The Uruguay depopulation strategy was abandoned in favor of vaccination for which reason?

• A. There was strong resistance from local farmers and the disease had spread
• B. The veterinary officers refused to carry out the depopulation plan
• C. Depopulation was never in their plan; they began vaccinating right away
• D. All of the above

Answer: (A)

The question tests how social and epidemiologic realities shape disease control choices. Depopulation works best when farmers cooperate, detection is rapid, and the outbreak is contained to a small area. If there’s strong resistance from local farmers, mass culling becomes impractical and coercive effort breaks down. If the disease has already spread, stamping out loses effectiveness because transmission continues despite culling. In Uruguay, both factors were at play: farmer resistance hindered depopulation, and the outbreak had spread beyond initial foci. Vaccination offered a feasible alternative to slow transmission, protect animals, and maintain production while control and surveillance continued, making it the more practical route under those conditions.