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Baye RS, Zia A, Merrill SC, Clark EM, Koliba C, Smith JM. Biosecurity indemnification and attitudes of United States swine producers towards the prevention of an african swine fever outbreak. Prev Vet Med 2024; 227:106193. [PMID: 38626594 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2024.106193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024]
Abstract
Animal disease outbreaks, such as the recent outbreak of African Swine Fever in 2018, are a major concern for stakeholders across the food supply chain due to their potential to disrupt global food security, cause economic losses, and threaten animal welfare. As a result of their transboundary nature, discussions have shifted to preventive measures aimed at protecting livestock while ensuring food security and safety. Emergency assistance has been a critical response option during pandemics. However, this may not be sustainable in the long run because the expectation of government bailout may encourage risk taking behaviours. Our hypothesis is that an indemnity policy that is conditioned on showing biosecurity practices would increase compliance and reduce government expenditure during disease outbreaks. We developed and launched a survey from March to July 2022 targeted at swine producers across the US. From the survey, we examined livestock farmers' attitudes and intentions regarding biosecurity investment and assessed their attitudes towards the purchase of livestock insurance and reporting suspected infected livestock on their farm. We used a partial proportion odds model analysis to examine the model. Our analysis revealed that intention to call a veterinarian, trust in government agencies and risk perception of farmers were instrumental in the willingness to self-invest in biosecurity, purchase livestock insurance, and promptly report infected livestock on their farms. This provides evidence that biosecurity compliance would increase if indemnification was tied to a demonstration of effort to adopt biosecurity practices. We also show that individuals who have been in the industry for a longer period may become complacent and less likely to report outbreaks. Farmers with a higher share of income from their production operations bear a greater risk from their operational income and are more willing to report any suspected infections on their farms. The data suggest that motivating the willingness of farmers to invest in biosecurity while overcoming cost concerns is achievable.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Asim Zia
- University of Vermont, Community Development and Applied Economics, United States.
| | - Scott C Merrill
- University of Vermont, Department of Plant and Soil Science, United States
| | - Eric M Clark
- University of Vermont, Department of Plant and Soil Science, United States.
| | - Christopher Koliba
- University of Kansas, School of Public Affairs and Administration, United States
| | - Julia M Smith
- University of Vermont, Department of Animal Science, United States
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Lee CY, Zakaria Z, Selvarajah GT, Mustaffa-Kamal F, Voon KGL, Fong MWC, Ooi PT. Screening of Streptococcus suis in swine workers of selected states in Peninsular Malaysia. Vet World 2024; 17:1-7. [PMID: 38406356 PMCID: PMC10884579 DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2024.1-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and Aim Streptococcus suis is a zoonotic pathogen that is highly associated with contact between live pigs and raw pig material. In view of the recent reports of human infections in Malaysia, epidemiological data on the status of S. suis in the human population, especially among people working closely with pigs and/or raw pork, should be provided. The aim of this study was to detect S. suis among individuals working in the swine industry in several major pig production areas in Peninsular Malaysia. Materials and Methods Demographic information, exposure determinants, and oral swabs were collected from swine personnel, including farmers, butchers, and veterinarians. Oral swabs were subjected to bacterial isolation and conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for S. suis detection. Results The study included 40 participants working in the swine industry, with a predominant representation of males (62.5%) and Malaysian Chinese individuals (60.0%) who consumed pork (92.5%). Notably, none of the participants reported consuming raw or partially cooked pork. In spite of their occupational exposure risk, none of the oral swabs showed positive results for S. suis infection. Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report and detection study of S. suis using oral swabs obtained from swine personnel in Peninsular Malaysia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chee Yien Lee
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Zunita Zakaria
- Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
- Laboratory of Vaccine and Biomolecules, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Gayathri Thevi Selvarajah
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
- UPM - MAKNA Cancer Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Farina Mustaffa-Kamal
- Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
- Laboratory of Vaccine and Biomolecules, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Kenny Gah Leong Voon
- Division of Biomedical Science, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Michelle Wai Cheng Fong
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Peck Toung Ooi
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
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Ito S, Kawaguchi N, Bosch J, Aguilar-Vega C, Sánchez-Vizcaíno JM. What can we learn from the five-year African swine fever epidemic in Asia? Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1273417. [PMID: 37841468 PMCID: PMC10569053 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1273417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Today's global swine industry is exposed to the unprecedented threat of African swine fever (ASF). Asia, the site of the most recent epidemics, could serve as a huge viral reservoir for the rest of the world given the severity of the damage, the huge swine industry, and the high volume of trade with other countries around the world. As the majority of ASF notifications in Asia today originate from pig farms, the movement of live pigs and associated pork products are considered critical control points for disease management. Particularly, small-scale or backyard farms with low biosecurity levels are considered major risk factors. Meanwhile, wild boars account for most notified cases in some countries and regions, which makes the epidemiological scenario different from that in other Asian countries. As such, the current epidemic situation and higher risk factors differ widely between these countries. A variety of studies on ASF control have been conducted and many valuable insights have been obtained in Asia; nevertheless, the overall picture of the epidemic is still unclear. The purpose of this review is to provide an accurate picture of the epidemic situation across Asia, focusing on each subregion to comprehensively explain the disease outbreak. The knowledge gained from the ASF epidemics experienced in Asia over the past 5 years would be useful for disease control in areas that are already infected, such as Europe, as well as for non-affected areas to address preventive measures. To this end, the review includes two aspects: a descriptive analytical review based on publicly available databases showing overall epidemic trends, and an individualized review at the subregional level based on the available literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Ito
