Outbreak Costing Tool (OutCosT)
The Outbreak Costing Tool (OutCosT) is a spreadsheet-based tool developed by FAO and the Autonomous University of Barcelona to estimate the direct costs of animal disease outbreaks and their control measures in a standardized and efficient way. By providing clear, evidence-based estimates of the financial burden of real or hypothetical outbreaks, it helps countries to improve outbreak management and strengthen advocacy efforts.
OutCosT applies a comprehensive, yet simple and user-friendly methodology to calculate over 100 detailed cost items categorized by activity, farm type, and cost bearer (the later covering farmers, veterinary services, and others). Adaptable to multiple livestock species and production systems, it is currently validated for pig, ruminants, and poultry diseases, the tool uses an intuitive spreadsheet interface designed for easy use by national veterinary services and other stakeholders.
With automatic report generation and a standardized final report template, it also includes a qualitative assessment of broader impacts on human health, the environment, animal welfare, socio-economic vulnerability, and trade disruption. OutCosT also enables countries to analyze the financial implications of different outbreak scenarios and management options.
The key objectives of OutCosT are:
- to systematically calculate in a standardized manner the direct costs of real or hypothetical animal disease outbreaks and evaluate alternative disease management strategies.
- to generate robust economic evidence that supports advocacy for resource allocation, political awareness, and international funding.
- to inform and enhance national and regional strategies for disease preparedness, control, and prevention.
Calculating outbreaks costs with OutCosT
Why estimate the cost of disease?
Animal disease outbreaks can have devastating economic and social impacts on affected countries. The consequences vary widely depending on factors such as the scale and duration of the outbreak, the structure of the livestock industry, and the control measures implemented.
Until recently, there was no consistent way to assess these direct costs, which made it difficult for veterinary services and governments to advocate for investments in disease prevention and preparedness. OutCosT fills this critical gap by providing a practical and user-friendly approach to quantify the financial burden of animal diseases, OutCosT enables countries to better understand and communicate the true economic stakes of outbreaks. This evidence supports more effective advocacy, strategic planning, and investment in early detection and control measures, ultimately reducing the economic and social toll of animal health crises.
OutCosT for pig diseases
African swine fever and classical swine fever are major diseases impacting pig production. This OutCosT version estimates the costs of diseases and control measures in real or simulated situations.
OutCosT for poultry diseases
This OutCosT version is designed to evaluate the cost of avian diseases. While avian influenza and Newcastle disease are the most significant today, the tool can be used for any poultry disease affecting a territory.
Did you know?
To date, OutCosT has been applied in 25 case studies across 18 countries, covering a wide range of species and transboundary animal diseases. These include African swine fever (ASF), classical swine fever (CSF), and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in pigs; FMD, peste des petits ruminants (PPR), sheep and goat pox (SGP), and lumpy skin disease (LSD) in ruminants; and avian influenza (AI) in poultry.
The case studies span diverse contexts across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, demonstrating the tool’s adaptability to both real and simulated outbreaks and to a wide variety of production systems.
Find out more
webinar
Estimating the costs of disease outbreaks: Application of the OutCost tool
This webinar explores how OutCost estimates the direct financial costs of animal disease outbreaks and control, supporting evidence-based decision and sustainable disease control.
webinar
OutCost Tool – A tool to support countries in planning emergency response
This webinar provides an overview of OutCosT, detailing what the tool can and cannot do, presenting the Excel spreadsheet and guidelines, and concluding with a Q&A session.
news
New tool helps estimate the costs of animal disease outbreaks
A webinar presenting OutCosT highlighted the importance and cost-effectiveness of prevention, early detection, and preparedness for animal disease outbreaks.
Papers in scientific journals
- Casal J, Allepuz A, Miteva A, et al. Economic cost of lumpy skin disease outbreaks in three Balkan countries: Albania, Bulgaria and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (2016-2017). Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 65, 1680–1688.
- Casal, J., Tago, D., Pineda, P., Tabakovski, B., Santos, I., Benigno, C., Huynh, T., Ciaravino, G., & Beltran-Alcrudo, D. 2022. Evaluation of the economic impact of classical and African swine fever epidemics using OutCosT, a new spreadsheet-based tool. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 69, e2474–e2484.