Flock-level risk factors for outbreaks of infectious arthritis in lambs, Norway 2018
| Autor: | Annette H. Kampen, Marit Smistad, Clare J. Phythian, Cecilia Wolff, Vibeke Tømmerberg, Tore Tollersrud, Hannah J. Jørgensen |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
Veterinary medicine
040301 veterinary sciences animal diseases Sheep Diseases Biology Disease Outbreaks 0403 veterinary science SDSD Risk Factors Floors and Floorcoverings Surveys and Questionnaires Animal welfare Animals Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies dysgalactiae Animal Husbandry Risk factor Population Density Arthritis Infectious Sheep General Veterinary Questionnaire Transmission (medicine) Research Arthritis Domestic sheep reproduction 0402 animal and dairy science Streptococcus Outbreak 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences General Medicine biology.organism_classification Housing Animal 040201 dairy & animal science Ovine Management Cross-Sectional Studies Infectious arthritis Multivariate Analysis Flock Streptococcus dysgalactiae Joint ill |
| Zdroj: | Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica |
| Popis: | Background Outbreaks of infectious arthritis in young lambs associated with Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies dysgalactiae (SDSD) lead to reduced animal welfare, increased use of antibiotics and economic losses for sheep farmers. Understanding risk factors is essential when developing strategies to prevent such outbreaks. This questionnaire-based cross-sectional study classified sheep flocks of respondents as cases or controls. Flock-level risk factors for outbreaks of infectious arthritis were assessed using a multivariable logistic regression model. Results Eighty-four of 1498 respondents (5.6%) experienced an outbreak of infectious arthritis in their flock in 2018, the year of study. Factors associated with a higher risk of outbreak were larger flock size (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1–1.4, per 100 lambs), plastic mesh flooring in the lambing pen (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.7–5.3) and a lambing percentage greater than 200 (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1–3.5). Flocks where farmers observed infections around the ear tags of lambs also had an increased risk of outbreak (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.6–4.3). Conclusions The risk factors identified in this study are characteristic of modern and intensively managed sheep farms in Norway. A distinguishing feature of Norwegian sheep farming is winter housing and indoor lambing. One might expect that this in itself is a risk factor because of high stocking densities during lambing. However, outbreaks of infectious arthritis in young lambs are reported by the industry to be a more recent phenomenon. The current study indicates that intensification of indoor management systems with larger flocks and higher production per ewe may predispose to outbreaks. The results provide a basis for further studies on transmission dynamics of SDSD in sheep flocks with indoor lambing. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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