For sustainable food production, it is necessary to build resilience in livestock to be able to adapt or respond to multiple challenges. Farmers have not been involved in the development of resilience indicators for dairy cattle. The aim of this study was to understand how farmers conceptualise resilience in dairy cows. Twenty farmers from the UK and Channel Islands were interviewed and the data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes were generated from the analysis: "Fitting the system", "An invisible cow", "A Will to Live", and "She holds her own". Farmers conceptualised a resilient cow as one that requires little to no individual intervention. The farmers' overall goal for their cows was to be healthy, fertile and have a stable milk yield, reflecting the purpose of resilience in cows. Farmers perceived that cows enact resilience through their motivation to survive and thrive. Farmers also observed that cows enact resilience through "holding their own", a process where cows maintained their position over resources such as feed and lying space despite potential social challenge, by being assertive but not aggressive. Furthermore, farmers recognised that resilience in a cow was distributed across different systems, such as herd, housing environment, feeding, and farmer. Whilst resilience is often considered an individual trait in animal science, we conceptualise it as complex and dynamic process by which cows navigate and negotiate resources that sustain their health, fertility, and productivity. Resources are multisystemic and can reside at individual, social, and environmental levels. We suggest adopting a systems approach to understanding resilience in cows.

Prioritization of interventions to reduce antimicrobial use in dairy cows: A multicriteria decision analysis.

Q fever is a neglected zoonotic disease of global concern. In Kenya, it ranks among the top priority zoonoses, yet data on its prevalence and associated risk factors in smallholder dairy farms are limited. To estimate the seroprevalence and molecular prevalence of Coxiella burnetii and identify risk factors for exposure in dairy cattle on smallholder farms in Kenya. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 448 smallholder dairy farms across Nandi County and nearby dairy-producing areas. Serum (n=1829), vaginal swabs (n=1783) and preputial swabs (n=52) were collected. Animal and herd-level data on Q fever risk factors were recorded. An indirect IgG ELISA was used for antibody detection, whereas real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (quantitative PCR [qPCR]) was performed on the swab samples. The animal-level seroprevalence of C. burnetii was 8.7% (95% CI: 7.4-10.0), whereas herd-level seroprevalence was 29.0% (95% CI: 24.8-33.2). Molecular prevalence detected by qPCR was 1.5% (95% CI: 0.9-2.0). Cows with a history of abortion had increased odds of seropositivity (OR=1.73, 95% CI: 1.14-2.61). Cattle on farms where dogs were kept-whether fed placentas or not-had lower odds of seropositivity compared to farms without dogs. This study confirms circulation of Q fever in smallholder dairy herds in Kenya. Investigating environmental persistence, farm management, interactions between susceptible hosts and sociocultural aspects of dog ownership in smallholder settings is essential to unravel the local transmission dynamics of Q fever. These findings highlight the need for coxiellosis control strategies, including improved biosecurity, surveillance and evaluation of vaccination approaches that have been successfully applied in other endemic settings.

Repeat breeding syndrome associated with subclinical endometritis (SCE) remains a major cause of infertility in dairy cattle, as its subclinical nature often hampers timely diagnosis and therapeutic intervention, thereby limiting the success of conventional antimicrobial therapy. This study evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of intrauterine platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as an immunomodulatory, antibiotic-free alternative for the management of SCE in repeat breeder cows and aimed to standardize an effective intrauterine PRP dose regime. Twenty-nine repeat-breeding cows diagnosed with SCE based on endometrial cytobrush cytology (>5% polymorphonuclear neutrophils, PMNs) were randomly allocated into three groups: untreated control, intrauterine cephapirin (500mg), and intrauterine PRP (25mL; ≥1×106 platelets/µL). Changes in endometrial PMN percentage, bacterial load, pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IFN-γ), interval to return to estrus, and conception rate were assessed. Both PRP and antibiotic treatments significantly reduced endometrial PMN counts and inflammatory cytokine concentrations compared with untreated controls (p < 0.05). Intrauterine PRP markedly modulated the uterine inflammatory milieu, demonstrating substantial reductions in TNF-α and IFN-γ, even in animals with negative microbial cultures, highlighting its immune-regulatory action. PRP treatment also resulted in a significant decline in uterine bacterial load, likely mediated through enhanced intrinsic uterine defence mechanisms. Conception rates in PRP-treated cows (50%) were comparable to those achieved with antibiotic therapy and superior to untreated controls, with no adverse effects on estrus return interval. Intrauterine PRP effectively restores uterine homeostasis and fertility in repeat breeder cows affected with SCE by concurrently attenuating inflammation, facilitating microbial clearance, and promoting endometrial regeneration.

