Assessment of Cleaning and Disinfection Practices on Pig Farms across Ten European Countries

Simple Summary Biosecurity measures play a pivotal role in minimizing the risk of introducing and spreading infectious agents. Within external and especially internal biosecurity, cleaning and disinfection (C&D) procedures play an important role. The current study aimed to assess the implementation of C&D procedures on pig farms in Europe during 2019-2022, with a focus on identifying areas that warrant improvement. Increased C&D implementation is observed in countries like Belgium, Finland, Italy, and Spain, signaling a high level of farmers' awareness. The study identifies stronger implementation of C&D measures in the framework of external biosecurity but notes gaps in the application of C&D measures for material introduction practices (22% of farms). In the frame of internal biosecurity, more gaps were highlighted in the presence and use of hand hygiene stations (19% of farms), boots disinfection equipment (40% of farms), cleaning between compartments, and evaluation of the efficacy of C&D measures. Notably, only 1% of farms evaluate hygiene after C&D procedures, revealing an important area for improvement. In conclusion, the analysis highlights C&D implementation in European pig farming, emphasizing progress areas and advocating for targeted awareness campaigns and training initiatives to improve biosecurity practices.Abstract This study delves into the assessment of cleaning and disinfection (C&D) measures within the context of European pig farming, employing the Biocheck.UGent (TM) tool as an effective instrument for evaluation. A comprehensive set of relevant parameters was examined to enable meaningful comparisons across farms from 10 European countries during four years (2019-2022). Findings indicate a notable increase in C&D measure implementation in select countries (Belgium, Finland, Italy, and Spain), reflecting heightened awareness and responsibility among farmers. Additionally, the overall score for the C&D subcategory highlights variation across countries, with Italy (75), Poland (74), and Belgium (72) displaying the highest scores, while Ireland (56), Slovenia (55), and Serbia (50) reported the lowest scores. However, the considerable variation in the number of participating farms necessitates cautious comparisons. The study identifies well-implemented C&D measures in the frame of external biosecurity but underscores gaps in the application of C&D measures for the material introduction practices across farms (22% of farms), which are attributed to awareness gaps and resource limitations. In the areas of internal biosecurity, strong points include C&D procedures after each production cycle (79%), implementing different stages in the C&D process (65%) and sufficient sanitary break (82%), while gaps are evident in the presence and using of hand hygiene stations (19% of farms) and boots disinfection equipment (40% of farms) between compartments/units. Notably, the study reveals a lack of evaluation of hygiene after C&D procedures (only 1% of farms), signaling critical knowledge gaps among farmers regarding proper assessment tools and methods. In conclusion, this comprehensive analysis sheds light on the implementation status of C&D measures in European pig farming, offering insights into both areas of progress and those requiring improvement. The findings emphasize the need for targeted awareness campaigns and training initiatives to bolster biosecurity practices within the industry.