1
|
Marschik T, Kopacka I, Stockreiter S, Schmoll F, Hiesel J, Höflechner-Pöltl A, Käsbohrer A, Conrady B. What Are the Human Resources Required to Control a Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak in Austria? Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:727209. [PMID: 34778427 PMCID: PMC8580879 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.727209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Contingency planning allows veterinary authorities to prepare a rapid response in the event of a disease outbreak. A recently published foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) simulation study indicated concerns whether capacity was sufficient to control a potential FMD epidemic in Austria. The objectives of the study presented here were to estimate the human resources required to implement FMD control measures and to identify areas of the operational activities that could potentially delay successful control of the disease. The stochastic spatial simulation model EuFMDiS (The European Foot-and-Mouth Disease Spread Model) was used to simulate a potential FMD outbreak and its economic impact, including different control scenarios based on variations of culling, vaccination, and pre-emptive depopulation. In this context, the utilization of human resources was assessed based on the associated EuFMDiS output regarding the performance of operational activities. The assessments show that the number of personnel needed in an outbreak with a stamping-out policy would reach the peak at the end of the second week of control with a median of 540 (257–926) individuals, out of which 31% would be veterinarians. Approximately 58% of these human resources would be attributable to surveillance, followed by staff for cleaning and disinfection activities. Our analysis demonstrates that, of the operational activities, surveillance personnel were the largest factor influencing the magnitude of the outbreak. The aim of the assessment presented here is to assist veterinary authorities in the contingency planning of required human resources to respond effectively to an outbreak of animal diseases such as FMD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Marschik
- Unit of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, Institute of Food Safety, Food Technology and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.,Division for Animal Health, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Mödling, Austria
| | - Ian Kopacka
- Division for Data, Statistics and Risk Assessment, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Graz, Austria
| | - Simon Stockreiter
- Department for Animal Health and Animal Disease Control, Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection, Vienna, Austria
| | - Friedrich Schmoll
- Division for Animal Health, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Mödling, Austria
| | - Jörg Hiesel
- Department of Veterinary Administration, Styrian Provincial Government, Graz, Austria
| | - Andrea Höflechner-Pöltl
- Department for Animal Health and Animal Disease Control, Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection, Vienna, Austria
| | - Annemarie Käsbohrer
- Unit of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, Institute of Food Safety, Food Technology and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Beate Conrady
- Unit of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, Institute of Food Safety, Food Technology and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Complexity Science Hub, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bradhurst R, Garner G, Hóvári M, de la Puente M, Mintiens K, Yadav S, Federici T, Kopacka I, Stockreiter S, Kuzmanova I, Paunov S, Cacinovic V, Rubin M, Szilágyi J, Kókány ZS, Santi A, Sordilli M, Sighinas L, Spiridon M, Potocnik M, Sumption K. Development of a transboundary model of livestock disease in Europe. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:1963-1982. [PMID: 34169659 PMCID: PMC9545780 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological models of notifiable livestock disease are typically framed at a national level and targeted for specific diseases. There are inherent difficulties in extending models beyond national borders as details of the livestock population, production systems and marketing systems of neighbouring countries are not always readily available. It can also be a challenge to capture heterogeneities in production systems, control policies, and response resourcing across multiple countries, in a single transboundary model. In this paper, we describe EuFMDiS, a continental‐scale modelling framework for transboundary animal disease, specifically designed to support emergency animal disease planning in Europe. EuFMDiS simulates the spread of livestock disease within and between countries and allows control policies to be enacted and resourced on a per‐country basis. It provides a sophisticated decision support tool that can be used to look at the risk of disease introduction, establishment and spread; control approaches in terms of effectiveness and costs; resource management; and post‐outbreak management issues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard Bradhurst
- Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Graeme Garner
- European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, FAO, Rome, Italy
| | - Márk Hóvári
- European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, FAO, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria de la Puente
- European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, FAO, Rome, Italy
| | - Koen Mintiens
- European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, FAO, Rome, Italy
| | - Shankar Yadav
- European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, FAO, Rome, Italy
| | - Tiziano Federici
- European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, FAO, Rome, Italy
| | - Ian Kopacka
- Division for Data, Statistics and Risk Assessment, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Graz, Austria
| | - Simon Stockreiter
- Division for Data, Statistics and Risk Assessment, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Graz, Austria
| | | | | | - Vladimir Cacinovic
- Veterinary Inspection and Control of Food Safety Sector, State Inspectorate, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Martina Rubin
- Veterinary and Food Safety Directorate, Ministry of Agriculture, Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | | | - Annalisa Santi
