ANNEXURE - I -SUGGESTED READINGS

ANNEXURE - I


SUGGESTED READINGS


Animal health and ecological implications
Land use
The intensification of livestock production as part of the development process may, if not properly carried out, contribute to land degradation through overgrazing, reduced soil fertility, erosion and desertification. This is particularly true in marginal areas unsuitable for agriculture, where most extensively managed ruminants are kept. Major animal health activities, such as vaccination campaigns or parasite (e.g. tsetse or ticks) control programmes, have positive impacts on productivity and size of animal populations that lead to increased animal population pressure and may contribute to land degradation unless correct land-use planning is implemented.
Proper land-use planning and utilization, taking into account the diverse agricultural, topographical and geographical aspects involved, is essential to reducing the risk of adverse ecological developments while increasing productivity and animal disease control. Therefore, it requires a multidisciplinary approach to ensure the correct planning and utilization of the land.
Pollution
In a similar way, the intensification of livestock production results in increased use of veterinary products, such as pesticides, and the production of different types of waste, like manure from feedlots. The pollution or contamination of the environment, especially water supplies, due to animal wastes (manure and liquid manure) is an increasing problem and must be foreseen when planning new animal housing, especially in the industrial production systems. Proper action has to be taken for the careful use or safe disposal of the slaughterhouse waste. These can be valuable by-products if appropriately processed. This should involve sterilization of contaminated material before further processing and release for use. Improper disposal of this type of waste can lead to an increase of predatory animal species (e.g. hyenas, rural dogs, etc., on land and sharks with disposal to sea).
Environmentally friendly methods of applying insecticides have the potential for reducing possibilities of contamination of the environment and should be utilized where practical. The use of pesticides may be minimized by using breeds or their crosses that are resistant to parasitic species, e.g. Trypanotolerant cattle or tick-resistant breeds.
Changing ecological equilibrium
Frequently the reduction of the population of one species in an area has unexpected consequences for the environment through its impact on non-target species. Occasionally the application of disease-control measures may have unpredicted consequences for the environment.
• The widespread and disproportionate use of antibiotics and parasiticides, such as anthelmintics and acaricides, has lead to the development of strains of pathogens that are resistant to the drug employed, thus complicating control.
• Poisoning coyotes (predators) to control rabies in Mexico resulted in such a dramatic increase in the Jackrabbit population that it became a pest in agriculture.
• Game parks in Africa may constitute a reservoir of infection of certain livestock pathogens, e.g. Foot-and-mouth disease and Trypanosomiasis.
These examples serve to emphasize the need for comprehensive planning of animal health interventions to take fully into account the possible ecological consequences.