Comparison of published recommendations regarding biosecurity practices for various production animal species and classes.
OBJECTIVE
To compare published recommendations regarding biosecurity practices for various production animal species and classes.


METHODS
Literature review.


METHODS
Educational materials available on the World Wide Web that provided biosecurity recommendations for dairy cattle, beef cattle, small ruminant, swine, and poultry producers.


METHODS
Web sites for national producer organizations, university cooperative extension services, and state departments of agriculture were searched to identify educational materials with biosecurity recommendations.


RESULTS
A single national organization was selected as representing each animal agriculture commodity group. A total of 53 university Web sites were visited, and 65 publications prepared by university cooperative extension services were identified and evaluated. Web sites for all 50 state departments of agriculture were searched, and 29 were found to have at least 1 publication related to biosecurity practices, for a total of 46 publications. Evaluation of the biosecurity recommendations revealed wide variations by source and within and among commodity groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggested that educational materials for producers contained wide variations in recommended biosecurity practices. It is possible that some producers choose not to implement biosecurity recommendations because of confusion as to the specific recommendations they should follow.
Moore
Dale A
DA
Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Merryman
Marcia L
ML
Hartman
Marla L
ML
Klingborg
Donald J
DJ
D000820:Animal Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000592:standards*; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000592:standards*; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D033181:Information Dissemination; D020407:Internet; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012637:Security Measures; D013045:Species Specificity