Control of infectious diseases in dairy cattle

Introduction:
Animal tissues colonised with pathogenic organisms are said to be ‘infected’. This infection may evoke a host response in an attempt to remove the ‘causal’ agent. The presence of associated clinical signs is sometimes, but not always, visible in live animals. Commonly, infection is subclinical, meaning no observable change occurs in the host, despite the potential for onward disease transmission. Infectious diseases in dairy cattle pose threats to food security, food safety, national economies, biodiversity and the rural environment. Challenges, such as climate change, regulatory developments, changes in the geographical concentration and size of livestock holdings, and increasing trade change the impact of dairy cattle diseases and the ways in which they can be controlled. New infections of environmental origin are inherently local, yet spread of infection among cattle can potentially be global. Responsibility for control may reside with governments or individual farmers, yet the principles of disease control are universal.
 

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