As African swine fever (ASF) continues its deadly spread across Asia and Europe, discussions on biosecurity are laced with increased urgency. But even without a foreign animal disease, there are plenty of domestic health challenges that underpin the need for sound biosecurity practices on every farm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBiosecurity, by simple definition, is a means to prevent the spread of pathogens from one place to another,\u201d says Dr. Andrea Pitkin, Health Assurance Veterinarian with PIC. There are protocols and processes that need to be followed, but Dr. Pitkin says biosecurity is a mindset,
not just a series of actions. Fostering a biosecurity culture is foremost to its long-term success. All farm employees need a determined mindset that says, \u2018I want to do these things to protect the farm, the pigs and my livelihood.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSometimes we don\u2019t do a good job of explaining the \u2018why,\u2019\u201d Dr. Pitkin says. When you explain first why biosecurity is important, then how you\u2019re going to take specific actions to protect the farm and pigs, everyone takes more accountability and gains a better understanding of why their actions are important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s so much more than processes on paper,\u201d she adds. \u201cIt\u2019s the desire and determination to do the right thing to protect farms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Pitkin, who admits she\u2019s a \u201cself-proclaimed biosecurity nerd,\u201d knows producers don\u2019t have unlimited funds to invest in biosecurity, so it\u2019s a matter of considering high-risk and low-risk scenarios. Producers have to look at the most efficient use of their money and how they can invest in the highest risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhere can you segregate and where should you decontaminate? You can get a lot of different answers, but incoming livestock need to be considered first,\u201d Dr. Pitkin says. All trucking and transportation events also need to be well understood. Thirdly, people are a factor in terms of biosecurity concerns, because humans truck the animals and are frequently in and out of the buildings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cProducers have to understand your quarantine unit processes when you look at biosecurity risks. These include showering in, decontaminating supplies, moving animals in and out (including mortalities), and more,\u201d Dr. Pitkin says. She adds that one could argue: If feed is truly contaminated, or if viruses enter via aerosol transmission, those routes are largely out of the farm staff\u2019s control. However, as a farm owner, you can help your employees understand high-risk and low-risk factors. Focus on controlling the risks you can! \u201cAnd remember, don\u2019t get lost in the fact that just because something is low risk doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s no risk,\u201d she stresses. \u201cEncourage your staff to pick the low-hanging fruit as it relates to biosecurity, have a plan in place for higher risk situations and think through the low risk concerns.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Pitkin says it\u2019s crucial for any farm bringing in live animals from outside sources to adhere to a strict quarantine and acclimation period before entering those animals into the main herd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt PIC, we take a lot of responsibility and accountability in having excellent biosecurity practices and maintaining healthy genetics. But at the same time, things can happen when moving animals to a farm and it\u2019s crucial [for producers to] recognize that any incoming
livestock can be a risk. Quarantine periods must be established, and acclimation programs adhered to before mixing those animals in with your main herd,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The general rule is a 30-day isolation period. This timeframe is considered reasonable for PRRS, coronaviruses and other major pathogens that can debilitate a herd. Dr. Pitkin says it\u2019s becoming more common for producers to test prior to entry, with a focus on arrival diagnostics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some producers have isolation units off-site, while others have chosen on-site facilities. Dr. Pitkin sees pros and cons with both options. It\u2019s easier to care for isolated animals if they\u2019re closer, but there\u2019s a higher chance of bringing a pathogen into the herd. Off-site units mean
you\u2019re having to drive a vehicle to and from the site, but you also have more time to react and remove animals if they become infected.
\u201cIt comes down to management practices and what the farm staff is most comfortable with,\u201d Dr. Pitkin says. \u201cHowever, if you\u2019re in a hog-dense area, I would definitely look at having an isolation unit either on-site or close to the farm.\u201d For off-site isolation, Dr. Pitkin says testing at the end of the isolation period is absolutely critical: You want to know the status of those animals at the end of the isolation period just as much as you want to know the status when they come into the building, in that circumstance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Each farm is different in terms of management and facilities, so there\u2019s no blanket approach to biosecurity. The first step is awareness, which has increased in recent years. Biosecurity protocols have advanced along with the industry\u2019s knowledge of how diseases spread, but new technologies are still needed. \u201cWe never used to think of feed as a major risk \u2013 we knew it could be contaminated but we were concerned with salmonella, molds or spoilage,\u201d Dr. Pitkin says. \u201cNow that we understand some pathogens, like PED or certain isolates of PRRS, can be in the feed longer, new technologies are coming to the industry in terms of treating, storing or processing feed differently. Other technologies are yet to be determined, with that route of transmission gaining more attention.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She adds that producers have more disinfectants now compared to 10 years ago: \u201cDifferent disinfectant technologies give producers a wider range of how [these products] work on certain surfaces and with different pathogens.\u201d In addition, Dr. Pitkin believes the industry is taking a more holistic approach to herd health and biosecurity by looking at the combination of pathogens on the farm, rather than each one separately. There\u2019s also more emphasis on keeping pathogens out of buildings with filtration systems. \u201cIt\u2019s always better to focus on segregation as opposed to decontamination,\u201d she says. (See \u201cFive Steps You Can Take\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Farm owners who have done a good job of communicating the importance of biosecurity with their staff members have made an investment in protecting their farms. They ask questions like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSuccessful biosecurity measures include processes and procedures that have two or three stop-points,\u201d Dr. Pitkin says, \u201cBut they also make implementation and the processes to conduct them as seamless and as flawless as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Pitkin is passionate about biosecurity and knows how important it is for the company as well as the industry. \u201cIf the things I suggest prevent one farm from having a disease break, it feels like a great accomplishment because I truly believe in the concept of prevention,\u201d Dr. Pitkin says. \u201cWe\u2019d rather not have to deal with a disease than have to treat for it. Whatever farms can do to protect themselves is critical to the health and success of the operation.\u201d Cultivating a culture of sound biosecurity practices ultimately means better health for pigs, and more profit opportunities for producers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where you can\u2019t have segregation, you must rely on decontamination, says Dr. Andrea Pitkin, Health Assurance Veterinarian with PIC. She recommends these five basic protocols to follow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pitkin says it\u2019s all about understanding which factors are low risk or high risk, depending on your farm\u2019s status at any given point in time. \u201cYou\u2019ll be better prepared by thinking through all the various routes of transmission and having a plan in place,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As African swine fever (ASF) continues its deadly spread across Asia and Europe, discussions on biosecurity are laced with increased…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5040,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"resource-category":[106],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n