Epidemiology of Endemic Infectious Diseases

Accept Endemicity or Eliminate?

Abstract

Endemic infectious diseases (such as mastitis, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), Johne's disease (JD), or tuberculosis in cattle) are common causes of disease in livestock. They affect health and well-being and reduce the economic potential of each animal, herd and industry. Endemic diseases exhibit necessarily complex epidemiologic and pathogenic behavior; those that exhibit less complex behavior have generally already been controlled. We are still far from fully understanding the epidemiology and pa tho biology of many endemic infectious diseases. To improve animal health through control of infectious disease, we need to understand endemic disease persistence.

The aim of this paper is to provide an insight into some of the mechanisms for disease persistence. Weargue that heterogeneities in hosts and pathogens, and survival of the organism in the environment, play an important role in maintaining endemicity. The options to either eliminate or control endemic infectious diseases are explored using some common infectious disease examples. Finally, approaches to optimally manage infectious diseases of livestock are discussed.