Transboundary animal diseases: how to improve veterinary public health

What are transboundary animal diseases? Bluetongue virus, foot-and-mouth disease and avian influenza are well-known pathogens that belong to this group. Transboundary animal diseases (TADs) are highly transmissible diseases of livestock. As they can spread quickly, they pose a serious socio-economic threat with harsh consequences: they not only endanger animal well-being but can also impact international trade, and even prevent food from getting to our table. With monitoring and innovative solutions, we work to avoid that.

Imagine a viral disease spreading like bushfire among farm animals. Within a few days, milk production from cattle and sheep drops. After a while, eventual shortages might surprise consumers in their local supermarkets. On the farm, thousands of animals need to be euthanized. Farmers feel devastated. Several countries impose livestock trade restrictions in a desperate attempt to stop disease spread. Such a scenario could follow the outbreak of a transboundary animal disease, such as the bluetongue virus (BTV) outbreak that hit the Netherlands in Autumn 2023.

“BTV is endemic in tropical countries and re-emerged in Europe in the past two decades. It’s transmitted by a midge, and the virus spreads fast, influenced by factors such as environmental changes, interactions between people, and animals, and global trade,” explains Pascal Hudelet, Head of Veterinary Public Health Technical Services.

How to prevent a bluetongue virus epidemic

There are several clinical signs of the disease. Animals infected with BTV can have fever, ulcers in the mouth, and difficulty eating. Lips and tongue may swell, causing it to stick out of their mouths. A blueish color can follow due to the destruction of small blood vessels. Vaccination is the only effective means of preventing the disease – and Boehringer Ingelheim was the first company to develop and launch an inactivated vaccine in response to the emergence of bluetongue in Europe in the early 2000s. Since then, we’ve developed vaccines to control multiple BTV serotypes.

“Science is a work constantly evolving. There are around 30 types of BTV virus and we’re ready to find innovative solutions for any new serotype that might arise in the future”, says Pascal. “We’re always monitoring the virus to improve our understanding of epidemiology, transmission, and control. It’s crucial to avoid new outbreaks and future epidemics. This is an important contribution to animal health, food security and public health preparedness in general.”

Beyond BTV, foot-and-mouth disease or avian influenza: a role in public health preparedness

BTV is only one of several identified viruses with the potential to spread quickly with serious socio-economic consequences. Other pathogens such as the foot- and- mouth disease virus and avian influenza virus are also on the list. Furthermore, the latter reminds us that some TADs can also be zoonotic – meaning they can affect both humans and animals.

For this reason, accelerating our response to both zoonoses and TADs is fundamental to minimize their impact, limit their spread, contain epidemics - and even prevent future pandemics.

“The COVID-19 pandemic shed a lot of light on zoonotic diseases, those that jump from animals to humans. Not every TAD is zoonotic, but look at avian influenza, for example. It belongs to both groups,” emphasizes Pascal. “As part of the global scientific community, we’re committed to both animal and public health preparedness, be it by improving monitoring, prediction and control of diseases or by expanding partnerships and developing new products.”