Effectiveness and cost-benefit study to encourage herd owners in a cost sharing vaccination programme against bluetongue serotype-8 in Belgium.

Bluetongue (BT) is a ruminant viral infectious disease transmitted by Culicoides spp. midges. In 2006, when bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) appeared for the first time in Northern Europe, it rapidly spread and infected a large proportion of animals. BThas a significant economic impact due to a direct effect on animal health and to an indirect effect in disrupting international trade of animals and animal products. In spring 2008, a compulsory subsidized vaccination programme in Europe resulted in a drastic decrease in the number of reported cases. However, due to the turn-over of the population, without a continuous vaccination programme, the animal population was becoming progressively susceptible. Vaccination would enable Belgium to maintain its status of freedom from infection of BTV-8 that could possibly be re-introduced. Subsidizing it could be an incentive to convince more farmers to vaccinate. To finance this programme, both decision-makers and stakeholders need to be persuaded by the effectiveness and the cost-benefit of vaccination. The study evaluated the effectiveness of vaccination against BTV-8 in Belgium. The change in serology which has shown the effectiveness of the vaccine to induce antibody production has been significantly associated with the time between the first injection and the sampling date and the number of injections of the primo-vaccination. This study also clearly confirms the benefit of vaccination by reducing economic impact of treatment and production losses, especially in dairy cattle. Based on a participating epidemiological approach, a national voluntary and subsidized vaccination was accepted, and permitted Belgium to vaccinate more than 9,000 herds in 1 month. Because this mass vaccination occurred before the vector season, it probably helped Belgium remain free from BTV-8.

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