Assessing Biosecurity with Biocheck

 

Biosecurity measures help to prevent the entry and spread of infectious diseases on farms. Good biosecurity can help improve animal health and productivity and prevent costly disease outbreaks on farms. As such, biosecurity is the basis for disease prevention on farms. Still it can be a matter of subjective judgement whether measures taken are sufficient or need extra effort. In the past, this subjective evaluation also made it hard for setting concrete targets and monitoring improvement in biosecurity measures. Luckily, this problem has been solved with the arrival of Biocheck, an objective and risk based scoring system to assess biosecurity on pig, broiler, layer, veal, dairy and beef farms. The systems is based on cutting edge scientific research and developed by the faculty of veterinary medicine of Ghent University.

This biosecurity scoring system takes into account the 5 general principles of biosecurity:

  1.  Separation of infected and susceptible animals by avoiding any direct and indirect contact between them
    This means taking adequate and consistent measures to prevent transferring pathogens from infected animals to healthy susceptible ones
    Think of installing a good quarantine protocol before entering purchased animals to your herd, optimize working lines and changing clothwear and shoeing and other measures to compartmentalize groups of animals on the farm.
  2. Not every transmission route of pathogens is equally important. 
    The biocheck scoring system takes into account a gradation in importance of different pathways animal can become infected with pathogens. For example, measures that prevent direct contact between susceptible and infectious animals are much more important than measures that prevent potential transmission of pathogens through animal feed or breath of persons in the stable.  Questions in the Biocheck, referring to these different transmission pathways have been attributed proper weights for the final score based on scientific research.
  3. Reduction of the general infection pressure
    Sterile production facilities are impossible to achieve, luckily however, animals’ immune system can cope with some degree of infection pressure. Biosecurity measures therefore should target to achieve a general reduced burden on the animals natural defence systems to let them thrive. Measures to think of are: thorough cleaning and disinfection of facilities and adequate down time of stables or vaccination.
  4. Size matters
    With increasing farm size, risks for disease entering the farm increase as well as the detrimental effects of a disease outbreak. It does not mean that small farms should not pay attention to biosecurity, but the negative impact on large farms will just be bigger.
  5. Frequency matters
    Related to the previous principle, an event with a rather small chance of transmitting disease into your farm or between the animals on the farm can cumulate into a considerable risk if the event gets repeated often enough. For example the chance that a single external visitor or a sigle feed delivery truck is the transmitter of disease might be small but if your farm receives external visitors or feed on a weekly basis this chance can cumulate into a considerable risk for disease entering your farm. Therefore, Biocheck will assess measures to prevent for examples visitors or feed trucks to infect your animals and will take into account the frequency of these events.

Advantages of Biocheck

 

  1. Biocheck assesses the farm’s biosecurity in general and not only for one specific disease.
  2. Your farm gets an overall score for its biosecurity level as well as more detailed score for both external and internal biosecurity. Moreover more detailed scores for the aspects that make up the score for internal and external biosecurity are presented as well. Within a blink of an eye you can identify the aspects of the farm that can be improved for better biosecurity.
  3. The basic version: scoring list and links to additional info on biosecurity is free of charge.
  4. It is ideal for benchmarking. The Biocheck score sheet provides a comparison for your farm with those of colleague farmers in your country and worldwide. Moreover, under the expert license (not for free) you have additional options to design your own benchmark, visualize progress over time and access e-learnings to improve biosecurity further.
  5. It is available for  all pig farms: farrowing, farrow-to-finish or finishing pig farms, poultry farms: broilers and layers, dairy and beef and veal farms.

How to use Biocheck

The use of biocheck was explained by prof. Jeroen Dewulf in the webinar: Principles of Biosecurity and use of Biocheck
From minutes 10:55 onwards the use of Biocheck is being explained.

To use the free version of Biocheck go to: www.biocheck.ugent.be 

In the right top corner you can set the language to English, Dutch, French, Spanish or Chinese.

It is advisory to register your profile by clicking on the My Biocheck button. This way you will be able to save all your reports and look them up later.

Detailed instructions for the website can be found with button instructions in the right lower corner.

To start the assessment click on “Start the Biocheck.ugent”

Pick your the survey for the type of farm you want to evaluate.

It is advisory to print a printable version of the survey and take it with you along a tour over the farm.
The routines you will follow to enter the farm, (registration, change of clothes and shoeing, showering, walking lines, etc. will already provide you with answers to several questions in the survey.

After the farm tour you can take the paper survey to your office and complete the survey online to obtain the scoring sheet.


minutes 10:55 in webinar

Go to www.biocheck.ugent.be

 

Vaccination for the control and eradication of disease

Check out this video about vaccination protocols for the control and eradication of disease.

