Helle Stege

Helle Stege, DVM, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences. Her expertise lies in swine medicine, veterinary epidemiology, and disease control, with a particular focus on production, nutrition, health, and animal welfare. She has built a distinguished career researching intestinal pathogens in pig herds, salmonella surveillance, and pharmaco-epidemiology.

Dr. Stege earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from the Royal Danish Veterinary and Agricultural University (RVAU) in 1992 and completed her PhD in Veterinary Epidemiology in 2000 with a thesis on "Subclinical infection with Salmonella enterica in Danish slaughter pig herds. Prevalence and risk factors." She became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Public Health (ECVPH) in 2003 and of the European College of Porcine Health Management (ECPHM) in 2006.

Her research interests span veterinary epidemiology, swine health management, salmonella surveillance, pharmaco-epidemiology, animal disease control, veterinary public health, production animal medicine, and animal welfare. Dr. Stege has made significant contributions to understanding intestinal pathogens in pig herds, developing surveillance systems like VetStat for monitoring veterinary drug prescriptions, and investigating the dynamics of diseases such as Lawsonia intracellularis infection in Danish pig populations.

Analysis of Dr. Stege's recent publications reveals a strong focus on antimicrobial usage monitoring, disease prevention through vaccination, and the application of epidemiological methods to improve swine health and production efficiency. Her work increasingly incorporates digital tools for veterinary education and leverages large datasets from national registers to address critical issues in animal health and food safety. The interdisciplinary nature of her research connects veterinary medicine with public health concerns, particularly regarding antimicrobial resistance.

• Diplomate of the European College of Porcine Health Management (ECPHM), 2006
• Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Public Health (ECVPH), 2003
• Scientist of the Month "Anvendt Svineforskning", 2006

Dr. Stege has supervised numerous veterinary students and PhD candidates, focusing on practical swine health issues including omphalitis in piglets, ear necrosis in weaners, Lawsonia intracellularis infection dynamics, and gastric ulcers in sows. She serves on the editorial board of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and has been a peer reviewer for several prominent veterinary journals. Her work with the Danish Society of Veterinary Hyologists and other professional organizations demonstrates her commitment to advancing veterinary science and practice.

Dr. Stege leads research utilizing the Danish VetStat database and other national registries to investigate antimicrobial usage patterns, disease transmission, and the relationship between management practices and animal health outcomes. Her team collaborates with industry partners, government agencies, and international researchers to develop evidence-based approaches to swine health management and disease prevention.