Dorte Dopfer
Department of Medical Sciences
Office: 2002
Education
- I teach the Applied Epidemiology Elective during Fall of each year. The course is a 2-week rotation for fourth year veterinary students and MPH students.
Research
My research interests are focused on veterinary epidemiology, Food Safety and Global Health. Applied mathematical modeling for the emergence and persistence of verotoxinogenic Escherichia coli (VTEC, syn. STEC) in the bovine reservoir is my particular area of research.
Interdisciplinary communication to optimize the communication and interaction between multidisciplinary researchers and their policy makers and stake holders represents a second area of research that I am working in.
Finally, bovine lameness and the epidemiology of digital dermatitis (heel warts) in cattle has lead to research about the best-practice for hoofbathing to prevent and control digital dermatitis in cattle at the lowest cost and best efficiency.
Clinical Interests
The best practice and management of hoofbaths to control and prevent digital dermatitis in cattle is linked to the modern paradox of animal husbandry in relation to lameness (Dopfer and Bonino 2008). It is therefore my aim to link applied mathematical modeling to the spread of infectious diseases such as claw diaseases and especially digital dermatitis in order to promote this interdisciplinary approach during the training of animal health managers such as veterinary students, veterinarians, hoof trimmers, farmers and other stakeholders. In addition, defining data-based standards for elite dairy herds applying innovative statistics and modeling approaches to end-uder oriented communication of results are at the focus of my interests.
Graduate Training
Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany, Veterinary medicine, Veterinary surgeon, 1992
University of Hannover, Germany, Veterinary medicine, DVM, 1994
Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands, Veterinary epidemiology, MSc, 1994
Utrecht University, Academic teaching degree, 1999
Utrecht University, Veterinary microbiology, PhD, 2000
Recent Publications
Gomez A., Cook N.B., Bernardoni N.D., Rieman J., Dusick A.F., Hartshorn R., Socha M.T., Read D.H., Döpfer D. (2011), An Experimental Infection Model to Induce Digital Dermatitis Infection in Cattle. accepted for publication in JDS 2012
Anklam K., Kanakege K.S.T., Gonzales T.K., Kaspar C.W., Döpfer D. (2011);
Rapid and reliable detection of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli by real-time multiplex PCR, accepted for publication in J of Food Protection 2012
Hanson L.A., Zahn E.A., Wild S.R., Döpfer D., Scott J., Stein C. (2011). Estimating global mortality from potentially foodborne diseases - an analysis using vital registration data, accepted for publication in Population Health Metrics 2012
Newell D.G., Elvers K.T., Döpfer D., Hansson I., Jones P., James S., Gittins J., Stern N.J., Davies R., Connerton I., Pearson D., Salvat G., Allen V.M. Biosecurity-Based Interventions and Strategies To Reduce Campylobacter spp. on Poultry Farms. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2011 Dec;77(24):8605-14. Epub 2011 Oct 7. PMID: 21984249 [PubMed - in process]
Gonzales TK, Kulow M, Park DJ, Kaspar CW, Anklam KS, Pertzborn KM, Kerrish KD, Ivanek R, Döpfer D (2011). A high-throughput open-array qPCR gene panel to identify, virulotype, and subtype O157 and non-O157 enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli. Mol Cell Probes. 2011 Oct;25(5-6):222-30. Epub 2011 Sep 10. PMID: 21925264 [PubMed - in process]
Döpfer D, Geue L, Schares S, Mintel B, Hoffmann B, Fischer EA (2011). Dynamics of shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and their virulence factors in cattle. Prev Vet Med. 2011 Sep 13. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 21920615 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Gautam R, Bani-Yaghoub M, Neill WH, Döpfer D, Kaspar C, Ivanek R (2011). Modeling the effect of seasonal variation in ambient temperature on the transmission dynamics of a pathogen with a free-living stage: example of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in a dairy herd. Prev Vet Med. 2011 Oct 1;102(1):10-21. Epub 2011 Jul 20. PMID: 21764472 [PubMed - in process]
Bani-Yaghoub M, Gautam R, Döpfer D, Kaspar CW, Ivanek R (2011). Effectiveness of environmental decontamination as an infection control measure. Epidemiol Infect. 2011 May 18:1-12. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 21676360 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Berry SL, Read DH, Famula TR, Mongini A, Döpfer D (2011). Long-term observations on the dynamics of bovine digital dermatitis lesions on a California dairy after topical treatment with lincomycin HCl, accepted for publication in TVJ
Pires SM, Evers EG, van Pelt W, Ayers T, Scallan E, Angulo FJ, Havelaar A, Hald T (2009). Med-Vet-Net Workpackage 28 Working Group. Attributing the human disease burden of foodborne infections to specific sources.
Foodborne Pathog Dis. 2009 May;6(4):417-24. Review. PMID: 19415971. Döpfer, D. is part of Work Package 5 in Med-Vet-Net.
White LJ, Schukken YH, Dogan B, Green L, Döpfer D, Chappell MJ, Medley GF (2009). Modelling the dynamics of intramammary E. coli infections in dairy cows: understanding mechanisms that distinguish transient from persistent infections.
Vet Res. 2010 Mar-Apr;41(2):13; PMID: 19840536
DÖPFER, D., C. SEKSE, L. BEUTIN, L., H. SOLHEIM, F.J. van der WAL, A. De BOER, Y. WASTESON, A.M. URDAHL (2009). Pathogenic potential and horizontal gene transfer in ovine gastrointestinal Escherichia coli. J Appl Microbiol. 2010 May;108(5):1552-62. Epub 2009 Oct 7.PMID: 19863689
TEUNIS, P.F.M., M.T.M. FOINVILLE, D. DÖPFER, I.A.J.M. EIJCK, V. MOLINA, E. GUARNERA, J.W.B.van der GIESSEN (2009). Usefulness of sero-surveillance for Trichinella infections in animal populations. Vet Parasitol. 2009 Feb 23;159(3-4):345-9; PMID: 19070966 Doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2008.10.071