Monitoring Program

Highly important in the prevention and eradication of animal diseases is a well-established monitoring program. The European Union has some of the most well developed monitoring programs in the world. European Union lays down basic rules for such monitoring programs and they are further implemented in national legislation of the member states.

The Dutch have an elaborate monitoring plan for the poultry sectors, including for instance sampling on avian influenza, Newcastle disease and different types of Salmonella.

The plan includes guidelines on when sampling has to be done, who is responsible for taking the samples and which samples should be taken.

With this monitoring plan, the Netherlands has succeeded in detecting and largely eradicating several important animal diseases. The occurrence of salmonella as an example has decreased significantly over the years.

Funding of the programs

The Dutch sector and ministry have together established the Animal Health Fund. Monitoring and eradication of notifiable diseases (e.g. avian influenza, M.g./M.s. and certain salmonella’s) is funded by this fund. All farmers pay a certain levy. The ministry and the animal sectors evaluate on a yearly basis the division of the levies and assess the costs to be expected in the upcoming year.

Sampling scheme for poultry farms Source: AVINED (translated)