Validation of an AI-assisted screening tool for lameness detection in dairy cattle: A field-based study for preventive herd health management.

Adaptive traits, along with productive and reproductive performance, are essential for assessing the suitability and long-term sustainability of indigenous cattle in specific production environments. This study evaluated the adaptive, productive and reproductive performance of Boran dairy cattle in the lowland agro-ecology of the Kaffa Zone, south-western Ethiopia. The study was conducted at a commercial farm in Gojeb, and sixty (60) multiparous Boran dairy cows were selected based on health status, parity, and lactation stage, following an adaptation period before data collection. This study covered the early, mid and late lactation stages over a 25-week monitoring period. Daily milk yield was recorded twice daily, and reproductive parameters, including age at first calving (AFC), calving interval (CI), number of services per conception (NSPC), days open (DO) and gestation length (GL), were obtained from farm records. Adaptive performance was assessed using rectal temperature (RT) and respiration rate (RR) in relation to the meteorological variables. Blood samples were collected from 30 cows (10 per lactation stage) for haematological (HC, RBC, WBC and PCV) and biochemical (TP, GLU, URE, TGL, TC, AST and ALT) analyses. Data were analysed using SPSS version 20, and descriptive statistics were summarized as mean ± SD. The current study revealed that the mean daily milk yield was 2.43 ± 0.62, 2.12 ± 0.58 and 1.72 ± 0.45 L/day for early, mid and late lactation, respectively. Parity 1 and 2 cows produced 1.71 ± 0.46 L and 2.47 ± 0.52 L, respectively, with an overall mean of 2.09 ± 0.62 L/day. Parity and lactation stage significantly (p < 0.001) affected production performance. The reproduction performance of Boran dairy cows was as follows: AFC (51.63 ± 1.82 months), CI (19.07 ± 1.93 months), GL (276.50 ± 2.15 days), DO (338.05 ± 21.71 days) and NSPC (1.60 ± 0.22). Lactation stage and parity significantly influenced several biochemical (TP, GLU, TGL, TC, ALT and AST) and haematological (HC, WBC and PCV) parameters, with total protein and urea being the main contributors to blood profile variation. Blood values remained within the normal range, indicating good physiological adaptation to the local conditions. The productive and reproductive performances of Boran cows were within the expected ranges for indigenous breeds, suggesting that crossbreeding could enhance productivity. Further studies should consider age, season and comparisons with other locally adapted breeds.

Impact of bovine neosporosis on reproductive performance of Girolando cows from a closed herd in Brazil.

Lameness in dairy cattle in the scientific literature from 2000 to 2023: A text mining approach.

Noninvasive and minimally invasive approaches for acute and chronic stress assessment in dairy cattle.

Effect of alterations in closeup dietary neutral detergent fiber content on colostrum, transition, and mature milk production and composition in primiparous and multiparous Holstein dairy cattle.

Incorporating feed efficiency, methane emissions, and ruminal microbiome into economic selection indices in Spanish Holstein cattle.

Background:The ongoing spillover of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus into mammalian species, including recent outbreaks in dairy cattle, underscores an urgent need for broadly effective therapeutics. Nanobody, the variable domain of heavy chain-only antibody, offers unique advantages for viral neutralization due to its small size, stability, and accessibility to cryptic epitopes.Methods:In this study, we isolated a human nanobody, nAb35, targeting the hemagglutinin of the dairy cattle H5N1 virus A/Texas/37/2024 (clade 2.3.4.4b) via phage display of a human nanobody library. After three rounds of panning against the recombinant H5 ectodomain, a dominant clone (nAb35) was highly enriched. Then nAb35 was fused with a human IgG1 Fc fragment and expressed as a bivalent dimer.Results:Biochemical characterization demonstrated that nAb35 specifically binds to H5 under both denaturing and native conditions and recognizes a linear epitope accessible on H5 expressed on the cell surface. In vitro neutralization assays using H5 pseudovirus showed that nAb35 inhibited viral entry with a half-maximal effective concentration of approximately 10 μg/mL, as determined by both luciferase reporter and immunofluorescence assays.Conclusion:These findings identify nAb35 as a promising candidate for further therapeutic development against emerging H5N1 virus.

