Issue More ticks and AMR raising livestock mortality

Summary

Among the longer-term uncertainties for animal disease, the report points to the combination of warmer winters and resistant infections. Milder winters could lead to more disease-carrying ticks. If this coincides with rising antimicrobial-resistant infections, livestock mortality could climb, affecting UK farmers and the country's food supply. In its AMR chapter, the report likewise warns that farming and aquaculture could be badly hit if common livestock infections become untreatable. It also explains that more disease would mean more antimicrobial treatment, increasing the risk of resistance. Conversely, it expects that controlling the spread of animal disease would reduce AMR and improve animal welfare and food security.