The economic benefits of targeted response strategies against foot-and-mouth disease in Australia.

Recent developments in control of highly infectious diseases attempt to improve emergency response efforts by more clearly focusing or targeting response tools according to risk. For example, advances in surveillance testing and sampling deliver their results by more accurately and precisely targeting the population of interest. In this work, targeted implementation of trading zones and vaccination were examined for simulated outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Australia.

Comparing surveillance approaches to support regaining free status after a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

Following an FMD eradication program, surveillance will be required to demonstrate that the program has been successful. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) provides guidelines including waiting periods and appropriate surveillance to support regaining FMD-free status. Serological surveillance is the recommended method for demonstrating freedom but is time consuming and expensive.

Assessment of the economic impact of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome on swine production in the United States.

Objective: To estimate the annual cost of infections attributable to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus to US swine producers.

Design: Economic analysis.

Sample Population: Data on the health and productivity of PRRS-affected and PRRS-unaffected breeding herds and growing-pig populations were collected from a convenience sample of swine farms in the midwestern United States.

Risk factors associated with herd-level exposure of cattle in Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota to bluetongue virus.

Objective: To evaluate herd-level risk factors for seropositive status of cattle to 1 or more bluetongue viruses.

Animals: 110 herds of cattle in Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Procedure: Blood samples were collected before and after the vector season.

Potential revenue impact of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the United States.

Objective: To estimate potential revenue impacts of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the United States similar to the outbreak in the United Kingdom during 2001.

Design: Economic analysis successively incorporating quarantine and slaughter of animals, an export ban, and consumer fears about the disease were used to determine the combined impact.

Sample Population: Secondary data for cattle, swine, lambs, poultry, and products of these animals.