VPK 4620 VETERINARY EPIDEMIOLOGY

FACULTY OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

SEM II 2021-2022
Date: MAY 9th 2022
DUE DATE for Q2 and Q3 is Monday 4th July 2022
Tutorial II
Basic statistic in epidemiology

Goals: calculate and understand the application of basic statistics to measure disease morbidity and
mortality in a population

1. Information from a 20 cattle farms randomly selected from five states in Peninsular Malaysia in 2015
include this information: Assume that results correctly infer cattle population in Peninsular Malaysia.
• Total cattle population mid-year of 2015 = 120,000
• Total deaths from various causes/agents = 5,000
• Number of animals tested for bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) = 20,000
• Number of animals positive for BVD = 550
• Number of cattle died due to BVD among tested = 50

i. Calculate and interpret the annual mortality rate from various causes.
5,000 /120,000 = 0.0417 x 1,000 =42.
Interpretation: The death rate due to various causes among cattle in Malaysia is 42 per 1,000.

ii. Calculate and interpret the BVD specific mortality.

50/20,000 = 0.0025 x 10,000 = 25
Interpretation: The BVD death rate among cattle in Malaysia is 25 per 10,000.

iii. Calculate and interpret the BVD prevalence.

550/20,000 = 2.75%,
Interpretation: This shows 2.75% of cattle population in Malaysia were positive for BVD or
have been exposed to BVD.

iv. Calculate and interpret the BVD case-fatality rate.

(50/550) x100 = 9.09%.
Interpretation: This shows that 9.09% of the cattle that were diagnosed with BVD in 2015 died
from the disease.

v. In 2016, the same animals were tested again for BVD. The number of cattle positive for BVD
was 700. Calculate the prevalence and cumulative incidence.
The prevalence for the year 2016 is: (700/20,000) x 100 =3.5%.
Cummulative incidence= No. of new events/No. at risk at the start of observation
= (700-550)/20,000 = 150/20,000 = 0.0075 x 10,000 =75
Interpretation: The shows that 75 per 10,000 cattle at risk were positive for BVD over the course
of one year.

SCLI/VPK 4620/sem II 2021-2022

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 2. Assume that overall mortality rate is 20% in Farm A and Farm B. For each calculation b, interpret your
findings and state how this information is useful.
FARM A FARM B
Age No animals No. deaths from No. animals NO. deaths due to
disease Z disease Z
1-6months 8000 69 5000 48
>6months 11000 115 3000 60

a. Calculate the proportionate mortality from disease Z for Farm B.

b. Calculate the age-specific mortality rate from Disease Z in Farm A.
c. Calculate the overall cause-specific mortality rate for Disease Z.

3. You are interested in determining the frequency of feline leukemia virus (FeLV) infection in a cattery.
The cattery has a total cat population of 50 and you bled all cats on January 15th, Jun 15, Dec 15th 2008
and Jan 15th, Jun 15th and Dec 15th 2009 and test for FeLV. The dark line in the figure below represents
timeline where FeLV was detected in the cat. Other cats not in figure were tested negative throughout
the period.

CatID

2
11
20
30
48

2008 2009
JAN 15TH JUN 5th DEC 15th JAN 15th JUN 15th DEC 15th
FeLV detected
FeLV positive cat died
FeLV positive cat recovered

a. Calculate the point prevalence on Jan 15th 2008? Interpret.

b. Calculate the period prevalence between Jan 15th 2008 to Dec 15th 2009. Interpret.
c. Calculate the cumulative incidence (incidence proportion) between Jan 15th 2008 to Jan 15th 2009.
Interpret.

Note: If you think there are any errors in the numbers, feel free to alert me.

SCLI/VPK 4620/sem II 2021-2022

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