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Home / Equine Research Bank / Prev Vet Med / Australian horse owners and their biosecurity practices in t...
Preventive veterinary medicine2017; 148; 28-36; doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2017.09.013

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.
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Publication Date: 2017-09-28 PubMed ID: 29157371DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2017.09.013Google Scholar: Lookup
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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

Preventive veterinary medicine
ISSN: 1873-1716
NlmUniqueID: 8217463
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 148
Pages: 28-36

Researcher Affiliations

Wiethoelter, Anke K
  • 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.
Schembri, Nicole
  • Centre for Health Research, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.
Dhand, Navneet K
  • Farm Animal & Veterinary Public Health, The University of Sydney School of Veterinary Science, NSW, 2006, Australia.
Sawford, Kate
  • Farm Animal & Veterinary Public Health, The University of Sydney School of Veterinary Science, NSW, 2006, Australia.
Taylor, Melanie R
  • Centre for Health Research, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia; Organisational Psychology, Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, NSW, 2109, Australia.
Moloney, Barbara
  • NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange, NSW, 2800, Australia.
Wright, Therese
  • NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange, NSW, 2800, Australia.
Kung, Nina
  • Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Brisbane, Queensland, 4001, Australia.
Field, Hume E
  • Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Brisbane, Queensland, 4001, Australia; EcoHealth Alliance, New York 10001, USA.
Toribio, Jenny-Ann L M L
  • 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
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