Infectious diseases of cattle cause significant suffering and economic loss. Vaccination programmes, biosecurity, and health monitoring protect cattle welfare while supporting sustainable production.
Infectious cattle diseases cause welfare harm directly — through the symptoms of illness — and indirectly through the compromised immune function, reduced growth, and reproductive failure they cause. BVD-infected cattle have chronically compromised immune function that makes them vulnerable to secondary infections; IBR causes acute respiratory distress; leptospirosis causes kidney and liver failure. Proactive vaccination and biosecurity protect cattle welfare while also protecting farm economics. The integration of welfare and productivity goals in disease prevention makes this a particularly tractable area for welfare improvement.