Recent ucd_mpvm_researchprojects items

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Bartonella Infections in United States Pets (Dogs and Cats) Tested in a Reference Diagnostic Laboratory Between 2008 and 2018

Tue, 2 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This retrospective study evaluated Bartonella infections in 1,609 dogs and 740 cats, suspected to have been exposed to ectoparasites (mainly fleas, ticks) or presenting with symptoms associated with tick or flea-borne pathogens tested by a national reference laboratory across the United States from 2008 to 2018. Bartonella seropositivity was 10.8% in dogs and 5.81% in cats, indicating significantly higher odds of infection in dogs (OR = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.39–2.78, p < 0.001). Geographical analyses highlighted significantly increased risks in the Northeast and South relative to California. Logistic regression analyses revealed significant seasonal (April–June) and temporal (2016–2018) variations in seropositivity. Multivariable logistic regression showed no statistically significant associations with sex, age, or neuter status in either species, though trends indicated potential seasonal effects. Low predictive power (AUC ~0.58) suggested additional factors are...

Insights from a single outbreak: cow-level risk factors associated with HPAI H5N1 clinical disease in lactating Holstein cows

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 (clade 2.3.4.4b) has spillover into dairy cattle populations in the US. A year after the initial outbreak, many uncertainties remain about the virus's epidemiology. This study aims to examine cow-level factors such as days in milk (DIM), milk yield, parity, pregnancy, and days carrying calf (DCC) that may influence cow`s susceptibility to manifest clinical signs during a HPAI H5N1 outbreak using on-farm herd records. The aims were: (1) to describe the main characteristics of cows manifesting clinical signs, (2) to evaluate the relationship between pregnancy and the manifestation of clinical signs, and (3) to identify other risk factors associated with the manifestation of clinical signs in pregnant cows.

The study was performed in a commercial dairy farm (Colorado, US) that operates in two different locations moving cows between them based on the lactation stage. Due to data...

Causes of Morbidity and Mortality in Wild Raptors of Northern California Presented to the University of California, Davis Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital from 1995-2022

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Morbidity and mortality studies using data from wildlife rehabilitation facilities can be useful for understanding threats to free-ranging raptor populations. This study utilized medical and necropsy records of free-ranging sick and/or injured raptors presenting to the UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital from 1995-2022 (n=3,840). A similar published study evaluating raptors at the same institution from 1983-1994 provides a unique opportunity to assess patterns in morbidity and mortality among raptors presenting to this hospital over a forty-year period. A supervised machine-learning approach was utilized to classify each case according to a diagnostic category from free text data entered into the fields of ‘presenting complaint,’ ‘physical exam findings,’ and ‘clinical diagnosis,’ in the raptors’ medical records. Diagnostic categories were entered manually from necropsy records. A time series analysis evaluated trends over time in numbers of raptor admissions and logistic...

Does Wealth Predict Health Among Dogs in a Protected Area?

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Does Wealth Predict Health Among Dogs in a Protected Area?