<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> The objective of this study was to assess the implementation of a three-year Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis monitoring programme using pooled faecal culture in small and mediumsized dairy herds to classify them as infected or non-infected and apply proper hygiene and biosecurity measures. Over a three-year period, 35 dairy herds were analysed annually by faecal culture of ten pooled samples. In addition, proper hygiene and biosecurity protocols were implemented in the farms after the first testing round. Considering a herd as infected with at least one culture positive in any of the three years, the accumulated percentage of infected herds was 25.7%, 40% and 45.7%, for each year respectively. Assuming that all infected herds had been detected at the end of the study, the percentage of infected herds detected each year was 56.25% and 87.5% for the first and second year, respectively. Using frequentist and Bayesian approaches, the estimated individual prevalence revealed a downward trend from 3.30-3.65% in the first year to 1.66-1.86% in the third year. The results of this study indicate that pooled faecal culture allowed for proper classification of the herds and can be a useful tool for monitoring dairy herds against paratuberculosis. In addition, statistical analysis of pooled faecal culture results can be used to evaluate the evolution of individual prevalence in the population and therefore the function of the implemented control programmes.</p></abstract>

The objective of this study was to assess the implementation of a three-year Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis monitoring programme using pooled faecal culture in small and mediumsized dairy herds to classify them as infected or non-infected and apply proper hygiene and biosecurity measures. Over a three-year period, 35 dairy herds were analysed annually by faecal culture of ten pooled samples. In addition, proper hygiene and biosecurity protocols were implemented in the farms after the first testing round. Considering a herd as infected with at least one culture positive in any of the three years, the accumulated percentage of infected herds was 25.7%, 40% and 45.7%, for each year respectively. Assuming that all infected herds had been detected at the end of the study, the percentage of infected herds detected each year was 56.25% and 87.5% for the first and second year, respectively. Using frequentist and Bayesian approaches, the estimated individual prevalence revealed a downward trend from 3.30-3.65% in the first year to 1.66-1.86% in the third year. The results of this study indicate that pooled faecal culture allowed for proper classification of the herds and can be a useful tool for monitoring dairy herds against paratuberculosis. In addition, statistical analysis of pooled faecal culture results can be used to evaluate the evolution of individual prevalence in the population and therefore the function of the implemented control programmes.

Three-year monitoring of paratuberculosis in dairy cattle by pooled faecal culture and individual prevalence estimation

Annals of Animal Science

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

The objective of this study was to assess the implementation of a three-year Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis monitoring programme using pooled...

Three-year monitoring of paratuberculosis in dairy cattle by pooled faecal culture and individual prevalence estimation

Published Online: Jan 30, 2018

Page range: 99 - 111

Received: Apr 27, 2017

Accepted: Sep 18, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/aoas-2017-0030

Keywords
Bayesian estimation, cattle, monitoring, paratuberculosis, pooled faecal culture

© by Alberto Prieto

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Three-year monitoring of paratuberculosis in dairy cattle by pooled faecal culture and individual prevalence estimation

Published Online: Jan 30, 2018

Page range: 99 - 111

Received: Apr 27, 2017

Accepted: Sep 18, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/aoas-2017-0030

KeywordsBayesian estimation, cattle, monitoring, paratuberculosis, pooled faecal culture

© by Alberto Prieto

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
Bayesian estimation, cattle, monitoring, paratuberculosis, pooled faecal culture