Page 15 - National Poultry Newspaper

2018 HIGHLIGHTS
Review of the ‘National Farm Biosecurity Manual for Chicken Growers’
A COLLABORATIVE effort between the poul- try industries, Animal Health Australia, re- searchers and govern- ment agencies produced the National Farm Bio- security Manual for Poultry Production in 2009.
This manual established a minimum set of bio- security recommenda- tions for all poultry (in- cluding ratites).
In 2010, the Austral- ian Chicken Meat Federa- tion produced a tailored version of this manual – the ‘National Farm Biosecurity Manual for Chicken Growers’ (re- ferred to from here as ‘the manual’).
It was felt an industry- specific manual was re- quired that was adapted to reflect the requirements as they applied specifi- cally to the commercial chicken meat industry in Australia.
This superseded the previous version of the industry-specific manual, which was produced in 2002.
Individual growers and companies may wish to develop their own bio- security manuals that fur- ther heighten biosecurity recommendations and requirements, but it is considered they should at least incorporate these minimum standards. Why have a manual?
Biosecurity is key to maintaining the health and welfare of the entire Australian flock and there are a number of reasons why having an agreed set of minimum standards for biosecurity is useful to the industry.
Biosecurity isn’t just about keeping out diseas- es such as avian influenza, it is about taking steps to reduce the risk of a range of diseases and pathogens.
Good biosecurity prac- tice protects individu- al farms as well as the broader Australian chick- en industry from disease incursions that can result in flock morbidity and mortality, and the conse- quent loss in productivity and income.
It also minimises the risk of incursion of bac-
teria including salmonella and campylobacter, which are foodborne pathogens that can cause illness in humans.
Good biosecurity prac- tice also minimises the impact on industry of potential external ramifi- cations such as the loss of export markets or the creation of barriers to en- tering new markets, where incursions may be an emergency animal disease or excluded pathogen.
Effective management of foodborne pathogen risks through the imple- mentation of high stand- ards of biosecurity can also obviate the need for increased regulation to protect the safety of food.
The manual provides guidance as to what the industry accepts to be good biosecurity practice, and if adhered to, provides evidence that a farmer is meeting their biosecurity duty/obligation, which is now a legal requirement in several states.
New Biosecurity Acts came into effect in Queensland and NSW in 2016 and 2017 respec- tively.
A key principle in both Acts is ‘shared responsi- bility’ between govern- ments, industries and individuals in mitigating biosecurity risks, which is generalised as taking all reasonable steps to mini- mise biosecurity risks and a responsibility to be aware of the risks.
Having an industry bio- security manual helps all industry stakeholders achieve this.
The existence and im- plementation of an up- to-date set of biosecurity standards also meets one of industry’s obligations under the Emergency Animal Disease Response Agreement, which is the cost-sharing arrangement between industry and gov- ernments that is activated in the event of an emer- gency disease outbreak.
In future, it is possible that evidence of compli- ance with key elements of the biosecurity manual may become a prerequi- site for farmers to qualify for full compensation in the event of future out-
breaks of emergency dis- eases such as avian in- fluenza.
The manual should be reviewed on a regular ba- sis to ensure its relevance to current farming prac- tices.
Just because it’s boring doesn’t mean it’s not im- portant!
While some may argue the effort to review and update the manual could be better spent improving practical application of the measures, these efforts are undermined if there isn’t a nationally consist- ent approach to identifica- tion and management of biosecurity risks.
It is also considered im- portant that the manual is reviewed within reason- able timeframes to ensure it captures changes in in- dustry practice or opera- tion and newly clarified biosecurity risks.
Indeed, it is a require- ment under the Emer- gency Animal Disease Response Agreement that biosecurity manuals be re- viewed at least every five years, for this reason.
The version of the manual to be released in 2018 was produced after a review of outcomes of investigations into avian influenza outbreaks in the US and Europe, recent risk assessments and a consultation process with key industry stakeholders and biosecurity experts to ensure its currency and relevance.
While no outbreaks of emergency disease have occurred on Aus- tralian chicken meat or meat breeder farms since the release of the 2010 manual, new information, changes in the industry, outbreaks of AI inter- nationally and in other sectors of the poultry in- dustry in Australia, and a global focus on antimicro- bial resistance make such
a review timely.
Key recommended changes to the 2010 manual
The important thing to note is none of the cur- rent recommendations have been receded in the updated version and it is considered the below changes bring the manual more into alignment with current industry practices, without exceeding them.
Key draft changes:
I. Structural:
a. Reference to free
range and range areas have been combined into a separate section.
b. New section for con- tractors, service person- nel, suppliers and visitors to clearly delineate the re- sponsibilities of the grow- ers from those of service personnel, pick-up crews and contractors (which are in the current manual).
c. Reference to ‘produc- tion area’ has generally been updated to ‘biose- cure production area’.
d. Only one level of bio- security. The second level ‘High Risk Biosecurity Procedures’ in the current manual was essentially what to do in the event of an EAD, not a higher level of daily preventa- tive measures. This sec- tion has been replaced by a substantially expanded section ‘Immediate Bio- security Steps To Be Tak- en If Emergency Disease Is Suspected’.
e. Significant restructure of the surface water treat- ment section.
II. New risks for which recommendations to man- age have been included:
a. Transfer of antimi- crobial-resistant bacteria from humans to chickens.
b. People suffering from gastro.
c. People who recently travelled overseas (par- ticularly if in contact with pigs and poultry).
d. Shed entries, includ-
ing the pick-up entrance. e. Dams or other water bodies on the biosecure
production area.
III. The intent of points
of 2.15 and 2.16 in the current manual have been strengthened to reinforce that no other avian spe- cies should be present on the property (unless it can be demonstrated on ex- pansive properties that no contact is made by those who manage and make contact with the biosecure production area and with any other avian that may be on site).
The process from here
When a revised version is available that has broad industry agreement, the manual needs to be sub- mitted to Animal Health Australia for input and ratification by all signato- ries to the EADRA, as is required under this agree- ment.
Once this has occurred, the manual will replace versions currently avail- able online and industry notified.
It is expected this pro- cess should be complete by the end of 2018.
Dr Kylie Hewson
Dr Kylie Hewson
www.poultrynews.com.au
National Poultry Newspaper, July 2018 – Page 15