Animal health and welfare surveillance priorities for the Canadian beef industry

Abstract

The Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System (CAHSS) is a collaborative network that gathers and uses surveillance data to monitor animal health, reduce disease impacts, and inform national priorities.

Beef cattle practitioners, industry professionals, and veterinary epidemiologists collaborated to establish the primary animal health and welfare surveillance priorities for the beef sector over the next 5 y.

A 4-step process with meetings, surveys, and a modified DISCONTOOLS rubric was used to set surveillance goals and to prioritize diseases and other issues for the Canadian beef industry.

In order of decreasing importance, 18 beef surveillance priorities were identified: i) antimicrobial use (AMU) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) stewardship; ii) AMR for bovine diseases; iii) feed availability and cost; iv) regulatory changes affecting trade; v) bovine respiratory disease (BRD); vi) nutrition, including trace minerals and water; vii) Mycoplasma bovis/dispar; viii) mortality rates (crude, case specific); ix) feedlot cattle purchasing practices affecting disease rates; x) histophilosis; xi) lameness; xii) neonatal diarrhea; xiii) chronic disease and timely culling/euthanasia; xiv) colostral immunity and management; xv) pain control practices; xvi) pregnancy rates; xvii) growth performance rates; and xviii) cattle handling practices.

Beef network priorities were shared with the CAHSS beef network, along with a comprehensive list of ongoing initiatives and identified data gaps to guide surveillance, research, and stakeholder communications, including those with bovine practitioners.

Animal Health Canada (AHC) (1) brings together industry and government to support farmed animal health and welfare in Canada. The Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System (CAHSS) (2), a division of AHC, connects animal health surveillance groups and stakeholders to create an integrated and effective national system. The CAHSS networks identify key animal health and welfare surveillance needs and encourage members to address information gaps through new surveillance initiatives and research. Furthermore, CAHSS gathers and shares surveillance data from multiple sources to improve animal health outcomes and enable a faster, coordinated response to diseases and welfare issues, supporting market access for Canadian agricultural products. The CAHSS also shares this surveillance information publicly on their website (2) to heighten consumer and public health confidence in animal health and welfare in Canada.

Currently there are 11 CAHSS networks, including the beef network; the latter includes members from all areas of the Canadian beef sector, including industry, veterinary associations, practitioners, academia, laboratories, researchers, and federal, provincial and territorial governments (2). When the beef network was formed (2017), one of its first tasks was to identify key priorities for animal health and welfare surveillance for the Canadian beef industry. In 2018–2019, a team of beef cattle industry and veterinary experts used a structured process to identify and rank beef surveillance priorities. The top 10 surveillance needs identified, in order of decreasing priority, were:

1. AMR and AMU;

2. verotoxic Escherichia coli (VTEC);

3. counts of disease outbreak investigations;

4. respiratory disease;

5. feedlot mortality;

6. Salmonella;

7. cow-calf productivity measures, such as pregnancy rates, preweaning mortality rates, and abortions;

8. case counts of defined disease syndromes reported by veterinary surveillance networks or private practitioners;

9. counts of specific outbreaks reported by veterinary surveillance networks; and

10. Johne’s disease.

Prior to 2017, various animal health surveillance initiatives were already in place in Canada including: reporting of reportable and notifiable foreign animal diseases through the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) (3) and the Community for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases (CEZD) (4), reporting of provincially reportable and notifiable diseases through appropriate channels within provincial governments, and reporting of AMR data through the Canadian Integrated Program for AMR Surveillance (CIPARS) (5). Monitoring frequency of production-limiting diseases and cow-calf animal health management practices was ongoing through the Canadian cow-calf health and productivity enhancement network (C3H/PEN), previously called C3SN (6,7). Additional animal health surveillance systems were subsequently created to address missing information identified in the first network priorities exercise, such as the Canadian Feedlot AMU/AMR Surveillance Program (CFAASP) (8). Regional animal health surveillance networks were developed to collect and share laboratory cases, case counts of disease syndromes and herd outbreaks reported by practitioners, veterinary colleges, and provincial laboratories within Canada. These networks include the Atlantic Canadian Animal Health Network (AtCAHN) (9), the Ontario Animal Health Network (OAHN) (10), Réseau d’alerte et d’information zoosanitaire (RAIZO) (11), and the Western Canadian Animal Health Surveillance Network (WeCAHN) (12).

