Volume 12: Livestock Farming
9. Control of animal disease epidemics
Introduction

9.1 To control and eradicate livestock disease epidemics, coordinated action ona national basis among farmers, private vets and government veterinary servicesis required. The method of eradication has changed little since 1714, when an epidemic of rinderpest was stamped out by destroying all infected cattle, disinfecting cow byres, quarantining in-contact herds and controllingcattle movements. ¹

9.2 A critical step to be made before eradication measures can be required by government is for the disease to be made 'notifiable'. This chapter describes experience of disease epidemics and eradication programmes in the UK, focusing on notifiable diseases in cattle. The warble fly eradication programme, and its role in the widespread use of organophosphates on cattle in the early 1980s, is reviewed in Annex 1. The debate about organophosphates as a possible cause of BSE is discussed in vol. 2: Science.