BIOPIGEE

OHEJP Biopigee project logo

The Project #BIOPIGEE

Start: 1 January 2020
Duration: 2.5 Years
Domain: Foodborne Zoonoses
Keywords: Biosecurity, Salmonella, Hepatitis E virus, pig, food chain
Contact: Elke Burow (BfR)

BIOPIGEE: Biosecurity practices for pig farming across Europe

BIOPIGEE was a Joint Research Project of the One Health European Joint Project (OHEJP), running from January 2020 to December 2022, to identify and investigate effective biosecurity measures against Salmonella and hepatitis E virus (HEV) in European pig farming and slaughterhouses. Over the course of the last three years, more than 80 researchers from 16 institutes and 13 European countries worked together. The expertise combined in the project came from fields like epidemiology, microbiology, veterinary and human medicine, agronomy, econometrics, and bacteriology.

Salmonella and HEV infections are health risks for animals and humans in the European Union. Many countries have implemented surveillance/control strategies on farms in the recent 20 years. Today, there is still a high proportion of Salmonella positive carcasses (EFSA & ECDC 2017). Although single or mixtures of biosecurity measures against Salmonella in pig farming have been investigated, a promising protocol of biosecurity measures was not yet obvious, nor clearly proven to be effective for European production systems. HEV is widespread and predominant in pigs in Europe, but no baseline studies exist yet. In general, farm internal biosecurity measures may have a role in limiting occurrence and persistence of the virus in farms, but how and which measures may influence this is largely unknown.

With the goal of advancing knowledge and research in the field of biosecurity measures against Salmonella and HEV in European pig farming, a multitude of different studies have been performed with the associated papers to be published in 2023:

  • Epidemiological studies with risk factor analyses to identify protective biosecurity measures in a large sample of European pig farms.
  • Experimental studies to investigate the effectivity of disinfectants against Salmonella and HEV in biofilms.
  • Longitudinal field studies to investigate the spread and infection dynamics of HEV on pig farms.
  • Literature reviews with quantified effectiveness on the effectivity of biosecurity measures and biosecurity practices against Salmonella, HEV and/or E. coli in European slaughterhouses.
  • Literature review with meta-analyses on effective biosecurity measures against Salmonella, HEV, and E. coli.
  • A complex network analysis to investigate patterns of the swine industry network and identify key factors responsible for between-farm contacts at the French scale.
  • Quantitative microbial risk assessments for Salmonella (existing) and HEV (BIOPIGEE) to estimate animal cases at slaughter and human cases and to inform the cost-benefit analyses (CBA) for 12 different biosecurity measures.

Project Outputs and Outcomes

Key outputs of the project are the tools that can be used farming students, individual farmers, veterinarians, researchers, policymakers or industry stakeholders:

  • The BIOPIGEE Glossary was developed in the beginning of the project to harmonize and clarify the understanding of pig farming and biosecurity terms of participants. Within the project, terms and definitions were identified in the scientific literature or defined by domain experts. Included terms are related to farm biosecurity, pig farming, epidemiology, slaughterhouse biosecurity and slaughterhouse procedure.
  • The BIOPIGEE Biosecurity Protocol has 55 questions on indoor and 56 questions on outdoor biosecurity measures tailored to assess farm biosecurity against Salmonella and HEV in pig farming. The development included the review of existing biosecurity protocols, published literature on the effectiveness of biosecurity measures, and expert opinions to select all biosecurity measures that are feasible and relevant to reduce occurrence of the pathogens.
  • The BIOPIGEE Checklists can be used by a farmer or veterinarian to assess farm biosecurity against Salmonella or HEV on an individual farm based on current scientific knowledge. Each checklist contains only those biosecurity measures that showed protective effects in the existing literature or the BIOPIGEE risk factor studies.
  • The BIOPIGEE Slaughterhouse Guidance Manual contains evidence on the effectiveness of biosecurity practices against Salmonella and based upon that recommendations on how to minimize infection and contamination risks during slaughterhouse processes.
  • The BIOPIGEE Cost-Effectiveness Support Tool can be used to estimate the benefit-cost ratios and net benefits of the implementation of effective biosecurity measures against Salmonella or HEV for farms in selected countries. In future projects, the tool can be extend or updated.
  • The BIOPIGEE Information Material for Farming Schools was developed to introduce to the work of the project and to show pictures of good examples of biosecurity measures on pig farms in Europe. These pictures are accompanied by information on how to implement the measure and research findings on their effectiveness.

