Managing the unmanageable: A case study of the management of an infectious animal disease in Corsica

By Marc Barbier and François Charrier and Mourad Hannachi

Health crises (avian flu, mad cow disease, etc.) have recurrently challenged government strategies for managing animal diseases with a high risk of becoming an epidemic. Although many studies have focused on the gap between the supposed effectiveness of these strategies and the reality of conditions for implementing them in the field, very few studies have concentrated on the drafting of collective strategies involving a wide range of stakeholders (farmers, hunters, veterinarians, administrations, etc.) who often have incompatible interests. To contribute to the analyses made of the aforementioned gap, a case study based on grounded research has been made of how Aujeszky’s disease (“pseudorabies”, a viral disease in swine) is being managed in the French region of Corsica. This disease has stymied animal health authorities for many decades because of the complexity of its biological, socioeconomic and organizational causes. Lessons are drawn from a participatory approach whereby researchers have “coconstructed” a new strategy for managing this disease. Light is shed on the emergence of a local “middle management” and its characteristics. At a time when governance in the health field is undergoing change, this study brings to light approaches for locally working out public health programs while involving many stakeholders.