Journal Articles
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Item Patterns of Mycoplasma bovis antibodies in cows and calves in Swedish dairy herds, and testing strategies to detect seropositive herds(Elsevier Inc on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association®, 2025-10-01) Hurri E; Compton CWR; Alvåsen K; Tråvén MMycoplasma bovis causes severe diseases among cattle. Sweden has a favorable situation for control of this disease, with a low prevalence of M. bovis infected and seropositive herds detected only in the southern parts of the country. To prevent the spread of the infection, analyzing antibody levels is a cost-effective method to determine herd pathogen exposure status. In this study, our aims were to monitor the antibody dynamics in infected herds over time using IDvet ELISA, to both evaluate risk-based sampling and investigate the effect of M. bovis exposure on health and production. We visited and sampled 35 dairy herds, 31 of which were sampled at least 2 times and 26 sampled 4 times and followed for 2 yr. The patterns of herd seroprevalence varied depending on the status before the herd's entry into the study and remained relatively stable at the herd level, although antibody status could differ among age groups. Overall, herds with high exposure prevalence (75%–100% positive cows, n = 13/26), and herds with low exposure prevalence (<25% positive cows, n = 5/26), maintained their exposure status throughout the study. The changes in status observed within the herds, both among calves and cows, included transitions from positive to negative, as well as from negative to positive. In 5 herds, the calf group transitioned from positive to negative, while in 1 herd, the reverse occurred. Three herds exhibited an increase in antibody levels; in 2 of these herds, the cows transitioned from negative to positive, and in 1 herd with positive cows, the calves shifted from negative to positive. A cost-effective test strategy to find likely infected herds involved sampling bulk tank milk and cows with a high SCC, which gave a 90% probability of locating infected herds by the second sampling. Milk production was reduced by 404 kg (1.3 L/d, P = 0.012) in cows positive for M. bovis antibodies. Therefore, controlling the spread of M. bovis infection will likely have a positive effect on reducing income loss for dairy herds in Sweden.Item Probability of freedom from foot-and-mouth disease virus serotype Asia 1 in Southeast Asia, China and Mongolia(Elsevier B V, 2025-11-01) Wada M; Han J-H; Purevsuren B; Rinzin K; Sutar A; Abila R; Subharat SFoot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) serotype Asia 1 has not been reported in Southeast Asia, China and Mongolia between 2018 and 2024, despite the endemicity of FMD in this region and the continued circulation of serotype Asia 1 in South Asia. While vaccines against Asia 1 are still occasionally used in this region, it is unknown whether the absence of reports indicates true disease freedom or surveillance gaps. This study aimed to estimate the sensitivity of existing passive surveillance systems, and the probability of regional freedom from serotype Asia 1 across eight countries using the scenario tree approach. Two stochastic scenario tree models were developed to estimate surveillance sensitivity for FMD (any serotypes) and serotype Asia 1 specifically. Country-specific input parameters were derived from a questionnaire survey of in-country experts on FMD vaccination practices, smallholders’ behaviour, sampling protocols and diagnostic laboratory capacity. Additionally, 2010 – 2022 data on FMD clinical samples submitted and confirmed Asia 1 cases were obtained from the World Reference Laboratory for FMD. Under a design annual incidence rate of 10 % at the village level and 20 % at the animal level, estimated surveillance sensitivity for FMD ranged from 100.0 % in Mongolia and 95.9 % in China to 1.7 % in Cambodia and < 0.1 % in Myanmar. Using the effective design incidence rate with a median of 0.02 – 0.07 % at the village level and 20 % at the animal level, the probability of detecting Asia 1 was estimated to be 0.0 – 6.7 % per country and 14.5 % for the region. The estimated probability of regional freedom from Asia 1 was 53.9 % after the first year without reporting. Over years of no reporting, this probability would increase, only if an annual risk of introduction remained below 6 %. The results were most sensitive to parameters related to sampling intensity and smallholders’ behaviour, particularly in countries with high surveillance sensitivity, such as Mongolia and China. Our findings highlight the low sensitivity of passive surveillance in the region, suggesting that serotype Asia 1 may have remained undetected under the current surveillance efforts. Strengthening data collection and continued efforts in increasing surveillance intensity are essential to improving confidence in the regional freedom from serotype Asia 1.Item Spatial risk of pathogen transmission from cattle to vulnerable and endangered wild bovids in Thailand(Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology, 2025-08-12) Horpiencharoen W; Marshall JC; Muylaert RL; John RS; Hayman DTSThe interaction between livestock and wildlife causes challenges for wildlife conservation and public health. Mapping interface areas is essential for prioritizing disease surveillance, implementing mitigation measures, and developing targeted control programs to protect threatened wildlife. We used spatial overlays of habitat suitability to predict interface areas with high risk of pathogen transmission for three Thai wild bovids (gaur [Bos gaurus], banteng [Bos javanicus] and wild water buffalo [Bubalus arnee]) and