Veterinary epidemiology, risk analysis, biosecurity and good veterinary practice

Epidémiologie vétérinaire et analyse de risques

Epidemiology is a science that studies the distribution of diseases and health indicators within populations as well as the factors influencing this distribution.
Risk Analysis is a way to organize information available on a given potential event, to traduce them in probabilities considering hypothesis, variability and uncertainty, and to logically make decisions.
Both disciplines are closely related in veterinary sciences. They essentially differ, for the first one, by the population aspect, and for the second one, by its interdisciplinary aspect.
Their importance for veterinarians is crucial as confirmed by their utilization in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code and the Aquatic Animal Health Code of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)
The chapters of the course are:

• Chapter 1. Basics in Epidemiology
• Chapter 2. The detection of animal infectious diseases
• Chapter 3. The types of investigations in veterinary epidemiology
• Chapter 4. Habitat and transmission of pathogens
• Chapter 5. The cause-effect relationship
• Chapter 6. The sampling techniques
• Chapter 7. Random errors and bias
• Chapter 8. Epidemiological surveillance and vigilance
• Chapter 9. The tools available including biosecurity
• Chapter 10. Conception and organization of the collective fight
• Chapter 11. Basics in Risk Analysis

Biosécurité et bonnes pratiques vétérinaires

There is a growing interest in the general public for the prevention and control of emerging diseases and pathogens in herds of animals. Prevention of such outbreaks requires higher biosafety levels and implies adaptation of the university veterinary education. The international definition of biosecurity in the field of animal health is very wide (Saegerman et al., 2012): "Biosecurity is the execution of the measures that reduce the risk of introduction (bioexclusion), to limit the spread of the pathogen within the same facility (bio-compartimentation), to limit the spread of the disease agent outside the facility (inter-herd transmission) (bio-containment), to prevent the risk of human (bioprevention) and to prevent any environmental and persistence of the pathogen (biocontamination). It demands the adoption of a set of attitudes and behaviours by people in a way to reduce the risk in any activity involving domestic animals, exotic and wild birds maintained in captivity and their products."
The fundamental principles of biosecurity are the following: (i) biosecurity tends to reduce the risk of introduction and spread of infection; (ii) people's actions are essential in the application of biosecurity and (iii) biosecurity is made up of three main steps (isolation, cleaning and disinfection); isolation being the most efficient action and disinfection the least efficient one. Information, awareness and training should be implemented in every single university involved in veterinary education.
Furthermore, a Good Veterinary Practice Guide was published by the European Veterinaries Federation. It consists in a standard specifying the principles related to the ethic and European veterinary deontology, as well as the requirements related to quality management in a veterinary structure. As an adviser, every vet should also be informed of the content of the WOAH-FAO Good Farming Practice guide, aiming to control the dangers that could threat animal health and food sanitary security at the farm level. Every single vet student should be aware of such information.

Epidémiologie vétérinaire et analyse de risques

Epidemiology and risk analysis applied to veterinary sciences are invaluable tools for each veterinarian involved in the control, prevention and sanitary management of farms. Basics taught in this course allow the student to understand the different facets of veterinary epidemiology and risk analysis, especially the steps specific to both disciplines.

Biosécurité et bonnes pratiques vétérinaires

At the end of the course, the learner will be able to: 
· Understand didactic materials made available, in English
· Know the biosecurity and Good Veterinary and Farming Practices codes issues
· Know and apply wisely practices of biosecurity in the faculty
· Know, understand and apply the main measures required to minimize the risk of introducing pathogens in individual production units (bioexclusion),the risk of transmission inside (biocompartimentaiton) or outside (bioconfinement), and the spread of pathogens throughout the food chain, with regards to zoonotic aspects
· Know and enforce good practices aiming at minimizing the risks for animal health and food safety that can occur at a farm level
· Explain the authority alert procedure in case of detection of a notifiable disease
· Improve his ability to provide services in accordance with customers' requests (breeders, competent authority)
· Know the means to demonstrate his ability to provide regular services complying customers' requests and legal requirements.
· Be aware of the veterinarian's role in matter of environment protection (responsible use of veterinary products, recycling of consummables)
Students will also be aware of the importance of biosecurity in veterinary practice, as well as of the major role of the vet in public health.

