Control of vector-borne diseases in the livestock industry : New opportunities and challenges

A large number of state-of-the-art issues of livestock pests and diseases, and their control, has been reviewed in the current volume of the Ecology and Control of Vector-borne diseases book series. The combined reviews demonstrate a clear difference in livestock pests between northern and southern regions, where the former are more subjected to pest control and the southern areas are more confronted with infectious vector-borne diseases. It appears that arthropod pests and associated vector-borne diseases in livestock have received less attention than required, leading to a lack of navel and innovative strategies for their prevention and control. Yet, the rapid expansion of the livestock industry as a result of population growth and global change call for solutions that are essential for economic and sustainable livestock production systems. The One Health concept, by now well known in human health, still needs to be integrated into the livestock industry. This becomes more urgent given the recent emergence of navel arthropod-borne diseases and the invasion of arthropod pests in new territories. It is concluded that a multidisciplinary approach to tackle the problem of arthropod pests and associated diseases in livestock is required, which should include navel genetic and microbiological tools and strategies in order to prevent the near-unity reliance on chemical pesticides and vaccines.