Willingness to adopt personal biosecurity strategies on thoroughbred breeding farms: Findings from a multi-site pilot study in Australia's Hunter Valley.
Authors: Thompson Kirrilly, Taylor Joanne, Mendez Diana, Chicken Catherine, Carrick Joan, Durrheim David N
Journal: Frontiers in veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary Workers across Australia's thoroughbred breeding industry face genuine zoonotic disease exposure during the intensive foaling season, yet adoption of protective measures has remained poorly understood—a gap this 2022 Hunter Valley pilot study addressed by tracking 17 participants across 14 breeding farms and three equine practices as they trialled 16 nominated personal biosecurity strategies throughout the 2021 foaling season. Using the Transtheoretical Model of change to monitor behaviour shift, researchers conducted three self-audit surveys and exit interviews, finding that whilst 13 strategies achieved ≥50% adoption rates, uptake was highly variable: ready-made foaling boxes (98%), clear messaging about PPE as personal responsibility (94.1%), and pre-prepared PPE kits (88.2%) performed well, but only 68.6% had any intention to practise PPE protocols, and 72.5% showed no interest in buddy-system accountability checks. The findings reveal a significant gap between willingness and implementation of protective behaviours, suggesting that biosecurity interventions designed without consideration for the practical realities of foaling season pressures, farm size, and workforce availability will likely struggle with uptake. For practitioners developing farm protocols, the evidence points toward embedding PPE adoption into existing infrastructure (ready-made kits and spaces) rather than relying on additional training or peer-accountability systems, whilst recognising that sustainable behaviour change requires alignment with operational capacity rather than prescriptive one-size-fits-all recommendations.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Prioritize ready-made foaling kits and pre-configured workspaces—workers will use them at high rates (88–98%) if the friction is removed from adoption
- •Don't rely on peer accountability or practice drills alone; offer structured support instead, as 27–31% reject these approaches outright
- •Tailor biosecurity programs to your operation's calendar rhythms and staffing reality—one-size-fits-all interventions will fail on smaller or seasonally-constrained farms
Key Findings
- •98.0% of workers adopted ready-made foaling boxes and 88.2% used pre-made PPE kits, indicating high adoption of convenience-based biosecurity strategies
- •31.4% of participants had no intention to conduct PPE practice sessions or dummy runs, and 27.5% rejected buddy system oversight for PPE compliance
- •13 of 16 nominated personal biosecurity strategies were practiced by at least 50% of participants, demonstrating moderate overall adoption across multiple intervention types
- •Successful biosecurity implementation requires adaptation to annual breeding calendar demands, farm size, and staffing availability constraints