Biosecurity Initiative Research Articles

Regional approach to strengthening biosafety and biosecurity systems in Africa

ABSTRACT The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Biosafety and Biosecurity Initiative being implemented across the 55 African Union Member States is presented. Based on consultations with Member States between 2019 and 2021, national-level capacity gaps were identified which informed the biosafety and biosecurity 5-year (2021–2025) strategic plan. The process of identifying national gaps, development, implementation and monitoring of the 5-year strategic plan is described. Notable achievements include development of a regional biosafety and biosecurity legislative framework now approved by African Union structures and process of domestication that has started in some countries; establishment and operationalisation of multi-sectoral regional biosafety and biosecurity technical working groups tasked with coordinating and monitoring implementation of the initiative, development and implementation of an accessible and regionally endorsed Regional Training and Certification Program for Biosafety and Biosecurity Professionals; establishment of a Regional Centre of Excellence for biosafety and biosecurity from where two cohorts of students in the two areas of biorisk management (16 students from 8 countries) and biological waste management (19 students from 10 countries) have been trained and development of a Regulatory and Certification Framework for Institutions Handling High-Risk Pathogens with three components of minimum standards of biosafety and biosecurity for high-containment facilities, a standard evaluation checklist for checking compliance and a certification framework for authorising performance of tasks related to dangerous pathogens. A guidance document with step-by-step process on how to translate regional successes to national implementation was developed and published. Based on notable regional successes of the initiative, Africa CDC co-chaired the Global Health Security Agenda Action Package 3 on Prevention and the Africa Signature Initiative Biosafety and Biosecurity Working Group. Challenges of delayed implementation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, limited resources to implement all planned activities and limited staff dedicated to biosafety and biosecuruty at Africa CDC.

Characterising Biosecurity Initiatives Globally to Support the Development of a Progressive Management Pathway for Terrestrial Animals: A Scoping Review.

While biosecurity is of increasing importance globally, there is still limited evidence of the factors or elements that support the progressive and sustainable scaling up of biosecurity along the value chains from the local to the global level. To gain insight into the current body of literature on biosecurity, a mixed-methods approach was used based on a scoping literature review and an online survey with subject matter experts. Six databases were searched for published literature, and textual information from titles and abstracts of all included records (n = 266) were analysed through inductive content analysis to build biosecurity-relevant categories and identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of existing biosecurity systems or initiatives (such as projects or programs). Most records focused on initiatives in high-income countries, traditional livestock species (pigs, poultry, and large ruminants), and the production stage and had a disease-specific focus. No records described a comprehensive or global framework to progressively scale up biosecurity. Overall, the findings highlight the need for initiatives such as the FAO Progressive Management Pathway for Terrestrial Animal Biosecurity (FAO-PMP-TAB), which is a stepwise approach for strengthening biosecurity management along value chains to enhance the health, resilience, and sustainability of animal sectors. The findings highlight important elements and provide recommendations useful for developing approaches or a global framework to progressively improve biosecurity management.

Cross-Cultural Leadership Enables Collaborative Approaches to Management of Kauri Dieback in Aotearoa New Zealand

