Skip to main content

Table 4 Significant risk factors for shedding of STEC by dairy cattle

From: Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli: identification of non-O157:H7-Super-Shedding cows and related risk factors

variables class

no. of sampled

cows

no. of stx-pos.

cows

% of stx- pos.

cows

Odds-

Ratio

95%-CI

against

(Odds = 1)

sign.

days in milk

       

   51.-100.d

175

44

25.1%

1.73

0.98-3.04

1.-50.d

t

   101.-150.d

192

52

27.1%

1.93

1.11-3.35

1.-50.d

*

   >350.d

114

36

31.6%

2.06

1.12-3.79

1.-50.d

*

   dry cows

182

50

27.5%

1.67

0.95-2.91

1.-50.d

t

number of lactation

       

   first calvers

293

93

31.7%

1.74

1.22-2.47

>3 completed lactations

**

   first calvers

293

93

31.7%

1.51

1.07-2.11

2-3 completed lactations

*

somatic cell count (/ml milk)

       

   <100,000

1028

279

27.1%

1.57

1.18-2.10

>100,000

**

protein content in milk (%)

       

   3.00-3.80

906

220

24.3%

1.80

1.06-3.08

<3.00

*

   >3.80

198

54

27.3%

2.30

1.18-4.48

<3.00

*

content in urea in milk (in mg/l)

       

   <150

580

144

24.8%

0.69

0.45-1.06

150-300

t

BCS

       

   3.50-5.00

318

81

25.5%

1.92

1.22-3.04

1.00-3.25

*

presence of a Super-Shedder

       

   yes

1071

323

30.2%

2.63

1.90-6.64

no

***

  1. *** p-value < 0.001
  2. **: p-value < 0.01
  3. *: p-value < 0.05
  4. t: tendency, p-value < 0.1
  5. <: smaller than
  6. >: bigger than
  7. d: day, %: percentage
  8. CI: confidence interval
  9. sign.: significance, p-value
  10. BCS: body condition score according to Edmonson et al. [51]