Chair in Biosecurity of Dairy production

Targeted Research Priorities

Health and welfare of dairy cattle
The objective of this research is to study the biosecurity practices currently in place on Canadian dairy farms. The team also aims to propose effective strategies to improve the surveillance and control of infectious diseases within dairy herds.

Project Summary

Biosecurity is the first line of defence in keeping herds healthy and preventing economic losses due to disease. However, these practices are not always fully implemented on dairy farms.

The Chair in Biosecurity of Dairy Production is working to develop simple, effective, and affordable biosecurity solutions. In collaboration with veterinarians and dairy producers, the research team is studying current practices in Canada, identifying barriers to their adoption, and testing strategies to effectively identify, prevent, and control various diseases such as bovine viral diarrhea, paratuberculosis, leukosis, and mastitis. Through diagnostic tools and tailored recommendations, the project aims to reduce health risks, improve productivity, and protect the health of dairy herds and producers. In short, the goal is to provide dairy farms with practical tools to keep their animals healthy while optimizing farm profitability and sustainability.

Results Achieved

1. Biosecurity practices and barriers to adoption

Studies conducted by the chair involving more than 4,000 farms have shown that external biosecurity measures, such as those related to the introduction and movement of animals, are rarely implemented. Veterinary recommendations are followed more closely when they concern visitors or equipment (70%), but less so when they concern animals (<50%). The research team developed artificial intelligence-based tools to generate personalized recommendations, increasing their potential for adoption. Many producers had a very positive opinion of the biosecurity-focused meeting with their veterinarian, conducted as part of the proAction program. However, the program itself was often perceived as administratively burdensome and redundant, particularly because it is repeated every two years. The addition of a benchmarking component for their biosecurity practices (for example, compared to other farms in their province) was seen as a valuable tool that could help them recognize the value of their efforts.

2. Diseases studied

• Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD): 88% of farms vaccinate against this disease, but the virus remains present (detected in 61% of farms in Alberta, 9% in Ontario, 20% in Quebec). Vaccination, therefore, protects herds against the disease but does not eradicate the virus itself. It would therefore be risky to stop vaccinating.
• Paratuberculosis: PCR (a molecular diagnostic technique) on fecal samples is more effective than serum ELISA (an immunological test to detect antibodies) for identifying infected cows.
• Leukosis: An ELISA test on pooled milk allows for estimating the proportion of infected cows in a herd. A test on individual milk samples collected during milking allows for determining whether a specific cow is infected (sensitivity 92%, specificity 98%). Both of these tests are now available through Lactanet.
• Salmonella Dublin: This pathogen is believed to be present in 7% of herds. The risk of a herd testing positive for S. dublin doubles with every 10 animals purchased per year, underscoring the importance of biosecurity when introducing animals.
• H5N1 Influenza: Contribution by researchers from the Chair to the development of Quebec’s surveillance and prevention strategy.
• Mastitis: Analysis of 27,000 samples showed that somatic cell count (SCC) remains the key indicator for diagnosing subclinical mastitis. Differential somatic cell count (DSC) provides only a very modest improvement in diagnosis.

3. Potential impact

This research has identified avenues that could reduce economic losses, limit antibiotic use, and strengthen farms’ resilience to disease.

4. Highlights

• Over 7,000 samples were analyzed from 3,759 Canadian dairy farms for bovine viral diarrhea
• 339 herds and 2,875 cows tested for paratuberculosis
• 93 herds and 700 cows tested for bovine leukosis
• 345 reservoirs tested for mastitis pathogens and paratuberculosis
• Prevalence data for bovine leukosis, bovine viral diarrhea, Salmonella Dublin, mastitis, and paratuberculosis
• Filing of a patent application for automated recommendations
• New reference values for mastitis and leukosis screening
• Prototype of an annual report, by province and for Canada, using proAction’s data to describe the adoption of biosecurity measures and recommendations for improving biosecurity made by veterinarians

Main Achievements

• Research chair website
• Training of numerous graduate students and hiring of professionals (10 interns, 5 doctoral students, 6 professionals)
• Numerous scientific publications (view the website)