Sampling programmes to establish and monitor the infectious disease status of cattle herds

Van Winden, S C L; Pfeiffer, D U

Abstract

INFECTIOUS diseases can play an important role in the economic viability of a beef or dairy enterprise. In particular, disease introduced into a naive herd can have detrimental effects on production and mortality. As well as the costs associated with dealing with an outbreak, an infectious agent circulating in a herd can contribute to fertility problems, abortions, decreased milk production and loss of bodyweight. Sampling programmes can help to establish the presence of a disease and its prevalence in a herd. Armed with knowledge of the disease status of a herd, veterinary surgeons and farmers can jointly formulate an action plan to manage the disease(s) in question. This article discusses how to sample for and monitor a number of non-statutory diseases that are of particular economic importance to the cattle industry-namely, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, bovine viral diarrhoea, leptospirosis and Johne's disease.

Citation

Van Winden, S. C. L., & Pfeiffer, D. U. Sampling programmes to establish and monitor the infectious disease status of cattle herds. In Practice, 30(1), 30-35

• Journal Article Type: Review
• Deposit Date: Nov 11, 2014
• Journal: IN PRACTICE
• Print ISSN: 0263-841X
• Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
• Volume: 30
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 30-35
• Public URL: https://rvc-repository.worktribe.com/output/1431368