Global Cost of FMD Estimated at up to $22 Billion
GLOBAL - A study by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in the UK has tackled the controversial topic of global foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) economic impact.
4 September 2013
1 minute read
In the UK, we are painfully aware of the impact of FMD outbreaks in countries where the disease is not normally present, according to RVC. However, much of the global FMD burden falls on the world’s poorest communities, and those which are most dependent upon the health of their livestock.
A study by Theodore Knight-Jones and Jonathan Rushton estimates that the annual impact of FMD in terms of visible production losses and vaccination in endemic regions of the world alone amount to between US$6.5 and $21 billion. In addition, outbreaks in FMD-free countries and zones cause losses of in excess of US$1.5 billion a year.
The study, 'The economic impacts of foot and mouth disease – What are they, how big are they and where do they occur?' has been published in Preventive Veterinary Medicine.
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