Pathogens studied

	in cattle: Coxiella burnetii (Cb) Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map) Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus (BVDV)
	in pig: Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus (PRRSv) Salmonella carriage

Associated diseases are present, at variable prevalence levels, in European cattle and pig farms. Salmonella and Cb are zoonotic. With the exception of Salmonella, which is asymptomatic in pigs, these pathogens result in diseases that cause heavy economic losses for farmers due to decreased zootechnical performance, production losses, and culling of animals. The pathogens selected concern a relevant range of biological and managerial systems, i.e. pathogens with various survival and transmission characteristics, spreading in different types of populations, with different available control options. Questions addressed in the project are based on existing knowledge and will either extend previous research of partners or represent original research directions. Tasks on the whole multi-level framework described above are scheduled for PRRSv and Cb. For Map, BVDV, and Salmonella, within-herd models are available. Tasks are planned to adapt these models to new situations, extend them to the between-herd scale, and use them to develop decision tools.