In Aotearoa/New Zealand, the soilborne pathogen Phytophthora agathidicida threatens the survival of the iconic kauri, and the ecosystem it supports. In 2011, a surveillance project to identify areas of kauri dieback caused by Phytophthora agathidicida within the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park (WRRP) highlighted the potential impact of the pathogen. A repeat of the surveillance in 2015/16 identified that approximately a quarter of the kauri area within the Regional Park was infected or possibly infected, an increase from previous surveys. The surveillance program mapped 344 distinct kauri areas and showed that 33.4% of the total kauri areas were affected or potentially affected by kauri dieback and over half (58.3%) of the substantial kauri areas (above 5 ha in size) were showing symptoms of kauri dieback. Proximity analysis showed 71% of kauri dieback zones to be within 50 m of the track network. Spatial analysis showed significantly higher proportions of disease presence along the track network compared to randomly generated theoretical track networks. Results suggest that human interaction is assisting the transfer of Phytophthora agathidicida within the area. The surveillance helped trigger the declaration of a cultural ban (rāhui) on recreational access. Te Kawerau ā Maki, the iwi of the area, placed a rāhui over the kauri forest eco-system of the Waitākere Forest (Te Wao Nui o Tiriwa) in December 2017. The purpose of the rāhui was to help prevent the anthropogenic spread of kauri dieback, to provide time for investment to be made into a degraded forest infrastructure and for research to be undertaken, and to help protect and support forest health (a concept encapsulated by the term mauri). Managing the spread and impact of the pathogen remains an urgent priority for this foundation species in the face of increasing pressures for recreational access. Complimentary quantitative and qualitative research programs into track utilization and ecologically sensitive design, collection of whakapapa seed from healthy and dying trees, and remedial phosphite treatments are part of the cross-cultural and community-enabled biosecurity initiatives to Kia Toitu He Kauri “Keep Kauri Standing”.

Distribution record of the invasive drywood termite Cryptotermes domesticus (Haviland) in Riau Province, Sumatra Island, Indonesia

The domestic drywood termite, Cryptotermes domesticus (Haviland), has been referred to in past literature as a native species originating in the Southeast Asia region. The species come to prominence due to its destructive damage to a dried wood log by creating passages and nests inside the wood. Its economic importance makes the species one of the monitored species in inter-island transport as part of a biosecurity initiative by the Indonesian Government. In the present study, we collected drywood termites’ specimens from four locations in Riau Province, Sumatra Island, and conducted morphological identification. In the end, we verify the presence of C. domesticus in all four sites studied. This finding establishes the continued presence of the species in Sumatra, one of the areas reported as the native distribution of the species other than Java and Kalimantan following the Holmgren reports in 1913. We believe this report can be an addition to the current status of C. domesticus in Sumatra and also be an addition to the biosecurity initiative list of monitored species regarding the C. domesticus native range in Indonesia.

Plant Virus and Virus-like Disease Threats to Australia's North Targeted by the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy.

The Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS) is a biosecurity initiative operated by the Australian federal government’s Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE). It is unique worldwide because it deals specifically with the potential arrival via unregulated pathways of exotic threats from overseas in a vast and sparsely populated region. It aims to protect the nation’s animal- and plant-based production industries, as well as the environment, from incursions of organisms from countries that lie immediately to the north. These are diseases, pests, and weeds present in these countries that are currently either absent from, or under active containment in, Australia and may arrive by natural or human-assisted means. This review article focuses on the plant viruses and virus-like diseases that are most highly targeted by the NAQS program. It presents eight pathogen species/group entries in the NAQS A list of target pathogens, providing an overview of the historical and current situation, and collates some new data obtained from surveillance activities conducted in northern Australia and collaborative work overseas.

Seroprevalence and associated risk factors of avian influenza virus subtype H9N2 in backyard poultry of Peshawar Pakistan

The current study was conducted to estimate the serological prevalence and risk factors associated with the transmission of avian influenza subtype H9N2 among backyard poultry from different villages of semi-arid climate district Peshawar Pakistan between January to May 2019. In total, 240 blood samples of healthy backyard poultry older than two months were collected from 30 different villages of district Peshawar. A predesigned questionnaire was used to collect the data related to risk factors. Se-rum samples were tested through the haemagglutination inhibition (HI) test further confirmed by the micro-neutralizing test (MN). Antibody body titer ≤ 8 considered negative for prevalence of H9N2. In order to classify risk factors, Chi-square and Logistic regression analyses were performed. Out of 240, 150 were found to be positive. The overall seroprevalence was 62.5%, mean antibody titer for avian influenza virus in all villages was 6.8 and (95%) confidence interval ranges from 35.33 to 51.70% re-spectively. The high prevalence of antibodies to avian influenza viruses in bird serum emphasizes that avian influenza plays an important role in the respiratory infections of backyard chickens in the area, and possibly throughout Pakistan. In order to avoid the introduction of H9N2, biosecurity initiatives, surveillance, monitoring systems, and to some extent, vaccinations are useful tools.

