Management of animal and animal product movement continues to be essential for the control of transboundary animal diseases (TAD). The focal TAD for this project: highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), classical swine fever (CSF) and foot and mouth disease (FMD) remain strategically important for Indonesia and Australia. While HPAI, like CSF, is now endemic in regions of Indonesia and knowledge of risks to humans and poultry through this and other projects are better understood - it is clear that prevention of further HPAI spread and eradication from specific provinces (such as Bali) is reliant on identifying high risk poultry movements and formulating policy to restrict, manage and/or monitor these movements.
The recent appearance of rabies in Bali presents the reality of TAD disease spread through animal movement that will occur when risk mitigation strategies are not in place. Rabies as another zoonotic disease further demonstrates that implementation of risk assessment in a collaborative policy development process ensures protection of human as well as animal health.
This project is influencing policy on TAD control by:
Identifying animal movements that pose most risk for TAD transmission
Enabling application of risk management to decisions about reduction of risk associated with these movements.
In Indonesia the project is hosted by the DGLS from the Disease Investigation Centre (DIC) Denpasar and project activities in Bali/Lombok are conducted in collaboration with Udayana University and University of Mataram. Expert guidance on market and social research is provided by University of New England and Charles Sturt University, on HPAI by Murdoch University, and on policy development by NSW DPI.
For Year 1 project activities were focused in Bali and Lombok.
Investigation of the poultry market chain identified principle chains that involve different types of players and levels of biosecurity practice:
1. Movement of broilers and spent layers from contract and non-contract commercial farms through company collectors, slaughterhouses and poultry shops to vendors and customers
2. Movement of kampong chicken and duck from backyard farms to customers through individual collectors and vendors operating in villages and traditional markets.
Further investigation of poultry movement at 9 markets in Bali and 8 markets in Lombok showed low levels of biosecurity practiced by collectors and vendors and increased volumes of chickens and ducks traded during religious celebrations and festivals. Use of social network analysis has confirmed that markets in Bali vary in terms of disease spread risk.
At a Stakeholder Meeting in August 2008, government and industry representatives applied a risk management framework to HPAI control and rated risk for HPAI spread via poultry/poultry product movement as high to extreme but amenable to risk mitigation.
During Year 2 data collection commences for:
Nusa Tengarra Timor component lead by NTT Department of Livestock in collaboration with non-government agencies to conduct interviews on pig movement in West Timor, Flores and Sumba.
Australian component conducted by University of Sydney and NSW DPI - case studies of non-commercial pig producer practices in New South Wales.
An activity added to the project seeks to obtain data on the HPAI status of chickens and ducks at higher risk sections of the poultry market chain in Bali and Lombok through spatiotemporal analysis of outbreak and surveillance data, and testing of poultry and environmental samples at higher risk points along the poultry market chain.
Whilst project activities are largely on schedule, the quality of some activities may be impacted by insufficient time of lead team members to dedicate to the project and by limited access to HPAI outbreak and surveillance data.
Government agencies responsible for animal disease control and quarantine and industry stakeholders in Eastern Indonesia are committed to improved control of HPAI and CSF. Disease control programs that incorporate targeted movement, surveillance and vaccination activities that lead to lower HPAI and CSF occurrence will benefit all community sectors by increasing the availability of poultry and pork products, securing income for smallholder families and in Bali/Lombok reducing perceived risk from HPAI for the tourist industry. Linkages with AH/2006/169 will consolidate support for action on HPAI in Bali/Lombok and with AH/2004/020 and SMAR/2007/175 will strengthen contributions to guide decisions on CSF control in NTT.
For Australia, given the dire consequence of CSF or FMD for the Australian livestock industries, assessment of risk related to non-commercial pig movements will inform government and industry approach to exotic disease preparedness and response. Linkage with Australian Biosecurity CRC projects to host a national workshop on Enhancing Biosecurity for the Australian Pig Industry in 2010 will increase Australian exposure to project outputs.

