Tools for animal health management
Author: Dr Mary-Louise Penrith
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.
Introduction
animal disease events so that they can be dealt with in
The aim of managing animal health is to minimise the
a timely fashion before they become a crisis.
negative
animal
Surveillance is a core responsibility of the government
production and welfare, trade in livestock and livestock
veterinary services, but in order to be effective the
products, and human health. It involves preventing
surveillance system must be able to tap all possible
outbreaks
managing
sources of information in the public and private sectors,
endemic diseases in cost-effective ways that minimise
including sources that provide relevant information on
their impact on production, trade, livelihoods and
human health and animal health events in wildlife
human health and prevent their spread to areas where
populations. Ideally, an animal disease surveillance
they are not endemic. The ability of animal health
network should exist that is coordinated by the
service providers in both the public and private sector
government veterinary services but has its roots at the
to effectively manage animal health depends on
level of the livestock farming community. Information
knowledge of the diseases involved and access to
management systems must be in place so that the
information and tools as required.
information gathered is handled as effectively as

Tools for managing animal health can be divided
possible and is available to be communicated in an
into three broad categories:
appropriate format at all levels, from reporting to
Tools for gathering and disseminating information
international organisations to providing feedback to all
about animal health
those who have supplied information and/or who need
Tools to support strategic planning for and
to know what the animal health situation is in their
evaluation of disease prevention and control
geographical area or field of interest.
interventions
diagnostic laboratory that is adequately equipped,
Tools used for disease prevention and control
staffed with skilled personnel, and with links to
interventions.
reference laboratories to enable specialised testing as



effects
of
of
animal
epidemic
diseases
diseases
and
on
A veterinary
required is indispensable to ensure the quality of
Tools for gathering and disseminating information
animal disease information
Animal disease surveillance as defined by the World
Organisation for Animal health (OIE) is ‘The systematic
Tools to support planning and evaluation
ongoing collection, collation and analysis of information
Various techniques have been developed to support
related to animal health and the timely dissemination of
planning of animal health management strategies and
information to those who need to know so that action
to monitor and evaluate animal health interventions.
can be taken’. A functional surveillance system should
These include risk analysis, which involves hazard
provide immediate information about any unusual
identification, risk assessment, risk management and
risk communication, in order to be able to identify
animal health risks and implement measures to
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mitigate them if deemed sufficiently serious in terms of

Web-based modules for degree purposes or CPD
their potential consequences to warrant intervention.
on
Recently, guidelines have been provided for the
management and managing animal diseases for
application
trade
of
risk
analysis
and
risk
mitigation
throughout livestock value chains, an approach that
has long been adopted in order to ensure that food
issues
are
that
influence
available
in
animal
which
health
objectives,
approaches, impacts and challenges are explored.

Web-based modules on high impact diseases
processing results in a safe product (HACCP), making
provide more detail on how individual diseases of
use of critical control points that are measurable and
importance are managed.
facilitate
auditing
and
certification.
Contingency

Web-based modules on the various tools used for
planning for animal disease outbreaks is strongly
animal health management provide more detail on
advocated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of
laboratory diagnostics, molecular applications,
the United Nations to ensure that countries are
passive
prepared if a disease emergency should arise; the
diseases
essence of contingency plans is that they should be
animal identification and traceability, disease
practical and their implementation feasible under the
freedom for countries, zones or compartments, the
conditions where they will be used. Mathematical
use of vaccination, the role of therapeutics and the
modelling is another technique that is increasingly used
principles of biosecurity.
in animal health and has proven particularly useful for

and
active
including
surveillance
participatory
for
animal
surveillance,
Web-based modules on zoonotic diseases explore
evaluating disease control interventions and comparing
the way those diseases manifest in and spread
them with other options to ensure that control was
between humans and animals.
achieved in the most effective and cost-effective way.

Web-based modules for CPD or degree purposes
Because the available data are not always entirely
on emerging and re-emerging diseases discuss
reliable, caution has been advised when modelling is
the drivers that have resulted in ‘new’ diseases,
used for planning interventions in an emergency
many of which are zoonotic, and the challenges
situation.
that occur when a ‘new’ disease emerges or an
old disease assumes new patterns.
Tools for disease prevention and control
The
tools
for
intervention
and
control

Web-based modules on livestock marketing and
include
trade provide insight into the challenges posed by
vaccination, chemotherapy and chemoprophylaxis, the
animal health issues that have to be overcome in
application of biosecurity measures, segregation of
order to support international trade in livestock
populations of different health status (the creation of
and livestock commodities.
disease-free zones or compartments), commoditybased trade, animal identification and traceability
(which has various uses but is clearly advantageous for
disease control), and natural resistance to specific
diseases or their vectors. Not all of the tools can be
applied in all circumstances, and very often a
combination of tools is required to achieve adequate
management of a disease.