Fonseca Martinez BA, Mayorga AA, Page J, Habing G. Biosecurity in dairy calf production: A scoping review. Prev Vet Med. 2025 Sep 30;246:106697
Infectious diseases pose a persistent threat across all stages of the dairy production chain, with calf rearing being particularly vulnerable due to the calves´ immature immune systems. Effective biosecurity measures are crucial in mitigating the risk of pathogen introduction and spread among calves. The recent influenza outbreak in U.S. dairy herds underscores the need to evaluate biosecurity practices employed in calf rearing. This scoping review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of reported biosecurity practices and the knowledge and attitudes of calf producers on biosecurity. By identifying existing gaps and areas where further research is essential, the review seeks to enhance biosecurity protocols, ultimately reducing the risk of infectious disease transmission and improving the overall health and productivity of dairy calves. Peer-reviewed studies that reported on biosecurity practices or assessed the knowledge and attitudes of producers in intensive farming systems were included. Out of 983 identified citations, 49 studies were included, mainly from the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Ireland, with a focus on Holstein calves. Internal biosecurity measures, such as calf housing and colostrum management, were widely studied, while external practices, such as isolation and quarantine of new animals, pest control, and sanitization of incoming vehicles and equipment, were underrepresented. To a lesser extent, the attitudes and knowledge of producers regarding biosecurity practices were also explored, highlighting the importance of early care practices. This review emphasizes the significant variability in how biosecurity practices are reported in dairy calf production studies, with only 23 % explicitly identifying practices as biosecurity measures. Prior studies focus predominantly on internal biosecurity measures, particularly during the pre-weaning period, underscores their critical role in calf health. This review supports a need for standardized frameworks for reporting biosecurity practices and more research into producers´ attitudes and knowledge to enhance biosecurity implementation and calf health.
See Also:
Latest articles in those days:
- Determinants of the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Uptake Among People Aged 50 Years or Above During and After the Pandemic: A Systematic Review 11 hours ago
- [preprint]A GIS-based framework for standardized environmental characterization in One-Health surveillance: a case study of HPAI monitoring in wetlands 11 hours ago
- First detection and transatlantic introduction of Influenza A(H3N2) subclade K (J.2.4.1) into Ecuador: insights from genomic sentinel surveillance 11 hours ago
- Assessment of influenza virus and coronavirus tropism, replication competence and disease severity in ex vivo and in vitro cultures of the human respiratory tract 1 days ago
- Characterization of bovine-derived H5N1 viruses expressing fluorescent and luminescent reporter proteins 1 days ago
[Go Top] [Close Window]


