Intention to adopt Electronic Animal Movement Permit (e-GTA) systems in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil / Intenção de adoção de Guia de Trânsito Animal Eletrônica (e-GTA) no Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

Control of livestock and their movement has long been recognized as a crucial for the prevention and control of diseases. In Brazil, the control of livestock movement established in 1934. Since 1995 is regulated based on the Animal Movement Permit (GTA). Since then, the process has been improved and updated on its legal framework and strategies, including the use of emerging technological alternatives, which made possible the launching of the electronic Animal Movement Permit (e-GTA) in 2011. From a broader perspective, the e-GTA is inserted in a global context of the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) which since the early 1980s enabled governments worldwide to drive policies for the development of electronic government systems (e-government). After that, at a global level, there was an expansion and improvement of e-government services; however, discrepancies among countries persisted. Nonetheless, the levels of adoption of e-government by citizens have been lower than those expected by government authorities, which has attracted the attention of researchers in the area. In this context, studies of this nature that used theoretical antecedents related to the adoption of ICT have exposed peculiarities of the process of adoption of e-government, demanding research efforts directed to the structuring of specific models for this area. In Brazil, studies of this nature are still at an early stage, although government actions aimed at e-government date back to the 1990s. The objective of this article was to investigate, in an exploratory way, influence factors on the adoption intention of e-government related to animal health, having the e-GTA as the object of research. The conceptual framework was defined based upon the e-Government Adoption Model (GAM) For this objective, an online questionnaire oriented to intention to adopt e-GTA was applied to equine owners of Rio Grande do Sul not users of this system. Results indicated that respondents positively evaluated the quality of their computers and cellphones, as well as their efficacy to operate them, while quality of the internet connection was considered regular. In this context, the availability of computer and cellphone resources and computer self-efficacy did not influence the intention to adopt e-GTA. Moreover, aspects related to compatibility of e-GTA with users lifestyle have a positive association with the intention to adopt e-GTA. Also the study indicated that public information campaigns could contribute to the improvement of adoption of the e-GTA. Additionally, the authors suggested that further investigations considering other livestock sectors and variables, as well as the continuity of use after the adoption, could contribute to the expansion of the knowledge on this field.(AU)

O controle dos estoques e de movimentações de animais pecuários há muito tempo é reconhecido como um fator crucial para a prevenção e resposta para a introdução e disseminação de doenças animais ou zoonóticas. No Brasil, o controle de movimentação animal foi inicialmente estabelecido em 1934 e, desde 1995, é regulamentado com base na Guia de Trânsito Animal (GTA). Desde então, o processo foi aprimorado e atualizado em seu arcabouço legal e estratégias, inclusive no uso de alternativas tecnológicas emergentes, que possibilitaram o lançamento em 2011 da Guia de Trânsito Animal Eletrônica (e-GTA). Considerado desde uma perspectiva mais abrangente, o e-GTA está inserido em um contexto global de desenvolvimento da Tecnologia da Informação e Comunicação (TIC), que desde o início dos anos 80 permite que governos em todo o mundo conduzam políticas para o desenvolvimento de sistemas de governo eletrônico (governo eletrônico). Posteriormente, a disponibilidade do governo eletrônico tem estado em expansão de qualidade e de amplitude dos serviços oferecidos, embora este processo seja permeado por desigualdades entre os países. No entanto, os níveis de adoção do governo eletrônico pelos cidadãos têm sido inferiores aos esperados pelas autoridades governamentais, o que tem atraído a atenção dos pesquisadores da área. Nesse contexto, estudos dessa natureza, que utilizaram antecedentes teóricos relacionados à adoção das TIC expuseram idiossincrasias do processo de adoção do governo eletrônico, exigindo que esforços de pesquisa sejam direcionados à estruturação de modelos específicos para essa área. No Brasil, estudos dessa natureza ainda estão em estágio inicial, embora as ações governamentais direcionadas ao governo eletrônico datem dos anos 90. Dessa forma, o objetivo deste artigo foi investigar, de forma exploratória, fatores de influência na intenção de adoção do governo eletrônico relacionado à saúde animal, tendo o e-GTA como objeto de pesquisa. A estrutura conceitual foi definida com base no Modelo de Adoção de Governo Eletrônico (GAM). Para esse objetivo, um questionário online dirigido à intenção de adoção do e-GTA foi aplicado a proprietários de equinos do Rio Grande do Sul que não eram usuários deste sistema. Os resultados indicaram que os entrevistados avaliaram positivamente a qualidade de seus computadores e telefones celulares, bem como sua eficácia em operá-los, enquanto a qualidade da conexão de internet foi considerada regular. Nesse contexto, a disponibilidade de recursos informáticos e de celulares, bem como a capacidade de operação dos mesmos não influenciaram a intenção de adoção do e-GTA. Além disso, aspectos relacionados à compatibilidade do e-GTA com o estilo de vida do usuário têm uma associação positiva com a intenção de adoção do e-GTA. Além disso, o estudo indicou que as campanhas de informação pública poderiam contribuir para o incremento na adoção efetiva do e-GTA. Finalmente, o estudo identificou oportunidades para o desenvolvimento de investigações adicionais, considerando distintas variáveis, setores produtivos e sistemas de governo eletrônico dirigidos à saúde animal, o que poderia contribuir para a expansão do conhecimento nesta área.(AU)

