Frontiers in Veterinary Science (Jul 2021)

Overview of Cattle Diseases Listed Under Category C, D or E in the Animal Health Law for Which Control Programmes Are in Place Within Europe

  • Jaka Jakob Hodnik,
  • Žaklin Acinger-Rogić,
  • Mentor Alishani,
  • Tiina Autio,
  • Ana Balseiro,
  • Ana Balseiro,
  • John Berezowski,
  • Luís Pedro Carmo,
  • Ilias Chaligiannis,
  • Beate Conrady,
  • Beate Conrady,
  • Lina Costa,
  • Iskra Cvetkovikj,
  • Ivana Davidov,
  • Marc Dispas,
  • Igor Djadjovski,
  • Elsa Leclerc Duarte,
  • Céline Faverjon,
  • Christine Fourichon,
  • Jenny Frössling,
  • Jenny Frössling,
  • Anton Gerilovych,
  • Jörn Gethmann,
  • Jacinto Gomes,
  • David Graham,
  • Maria Guelbenzu,
  • George J. Gunn,
  • Madeleine K. Henry,
  • Petter Hopp,
  • Hans Houe,
  • Elena Irimia,
  • Jožica Ježek,
  • Ramon A. Juste,
  • Emmanouil Kalaitzakis,
  • Jasmeet Kaler,
  • Selcuk Kaplan,
  • Polychronis Kostoulas,
  • Kaspars Kovalenko,
  • Nada Kneževič,
  • Tanja Knific,
  • Xhelil Koleci,
  • Aurélien Madouasse,
  • Alvydas Malakauskas,
  • Rene Mandelik,
  • Eleftherios Meletis,
  • Madalina Mincu,
  • Kerli Mõtus,
  • Violeta Muñoz-Gómez,
  • Mihaela Niculae,
  • Jelena Nikitović,
  • Matjaž Ocepek,
  • Marie Tangen-Opsal,
  • László Ózsvári,
  • Dimitrios Papadopoulos,
  • Theofilos Papadopoulos,
  • Sinikka Pelkonen,
  • Miroslaw Pawel Polak,
  • Nicola Pozzato,
  • Eglé Rapaliuté,
  • Stefaan Ribbens,
  • João Niza-Ribeiro,
  • Franz-Ferdinand Roch,
  • Liza Rosenbaum Nielsen,
  • Jose Luis Saez,
  • Søren Saxmose Nielsen,
  • Gerdien van Schaik,
  • Gerdien van Schaik,
  • Ebba Schwan,
  • Blagica Sekovska,
  • Jože Starič,
  • Sam Strain,
  • Petr Šatran,
  • Sabina Šerić-Haračić,
  • Lena-Mari Tamminen,
  • Hans-Hermann Thulke,
  • Ivan Toplak,
  • Erja Tuunainen,
  • Sharon Verner,
  • Štefan Vilček,
  • Ramazan Yildiz,
  • Inge M. G. A. Santman-Berends,
  • Inge M. G. A. Santman-Berends

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2021.688078
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8

Abstract

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The COST action “Standardising output-based surveillance to control non-regulated diseases of cattle in the European Union (SOUND control),” aims to harmonise the results of surveillance and control programmes (CPs) for selected cattle diseases to facilitate safe trade and improve overall control of cattle infectious diseases. In this paper we aimed to provide an overview on the diversity of control for these diseases in Europe. A selected cattle disease was defined as an infectious disease of cattle with no or limited control at EU level, which is not included in the European Union Animal health law Categories A or B under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2002. A CP was defined as surveillance and/or intervention strategies designed to lower the incidence, prevalence, mortality or prove freedom from a specific disease in a region or country. Passive surveillance, and active surveillance of breeding bulls under Council Directive 88/407/EEC were not considered as CPs. A questionnaire was designed to obtain country-specific information about CPs for each disease. Animal health experts from 33 European countries completed the questionnaire. Overall, there are 23 diseases for which a CP exists in one or more of the countries studied. The diseases for which CPs exist in the highest number of countries are enzootic bovine leukosis, bluetongue, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, bovine viral diarrhoea and anthrax (CPs reported by between 16 and 31 countries). Every participating country has on average, 6 CPs (min–max: 1–13) in place. Most programmes are implemented at a national level (86%) and are applied to both dairy and non-dairy cattle (75%). Approximately one-third of the CPs are voluntary, and the funding structure is divided between government and private resources. Countries that have eradicated diseases like enzootic bovine leukosis, bluetongue, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis and bovine viral diarrhoea have implemented CPs for other diseases to further improve the health status of cattle in their country. The control of the selected cattle diseases is very heterogenous in Europe. Therefore, the standardising of the outputs of these programmes to enable comparison represents a challenge.

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