Skip to main content
Download PDF
  • Research
  • Published:

Mixture model for inferring susceptibility to mastitis in dairy cattle: a procedure for likelihood-based inference

Genetics Selection Evolution volume 36, Article number: 3 (2004) Cite this article

Abstract

A Gaussian mixture model with a finite number of components and correlated random effects is described. The ultimate objective is to model somatic cell count information in dairy cattle and to develop criteria for genetic selection against mastitis, an important udder disease. Parameter estimation is by maximum likelihood or by an extension of restricted maximum likelihood. A Monte Carlo expectation-maximization algorithm is used for this purpose. The expectation step is carried out using Gibbs sampling, whereas the maximization step is deterministic. Ranking rules based on the conditional probability of membership in a putative group of uninfected animals, given the somatic cell information, are discussed. Several extensions of the model are suggested.

(To access the full article, please see PDF)

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Daniel Gianola

  2. Department of Animal Science, Agricultural University of Norway, P.O. Box 5025, 1432, Ås, Norway

    Daniel Gianola, Jørgen Øegård, Bjørg Heringstad & Gunnar Klemetsdal

  3. Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 50, 8830, Tjele, Denmark

    Daniel Sorensen, Per Madsen & Just Jensen

  4. Faculté de Médicine Vétérinaire, Université de Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium

    Johann Detilleux

Authors
  1. Daniel Gianola
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jørgen Øegård
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Bjørg Heringstad
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gunnar Klemetsdal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Daniel Sorensen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Per Madsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Just Jensen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Johann Detilleux
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniel Gianola.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gianola, D., Øegård, J., Heringstad, B. et al. Mixture model for inferring susceptibility to mastitis in dairy cattle: a procedure for likelihood-based inference. Genet Sel Evol 36, 3 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1186/1297-9686-36-1-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1297-9686-36-1-3

Keywords

Genetics Selection Evolution

ISSN: 1297-9686