In 2023, the beef network decided to update its priorities to reflect evolving industry, government, and surveillance needs. This article outlines the process for updating and prioritizing beef network objectives for 2024–2029 and presents results to Canadian veterinary practitioners, who have crucial roles in on-farm disease and welfare monitoring.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A working group of 15 veterinarians and 1 beef industry staff person from the Canadian Cattle Association collaborated to update CAHSS beef network surveillance priorities. Veterinarians included experienced beef cattle practitioners (n = 5), academics (n = 3), government and/or network surveillance veterinarians (n = 6), and a pharmaceutical industry veterinarian (n = 1).

In the first teleconference, the working group reviewed previous beef surveillance priorities from 2018–2019 and the process used to rank priorities (Figure 1), deciding to follow a similar process. Step 1 (defining the working group’s objectives and scope of work) and Step 2 (determining broad categories of surveillance outcomes) were accomplished through teleconference discussions and consensus among working group members. In Step 3, an online Sogolytics^TM survey (13) was created with the broad surveillance outcome categories from Step 2 and previous 2019 beef network-specific diseases or issues within each category. Working group members independently reviewed the list and added additional diseases or issues they felt were missing under the broad surveillance outcomes, based on their expertise and experience. Results were collated and a summary Microsoft 365 Excel spreadsheet was created in Sogolytics^TM. Survey results were shared with working group members, and they were asked to rank, in descending order of importance, each item within each broad surveillance outcome. Individual rank results were collated, and the median value was used to determine the final rank of each disease/issue within each broad surveillance outcome category. To ensure a balance of priority issues for cow/calf and feedlot sectors, ranked items were categorized by sector, and within each sector; the top 3 or 4 specific diseases/issues within each broad surveillance outcome category were selected for Step 4.

FIGURE 1.

Steps to update the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System beef network surveillance priorities.

In Step 4, a modified DISCONTOOLS rubric was created, adapted from Scali’s scoring model for risk-characterization and prioritization concerning relevant diseases for human and animal health (14,15), CEZD’s (4) One Health prioritization exercise, the previous rubric used in 2018–2019, and input from the working group to fit the Canadian beef industry (Table S1, available online from: Supplementary Materials). It had 6 main criteria with multiple sub-criteria, including identification of research gaps and control tools for infectious diseases (16,17).

A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet containing the disease/issue ranking rubric was created for each top specific disease/issue identified in Step 3. For each disease/issue rubric, the working group scored each sub-criterion within each main criterion, from high to low importance. Numeric scores were collated, and a maximum score of 1000 was used. Equal unit weights of 4.1 were used for all criteria except Criteria 6 (knowledge gaps), which had a unit weight of 13 applied, because it was of high importance to CAHSS’s mandate.

Diseases/issues were then ranked from highest to lowest importance, based on median weighted scores, to determine the final list of beef network surveillance priorities. Beef network members received a summary list of priority diseases/issues, ongoing or completed surveillance initiatives, and identified information gaps (Table S2, available online from: Supplementary Materials).

RESULTS

In Step 1, the working group determined that its objectives were to:

1. focus on current and emerging issues in which disease surveillance was not already managed by federal/provincial/territorial governments or others;

2. focus on the greatest need for new, additional, or updated information and resources on priority diseases, or a new approach to One Health, the environment, or climate change;

3. identify beef surveillance activities of greatest benefit for animal health and welfare, economic sustainability, trade, public health, environment, and climate change; and

4. identify the most relevant information gaps.

The first broad CAHSS beef network surveillance outcome identified in Step 2 was to demonstrate freedom from reportable and notifiable foreign animal diseases; the working group felt it was valuable to include this as an animal health surveillance outcome, due to its importance. This broad outcome was considered in Step 3 but not in Step 4, since surveillance for these diseases is managed by CFIA due to impacts on trade and economics (3). The second broad surveillance outcome was to detect and monitor the prevalence of emerging and/or high priority production-limiting diseases among and within management groups. The third surveillance outcome was to monitor the frequency of non-disease issues that impact cattle health, market access, consumer confidence, the public, and One Health. The fourth surveillance outcome was to identify disease and non-disease issues and topics impacting producers’ productivity and economic sustainability. The fifth surveillance outcome was to monitor risk factors for priority diseases, including production practices that influence disease risks, and to study the feasibility of intervention strategies. The sixth and last broad surveillance outcome was to identify welfare topics and factors impacting beef cattle health.

