Abstract
Background and Objectives: Germany was affected by Bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) from 2006 to 2009 and recorded new cases since December 2018. We assessed the economic impact of the epidemic from the first cases in 2006 until 2018. Direct costs include production losses, animal deaths, and veterinary treatment. Indirect costs include surveillance, additional measures for animal export, disease control (preventive vaccination and treatment with insecticides), vector monitoring, and administration.Methodology: To estimate the financial impact of BTV-8 on different species and production types at the animal level, we performed a gross margin analysis (GMA) for dairy and beef cattle, and sheep. To estimate the impact on the national level, we used a modified framework described by Rushton et al. (1) and applied a methodology described by Bennett (2). Both the GMA and the economic model on national level were implemented in Excel and the Excel Add-in @Risk. The tools, which are widely applicable, also for other diseases, are made available here.Results: The financial impact of a BTV-8 infection at the animal level was estimated at 119–136 Euros in dairy cattle, at 27 Euros in beef cattle, and at 74 Euros in sheep. At the national level, the impact of the BTV-8 epidemic ranged between 157 and 203 million Euros (mean 180 million Euros). This figure consisted of 132 (73%) and 48 (27%) million Euros for indirect and direct costs. Indirect costs included 89 million Euros (67%) for vaccination, 18 million Euros (14%) for insecticide treatment, 15 million Euros (11%) for diagnostic testing of animals dispatched for trade, 8 million Euros (6%) for monitoring and surveillance, and 3 million Euros (2%) for administration. The highest costs were induced by a compulsory vaccination campaign in 2008 (51 million Euros; 28% of the total costs) and the disease impact on cattle in 2007 (30 million Euros; 17%).Discussion: We compare the outcome of our study with economic analyses of Bluetongue disease in other countries, and discuss the suitability of GMA and the developed tools for a wider application in veterinary economics.
Highlights
Bluetongue (BT) is a non-contagious infectious disease of domestic and wild ruminants caused by the BT virus (BTV), which belongs to the genus Orbivirus within the family Reoviridae
Direct costs were estimated at 74 Euros per animal on average
When Bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) emerged in Germany in 2006, no validated contingency plans were available, because the disease had never before occurred in the country and came completely unexpected
Summary
Bluetongue (BT) is a non-contagious infectious disease of domestic and wild ruminants caused by the BT virus (BTV), which belongs to the genus Orbivirus within the family Reoviridae. Clinically apparent disease is most often reported in sheep. During the BTV-8 epidemic in 2006–2010 in Germany, clinical symptoms were observed in both, cattle and sheep. Effects on animal production in sheep and cattle for different BT serotypes and settings have been reviewed by Rushton and Lyons [8]. Germany was affected by Bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) from 2006 to 2009 and recorded new cases since December 2018. Direct costs include production losses, animal deaths, and veterinary treatment. Additional measures for animal export, disease control (preventive vaccination and treatment with insecticides), vector monitoring, and administration
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