Estimation of Economic Direct Losses due to Livestock Brucellosis in Iran (2003-2014)

Brucellosis in livestock has led to a significant reduction in the economic capital in Iran. Estimation of the economic losses due to this disease helps to highlight the importance of the disease and makes it easy to justify brucellosis control programs.
Estimation was done based on the data received from the Iran Veterinary Organization and statistics book of the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture. Economic Loss was estimated assuming the equality of the incidence of the disease in total livestock population with its incidence in tested livestock. The direct costs of culled brucella positive animals, reduced milk production, reduced weight of animal, abortion, and reduced fertility were calculated based on the price of the animal or the product in each year. Due to inflation, the costs were adjusted using the discount rate. Therefore, the losses were compared in each year.
The maximum loss due to brucellosis in the studied period occurred in 2014. Comparison of the losses due to bovine and ovine brucellosis showed that the total economic loss in the sheep and goat population was 5.53 times greater than the loss in the cattle population. Estimation of total economic loss in 12 years of the study was 8,129,116 million IRR (1 USD≅35000 IRR).
More serious attention should be paid to animal brucellosis from both health and economic points of view. Prevention from massive economic losses and human brucellosis control and eradication will not be possible without controlling the disease in the animal population.