£1.24 billion in 2009 the estimated cost of swine flu
the cost upon human health alone
A huge sum which is almost certainly a very low estimate
Intensive animal farming constitutes a huge use of public funds. The costs of disease in livestock are extraordinary. Some are not easily quantifiable, or not calculated with data available at present, but considerations include:
Topics for consideration when considering the cost of an pandemic like swine flu. |
Disease surveillance |
Test development and roll out |
Vaccine development and production |
Treatment of disease. |
control measures, biosecurity, restrictions |
APHA staffing |
Veterinary costs |
Culling |
Disposal of carcasses |
Compensation for losses |
Laboratories and other facilities |
Scientists/researchers |
Research into all things pertaining to farmed animal health, welfare, behaviour, husbandry, productivity, slaughter, product, safety/storage , Morbidity and mortality, loss of production |
Human health costs for zoonoses (NHS, vaccines etc) |
Mental health costs for workers |
Loss of tourism (e.g. Foot and Mouth disease) |
Wasted crops/loss of income for arable farmers growing |
livestock feed and bedding when large scale culling necessary |
No up to date figure exists for the annual costs of this disease
We cannot find an up to date figure for annual costs of this disease, but in 2002, Defra suggested that
“swine influenza has the highest direct costs associated with it (£8m/yr), followed by enteric disease (£6m/yr)”
“For poultry, direct disease costs are highest for infectious bronchitis (£24 m/yr), but skeletal problems have the highest associated animal welfare loss.”
Skeletal problems that are due to excessive growth rates.
“Not surprisingly, salmonellosis has the highest human health costs (£98 m/yr) and human welfare loss associated with it.”
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