title: Measuring general animal health status: Development of an animal health barometer.
abstract: The development of an animal health barometer, an instrument to measure the general health of the Belgian livestock population on a yearly basis and to monitor its evolution over time, is described. The elaboration of a set of 13 animal health indicators (AHIs) as the basis for the animal health barometer is discussed. These indicators were weighted by experts - including scientists, policy makers and agro-industrial representatives - to determine their relative weight in the barometer. The result of the barometer is expressed as a comparison with a previous year. Based on the results of the 13 AHIs, it is concluded that general animal health in Belgium shows a positive evolution since 2008. The animal health barometer provides a composite view of the status of livestock health in Belgium and is a tool to communicate in an intelligible, comprehensible manner on aspects of animal health to consumers and professional stakeholders in the animal production and food chain. Together with the food safety barometer (Baert et al., 2011. Food Res. Int. 44, 940) and the plant health barometer (Wilmart et al., 2014. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. doi: 10.1007/s10658-014-0547-x), the animal health barometer is one of the three instruments to provide a holistic view on the overall status of the safety of the food chain in Belgium.
authors.affiliation: Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC), Directorate Control Policy, Belgium. Electronic address: pieter.depoorter@favv.be.
authors.forename: Pieter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Depoorter
authors.affiliation: Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC), Directorate Control Policy, Belgium.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Van Huffel
authors.affiliation: Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC), Directorate Control Policy, Belgium.
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Diricks
authors.affiliation: Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre (CODA-CERVA), Operational Direction Bacterial Diseases, Belgium; Scientific Committee of the FASFC, Belgium.
authors.forename: Hein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Imberechts
authors.affiliation: Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Belgium; Scientific Committee of the FASFC, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jeroen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dewulf
authors.affiliation: Institute of Tropical Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Belgium; Scientific Committee of the FASFC, Belgium.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berkvens
authors.affiliation: Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Food Safety and Food Quality, Belgium; Scientific Committee of the FASFC, Belgium.
authors.forename: Mieke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uyttendaele
mesh_terms: D000820:Animal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D000818:Animals; D001530:Belgium; D059022:Food Safety; D006304:Health Status; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D058751:Livestock; D019221:Mandatory Reporting; D015980:Public Health Practice
keywords: Animal health; Barometer; Indicators; Measurement tool