Applied Biosafety's Special Supplemental Issue on Global Biosafety and Biosecurity Initiatives

<i>Applied Biosafety's</i> Special Supplemental Issue on Global Biosafety and Biosecurity Initiatives

Information for Contributors

Information for Contributors

Engaging young people in science education through socioscientific issues of biosecurity

ABSTRACTThe biosecurity system is extremely important to New Zealand because the economy is based largely on exporting products derived from primary industry practices. Recent developments in trade practices such as online trade have put the biosecurity system in New Zealand under further strain. In light of this, engaging young people to support biosecurity initiatives is crucial. A qualitative approach using the interpretive mode of inquiry was used to investigate the message young people got out of biosecurity educational material in the public. One hundred and seventy-one young people completed a questionnaire that consisted of Likert-scale type questions and open-ended questions that focused on getting young people’s understanding of biosecurity related educational material. The findings show that young people emotionally connected with the biosecurity educational material, but were unable to get the biosecurity message. Building prior knowledge about biosecurity through teaching and learning is recommended.

Mitigating pest and pathogen impacts using resistant trees: a framework and overview to inform development and deployment in Europe and North America

This work was supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as part of the Future Proofing Plant Health (FPPH) project. In addition, R.J.A.B. was partly supported by Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Initiative - Phase 2 grant BB/L012162/1, funded jointly by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Defra, Economic and Social Research Council, Forestry Commission, Natural Environment Research Council and the Scottish Government.

Origins and implications of apid bees (Hymentopera: Apidae) in French Polynesia

AbstractIsland plant–pollinator networks are typically simpler than their continental counterparts and this can make them less resilient to disturbance from exotic species. French Polynesia has a very low diversity of bees, but their status as either native or introduced species has been largely speculative. We combine previous studies with new DNA sequence data to show that 11 bee species have now been recorded for French Polynesia. Haplotype variation at the ‘barcode’ region of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) for four of these species, Ceratina dentipes Freise, Xylocopa sonorina Smith, Braunsapis puangensis (Cockerell) and Amegilla pulchra (Smith), indicates that they all represent very recent introductions. Apis mellifera Linnaeus was a purposefully introduced species, and four megachilid species probably arrived due to human‐aided dispersal through maritime activities in the Pacific. The two remaining bee species, an unidentified partial specimen of a halictid bee and the colletid bee Hylaeus (P.) tuamotuensis Michener, are collectively known from only four specimens collected in the 1930s and their provenance is uncertain. French Polynesia therefore comprises a region where recently introduced bee species greatly overwhelm any possible native bee fauna. These introductions are likely to have major ecosystem impacts, including disruptions of existing plant–pollinator networks and facilitating the spread of weedy plant species, as well as positive impacts for agriculture. Future biosecurity initiatives need to consider these potential impacts and the likely routes of dispersal to effectively control any further unintended introductions.

Biobanking and Biosecurity Initiatives in Africa.

Biobanking and Biosecurity Initiatives in Africa.

A coordinated approach

Jan Rogers head of development at the British Equestrian Federation explains their new biosecurity initiative in preventing the spread of disease

Emerging threats to biosecurity in Australasia: the need for an integrated management strategy

The intersection of numerous global megatrends is driving the emergence of significantly more complex biosecurity challenges in Australasia. Additional legislative and management frameworks, coupled with dedicated funding sources, will be required to protect the region’s native biodiversity and the human activities that depend on it. This review explores how more comprehensive biosecurity initiatives might be implemented through the adoption of robust pre-border and border quarantine practices, the use of emerging technologies to improve border and post-border biosurveillance and monitoring, and the integration of multiple social, economic and ecological objectives into a more holistic management paradigm. This review also discusses the need for a multidisciplinary approach to biosecurity, driven by improved co-operation across government agencies, industry, community and scientific stakeholders, in order to safeguard the unique biological heritage of the Australasia region.

