Context
The global scale of animal production is vast, with estimated stocks of 33bn poultry, 1.7bn cattle, 1.2bn sheep and 1bn pigs in 2020. Over half of all fish and shellfish consumed as food now derives from aquaculture. Demand for meat continues to rise owing to population growth and urbanisation. In low- and middle-income countries, pastoral farming of animals is vital to alleviate hunger, malnutrition and poverty. Infectious diseases remain a major impediment to animal production and welfare. The challenges are growing as infectious agents evolve to become resistant to drugs and escape the protection offered by vaccines. Farm animals that die of infectious disease before they reach the food system provide no return on investment for farmers and leave a significant carbon footprint. In some cases, farm animals transmit diseases to humans with pandemic potential. For example, foodborne disease caused by bacteria found in farmed animals affects one in 10 people every year worldwide, causing 420,000 deaths. As with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, new variants of animal pathogens can emerge and spread rapidly owing to trade and travel. In order to reduce the burden of infectious animal diseases, and threat to humans, we need to improve their detection, treatment and prevention.
Many farm animal diseases have become neglected and rodent or cell-based models often provide poor surrogates of natural infections. BBSRC strategic investment at the Roslin Institute helps to sustain the rare expertise and infrastructure required to investigate these diseases in the animals they affect.
