Effective biosecurity prevents infectious disease from entering and spreading through livestock populations. It is among the most cost-effective welfare interventions available to farmers.
Disease outbreaks are welfare catastrophes for both affected animals and the herds subjected to preventive culling. Animals dying from foot and mouth, swine fever, or avian influenza experience severe suffering. Preventive culling of healthy animals in a disease control zone causes death without suffering but represents the welfare cost of inadequate biosecurity. Effective biosecurity protocols, vaccination where available, and early disease detection reduce both suffering and the need for mass culling.