Epidémiologie vétérinaire et analyse de risques

Co-required courses in infectious diseases are provided by other colleagues.

Biosécurité et bonnes pratiques vétérinaires

General training in veterinary sciences (beginning of bachelor's degree).
The understanding in the reading of the English language in the veterinary scientific literature.

Epidémiologie vétérinaire et analyse de risques

• The interactive lectures are widely illustrated by a computer- assisted presentation
• Interactions between teacher and students occur during the course.
• The teacher is at the disposal of the students to answer questions at the end of the lecture 
• 4 hours of directed works (compulsory attendance).

Biosécurité et bonnes pratiques vétérinaires

The course is comprised of a theoretical introduction in class room (2h) and a practical part as e-learning (30h).

The practical class: based on the student's personal work online (on E-campus) which consists in studying each chapter of the course successively.

 

Epidémiologie vétérinaire et analyse de risques

Face-to-face.

Biosécurité et bonnes pratiques vétérinaires

Face-to-face course


Additional information:

Lecture in French (2 hours mandatory physically in class room): presentation of speakers, of the whole course and the different parts, of issues and global context, of pedagogic objectives to reach and of ways of functioning.

Practical class (30 hours): based on the student's personal work online via E-campus, which consists in studying each chapter of the course successively. Each chapter includes written notes (Biosecurity manual of the Faculty and Good Veterinary or Farming Practice codes) and multimedia data (a video or powerpoint presentation illustrating the main points to be memorised ). After studying each chapter, the student has to answer an on-line questionnaire in order to test his or her knowledge (max. 5 questions).

The thematic platform and the website of biosecurity at the Faculty is the result of collaboration between the faculty, the Biosecurity unit and the Multimedia Unit of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Liège. The list of contributors is available at the following address: http://www.fmv-biosecurite.ulg.ac.be/index.php  

 
Chapters are divided as follows: 

o Chapter 1. Procedures and general biosecurity rules

o Chapter 2. Procedures in necropsy room

o Chapter 3. Procedures in anatomy room

o Chapter 4. Biosecurity applied to horses

o Chapter 5. Biosecurity applied to ruminants

o Chapter 6. Biosecurity applied to pigs

o Chapter 7. Biosecurity applied to pets

o Chapter 8. Biosecurity applied to poultry, rodents and exotic pets

o Chapter 9. Biosecurity applied to slaughterhouses, cutting-plants and other agro-alimentary industries

o Chapter 10. Biosecurity in veterinary diagnosis laboratories

o Chapter 11. Biosecurity of Medical Imaging

o Chapter 12. Good Veterinary Practice code

o Chapter 13. Good Farming Practice code



A part of the didactic material will be available in English, in order to stimulate its learning. Time periods will be settled to allow students to meet a referent person if tutoring is necessary.

One referent person by chapter will also be identified to answer students' questions on matters related to biosecurity, Good Veterinary and Farming Practices code.

Epidémiologie vétérinaire et analyse de risques

• Available on line (eCampus)
• Books or booklets of reference  :

Biosécurité et bonnes pratiques vétérinaires

Documents available on:
. the e-Campus plateform of the University of Liège
. the Faculty Web site concerning the biosecurity
· Powerpoint slides from the theoretical course, available on eCampus
 

Epidémiologie vétérinaire et analyse de risques

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions )


Additional information:

Exam concerning veterinary pidemiology, risk analysis, biosecurity and veterinary good practices:

- The written examination comprises questions and sub-questions related to the course

- The student will bring a scientific calculator for the exercices to solve

Biosécurité et bonnes pratiques vétérinaires

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire )


Additional information:

Exam concerning veterinary pidemiology, risk analysis, biosecurity and veterinary good practices:

- The written examination comprises questions and sub-questions related to the course

- The student will bring a scientific calculator for the exercices to solve


  

Biosécurité et bonnes pratiques vétérinaires

Non applicable

Biosécurité et bonnes pratiques vétérinaires

Non applicable

Epidémiologie vétérinaire et analyse de risques

Prof. C. Saegerman: claude.saegerman@uliege.be

Assistant (Constance Wielick) : cwielick@uliege.be

Biosécurité et bonnes pratiques vétérinaires

Claude Saegerman, Professor: claude.saegerman@uliege.be

Assistant (Constance Wielick) : cwielick@uliege.be