Tick-borne relapsing fever is an infectious disease caused by spirochetes of the genusBorrelia,leading to fever and spirochetemia in humans and animals.Borrelia theileri is the agent of bovine relapsing fever, which is transmitted by ixodid ticks of the genus Rhipicephalus and has been reported to cause mild disease in cattle. It has been infrequently reported in several countries over a broad geographic area; however, it has not been reported in Israel previously. Blood samples were collected from beef and dairy cattle in 23 locations in Israel. Real-time and conventional PCR were used to detectBorrelia spp.and co-infection with bovine piroplasmids. PCR products were sequenced,and phylogenetic analysis of the B. theileri sequences was performed. Positive cattle were identified in a limited number of locations with no clear spatial clustering. Borrelia theileri DNA was detected in 6 out of 439 (1.4%) blood samples. Of these, four were from beef and two from dairy cattle. No significant differences were found according to age (P = 0.642) and production type (P = 0.802) among the B. theileri-positive cattle. Phylogenetic analysis showed clustering of the cattle-derived isolate together with B. theileri amplified from ixodid ticks, supporting a potential transmission cycle involving cattle and Rhipicephalus spp. ticks. Theileria annulata and Babesia bigemina DNA was detected in 11 (4.1%) and one (0.4%) of 268 unvaccinated cattle, respectively. Co-infection with Theileria annulata was found in one beef and one dairy cattle. Tick-borne relapsing fever is present in the cattle population of Israel. Co-infection of B. theileri and bovine piroplasmids may drive clinical disease and financial losses in beef and dairy cattle. This is the first report of B. theileriinfection in Israel. Future control programs should address the exposure of both beef and dairy cattle to ticks and tick-borne diseases.

ABSTRACTThe spillover of H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b into dairy cattle has raised concerns over the safety of fluid milk. While no foodborne infection has been reported in humans, this strain has infected at least 70 people, and milk from infected cows is known to be infected by ingestion of multiple other species. Investigation into the public health threat of this outbreak is warranted. This farm‐to‐table quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) uses stochastic models to assess the risk of human infection from consumption of raw and pasteurized fluid cow's milk from the United States supply chains. These models were parameterized with literature emerging from this outbreak and then employed to estimate the H5N1 infection risk and evaluate multiple potential interventions aimed at reducing this risk. The median (5th and 95th percentiles) probabilities of infection per 240‐mL serving of pasteurized, farmstore‐purchased raw, or retail‐purchased raw milk were 7.66E−19 (2.39E−20, 4.02E−17), 1.56E−7 (6.67E−10, 1.28E−5), and 1.40E−7 (6.65E−10, 1.13E−05), respectively. Our results confirm that pasteurization is highly effective at reducing H5N1 infection risk. Scenario analysis revealed quantitative real‐time reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (qrRT‐PCR) testing of bulk tank milk to be an effective method for numerically reducing risk from raw milk. In addition, we identify knowledge gaps related to the human H5N1 dose‒response by ingestion and raw milk consumption patterns. These findings emphasize the importance of mechanistic epidemiologic models for informing public health responses amidst outbreaks with foodborne potential and highlight the need for additional research into raw milk consumption patterns to better understand this exposure pathway.

Evaluation of immune responses in cattle immunized with an experimentally developed inactivated alum adjuvanted Brucella abortus biovar 3 vaccine.

Genetic evaluation of common and novel resilience indicators under different milk recording frequencies in Holstein cattle.

Effect of recovered grocery food substituted for corn grain and molasses on milk production and total tract digestibility in lactating dairy cows.

Avian influenza H5N1: A warning signal for the next influenza pandemic.

This study examined the extent and factors influencing the commercialization of milk from indigenous dairy cattle during the dry season. The 2019-20 National Sample Census of Agriculture (NSCA) survey data in Tanzania were used for the study, which employed the Household Commercialization Index (HCI) to assess the extent of commercialization and the Tobit model to identify drivers of commercialization. The findings show that, despite the high demand of milk from indigenous dairy cattle, most smallholder farmers are less commercialized. Additionally, the results of the econometric model showed that access to credit, female customary rights, access to livestock extension services, annual milk consumption, frequency of milking, and annual days for milking cows all had a statistically significant impact on the commercialization of milk from indigenous dairy cattle during dry seasons. To produce a marketable surplus and raise their level of living, smallholder farmers should be encouraged to increase the productivity of milk from indigenous dairy cattle. Additionally, it is important to develop intervention techniques that expand women's access to resources, livestock extension services, improved marketing channels, and financing access to effectively invest in better technologies and improved inputs. A balance between milk production and marketing should also be established by optimizing milking schedules while taking seasonal variations and the dietary requirements of the cattle into consideration. Finally, promoting efficient milk consumption habits and effective seasonal excess control can enhance commercialization.

Risk factors associated with dairy cattle lameness and hock and knee injuries on Iranian dairy farms.