Biosecurity measures in pig farms
The questionnaire designed for farmers included a section on biosecurity measures to assess the types of fences used to protect pig farms from wild boar incursions. The standards for the installation of fences to prevent incursions and contact between pigs and wild boars published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries consists on a combination of two electric wires surrounding an Ursus mesh type fence (Gisclard et al., 2021). The purpose of our questions was to characterize the level of biosecurity of farm facilities and its efficiency against incursions or contacts with wild boars. Farm biosecurity information recorded during the farmers’ survey (number and type of fence and the electric wires) was integrated into a three-level variable reflecting protection against wild boar intrusions. Whenever the farm had no fence, and whatever was the number of electric wires, the biosecurity level was considered as low. Farms protected by one fence and 1 to 4 electric wires were classified in the intermediate biosecurity level. Farms protected by 2 fences and 1 to 4 electric wires were classified as having an adequate biosecurity level. One farm protected by an electric fence and one farm protected by a concrete wall were also classified in the adequate biosecurity category. The spread of slurry was considered a health risk for the faeco-oral dissemination of E. coli strains potentially responsible for OD.