Transboundary animal diseases (TAD) are spread through the movement of animals and animal products. The management of risk for TAD spread via these movement is therefore essential for goals of disease reduction and eradication to be achieved.
This project seeks to identify high-risk movements and associated factors for TADs - highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), classical swine fever (CSF) and foot and mouth disease (FMD) - that are strategically important for Indonesia and Australia.
Further we are working with government and industry to progress thinking on policy that will lower the risk for disease transmission, particularly in Indonesia for settings where, due to economic and cultural imperatives, prohibition will not cease movement. Learning about this risk management approach to animal health policy development can be applied to other TADs. For example there is some evidence of application to the current rabies control program in Bali. The recent introduction to Bali of this fatal zoonotic disease is vivid proof of ongoing TAD spread via animal movement and of the need to implement risk assessment in a collaborative policy development process to protect human as well as animal health.
This project is influencing policy on TAD control by:
Identifying animal movements that pose most risk for TAD transmission
Enabling application of risk management to decisions about reduction of risk associated with these movements.
In Indonesia the project is hosted by the Directorate General Livestock Services from the Disease Investigation Centre (DIC) Denpasar. In Bali/Lombok project activities are conducted in collaboration with Udayana University and University of Mataram. In Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) project activities are implemented by the Provincial Department of Livestock in collaboration with University of Mataram, Nusa Cendana University and local non-government agencies. Expert guidance on market and social research is provided by University of New England and Charles Sturt University, on HPAI and CSF by Murdoch University and University of Sydney, and on policy development by NSW Industry & Innovation.
Project activities continued in Year 2 in Bali and Lombok and commenced in NTT and Australia.
Investigation of informal poultry movement provided indicative information on types and numbers of poultry illegally entering Bali, the entry points and the economic and cultural drivers for this trade. Sequencings of five avian influenza viruses isolated from birds swabbed at live bird markets in Bali is expected to explain the source of the viruses. Evidence of a structured system for illegal poultry movement into Lombok was not found. Village-to-village movement of poultry within island was documented for both Bali and Lombok, and these movements for kampong chickens and ducks were predominately within subdistrict.
Investigation of the pig market chain in NTT defined an emerging commercial chain in West Timor and a non-commercial chain throughout NTT, identified peak demand periods and the principle routes for inter-island movement of pigs.
The Stakeholder Meeting for NTT component in August 2009 saw government and industry representatives apply a risk management framework to CSF control. Pig movement and pig marketing practices were determined to be key risks for CSF spread throughout NTT. Swill feeding was also identified as a common practice and highlighted the need for movement and use of pork to be considered in this project.
In Australia, investigation by University of Sydney and NSW I&I documented practices of non-commercial pig producers selling informally in New South Wales that included a lack of on-farm biosecurity and health records, and limited on-farm but regular off-farm pig movements.
The Australian component will conclude in October 2010 with a National Workshop held in collaboration with an Australian Biosecurity CRC project that will facilitate refinement of government and industry activities in light of risk assessment and extension findings.
The scale of field activities has led to some delays however the project remains on track for completion end of 2011. Over-commitment of lead team members is an ongoing risk to quality of project achievements.
Government and industry commitment to the control of CSF in NTT is steadfast. CSF control in this province incorporating targeted movement, surveillance and vaccination activities that leads to lower CSF occurrence will benefit all community sectors by increasing pork availability and securing income for smallholder families.
Whilst HPAI control remains a priority for government and industry in Bali/Lombok, the well established market system that provides for substantial market demand poses considerable challenges to standard quarantine practices. Furthermore rabies is now the dominate concern. Enhancement of HPAI and rabies control through application of risk management would benefit Bali/Lombok by reducing perceived risk for the tourist industry and actual losses of poultry and human life for local communities. Linkages with AH/2006/169 and AH/2006/166 are seeking to strengthen capability in these provinces.
