Germany’s first foot and mouth disease outbreak in almost 40 years – and the EU’s first in more than a decade – sent shockwaves through the global meat and dairy sectors, resulting in import bans in at least 10 countries.
Rapid reactive measures, such as restrictions on movement, testing, vaccination and pre-emptive culling, have helped to contain the spread, with no new cases reported in the past fortnight.
But the outbreak and its repercussions are a stark reminder of the importance of disease preparedness – for outbreaks in animals as well as people. The unexpected reappearance in Europe of foot and mouth disease, which has seen an estimated €1 billion wiped off of the German livestock sector, reinforces the need for continued dialogue on animal health to proactively monitor and anticipate such threats going forward.
While Europe was quick to learn the lessons of the Covid-19 pandemic and establish new agencies for disease preparedness, the animal health sector is still something of an afterthought in these initiatives.
How can Europe protect itself against foot and mouth?
For example, the European Commission established the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) to ensure the EU is ready to tackle cross-border health threats. The animal medicines sector may provide input to the authority through its Joint Industrial Cooperation Forum but remains largely on the periphery despite the overlap between human and animal health, and the potential disruption from outbreaks of zoonotic diseases.
And while the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control also launched a Health Task Force in response to Covid-19, nothing similar exists for animal health, which is equally impactful in terms of health, food security and economic stability.
Minimising the role of animal health in disease preparedness is a serious oversight, not only because it ignores the potential impact outbreaks can have on European economies and animal welfare but because cross-species diseases also give rise to the threat of “disease X” – an as-yet unknown disease or mutation that could cause Covid-19-level disruption. Health authorities are already on alert over the possibility that bird flu could mutate to make human infection more likely.
The EU Animal Diseases Information System (ADIS) currently monitors and documents the spread of significant infectious animal diseases within Europe. However, a more proactive and integrated approach would reduce the casualties, costs and risks to public health when diseases such as foot and mouth disease appear.
One potential model for this can be found in Australia’s Joint Interagency Taskforce on exotic animal disease preparedness. This taskforce proactively generates quarterly reports on the status of exotic animal diseases and preparedness efforts, enabling a more anticipatory approach to potential outbreaks.
Disease control systems need bolstering
Implementing a similar European system could significantly bolster the ability to detect and respond to emerging animal disease threats, safeguarding both animal and public health.
At the very least, animal and public health authorities and relevant industries should maintain consistent and open communication channels to proactively identify and assess potential threats. Such collaboration should include critical data-sharing, alongside the development and implementation of strategies for rapidly deploying preventative measures, such as vaccination, quarantine, and biosecurity protocols, to mitigate the impact of emerging diseases on animal and human populations.
The precise origin of the recent foot and mouth disease outbreak in Germany has not yet been established but what is clear is that the risk of animal disease is never zero and Europe cannot afford to be complacent.
The animal health sector offers a wide range of preventative and predictive tools, including digital monitoring technology, rapid diagnostics, vaccines, and customised medicines, that can significantly reduce the risk of costly and disruptive disease outbreaks. But to maximise the effectiveness of these preventative measures, it is imperative that European agencies responsible for animal and public health work in lockstep with the animal health industry.
Only through a truly collaborative and integrated approach can we ensure the optimal use of available tools and effectively defend the health and well-being of both animals and people.
