Observed management practices in relation to the risk of infection with paratuberculosis and to the spread of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosisin Swiss dairy and beef herds

Table 5 Risk factors associated with the prevalence level of MAP excretion within infected herds

Variables	OR¹	95% CI²	p-value
All herds
Direct contamination of heifer area³	1.94	1.12-3-33	0.017
Heifers kept in the same building as cows	1.79	1.02-3.17	0.044
Direct contamination of heifer water supply⁴	3.00	1.61-5.59	0.0005
Calving pen used as sick cow pen	0.47	0.26-0.87	0.017
Dairy herds
Direct contamination of heifer area³	2.40	1.18-4.88	0.016
Direct contamination of heifer water supply⁴	2.99	1.44-6.22	0.003
Heifers kept on contaminated pastures⁵	2.43	1.09-5.43	0.030
Type of calving pen⁶	2.11	1.07-4.15	0.031
Calving pen used as sick cow pen	0.33	0.16-0.71	0.004
Cleaning calving pen with high-pressure washer > 1x/year	2.13	1.07-4.26	0.031
Animal purchase⁷	0.51	0.26-0.99	0.048
Beef herds
No significant factors

¹OR = odds ratio.
²95% CI = 95% confidence interval.
³Farms where direct contamination of the heifer area by manure spilling from adult animals could happen compared to farms where such contamination was not possible.
⁴Farms where direct contamination of the water supply of the heifers by manure spilling from adult animals could happen compared to farms where such contamination was not possible.
⁵Pastures contaminated through pasturing of cows or slurry spread earlier in season.
⁶No calving pen in free stall or boxes as in free stalls associated with higher prevalence than box with deep straw bedding and calving in tethered stable.
⁷Farms that purchased two or more animals per year on average compared to farms that purchased up to one animal per year on average.

ISSN: 1746-6148