Javelin diagrams: applications in veterinary medical decision analysis. (1/41)

This paper introduces javelin diagrams as an innovative way for depicting the results of medical decision analyses. The methods were used to determine whether, and at which values, blood lactate in Belgian White and Blue or maximum tidal volumes in Holstein calves should be measured before deciding to treat or not a calf suffering from the bovine respiratory disease complex. The different alternatives depended upon the probabilities of survival with and without treatment and upon the costs associated with a possible death, the test and the treatment. The chosen alternative was the one with the lowest expected costs. From data collected on the treated calves, the expected costs of measuring lactate (198.01 euro) and tidal volumes (27.38 euro) before deciding to treat or not were lower than the expected costs of directly treating sick Belgian Blue (215.39 euro) and Holstein (51.55 euro) calves, respectively. The treatment should be applied to sick Belgian Blue calves with blood lactate < or = 7.8 mmol/L and to Holstein calves with a maximum tidal volume > or = 1.81 L. At such test values, the treatment expected costs were lower than the expected costs associated with no treatment of calves with other test values. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses showing benefits in treating animals with a positive test (over not treating the animals with a negative test) were mostly invariant to changes in any cost value but were sensitive to uncertainties in probabilities of survival with or without treatment. The javelin diagrams provided a clear visual indication of such results. They depicted how and by how much the benefits were affected by uncertainties in probabilities, they proposed different information values associated with the chosen alternative, and identified directions for further research.  (+info)

Influence of breed, heterozygosity, and disease incidence on estimates of variance components of respiratory disease in preweaned beef calves. (2/41)

The objective of this study was to characterize genetic and environmental factors influencing bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in beef cattle. Records from nine purebred and three composite breeds and a variety of F1 and three-way crosses, including the progeny of 12 additional different sire breeds produced over a 20-yr period (1983 to 2002), were evaluated for breed and heterozygosity effects on the observed incidence of BRD. Heterozygosity fractions for calves and dams were defined by generalized breed origins: British, Continental, and tropically adapted. Variance components were estimated for each pure and composite breed, and across all breeds and crossbreeds. The effect of incidence of observed BRD was determined by comparing groups of low and high years of incidence. Respiratory disease in this herd followed a standard epidemiological pattern of initial introduction, reaching an epidemic stage at 70 to 170 d of age, followed by a period of rapid decrease to weaning. Estimates of heritability of incidence of BRD were low, ranging from 0.00 to 0.26, with overall estimates of 0.07 and 0.19 depending on the data set analyzed. The highest incidence of BRD in preweaned calves occurred in the Braunvieh breed (18.8%). The genetic correlation between the direct and maternal genetic effects was generally large and negative, suggesting dams genetically superior for resisting BRD raise calves that are more susceptible. Perhaps maternally superior dams provide passive immunity to their calves, which delays the development of the calves' direct immune system, making them more prone to BRD during the preweaning period. Heterozygosity of calves decreased the incidence of BRD compared with purebred cattle. Calves that were Continental x British or tropically adapted x British breeds had a lower incidence of BRD than did calves of British x British breeds. As the annual incidence of BRD increased, there was an associated increase in the heritability estimate. The estimated heritability based on an underlying continuous scale was large (h2 = 0.48), inferring response to selection for BRD resistance could be large if the phenotype for BRD resistance was known.  (+info)

Diseases and pathogens associated with mortality in Ontario beef feedlots. (3/41)

This study determined the prevalence of diseases and pathogens associated with mortality or severe morbidity in 72 Ontario beef feedlots in calves that died or were euthanized within 60 days after arrival. Routine pathologic and microbiologic investigations, as well as immunohistochemical staining for detection of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) antigen, were performed on 99 calves that died or were euthanized within 60 days after arrival. Major disease conditions identified included fibrinosuppurative bronchopneumonia (49%), caseonecrotic bronchopneumonia or arthritis (or both) caused by Mycoplasma bovis (36%), viral respiratory disease (19%), BVDV-related diseases (21%), Histophilus somni myocarditis (8%), ruminal bloat (2%), and miscellaneous diseases (8%). Viral infections identified were BVDV (35%), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (9%), bovine herpesvirus-1 (6%), parainfluenza-3 virus (3%), and bovine coronavirus (2%). Bacteria isolated from the lungs included M. bovis (82%), Mycoplasma arginini (72%), Ureaplasma diversum (25%), Mannheimia haemolytica (27%), Pasteurella multocida (19%), H. somni (14%), and Arcanobacterium pyogenes (19%). Pneumonia was the most frequent cause of mortality of beef calves during the first 2 months after arrival in feedlots, representing 69% of total deaths. The prevalence of caseonecrotic bronchopneumonia caused by M. bovis was similar to that of fibrinosuppurative bronchopneumonia, and together, these diseases were the most common causes of pneumonia and death. M. bovis pneumonia and polyarthritis has emerged as an important cause of mortality in Ontario beef feedlots.  (+info)

