Project description:
The project deals with the underlying decision-making mechanisms of farmers regarding the establishment and consistent implementation of biosecurity measures in commercial poultry farms and their statistical correlation with outbreaks of avian influenza in the respective farms.
Background:
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has become endemic in Central Europe and poses one of the greatest threats to the poultry industry - sometimes with significant economic and emotional consequences for livestock farmers. However, some farms have so far been spared HPAI outbreaks despite their similar geographical location and farming methods, and thus an apparently comparable risk of introducing the virus.
Biosecurity measures are an important aspect in this context. These can demonstrably reduce the risk of virus entry and the spread of the virus.
Appropriate background knowledge on the part of poultry farmers is essential for this. In addition, livestock farmers' acceptance of biosecurity measures and their willingness to implement them play a key role in successful joint animal disease control.
Nevertheless, little is known about the motives of livestock farmers with regard to compliance with or rejection of biosecurity measures.
Methodology:
The project is divided into two phases. In the first phase, a case-control study will be carried out in which a “KAP” (Knowledge, Attitude, Practice) questionnaire will be used to compare the knowledge, attitudes and implementation of biosecurity measures on poultry farms in Lower Saxony that have been repeatedly affected by HPAI with those that have not. At the same time, the existing biosecurity measures on the farms will be evaluated using a checklist. In the following, the results of both analyses are examined for significant correlations.
In addition, a cross-sectional study will follow in the second project phase, in which poultry farms throughout Germany will be surveyed using an online questionnaire based on the Health Belief Model (HBM).
Project objective:
The aim of the project is to identify differences between repeated outbreak farms and HPAI-free farms and to better understand the background of poultry farmers in dealing with biosecurity measures. Based on the intervention points identified in this way, poultry farms are to be effectively protected against HPAI entry in the long term.
Scientists involved from the IfE:
PD Dr. Carola Sauter-Louis, PhD
Janet Held (Doktorandin)
Projekt coordination:
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut
Cooperation partner:
Niedersächsische Tierseuchenkasse
