University of Newcastle, Australia; Hunter New England Local Health District, Australia.
University of Newcastle, Australia; Hunter New England Local Health District, Australia.
Prev Vet Med. 2020 Oct;183:105135. doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.105135. Epub 2020 Sep 15.
Employees in the equine industry are at occupational risk of zoonoses such as Hendra virus and equine chlamydiosis through exposure to infected materials. This study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the views and experiences of employees, and the key drivers of infection control and personal biosecurity (PB) practices in the Thoroughbred breeding industry. Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted in 2018 in New South Wales, Australia using interviews (9) and small group discussions (7). The 29 participants included veterinarians, veterinary nurses, foaling staff, stud managers and laboratory personnel working in a range of equine medicine settings. Interviews and focus groups were recorded, transcribed and analysed manually by at least two members of the research team. An iterative approach was used to derive themes. Results: Five main themes emerged: (i) greater awareness of current and emerging infectious risks promotes use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); (ii) currently available PPE is not comfortable, practical or well-suited to equine reproductive work in Australia's hot climate; (iii) creating supportive environments for PB reduces risk of exposure to infectious materials; (iv) strong leadership is required to implement sustainable change in workplace culture and practices; and (v) policy and economic factors play an important role in adopting biosecurity (BS) and PB measures in the workplace. Personnel working in the Australian Thoroughbred breeding industry face unique zoonotic risks in a challenging physical environment. A qualitative approach provided rich insights into social and physical factors motivating BS and PB in this occupational group. There is an opportunity for collaboration between Public Health services and industry partners to develop and implement strategies most likely to be effective in ensuring consistent uptake of PB measures in the workplace.
马业员工在接触感染材料时，有职业感染亨德拉病毒和马衣原体等动物传染病的风险。本研究旨在深入了解员工的观点和经验，以及在纯种马养殖行业中感染控制和个人生物安全（PB）实践的关键驱动因素。
2018 年在澳大利亚新南威尔士州采用访谈（9 次）和小组讨论（7 次）进行了一项探索性定性研究。29 名参与者包括在各种马医学环境中工作的兽医、兽医护士、产驹工作人员、种马经理和实验室人员。采访和焦点小组由研究团队的至少两名成员进行记录、转录和手动分析。采用迭代方法得出主题。
出现了五个主要主题：（i）对当前和新出现的传染病风险的更高认识促进了个人防护设备（PPE）的使用；（ii）目前可用的 PPE 不舒服、不实用或不适合澳大利亚炎热气候下的马繁殖工作；（iii）为 PB 创造支持性环境可降低接触传染性材料的风险；（iv）需要强有力的领导才能在工作场所文化和实践中实施可持续的变革；（v）政策和经济因素在工作场所采用生物安全（BS）和 PB 措施方面发挥着重要作用。
在澳大利亚纯种马养殖行业工作的人员在充满挑战的物理环境中面临着独特的动物传染病风险。定性方法深入了解了激励该职业群体采取 BS 和 PB 的社会和物理因素。公共卫生服务和行业合作伙伴之间有机会合作，制定和实施最有可能确保在工作场所持续采用 PB 措施的策略。
