World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has released an updated priority disease list for swine and poultry, identifying a “Top 6” target baseline where focused vaccine deployment can achieve the greatest global reductions in antimicrobial usage (AMU) by 2030.
World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has released an updated priority disease list highlighting a “Top 6” list of diseases and pathogens where increased vaccination efforts could drastically reduce global antimicrobial use (AMU) in livestock and aquaculture.
Compiled by WOAH’s specialist ad hoc group, PROEVA, the initiative focuses research, innovation, and investments on six critical disease targets across three major food-producing sectors:
Pigs (Swine)
- Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS): A highly contagious viral disease causing severe reproductive failure and respiratory illness, which often opens the door to secondary bacterial infections requiring heavy antibiotic use.
- Escherichia coli (E. coli): A widespread bacterial pathogen responsible for severe gastrointestinal issues like post-weaning diarrhea in piglets.
Poultry
- Eimeria spp.: The parasitic protozoa responsible for coccidiosis, an intestinal disease that compromises gut health and heavily drives the preventive use of antimicrobials in global flocks.
- Escherichia coli (E. coli): Specifically strains causing Colibacillosis, which leads to systemic, often fatal infections in chickens.
Fish (Aquaculture)
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Streptococcus iniae and S. agalactiae: Major bacterial pathogens affecting freshwater cichlids (such as Tilapia), causing devastating outbreaks of streptococcosis.
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Aeromonas hydrophila (and other Aeromonas spp.): Bacterial pathogens causing motile aeromonad septicemia in freshwater cyprinids (such as Carp)
 Top 6 disease list targeting swine, poultry, and fish to combat global AMR){kind=link}