Two Is Better Than One: Rethinking Neonatal Housing To Evaluate Disease Prevalence And Enhance Future Dairy Performance In A Longitudinal Study.
When considering dairy calves and their role in the dairy economy, it is impossible to overlook the impact of enteric and respiratory diseases, which remain the major causes of morbidity and mortality in the early stages of life.
These conditions inevitably impair long-term productivity and reproductive performance. Housing and management practices are among the many variables contributing to the multifactorial nature of these diseases.
The objectives of this PhD project are to:
I. Determine the prevalence of enteric and respiratory diseases during the neonatal, pre- and post-weaning periods through etiological investigations and clinical findings.
II. Assess the differences associated with housing type, comparing individual housing vs. small group housing (2 calves).
III. Investigate the role of local immunity and surfactant in modulating the host’s response to major respiratory pathogens.
IV. Examine the effects of different housing types (individual vs. pair) on growth parameters, productivity, and reproductive performance in adult animals.
It is hypothesized that housing multiple animals in the same box may increase the risk of pathogen transmission, but that the immune system and the host’s response may help reduce the incidence of clinically evident disease.
The welfare benefits of group housing can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality rates, contributing to improved milk production and reproductive performance, while also leading to a substantial decrease in antimicrobial usage.
Graduation in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Milan – October 2023, with a thesis on the Prevalence and Epidemiology of Neospora caninum in Dairy Cattle Farming in Lombardy.
Undergraduate and postgraduate fellowship period at the Ruminant and Swine Clinic of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Milan (2021-2025).
Fellow researcher type B involved in the National Research Project (PRIN) entitled “The sheep as a translational model to study structural, biochemical and behavioral changes associated to brain aging” (2023-2024).
Post-graduate scholarship holder, engaged in a project entitled “Proposal for a Welfare Assessment System in Horses (BENEqui)” (2025).
Deep interest in ruminants internal medicine, animal welfare and public health.
Publications: Orcid
Supervisor Prof. Paolo Moroni
Co-supervisor Prof. Davide Pravettoni
