Stigende udfordringer med smitsomme husdyrsygdomme: Perspektiver fra danske husdyrproducenter

In this time of worsening outbreaks of infectious disease that pose a major threat to animal production, there is a need to better understand the potential future consequences of such diseases and how Danish livestock producers perceive these. At the University of Copenhagen, we conducted a survey to examine how Danish livestock producers relate to current and potential outbreaks of infection on their farms, and what expectations they have for outbreaks in the future. The survey was conducted between October and December 2024 and was distributed to nearly 1500 randomly selected Danish livestock producers within the categories of poultry farming, piglet farming, production of fattening pigs, dairy cattle farming and breeding of other cattle and buffaloes. The survey achieved a response rate of 24 %. After excluding very small producers, 202 responses were included in the subsequent analysis presented here. The survey contained questions about livestock producers' concerns about outbreaks of infection, their assessment of infection prevention and compensation measures, as well as the experienced and potential future consequences that livestock diseases can have at the farm level. The results of the survey include, among other things, that financial costs are prominent when livestock producers are asked about the consequences of infectious diseases. However our study, and other related research, also indicate that infectious livestock diseases cause further consequences, such as feelings of worry and shame. Both public and private veterinarians can draw on the study's findings in their dialogue with producers and their work to manage harmful infectious diseases.