AVA Conference Adelaide 2016

Producer-funded animal health R&D in Australia is prioritised in part based on the estimated cost of the most important diseases. A survey of cattle and sheep diseases conducted in 2006 had served as a valuable tool for this purpose, but needed updating. A follow-up survey in 2014 estimated the cost of a number of endemic diseases considered to be economically damaging to the red meat industry (cattle, sheep and goats). The survey included producers, processors, government and industry representatives, as well as perusal of available literature. Assumptions of disease distribution, prevalence, production losses and costs of prevention and treatment were analysed in a spreadsheet-based model which estimated individual animal, herd/flock and national costs of each important disease. The 17 diseases of cattle, 23 of sheep and 8 of goats were further assessed in terms of knowledge gaps regarding their aetiology, prevention and treatment, and the threat each one posed in terms of geographic distribution and prevalence