domestic cattle. We assumed that domestic cattle are the reservoir of important bovine infectious diseases and that high cattle density is a proxy for a higher transmission risk. We calculated the interface inside and outside Thai protected areas and classified these by land use types. Then, we counted the number of bovine infectious disease occurrences reported in high-risk areas. Our study indicated that the highest risk areas for these species are at the forest edges where high habitat suitability and cattle densities overlap. Suitable habitats for wild water buffalo had the largest proportion of high-risk areas (9%), while gaur and banteng had similar risk areas (4%). Kuiburi National Park had the largest risk area (274 km2) for gaur and banteng, whereas the largest risk area for wild water buffalo overlapped with Huai Thabthan-Had Samran by 126 km2. Cropland and unclassified forests had the highest percentage of interface areas, indicating a higher risk of pathogen transmission. Our results highlight how habitat suitability analyses could help infectious disease prevention and control strategies and may also support wild bovid conservation initiatives.Item Commentary: A Comparison of the Methods of the Pre-Slaughter Stunning of Cattle in Australia-Mechanical, Electrical, and Diathermic Syncope.(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2024-11-01) Musk GC; Johnson CBIn adult cattle, there are various methods of pre-slaughter stunning, all requiring adequate restraint to ensure the accurate placement of a device to target the brain of the animal and create an unconscious state. For adult cattle, these methods include electrical stunning, mechanical stunning, and a novel system called diathermic syncope (DTS). Peer-reviewed publications, industry reports, government documents, and unpublished reports were considered for inclusion in this review of the attributes of the electrical, mechanical, and diathermic syncope methods of stunning. The parameters for comparison of the methods included Australian approval status, religious compliance, reliability, reversibility, time to effect, duration of effect, carcase damage, cardiovascular effects, logistics, and welfare implications. The pre-slaughter stunning of cattle with DTS is reliable, reversible, non-concussive, non-penetrating, does not cause carcase damage, and has a body of evidence extensive enough to inform appropriate practices in cattle processing facilities. These attributes optimise animal welfare in this context, align with Australian legislative requirements, and suggest that DTS might be a suitable stunning technique for consideration by religious authorities in terms of both halal and kosher slaughter criteria.Item Invited review: Bovine colostrum, a promising ingredient for humans and animals-Properties, processing technologies, and uses(Elsevier, 2023-08) Costa A; Sneddon NW; Goi A; Visentin G; Mammi LME; Savarino EV; Zingone F; Formigoni A; Penasa M; De Marchi MMammalian colostrum, known as "liquid gold," is considered a valuable source of essential nutrients, growth factors, probiotics, prebiotics, antibodies, and other bioactive compounds. Precisely for this reason, bovine colostrum (BC) is an emerging ingredient for the feed, food, and pharmaceutical industries, being nowadays commercially available in a variety of forms in several countries. Moreover, quite a large number of functional foods and supplements for athletes, human medicines, pet nutrition plans, and complementary feed for some livestock categories, such as piglets and calves, contain BC. The amount of BC yielded by a cow after calving represents approximately 0.5% of the yearly output in dairy breeds. For its nutritional properties and low availability, BC is characterized by a greater market value and an increasing demand compared with other by-products of the dairy sector. However, information regarding the market size of BC for the food and pharmaceutical industries, as well as future developments and perspectives, is scarcely available in the scientific literature. This lack can be attributed to industrial secrecy as well as to the relatively small scale of the BC business when compared with other dairy products, which makes the BC market limited, specific, and intended for a restricted audience. From a legal perspective, regulations assign BC to the large family of milk-derived powders; thus, collecting specific production data, as well as import-export trend information, is not straightforward and can result in unprecise estimates. Given that the interest in BC is increasing in different fields, it is important to have an overview of the production steps and of pros and cons of this emerging ingredient. The present narrative review discloses why BC has started to be considered a product rather than a by-product of the dairy industry. Moreover, the present document aims to summarize the existing methodologies used to assess BC quality in terms of immunoglobulin concentration, the different applications of BC in the industry, and the BC processing technologies. Finally, a panoramic view of the current international market is provided for the first time for this dairy product.Item Assessment of accuracy of liver fluke diagnostic tests using the gold standard of total worm counts.