- Veterinary Epidemiology Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna
| | - Marco Sordilli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Sighinas
- National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mihaela Spiridon
- National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Marko Potocnik
- Animal Health and Animal Welfare Division Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Keith Sumption
- European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, FAO, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Marschik T, Kopacka I, Stockreiter S, Schmoll F, Hiesel J, Höflechner-Pöltl A, Käsbohrer A, Pinior B. The Epidemiological and Economic Impact of a Potential Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak in Austria. Front Vet Sci 2021; 7:594753. [PMID: 33521078 PMCID: PMC7838521 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.594753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
An outbreak of foot-and mouth disease (FMD) in an FMD-free country such as Austria would likely have serious consequences for the national livestock sector and economy. The objective of this study was to analyse the epidemiological and economic impact of an FMD outbreak in Austria in order to (i) evaluate the effectiveness of different control measures in two Austrian regions with different livestock structure and density, (ii) analyse the associated costs of the control measures and the losses resulting from trade restrictions on livestock and livestock products and (iii) assess the resources that would be required to control the FMD outbreak. The European Foot-and-Mouth Disease Spread Model (EuFMDiS) was used to simulate a potential FMD outbreak. Based on the epidemiological outputs of the model, the economic impact of the outbreak was assessed. The analysis of the simulations showed that the success of control strategies depends largely on the type of control measures, the geographical location, the availability of sufficient resources, and the speed of intervention. The comparison of different control strategies suggested that from an economic point of view the implementation of additional control measures, such as pre-emptive depopulation of susceptible herds, would be efficient if the epidemic started in an area with high livestock density. Depending on the chosen control measures and the affected region, the majority of the total costs would be attributable to export losses (e.g., each day of an FMD epidemic costs Austria € 9-16 million). Our analysis indicated that the currently estimated resources for surveillance, cleaning, and disinfection during an FMD outbreak in Austria would be insufficient, which would lead to an extended epidemic control duration. We have shown that the control of an FMD outbreak can be improved by implementing a contingency strategy adapted to the affected region and by placing particular focus on an optimal resource allocation and rapid detection of the disease in Austria. The model results can assist veterinary authorities in planning resources and implementing cost-effective control measures for future outbreaks of highly contagious viral diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Marschik
- Unit of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, Institute of Food Safety, Food Technology and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Division for Animal Health, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Mödling, Austria
| | - Ian Kopacka
- Division for Data, Statistics and Risk Assessment, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Graz, Austria
| | - Simon Stockreiter
- Department for Animal Health and Animal Disease Control, Federal Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection, Vienna, Austria
| | - Friedrich Schmoll
- Division for Animal Health, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Mödling, Austria
| | - Jörg Hiesel
- Department of Veterinary Administration, Styrian Provincial Government, Graz, Austria
| | - Andrea Höflechner-Pöltl
- Department for Animal Health and Animal Disease Control, Federal Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection, Vienna, Austria
| | - Annemarie Käsbohrer
- Unit of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, Institute of Food Safety, Food Technology and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Beate Pinior
- Unit of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, Institute of Food Safety, Food Technology and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Pinior B, Firth CL, Loitsch A, Stockreiter S, Hutter S, Richter V, Lebl K, Schwermer H, Käsbohrer A. Cost distribution of bluetongue surveillance and vaccination programmes in Austria and Switzerland (2007-2016). Vet Rec 2018; 182:257. [PMID: 29363572 PMCID: PMC5870441 DOI: 10.1136/vr.104448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Revised: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Bluetongue virus (BTV) is an emerging transboundary disease in Europe, which can cause significant production losses among ruminants. The analysis presented here assessed the costs of BTV surveillance and vaccination programmes in Austria and Switzerland between 2007 and 2016. Costs were compared with respect to time, type of programme, geographical area and who was responsible for payment. The total costs of the BTV vaccination and surveillance programmes in Austria amounted to €23.6 million, whereas total costs in Switzerland were €18.3 million. Our analysis demonstrates that the costs differed between years and geographical areas, both within and between the two countries. Average surveillance costs per animal amounted to approximately €3.20 in Austria compared with €1.30 in Switzerland, whereas the average vaccination costs per animal were €6.20 in Austria and €7.40 in Switzerland. The comparability of the surveillance costs is somewhat limited, however, due to differences in each nation’s surveillance (and sampling) strategy. Given the importance of the export market for cattle production, investments in such programmes are more justified for Austria than for Switzerland. The aim of the retrospective assessment presented here is to assist veterinary authorities in planning and implementing cost-effective and efficient control strategies for emerging livestock diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beate Pinior
- Institute for Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Clair L Firth
- Institute for Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Angelika Loitsch
