The globalisation of trade with animals and animal products and increase of
travel transports are very important issues with respect to prevent and co
ntrol animal diseases or epizootics respectively. The disease control conce
pts as a complex manner should be established on scientific basis and must
be permanently evaluated and updated. Outbreak investigations in order to c
larify the source of infection and/or the spread of animal diseases includi
ng zoonoses are important fields of activities of veterinary epidemiologist
s. The application of modern epidemiological methods is the precondition of
a successful disease control. On selected examples of animal diseases, the
use of these methods is demonstrated. It is urgently necessary to intensif
y the epidemiological work in applied research and practice.