The One Health Implications of EHD : The spread of EHD in France underscores the interconnectedness of animal health, human well- being, economics, and environmental factors: • Animal Health: EHD can cause severe illness and mortality in cattle, compromising livestock productivity and welfare. • Economic Impact: Outbreaks lead to substantial financial losses for farmers due to decreased milk and meat production, increased veterinary costs, and potential trade restrictions.
• Environmental Factors: Midges that spread EHD are influenced by environmental conditions like temperature and wind, and mutations in the virus can make the spread and the impact of the disease worse. • Human Activities: Farmers experience significant psychological stress due to the outbreak. The suffering of animals, the financial pressure, and the challenge of managing sick livestock without being able to prevent the disease can lead to mental health issues and feelings of failure.
A recent survey among French farmers aimed to assess their perception of EHD’s impact and their willingness to vaccinate cattle. The survey covered three regions: A) Regions with no virus circulation B) Regions with sporadic cases within the regulated zone C)Endemic regions in the southwest of France.
Figure 1: Mapping of the EHD regulated zone based on outbreaks in the southwest as of 4 July 2024. Region A, B and C are represented by the green, yellow and red pins, respectively.
We received 61 responses from the three regions: 26% from region A, 63% from region B, and 11% from region C. The low number of responses from endemic regions could possibly be due to the trauma experienced by local stakeholders (veterinarians and farmers) during the last EHD outbreak. Farmers exhibited a good understanding of EHD and its epidemiology, and they are using reliable information channels. Farmers across all three regions recognized the severity of EHD for animal health. In regions with sporadic cases within the regulated zone (Region B), farmers viewed the economic impact as quite severe to very severe. This was attributed to animal movement restrictions, which limit their ability to trade and move livestock freely. Consequently, farmers in these areas experience
significant psychological distress due to the lack of effective control measures, increased workload, reduced income, and a bleak outlook for the future. Across all regions, 62% of farmers expressed willingness to vaccinate. According to the respondents, the most important aspects of the vaccine are efficacy, duration of protection, and cost. To conclude, a One Health approach is crucial to manage EHD in France as it requires a comprehensive and collaborative approach involving public institutions, the pharmaceutical industry, veterinarians, farmers and institutions providing mental health support to farmers. As we consider the way forward, it is important to consider how can we ensure fair distribution of vaccination responsibilities among stakeholders.
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