Europe has successfully controlled many livestock diseases over the years, but the threat of animal diseases is never truly over – and climate change is increasing this threat.

In 2023, the continent saw an outbreak of bluetongue virus that cost the Netherlands alone an estimated €200 million.

Earlier this year, Germany experienced its first foot-and-mouth outbreak in more than three decades, resulting in bans on German meat and dairy exports.

These recent outbreaks have underscored  the perennial threat of animal disease to the security of food, health, and economic systems across the continent. They cause massive losses to livestock farmers, present risks to human health, and damage food availability.

Perhaps most importantly, the danger of these diseases is predicted to grow as global warming changes Europe’s climate.

Take bluetongue virus, for instance. The disease is endemic to the tropics but began to migrate to Europe in the 1990s and has moved further north in the last decade as a result of rising temperatures, allowing for a virus adapted to warmer climates to thrive across Europe.

The shorter, milder winters have allowed for a longer transmission period for the virus. These changes are likely to be seen in other livestock diseases as well.

Sustainable future

Given these conditions, improving animal health is integral to ensuring a healthy, sustainable future for the livestock sector and all Europeans. As consultations continue on the European Union (EU) Animal Health Law and work starts on a sustainable livestock strategy, concrete measures to improve animal health should be at the centre.

This first means bringing the animal health sector, which represents the manufacturers of animal medicines, vaccines and other animal health products, to the table by allowing a regular and constructive dialogue with veterinary authorities.

The animal health sector can assist in achieving greater sustainability of livestock. Current strategies largely consist of shared principles and approaches amongst member states, but they lack the solid measures needed to make real impacts.[1]  This marks a huge blind spot in the potential strategy.

Animal health experts can offer actionable measures to improve animal health that will ultimately benefit all of Europe.

For example, investing in preventative tools allows governments to curb risks before they become full crises. This includes improving vaccinations, advancing disease surveillance and early warning systems, and implementing biosecurity upgrades and farm-level prevention practices.

Disease prevention is also critical for reducing the livestock sector’s emissions. Fewer losses mean fewer wasted resources and less resources needed to make up the difference.

It also reduces the need to cull animals and spend public money to compensate farmers for these losses.

Reducing disease levels also helps address concerns around antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which threatens the health of people and animals across the continent. AMR occurs when microorganisms no longer respond to antimicrobial treatments. While this can happen naturally, it is accelerated by the improper use of antimicrobial medicines in human and veterinary medicine.

 Thankfully, antimicrobial use in animals has dropped 53% in the EU since 2011, largely due to the dramatic increase in prevention products such as vaccines that reduce the need for antibiotics in the first place.

Supporting improved breeding can also help reduce the sector’s climate impact. This includes genomic testing to support farmers to select breeds for traits such as disease resistance, reduced emissions, and climate adaptation.

In New Zealand, for example, the government has been working with researchers to breed high-productivity, low-methane ruminants like sheep, which have produced 12% lower methane emissions than traditional breeds.

With more than 220 million ruminants in Europe, including innovative breeding approaches such as those in the Sustainable Livestock Strategy can make a big impact on the continent’s emissions.

Disease prevention

Disease prevention and breeding strategies go a long way to improving the sustainability of livestock farming from an environmental perspective, but they are also central to improving animal welfare and farm economics.

For example, new technologies such as sensors used to detect cows’ rumination can detect disease up to five days before clinical signs of the disease.

Calving prediction technologies give alerts from six to 12 hours in advance of calving, reducing calf mortality, and automatic feeding machines can be used to detect bovine respiratory disease in calves with high accuracy at least one day before clinical diagnosis.

Integrating policies on preventative measures, new technology use, and improved breeding, can offer exponential benefits for people and animals.

The EU is one of the world’s largest trading blocs, with nearly 450 million people relying on policymakers to protect them from economic and health crises.

 The continent cannot afford a passive approach to animal health and disease prevention, especially as animal diseases persist despite the measures already in place.

 An EU-wide strategy needs more than just shared principles and approaches. It needs tangible policies and best practices to be effective, covering the full livestock supply chain. Without decisive and inclusive action, the next major outbreak is not a question of “if” but “when”—and Europe cannot afford to be unprepared for “Disease X”.

Pierre Sultana is the Public Affairs Director of AnimalhealthEurope, which represents the manufacturers of animal medicines, vaccines and other animal health products in Europe.

Image Credits: pxfuel, Charyse Reinfelder.