Relationships between animal viral diseases and socio-economic development

Animal viral diseases in Latin American countries are studied in the light of the growing economic dependence between industrialized countries and countries producing raw materials, including animal pro­ tein. Viral diseases contribute to create the status of underdevelopment but may also be consequences of this status. The history of the livestock industry in Latin America, where viral diseases were introduced with the importation of breeding animals from various countries of the world, illustrates this economic dependence.