Bovine respiratory disease in feedlot cattle: phenotypic, environmental, and genetic correlations with growth, carcass, and longissimus muscle palatability traits. (4/41)

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the most costly feedlot disease in the United States. Selection for disease resistance is one of several possible interventions to prevent or reduce the economic loss associated with animal disease and to improve animal welfare. Undesirable genetic relationships, however, may exist between production and disease resistance traits. The objectives of this study were to estimate the phenotypic, environmental, and genetic correlations of BRD with growth, carcass, and LM palatability traits. Health records on 18,112 feedlot cattle over a 15-yr period and slaughter data on 1,627 steers over a 4-yr period were analyzed with bivariate animal models. Traits included ADG, adjusted carcass fat thickness at the 12th rib, marbling score, LM area, weight of retail cuts, weight of fat trim, bone weight, Warner-Bratzler shear force, tenderness score, and juiciness score. The estimated heritability of BRD incidence was 0.08 +/- 0.01. Phenotypic, environmental, and genetic correlations of the observed traits with BRD ranged from -0.35 to 0.40, -0.36 to 0.55, and -0.42 to 0.20, respectively. Most correlations were low or negligible. The percentage of carcass bone had moderate genetic, phenotypic, and environmental correlations with BRD (-0.42, -0.35, and -0.36, respectively). Hot carcass weight and weight of retail cuts had moderate, undesirable phenotypic correlations with BRD (0.37 and 0.40, respectively). Correlations of BRD with LM palatability and ADG were not detected. Low or near zero estimates of genetic correlations infer that selection to reduce BRD in feedlot cattle would have negligible correlated responses on growth, carcass, and meat palatability traits or that selection for those traits will have little effect on BRD susceptibility or resistance.  (+info)

Source of dietary lipid may modify the immune response in stressed feeder cattle. (5/41)

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A comparison of 2 vaccination programs in feedlot calves at ultra-high risk of developing undifferentiated fever/bovine respiratory disease. (6/41)

The aim of this study was to compare 2 vaccination programs in feedlot calves at ultra-high risk of developing undifferentiated fever (UF)/bovine respiratory disease (BRD). At feedlot arrival, 3882 calves were enrolled in the study and randomly allocated to 2 groups, which were housed by group in 12 pens. At the time of allocation, 1 group (MLV3-BT2) received a multivalent, modified-live viral vaccine containing infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus (IBRV) and types I and II bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), as well as a Mannheimia haemolytica (MH) and Pasteurella multocida bacterin-toxoid. The other group (MLV4-BT1) received a vaccine containing IIBRV, type I BVDV, bovine respiratory syncytial virus, and parainfluenza-3 virus, as well as a MH bacterin-toxoid. At an average of 69 days post arrival, the groups received their respective viral vaccines. The initial UF treatment, overall chronicity, overall wastage, overall mortality, and BRD mortality rates were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in the MLV3-BT2 group than in the MLV4-BT1 group. Average daily gain and the proportions of yield grade Canada 3 and quality grade E carcasses were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the MLV3-BT2 group than in the MLV4-BT1 group. No significant (P > or = 0.05) difference in the dry matter intake to gain ratio was detected between the 2 groups. In economic terms, there was a net advantage of $20.86 CDN/animal in the MLV3-BT2 group. This study demonstrates that it is more cost effective to use an MLV3-BT2 vaccination program than a MLV4-BT1 vaccination program in feedlot calves at ultra-high risk of developing UF/BRD.  (+info)

Microbiological and histopathological findings in cases of fatal bovine respiratory disease of feedlot cattle in Western Canada. (7/41)

The aim of this study was to describe the microbiologic agents and pathologic processes in fatal bovine respiratory disease (BRD) of feedlot cattle and to investigate associations between agents and pathologic processes. Ninety feedlot calves diagnosed at necropsy with BRD and 9 control calves without BRD were examined, using immunohistochemical (IHC) staining and histopathologic studies. Mannheimia haemolytica (MH) (peracute, acute, and subacute cases) and Mycoplasma bovis (MB) (subacute, bronchiolar, and chronic cases) were the most common agents identified in fatal BRD cases. Significant associations (P < 0.10) were detected between microbiologic agents and between agents and pathologic processes. When IHC staining was used, 25/26 (96%) of animals that were positive for bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) were also positive for MH; 12/15 (80 %) of animals that were positive for Histophilus somni (HS) were also positive for MB; and all of the animals that were positive for HS were negative for MH and BVDV. This quantitative pathological study demonstrates that several etiologic agents and pathologic processes are involved in fatal BRD of feedlot cattle.  (+info)

Effects of commingling beef calves from different sources and weaning protocols during a forty-two-day receiving period on performance and bovine respiratory disease. (8/41)

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