Fact Check 6: Livestock Disease Production Burdens

Does disease cause the preventable death of one in four young ruminants and one in ten mature ruminants?

Animal disease can impact the livestock sector both directly (for instance production losses, increased mortality and lost traction power for cropping) and indirectly (for instance market and trade disruptions, livelihood risks, zoonotic disease and food-borne illnesses). Experts suggest that these impacts are significant, particularly in low and middle income countries (LMICs), where income and nutrition from livestock is critical for development, and thus deserve greater attention from the global community. In particular, current understanding does not allow us to effectively answer questions such as: How much less milk do infected cows produce? How much less do infected goats weigh?

Header photo: Salmon, G. (SEBI)