To disseminate results and receive feedback from stakeholders in the pig production sector, veterinarians and the research community, four workshops and multiple presentations had been given over the past years. With the workshops and national events, more than 1000 interested people could be reached. The project outputs will be provided to more than 130 websites, farming education institutions, and partners at institutes. In combination, this will bring further awareness to the results of the BIOPIGEE project and One Health, especially beyond the scientific community, and will likely have a positive impact on the biosecurity against Salmonella and HEV in the European Union.

Project Assets

Hammami, P., Widgren, S., Grosbois, V., Apolloni, A., Rose, N., & Andraud, M. (2022). Spread of hepatitis E virus from pens to the national industry: complex network analysis and modelling. Conference paper from 54e Journées de la Recherche Porcine (JRP); Session Animal Health), held online 1-2 February 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6091535

Ianiro, G., Pavoni, E., Aprea, G., Romantini, R., Alborali, G. L., D’Angelantonio, D., Garofolo, G., Scattolini, S., De Sabato, L., Magistrali, C. F., Burow, E., Ostanello, F., Smith, R. P., Di Bartolo, I. (2023). Cross-sectional study of hepatitis E virus (HEV) circulation in Italian pig farms. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 10, 1136225. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1136225

Richter, A. M., Konrat, K., Osland, A.M., Brook, E., Oastler, C., Vestby, L.K., Gosling, R.J., Nesse. L.L., Arvand, M. (2023). Evaluation of Biofilm Cultivation Models for Efficacy Testing of Disinfectants against Salmonella Typhimurium Biofilms. Microorganisms. 11(3), 761. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11030761

Meester, M., Rademaker, A., Bouwknegt, M., Hakze-van der Honing, R.W., Stegeman, A., van der Poel, W.H.M. & Tobias, T.J. (2023). Evaluation of Non-Invasive Sampling Methods for Detection of Hepatitis E Virus Infected Pigs in Pens. Microorganisms. 11(2), 500. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11020500

Bester, C., Marschik, T., Schmoll, F., & Käsbohrer, A. (2022). Development of an economic model to assess the cost-effectiveness of biosecurity measures to reduce the burden of Salmonella and hepatitis E virus in the pork production chain. Poster presentation International Society for Animal Hygiene (ISAH), Berlin, Germany, 12th October 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7188410

Meester, M., Dubbert, T., Tobias, T. & van der Poel, W. (2022). Biosecurity practices to reduce the risk of hepatitis E virus in European pig farms. Poster presentation International Symposium of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics (ISVEE), Halifax, Canada, 7-12th August 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7225306

Huber, N., Andraud, M., Żmudzki, J., Zoche-Golob, V., Sassu, E. L., Prigge, C., Käsbohrer, A., D’Angelantonio, D., Viltrop, A., Jones, H., Smith, R. P., Tobias, T. & Burow, E. (2022). What is a biosecurity measure? A definition proposal. Poster presentation ONE2022 Conference, Brussels, Belgium, 21-24th June 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7188529

Huber, N., Andraud, M., Sassu, E. L., Prigge, C., Zoche-Golob, V., Käsbohrer, A., DÁngelantonio, D., Vitrop, A., Zmudski, J., Jones, H., Smith, R. P., Tobias, T. & Burrow, E. (2022). What is a biosecurity measure? A definition proposal for animal production and linked processing operations. One Health. 15, 100433. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2022.100433

Richter, A. M., Konrat, K., Dalci, S.,  Finke, A., Csertö, D., Osland, A. M.,  Vestby, L. K., Oastler, C., Brook, E., Gosling, B. & Arvand, M. (2022). Evaluating disinfectant efficacy against Salmonella biofilms. Poster presentation 74th Annual Meeting of the German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology e.V. (DGHM), Berlin, Germany, 5-7th September 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7071842 

Niine, T., Viltrop, A., Nurmoja, I., Smith, R., & Burow, E. (2022). The Best Biosecurity practices in European slaughterhouses in regards to Salmonella and hepatitis E virus. Poster presentation ONE – Health, Environment, Society – Conference 2022, Brussels, Belgium, 21-24th June 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7032155

Viltrop, A., Niine, T., Nurmoja, I., Neare, K., Smith, R.P. (2022). Biosecurity measures in the Estonian pig farms from a Salmonella perspective. Conference abstract, Healthy Animal and Healthy Food Conference, Tartu, Estonia, 2-3rd March 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6618806

