Veterinary Epidemiology

Description of the field

Teaching and research in the cross-species subject of veterinary epidemiology focuses on how veterinary medicine can be used to prevent disease and other disorders at the population level, thereby promoting animal and human health, welfare and well-being, known as One Health and One Welfare.

Current research

The focus of our research is to apply epidemiological methods to identify environmental, management and animal factors that influence the health, welfare and performance of animal populations. The potential for preventive measures and for promoting good animal health and welfare therefore benefits from our research.

We have a strong interdisciplinary approach and our ambition is to combine social sciences, including qualitative methods and animal health economics, with population medicine and other medical disciplines.

The research is mainly based on available secondary databases, many of which are unique to Sweden, but also on large-scale field studies, which are designed and conducted for specific research projects. Improving the quality and usability of data is an important part of research. Therefore, evaluation of existing databases and promoting proper design of field studies are important components of our research. Research is conducted on several animal species such as dairy cows, horses, pigs, dogs and cats, and is done in close collaboration with other departments and groups at the Deparment of Clinical Sciences. Many projects are carried out in collaboration with external clients such as Gård & Djurhälsan, Växa, DeLaval and SVA.

Examples of research orientations, each with several sub-projects, are:

• Animal welfare
• Antibiotic use
• Biomechanics
• Dog health
• Ecological and sustainable animal production
• Economic factors for animal health and welfare
• Infectious diseases
• Multidisciplinary epidemiology (integration of natural and social sciences)
• One Health and One Welfare
• Precision medicine for production animals

Several of these specializations connect well with the faculty's research areas; system perspectives on the circular food system, One Health and digitalization. They also connect well to SLU's focus areas; sustainable development, the digital society and one SLU.