Combat is a free tool using the up-to-date scientific research to give you a customized breakdown of your farm's biosecurity and recommendations for how to effectively reduce biosecurity risks. It also allows you to cross-compare with other similar farms.
What is biosecurity?
‘Biosecurity’ refers to measures that reduce the risks associated with pathogens. ‘External biosecurity’ aims to minimize the introduction of pathogens; ‘internal biosecurity’ aims to minimize the spread of pathogens within a farm.1
Why is biosecurity important?
A good biosecurity program minimizes the impact of harmful pathogens. Good biosecurity is associated with a lower occurrence of PRRSv outbreaks2, better performance indicators3 and lower antibiotic consumption.4
What are the most common biosecurity threats on farms?
Biosecurity can be divided into internal and external threats, and the direct and indirect transmission of pathogens. The epidemiology of each pathogen will determine how it affects a farm once it’s been introduced, but the means by which any pathogen can be introduced to a farm are limited, so it makes sense to focus on preventing the introduction of external pathogens while also being alert to internal biosecurity. When it comes to the transmission of pathogens, direct transmission - which involves direct contact with animals (eg gilt or boar introduction) or organic fluids (eg semen) - should be addressed first, because there is a higher risk of transmission in each instance. The risk of transmission is lower when a contact is indirect, but because indirect transmission is usually associated with things that happen regularly or repeatedly (eg people, animals or vehicles moving around within the farm), the cumulative risk can be significant.
What are the best ways to improve biosecurity?
Direct transmission can be avoided by using sources (eg of animals or semen) that are pathogen-free, and carefully monitoring replacement systems. To reduce indirect transmission, create clearly defined ‘clean’ and ‘dirty’ spaces and maintain a good cleaning and disinfection program for staff, visitors, animals and vehicles. However, biosecurity is best tackled holistically, with every risk considered and addressed. Think of a biosecurity program as a chain; it is only as strong as its weakest link.
How will Boehringer Ingelheim use my data?
Boehringer Ingelheim will collect data in an anonymized way to calculate averages for each farm type and country for benchmark in accordance with applicable regulations. No individual farm can be identified. See the Terms of Use and Privacy Notice for further details.
- 1 Laura Valeria Alarcón, Alberto Allepuz Alberto, Enric Mateu, “Biosecurity in pig farms: a review”, Veterinary Microbiology (April 1997), 55 (1–4), pp323–328. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40813-020-00181-z
- 2 G.S. Silva, L.G. Corbellini, D.L.C. Linhares, K.L. Baker, D.J. Holtkamp, “Development and validation of a scoring system to assess the relative vulnerability of swine breeding herds to the introduction of PRRS virus”, Preventive Veterinary Medicine (November 2018), 160, pp116–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2018.10.004
- 3 M. Laanen, D. Persoons, S. Ribbens, E. de Jong, B. Callens, M. Strubbe, D. Maes, J. Dewulf, “Relationship between biosecurity and production/antimicrobial treatment characteristics in pig herds”, The Veterinary Journal (November 2013), 198 (2), pp508–512. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2013.08.029
- 4 S. Raasch, M. Postma, J. Dewulf et al., “Association between antimicrobial usage, biosecurity measures as well as farm performance in German farrow-to-finish farms”, Porcine Health Management (December 2018), 4 (30). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40813-018-0106-5
- 5 G.S. Silva, L.G. Corbellini, D.L.C. Linhares, K.L. Baker, D.J. Holtkamp, “Development and validation of a scoring system to assess the relative vulnerability of swine breeding herds to the introduction of PRRS virus”, Preventive Veterinary Medicine (November 2018), 160, pp116–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2018.10.004