Assessment of biosafety practices in veterinary clinics

Failure to pay due attention to biosecurity in veterinary medicine practices poses a great risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of knowledge and utilisation of biosecurity control practices (BCP) among small animal veterinarians in Turkey. In 2023, a questionnaire was sent anonymously to randomly selected small animal veterinarians working in Turkey electronically via Microsoft Forms to assess their awareness of precautions and perceptions of zoonotic disease risks. Respondents were given a precaution awareness (PA) score (between 0 and 4) on a Likert scale based on their responses. Higher scores indicate a stricter level of BCP (e.g. 0 for never and 4 for always). Question responses related to similar topics were grouped among themselves and scores were collected on an individual basis. Related characteristics such as gender, age, duration of experience, type of service, whether or not biosafety-related training was organised, whether or not a written infection protocol was available, whether or not a separate cleaning staff was available, whether or not a separate isolation room was available, whether or not a separate eating and drinking area and refrigerator was available, etc. were evaluated by conducting different analyses group by group. IBM SPSS Statistics programme was used for statistical analyses and Independent Sample T test was performed. When applying the tests, calculations were made with a Confidence Interval (CI) of 95%. If there is a significant relationship between the analyses, sig. P value (<0,05 or >0,05). Overall, respondents did not engage in protective behaviours or use personal protective equipment (PPE) considered appropriate to protect against zoonotic disease transmission. Small animal veterinarians working in practices without a written infection control policy were significantly more likely to have low awareness. No significant difference was found between male or female individuals except for the use of PPE. Small animal veterinarians working in establishments with <5 staff and no biosecurity-related training; no separate isolation room; no separate staff assigned for cleaning were associated with low awareness. No significant difference was found for age and years of experience. The results showed that most veterinarians in Turkey are not aware of appropriate PPE use and are not engaged in practices that can help reduce zoonotic disease transmission. Providing information and education about BCP and establishing written infection control policies may be effective tools for improving BCP in veterinary practice.