Omneity® Pellets
All-In-One Vitamin & Mineral Pellet
Australian horse owners and their biosecurity practices in the context of Hendra virus.
Abstract: In recent years, outbreaks of exotic as well as newly emerging infectious diseases have highlighted the importance of biosecurity for the Australian horse industry. As the first potentially fatal zoonosis transmissible from horses to humans in Australia, Hendra virus has emphasised the need to incorporate sound hygiene and general biosecurity practices into day-to-day horse management. Recommended measures are widely publicised, but implementation is at the discretion of the individual owner. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine current levels of biosecurity of horse owners and to identify factors influencing the uptake of practices utilising data from an online survey. Level of biosecurity (low, medium, high), as determined by horse owners' responses to a set of questions on the frequency of various biosecurity practices performed around healthy (9 items) and sick horses (10 items), was used as a composite outcome variable in ordinal logistic regression analyses. The majority of horse owners surveyed were female (90%), from the states of Queensland (45%) or New South Wales (37%), and were involved in either mainly competitive/equestrian sports (37%) or recreational horse activities (35%). Seventy-five percent of owners indicated that they follow at least one-third of the recommended practices regularly when handling their horses, resulting in medium to high levels of biosecurity. Main factors associated with a higher level of biosecurity were high self-rated standard of biosecurity, access to personal protective equipment, absence of flying foxes in the local area, a good sense of control over Hendra virus risk, likelihood of discussing a sick horse with a veterinarian and likelihood of suspecting Hendra virus in a sick horse. Comparison of the outcome variable with the self-rated standard of biosecurity showed that over- as well as underestimation occurred. This highlights the need for continuous communication and education to enhance awareness and understanding of what biosecurity is and how it aligns with good horsemanship. Overall, strengthened biosecurity practices will help to improve animal as well as human health and increase preparedness for future disease outbreaks.
Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2017-09-28 PubMed ID: 29157371DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2017.09.013Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
This study explores the biosecurity practices of Australian horse owners amidst Hendra virus outbreaks. The focus is on understanding how factors such as access to personal protective equipment, prevalence of flying foxes, and awareness of Hendra virus influence the implementation of recommended biosecurity practices.
Objective Study Design
The study follows a cross-sectional design to determine the current levels of biosecurity among horse owners and the driving factors behind the adoption of various practices. The information was procured via an online survey. The overall biosecurity level is categorized as low, medium, or high, based on the owners’ responses to questions concerning their hygiene and biosecurity practices for both healthy and sick horses.
Demographics
Most of the surveyed horse owners are females (90%), based largely in Queensland (45%) or New South Wales (37%). The majority are engaged in either competitive/equestrian sports (37%) or recreational horse activities (35%).
Key Findings
The survey reveals that 75% of owners regularly follow at least one-third of the recommended practices when managing their horses, hence indicating medium to high levels of biosecurity. However, some factors were found to be significantly related to a higher level of biosecurity. These include:
- High self-rated standard of biosecurity
- Access to personal protective equipment
- Absence of flying foxes in the local area (Hendra virus carriers)
- Good sense of control over the Hendra virus risk
- Likelihood of consulting a vet when a horse falls sick
- Possibility of suspecting Hendra virus in a sick horse
Misalignment in Self-rated Biosecurity Levels
When comparing the outcome of the variable with the self-rated standard of biosecurity, a disparity was found. Both overestimation and underestimation occurred among owners, suggesting a need for enhanced communication and education to improve understanding of biosecurity measures.
Role of Biosecurity Practices
Strengthened biosecurity practices are essential not only for animal health and welfare but also for human health. Moreover, they increase preparedness for potential disease outbreaks in the future. This study underlines the importance of a well-rounded understanding of biosecurity among horse owners and its implications on health, given the zoonotic nature of diseases like the Hendra virus.
Cite This Article
APA
Wiethoelter AK, Schembri N, Dhand NK, Sawford K, Taylor MR, Moloney B, Wright T, Kung N, Field HE, Toribio JLML.
(2017).
Australian horse owners and their biosecurity practices in the context of Hendra virus.
Prev Vet Med, 148, 28-36.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2017.09.013 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Farm Animal & Veterinary Public Health, The University of Sydney School of Veterinary Science, NSW, 2006, Australia; Centre for Health Research, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia. Electronic address: anke.wiethoelter@unimelb.edu.au.
- Centre for Health Research, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.
- Farm Animal & Veterinary Public Health, The University of Sydney School of Veterinary Science, NSW, 2006, Australia.
- Farm Animal & Veterinary Public Health, The University of Sydney School of Veterinary Science, NSW, 2006, Australia.
- Centre for Health Research, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia; Organisational Psychology, Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, NSW, 2109, Australia.
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange, NSW, 2800, Australia.
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange, NSW, 2800, Australia.
- Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Brisbane, Queensland, 4001, Australia.
- Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Brisbane, Queensland, 4001, Australia; EcoHealth Alliance, New York 10001, USA.
- Farm Animal & Veterinary Public Health, The University of Sydney School of Veterinary Science, NSW, 2006, Australia.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Australia
- Cross-Sectional Studies
- Health Communication
- Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
- Hendra Virus / physiology
- Henipavirus Infections / prevention & control
- Henipavirus Infections / psychology
- Henipavirus Infections / veterinary
- Henipavirus Infections / virology
- Horse Diseases / prevention & control
- Horse Diseases / psychology
- Horse Diseases / virology
- Horses
- Humans
- Zoonoses / prevention & control
- Zoonoses / psychology
- Zoonoses / virology
Citations
This article has been cited 6 times.- Wyler MKE. Public acceptance of policy measures to prevent and combat infectious diseases in pets: a systematic literature review. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1603592.
- Thompson K, Taylor J, Mendez D, Chicken C, Carrick J, Durrheim DN. Willingness to adopt personal biosecurity strategies on thoroughbred breeding farms: Findings from a multi-site pilot study in Australia's Hunter Valley. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:1017452.
- Yuen KY, Fraser NS, Henning J, Halpin K, Gibson JS, Betzien L, Stewart AJ. Hendra virus: Epidemiology dynamics in relation to climate change, diagnostic tests and control measures. One Health 2021 Jun;12:100207.
- Hemida MG, Alnaeem A. Some One Health based control strategies for the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. One Health 2019 Dec;8:100102.
- Fenner K, Caspar G, Hyde M, Henshall C, Dhand N, Probyn-Rapsey F, Dashper K, McLean A, McGreevy P. It's all about the sex, or is it? Humans, horses and temperament. PLoS One 2019;14(5):e0216699.
- Degeling C, Gilbert GL, Annand E, Taylor M, Walsh MG, Ward MP, Wilson A, Johnson J. Managing the risk of Hendra virus spillover in Australia using ecological approaches: A report on three community juries. PLoS One 2018;13(12):e0209798.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