Why biosecurity matters: students’ knowledge of biosecurity and implications for future engagement with biosecurity initiatives

Background: Research on biosecurity is important as New Zealand’s agricultural export-driven economy is susceptible to biosecurity threats. Because New Zealand is reliant on the primary industries to drive its economy, bovine diseases such as foot and mouth could have a devastating effect on the economy.Purpose: Making sure that the general public are aware of the importance of maintaining biosecurity is crucial in order to protect New Zealand’s economy, human health, the environment, and social and cultural values. New Zealand Year 9 students’ knowledge of biosecurity was gauged as these students represented the next generation of individuals tasked to maintain biosecurity in New Zealand.Design: A qualitative approach using the interpretive mode of inquiry was used to investigate the knowledge about biosecurity with New Zealand Year 9 students. Questionnaires and interviews were the data collection tools.Sample: One hundred and seventy-one students completed a questionnaire that consisted of Likert-type questions and open-ended questions. Nine students were interviewed about their knowledge.Results: The findings showed that New Zealand Year 9 students lacked specific knowledge about unwanted plants, animals and microorganisms. These students saw illicit drug plants as unwanted plants and mainly saw possums as unwanted animals in New Zealand. Their knowledge about unwanted microorganisms in New Zealand was dominated by human-disease-causing microbes. A lack of knowledge of biosecurity issues in New Zealand was seen as the major factor in these students limited understanding of biosecurity.Conclusions: Based on these findings, it can be said that knowledge of an issue is critical in enabling individuals to develop an understanding about biosecurity. Explicit teaching of biosecurity-related curriculum topics could provide New Zealand Year 9 students with an opportunity to develop knowledge about biosecurity in New Zealand.

Evolution, ecology and tree health: finding ways to prepare Britain's forests for future threats

Evolution, ecology and tree health: finding ways to prepare Britain's forests for future threats

Island arks: the need for an Australian national island biosecurity initiative

Threats to island biotas from non-indigenous species have been extensively documented and remain among the most powerful drivers of biotic extinction. Despite this, Australia does not have a national, comprehensive plan of action for island biosecurity. Recent initiatives by Australian governments could provide the basis for the first systematic and comprehensive approach to securing the future of Australia’s continental and oceanic islands. A National Island Biosecurity Initiative would lay the foundations for effective island biosecurity. It would protect globally significant populations of migratory species and play a major role in preventing the extinction of hundreds of threatened species and ecosystems. Australian islands need a more comprehensive and strategic biosecurity regime. This is evidenced by ongoing expensive efforts to control non-indigenous species on islands in Australia and the progressive loss of native species on those islands. Most islands have not suffered the same range of disturbances as has mainland Australia. However, for some islands, the arrival of nonindigenous species because of the lack of quarantine has led to extinctions (e.g. Burbidge & Manly 2002), the most recent example of which is the loss of the Christmas Island Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus murrayi) in 2009. However, these islands are a minority; many Australian islands are largely in a natural condition, and effective biosecurity will be critical if they are to remain so. Biosecurity is defined by the ‘Beale report’ (Commonwealth of Australia 2008) as ‘the protection of the economy, environment and human health from the negative impacts associated with entry, establishment or spread of exotic pests (including weeds) and diseases’. We propose that implementation of this report’s recommendations should include a new and comprehensive strategic framework specifically for island biosecurity. This would be based on an assessment of island biodiversity values and a risk assessment approach. Furthermore, the use of systematic conservation planning (e.g. Pressey & Bottrill 2009) would provide a more rigorous and transparent basis for allocating resources efficiently to different strategies. The importance of maintaining the natural condition of Australian islands is underlined by their unique biodiversity values. Oceanic islands are home to many endemic species. Both oceanic and continental islands provide the sole or major breeding and roosting habitats for many species of seabirds, marine mammals and reptiles. Continental islands are also refugia for species that have disappeared or declined on the mainland. Most of Australia’s breeding seabirds nest only on islands. Of those nesting on both islands and mainland beaches, island populations fare best (e.g. Fairy Tern (Sterna nereis), BirdLife International 2010). The situation is similar for sea turtles: mainland rookeries are subjected to human disturbance and nest predation by pigs, dogs and foxes. ‘Marooning’, or translocating mainland species at high risk to