Following the survey in Step 3, 18 specific diseases/issues were ranked. Although not scored in Step 4, 3 high priority or emerging reportable diseases were identified: foot and mouth disease, tuberculosis, and influenza A virus. Under production-limiting diseases, bovine respiratory disease (BRD), histophilosis, Mycoplasma bovis/dispar, and neonatal diarrhea were identified as high priority surveillance activities. Regulatory changes affecting trade, including protectionism, AMR for bovine diseases, and AMU/AMR and antimicrobial stewardship were identified as top non-disease priority issues impacting bovine health, market access, and One Health. Diseases or issues impacting producers’ productivity and economics included feed availability and cost, growth performance rates, pregnancy rates, and mortality rates (crude and case specific). Factors of importance influencing disease risks included nutrition and water, colostral immunity, and feedlot cattle purchasing practices. High priority animal welfare topics impacting animal health were chronic disease and timely culling/railing and euthanasia, lameness, cattle handling practices, and pain control practices.

The results of Step 4, prioritizing the 18 diseases/issues identified in Step 3, are shown in Table 1. Beef network priorities, organized by cow-calf and feedlot sectors, are shown in Table 2. The top 5 beef network priorities in the cow-calf and feedlot sectors were the same, with AMU and AMR surveillance and stewardship topping the list, followed by AMR in bacteria causing bovine diseases, regulations affecting trade, feed availability and cost, and BRD. Other diseases/issues in the cow-calf and feedlot sectors varied slightly in priority. A final beef network’s priority summary list was generated for CAHSS, along with current known Canadian surveillance initiatives within each priority area and information gaps (Table S2, available online from: Supplementary Materials).

TABLE 1.

Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System beef network surveillance priorities, in decreasing order of importance.

Rank	Beef network priority
1	Antimicrobial use (AMU) & antimicrobial resistance (AMR) stewardship
2	AMR bovine diseases
3	Feed availability and cost
4	Regulatory changes affecting trade
5	Bovine respiratory disease (BRD)
6	Nutrition, including trace minerals and water
7	Mycoplasma bovis/dispar
8	Mortality rate (crude and case specific)
9	Feedlot cattle purchasing practices affecting disease rates
10	Histophilosis
11	Lameness
12	Neonatal diarrhea
13	Chronic disease and timely culling/euthanasia
14	Colostral immunity and related management practices
15	Pain control practices
16	Pregnancy rates
17	Growth performance rates
18	Cattle handling practices

TABLE 2.

Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System beef network priorities, within the cow-calf and feedlot sectors, in decreasing order of importance.

Rank	Cow-calf sector	Feedlot sector
1	Antimicrobial use (AMU) and resistance (AMR) stewardship	AMU/AMR stewardship
2	AMR bovine diseases	AMR bovine diseases
3	Regulations affecting trade	Regulations affecting trade
4	Feed availability and cost	Feed availability and cost
5	Bovine respiratory disease (BRD)	BRD
6	Nutrition	Mycoplasma bovis/dispar
7	Mortality rates	Nutrition
8	Lameness	Mortality rates
9	Neonatal diarrhea	Histophilosis
10	Chronic disease, timely culling/euthanasia	Feedlot cattle purchasing practices affecting disease rates
11	Pain control practices	Lameness
12	Pregnancy rates	Chronic disease, timely culling/euthanasia
13	Colostral immunity/management	Pain control practices
14	Growth performance rates	Growth performance rates
15	Cattle handling	Cattle handling

