Abstract
Mexico is one of the world's major poultry producing countries. Two significant challenges currently facing the poultry industry are the responsible and judicious use of antimicrobials, and the potential occurrence of infectious disease outbreaks. For example, repeated outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus subtype H7N3 have occurred in poultry since its first detection in Mexico in 2012. Both of these challenges can be addressed through good husbandry practices and the application of on-farm biosecurity measures. The aims of this study were: (i) to assess the biosecurity measures practiced across different types of poultry farms in Mexico, and (ii) to collect information regarding antimicrobial usage. A cross-sectional study was carried out through on-farm interviews on 43 poultry farms. A multiple correspondence analysis was performed to characterize the farms based on their pattern of biosecurity practices and antimicrobial usage. Three clusters of farms were identified using an agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis. In each cluster, a specific farm type was predominant. The biosecurity measures that significantly differentiated the visited farms, thus allowing their clusterization, were: the use of personal protective equipment (e.g. face masks, hair caps, and eye protection), the requirement for a hygiene protocol before and after entering the farm, the use of exclusive working clothes by staff and visitors, footbath presence at the barn entrance, and the mortality disposal strategy. The more stringent the biosecurity measures on farms within a cluster, the fewer the farms that used antimicrobials. Farms with more biosecurity breaches used antimicrobials considered critically important for public health. These findings could be helpful to understand how to guide strategies to reinforce compliance with biosecurity practices identified as critical according to the farm type. We conclude by providing certain recommendations to improve on-farm biosecurity measures.
Highlights
Biosecurity is the set of practices implemented with the objective of preventing the introduction and dissemination of infectious agents in an animal population [1], and to prevent potential zoonoses [2]
Since a clear association has been established between the extent of antimicrobial use (AMU) in livestock and the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) [18,19,20], increased awareness is pushing the poultry sector towards reduced and rational use of antimicrobials [13]
Even though the guidelines established in these manuals are not mandatory, an increasing number of farms are aiming to certify their procedures according to the quality criteria of good husbandry practices, AMU included
Summary
Biosecurity is the set of practices implemented with the objective of preventing the introduction and dissemination of infectious agents in an animal population [1], and to prevent potential zoonoses [2] It has been extensively demonstrated for poultry farms that implementing proper biosecurity practices contributes to the control of pathogen exposure [3,4,5,6,7], and to improved productive performance [4, 8, 9], as well as to reduced antimicrobial usage [10, 11]. As a response to this issue, the Mexican government officialized the National Strategy to fight antimicrobial resistance under the One Health approach in 2018 [22], recommending that veterinary practitioners use antimicrobial compounds in food-producing animals more consciously, as well as to generate more information about AMR.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
