• Particular focus on prerequisites required for effective herd health management (HHM) programmes, including understanding bovine disease epidemiology, improving disease surveillance (including the use of sensors), data-driven decision-making based on cow health records, as well as advances in understanding and optimising immune response
• Reviews HHM issues across the dairy cow life cycle, from reproduction and calf health to the transition stage and replacement of stock
• Shows how HHM programmes can work in practice for particular conditions, from udder and hoof health to preventing metabolic disorders, bacterial and viral diseases as well as parasitic infections

Part 1 Principles
1.Key issues in dairy herd health management: John Remnant, James Breen, Peter Down, Chris Hudson and Martin Green, University of Nottingham, UK;
2.Key issues and challenges in disease surveillance in dairy cattle: Lorenzo E. Hernández-Castellano, Klaus L. Ingvartsen and Mogens A. Krogh, Aarhus University, Denmark;
3.Advances in techniques for health monitoring/disease detection in dairy cattle: Michael Iwersen and Marc Drillich, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria;
4.Data-driven decision support tools in dairy herd health: Victor E. Cabrera, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA;

Part 2 Prerequisites
5.Advances in understanding immune response in dairy cattle: Bonnie Mallard, Mehdi Emam, Shannon Cartwright, Tess Altvater-Hughes, Alexandra Livernois, Lauri Wagter-Lesperance, Douglas C. Hodgins and Heba Atalla, University of Guelph, Canada; Brad Hine, CSIRO Livestock & Aquaculture, Australia; Joshua Aleri, Murdoch University, Australia; and Andrew Fisher, University of Melbourne, Australia;
6.Dairy cattle welfare and health: an intimate partnership: Clive Phillips, Curtin University Sustainable Policy (CUSP) Institute, Australia;

Part 3 Health at different stages in the life cycle
7.Optimising reproductive management to maximise dairy herd health and production: Norman B. Williamson, Massey University, New Zealand;
8.Managing dry cow udder health: Päivi J. Rajala-Schultz, University of Helsinki, Finland; and Tariq Halasa, University of Copenhagen, Denmark;
9.Managing calves/young stock to optimise dairy herd health: John F. Mee, Teagasc, Ireland;
10.Managing replacement and culling in dairy herds: Albert De Vries, University of Florida, USA;

Part 4 Particular health issues
11.Optimising udder health in dairy cattle: Theo J. G. M. Lam, Royal GD Animal Health and Utrecht University, The Netherlands; and Sarne De Vliegher, M-team, Ghent University and MEX™, Belgium;
12.Optimising foot health in dairy cattle: Nick J. Bell, The University of Nottingham, UK;
13.Preventing bacterial diseases in dairy cattle: Sharif S. Aly and Sarah M. Depenbrock, University of California-Davis, USA;