Animal health surveillance is important in ensuring optimal animal health and welfare. Monitoring of diagnostic submissions, including post-mortem examination of carcasses, at the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine laboratories, provides the basis for this type of passive surveillance in Ireland. The process requires engagement from veterinarians and farmers from all sectors of the agricultural spectrum. This study aims to identify the reasons why farmers engaged in dairy, beef, sheep, and mixed farming enterprises submit carcasses or not to the Regional Veterinary Laboratories. Surveys were distributed in hard copy format at Regional Veterinary Laboratories, and fifty Teagasc facilitated farmer discussion groups. There were 1179 responses collected in 54 locations. The top reasons participants submitted to the laboratories were 1) to guide treatment/ vaccination, 2) fear of a contagious disease, and 3) if their veterinarian advised them to. The top reasons for not submitting were 1) the vet making a diagnosis on the farm, 2) the distance from the laboratory, and 3) lack of time and labour. Implementation of vaccination protocols was the main change implemented based on results, followed by management changes and the use of different treatments, e.g., switching from antibiotic to parasite treatment. Sheep enterprises were more likely than dairy to choose distance and cost as a reason not to submit. Dairying enterprises were more likely than other enterprise types to submit if they feared a contagious or zoonotic disease. Positively, this survey shows the desire of participants to submit to the laboratories to guide treatment and vaccination protocols, potentially indicating that positive engagement between stakeholders and the RVLs will help promote optimal animal health and promote responsible antimicrobial use. Results also show the critical role of veterinarians in continued disease surveillance on farms. Maintaining engagement with all farming sectors will be essential in promoting successful animal health surveillance.

中文翻译：

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爱尔兰农民与地区兽医实验室的互动——原因、结果、反应：一项调查

动物健康监测对于确保最佳的动物健康和福利非常重要。农业食品部和海洋实验室对诊断提交的监测，包括对尸体的验尸检查，为爱尔兰的这种被动监测提供了基础。该过程需要来自农业领域所有部门的兽医和农民的参与。本研究旨在确定从事奶制品、牛肉、绵羊和混合养殖企业的农民向区域兽医实验室提交或不提交屠体的原因。调查在区域兽医实验室以硬拷贝形式分发，五十个 Teagasc 促进了农民讨论组。在 54 个地点收集了 1179 份回复。参与者提交给实验室的主要原因是 1) 指导治疗/疫苗接种，2) 害怕传染病，以及 3) 如果他们的兽医建议他们这样做。未提交的主要原因是 1) 兽医在农场进行诊断，2) 与实验室的距离，以及 3) 缺乏时间和劳动力。疫苗接种方案的实施是根据结果实施的主要变化，其次是管理变化和使用不同的治疗方法，例如从抗生素治疗转向寄生虫治疗。与乳制品企业相比，绵羊企业更倾向于选择距离和成本作为不提交的理由。如果乳制品企业担心传染性或人畜共患病，则它们比其他企业类型更有可能提交。积极地，该调查显示参与者希望向实验室提交治疗和疫苗接种方案的指导，这可能表明利益相关者和 RVL 之间的积极参与将有助于促进最佳动物健康并促进负责任的抗菌药物使用。结果还显示兽医在农场持续疾病监测中的关键作用。保持与所有农业部门的接触对于促进成功的动物健康监测至关重要。