title: ECONOHEALTH: Placing helminth infections of livestock in an economic and social context.
abstract: Livestock farming is central to global food security and to the sustainability of rural communities throughout Europe. Animal health management has a major impact on farming efficiency. Although animal health research has provided effective prevention strategies for the major endemic diseases of livestock, these strategies typically provide solutions for single infectious diseases and they are often not adequately implemented due to farm-specific constraints. We propose a concept termed "ECONOHEALTH" which aims at including the economic and social context in our understanding of the factors that drive animal health. The concept is elaborated on using the example of the major helminthic diseases of cattle in temperate climate regions (gastrointestinal nematodes, liver fluke and lungworm). By considering major diseases simultaneously and placing disease-complexes in an economic and a social context, we believe that insights will be generated upon which more integrated, situation-adapted and thus more effective prevention strategies can be devised.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, Merelbeke 9820, Belgium; Avia-GIS, Risschotlei 33, Zoersel 2980, Belgium. Electronic address: jcharlier@avia-gis.com.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Charlier
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, Merelbeke 9820, Belgium; Department of Communication Studies, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Ghent University, Korte Meer 7-11, Gent 9000, Belgium.
authors.forename: Fiona Vande
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Velde
authors.affiliation: Social Sciences Unit, Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Burg. Van Gansberghelaan 115, Merelbeke 9820, Belgium.
authors.forename: Mariska
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van der Voort
authors.affiliation: Social Sciences Unit, Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Burg. Van Gansberghelaan 115, Merelbeke 9820, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Meensel
authors.affiliation: Social Sciences Unit, Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Burg. Van Gansberghelaan 115, Merelbeke 9820, Belgium; Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Bio-Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ludwig
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lauwers
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Studies, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Ghent University, Korte Meer 7-11, Gent 9000, Belgium.
authors.forename: Verolien
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cauberghe
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, Merelbeke 9820, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jozef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vercruysse
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, Merelbeke 9820, Belgium.
authors.forename: Edwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Claerebout
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003657:Decision Making; D005060:Europe; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000191:economics* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D058751:Livestock / Q000469:parasitology*
keywords: Economics of animal health; Farmer behaviour; Fasciola hepatica; Helminth; Livestock; Nematodes; Social context