title: The dynamics of digital dermatitis in populations of dairy cattle: model-based estimates of transition rates and implications for control.
abstract: Five groups of dairy cows affected by digital dermatitis were subjected to five different footbath strategies and evaluated at regular 3-weekly intervals. A standard protocol was used to record five different stages of disease from early (M1), acute ulcerative (M2), healing (M3) and chronic lesions (M4) in addition to the negative stage of disease (M0). The effect of the footbathing was evaluated using mathematical modelling for the transmission dynamics of infections and summarized using the reproduction ratio R(0). Sensitivity analysis for a range of parameters in the mathematical model showed that the speed of detecting acute lesions and the efficiency with which those lesions were treated were the key parameters which determined whether lesions became more severe or whether they healed.
authors.affiliation: Central Veterinary Institute, Animal Sciences Group of Wageningen University and Research, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands. dopferd@vetmed.wisc.edu
authors.forename: Dörte
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Döpfer
authors.forename: Menno
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holzhauer
authors.forename: Michiel van
authors.initials: Mv
authors.lastname: Boven
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000818:Animals; D050936:Basic Reproduction Number; D001494:Baths / Q000662:veterinary; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy* / Q000635:transmission; D058066:Digital Dermatitis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy* / Q000635:transmission; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005534:Foot Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008954:Models, Biological
chemical_list: D004202:Disinfectants; D005557:Formaldehyde