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Basic Paper: Animal Health Conference: Forum 5: Animal Welfare: Basic Paper: Animal Health Animal health One of the most crucial parameters in modern animal husbandry and production is animal health. Animal welfare, consumer protection and economic success are directly linked to the health status of farm animals. Major factors influencing animal health, i.e. housing, breeding and feeding are subject of other forums. This forum deals with treatment of health problems of farm animals and prophylaxis. There is a fundamental difference between health care of companion animals and farm animals: The former experience - at least in industrialised countries - an extensive and expensive health care almost resembling human health care. The latter face some constraints that are given by economical facts and consumer expectations. The use of feed additives for the maintenance of animal health is largely rejected by the public, and the use of therapeutic drugs is subject to controversial discussions. However, in this context the fact is often overlooked that even under optimal conditions animals may fall ill; thus the use drugs for metaphylactic and therapeutic purposes should be an animal rights and ethical issue, respectively. In order to illustrate this conflict it is helpful to distinguish between positive and negative animal health (Sainsbury, 1986). It is in the best interest of managers of modern animal farms to keep their animals healthy. However, many of them still dwell too much on the prophylactic and metaphylactic use of feed additives and drugs instead of improving living conditions, hygiene and system management. The labile health status that may be achieved using these methods is defined as negative animal health. This kind of health management has disadvantages for the animal and is considered to be potentially hazardous for human health. The relatively untargeted and unprofessional use of drugs promotes the emergence of multiresistant pathogens, that may even have zoonotic potential. In addition drug-contaminated excretions of treated animals may give rise to environmental problems. In general animals that are kept under optimal conditions stay healthy. This state is defined as positive animal health. However, good management practices alone cannot protect farm animals from pathogenic microorganisms. These will always pose a threat to animal health, and one of the major challenges for biomedical research is to combat infectious diseases of farm animals. The most important tasks for research and development in the field of animal infectious diseases will be: � Definition of requirements for the professional use of antiinfective drugs in all fields of human and veterinary medicine. Ideally farmers, legislators and scientists should agree on internationally accepted guidelines. The development of multiresistant microorganisms should be carefully monitored and appropriate actions taken in order to avoid negative influences on human and animal health, respectively. � Research and development of novel antiinfective drugs should be encouraged, e.g. antimicrobial peptides of plant and animal origin (e.g., defensins and cecropins). This is an urgent issue and at present it is not clear whether the development of new substances is keeping/will keep pace with the rapid emergence of multiresistant microorganisms. � Research and development of novel vaccines. The availability of DNA recombinant techniques offers the long-term perspective of developing prophylactic vaccines with properties superior to our present vaccines: Marker vaccines will allow the distinction between vaccinated and infected animals, an important prerequisite for an efficient control of many infectious diseases; precise selection of immunogens and their targeted application will enhance the efficacy of vaccines; nucleic acid vaccines will overcome the potential hazards of live vaccines without having the disadvantages of poorly efficient inactivated vaccines. � Improvement of the diagnosis of infectious diseases: A crucial prerequisite for the control of infectious diseases is the availability of sensitive and specific diagnostic tools. Progress in this field has been dramatic during the last 15 years, and these developments may be expected to continue, thanks to a multitude of techniques that may be utilised for diagnostic purposes, e.g. immunoenzymatic tools, nucleic acid amplification and identification techniques, and the emerging field of biosensor development. We hope that this forum will highlight present developments and contribute to the long-term improvement of animal health. Volker Moennig Lorne Babiuk |