It is not taken for granted that for a long time we have had few cases of serious diseases in production animals, warns the sector organization Animalia, owned by Nortura and the National Association of the Meat and Poultry Industry.
In a recent report in “The State of Meat” in 2022, the organization writes that the threat to Norwegian animal health is changing and calls for vigilance.
– Maybe we take it for granted that the animals in Norway are healthy. But we are constantly reminded how vulnerable we are in a world characterized by increasing globalization, climate change, population growth and the introduction of new serious diseases, the report said.
Due to increasing globalization, as well as few restrictions on both trade and breeding of animals across national borders in Europe, the risk of seeing animal diseases in Norway increases that we have not seen so far.
The changed picture of threats means we need to be “precautionary,” says Animalia. If a major outbreak of serious livestock disease occurs in Norway, this could have serious consequences for Norwegian agriculture, animal welfare and food production.
– Work with infection preparation and control must be a top priority, the report concludes, and remember that it is better to be “foreseeable” rather than hindsight when it comes to food safety.
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Bird flu alert
Among other things, the report highlights highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), which is referred to as a very serious disease that is now routinely detected in the wild bird population in Norway.
Until 2020, this type of infection had never been detected in either wild birds or poultry here in Norway.
Wild bird infection now constantly poses a real threat to Norwegian poultry production, they write.
They remind us that the consequences of the first HPAI outbreak in Norway in two flocks of hens in Rogaland in 2021 were great and the use of resources was considerable.
– But, unfortunately, this is just a taste of the possible consequences if HPAI affects multiple herds at once and not least if the herds supplying the rest of Norway with breeding animals become infected or affected due to the restrictions.
African swine fever and salmonella
The “invasion of wild boars from Sweden” is also highlighted as a threat to Norwegian pigs.
– African swine fever is on the rise in Europe and the risk of it spreading to Norwegian wild boars is a major concern in the pig industry, the organization writes.
The viral disease has not yet been registered in the Nordic region, according to the Veterinary Institute. In the report to Animalia, however, it appears that several salmonella findings have been made in wild boar.
Through the authorities’ monitoring program, 13 cases of salmonella were detected among 287 wild boars tested.
– This confirms information from other countries that wild boar may be a reservoir for Salmonella, the report said.
