[Risk factors for infectious foot -disorders on two Swiss cattle -mountain pastures]

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Animal Health
• Infectious Diseases

Context:

• Study conducted on two large Swiss cattle mountain pastures (2020-2022).
• Project initiated due to increased lameness incidence on pastures.
• Involved analysis of 3256 bovine animals and treatment data.

Purpose:

• Identify risk groups for infectious foot disorders in cattle on mountain pastures.
• Determine the prevalence of interdigital phlegmon (IP) versus digital dermatitis.
• Investigate temporal distribution, pasture, and year influences on disease incidence.

Summary:

• Bacteriological and histological analyses confirmed interdigital phlegmon (IP) as the predominant foot disorder, with no evidence of digital dermatitis.
• Multivariate logistic regression identified cattle aged >365-730 days, and inseminated/non-inseminated heifers as significant risk groups (OR 8.29, 5.30, 7.85 respectively).
• Meat breeds exhibited a reduced risk (OR 0.29) compared to dairy breeds, suggesting breed-specific factors.

Impact:

• Findings enable targeted animal selection and pasture management strategies to reduce infectious foot disorders.
• Potential to decrease antibiotic usage on cattle mountain pastures.
• Provides insights into breed-specific susceptibility and risk factors associated with cattle age and reproductive status.