Key Health Issues for Dairy Cattle—New and Old

• Published in: Journal of dairy science Vol. 81; no. 11; pp. 3029 - 3035
• Main Authors: Wells, S.J., Ott, S.L., Hillberg Seitzinger, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.11.1998; Am Dairy Sci Assoc; American Dairy Science Association
• Subjects: ANIMAL HEALTH; ANIMAL WELFARE; Animals; BIEN ETRE ANIMAL; BIENESTAR ANIMAL; BOVINE DIARRHOEA PESTIVIRUS; BOVINE MASTITIS; Cattle - physiology; Cattle Diseases; COMERCIO INTERNACIONAL; COMMERCE INTERNATIONAL; COSTOS DE PRODUCCION; COUT DE PRODUCTION; CRYPTOSPORIDIOSIS; dairy cattle; DAIRY COWS; DAIRY RESEARCH; Dairying; DECISION MAKING; disease; ENFERMEDADES TRANSM POR ALIMENTOS; Female; FOODBORNE DISEASES; Health Status; INFECCIONES POR PROTOZOOS; INTERNATIONAL TRADE; INVESTIGACION; Lactation; MALADIE TRANSMISSIBLE PAR ALIMENT; MAMMITE BOVINE; MASTITIS BOVINA; MILK PRODUCTION; PARATUBERCULOSE; PARATUBERCULOSIS; PESTIVIRUS DE LA DIARREA BOVINA; PESTIVIRUS MALADIE DES MUQUEUSES; PRISE DE DECISION; PRODUCCION LECHERA; PRODUCTION COSTS; PRODUCTION LAITIERE; PROJET DE RECHERCHE; PROTOZOAL INFECTIONS; PROTOZOOSE; PROYECTOS DE INVESTIGACION; RECHERCHE; RESEARCH PRIORITIES; RESEARCH PROJECTS; SANIDAD ANIMAL; SANTE ANIMALE; TOMA DE DECISIONES; VACAS LECHERAS; VACHE LAITIERE; ZOONOSE; ZOONOSES; ZOONOSIS; BVD; NAHMS; dairy cattle; disease; animal health; OIE; BLV
• ISSN: 0022-0302; 1525-3198
• DOI: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(98)75867-9

The objective of this paper is to use available information to evaluate the relative importance of various health issues affecting dairy cattle. In addition to traditional ranking using evaluation methods based on impacts to animal productivity, this paper considers zoonotic risks, international trade implications, and animal welfare concerns. Traditional production costs rank mastitis, reproductive problems, and lameness as the top dairy cattle diseases. When the other areas of importance are included, the top-ranked diseases change to include salmonella, Johne's disease, bovine viral diarrhea-associated disease, and mastitis. Researchers in the dairy industry may want to reevaluate their criteria for setting research priorities to include zoonotic risks, international trade implications, and animal welfare concerns.