- Institute for Veterinary Disease Control Mödling, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Mödling, Austria
| | | | - Sabine Hutter
- Institute for Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Veronika Richter
- Institute for Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Karin Lebl
- Department of Biological Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Annemarie Käsbohrer
- Institute for Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Biological Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Pinior B, Lebl K, Firth C, Rubel F, Fuchs R, Stockreiter S, Loitsch A, Köfer J. Cost analysis of bluetongue virus serotype 8 surveillance and vaccination programmes in Austria from 2005 to 2013. Vet J 2015; 206:154-60. [PMID: 26371833 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2015.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2015] [Revised: 07/25/2015] [Accepted: 07/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study was designed to evaluate the costs between 2005 and 2013 of the national bluetongue virus (BTV) surveillance and vaccination programmes before, during and after the BTV serotype 8 (BTV-8) outbreak in Austria commencing in 2008. In addition to an assessment of the temporal development of costs, a spatial cost analysis was performed. Within the context of this study, the term 'costs' refers to actual financial expenditure and imputed monetary costs for contributions in-kind. Costs were financed directly by the private-public sectors, by the European Commission (EC), and (in-kind) by responsible national institutions and individuals (e.g. blood sampling by veterinarians). The total net cost of the BTV-8 surveillance and vaccination programmes arising from the outbreak amounted to €22.8 million (0.86% of the national agricultural Gross Value Added), of which 32% was allocated to surveillance and 68% to the vaccination programme. Of the total programme costs, the EC supplied €4.9 million, while the remaining costs (€18 million) were directly financed from national resources. Of the latter, €14.5 million was classed as public costs, including €2 million contributions in-kind, and €3.4 million as private costs. The assessment of the costs revealed heterogeneous temporal and spatial distributions. The methodology of this analysis might assist decision makers in calculating costs for other surveillance and intervention programmes. The assessment of contributions in-kind is of importance to public authorities as it increases visibility of the available resources and shows how they have been employed. This study also demonstrates the importance of tracking changing costs per payer over time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beate Pinior
- Institute for Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Karin Lebl
- Institute for Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Clair Firth
- Institute for Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Franz Rubel
- Institute for Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Reinhard Fuchs
- Division for Data, Statistics and Risk Assessment, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Zinzendorfgasse 27/1, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | | | - Angelika Loitsch
- Institute for Veterinary Disease Control Mödling, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Robert Koch-Gasse 17, 2340 Mödling, Austria
| | - Josef Köfer
- Institute for Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Pinior B, Brugger K, Köfer J, Schwermer H, Stockreiter S, Loitsch A, Rubel F. Economic comparison of the monitoring programmes for bluetongue vectors in Austria and Switzerland. Vet Rec 2015; 176:464. [PMID: 25841165 PMCID: PMC4431321 DOI: 10.1136/vr.102979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
With the bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) outbreak in 2006, vector monitoring programmes (according to EU regulation 1266/2007) were implemented by European countries to obtain information on the spatial distribution of vectors and the vector-free period. This study investigates the vector monitoring programmes in Austria and Switzerland by performing a retrospective cost analysis for the period 2006–2010. Two types of costs were distinguished: costs financed directly via the national bluetongue programmes and costs contributed in-kind by the responsible institutions and agricultural holdings. The total net costs of the monitoring programme in Austria amounted to €1,415,000, whereby in Switzerland the costs were valued at €94,000. Both countries followed the legislation complying with requirements, but differed in regard to sampling frequency, number of trap sites and sampling strategy. Furthermore, the surface area of Austria is twice the area of Switzerland although the number of ruminants is almost the same in both countries. Thus, for comparison, the costs were normalised with regard to the sampling frequency and the number of trap sites. Resulting costs per trap sample comprised €164 for Austria and €48 for Switzerland. In both countries, around 50 per cent of the total costs can be attributed to payments in-kind. The benefit of this study is twofold: first, veterinary authorities may use the results to improve the economic efficiency of future vector monitoring programmes. Second, the analysis of the payment in-kind contribution is of great importance to public authorities as it makes the available resources visible and demonstrates how they have been used.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- B Pinior
- University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Institute for Veterinary Public Health, Veterinärplatz 1, Vienna 1210, Austria
| | - K Brugger
- University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Institute for Veterinary Public Health, Veterinärplatz 1, Vienna 1210, Austria
| | - J Köfer
- University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Institute for Veterinary Public Health, Veterinärplatz 1, Vienna 1210, Austria
| | - H Schwermer
- Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office, Schwarzenburgstrasse 155, Bern 3003, Switzerland
| | - S Stockreiter
- Federal Ministry of Health, Radetzkystraße 2, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - A Loitsch
- Institute for Veterinary Disease Control Mödling, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Robert Koch-Gasse 17, Mödling 2340, Austria
| | - F Rubel
- University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Institute for Veterinary Public Health, Veterinärplatz 1, Vienna 1210, Austria
| |
Collapse
|