Publications by authors named "C G McAloon"

Risk assessments are important tools to identify deficits in biosecurity management practices. A major strength of some existing tools is that they facilitate cross-country comparisons. However, a weakness is their failure to account for unique intra-national farming enterprise structures such as, for example, pasture-based dairying.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Seasonal-calving pasture-based systems characterize Irish dairy production. During the dry period, cows are housed and offered predominantly grass silage, providing unique transition cow management opportunities. This study aimed to describe transition period disease incidence and management strategies reported by farmers, and to evaluate their associations with herd size and calving pattern to inform and guide research activities and national advisory.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - This study investigates Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) infection in cattle, which can cause various health issues, aiming to analyze the genetic diversity of M. bovis strains from clinical samples in Ireland and Scotland.
  • - Researchers sequenced the genomes of 24 M. bovis strains (19 from Ireland and 5 from Scotland) and compared them to 117 existing genetic assemblies to create a phylogenetic tree, identifying Irish strains in two groups and all Scottish strains in one.
  • - The findings highlight the similarities between Irish and Scottish M. bovis strains and underscore the importance of biosecurity in cattle management due to the global spread of this infection facilitated by international cattle movement.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a leading cause of mortality and compromised welfare in bovines. It is a polymicrobial syndrome resulting from a complex interplay of viral and bacterial pathogens with environmental factors. Despite the availability of vaccines, incidence and severity in young calves remains unabated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

is a globally significant pathogen of cattle associated with a wide range of clinical syndromes, including respiratory disease, mastitis, arthritis, otitis, and reproductive failure. Since its detection in Ireland in 1994, has become a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality in Irish cattle. This study aimed to investigate herd-level risk factors associated with seropositivity in replacement dairy heifers, using data from 105 Irish dairy herds.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF