Steven Michael Roche

• PhD, MSc Epidemiology
• Consultant at ACER Consulting

Bovine paratuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease of cattle, caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). This is the second in a two-part review of the epidemiology and control of paratuberculosis in dairy herds. Several negative production effects associated with MAP infection have been described, but perhaps the most si...

In the last decades, many regional and country-wide control programmes for Johne's disease (JD) were developed due to associated economic losses, or because of a possible association with Crohn's disease. These control programmes were often not successful, partly because management protocols were not followed, including the introduction of infected...

The prevention and control of endemic pathogens within and between farms often depends on the adoption of best management practices. However, farmers regularly do not adopt recommended measures or do not enroll in voluntary disease control programs. This indicates that a more comprehensive understanding of the influences and extension tools that af...

Motivating uptake of management change recommendations requires knowledge of the barriers and motivators influencing producer behavior. This study investigated dairy producers' and veterinarians' perceptions of the barriers and motivators influencing the adoption of Johne's disease (JD) control recommendations in Ontario, Canada. Eight focus groups...

This study evaluated a participatory-based, experiential learning program, Ontario Focus Farms (FF), which aimed to change dairy producer behavior to control Johne's disease (JD) in Ontario, Canada. The goals were to (1) assess the effect of FF on participating dairy producers' knowledge, attitudes, and behavior with regard to JD control; (2) compa...

Pain is an adverse experience causing distress and decreased production in dairy cattle. Pain, and its associated distress, is also undesirable from an animal welfare standpoint. Consumers consider animal welfare an important issue; therefore, ensuring proper pain management, and by extension good welfare, is important to maintain the social accept...

Tail docking in lambs and castration in lambs and calves are common husbandry practices, both of which cause pain and discomfort, for which many industries recommend or require pain management. The purpose of this study was to assess the effective tissue concentrations of the current standard of care for pain mitigation in calves and lambs during c...

Simple Summary Tail docking and castration are common procedures performed in lambs but are considered painful. Mitigation of the pain associated with these procedures is difficult, especially when using rubber ring castration. The objectives of this study were to compare castration and tail docking efficacy between lidocaine-impregnated ligation b...

Simple Summary Johne’s disease is a chronic progressive gastrointestinal disease of ruminants. The diagnosis and control of this disease remains a challenge for cattle producers and herd veterinarians. Machine learning is a broad class of algorithms and statistical analysis belonging to the area of artificial intelligence. These techniques allow fo...

Simple Summary Castration is commonly performed in young dairy calves and results in pain and discomfort. This study aimed to assess the effective tissue concentrations of the current standard of care for pain mitigation in calves during castration (injectable lidocaine) and to assess the ability of lidocaine-loaded bands (LLBs) to deliver effectiv...

The development of novel antimicrobial technologies for the food industry represents an important strategy to improve food safety. Antimicrobial photodynamic disinfection (aPDD) is a method that can inactivate microbes without the use of harsh chemicals. aPDD involves the administration of a non-toxic, light-sensitive substance, known as a photosen...

Simple Summary Tail docking and castration in lambs are common husbandry practices, both of which cause pain and discomfort, for which many industries recommend or require pain management. The objectives of this study were to assess the effects of the current standard-of-care for pain mitigation in lambs (injectable lidocaine) and assess the abilit...

Lameness and leg injuries are both painful and prevalent across the dairy industry, and are a major welfare concern. There has been a considerable amount of research focused on investigating the risk factors associated with lameness and injuries and how they might be prevented and treated. The objectives of this narrative review were to summarize h...

Improving health and welfare outcomes for replacement and surplus dairy calves is important for the sustainability of the dairy industry. Dairy farmers and veterinarians hold expertise in calf management and have valuable perspectives on how to practically motivate improvements. The objective of this study was to determine strategies that could imp...

This study used realistic evaluation to determine how, and in which circumstances, providing dairy farmers with benchmarked data on their calves can motivate improved colostrum management practices. Dairy farmers from British Columbia, Canada were recruited through 2 veterinary clinics that offered benchmarking of calf data as part of their service...

The aim of this study was to describe the factors that influence dairy cattle veterinarians´ antimicrobial prescribing, their attitudes toward reducing antimicrobial use (AMU) in the dairy industry, awareness of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and perceived barriers to improving antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) on Canadian dairy farms. We used quant...

The use of qualitative research in dairy science has increased considerably in recent years, providing the opportunity to inform research and practice. This review aims to enhance the accessibility of qualitative research among a range of audiences and specifically: (1) provide an overview of what qualitative research is and the value it can bring...

Introduction Maintaining the welfare of cull dairy cows from the farm to slaughter is an ongoing challenge for the dairy industry. Recent research suggests that some cull dairy cows within the marketing system are in physical states that are below regulatory standards, and further research is required to determine why these unfit cows are found thr...

The objective of this narrative review was to compare the results of the 2015 Canadian National Dairy Study and the 2014 US National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) Dairy Studies, with a specific focus on calf management and welfare, and to interpret these findings within more recent calf health research to describe where we need to go next...

For the control of Johne's disease (JD), management practices to minimize disease transmission must be implemented and maintained. Once infected, animals will enter a latent phase and will typically only manifest clinical symptoms years later. As young calves are the main susceptible group on farm, the observed effects of management practices geare...

Surplus dairy calves and cull cows are often transported from the dairy farm to a variety of destinations and may experience compromised health and welfare in the process. Increasing interest in farm animal welfare by many stakeholders, including the public and policymakers, has brought about recent changes to livestock transport regulations in Can...

Simple Summary Impact of dystocia on milk production, somatic cell count, reproduction and culling in Holstein dairy cows. By Roche et al. The objective of this study was to explore the impact that dystocia had on future health and productivity of dairy cows. Data from 2159 cows from 21 different dairy farms in Alberta were collected and analyzed....

Johne's disease (JD) control is often based on the culling of positive animals and the adoption of management practices that minimize exposure of young stock to the pathogen (Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis). Throughout 2010 to 2013, the province of Ontario, Canada, instituted a voluntary Johne's control program consisting of whole-herd t...

The removal (culling) of dairy cows from the farm is a regular and required management practice. The main objectives of this study were to describe the involvement of bovine veterinarians in Ontario, Canada, in dairy cull cow management decisions, their expectations of current producer practices, and their perspectives on welfare issues and best ma...

Current systems for managing surplus dairy calves are wrought with ethical and animal welfare concerns. Resolving complex problems in the dairy industry requires engagement from dairy farmers and other stakeholders. The main objective of this case study was to pilot a novel methodology to deepen our understanding of how dairy producers envision the...

Johne's disease (JD) control is often based on the culling of positive animals and the adoption of management practices that minimize exposure of calves to the pathogen Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP). From 2010 to 2013, Ontario, Canada, instituted a voluntary Johne's control program consisting of whole-herd testing and a Risk Asses...

Removal of cows from dairy cattle production is a routine and unavoidable practice of the dairy industry and is often referred to as culling. The objectives of this study were to use a survey to describe current on-farm cull cow management, farmers' perception of cull cows' journeys to slaughter, and the adoption of current recommendations and regu...

Lameness represents a significant management challenge in the dairy industry worldwide. In addition to farmers, many advisors are involved in lameness management, including veterinarians, hoof trimmers, and nutritionists. These advisors support farmers through lameness prevention practices, treatments, and advice, but little is known about how advi...

Lameness is a leading animal welfare concern in the dairy industry. Multiple stakeholders are involved in lameness management on a dairy farm, including farmers , hoof trimmers, and veterinarians. This study sought to explore perceptions of lameness, perceptions of roles in lameness management, and barriers to improved lameness management in these...

As part of broader actions to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR), health authorities have promoted the reduction of antimicrobial use (AMU) in food animals. Farmers' attitudes and receptivity to reduction of AMU appear to be variable and context specific. Our research objectives were to gain insight into Canadian dairy farmers' attitudes toward...

Providing optimal calf care remains a challenge on many dairy farms and has important implications for the future health, welfare, and productivity of male and female calves. Recent research suggests that male dairy calves receive a lower quality of care early in life than female calves, but further investigation is required to determine the factor...

The objective of this study was to determine communication preferences of dairy producers in Canada. A secondary objective was to evaluate social media engagement of dairy producers. A survey was administered to Canadian dairy producers between March and April, 2015 to collect information on current management practices on their farms. A total of 1...

Lameness is a leading animal welfare concern in the dairy industry as it is painful and impacts cow longevity in the herd. Multiple stakeholders are involved in lameness management on a dairy farm including farmers, hoof trimmers, and veterinarians. The objective of this study was to explore perceptions of lameness and barriers to improved lameness...

Failed transfer of passive immunity (FTPI) in dairy calves has substantial health consequences, but there have been no recently published estimates of the prevalence of FTPI on Ontario dairy farms. The major objectives of this cross-sectional study were to determine the level of FTPI in dairy calves across the province of Ontario and to determine c...

In Canada, registered veterinary technicians (RVTs) are highly trained, regulated professionals working as an integral part of the veterinary team, but there has been little work to quantify their impact on veterinary practices. The objectives of the study were to explore the utilization rates of RVTs and quantify the economic value that RVTs bring...

Considerable research has focused on identifying risk factors for intramammary infections, yet mastitis remains a pervasive disease on dairy farms. Increasingly, researchers are appreciating the role of dairy producer mindset in determining management style and thus udder health status of the herd. The objective of this study was to explore the att...

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Farmer decisions surrounding culling have an important effect on the health and welfare of cull cows. The objectives of this study were to describe the self-reported shipment behaviors of Canadian dairy producers and understand farmer perspectives on the factors that were most influential in their decision to cull a cow. A nationwide survey was adm...

The objective of this study was to describe mortality rates and euthanasia practices used for cows, heifer calves, and male dairy calves on Canadian dairy farms. An internet survey was administered to Canadian dairy producers between March and April 2015 to collect information on current management practices. Approximately 81% (867/1,076) and 63% (...

Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii CNCM I-1079 (SCB; Lallemand Animal Nutrition, Milwaukee, WI) in improving growth and fecal consistency in young dairy calves. Materials and Methods Male Holstein calves that arrived at a commercial rearing facility were randomly assigned to 1 o...

Background The initiation of lactation challenges the ability of the modern lactating cow to maintain calcium homeostasis, and typically results in a drop in blood calcium levels, leading to mobilization of calcium reserves from skeletal stores. As such, the recommendation to provide supplemental calcium at parturition to older cows has become an i...

The objective of this study was to perform a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) of a participatory extension model, called Ontario Focus Farms (FF), which was designed to facilitate the adoption of on-farm management practices to control Johne's disease (JD) on Ontario (ON) dairy farms. Partial budget models were developed to estimate the annual herd cost...

Johne’s disease (JD) is an untreatable disease of ruminants caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis. The long latent period and variable manifestation in clinical presentation poses some significant challenges in its detection and control on farms. JD results in economic losses from early culling and production loss due to chronic...

The dairy industry needs evidence-based solutions to mitigate painful procedures and conditions in dairy cattle. The objective of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetic properties of orally versus subcutaneously administered meloxicam in early-lactation dairy cattle. The study was conducted at a commercial dairy herd in southwestern Ontario,...

Free-roaming cats present a multidisciplinary challenge for wildlife conservation and feline welfare. Veterinary professionals are critical stake-holders in the issue of free-roaming cats, making it imperative that their attitudes and perspectives are well understood. In this study, we conducted an electronic survey of veterinarians practicing acro...

Setting The Inuit community of Rigolet experiences greater rates of self-reported acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) compared to southern Canada. Intervention A whiteboard video tool was collaboratively developed by Rigolet youth, community members, the research team and key regional stakeholders to share public health recommendations for reduci...

Bovine paratuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease of cattle caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). This is the first in a two-part review of the epidemiology and control of paratuberculosis in dairy herds. Paratuberculosis was originally described in 1895 and is now considered endemic among farmed cattle worldwide. M...

The initiation of lactation challenges the ability of the modern lactating cow to maintain calcium homeostasis, and typically results in a drop in blood calcium levels; leading to mobilization of calcium reserves from skeletal stores. As such, the recommendation to provide supplemental calcium at parturition to older cows has become an industry-sta...

Parturition is a painful event experienced by cows at the onset of lactation. This pain could lead to a reduced feed intake, altered metabolic and immunological status, and a host of other diseases that could seriously limit her productive herd lifespan. The objective of the current study was to assess the effect of administration of a single dose...

Verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) strains are the cause of food-borne and waterborne illnesses around the world. Traditionally, surveillance of the human population as well as the environment has focused on the detection of E. coli O157:H7. Recently, increasing recognition of non-O157 VTEC strains as human pathogens and the German O104:H4...

The first objective of this study was to investigate the public perceptions of private water and alternative sources with respect to safety, quality, testing and treatment in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Canada. The second objective was to provide public health practitioners with recommendations for improving knowledge translation (KT) efforts i...

The Ontario Johne's Education and Management Assistance Program (OJEMAP) is a dairy industry-funded Johne's disease (JD) control program launched in January 2010. The program offers dairy producers a one-time opportunity to test their adult cow herd for antibodies against Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) by use of a milk or blo...

A pooled analysis of seven cross-sectional studies from Newfoundland and Labrador, Waterloo and Hamilton Regions, Ontario and Vancouver, East Kootenay and Northern Interior Regions, British Columbia (2001 to 2007) was performed to investigate the drinking water consumption patterns of Canadians and to identify factors associated with the volume of...