Bayesian estimation of herd-level prevalence and risk factors associated with BoHV-1 infection in cattle herds in the State of Paraíba, Brazil

Publication date: Available online 29 May 2019Source: Preventive Veterinary MedicineAuthor(s): Leíse Gomes Fernandes, Matthew James Denwood, Carolina de Sousa Américo Batista Santos, Clebert José Alves, Edviges Maristela Pituco, Adriana Hellmeister de Campos Nogueira Romaldini, Eliana De Stefano, Søren Saxmose Nielsen, Sérgio Santos de AzevedoAbstractA cross-sectional study was carried out to estimate the animal- and herd-level prevalence of bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) infection in cattle in the State of Paraíba, and to identify risk factors associated with herd-level infection. The state was divided into three sampling strata, and for each stratum, the prevalence of herds infected with BoHV-1 was estimated through a two-stage sampling survey carried out from September 2012 to January 2013. In total, 2,443 animals were sampled from 478 herds. A virus-neutralization test was used for BoHV-1 antibody detection. A Bayesian latent-class model was used to describe the data, taking into account imperfect diagnostic test characteristics and the non-independence of test results from animals within the same herd, and using a dynamic within-model risk factor selection method based on indicator variable selection. The adjusted herd-level prevalence was estimated to be 84% (95% CI: 80-88%) for the State of Paraíba, and the animal-level prevalence was estimated to be 73% (95% CI: 66-84%). Only five of the available risk factors were used by the model, with the three most influent...
Source: Preventive Veterinary Medicine - Category: Veterinary Research Source Type: research