(Elsevier B.V., 2024-08-24) Dowling A; Lawrence KE; Howe L; Scott I; Pomroy WEIn many regions of New Zealand liver fluke is endemic, infecting most grazing ruminants, including cattle, sheep, and deer. Restricting the economic losses and welfare costs associated with liver fluke relies on accurately identifying those animals with a production limiting infection. This has proven a difficult goal and although several antemortem quantitative tests are available, including faecal egg counts (FEC), serum ELISA and copro-antigen ELISA, none can be considered a gold standard test of liver fluke infection. The accepted gold standard test for fascioliasis is the total fluke count, which is both laborious and can only be completed at post-mortem. This study aimed to compare the performance of four liver fluke diagnostic tests, against the results of a gold standard total fluke count test. Two groups of cattle were selected, 29 culled mixed age beef cows (MAC) and ten 30-month-old steers. The cattle were blood sampled and faecal sampled prior to slaughter and their whole livers recovered post slaughter at the abattoir. Liveweight was also recorded at slaughter. After collection, each liver was weighed, scored for gross pathology, then serum, faeces and livers were frozen at -20 °C for later analysis. Faecal egg counts and F. hepatica copro-antigen ELISA tests were completed on the faecal samples and total fluke counts were completed on the livers. Fasciola hepatica antibody concentration in serum samples were quantified using a commercial ELISA test. Poisson regression models were built to model the association between each diagnostic test and the total fluke count, and a linear regression model was built to examine the relationship between each diagnostic test and live weight at slaughter. The median fluke count was significantly higher in MAC than steers (p = 0.01), and F. hepatica eggs were present in 100% steers and 66% MAC. There was a significant effect of copro-antigen ELISA value on total fluke count (p < 0.0001), with a coproantigen ELISA value = 20.1 predicting 10 flukes and a value = 44.8 predicting 30 flukes. There was also a significant effect of FEC on total fluke count (p = 0.002) but the R-squared value for this model was lower. There was no association between liver fibrosis score or antibody ELISA test and total fluke count (p = 0.95, p = 0.73, respectively). There was a significant effect of total fluke count (p = 0.03) on liveweight at slaughter, with liveweight falling 20.4 kg for each unit increase in loge (total fluke count). There was no effect of FEC (p = 0.11), antibody ELISA (p = 0.55) or copro-antigen ELISA value (p = 0.16) on liveweight at slaughter. Taken together, these results show that the coproantigen ELISA test is the better test for estimating the true liver fluke burden and that the number of flukes in the liver has a negative effect on cattle live weights at slaughter.Item Persistence of orthopaedic hoof blocks for the treatment of lame cattle kept permanently at pasture.(Taylor and Francis Group, 2023-09-01) Müller KR; Laven RA; Laven LJAIMS: To compare the retention by New Zealand dairy cows kept at pasture in a lame cow group, of three hoof block products commonly used in the remediation of lameness. METHODS: Sixty-seven farmer-presented Friesian and Friesian x Jersey dairy cows from a single herd in the Manawatū region (New Zealand) suffering from unilateral hind limb lameness attributable to a claw horn lesion (CHL) were randomly allocated to one of three treatments: foam block (FB), plastic shoe (PS) and a standard wooden block (WB). Blocks were applied to the contralateral healthy claw and checked daily by the farm staff (present/not present) and date of loss was recorded. Blocks were reassessed on Day 14 and Day 28 and then removed unless further elevation was indicated. Daily walking distances were calculated using a farm map and measurement software. Statistical analyses included a linear marginal model for distance walked until block loss and a Cox regression model for the relative hazard of a block being lost. RESULTS: Random allocation meant that differences between products in proportion used on left or right hind foot or lateral or medial claw were small. Mean distance walked/cow/day on farm tracks whilst the block was present was 0.32 (min 0.12, max 0.45) km/day; no biologically important difference between products in the mean distance walked was identified. Compared to PS, cows in the WB group were five times more likely to lose the block (HR = 4.8 (95% CI = 1.8-12.4)), while cows in the FB group were 9.5 times more likely to lose the block (HR = 9.5 (95% CI = 3.6-24.4)). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, PS were retained for much longer than either FB or WB. As cows were managed in a lame cow group for the study duration, walking distances were low and did not impact on the risk of block loss. More data are needed to define ideal block retention time. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In cows with CHL the choice of block could be based on the type of lesion present and the expected re-epithelisation times.Item Pain Management in Farm Animals: Focus on Cattle, Sheep and Pigs(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2021-05-21) Steagall PV; Bustamante H; Johnson CB; Turner PV; Small APain causes behavioral, autonomic, and neuroendocrine changes and is a common cause of animal welfare compromise in farm animals. Current societal and ethical concerns demand better agricultural practices and improved welfare for food animals. These guidelines focus on cattle, sheep, and pigs, and present the implications of pain in terms of animal welfare and ethical perspectives, and its challenges and misconceptions. We provide an overview of pain management including assessment and treatment applied to the most common husbandry procedures, and recommendations to improve animal welfare in these species. A cost-benefit analysis of pain mitigation is discussed for food animals as well as the use of pain scoring systems for pain assessment in these species. Several recommendations are provided related to husbandry