Animal diseases - current and on the horizon

Animal diseases seem to be spreading more than ever. Globalization, more and more people on earth who are penetrating ever more remote regions and the changes in ecosystems caused by climate change are fueling this process. The Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI), Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, conducts research on the health and well-being of food-producing animals and on protecting people from infections that can be transmitted between animals and humans. The FLI is developing preventive measures, trying to establish better and faster diagnostics and creating the basis for modern control strategies to prevent the development and/or spread of viral infections. The prevention of the cross-border spread of animal diseases is increasingly in focus. Several factors, including global human mobility, trade and climate change, may impact emerging diseases. Recent examples of disease outbreaks in Europe illustrate the risks. Examples are here: BTV 8, Schmallenberg virus, West Nile fever, highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 and H7N7. The risk cannot be reduced to zero as outbreak predictability is limited, but close monitoring of the global animal health situation, improved surveillance (early detection, syndrome, risk-based surveillance, sentinel herds and citizen science) can help reduce the risks and limit the extent of outbreaks. The preservation of habitats and biodiversity are further protective measures that can be implemented.