Empowering Veterinary Herd Health Management: Insights into Education, Implementation, and Regulation Across Europe.

In recent years, integrated veterinary herd health management (VHHM), improving animal health, welfare, food safety, public health, farm management, and economics, has become ever-more important in the European Union due to structural and regulatory advancements. A mixed-methods study analyzed the current state and gaps in VHHM education and training across Europe. Data from 41 European veterinary institutions showed that 83% ( = 34/41) offered VHHM education, either as standalone courses and/or integrated into other subjects.

Associations of Neonatal Dairy Calf Faecal Microbiota with Inflammatory Markers and Future Performance.

After birth, the immune system is challenged by numerous elements of the extrauterine environment, reflected in fluctuations of inflammatory markers. The concentrations of these markers in the first month of life are associated with the future performance of dairy youngstock. It is thought that bacterial genera colonizing the calf intestinal tract can cause inflammation and thus affect their host's performance via immunomodulation.

Investigation of Salmonella, hepatitis E virus (HEV) and viral indicators of fecal contamination in four Italian pig slaughterhouses, 2021-2022.

In the pork production chain, the control at slaughterhouse aims to ensure safe food thanks to proper hygienic conditions during all steps of the slaughtering. Salmonella is one of the main foodborne pathogens in the EU causing a great number of human cases, and pigs also contribute to its spreading. Pig is the main reservoir of the zoonotic hepatitis E virus (HEV) that can be present in liver, bile, feces and even rarely in blood and muscle.

Application of multiblock analysis to identify key areas and risk factors for dairy cow persistence.

The present study analysed the importance of individual variables and different thematic blocks of production areas, management, and herd infectious disease status on cow persistence, characterised by herd on-farm mortality rate (MR), culling rate (CR), and mean age of culled cows (MAofCC) applying multiblock partial least squares (mbPLS) analysis. This study included 120 free-stall dairy herds with ≥ 100 cows. Data on the previous year's predominant cow housing system and management practices were collected, and on-farm measurements and cow scoring were performed.

A Review of Slaughter Practices and Their Effectiveness to Control Microbial - esp. Salmonella spp. - Contamination of Pig Carcasses.

The BIOPIGEE project (part of the One Health European Joint Programme under Horizon 2020) aimed to identify relevant measures to effectively control Salmonella, and another zoonotic pathogen, hepatitis E virus (HEV) within the pig meat food chain. The aim of this study was to identify biosecurity measures or management practices that are relevant for limiting Salmonella and/or HEV occurrence and spread within pig slaughterhouses. This was with the final goal of compiling a list of biosecurity measures for different processes and operations along the slaughter line with evidence of their effectiveness.

Associations of neonatal acute phase response with first lactation performance in dairy cows.

During the first 3 wk of life, the immune system of newborn ruminants starts to work, as indicated by fluctuations in the concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines and acute phase proteins (APP). They have been shown to be markers for short and long-term weight gain in ruminants. This observational study investigated these proteins as possible indicators of first lactation performance of dairy cows.

Cow culling patterns in eight commercial Estonian dairy herds and farmers' behaviour in reporting culling reasons.

The present study aimed to reveal the culling-related metrics, identify the culling reason patterns for cows by developing and implementing the cow culling form (CCF), and analyse the concordance of farmers' stated culling reasons with those identified based on the CCF. A CCF was developed to register the disease history and conditions of cows that were related to culling. CCFs were completed by farm managers and veterinarians in eight dairy herds over a one-year period for slaughtered (n = 686) and dead (n = 250) cows.

Faecal microbiota in two-week-old female dairy calves during acute cryptosporidiosis outbreak - Association with systemic inflammatory response.

In the present study, relationships between the intestinal microbiota and innate immunity response, acute cryptosporidiosis, and weight gain in female dairy calves were investigated. A total of 112 calves born during a natural outbreak of cryptosporidiosis on one dairy farm was included in the study. Microbiota composition was analysed by means of 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon sequencing from faecal samples collected during the second week of life, while the status of Cryptosporidium spp.

Effect of colostrum on the acute-phase response in neonatal dairy calves.

The core part of the mammal innate immune system is the acute-phase response (APR), during which acute-phase proteins (APP) are synthesized. Colostrum contains immunomodulating factors such as proinflammatory cytokines and APP in large quantities. We looked at proinflammatory cytokines [IL-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)] and APP [serum amyloid A (SAA) and haptoglobin (Hp)] in colostrum and in calves' serum.

Biosecurity Levels and Farm Characteristics of African Swine Fever Outbreak and Unaffected Farms in Estonia-What Can Be Learned from Them?

Risk factors related to external biosecurity have been considered to play a major role in the introduction and spread of African swine fever (ASF) in domestic pig populations. The aim of the study was to describe the biosecurity levels and management practices of ASF outbreak and uninfected herds and to identify potential risk factors for ASF introduction. Data collected from the outbreak herds during outbreak investigations and from the randomly selected uninfected herds were analyzed.

Herd-Level on-Farm Mortality in Extensively Managed Beef Herds.

The herd on-farm mortality rate is an indicator of herd animal health and welfare status. The aim of the present study was to describe herd-level on-farm mortality rates and to identify risk factors that contribute to high herd mortality rates. Online or postal questionnaires were sent to 676 Estonian beef farms, and the response rate was 25.

Epidemiological analysis of the 2015-2017 African swine fever outbreaks in Estonia.

African swine fever (ASF) was first detected in the Estonian wild boar population in September 2014, while the first domestic pig farm was affected in July 2015. In the present study, we aimed to analyse, retrospectively, the epidemiology of the disease in all 26 outbreaks in domestic pig herds that occurred in Estonia during the period 2015-2017. Formal interviews were conducted to estimate the high-risk period for every farm, and to identify the possible origin of the ASF virus and the mode of virus introduction.

Acute phase response in organic lambs associated with colostrum serum amyloid A, weight gain, and Cryptosporidium and Giardia infections.

In neonatal period, lamb's immune system goes through rapid adaptation to the extra-uterine environment. Success of this process can influence the animal's future performance and, thus, the quantitative assessment of it would greatly benefit sheep producers. The current study was conducted to investigate the acute phase response (APR) (measured through serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin (Hp) and albumin (ALB)) in relation to later life growth (measured at 122 days of age), and naturally occurring Cryptosporidium and Giardia infections in neonatal lambs grown in organic farm.

Cryptosporidium outbreak in calves on a large dairy farm: Effect of treatment and the association with the inflammatory response and short-term weight gain.

Cryptosporidium spp. infections in neonatal dairy calves can cause diarrhoea and, in rare cases, death. The infection is usually self-limiting, but halofuginone lactate (HL) can be used prophylactically.

Giardia and Cryptosporidium infections in neonatal reindeer calves: Relation to the acute phase response.

This longitudinal observational study was conducted to investigate the spontaneous effect of Giardia and Cryptosporidium infections on acute phase response (APR) in reindeer calves (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) in Finnish Lapland. Serum (n=609) and faecal samples (n=366) were collected from 54 reindeer calves aged zero to 33days. The samples were analysed for Giardia, Cryptosporidium, acute phase proteins (APP) and γ-globulins.