Assessment of biosecurity and control measures to prevent incursion and to limit spread of emerging transboundary animal diseases in Europe: An expert survey.

Decision-makers and risk managers are often called upon to prioritise on and recommend suitable measures to prevent the risk of introduction and spread of pathogens. The main objective of this study was to assess the perceptions of experts in Italy, Switzerland and the United Kingdom concerning the importance, effectiveness, feasibility, costs and acceptability of selected biosecurity measures to prevent the introduction and limit the spread of rabies, blue tongue (BT) and classical swine fever (CSF). After identifying the most relevant measures by the project team, an expert knowledge elicitation was implemented through a questionnaire. After preliminary descriptive analyses, a number of statistical calculations were performed such as weighted medians, Spearman rank correlation tests, Wilcoxon comparison tests and ranking of measures. Three experts from each country completed the questionnaires, one expert for each disease. The mean answer rates for CSF, BT and rabies were 73%, 100% and 99% respectively. "Tracing system for live animal trade" was highlighted as very relevant in all diseases. The implementation of a "restriction zone after a suspicion or confirmation" was also rated as a relevant measure, especially for CSF. We identified generally a small correlation between costs and the other criteria. Among the rabies experts, measures related to "zoonotic risk" were rated highly, supporting the idea of a One Health approach. Disagreement among experts concerned 43 measures for the three pathogens: the debated measures were "control of the wildlife CSF status", "arthropod-vector control" and "rabies vaccination for domestic animals". Facing budget restriction, decision-makers need to prioritise their actions and make efficient prevention choices. With this study, we aimed to provide elements for reflection and to inform priority setting. The results can be applied through the implementation of similar surveys or directly from the knowledge already gathered in this study.