522 ‘New Frontiers in Animal Care’ by Health for Animals (Industry Innovation)

 

 

522 Industry Innovation – NEW FRONTIER

522 Industry Innovation
New Animal Care by Health For Animals
In Significant Impact Groups: Other \
Species targeted: Pigs; Poultry; Dairy; Beef; Sheep;
Age: Young; Adult;
Summary:
Scientific advances and emerging technologies, from artificial intelligence to stem cell therapy and new generations of vaccines, have provided greater opportunities to predict, prevent, diagnose and treat animal illness more quickly, accurately and safely. Veterinary researchers and developers continue to break new ground in reducing disease spread and its impact.
The report ‘New Frontiers in Animal Care’ by Health for Animals outlines these innovations across several areas:
New Vaccines ; Alternatives to Antibiotics ; Digital Technologies ; Diagnostics ; Parasite Control ; Nutrition ; Safe Development
Download ‘New Frontiers in Animal Care’ to understand these innovations, their benefits to society and potential barriers to market.
522 Industry Innovation – NEW FRONTIERS IN ANIMAL CARE The Innovations Shaping the Future by Health For Animals
https://healthforanimals.org/downloads/library/new%20frontiers%20in%20animal%20care%20final.pdf;

Country: not applicable

521 Sociology of antibiotic use in poultry farming (Research paper – Fortané, et al., 2019)

 

 

521 Research paper – Fortané N., Ducrot C., Paul M. – 2019 – SOCIOLOGY OF ANTIBIOTIC USE IN POULTRY FARMING

521 Research paper
SOCIOLOGY OF ANTIBIOTIC USE IN POULTRY FARMING
by Fortané N., Ducrot C., Paul M.
2019 Treizièmes Journées de la Recherche Avicole et Palmipèdes à Foie Gras, Tours, 20 et 21 mars 2019

In Significant Impact Groups: AMU reduction strategies
Species targeted: Poultry;
Summary:
Social sciences highlight how individual but also organizational, institutional or even market factors, as well as different scales (farms, veterinary practices and territories, public policies and society), interact to promote the reduction of antibiotic use in livestock.
521 Research paper – Fortané N., Ducrot C., Paul M. – 2019 – SOCIOLOGY OF ANTIBIOTIC USE IN POULTRY FARMING
Country: FR

520 Reducing the use of antibiotics in the palmipeds sector What is the reality in terms of uses and what strategy? (Research report – Litt et al., 2016)

 

 

520 Research report – LITT J., BONNAUD V., LE BOUQUIN S. , SOUILLARD R. , PAUL M., ROUSSET N. – 2016 – Reducing the use of antibiotics in the palmipeds sector What is the reality in terms o

520 Research report
Reducing the use of antibiotics in the palmipeds sector : What is the reality in terms of uses and what strategy?
by LITT J., BONNAUD V., LE BOUQUIN S. , SOUILLARD R. , PAUL M., ROUSSET N.
2016 TEMA January-February-March 2016: 27-35
In Significant Impact Groups: AMU reduction strategies
Species targeted: Poultry;
Age: Young;
Summary:
Where to find the original material:
Country: FR
A survey on mule duck production as part of a project to prevent and reduce the use of antibiotics in poultry farming, especially during the young aging.
520 Research report – LITT J., BONNAUD V., LE BOUQUIN S. , SOUILLARD R. , PAUL M., ROUSSET N. – 2016 – Reducing the use of antibiotics in the palmipeds sector : What is the reality in terms of uses and what strategy?
;

519 Support an approach to reduce the antimicrobial use at a poultry farm level – integrate human factors comprehension in technical advices toward farmers(Research report; Rousset et al., 2018)

 

 

519 Research report ROUSSET N DEZAT E LE BOUQUIN S MAHE F CARDINEAU L CHAUVIN C and ROUXEL G 2018 Support an approach to reduce the antimicrobial use

519 Research report
Support an approach to reduce the antimicrobial use at a poultry farm level – integrate human factors comprehension in technical advices toward farmers
by ROUSSET N, , DEZAT E., LE BOUQUIN S., , MAHE F.,CARDINEAU L, , CHAUVIN C., and ROUXEL G.
2018 TEMA April-May-June 2018: 57-66
In Significant Impact Groups: Prudent use AB \ Farmer
Species targeted: Poultry;
Country: FR
Support an approach to reduce the antimicrobial use at a poultry farm level : integrate human factors comprehension in technical advices toward farmers
519 Research report – ROUSSET N, , DEZAT E., LE BOUQUIN S., , MAHE F.,CARDINEAU L, , CHAUVIN C., and ROUXEL G. – 2018 – Support an approach to reduce the antimicrobial use at a poultry farm level

http://www.epc2018.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Poster-programme-final-15.9.2018.pdf

