Biosecurity has never been more important on U.S. pig farms than it is right now, but key elements of a successful biosecurity program are often neglected, says Jean-Pierre Vaillancourt, DVM, a professor at the University of Montreal in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada. It’s a problem that’s not unique to the U.S.
“You’re not worse than anywhere else, but you’re not that much better either,” he told producers attending the 2019 Iowa Swine Day. “It’s common for people to cover their shoes with a plastic boot but then put their foot down on the dirty side,” he says.
Changing boots the right way will help, but it won’t eliminate the opportunity for pathogens and other organisms to enter a building. “Scrubbing visible manure from boots enhances removal of significant numbers of bacteria,” Vaillancourt says. “Boots that have been scrubbed free of manure and then soaked in a disinfectant for five minutes or more meet the standard for disinfection.”
Footbaths are more effective when frequently replenished with appropriate products and when users wear rubber footwear that can be soaked for several minutes, according to biosecurity researcher R.F. Kahrs. “If these conditions are not fulfilled, footbaths probably serve more as biosecurity reminders than as effective disease control mechanisms,” he writes, especially since the conditions needed for footbaths to be effective are normally not found in the field.
The best rule of thumb is to respect the principle of separation, Vaillancourt says. “Use a three-zone entrance. You want separation between the outside and the inside.”
People are people
Most people don’t mean to be negligent – they just forget to follow the rules. Vaillancourt says it could be due to:
• a basic lack of knowledge on biosecurity
• economic constraints
• lack of training, incentives, time or available information
• poor communication (or lack of coherence of information)
• difficulty in applying suggested measures
• absence of biosecurity program audits
• beliefs, attitudes or perceptions
• education experience or personality traits
“Adults want to know why we ask them to do something,” Vaillancourt says. He suggests producers look at the following methods and determine if they’re fulfilling these important factors:
• Buy-in: Do employees and/or visitors understand why biosecurity is important, and the consequences if there’s a breach? Most importantly, do employees have the opportunity to contribute to the design or the review of the biosecurity program?
• Education/training: Do you have an effective training program for new employees on biosecurity practices?
• Incentives: Do you reward employees who are conscientious and responsible in following protocols?
• Realistic game plan: Are you providing employees with the sanitation equipment, clothing, disinfectants and other tools needed to realistically and easily meet your biosecurity standards? “Unrealistic expectations lead to noncompliance,” Vaillancourt says.
• Verification: Do you have markers or methods to measure how effectively employees are meeting standards?
• Technology: Have you incorporated new technologies to help minimize biosecurity breaches and to help employees meet expectations?
Communication is key
Three personality traits are highly associated with compliance to biosecurity practices, notes Vaillancourt: responsibility, action-oriented and complexity. “Keep these attributes in mind during the hiring process, and assess current employees in terms of their job assignments. Consider adding incentives, additional training and communication sessions on the importance of biosecurity,” he asserts. “You need integrated farm measures, managed traffic flows, compliance assessments and established communication. Think about the basic principles of reducing risk.
“Focus on employee involvement in the decision-making process on biosecurity,” he adds. “Discuss concerns with your employees and build a culture of openness and trust. Sometimes people doing the menial jobs don’t feel they’re that important, but in terms of biosecurity, these people are very important.”
