When animals fall ill, it is initially they themselves that are threatened. This particularly applies to highly infectious epidemics that sometimes kill entire herds of animals in a short period of time. Around one fifth of the losses in animal production worldwide are the result of epidemics. One well-known disease is foot-and-mouth disease, which affects cloven-hoofed animals. It is one of the most devastating viruses in agricultural livestock. The disease is highly contagious, and usually affects all the animals in a herd. The pathogen \u2013 a virus of the genus aphthovirus \u2013 sometimes remains infectious in stable muck, manure and slurry for several months. Another example is classical swine fever, which affects both pigs and wild boars. Both of these diseases have disappeared in Switzerland, but cause considerable harm worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Animal epidemics not only affect animals, but can also be dangerous for humans. For instance, the World Health Organization estimates that 59,000 people worldwide die of rabies each year, mostly in Asia and Africa. Diseases that are transmitted between humans and animals are classed as zoonotic diseases. One example is bird flu, which experts call highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). In the winter of 2012\/2013, it affected almost 50 million animals in over 2,400 farms across Europe, and these birds had to be killed. Infected wild animals such as black-headed gulls are frequently found in Switzerland. Transmission to domestic poultry and humans is suppressed by taking appropriate measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n From the Radar Bulletin on highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)<\/span>\n Source:\n \n FSVO – Radar Bulletin<\/a>\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n
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\r\nAfter a brief pause, the HPAI situation in Europe has once again deteriorated. Sporadic cases are regularly being reported in mammals, particularly carnivores. The risk for poultry over the next few months is difficult to predict. Experts still judge the risk of transmission to humans to be low. For several years now, programmes have been running in Switzerland to monitor swine influenza in humans (SIV programmes) and to monitor the health of wild animals (game health monitoring). <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n