This thesis is an investigation of external biosecurity and its application to risk-based surveillance approaches in the southern Ontario swine industry. In each of two datasets, the best number of groups to describe biosecurity practices was identified, resulting in two groups with high biosecurity standards and one group with low biosecurity standards. Multinomial logistic regression models identified herd density, herd size, and herd type among significant predictors of biosecurity group membership. A map of southern Ontario that can be used as a tool in the risk-based surveillance of contagious swine diseases was developed using geographic information about swine density, and the distribution of herds belonging to the high biosecurity groups. Finally, multiple correspondence analysis examined how individual biosecurity practices form strategies on sow farms. Some practices that are generally considered high-risk were closely associated with other practices that mitigate the risk, suggesting that evaluation of the overall strategy is essential for complete assessment of biosecurity. / The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (under the Emergency Management research theme); Ontario Pork; the Ontario Pork Industry Council's Swine Health Advisory Board; the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada;
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:OGU.10214/3617 |
| Date | 11 May 2012 |
| Creators | Bottoms, Katherine |
| Contributors | Poljak, Zvonimir |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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