Nordic-Baltic Seminar on Biosecurity, May 7-8 2014 Costs of endemic infectious diseases and preventive measures for such diseases in pigs and cattle Karin Persson Waller and Per Wallgren Department of animal health and antimicrobial strategies National Veterinary Institute
Health status of Swedish pigs and cattle? Good! Free from many severe contagious diseases Relatively low animal density But not free from diseases More or less severe endemic infectious diseases Animal suffering Economic losses
Examples current status dairy cattle Herd level - number of cases per 100 cow years (Signaler djurvälfärd, Svensk Mjölk, 2010) 10% lowest Median 10% highest All diseases 3 22 51 Mastitis 0 10 28 Calf mortality, 1 d 0 6 12 Calf mortality, 1d-60 d 0 0 12 Mortality, 6-15 mo 0 0 5 Dead/euthanized cows 0 5 11 Culling total 17 34 48
Examples current status - pigs Production results in different herd types 2009 (Wallgren et al, 2011) SPF (sero) Best 25% Mean Lowest 25% Born alive (/sow/year) 29,7 29,2 27,0 22,9 Weaned (/sow/year) 25,2 25,4 23,0 19,0 Delivered 30 kg (/sow/yr) 25,2 25,0 22,5 18,7 Slaughtered (/sow/year) 25,1 24,5 22,0 18,1 Age at 30 kg (days) 70 80 83 86 Age at slaughter (days) 141 171 181 192 Repeat breeders (%) 8,0 6,0 8,3 10,2 Abortions, estim (%) 0,2 1,0 1,5 2,0
Project 2011 Costs of diseases in farm animals (cattle and pigs) - literature reviews - own calculations Per Wallgren Marie Sjölund Cecilia Hultén Karin Persson Waller Kerstin de Verdier Mate Zoric Linda Ernholm Financed by the Swedish Board of Agriculture
Examples of diseases included in report Important endemic diseases affecting Respiratory tract Reproduction Milk production Locomotor system Digestive system
Cattle example: Costs of mastitis Dairy production Clinical mastitis, 2800 SEK/case Subclinical mastitis, 600 SEK/case Beef cow production Clinical mastitis, 1100 SEK/case Subclinical mastitis, 700 SEK/case (decrease in calf growth)
Cattle example: Mastitis Dairy production Clinical mastitis, 2800 SEK/case Subclinical mastitis, 600 SEK/case CM: 5, 15, 30% SCM: 25, 50, 75% Losses depend on herd size and disease incidence
Pig example: Costs of gut infections
Spädgrisdiarré Avvänjningsdiarré Lawsonia Dysenteri Economic losses due to gut infections are mainly caused by reduced growth and increased mortality Big variation between different diseases
Where can I find the report? Hur mycket kostar sjukdomar för lantbrukets djur? (In Swedish with English summary) www.sva.se Search words: Vad kostar sjukdomar
Project 2012 Costs for diseases in farm animals Costs for preventive measures in relation to expected benefits Per Wallgren PerArne Mattsson Peter Holmberg Magnus Harbom Karin Persson Waller Financed by the Swedish Board of Agriculture
Aim: Improving exterior and interior biosecurity of pig and cattle herds By various building measures in existing barn designs Prevent endemic contagious diseases Evaluate cost efficiency of suggested measures
And what did we do? One piglet producing herd One herd specialized in fattening pigs One dairy herd One herd specialized in beef production (weaned dairy breed calves)
Critical evaluation of designs NB!! Modern barns 1) Identification of possibilities for improvements 2) Suggestions for building measures to be performed - relevant for as many infectious diseases as possible 3) Evaluation of costs for the measures 4) Calculation of cost-efficiency of measures
Costs - depreciation plan 1) Direct depreciation 2) Depreciation over 5 years 3) Depreciation over 40 years
Potential benefits 1 A disease outbreak is avoided Disease outbreaks has a negative tail Avoided losses should be seen as an income
Potential benefits 2 Better production due to a lower level of infections
Sum effect (costs and benefits) It is the total effect of the three curves that is of interest for business economics!!!
