Management- and housing-related risk factors of respiratory disorders in non-weaned French Charolais calves.
Our aim was to determine at calf-batch level the management- and housing-related risk factors of respiratory disorders in non-weaned Charolais calves. Farmers recorded cases according to the definition provided i.e. the association of at least one respiratory sign and, in the same calf or another calf of the same batch, at least one general sign on the same day or the day before. During farm visits, quality of farmers' records was checked and questionnaires were applied to gather farm and herd characteristics and to describe farming practices and housing facilities. Data were suitable for analysis for 172 batches where no metaphylactic treatment was implemented. Batches had great disparity in incidence of respiratory disorders. In the 120 batches with at least one case, the quartiles of incidence rate were, respectively, 0.95, 2.15 and 3.59 cases per 1000 calf-days at-risk. For risk-factor analysis, the statistical unit was the calf-batch located in a given batch. We used a ZINB model because (i) there was significant overdispersion of incidence rates of respiratory disorders (overdispersion test statistic of O=1049 (P<0.001)), (ii) probability was high that a two-group modelling process existed (Vuong statistic of V=2.44 (P=0.0073)) and (iii) the ZINB model fit significantly better than the ZIP model (likelihood-ratio statistic of 340.14 (P<0.001)). The risk was higher in open-fronted barns or in open barns compared to closed ones (incidence-rate ratios (IRRs): 1.9 and 1.8), in barns where no annual disinfection was implemented (IRR: 1.5) and in part slope with straw/part scraped and in part straw-bedded/part scraped barns compared to completely straw-bedded barns (IRRs: 1.9 and 1.6). Larger calf-batches were more at-risk than smaller batches (OR for the effect of an increase of 10 calves on the probability of a 0 count: 0.5).
Assié
Sébastien
S
UMR 1300 Unit of Bio-aggression, Epidemiology and Risk Analysis, Veterinary School, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Nantes cedex 03, France. assie@vet-nantes.fr
Bareille
Nathalie
N
Beaudeau
François
F
Seegers
Henri
H
D000383:Agriculture / Q000592:standards; D000821:Animal Feed; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000592:standards; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006799:Housing, Animal / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014886:Weaning