Control strategies for highly pathogenic avian influenza: a global perspective.

Comprehensive programmes for the prevention, detection and control of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) require a national dimension and relevant national legislation in which veterinary services can conduct surveillance, competent diagnosis and rapid response. Avian influenza was controlled and prevented by vaccination long before the current H5N1 crisis. The use of vaccine cannot be separated from other essential elements of a vaccination campaign, which include education in poultry production practices, such as hygiene, all in-all out production concepts, separation of species, biosecurity (bio-exclusion to keep the disease out and biocontainment to keep the disease from spreading once suspected or detected), competence in giving the vaccine and the role of vaccination teams, post-vaccination monitoring to ensure efficacy and to detect the circulation of wild-type virus, surveillance and buffer zones in outbreak areas, and performance indicators to determine when vaccination can cease. Reporting of disease can be improved through well-structured, adequately financed veterinary services and also by fair compensation for producers who suffer financial loss. A rapid response to suspected cases of HPAI should be ensured in simulation exercises involving various sectors of the food production and marketing chain, policy-makers, official veterinary structures and other government personnel. As for other transboundary animal diseases, national approaches must be part of a regional strategy and regional networks for cooperation and information sharing, which in turn reflect global policies and international standards, such as the quality of vaccines, reporting obligations, humane interventions, cleaning and disinfection methods, restocking times, monitoring and safe trade.

[Castration of calves: a survey among Swiss suckler beef farmers]. / Kälberkastration: Eine Befragung von Schweizer Mutterkuhhaltern.

In fall 2004, a survey of a representative sample of 1185 Swiss suckler beef farmers was carried out by questionnaire (return rate 51.9%). 32.7% of the respondents castrated their calves without the help of a veterinarian, 37.8% mandated a veterinarian to carry out the castrations and 29.4% did not castrate their bull calves at all. On average, 8 calves were castrated per farm and year at an average age of 7 days when the castration was carried out by a farmer or 34 days when the castration was carried out by a veterinarian. Almost all farmers castrated their calves with the rubber ring, and a majority considered no other method as feasible. 73.9% of the veterinarians used the Burdizzo technique, 14.9% applied rubber rings, and 11.2% performed a surgical procedure. 22.6% of the farmers and 85.4% of the veterinarians used sedation; local anaesthesia was performed in 32.1% of the castrations carried out by farmers and in 84.5% of the castrations carried out by veterinarians. 65.7% of the farmers were concerned by the change of the Swiss Animal Protection Ordinance (2001), when pain relief became mandatory. 47.6% of these farmers changed their castration routine: 53.1% now mandated a veterinarian, 33.0% used sedation or local anaesthesia and 8.9% abandoned castration of their calves. 59.8% of the farmers intended to participate in a future course for laymen, to study and train the technique of local anaesthesia for castration. Castration of their calves is for many suckler beef farmers an inevitable husbandry procedure. The political goal, that all calves shall be castrated with local anaesthesia can only be reached when livestock owners are informed about the distress caused by the castration and convinced of the benefit of the local anaesthesia. Veterinarians are important information carriers in this process. The implementation also produces work, be it the more complex castration procedure or the education of the farmers who want to carry out the local anaesthesia themselves.

Availability and estimates of veterinary antimicrobial use in British Columbia.

The amount of antimicrobial use is a significant selection pressure that alters the frequency of antimicrobial resistance. This paper summarizes attempts to estimate the weight of antimicrobial purchases in British Columbia for use in animals. The data reported here do not capture all sources of veterinary antimicrobial use in British Columbia. This paper highlights how information deficits on veterinary drug use complicate the development of an evidence-based policy framework for combating antimicrobial resistance.