Biosecurity implementation in poultry production is essential for maintaining flock health and preventing diseases. Regulatory frameworks play a key role in standardising biosecurity practices and ensuring compliance among stakeholders. However, there is limited information on how biosecurity measures (BMs) are legally enforced across different European countries. This study aimed to identify which BMs are mandated by legislation and/or other regulatory frameworks in 22 EU and non-EU countries for intensive poultry production. Using a participatory approach involving poultry experts from these 22 countries, data collection and validation were conducted through a questionnaire covering eleven biosecurity categories and comprising 56 BMs. The survey was carried out between December 2022 and December 2023. The number of BMs mandated by legislation for all poultry species varied considerably across countries. Turkey (52), Ukraine (46), and Slovakia (38) had the highest numbers, whereas Denmark, Sweden, and Finland had none. The most regulated BMs included rodent control programs, cleaning and disinfection after each production cycle, and physical or natural farm barriers. Conversely, the least regulated BMs included farm-exclusive personnel and external silo loading, with no regulations concerning keeping other farm animals, poultry species, or pets. Broiler and layer farming were subjected to more compulsory BMs than other poultry species. Additionally, twelve countries reported BMs under other regulatory frameworks, with Serbia (55), Turkey (53), and Poland (49) having the highest numbers, while Sweden (27), Finland (26), and Norway (25) had the lowest. The most regulated BMs included designated clothing and footwear, hygiene locks, and clean house surroundings. The least regulated BMs were related to silo loading, manure collection, and a parking area outside the farm. There was considerable variation in the number and type of BMs mandated by legislation across countries, likely influenced by each country's perceived disease risk. These findings highlight the importance of establishing a harmonized biosecurity framework at the European level to address regulatory heterogeneity and enhance disease prevention in poultry production.

Pakistan has a large, intensive broiler production industry, where antimicrobials are extensively used for both therapeutic and prophylactic purposes. Monitoring antimicrobial use (AMU) at the farm level is crucial to guide interventions for antimicrobial stewardship. The objective of this study was to comprehensively quantify AMU on commercial broiler farms in Pakistan using different metrics. Data on on-farm AMU (both therapeutic and prophylactic) were collected from intensive commercial broiler farms in Punjab, Pakistan. AMU was quantified using four different metrics: treatment incidence (TI) based on defined daily dose (TIDDD_vetPK), TI based on defined course dose (TIDCD_vetPK), TI based on used daily dose (TIUDD_vetPK), and mg/kg biomass. The median TIDDD_vetPK, TIDCD_vetPK, TIUDD_vetPK, and mg/kg biomass values were 57.7 (7.5–257.9), 13.3 (1.8–52.5), 75.3 (21.1–182.9), and 301 (46.8–1009.6), respectively, based on 741 group treatments given at 100 participating farms with 225 flocks. About 34% treatments were administered for therapeutic purposes, with 66% administered as prophylaxis. A total of 41 active substances, distributed across 17 antimicrobial classes, were identified from 139 commercial antimicrobial products used. The most commonly used active substances (AS), out of total 741 group treatments, were colistin (polymyxins) at 17%, enrofloxacin (quinolones) at 8%, neomycin (aminoglycosides) and amoxicillin (aminopenicillins) at 7% each, and procaine penicillin (NS penicillins) and streptomycin (aminoglycosides) at 6% each. According to the WHO categorization, 57% of the used AS were found to be critically important antimicrobials (CIAs) for human medicine. As many as 30% of treatments were administered in the first week (13% on the first day of production), and the main indication was prophylaxis for early chick mortality, followed by 21% in week 5, with main indication being feed supplements for necrotic enteritis. The average weight at slaughtering was 2.25 kg, gained after an average of 44 days of the production cycle. The alarmingly high AMU in Pakistani broiler production emphasizes the urgent need to reduce AMU, particularly involving CIAs and the prophylactic use of antimicrobials. This can be achieved by improving farm management practices and strengthening regulatory oversight to enable prudent antimicrobial use, eventually reducing the risk of AMR.

Introduction: Modern poultry production systems inherently concentrate large numbers of birds, which also increases the risk and potential impact of disease outbreaks. Biosecurity is widely recognized as the most important tool for reducing the risk of disease introduction, establishment, and spread to, within, and from an animal population. Thus, effective biosecurity is essential for sustainable poultry production, and assessing its implementation represents a crucial step. This systematic review aimed to evaluate biosecurity implementation in poultry farms across European and neighboring countriesMethods: The Cochrane Handbook and PRISMA 2020 guidelines were followed to perform the systematic review.Results: Of the 1,515 articles retrieved from four databases, only 44 met the inclusion criteria and 16 provided usable data for assessing biosecurity implementation. Despite relatively broad geographical coverage, including eight multi-country studies involving 36 national assessments, the distribution of studies was uneven. Moreover, most studies (77%) were pathogen- or disease-specific (e.g., Campylobacter spp., avian influenza, etc.) and focused on a single poultry species, primarily broilers (55%), while assessments involving minor poultry species were rare. There was also marked variability in the methods used to assess biosecurity, and the level of biosecurity implementation differed significantly across countries. Based on descriptive evaluations, 58% of farms implemented all the biosecurity measures assessed. According to scoring-based assessments, the overall average biosecurity score was 66.9 out of 100. The most frequently implemented measures were those related to infrastructure and control of biological vectors, disease management, and purchase of one-day-old chicks.Discussion: The heterogeneity of results, driven by differences in study design, poultry species, production systems, and methodological approach, highlights the complexity of evaluating biosecurity across diverse national contexts. This variability may reflect differences in epidemiological conditions, research funding, and national priorities. Although this review focused solely on primary research studies, the findings underscore the need to promote cross-country collaboration to enhance knowledge sharing and data harmonization.