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Center, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nijiho Kawaguchi
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Center, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Division of Molecular Pathobiology, Hokkaido University International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Jaime Bosch
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Center, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cecilia Aguilar-Vega
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Center, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose Manuel Sánchez-Vizcaíno
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Center, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Pao HN, Jackson E, Yang TS, Tsai JS, Hwang YT, Sung WHT, Pfeiffer DU. The attitude-behaviour gap in biosecurity: Applying social theories to understand the relationships between commercial chicken farmers' attitudes and behaviours. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1070482. [PMID: 36846249 PMCID: PMC9947856 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1070482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Traditionally, it is believed that people's behaviours align with their attitudes; however, during COVID-19 pandemic, an attitude-behaviour gap in relation to preventive measures has been observed in recent studies. As such, the mixed-methods research was used to examine the relationships between farmers' biosecurity attitudes and behaviours in Taiwan's chicken industry based on the cognitive consistency theory. Methods Content analysis of face-to-face interviews with 15 commercial chicken farmers identified their biosecurity responses to infectious disease threats. Results The results indicated the mismatch of farmers' attitudes and behaviours towards specific biosecurity measures, in that they act differently than they think. The findings of the qualitative research allowed the research team to conduct the subsequent quantitative, confirmatory assessment to investigate the mismatch of farmers' attitudes and behaviours in 303 commercial broiler farmers. Survey data were analyzed to discover the relationships between farmers' attitudes and behaviours in relation to 29 biosecurity measures. The results show a mixed picture. The percentage of the farmers who had the attitude-behaviour gap towards 29 biosecurity measures ranged from 13.9 to 58.7%. Additionally, at the 5% significant level, there is an association between farmers' attitudes and behaviours for 12 biosecurity measures. In contrast, a significant association does not exist for the other 17 biosecurity measures. Specifically, out of the 17 biosecurity measures, the disconnection of farmers' attitudes and behaviours was observed in three specific biosecurity measures such as using a carcass storage area. Discussion Based on a fairly large sample of farmers in Taiwan, this study confirms the existence of an attitude-behaviour gap in context and applies social theories to provide an in-depth understanding of how infectious diseases are managed in the animal health context. As the results demonstrate the necessity of tailoring biosecurity strategies to address the gap, it is time to reconsider the current approach by understanding farmers' real attitudes and behaviours in relation to biosecurity for the success of animal disease prevention and control at the farm level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-ni Pao
- Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health Group, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom,*Correspondence: Hai-ni Pao ✉
| | - Elizabeth Jackson
- School of Management and Marketing, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | | | - Jyan-syung Tsai
- Department of Finance and Cooperative Management, National Taipei University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Yi-ting Hwang
- Department of Statistics, National Taipei University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | | | - Dirk U. Pfeiffer
- Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health Group, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom,Centre for Applied One Health Research and Policy Advice, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Ecological-Health Risks of Potentially Toxic Metals in Mangrove Sediments near Estuaries after Years of Piggery Farming Bans in Peninsular Malaysia. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14031525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The Sepang Besar River (SBR) was reported to be highly contaminated with Cu and Zn due to piggery farming wastes before 1998. Following the piggery farming ban (PFB) in 1998 in Bukit Pelanduk, the present study aimed to assess the ecological-health risks of potentially toxic metals (PTMs) (Cu, Pb, and Zn) in the mangrove surface sediments from SBR. Two adjacent rivers, namely the Sepang Kecil River and Lukut River, were also included for comparison purposes. The PTMs of present sediment samples collected in 2007 and 2010 were compared with those reported before and after PFB. The PTMs levels were lower than those of established sediment quality guidelines. Results of bioavailable fractions, individual contamination factor, risk assessment code, potentially ecological risk index (PERI), and non-carcinogenic risk (with HI < 1.0 based on the pathways of Cu, Pb, and Zn and the order: ingestion > dermal contact > inhalation), the present findings indicated that the three rivers had caused no ecological-health risks of Cu, Pb, and Zn. In particular, SBR estuary had drastic lower levels of Zn (7.48–9.40 times lower between 1998 and 2010) and Cu (8.30–36.9 times lower between 1998 and 2010), after 12 years of PFB. Based on the exponential decay model, the PERI values showed that the estuary of SBR has been improved from a “considerable ecological risk” to a “minimal ecological risk” after 12 years of PFB. This is the first paper on the ecological-health risks of Cu, Pb, and Zn in the estuary of SBR. Future monitoring is still necessary for effective risk management of the mangrove ecosystem at SBR.
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