An introduction to the planning and evaluation of disease control policy; Epidemiology: some basic concepts and definitions; The use of descriptive statistics in the presentation of epidemiological data; The epidemiological approach to investigating disease problems; Statistical methods in the analysis of epidemiological data; An introduction to the use of economics in the planning and evaluation of disease control programmes; Estimating the costs of diseases and the benefits of their control; Economics and decision-making in disease control policy; Modelling in veterinary epidemiology and economics.

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

This successful book, now in its third edition, continues to provide a comprehensive introduction to the role of epidemiology in veterinary medicine. Since the publication of the second edition there has been considerable expansion in the application of veterinary epidemiology: more quantitative methods are available, challenges such as the epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease in Europe in 2001 have required epidemiological investigation, and epidemiological analyses have taken on further importance with the emergence of evidence-based veterinary medicine. In this edition: Completely revised and expanded chapters; Increased attention given to the principles and concepts of epidemiology, surveillance, and diagnostic-test validation and performance; Many examples are drawn from both large and small animal medicine, and from the developing as well as the developed world This paperback edition includes a new section on risk analysis. Veterinary Epidemiology is an invaluable reference source for veterinary general practitioners, government veterinarians, agricultural economists and members of other disciplines interested in animal disease. It will also be essential reading for undergraduate and intermediate-level postgraduate students of epidemiology.