Lameness is one of the most costly dairy cow diseases, yet adoption of lameness prevention strategies remains low. Low lameness prevention adoption might be attributable to a lack of understanding regarding total lameness costs. In this review, we evaluated the contribution of different expenditures and losses to total lameness costs. Evaluated expenditures included labor for treatment, therapeutic supplies, lameness detection and lameness control and prevention. Evaluated losses included non-saleable milk, reduced milk production, reduced reproductive performance, increased animal death, increased animal culling, disease interrelationships, lameness recurrence and reduced animal welfare. The previous literature on total lameness cost estimates was also summarized. The reviewed studies indicated that previous estimates of total lameness costs are variable and inconsistent in the expenditures and losses they include. Many of the identified expenditure and loss categories require further research to accurately include in total lameness cost estimates. Future research should focus on identifying costs associated with specific lameness conditions, differing lameness severity levels, and differing stages of lactation at onset of lameness to provide better total lameness cost estimates that can be useful for decision making at both the herd and individual cow level.

The continuing outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Southeast Asia have been disastrous to the poultry industry in the region and have raised serious global public health concerns. Risk for animal and human health exists along the whole poultry value chain. The Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations initiated a series of value chain studies in Asia and Africa during 2007 as a means to develop a better understanding of the trade flows, disease transmission mechanisms and possible entry points for intervention in various value chains. This paper outlines the methodology used to undertake these value chain studies, their use in developing policy and HPAI control measures that decrease animal and human health risks, and describes a value chain study in North Sumatra undertaken by FAO and the University of North Sumatra.