Bayesian analysis of herd-level risk factors for bovine digital dermatitis in New Zealand dairy herds.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) is considered the most important infectious cause of lameness in dairy cattle worldwide, but has only recently been observed in New Zealand. Although many studies have investigated the risk factors for BDD in confined dairy systems, information on risk factors in pasture-based system is limited. Therefore a cross-sectional study including 59,849 animals from 127 dairy herds in four regions of New Zealand was conducted to identify the herd-level factors associated with the probability of a herd being BDD-lesion positive and with within-herd BDD prevalence.

Results

Purchasing heifers was associated with increased odds of a herd being BDD-lesion positive (odds ratio [OR]: 2.33, 95% probability interval [PI]: 1.26-4.42) and a cow being

SUBMITTER: Yang DA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6487038 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature