Data-driven biosecurity: modelling risk and ensuring continuity in animal production

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Animal Biosecurity Association (WABA) Scientific and Information Committee are organizing a new webinar series addressing relevant topics related to the concepts and application of biosecurity in animal populations. The initiative looks at how biosecurity can be consistently and sustainably implemented across educational, institutional, and field settings, contributing to improved animal health and production, One Health and food security.

Strengthening biosecurity in modern livestock systems requires practical tools that translate complex interactions between farms, people and animals into actionable risk intelligence. This webinar presents complementary approaches to anticipating and managing infectious disease threats at the animal–human interface.

The first presentation introduces a data-driven epidemiological framework that uses digital access logs and network epidemiology to reconstruct contact pathways across production systems and generate a composite EPI index that captures timing, hygiene barriers, behaviour, and farm sanitary status. Real-world applications illustrate how highly connected actors, recurrent routes, and operational bottlenecks can amplify disease risk and where biosecurity investments deliver the greatest impact.

The second presentation addresses avian influenza as an emerging pandemic threat, focusing on occupational exposure of at-risk workers and preparedness measures, including targeted biosecurity, personal protective equipment, and business continuity planning. Drawing on experience from Belgium, it highlights how surveillance, risk mapping and preparedness tools can support early action and resilience.

Together, the presentations demonstrate how evidence-based analytics can inform biosecurity strategies and enhance prevention, protection, and response across livestock systems.

Webinar presentations

• From digital records to epidemiological networks: modelling biosecurity risk across animal production systems
  Gonzalo Abad, Head of Poultry Division, Animal Data Analytics (ADA)
• Risk-based preparedness: how to improve biosecurity response to zoonotic avian influenza introduction at the animal-human interface
  Géraldine Boseret, Crisis Coordinator, Crisis Preparedness & Response (CPR) Service, Sciensano (Belgian Public Health Institute)

Join the PMP-TAB Community of Practice today to co-learn and share knowledge and evidence on biosecurity management in terrestrial animal sectors.

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