Herd- and Cow-Level Prevalence of Digital Dermatitis in The Netherlands and Associated Risk Factors
- 1 February 2006
- journal article
- Published by American Dairy Science Association in Journal of Dairy Science
- Vol. 89 (2), 580-588
- https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(06)72121-x
Abstract
The objective of this cross-sectional study was to reevaluate the prevalence of digital dermatitis (DD) and associated risk factors in The Netherlands. Between May 2002 and December 2003, information about the presence or absence of DD lesions and other claw disorders on the hind claws of dairy cows in The Netherlands was collected by 20 hoof trimmers during trimming of all dairy cows in 383 herds. A questionnaire was used to acquire information regarding management and housing. Additional information, such as parity, breed, and stage of lactation of the cows, was provided by the Dutch Herd Book Organization. Digital dermatitis was present in 21.2% (SE = 0.3) of the study population (n = 22,454 cows). The herd prevalence varied from 0% (9.1% of the herds) to 83.0%. Most common was herd prevalence between 5 and 10%. The Holstein-Friesian breed was at higher risk for DD [odds ratio (OR) = 1.7] than was the Meuse Rhine IJssel breed (dual purpose breed). The risk for DD decreased with increasing parity. Cows at the peak of their lactation (30 to 60 d in milk) and in the third parity had higher odds for DD in comparison with cows that were later than 60 DIM. The presence of other claw disorders, such as interdigital dermatitis/heel horn erosion (IDHE), interdigital hyperplasia (HYP), and interdigital phlegmon, appeared to be predisposing for DD. Based on estimation of the population-attributable fraction, it was concluded that if IDHE, HYP, and interdigital phlegmon were not present among the study population, respectively, 32.2, 9.0, and 1.1% of the DD cases could have been prevented. The risk for DD slightly decreased when cows affected by IDHE had access to pasture. Because of the interrelation between infectious claw disorders, an effective intervention strategy against DD should focus on an integrated approach to the control of all infectious claw diseases. Cows trimmed >12 mo before the study (during regular trimming of the entire herd) were at lower risk for DD than were cows that were trimmed at shorter intervals. Animals that had >8 h of access to pasture were at higher risk for DD (OR = 1.6) compared with no access to pasture. Finally, cows in small-sized herds (<45 cows) affected with HYP were at lower risk (OR = 0.6) for DD than were cows affected with HYP in medium- and large-sized herds (60 to 85 cows per herd).Keywords
Funding Information
- Dairy Commodity Board
This publication has 26 references indexed in Scilit:
- Effect of Lameness on Ovarian Activity in Postpartum Holstein CowsJournal of Dairy Science, 2004
- Prevalence and interrelationships of hoof lesions and lameness in Swedish dairy cowsPreventive Veterinary Medicine, 2002
- Serological Evidence of Spirochaetal Infections Associated with Digital Dermatitis in Dairy CattleThe Veterinary Journal, 1999
- Papillomatous digital dermatitis on a commercial dairy farm in Mexicali, Mexico: Incidence and effect on reproduction and milk productionPreventive Veterinary Medicine, 1997
- Economic losses due to clinical lameness in dairy cattleLivestock Production Science, 1997
- Histological and bacteriological evaluation of digital dermatitis in cattle, with special reference to spirochaetes and Campylobacter faecalisVeterinary Record, 1997
- Incidence and prevalence of lameness in dairy cattleVeterinary Record, 1996
- Observations on the pathogenesis of digital dermatitis in cattleVeterinary Record, 1994
- Digital dermatitis in dairy cattleVeterinary Record, 1988
- ESTIMATING THE POPULATION ATTRIBUTABLE RISK FOR MULTIPLE RISK FACTORS USING CASE-CONTROL DATAAmerican Journal of Epidemiology, 1985