UQ vet students learn about farm biosecurity

Farm biosecurity planning has been included for the first time into the UQ Veterinary School course curriculum to improve outcomes for farms and animals across the country.

Catering to the diverse biosecurity needs, regulatory requirements and industry standards of practice in the many different sectors in the livestock production system can be challenging even for the most experienced veterinarians.
From large-scale, multi-property commercial enterprises to hobby farmers looking after a lifestyle block, there are a number of measures that can be to put in place to mitigate biosecurity risks.
The University of Queensland and the Livestock Biosecurity Network has focused on biosecurity risks by adding an inventive activity to the third-year Bachelor of Veterinary Science program curriculum.
Livestock Biosecurity Network Regional Officer Dr Sarah-Jane Wilson said the focus was on putting measures in place to mitigate risks on smaller scale farms.
Both the University of Queensland and the Livestock Biosecurity Network acknowledge teaching biosecurity is a cornerstone of veterinary programs, but said they were looking for another way to capture students’ imaginations, encouraging problem solving and communication through the use of fictional case studies filled with errors.
The vet students were quick to spot the mistakes and were able to present the information in a way that the average hobby farmer could understand and use.