Perspectives of on-farm biosecurity and disease prevention among selected pig veterinarians and pig farmers in Sweden.

Abstract

Background: Biosecurity is important in preventing the spread of infectious diseases in animal production. Previous studies have identified a disparity between the biosecurity recommendations provided by veterinarians and the actual practices implemented by farmers. This study compared group discussions with a few key actors among Swedish pig veterinarians and farmers on pig farm biosecurity.

Methods: Two focus group discussions were conducted, one with five Swedish pig veterinarians and one with three pig farmers, to explore their views on pig farm biosecurity and efficient biosecurity measures. The discussions were analysed to identify differences and similarities in how biosecurity was perceived.

Results: The study identified differences between the veterinarians and pig farmers in how they perceived good biosecurity and the level of biosecurity in Swedish pig herds. The veterinarians perceived that adhering strictly to the farming system and its barriers was essential for good biosecurity. The biosecurity in the pig farms was often considered inadequate. The veterinarians described difficulties in biosecurity-related communication with the farmers. The pig farmers valued the flexibility of the farming system over strict barriers and described that the level of biosecurity was good in Swedish pig herds. However, both groups also shared similar views regarding the challenges in farm biosecurity. They highlighted that biosecurity measures with proven efficacy are important for farmer motivation.

Conclusions: This limited study suggested that different perspectives on biosecurity can contribute to communication difficulties between pig farmers and veterinarians. Acknowledging both the differences and similarities of the different perspectives may help improve cooperation and communication in biosecurity-related questions.