Examples of identified deficiences Fattening pig production The manure is scraped to the culvert and then self flows to the pump well, which lacks functioning water seal The manure is stored in a manure well in close association with the pump well, transport to fields via within herd roads not separate from other within herd transports The building lacks entrance for personnel and visitors Bedding is stored in gable and transported into the buildings via the animal loading ramp. Intransportation of new pigs is done via the central corridor in the middle of the building Out-transportation of pigs is, in two sections, done via another section No wash basin and boot wash in corridor and stable sections No functioning culvert ventilation Sick boxes lack whole walls and gates towards neighbouring boxes with growing healthy pigs
Improvements considered possible to perform Fattening pig production Building of a relevant personnel passage joining to a clean central alley. The central alley is placed where the animals previously entered the herd Bedding is also transported via this central alley to avoid contamination between sections All doors from the central alley are locked except one door per unit Wash basins and boot wash are added at each unit Building of one loading out section per building half to ensure that loading out can occur separately from each section Separate intransportation to each unit made possible by using the the separate loading bays Strategic planning of roads to avoid crossing of clean and dirty traffic For details regarding improvements, see table 10:1 10.5 in report under the section Detaljinformation rörande byggnadsåtgärder för att förbättra smittskyddet.
The calculation Specification, all wanted measures Acquisition costs Costs incl interest Transports 75 000 81 875 Personnel and visitors 468 000 919 950 Other external biosecurity and feed 150 000 159 750 Internal spread of infections between 830 000 470 000 animals Spread of infections via manure and moving 519 375 345 000 animals Costs for all suggestions 1 508 000 2 510 950 Measures that will not be performed Will not install mechanic spread of bedding 600 000
The calculation (depreciation) Specification of suggested measures Total costs incl interest (SEK) Average yearly cost incl interest during different time intervals Yr 1 Yr 2-5 Yr 6-40 Transports 81 875 37 875 11 000 0 Personnel and 919 950 40 219 35 362 21 093 visitors Other exterior 159 750 106 950 13 200 0 biosecurity and feed Spread of infections 830 000 94 431 40 337 16 406 between animals Spread of infections via manure and animal movements 519 365 58 931 53 587 7 031 Total costs 2 510 950 338 406 153 486 44 530
The calculation
Sum effect It is the total effect of the curves that is of interest for business economics!!!
Examples of identified deficiences: Milk production No VIP-group for late pregnant cows and heifers Not easy and close to move late pregnant animals to calving area Group calving box Combined calving and treatment boxes The calving area is exposed to draught The calving area is too far from the service section Placement of newly calved cows rather far from milking Not possible to group lactating cows due to udder health Separation/treatment box after milking poorly closed off Unclear place for sick animals in different animal groups Drivable feeding table with sweeping from driving area Wheeldriven transportation of bedding to cubicles No hoof bath Few possibilities for hand and boot wash Hard surface in all alleys and waiting area Manure scrapes with poor efficiency.
Improvements considered possible to perform: Milk production Road signs and changes of transport roads Rebuilding of personnel area and visitors entrance Bird netting and remote control of doors Improvement of separation box Rebuilding of calving area Rebuilding of calf areas Installation of wash basins and boot washing places Installation of rail wagon for bedding Change to mattresses in cubicles Installation of claw bath Exchange of manure scrapes Installation of rubber flooring at feed area and in waiting area Installation of culvert ventilation Details regarding suggested changes and other improvements not performed are given in table 10:1-10:5 of the section.
The calculation Specification of suggested measures Acquisition costs (SEK) Total costs incl interest (SEK) Buying of animals and recruitment 0 0 Transports 75 000 81 875 Personnel and visitors 160 000 305 375 Other exterior biosecurity and feed 95 000 104 375 Spread of infections 2 562 000 4 359 000 between animals Total costs 2 892 000 4 850 625
Sum effect It is the total effect of the curves that is of interest for business economics!!!
How to read the report? Start by reading the summary Then read the general section (8 pp) and the general final discussion (3 pp) Then read the specific parts of interest
How to use the report? Make a similar analysis of your herd as the one done in the specific sections Use the tables of measures and costs for those in the report, but adapt them to your herd Use the detailed information on economic calculations, but adapt them to your herd
Where can I find this report? Kostnader för sjukdomar inom lantbruket II. Beräkningar av kostnader för förebyggande smittskyddsåtgärder i relation till förväntad nytta inom gris- och nötkreatursproduktion (In Swedish with English summary) www.sva.se Search words: Vad kostar sjukdomar
Concluding remarks Bigger and bigger herds Economical consequences of infectious diseases increase with herd size More difficult to implement measures to control diseases in large herds
Concluding remarks The reports may visualize and economically motivate benefits of introducing preventive biosecurity measures Costs for measures should be related to expected benefits Value of benefits should be related to investments using principles of business economics If calculations suggest a long-term positive economical outcome contribute to increased activities in disease preventing measures
Concluding remarks More knowledge is needed on Efficiency of specific preventive measures Cost efficiency of specific preventive measures Preferably under conditions relevant for the country/region etc All farms are unique health, economy etc Motivation of farmers to make changes
Final concluding remark Make correct barn designs from the start! It is cheaper to do the right things from the start i.e. when planning new buildings or when rebuilding
THANKYOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!!