Foodborne pathogens on Scottish livestock farms: risks, attitudes, and potential interventions

Summary

Foodborne pathogens can cause illness in people through the consumption or handling of contaminated food and may occur at all stages of the food chain. This project, undertaken by Moredun Research Institute, reviewed the current evidence of how these pathogens enter the farm and are transmitted to livestock and then subsequently spread into the farm environment, to identify potential interventions that may be applied to reduce the risks. Management practices including biosecurity, cleaning and disinfection, stocking density and age groups, housing, bedding and feed are all important factors to consider when looking to reduce the risk from foodborne pathogens.

In addition, more targeted interventions such as vaccination may be beneficial to reduce the spread and transmission of food borne pathogens. A survey of livestock farmers showed a strong majority of farmers said they were more likely to use vaccination as an intervention strategy if the vaccine also gave protection against a production disease in their livestock compared with a vaccine that was being used to solely provide a public health benefit. The farmers also thought that public perception of the risk of foodborne pathogens in livestock was a threat to the industry.