Meester, M., Tobias, T., Meulenbroek, C., Hakze-van der Honing, R., van Oort, S., Bouwknegt, M., Stegeman, A., & van der Poel, W. (2022). Prevalence of HEV in finishing pigs; cross-sectional exploration of farm specific patterns and evaluation of sampling. Poster presentation One Health EJP ASM 2022, Orvieto, Italy, 11-13th April 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6566927

Zoche-Golob, V., Aprea, G., Sjölund, M., Burow, E. (2022). Biosecurity measures reducing hepatitis E virus in pig herds – findings
of the OHEJP project BIOPIGEE. Conference presentation & paper Fachtagung für
Fleisch- und Geflügelfleischhygiene, online conference, 1st-2nd March 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6524125

Huber, N., Zoche-Golob, V., Sassu, E. L., Prigge, C., Käsbohrer, A., D’Angelantonio, D., Viltrop, A., Niine, T., Hammami, P., Żmudzki, J., Jones, H., Smith, R. P., Tobias, T., & Burow, E. (2022). Literature Scoping Review and evaluation of in- and exclusion criteria related to the term “Biosecurity Measure” in pig farms. Poster presentation One Health EJP ASM 2022, Orvieto, Italy, 11-13th April 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6519865

Hammami, P., Widgren, S., Grosbois, V., Apolloni, A., Rose, N., Mathieu, A. (2022). Complex network analysis to understand trading partnership in French swine production. PLOS ONE 17(4), e0266457. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0266457

Niine, T., Viltrop, A., Nurmoja, I., Smith, R., Burow, E. Biosecurity measures in European slaughterhouses to prevent the contamination of pig carcasses with Salmonella. (2022). Conference paper Healthy Animal and Healthy Food Conference, Tartu, Estonia, 2-3rd March 2022. DOI: https://zenodo.org/record/6355316

Hammami, P., Widgren, S., Grosbois, V., Apolloni, A., Rose, N., Andraud, M. Multi-levels Hepatitis E Virus Spread In Various Epidemiological Contexts: Combining Complex Network Analysis & Disease Transmission Model. (2021) Poster 8th International Conference on Infectious Disease Dynamics (Epidemics 8), 30th November – 3rd December 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5786494

D1.4-12 Month Report 2020

D1.13- 12 Month report 2021 (Year 2)

D1.23 – Final Project Report 

D2.1- Development of a biosecurity protocol

D2.12- Produce report on evidence gathered by field studies

D2.18- Report on correlation of biosecurity practice with HEV sequences to WP5and 6, sequence analysis of Hepatitis E to HEVnet

D2.8- Quantified biosecurity effectiveness from applied biosecurity protocol at slaughterhouses

D2.9- Quantified biosecurity effectiveness from applied biosecurity protocol at farm

D3.5- Method for testing persistence of infectious HEV in surface microlayers

D3.6- HEV infectivity assay available

D3.7- Assessed methods for testing disinfectants on Salmonella in biofilm

D3.14- Information on the persistence of infectious HEV in surface microlayers/biofilm

D3.19 – Information on the effect of different disinfectants on Salmonella in biofilm

D3.20- HEV infectivity test adapted for testing of HEVs in biofilm

D4.11- Model Output: Number of animal cases with and without biosecurity measures

D4.16 – Economic calculation

D4.17- Model Output: Number of human cases with and without biosecurity measures

D5.21- Benchmark system for effectiveness of biosecurity practice finished and forwarded to WP1 and WP6 (“BIOPIGEE Benchmark System”)

D6.10- Workshop 2 completed

D6.15- Biosecurity protocol on slaughterhouse provided

D6.22- Information for farming schools provided

D6.24- Project web-content developed 

D6.25 – A support tool (Excel) for calculation of cost effectiveness of preventive biosecurity measures developed

D6.26- Workshop 3 completed

D6.27- Provision of biosecurity protocol and of benchmark of biosecurity practice

D6.28- Workshop 4 completed

D6.3- Workshop 1 completed

D6.4- BIOPIGEE Promotional Flyer

Project

Project Events

BIOPIGEE Kick-off meeting- 29-30th January 2020

One Health EJP Project Kick-off meeting- 13th November 2019, Berlin, Germany

BIOPIGEE Midterm meeting- 2nd-3rd March 2021, online

BIOPIGEE Final meeting- 6-7th October 2022, Giulianova, Italy

BIOPIGEE case study flyer

 

OHEJP Biopigee Workshop 14-09-22 fullflyer

 

OHEJP Biopigee Workshop 16sept save the date

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