B.AHE.0327-Priority list of endemic diseases for the red meat industry — 2022 update
Did you know the priority of endemic diseases list for the red meat industry has been updated?
| Project start date: | 14 February 2022 |
| Project end date: | 22 June 2022 |
| Publication date: | 21 July 2022 |
| Project status: | Completed |
| Livestock species: | Grain-fed Cattle, Grass-fed Cattle, Sheep, Goat, Lamb |
| Relevant regions: | National |
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Summary
This project updated the costliest endemic diseases and conditions for the Australian beef cattle and sheep meat industries from the previous 2015 report. The 2015 report identified 17 cattle and 23 sheep diseases, this report presents 18 cattle and 22 sheep diseases. One cattle disease (bovine Johne’s disease) was removed from the priority list, and hydatids and trichomoniasis were added to the cattle disease priority list. For sheep, no new diseases were promoted, but sarcocystis was demoted to a minor impact disease.
Parasites - buffalo fly, ticks and internal parasites — dominate the costs to the beef industry with each costing industry more than $100M per year.
The major diseases that impact the sheep industry are associated with perinatal lamb mortality. Analysed separately, but closely associated with peri-natal losses are dystocia and mastitis which are effectively subsets of peri-natal lamb mortality but also include ewe mortality. All these diseases cost more than $100M per year.
Objectives
This report is an update of the 2015 Priority list of endemic diseases of the red meat industry to inform decision making at farm, industry and research level.
Key findings
The updated priority list of diseases for 2022 was increased to 18 for cattle but reduced to 22 sheep diseases. For cattle, bovine Johne’s disease was removed the list but hydatids and trichomoniasis were added. For sheep, the list of priority diseases reduced to 22. Sarcocystis was removed from the list primarily because the prevalence sarcocystis reported in the National Sheep Health Monitoring Project has declined substantially.
In order of total cost to cattle producers the priority list of diseases is buffalo fly, cattle tick, internal parasites, pestivirus (or BVDV), neonatal calf mortality, dystocia, bloat, vibriosis, botulism, clostridial disease, bovine ephemeral fever, grass tetany, calf scours, theileriosis, trichomoniasis, infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (pinkeye), hydatids and tick fever. Parasites predominate the highest costing cattle diseases.
In order of total cost to sheep producers, the priority list of diseases is peri-natal lamb mortality, internal parasites, dystocia, flystrike, weaner illthrift, mastitis, perennial ryegrass toxicosis, arthritis, footrot (virulent and benign), ovine Johne’s disease, hypocalcaemia, liver fluke, clostridial diseases, pneumonia, pregnancy toxaemia, caseous lymphadenitis, bacterial enteritis, campylobacter abortion, pyrrolizidine alkaloidosis, foot abscess and sheep measles. The costliest disease that impacts the sheep industry is peri-natal lamb mortality.
The results of the estimated annual economic cost of the priority diseases for cattle and sheep are presented graphically in the report.
Benefits to industry
The update of the priority list of endemic diseases of the beef cattle and sheep meat industry provides a necessary update to guide decision making by producers and industry on individual diseases. The series of reports provides a valuable resource for evaluating trends in disease impacts.
Future research
The absolute and relative impact of disease costs alongside an estimate of the gains from improved control (where possible) combined with a knowledge gap analysis will underpin the assessment of future research and extension proposals. This information will also guide research institutions into researching knowledge gaps providing greatest benefit for industry and help with funding applications by guiding research proposal cost-benefit estimates.
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For more information Contact Project Manager: Michael Laurence |
