There was widespread astonishment when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the world into lockdown in March 2020: No one had ever experienced anything like it.

For everyone in the agricultural sector who works with animals, however, living with potentially catastrophic pathogens has been a normal part of daily operations for decades.

Using swine fever as an example, this lecture provides an overview of how animal diseases have been managed from the 19th century to the present day and examines the changes this has brought for both people and animals.

This paints a new picture of modern agriculture: agricultural production as a constant struggle with crises that simply refuse to go away.

Frank Uekötter teaches the history of technology and the environment at the University of Bochum.