DISCUSSION

Antimicrobial use (AMU), AMR, and antimicrobial stewardship were identified by the CAHSS beef network as the top animal health surveillance priorities in 2019 and 2024. Various surveillance initiatives in the cow-calf (6,7) and feedlot sectors (8) involving beef cattle veterinary practices and data/sample collection from clients’ beef operations, are underway to measure, monitor, and communicate trends in AMU and AMR development. The CAHSS also has an AMU/AMR network where results of AMU/AMR surveillance systems, livestock industry and veterinary antimicrobial stewardship initiatives, such as SAVI (18), and AMR genomics research (19), are discussed and shared. Practitioners are encouraged to actively participate in on-farm AMU/AMR surveillance initiatives and remain informed of their results to ensure that recommendations to clients are well-founded, supporting the continued availability and effectiveness of existing antimicrobials for controlling infectious bacterial diseases in beef cattle (6–8,18).

Within beef network priorities, various production-limiting diseases that cause important economic losses on farms were identified, including BRD, histophilosis, neonatal diarrhea, Mycoplasma bovis/dispar, and lameness, reflecting criteria used in the rubric scorecard to prioritize animal health surveillance. Other factors that impact producers’ productivity and economics that were deemed high priority included availability and cost of feed, growth performance, crude and case-specific mortality rates, and pregnancy rates. Feed availability and cost of feed were considered outside of CAHSS’s surveillance mandate. Growth performance and crude/case-specific mortality rates in cow/calf operations and feedlots are being monitored (7,20), with the latter in a new initiative called Alberta’s Feedlot Animal Health & Welfare Surveillance System. Pregnancy rates were identified as the 12th most important issue for cow-calf producers, due to the economic impact, and results of previous and ongoing surveillance (6,7,21). Table S2 (available online from: Supplementary Materials) highlights Canadian surveillance systems for disease rates and on-farm management practices, as provided by network members to CAHSS. This table does not include research studies testing a specific hypothesis, such as risk factors for disease or vaccine effectiveness. Table S2 (available online from: Supplementary Materials) is a living document that will be annually updated by the beef network members and used by CAHSS to guide future surveillance actions.

Various disease risk factors were identified as network priorities for surveillance, research, or extension, including colostral immunity and management, nutrition, and feedlot cattle purchasing practices. Currently C3H/PEN (7) and the Canadian feedlot benchmark study (20) are gathering nutritional information from cow calf operations (7) and feedlots (8), which will be shared with veterinarians and other stakeholders once available. There are no known ongoing Canadian surveillance initiatives on colostral immunity and related risk management (22) or feedlot cattle purchasing practices.

Animal welfare priorities included chronic disease and timely culling or euthanasia, pain control practices, and cattle handling. Lameness was considered an animal welfare priority, in addition to being an economically important, production-limiting disease in cow-calf operations and feedlots. The C3H/PEN conducts lameness surveillance in cow-calf herds (6,7). The Alberta Feedlot Health & Welfare Surveillance System, a new initiative, is collecting information on annual treatment and mortality rates for lameness in feedlot cattle, which will be shared with veterinarians on the CFAASP website, once available (8). There are no known ongoing Canadian surveillance initiatives on the frequency of chronic disease, timely culling or euthanasia. There have been surveys conducted in western Canadian beef herds about attitudes and practices related to low stress cattle handling (23,24), but these surveys did not include the feedlot sector. For the Canadian feedlot sector, there are low stress cattle handling videos available to reduce animal and human injuries and stress associated with infectious disease (25).

There were some limitations using the risk-based priority scoring rubric based on feedback from the working group. Sometimes it was difficult to determine a rank score for sub-criteria because they did not appear relevant to a noninfectious disease or issue. Some working group members did not score a few sub-criteria because they felt they lacked knowledge or experience. The working group had difficulty in using the rubric to score several key industry issues, including feed availability and costs, nutrition, growth performance, trade regulations, cattle handling, pain control, and feedlot cattle purchasing practices. Scali (14) indicated that the risk and priority scoring system was developed for professionals in veterinary medicine and built to assess animal diseases. He indicated that related information could be misinterpreted by untrained people, particularly in areas of impact on public health, socio-economic impact, and impact on animal welfare. Therefore, future network scoring sheets should better prioritize non-infectious diseases and animal welfare concerns relevant to CAHSS surveillance mandate.

Funding Statement

Funding provided by Animal Health Canada, through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.