Principles And Challenges Of Fundamental Methods In Veterinary Epidemiology And Economics

A comprehensive introduction to the role of epidemiology in veterinary medicine This fully revised and expanded edition of Veterinary Epidemiology introduces readers to the field of veterinary epidemiology. The new edition also adds new chapters on the design of observational studies, validity in epidemiological studies, systematic reviews, and statistical modelling, to deliver more advanced material. This updated edition begins by offering an historical perspective on the development of veterinary medicine. It then addresses the full scope of epidemiology, with chapters covering causality, disease occurrence, determinants, disease patterns, disease ecology, and much more. Veterinary Epidemiology, Fourth Edition: ● Features updates of all chapters to provide a current resource on the subject of veterinary epidemiology ● Presents new chapters essential to the continued advancement of the field ● Includes examples from companion animal, livestock, and avian medicine, as well as aquatic animal diseases ● Focuses on the principles and concepts of epidemiology, surveillance, and diagnostic-test validation and performance ● Includes access to a companion website providing multiple choice questions Veterinary Epidemiology is an invaluable reference for veterinary general practitioners, government veterinarians, agricultural economists, and members of other disciplines interested in animal disease. It is also essential reading for epidemiology students at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Basic principles. Epidemiologic concepts. Sampling methods. Measurement of disease frequency and production. Studying disease in animal populations. Descriptive epidemiology. Disease causation. Surveys and analytic observational studies. Design of field trials. Theoretical epidemiology: systems analysis and modeling. Animal health economics. Applied epidemiology. Rationale, strategies, and concepts of animal disease control. Monitoring disease and production. Field investigations.

Introduction to Veterinary Epidemiology provides the basics of veterinary epidemiology to the undergraduate and graduate students. The outline of the book follows the necessary steps involved in planning, conducting and analyzing an epidemiological study. These steps include establishing the objective and hypothesis, defining risk factors and outcome, selecting an appropriate study design, determining relevant measures of disease frequency, association and effect, sample size considerations, conducting the study, managing the data in databases and finally analyzing the data. The process takes off in the concepts and theories that form the basis of veterinary epidemiology and includes a solid introduction to data with respect to nature, management and analysis. The examples used to illustrate the different elements of data analysis are given in appendices as SAS code and R code to help getting started on the data analysis. This book is a collaboration between authors with solid backgrounds within veterinary, mathematical, statistical and computer sciences. They have years of experience in teaching at the undergraduate as well as graduate and postgraduate level. Each chapter has been reviewed by leading international veterinary epidemiologists. The programs and data sets can be downloaded from www.itve.dk

First edition published in 2002. Second edition published in 2008.

Are you studying a course in veterinary epidemiology? Do you need a book that explains epidemiology in an understandable way? Dirk Pfeiffer is Professor of Veterinary Epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College in London, UK. He has designed and taught international training courses in epidemiology all over the developed and developing world, from Australia to Vietnam. He currently provides scientific expertise to the European Food Safety Authority, the European Commission, DEFRA, the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization and various national governments. He has over 20 year’s practical experience in the field and continues to work on some of the most high profile cases of global animal health. Dirk brings his wealth of knowledge to this concise introduction to the subject. This book covers all the core principles you need to know for your epidemiology course, including: The basic epidemiological concepts Understanding and designing epidemiological studies Measuring cause-effect relationships Statistical analysis and bias Sampling methodology Interpreting diagnostic tests The basic concepts of disease control and eradication The book will also be of use to animal health professionals who need an easy-to-understand introduction to the subject

Research in veterinary science is critical for the health and well-being of animals, including humans. Food safety, emerging infectious diseases, the development of new therapies, and the possibility of bioterrorism are examples of issues addressed by veterinary science that have an impact on both human and animal health. However, there is a lack of scientists engaged in veterinary research. Too few veterinarians pursue research careers, and there is a shortage of facilities and funding for conducting research. This report identifies questions and issues that veterinary research can help to address, and discusses the scientific expertise and infrastructure needed to meet the most critical research needs. The report finds that there is an urgent need to provide adequate resources for investigators, training programs, and facilities involved in veterinary research.