Modelling The Effectiveness And Risks Of Vaccination Strategies To Control Classical Swine Fever Epidemics

Main Category: Veterinary
Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry;  Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses
Article Date: 03 Dec 2008 - 11:00 PST

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In a recent update of the Dutch contingency plan for controlling outbreaks of Classical Swine Fever emergency vaccination is preferred to large-scale preemptive culling.

Our modelling study evaluates the implications of this policy change. We find that vaccination in a ring of 2-km radius around a detected infection source is as effective as ring culling in a 1-km radius.

Although vaccinated infected animals can escape detection during the epidemic, the risk posed by these animals is reduced sufficiently by targeting screening efforts on vaccinated farms.

These results suggest that emergency vaccination can be equally effective and safe as preemptive culling.

Journal of the Royal Society Interface

Journal of the Royal Society Interface is the Society's cross-disciplinary publication promoting research at the interface between the physical and life sciences. It offers rapidity, visibility and high-quality peer review and is ranked fifth in JCR's multidisciplinary category. The journal also incorporates Interface Focus, a peer-reviewed, themed supplement, each issue of which concentrates on a specific cross-disciplinary subject.

Journal of the Royal Society Interface