The black summer bushfires: impacts and risk factors for livestock bushfire injury in south-eastern Australia.
Australia
bushfire
injury
livestock
risk factors
wildfire
Journal
Australian veterinary journal
ISSN: 1751-0813
Titre abrégé: Aust Vet J
Pays: England
ID NLM: 0370616
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Jul 2022
Jul 2022
Historique:
revised:
21
03
2022
received:
15
08
2021
accepted:
16
04
2022
pubmed:
7
5
2022
medline:
7
7
2022
entrez:
6
5
2022
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
The 2019/2020 Australian bushfires were the largest bushfire event in modern Australian history. While actions to mitigate risk to homes from bushfires are well reported, there is very little research reported on the impacts of bushfires on livestock. With an increasing incidence of bushfires predicted, there is an urgent need to identify how farmers can best protect their livestock. Compare bushfire affected farms with and without injured livestock to identify associations between risk factors and bushfire injury. Infer management approaches that can be used to reduce bushfire injury in livestock. A case-control study using a structured interview questionnaire, delivered in late 2020 to cattle and sheep farmers in south-eastern Australia (New South Wales and Victoria) whose farmland was burnt in the 2019/2020 Australian bushfires. Case farms were farms with bushfires injured or killed livestock. Control farms were farms that had no bushfire injured livestock but that still had fire present on the farm. Interview responses were summarised and information theoretical approaches were used to identify potential risk factors for livestock bushfire injury and protective actions that could inform future fire-preparation recommendations. Of 46 farms in the case-control study, 21 (46%) reported bushfire injured or killed livestock. Apparent protective factors identified included: preparation (having a bushfire plan and more than two farm bushfire fighting units), backburning and receiving assistance from fire authorities. Combined beef and sheep grazing enterprises appeared to have an increased risk of bushfire injury to livestock.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
The 2019/2020 Australian bushfires were the largest bushfire event in modern Australian history. While actions to mitigate risk to homes from bushfires are well reported, there is very little research reported on the impacts of bushfires on livestock. With an increasing incidence of bushfires predicted, there is an urgent need to identify how farmers can best protect their livestock.
OBJECTIVES
OBJECTIVE
Compare bushfire affected farms with and without injured livestock to identify associations between risk factors and bushfire injury. Infer management approaches that can be used to reduce bushfire injury in livestock.
METHOD
METHODS
A case-control study using a structured interview questionnaire, delivered in late 2020 to cattle and sheep farmers in south-eastern Australia (New South Wales and Victoria) whose farmland was burnt in the 2019/2020 Australian bushfires. Case farms were farms with bushfires injured or killed livestock. Control farms were farms that had no bushfire injured livestock but that still had fire present on the farm. Interview responses were summarised and information theoretical approaches were used to identify potential risk factors for livestock bushfire injury and protective actions that could inform future fire-preparation recommendations.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
CONCLUSIONS
Of 46 farms in the case-control study, 21 (46%) reported bushfire injured or killed livestock. Apparent protective factors identified included: preparation (having a bushfire plan and more than two farm bushfire fighting units), backburning and receiving assistance from fire authorities. Combined beef and sheep grazing enterprises appeared to have an increased risk of bushfire injury to livestock.
Identifiants
pubmed: 35514115
doi: 10.1111/avj.13165
pmc: PMC9546107
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
306-317Subventions
Organisme : Commonwealth Government of Australia
Organisme : Meat and Livestock Australia
Informations de copyright
© 2022 The Authors. Australian Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Veterinary Association.
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