Market implications of FMD epidemics in the Finnish pig sector: Does market structure matter?

This paper examines the role of market coordination and market distortions caused by a hypothetical FMD outbreak in the Finnish pig sector. By using stochastic dynamic programming, it simulates the consequences of two outbreak scenarios (large vs. small) under two distinct market regimes (competitive market vs. monopoly in the domestic supply). Simulated losses depend on the magnitude of outbreak and expected duration of possible turndown of meat exports, whereas market regime has a limited impact.Foreign trade, livestock epidemics, dynamic programming, Livestock Production/Industries,

Costs and Benefits of Two Alternative Salmonella Control Policies in Finnish Broiler Production

In this study, costs and benefits of two Salmonella control options in broiler production were compared. The first option was to control Salmonella as set by Council Directive 92/117/EEC, so-called Zoonosis Directive. The second option was more intense control programme, the so-called Finnish Salmonella control programme. The costs of controlling Salmonella in primary and secondary production and the direct and indirect losses due to Salmonella infection in humans in both options were compared. The national control option was found to be economically feasible. One prevented loss of life covered all the control costs of the national programme.Salmonella, broiler, cost-benefit, control, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Market implications of FMD epidemics in the Finnish pig sector: Does market structure matter?

This paper examines the role of market coordination and market distortions caused by a hypothetical FMD outbreak in the Finnish pig sector. By using stochastic dynamic programming, it simulates the consequences of two outbreak scenarios (large vs. small) under two distinct market regimes (competitive market vs. monopoly in the domestic supply). Simulated losses depend on the magnitude of outbreak and expected duration of possible turndown of meat exports, whereas market regime has a limited impact

Wild fish are negligible transmitters of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) genotype Id in the VHS restriction zone in Finland

Wild fish were suspected to be the source of reinfection by viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) in Finnish brackish water rainbow trout farms located in a restriction zone regarding viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS) comprising the entire Province of Aland, Baltic Sea, in the 2000s. Altogether, 1636 wild fish of 17 different species living in the vicinity of infected fish farms were screened for VHSV during the years 2005-2008. Additionally, 2 uninfected wild fish species as well as farmed whitefish were introduced into a VHS-positive fish farm to test whether they became infected by VHSV from the clinically diseased rainbow trout. Wild fish did not test positive for VHSV on any occasion. In contrast, whitefish introduced to a VHS-positive farm were infected with VHSV genotype Id and started to replicate the virus for a short time during the trial. Whitefish are farmed together with, or in the vicinity of, farmed rainbow trout in the study area and, according to this study, are a possible source of the recurring infection in the restriction area. A sprivivirus was isolated from all fish species in the infection trial without causing mortality in the test groups.Peer reviewe

Costs and Benefits of Two Alternative Salmonella Control Policies in Finnish Broiler Production

In this study, costs and benefits of two Salmonella control options in broiler production were compared. The first option was to control Salmonella as set by Council Directive 92/117/EEC, so-called Zoonosis Directive. The second option was more intense control programme, the so-called Finnish Salmonella control programme. The costs of controlling Salmonella in primary and secondary production and the direct and indirect losses due to Salmonella infection in humans in both options were compared. The national control option was found to be economically feasible. One prevented loss of life covered all the control costs of the national programme

Risk Classification in Animal Disease Prevention: Who Benefits from Differentiated Policy?

Risk classification of livestock farms can help stakeholders design and implement risk management measures according to the possessed risk. Our goal is to examine how differently pig farms may contribute to the societal costs of an animal disease outbreak, how valuable this information is to different stakeholders, and how it can be used to target risk management measures. We show that the costs of an outbreak starting from a certain farm can be quantified for the entire sector using bio-economic models. In further studies, this quantified risk can be differentiated so that farms and slaughterhouses internalise the full cost of risk in production decisions and inhibit animal densities, animal contact structures or other characteristics which pose a threat to the sector. Potential benefits due to risk classification could be received by society and producers, and in the long run also by consumers

Genome-wide physical activity interactions in adiposity:a meta-analysis of 200,452 adults

Abstract Physical activity (PA) may modify the genetic effects that give rise to increased risk of obesity. To identify adiposity loci whose effects are modified by PA, we performed genome-wide interaction meta-analyses of BMI and BMI-adjusted waist circumference and waist-hip ratio from up to 200,452 adults of European (n = 180,423) or other ancestry (n = 20,029). We standardized PA by categorizing it into a dichotomous variable where, on average, 23% of participants were categorized as inactive and 77% as physically active. While we replicate the interaction with PA for the strongest known obesity-risk locus in the FTO gene, of which the effect is attenuated by ~30% in physically active individuals compared to inactive individuals, we do not identify additional loci that are sensitive to PA. In additional genome-wide meta-analyses adjusting for PA and interaction with PA, we identify 11 novel adiposity loci, suggesting that accounting for PA or other environmental factors that contribute to variation in adiposity may facilitate gene discovery