Biosecurity practices in commercial dairy farms in Central Chile
Biosecurity is defined as the set of measures designed to reduce the entry of pathogens to the herd as well as to avoid or reduce their dissemination within the herd. Biosecurity status is becoming increasingly important, since it influences herd health and product quality. However, biosecurity status in dairy farms in Chile is not known. The aim of the present study was to describe the main biosecurity practices carried out in commercial dairies of the Central Zone of Chile. To carry out this, a survey was designed and subsequently applied to 33 dairy farms located in the regions of Valparaiso, O`Higgins and Metropolitan. This activity was complemented with a visit and inspection of the dairy. Regarding to the arrival of cattle from other farms, in 13 dairies (39.4 %) new cattle were brought into the herd during the last 2 years. Heifers were the class most frequently brought. In 6 of these dairies (46.2%), quarantine to the incoming animals was carried out. In relation to the people's traffic, in 8 operations (24.2 %) there was some kind of signposting in the entry of the facilities and only in one (3 %), visitors had to clean and disinfect its footwear before entering to the facilities. Regarding vehicle traffic, only two operations (6 %) keep a process of disinfection for the wheels of the vehicles entering to the facilities. In all the dairies surveyed there were other animal species, which, in the majority of the cases, had direct contact with the bovines or with its sources of water or food. The species observed with the highest frequencies were: cats (90.9%), dogs (72.7%), horses (60.6%), and poultry (36.4%). In relation to the food management, in 17 cases (51.5 %) the remaining food of the adult cattle was used in the ration of another group of females, being the most frequent destination the rations of dry cows and weaned calves. It is concluded that in general the biosecurity status of the dairies surveyed is insufficient. The most deficient areas regarding biosecurity practices are people's entrance and control, and the contact of cattle with other domestic species. However, there is a low degree of inclusion of foreign animals into the herd, since it is widely acknowledged that keeping a closed herd is an effective way to prevent the access of pathogens to the farm.
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| Format: | Digital revista |
| Language: | spa |
| Published: |
Universidad de Chile. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias
2010
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| Online Access: | https://avancesveterinaria.uchile.cl/index.php/ACV/article/view/18281 |
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