Risk assessment as a tool for improving external biosecurity at farm level

Area of Science:

• Veterinary epidemiology
• Animal health management
• Risk assessment modeling

Background:

• On-farm biosecurity measures can reduce disease introduction but are often perceived as costly and burdensome by farmers.
• Customized biosecurity strategies based on individual farm characteristics can enhance practical application and effectiveness.
• A need exists for tools to quantify the impact of various biosecurity interventions at the farm level.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a model for calculating the effects of different biosecurity measures and strategies on individual farms.
• To provide a tool for assessing disease introduction risk and the necessity of biosecurity interventions.
• To illustrate the model's applicability using theoretical examples of Swedish cattle and pig farms.

Main Methods:

• Development of a simple model to assess disease introduction risk and biosecurity needs.
• Application of the model to theoretical Swedish cattle and pig farms.
• Analysis of two scenarios with varying between-farm contact patterns for endemic EU animal diseases.

Main Results:

• Frequency of between-farm contacts and disease prevalence were key factors influencing risk and biosecurity measure effectiveness.
• The impact of biosecurity measures varied significantly based on farm type and disease transmission routes.
• Combining biosecurity measures with optimized contact patterns yielded the greatest reduction in disease risk.

Conclusions:

• The developed risk assessment model effectively illustrates endemic disease introduction risks and the mitigating effects of biosecurity.
• Model outputs can guide the prioritization of biosecurity measures and the adaptation of contact patterns.
• The model serves as a valuable tool for veterinary advisors to understand farm-specific risks and motivate farmers to enhance biosecurity.