Testing of composite fecal (environmental) samples from high traffic areas in dairy herds has been shown to be a cost-effective and sensitive method for classification of herd status for Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). In the National Animal Health Monitoring System's (NAHMS) Dair...

Syndromic surveillance is a tool for continuous, automated extraction of surveillance information from health data sources. The research documented in this dissertation aimed at exploring informatics and data mining tools in order to develop and implement techniques to harvest additional surveillanc...

Objective - To develop a better system for classification of herd infection status for paratuberculosis (Johne's disease JD]) in US cattle herds on the basis of the risk of potential transmission of Mycobacterium avium subsp paratubeculosis. Sample - Simulated data for herd size and within-herd...

Salmonella is one of the most common foodborne pathogens associated with diarrheal disease in humans. Food animals, especially poultry, are important direct and indirect sources of human salmonellosis, and antimicrobial resistance is an emerging problem of public health concern. The use of antimicro...

Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are a highly threatened species because of habitat loss, human conflict, and high prevalence of disease in captivity. An epidemic of feline infectious peritonitis and concern for spread of infectious disease resulted in decreased movement of cheetahs between U.S. zoologic...

Bluetongue is an economically important arboviral disease of ruminants that is transmitted by hematophagous Culicoides midges. In light of dramatic recent changes in the global distribution of bluetongue virus (BTV), the goals of this study were to re-evaluate the prevalence of BTV infection of catt...

Bluetongue (BT) is an important viral disease of ruminants that is transmitted by hematophagous Culicoides midges. We examined the seasonal patterns of abundance and infection of Culicoides sonorensis at four dairy farms in the northern Central Valley of California to develop estimates of risk for b...

The objectives of the current study were to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of three real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for diagnosis of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection in domestic cats, both individually and when interpreted in series with one of two serological ...

Diagnostic strategies to detect Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) super-shedder cows in dairy herds have been minimally studied. The objective of the current study was to compare the cost-effectiveness of strategies for identification of MAP super-shedders on a California dairy herd ...

The Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) aquaculture industry is a major contributor of salmon products that help meet protein needs for the world’s growing population. The industry in NL continues to grow and evolve and now includes emerging species in its production such as Atlantic cod. In a growing ...

The Atlantic Canadian aquaculture industry is dominated by Atlantic salmon production. In recent years, infectious disease, parasitic infestations, and price fluctuations from international competition have caused disruptions to the industry. Diversification of the industry away from Atlantic salmon...

Bluetongue is a vector-borne viral disease that affects domestic and wild ruminants. The epidemiology of this disease has recently changed, with occurrence in new geographic areas. Various real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (real-time qRT-PCR) assays are used to d...

Over a 2-yr study period, we investigated possible endogenous transplacental transmission of Neospora hughesi in 74 mare and foal pairs following the diagnosis of neuronal neosporosis in a weanling foal. Presuckle and postsuckle serum of each foal, serum and colostrum of each periparturient mare, an...

Diagnostic test evaluations (DTEs) for chronic infections are challenging because a protracted incubation period has to be considered in the design of the DTE, and the adverse effects of infection may be widespread and progressive over an animal's entire life. Frequently, the specific purpose o...

Objective: Sample Population: Procedures: Results: Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: To compare macrostructural and microstructural features of proximal sesamoid bones (PSBs) from horses with and without PSB midbody fracture to gain insight into the pathogenesis of PSB fracture.PSBs from 16 Thorou...

The availability of accurate diagnostic tests is essential for the detection and control of Toxoplasma gondii infections in both definitive and intermediate hosts. Sensitivity, specificity and the area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve are commonly used measures of test accurac...

The STARD statement (www.stard-statement.org) emphasizes complete and transparent reporting of key elements of test accuracy studies. Guidelines for authors in many biomedical journals recommend adherence to these standards but explicit recommendations by editors of veterinary journals are limited. ...

The conduct of randomized controlled trials in livestock with production, health, and food-safety outcomes presents unique challenges that may not be adequately reported in trial reports. The objective of this project was to modify the CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) statement t...

Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) testing for Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) in fecal samples is a rapid alternative to culture on Herrold egg yolk medium (HEYM), the traditional antemortem reference test for MAP. Although the sensitivity and specificity ...

Bison and elk in the greater Yellowstone area are the last-known reservoir of Brucella abortus in the United States. Diagnosis of brucellosis is challenging as there is no perfect reference test. The objectives of this study were to estimate the accuracy of the fluorescence polarization assay (FPA) ...