates across study sites were likely based on differences in local environmental and socio-spatial factors. Application SuperDuplicates showed to be a reliable, efficient alternative to Huggin's heterogeneity models for estimating FRD populations, with compatibility above the 70 % threshold whilst requiring information from two surveys only.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20413,"journal":{"name":"Preventive veterinary medicine","volume":"248 ","pages":"Article 106773"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145885270","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Frequency and risk factors of dogwalk incidents and injuries in agility dogs","authors":"Leena Inkilä,&nbsp;Anna Boström,&nbsp;Heli K. Hyytiäinen","doi":"10.1016/j.prevetmed.2025.106771","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.prevetmed.2025.106771","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Approximately 5–12 % of agility dog injuries occur on the dogwalk, according to survey studies. The rate of falls and injuries related to dogwalk exposure is unknown. Here, a two-part retrospective online survey was conducted to collect data on dogwalk incidents and injuries in 1603 Finnish agility dogs (232 included in both parts) over the six months preceding participation in the study. Data was collected before and after a competition regulation update affecting dogwalk approaches. Risk factors were evaluated with multivariate logistic regression models. Fall(s) from the dogwalk were reported in 15.2 % of responses, close call(s) in 30.1 % and injury secondary to dogwalk incident in 3.7 % during six months. There were estimated 2.6 falls (95 % CI 2.4–2.9) and 0.6 injuries (95 % CI 0.4–0.7) per 1000 dogwalks (n = 1538). Among incidents, 5 % (86/1705) resulted in an injury. Significant risk factors for falls and/or other incidents included higher wither height (OR 1.33–1.74 per 10 cm) and greater exposure to the dogwalk (OR 1.03–1.06 per 10 dogwalks) (n = 452 to n = 1308). Age (OR 0.77–0.87 per year) and dogs’ higher competition level were significant protective factors for falls and/or other incidents (n = 452 to n = 1308). Border Collies (OR 2.73, p = 0.004), taller dogs (OR 1.43 per 10 cm, p = 0.033) and dogs of inexperienced handlers (p = 0.003) had an increased odds of injury (n = 1308). Reduction in the incidence after the regulation update was not detected. The current dogwalk poses a risk to agility dogs’ welfare, requiring further scientific studies to investigate safety improvements.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20413,"journal":{"name":"Preventive veterinary medicine","volume":"248 ","pages":"Article 106771"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145834532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"When beef cattle drink less: Automated water intake monitoring as an early warning for respiratory disease during the adaptation period at the fattening unit","authors":"Luisa Magrin,&nbsp;Simone Dante,&nbsp;Barbara Contiero,&nbsp;Lorenzo Serva,&nbsp;Flaviana Gottardo,&nbsp;Giulio Cozzi","doi":"10.1016/j.prevetmed.2025.106772","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.prevetmed.2025.106772","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) remains the leading health and welfare challenge in intensively finished beef cattle. It is the primary cause of antimicrobial treatments and a major source of economic losses due to reduced performance, increased mortality, and high therapeutic costs. Early, non-invasive indicators of BRD are urgently needed to improve its timely detection and mitigate the negative impact on cattle health and farm economics. With a view to precision livestock farming, this study investigated whether the automatic recording of individual drinking behavior and water consumption could provide some useful indicators of early BRD detection during the critical adaptation period of beef cattle at the fattening unit. The study involved 92 Limousine cattle (64 bulls, 28 heifers) from six different batches imported from France between May 2021 and December 2022. An innovative electronic drinking station equipped with radio-frequency identification and flow sensors automatically recorded individual drinking events, water intake, and time spent drinking during the 4 weeks of adaptation at the fattening farm. During the same time period, individual cattle daily health checks were performed by the farm veterinarian, recording all therapeutic treatments for BRD. Forty-five of the 92 animals (49 %) received at least one treatment for BRD during the 4-week adaptation period. In most cases, the first treatment was administered within the first two weeks of arrival (11.2 ± 6.9 days). Animals treated two or more times for BRD exhibited persistently lower daily water intake compared with untreated animals (20.9 vs. 27.3 L/day, respectively), particularly during the first two weeks after arrival. Two days before treatment, affected animals showed a significant reduction in daily water intake compared with healthy ones, whereas daily drinking time and number of visits to the drinker remained unchanged. Risk analysis revealed that cattle with individual water intake below 20.8 L/day increased by over fourfold the odds ratio of developing BRD. Additionally, groups of beef cattle arriving during autumn–winter exhibited a higher BRD occurrence than those arriving in late spring or early summer. These outcomes encourage the use of automatic devices to monitor the individual drinking behaviour during the adaptation period, as they could help identify conditions in which animals may be at higher risk of developing respiratory diseases.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20413,"journal":{"name":"Preventive veterinary medicine","volume":"247 ","pages":"Article 106772"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145804784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of an Infectious Disease Vulnerability Index (IDVI) for dairy farms: A data-driven approach to assessing risk and informing biosecurity practices","authors":"Johnbosco U. Osuagwu ,&nbsp;Julia M. Smith ,&nbsp;Scott C. Merrill","doi":"10.1016/j.prevetmed.2025.106770","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.prevetmed.2025.106770","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dairy farms are vulnerable to a wide range of infectious diseases, which can have significant economic and public health consequences. However, there remains a lack of a robust, farm-level tool that assesses their disease vulnerability. The primary objective of this study was to develop and validate the Infectious Disease Vulnerability Index (IDVI) as a tool for assessing dairy farm vulnerability to disease, aimed at enhancing biosecurity strategies and prioritizing high-risk farms for targeted interventions. Survey data on biosecurity practices, farm management, and animal movement were analyzed using K-Prototypes clustering, dimensionality reduction, optimal cluster determination, stability assessment, and validation. The clustering analysis revealed three distinct farm clusters, characterized by low, medium, and high disease vulnerability index categories. Cluster quality was assessed using silhouette scores (mean = 0.69) and Davies-Bouldin Index (mean = 0.44), with bootstrap resampling (200 iterations) confirming stability, and Friedman’s Test showing statistically distinct risk clusters. Following permutation testing, the factors with the most impact on the infectious disease vulnerability clusters included specific farm characteristics such as organic status and the total number of dairy animals, animal movement practices including frequency of bull calf movements and the average number of heifers leaving the farm during a shipment, farm contacts including hunters and dead animal haulers, and farm biosecurity practices including farm equipment transport practices, engaging in dairy animal exhibitions, and not having quarantine facilities with water, feed, and air separated from other farm animals. The IDVI offers a promising measure of comparing disease risk profiles, validated through bootstrapped silhouette scoring, statistical analysis, and permutation importance analysis. By leveraging the IDVI, dairy farmers, veterinarians, and animal health authorities can identify high-risk farms, implement targeted interventions to improve biosecurity, reduce disease transmission, and consequently enhance their outbreak preparedness.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20413,"journal":{"name":"Preventive veterinary medicine","volume":"247 ","pages":"Article 106770"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145797033","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}