Effectiveness of Biosecurity Measures in Preventing Badger Visits to Farm Buildings

BackgroundBovine tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis is a serious and economically important disease of cattle. Badgers have been implicated in the transmission and maintenance of the disease in the UK since the 1970s. Recent studies have provided substantial evidence of widespread and frequent visits by badgers to farm buildings during which there is the potential for close direct contact with cattle and contamination of cattle feed. MethodologyHere we evaluated the effectiveness of simple exclusion measures in improving farm biosecurity and preventing badger visits to farm buildings. In the first phase of the study, 32 farms were surveyed using motion-triggered infrared cameras on potential entrances to farm buildings to determine the background level of badger visits experienced by each farm. In the second phase, they were divided into four treatment groups; “Control”, “Feed Storage”, “Cattle Housing” and “Both”, whereby no exclusion measures were installed, exclusion measures were installed on feed storage areas only, cattle housing only or both feed storage and cattle housing, respectively. Badger exclusion measures included sheet metal gates, adjustable metal panels for gates, sheet metal fencing, feed bins and electric fencing. Cameras were deployed for at least 365 nights in each phase on each farm. ResultsBadger visits to farm buildings occurred on 19 of the 32 farms in phase one. In phase two, the simple exclusion measures were 100% effective in preventing badger entry into farm buildings, as long as they were appropriately deployed. Furthermore, the installation of exclusion measures also reduced the level of badger visits to the rest of the farmyard. The findings of the present study clearly demonstrate how relatively simple practical measures can substantially reduce the likelihood of badger visits to buildings and reduce some of the potential for contact and disease transmission between badgers and cattle.背景 由牛分枝杆菌（Mycobacterium bovis）引发的牛结核病（Bovine tuberculosis）是一种严重且具有重大经济影响的牛类疾病。自20世纪70年代起，英国的獾便被认为与该病在牛群中的传播及维持密切相关。近期研究提供了充分证据，表明獾会广泛且频繁地造访农场建筑，在此过程中存在与牛近距离直接接触，以及污染牛饲料的潜在可能。 研究方法 本文评估了简易防入措施在提升农场生物安全、阻止獾造访农场建筑方面的有效性。研究分为两个阶段：第一阶段，研究人员针对32家农场，在其农场建筑的潜在入口处部署运动触发式红外相机，以明确每家农场遭遇獾造访的本底水平。第二阶段，将这些农场划分为四个处理组，分别为"Control"（对照组）、"Feed Storage"（饲料存储区组）、"Cattle Housing"（牛舍组）以及"Both"（全防护组），具体对应未安装任何防入措施、仅在饲料存储区域安装防入措施、仅在牛舍安装防入措施，以及同时在饲料存储区与牛舍安装防入措施。本次采用的獾防入措施包括金属板闸门、可调节式金属门面板、金属板围栏、饲料存储桶以及电子围栏。每个阶段中，每家农场的相机均连续部署不少于365个夜间时段。 结果 第一阶段中，32家农场里有19家出现了獾造访农场建筑的情况。第二阶段中，只要部署得当，简易防入措施可100%有效阻止獾进入农场建筑。此外，安装防入措施还降低了獾造访农场庭院其余区域的频次。本研究结果清晰表明，相对简单且实用的措施即可大幅降低獾造访农场建筑的概率，同时减少獾与牛之间接触及疾病传播的部分潜在风险。