Protecting Antarctica from Non-Native Species: The Imperatives and the Impediments

Abstract The introduction of non-native species and disease into the Antarctic environment has long been recognised as a matter of concern within the Antarctic Treaty System. Yet the system’s forums have little-considered the policy implications and the practical means of addressing the issue – suggesting there is merit in revisiting the protection imperative as it exists for Antarctica, and in exploring the impediments to advancing the region’s biosecurity. Factors bearing on action taken to minimise introductions include the perspectives held as to where the introduction threats and management priorities lie, parties’ differing interpretations of the practical obligations arising from the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, the complexity of program operations coupled with the dictates of logistical expediency, the projected costs of implementing precautionary protection measures, the commitment of individuals to implementing quarantine procedures, and the realisation that no system can provide complete protection. Notwithstanding such issues, in May 2008, Australia, China, India, Romania and the Russian Federation jointly agreed upon a suite of measures aimed at minimising introductions to the Larsemann Hills, Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica, where they all have operational bases. It is hoped that the development of this first multilateral Antarctic biosecurity initiative will prompt other parties to actively engage on determining the best means of providing Antarctica with an appropriate level of protection.

Successful spread of a biocontrol agent reveals a biosecurity failure: elucidating long distance invasion pathways for Gonatocerus ashmeadi in French Polynesia

Invasive species are generally detected in new ecosystems long after their first arrival, making it difficult to elucidate pathways leading to successful invasion. In this study, the dispersal of a classical biological control agent, the mymarid egg parasitoid Gonatocerus ashmeadi, was monitored across ten islands in three major island groups in French Polynesia from the exact moment of its introduction into Tahiti to combat the invasive pest Homalodiscavitripennis. Within 10 months, the parasitoid spread quickly from Tahiti to widely separated islands (up to 1,400 km from Tahiti); presumably through the transportation of plant material containing parasitized H. vitripennis eggs. Gonatocerus ashmeadi thus functioned as a “biomarker”, providing an informal audit of the effectiveness of inter-island quarantine measures designed to curb the accidental spread of noxious organisms. Survey results suggest that invasive organisms, like deliberately released biological control agents, can be unintentionally and rapidly transmitted across vast distances by humans. Furthermore, even remote islands appear to experience relentless pressure from invasive propagules associated with human travel. Implications of survey work documenting the spread and impact of G. ashmeadi are discussed within the context of biological control programs, non-target impacts, and biosecurity initiatives.

After the Outbreak: How the British Columbia Commercial Poultry Industry Recovered After H7N3 HPAI

In spring 2004, an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), subtype H7N3, occurred in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Canada. The active outbreak lasted more than 90 days; 42 commercial poultry farms were identified as infected premises, and more than 17 million birds were culled. Through the depopulation of HPAI-positive farms and the strategic depopulation of adjacent test-negative farms, a total of 410 commercial poultry farms were emptied. The goals for the commercial poultry industry were to expedite restocking, reduce nonproductive downtime, negotiate equitable financial compensation, review and restructure emergency disease response plans, and identify and implement mitigation strategies. After the outbreak, multijurisdictional reviews identified the strengths and weaknesses of the outbreak control strategy. Lessons learned were incorporated into current emergency disease response protocols for both industry and government. The industry-led challenge to initial compensation values, especially for specialty poultry and breeder birds, resulted in a review of the federal Health of Animals Act. The British Columbia poultry industry, in collaboration with the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, developed an Enhanced Biosecurity Initiative that included the identification of mandatory on-farm biosecurity standards for commercial producers, an educational biosecurity self-assessment guide, and provisions for a producer self-quarantine to be enacted upon the first suspicion of disease.