practices that could mitigate pain and improve farm animal welfare. This includes pain assessment as one of the indicators of animal welfare, the use of artificial intelligence for automated methods and research, and the need for better/appropriate legislation, regulations, and recommendations for pain relief during routine and husbandry procedures.Item Review of the potential impacts of freight rail corridors on livestock welfare and production(CSIRO Publishing and the Australian Academy of Science, 2023-11-27) Kearton TR; Almeida A; Cowley FC; Tait LA; Campbell DThe proximity of rail corridors to livestock production enterprises poses potential risks to welfare and production. The association between these factors and production have been extensively investigated. This review aims to assess the potential impact on the basis of existing data in a livestock production context. Due to expansion of freight rail networks through agricultural land, there is a need to investigate potential impacts of rail (including train and track) noise, vibration and visual disturbance on the physiology and behaviour of the livestock and subsequent production traits. Additionally, the factors influencing the impact on animals were characterised broadly as noise, vibration, and visual and spatial disturbance. This information was used to develop conceptual frameworks around the contribution of rail impact on allostatic load, animal welfare and production. Placing rail noise in the context of other, known, noise impacts showed that proximity to the rail line will determine the impact of noise on the behaviour and physiology of the animal. Thresholds for noise levels should be determined on the basis of known noise thresholds, taking into account the impact of noise on allostatic load. Further research is recommended to investigate the behavioural, physiological and production impacts on livestock from proximity to rail corridors. Current literature suggests that the allostatic load will vary depending on the proximity of the animal to the source of stimulus, the type, size or level of stimuli, habituation and the individual animal variation in response to the stimuli.Item Retention of internal teat sealants over the dry period and their efficacy in reducing clinical and subclinical mastitis at calving(Elsevier Inc and the Federation of Animal Science Societies (Fass) Inc on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association, 2022-06) Bates AJ; King C; Dhar M; Fitzpatrick C; Laven RAInternal teat sealants (ITS) reduce the risk of new intramammary infections over the dry period by forming a physical barrier to pathogen ingress. As the first and last 2 wk of the dry period are high-risk periods for new infections, maintaining an effective barrier in this period is a key requirement. Few studies have systematically examined sealant retention and none have done so under New Zealand pastoral conditions, where cows frequently move to separate grazing for dry periods, typically 80 to 90 d long. This multi-herd study was a split-udder equivalence trial comparing 2 ITS formulations for retention and efficacy in preventing periparturient clinical and subclinical mastitis. Both ITS contained 65% (2.6 g) bismuth salts, which contribute to the barrier within the teat canal, emulsified in ≤1.4 g of mineral oil. However, one ITS additionally contained <10% amorphous silica. At dry-off, treatment was randomly allocated to diagonal teat-pairs within 409 cows on 4 farms. All cows met industry best practice criteria for ITS treatment alone. The study unit was quarter within cow and farm. Outcomes included clinical mastitis (CM) incidence for the last 7 d of the dry period and first 42 d of lactation, subclinical mastitis (SCM) incidence 96 h after calving, and quantity of residual after centrifuging 50 mL of colostrum collected from each quarter within 24 h of calving. Proportional outcomes were analyzed using Bayesian mixed models with a binomial distribution and logit link function, whereas the quantity of residual was analyzed using Bayesian finite mixture models and cluster bootstrapping. We set a region of probable equivalence (ROPE) of ±2.5% between proportions and ±0.2 g for residual weight. Records were available for 1,596 quarters (399 cows). We detected no meaningful difference in incidence of CM or SCM attributable to differences in sealant: the model predicted treatment differences of 0.00 with a 95% highest density interval (HDI) of ±1.00%. Across all cows and farms, the marginal difference in the percentage of quarters with CM was 0.11% (95% HDI: -2.11 to 2.49%), and for SCM 0.00 (95% HDI: -1.98 to 1.94%). Including the quantity of residual recovered at calving did not improve fit or predictive ability of the models predicting CM or SCM, and the coefficient spanned the null value. The distribution of the weight of material recovered at calving was multi-modal; for 25% of quarters, more residual was recovered than inserted. When the residual weight was less than or equal to the median residual weight (2.06 g; range: 0.19-6.03 g), there was a ≥90% probability that any treatment difference in residual was ≤0.2 g. When the residual weight was between the median and 75th percentile (4.40 g; 95% HDI: 4.00 to 4.75 g), there was no clear difference in residual between products. Above the 75th percentile, there was a 90% probability that the residual from quarters differed by product type (difference = 0.36 g, 90% HDI: 0.20 to 0.54 g). In conclusion, both products had equivalent efficacy for SCM and CM. As the quantity of residual increased, the difference in residual weight recovered increased but this may represent increases in debris rather than indicating a more effective barrier.