518 Starting of Label Rouge broiler production: preserving the welfare and the performances of animals (Research report; Pertusa et al., 2020)

 

 

518 Research report PERTUSA M PATANCHON H CORRE T ROUSSET N PAUL M 2020 Starting of Label Rouge broiler

518 Research report
Starting of Label Rouge broiler production: preserving the welfare and the performances of animals
by PERTUSA M., PATANCHON H,, CORRE T., ROUSSET N., PAUL M. 2020 TEMA Avril-Mai-Juin 2020: 07-Jan
In Significant Impact Groups: Housing and welfare
Species targeted: Poultry;
Age: Young;

Summary: Starting of Label Rouge broiler production: preserving the welfare and the performances of animals. The first days of life of the chicks are crucial and require special attention from the breeder. A good start is important for the further development of the animal and influences the success of the batch in breeding. For this reason, it seems important to sensitize the technical teams and the breeders to the management of the early period and to provide keys to better understand and control this phase. Following the start-up monitoring carried out in 45 Label Rouge broiler farms in the region Nouvelle Aquitaine (France); two major levers appeared to be significant in the success of this first period of the animal’s life:- Early feeding and watering, as soon as the chicks arrive in the building.- Good quality, dry and healthy bedding throughout the start-up period, implying controlled management of preheating, temperature and hygrometry as well as good air renewal in the building.

518 Research report – PERTUSA M., PATANCHON H,, CORRE T., ROUSSET N., PAUL M. – 2020 – Starting of Label Rouge broiler production: preserving the welfare and the performances of animals
https://www.itavi.asso.fr/content/le-demarrage-en-production-de-poulets-de-chair-label-rouge;

Country: FR

517 The participatory support approach applied to biosecurity in poultry farming : Teaching of an “initial diagnosis” step (Research report; Rousset, et al. 2020)

 

 

517 Research report – ROUSSET N., SCOIZEC A., CADET M., KOULETE E., LE BOUQUIN S., BOUDET S., KLING-EVEILLARD F. – 2020 – The participatory support approach applied to biosecurity in poult

517 Research report
The participatory support approach applied to biosecurity in poultry farming :Teaching of an “initial diagnosis” step
by ROUSSET N., SCOIZEC A., CADET M., KOULETE E., LE BOUQUIN S., BOUDET S., KLING-EVEILLARD F. 2020 TEMA Janvier-Février-Mars 2020: 19-28
In Significant Impact Groups: Biosecurity
Species targeted: Poultry;
Summary: The participatory support approach applied to biosecurity in poultry farming :Teaching of an “initial diagnosis” stepA reinforcement of legislation occurred recently to allow an overall increase in the sanitary control of the French poultry sector.The poultry keepers have to apply strictly biosecurity measures, but difficulties in compliance persist. Now, the prescriptive and/or regulatory approach seems to have certain limitations. The project PartAge aims to test an alternative approach using participatory methods. This project is articulated in three phases: “initial diagnosis”, “progression”, “assessment”. Each phase is composed of two steps: qualitative individual interviews and a participatory meeting. The results of the interviews in the first step, indicate that most of farmers perceive biosecurity measures as a professional standard, although the term “biosecurity” may have negative connotations for some. Nevertheless, some farmers tends do relativize the effectiveness of certain kind of measures. The participatory meetings seem interesting to mobilize in order to remove certain technical and practical obstacles,or to change negative attitudes, by promoting the transfer of knowledge s , the sharing of experience and opinions between peers or with other actors in the sector. An overall qualitative evaluation of the impact of this approach will be conducted at the end of the project.
517 Research report – ROUSSET N., SCOIZEC A., CADET M., KOULETE E., LE BOUQUIN S., BOUDET S., KLING-EVEILLARD F. – 2020 – The participatory support approach applied to biosecurity in poultry farming :Teaching of an “initial diagnosis” step
https://www.itavi.asso.fr/content/la-demarche-daccompagnement-participative-appliquee-la-biosecurite-en-aviculture;

Country: FR

516 AMBIDEM by ITAVI (Tools & Checklists)

 

 

516 Tools & Checklists – AMBIDEM by ITAVI

516 Tools & Checklists
AMBIDEM by ITAVI
In Significant Impact Groups: Housing and welfare
Species targeted: Poultry;
Summary:
4 pages leaflet in French about poultry house atmosphere parameters recommended for ducks ready to be fattened. The leaflet contains the main recommendations on the values to be respected concerning the parameters of temperature, humidity and air renewal.
516 Tools & Checklists – AMBIDEM by ITAVI
https://www.itavi.asso.fr/content/ambiance-des-batiments-demarrage-de-pret-gaver;

Where to find the original material: https://www.itavi.asso.fr/content/ambiance-des-batiments-demarrage-de-pret-gaver;

Country: France;