For Australia, given the dire consequence of CSF or FMD for the Australian livestock industries, the risk assessment of non-commercial pig movements will inform government and industry approach to exotic disease preparedness and response.

This project seeks to identify high-risk movements and associated factors for the transboundary animal diseases (TADs) - highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), classical swine fever (CSF) and foot and mouth disease (FMD). Each of these TADs is a national priority disease for Indonesia and Australia, and each is able to be spread via the movement of animals and animal products.
We are working with government and industry to progress thinking on policy that reduces the risk of disease transmission, by using risk assessment to identify biosecurity practices that in combination will lower risk particularly in Indonesian contexts where animal movement will not cease due to economic and cultural imperatives. The benefit of a risk management approach to animal health policy is being realised and applied to other TADs such as preparedness for rabies entry to Lombok island from now infected neighbouring Bali island.
This project is influencing policy on TAD control by:
Identifying animal movements that pose most risk for TAD transmission
Enabling application of risk management to decisions about reduction of risk associated with these movements.
In Indonesia the project is hosted by the Directorate General Livestock Services from the Disease Investigation Centre (DIC) Denpasar. In Bali/Lombok project activities are conducted in collaboration with Udayana University and University of Mataram. In Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) project activities are implemented by the Provincial Department of Livestock in collaboration with University of Mataram and local non-government agencies. Expert guidance on market and social research is provided by University of New England and Charles Sturt University, on HPAI and CSF by Murdoch University and University of Sydney, and on policy development by NSW Industry & Innovation.
For Year 3 project activities continued in Bali and Lombok and in NTT, and were completed in Australia.
At the Stakeholder Workshop 22-23 July 2010 in Denpasar, Bali - the project findings on poor biosecurity practices along the poultry market chain involving live bird markets (LBM) in Bali and Lombok, including the systematic illegal entry to Bali, were stated by government and industry participants to agree with their knowledge of the market chain. Participants identified risk mitigation options for high risk practices and bird movements and requested further evaluation of social and economic impacts of alterations to LBM biosecurity. A proposed pilot trial at one LBM in Bali did not progress. Instead a pilot trial has recently commenced at one LBM in Lombok.
Investigation of pig management practices and CSF knowledge of pig sellers and buyers at markets and of pig farmers in villages across NTT found limited biosecurity practices and knowledge of CSF. Village to market transactions tend to involve across district movement of pigs with inter and intra island connections. Majority of village-to-village movements, without market involvement, occur within district.
The Australian component concluded with a National Workshop on 24-25 November 2010 held in collaboration with the Australian Biosecurity CRC 3.086R project. Government and industry stakeholders were informed of our findings that small-scale pig producers trading informally had an extremely low probability of exposure to FMD or CSF and low probability of spread off-farm. However, informal movement of pigs could jeopardize animal traceability in the event of a disease outbreak. A workshop recommendation applicable across the various livestock industries represented was: communication of the shared risk and shared responsibility for biosecurity - shared by the small and the commercial sectors of each industry.
During Year 4 data collection and analysis continues for:
Bali/Lombok component with evaluation of the impact of risk mitigation options on biosecurity practices and economic return via implementation of a pilot trial at a LBM.
NTT component on informal pig movement and on evaluation of social and economic impacts of CSF eradication. Reporting on risk assessment and evaluation of risk mitigation options impact on HPAI will be followed by implementation of a pilot trial.
The scale of field activities has led to some delays however the project remains on track for completion by early 2012. Over-commitment of lead team members is an ongoing risk to quality of project achievements.
Government and industry commitment to the control of CSF in NTT appears to be increasing and there is interest to develop a pig production and health initiative based on the findings of AH/2004/020 and this project in relation to CSF control and biosecurity practices. The resulting reduction in CSF occurrence will benefit all community sectors by increasing pork availability and securing income for smallholder families.
The realisation of shared risk and shared responsibility across industry sectors definitively places biosecurity extension and quality assurance for smallholders and commercial producers in Australia in the sphere of national exotic disease preparedness and response.