Horse flu prompts farmers to lift farm biosecurity

The horse flu outbreak has prompted more than a third of all livestock producers to change their practices and protect livestock from diseases.

Research findings released today by Animal Health Australia show while 72pc of farmers feel they are now well informed about how animal diseases can be spread, many don’t actually understand where they may be vulnerable.
AHA manager disease risk mitigation, Duncan Rowland, said the EI outbreak had led to a new focus on farm biosecurity for all livestock producers, not just those with horses.
"2007 gave us a sobering reminder of the need for good farm biosecurity practices to protect livestock from disease, as producers could see how much horse owners and the industry as a whole were suffering," Mr Rowland said.
He said despite livestock producers’ fresh interest and concern, the survey showed many didn’t necessarily understand the risks.
"While many producers thought moving animals would be the most likely way to transmit disease – and they’re right – only 17pc saw people movement as a high risk, which is of concern," Mr Rowland said.
"During the EI outbreak we saw that much of the disease spread was actually caused by people and equipment as they carried disease from one horse to the next."
Other research highlights included:
* 68pc of farmers feel confident their farm would be protected in the event of a disease outbreak.
* Horse owners were the most likely to have changed the way they operate, with nearly half completely reviewing their procedures.
* Horse owners were the most proactive in changing the daily operations of their farm to strengthen biosecurity. However, they were the least confident that their property would be fully protected.

SOURCE: FarmOnline.