One out of five farm animals are lost to disease every year according to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
Over just 12 years at the start of the millennium, six international incidents of animal disease caused economic losses of US$ 80 billion.
Just one disease, foot and mouth, costs farmers up to $21 billion dollars globally every year.
Research has found that cattle disease can increase GHG emissions by up to 24% per unit of milk and 113% per beef carcass
The Australian Government estimates that an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease would cost farmers AUD$80 billion in direct costs over 10 years.
An FAO study found that after an outbreak of avian influenza in Mexico, egg prices rose 82%