Emergency diseases

Contents | Introduction | Economic impact | Social issues | Environmental issues | Animal welfare issues | Professional and personal issues | References

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Animal welfare issues

Pain and suffering due to the disease

This aspect of an emergency disease can be overlooked, and in part, often justifies the killing of affected animals. Almost all of the Listed Diseases of animals cause severe pain and suffering and if slaughter is to be used this should occur as soon as the disease is diagnosed.

Methods of killing

Killing should be quick and painless. The method chosen should be appropriate for the target species and location, and needs to be balanced against speed and cost.

Appropriate animals targeted for killing

Those responsible for the control of an outbreak may want to kill susceptible animals which have special significance for the owners, and which may not necessarily become ill or harbour infection. Killing healthy animals is always a vexed issue; if the animal is also a companion to someone, this adds another layer of complexity. A good example was the destruction of a pet bird of an elderly person in an outbreak of avian influenza. Questions were raised legitimately about the validity of such a decision and whether alternative arrangements could have been made. From the public view this is construed as being heavy handed at least, and may provoke public outrage against wholesale slaughter of animals. This could become a public relations' disaster and reduce progress in disease control.

Perceived issues from an urbanised public

The increasing distance of the majority of the population from rural life also has the potential to limit or disrupt what may be the best approach to the ultimate control of the disease. The reality of how food comes to the table is scarcely considered by most people and the thought of wholesale slaughter of huge numbers of animals may provoke a reaction, in a small and vocal influential group, about pain, suffering and wastage of life.

Professional and personal issues