Workshop on Development of Consultancy Strategies toMitigate Heat Stress and Reduce Airborne Emissions inCattle Housing Systems and Fast and Reliable “In-field”Diagnosis of Zoonotic Pathogens and AntibioticResistance

Projektleitung an der Vetmeduni

Hilbert, Friederike

Geldgeber

Österreichischer Austauschdienst (OeAD) GmbH

Laufzeit

14.07.2025 - 30.06.2026

Abstract

Abstract Climate change poses particular challenges to animal production, particularly in climatically less-favoured regions, such as continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. But climate variability and heat stress (HS) will world-wide contribute to welfare concerns, immune deficiency, reduced productivity and economic losses. Moreover, higher temperatures intensify the release of airborne pollutants, such as ammonia and particulate matter (PM), affecting both animal and human health. Consultancy framework will help to establish strategies for farmers to assess current housing and management practices, address the detection of zoonotic pathogens, animal disease and antibiotic resistance, identify cost-effective and climate-adapted solutions, and implement measures that mitigate heat stress and reduce emissions. Small devices will enable efficient and rapid “in-field” diagnosis of pathogens and monitoring of indoor climate and animal welfare parameters and these data will form the basis of data processing to assess and predict “One-Health” and economic outcomes of animal production. In a workshop we will show how these data can be collected in field and explain further processing of these data. Feedback to animal production units can help to adjust animal welfare parameters, metaphylaxis and therapeutic application in veterinary medicine and increase economic production under the One-Health approach. Sorting of animals, carcasses post-slaughter, meat and milk for different processing options can effectively control the impact on public health and can help to ensure healthy affordable food of animal origin while protecting the environment.