Medicine of infectious diseases: challenges

Persistent structural changes in agriculture and the ensuring geographical concentration of animal production into few regions has resulted in a poten tially high risk for the spread of infectious disease in cattle production. These ala the threat of the introduction of exotic diseases, notably foot and mouth disease (FMD), and the detection and control of endemic infection s with a high morbidity late, such as bovine herpes virus 1 (BHV1) and bovi ne viral diarrhoea (BVD). The risk of introducing FMD is greater with incre asing movement distances and mole intense international trade. At every sta ge of production, including the maintenance of herd hygiene, all efforts ar e needed to minimise the risk of introducing disease and effectively preven t a primary outbreak. Infections with BHV1 and BVD lead to substantial loss es in cattle herds. Also, it is increasingly important in intel national an d national trade for herds to be certified BHV1 free. In both cases, the pr evention or eradication of mono-causal virus infections appear technically possible and viable economically.