Identification of risk factors

Identification of risk factors for the occurrence of health disorders

The identification of risk factors and quantification of their effects on the occurrence of health disorders, including exposure to pathogens, is critical to the development of appropriate control measures against enzootic and/or multifactorial diseases.

The generation of such knowledge is based on (i) the concomitant collection of data on health status and exposure to potential risk factors and (ii) the use of appropriate statistical models to take account of potential inferences and also to allow for biases induced by the conduct of studies in rearing conditions without possible control of exposure to risk factors.

Work carried out during the period 2006-2010

  • Exposure to pathogens involved in the incidence of respiratory disorders in young cattle
  • Identification of risk factors for new intramammary drying-out infections
  • Identification of risk factors related to breed, growth, feeding and training conditions involved in the development of locomotor disorders in foals.
  • Identification of risk factors for contamination of pig carcasses at the slaughterhouse by zoonotic bacteria

Ongoing Projects

Current projects concern:
Taking into account the variability of pathogen strains to explain the variability in clinical and epidemiological terms. The objects of application concerning for the moment :

  • Intramammary S. Uberis infections (Contact: Nathalie Bareille)
  • Infection of cattle with Coxiella burnetii (Contact: Raphael Guatteo)

Consideration of genetic and immune components to explain disease occurrence/resistance. This theme is currently being applied:

  •  Respiratory problems (link to EPID Respiration file) (Contact: Sébastien Assié)