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Preventive veterinary medicine2008; 88(1); 42-48; doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2008.07.002

Risk factors for Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in young cattle on English and Welsh farms.

Abstract: Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli are the most prevalent causes of bacterial diarrhoea in most of the Western World. In Great Britain, the source remains unknown for the majority of cases, though poultry is considered the main source of infection. Molecular typing methods identify cattle as a potential source of a proportion of the non-source-attributed cases, mainly through direct contact, environmental contamination or milk, but little is known about the epidemiology of Campylobacter in cattle. A cross-sectional study was undertaken on young cattle 3-17 months of age on 56 cattle farms in England and Wales to identify association between the presence of C. jejuni and C. coli and farm characteristics and management practices. Campylobacter was detected on 62.5% of the farms and the presence of dairy cows (OR: 3.7, CI(95%): 1.2; 11.7), indoor housing (OR: 4.6, CI(95%): 1.8; 12.0), private water supply (OR: 2.5, CI(95%): 1.2; 5.4), presence of horses (OR: 3.2, CI(95%):1.5; 6.9) and feeding hay (OR: 2.9, CI(95%):1.6; 5.5) were associated with detection. The model's goodness-of-fit was improved when herd size was forced in the model without being statistically significant (p=0.34).
Publication Date: 2008-10-02 PubMed ID: 18835052DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2008.07.002Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

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The article explores the correlation of various farm characteristics and management practices with the presence of Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli in young cattle on farms in England and Wales. The findings indicate a higher risk of detecting these bacteria in herds that are indoors, use private water supply, are around horses, fed hay, and are dairy herds.

Research Background

  • The research focuses on Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli, bacteria that are commonly associated with diarrhoea in the Western world. With poultry known as the major source of infection, the majority of infection sources in Great Britain are still unknown.
  • Findings from various molecular typing methods point to cattle as a possible source for a portion of the unidentified cases. Routes of transmission could be through direct contact, environmental contamination, or milk. However, the specific dynamics of Campylobacter in cattle are not fully understood.

Research Methodology

  • The study adopted a cross-sectional approach and was conducted on 56 cattle farms with young cattle aged between 3-17 months in England and Wales.
  • The goal was to identify the relationships between the presence of the Campylobacter bacteria and different farm characteristics and management practices.

Research Findings

  • Results showed that Campylobacter was detected on 62.5% of the farms surveyed.
  • Various factors were linked with a higher incidence of these bacteria, notably the presence of dairy cows, indoor housing, the usage of a private water supply, the presence of horses, and feeding cattle with hay.
  • The data provided showed odds ratios for these different characteristics, suggesting that these factors might increase the chance of Campylobacter being present. For instance, farms with dairy cows were 3.7 times more likely to have cases of Campylobacter compared to those without dairy cows.

Further Analysis

  • In addition, the research revealed that the model’s goodness-of-fit, which gauges how well statistical model fits a set of observations, improved when herd size was included in the model, even though this was not statistically significant (p=0.34).
  • This suggests that herd size might influence the presence of Campylobacter, although the evidence is not strong enough to make a definitive conclusion.

This study thus, contributes to the understanding of the epidemiology of Campylobacter in cattle and could be important in formulating appropriate prevention and control measures.

Cite This Article

APA
Ellis-Iversen J, Pritchard GC, Wooldridge M, Nielen M. (2008). Risk factors for Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in young cattle on English and Welsh farms. Prev Vet Med, 88(1), 42-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2008.07.002

Publication

ISSN: 0167-5877
NlmUniqueID: 8217463
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 88
Issue: 1
Pages: 42-48

Researcher Affiliations

Ellis-Iversen, Johanne
  • Centre for Epidemiology and Risk Analysis, Veterinary Laboratories Agency-Weybridge, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK. J.Ellis-Iversen@vla.defra.gsi.gov.uk
Pritchard, Geoff C
    Wooldridge, Marion
      Nielen, Mirjam

        MeSH Terms

        • Animals
        • Campylobacter Infections / epidemiology
        • Campylobacter Infections / microbiology
        • Campylobacter Infections / veterinary
        • Campylobacter coli / isolation & purification
        • Campylobacter jejuni / isolation & purification
        • Cattle
        • Cattle Diseases / epidemiology
        • Cattle Diseases / microbiology
        • Cross-Sectional Studies
        • England / epidemiology
        • Feces / microbiology
        • Female
        • Prevalence
        • Risk Factors
        • Surveys and Questionnaires
        • Wales / epidemiology

        Citations

        This article has been cited 11 times.
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