Towards flexible decision support in the control of animal epidemics

Decision-making in the control of animal epidemics is a dynamic and flexible process. Facing uncertainties about the consequences of control options, flexible decision-making can avoid unnecessary control costs through learning and adjusting. While recognising the importance and complexity of decision-making, research has paid little attention to flexibility in deciding whether and when to use certain control options. The implicit assumption that control options are taken either immediately or never may lead to significant bias in selecting control strategies. This paper systematically analyses the elements in the decision-making process of animal epidemic control to illustrate the importance of flexibility. Also discussed are various ways of integrating flexibility into research on decision-making in animal epidemic control.