title: Development, application, and validation of a survey for infectious disease control practices at equine boarding facilities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a questionnaire for self-assessment of biosecurity practices at equine boarding facilities and to evaluate infectious disease control practices in these facilities in Colorado.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  64 equine boarding facilities in Colorado.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survey questions were rated according to importance for prevention and containment of equine infectious diseases. Point values (range, 0 to 20) were assigned for possible responses, with greater values given for optimal infection control methods. Questionnaires were mailed to equine boarding facilities in Colorado advertised on the World Wide Web. Survey responses were compared with assessments made by a member of the research team during visits to 30 randomly selected facilities. Agreement among results was analyzed via a kappa test and rated as poor, fair, moderate, substantial, or nearly perfect.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Survey responses were received for 64 of 163 (39%) equine boarding facilities. Scores ranged from 106 to 402 points (maximum possible score, 418). Most facilities received better scores for movement and housing of equids than for other sections of the survey. Respondents at 24 of 48 (50%) facilities that routinely received new equids reported isolation of new arrivals. Agreement between self-assessment by survey respondents and evaluation by a member of the research team was determined to be fair to substantial.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most equine boarding facilities have opportunities to improve measures for prevention or containment of contagious diseases (eg, isolation of newly arrived equids and use of written health management protocols). Most self-assessments of infection control practices were accurate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. atkirby@rams.colostate.edu
authors.forename: Alanna T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Kirby
authors.forename: Josie L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Traub-Dargatz
authors.forename: Ashley E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Lori R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Kogan
authors.forename: Paul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Morley
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Heird
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods*; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006736:Horses; D006799:Housing, Animal / Q000592:standards*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires