Collaborative Research: RAPID: The Role and Effectiveness of Instructional Risk and Crisis Biosecurity Recommendation Messages during the H5N1 Dairy Crisis

University Of Vermont & State Agricultural College, Burlington VT

Investigators

Abstract

Viral infections by the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus (HPAI) A/H5N1 have historically affected wild birds with costly outbreaks periodically spreading in poultry flocks. With the emergence of HPAI clade 2.3.4.4b, new avian species and, even more concerning, terrestrial mammal infections have been reported, including an outbreak in dairy cattle, thereby creating an unprecedented and urgent health risk. The Food and Drug Administration reported that samples of pasteurized milk taken from grocery stores in the United States have tested positive for H5N1. Dairy farmers are key stakeholders, as their biosecurity strategies can minimize risks to the food supply. To do so, however, they need clear and actionable instructional messages. As the situation evolves dynamically and a potential crisis unfolds, the research team assesses and tests the efficacy of biosecurity recommendation messages. Specifically, the researchers (1) monitor real-time H5N1 crisis message recommendations in both social and traditional media to identify crisis constraints and misinformation; (2) assess the perceptions of dairy farmers and other national and state stakeholders who are responsible for identifying effective biosecurity strategies for managing the risk; and (3) provide feedback and recommendations to practitioners based on principles of instructional risk communication as articulated in the IDEA model. The IDEA model’s primary assumption is that instructional risk and crisis messages are most effective when they include a balance of internalization (affective learning), explanation (cognitive learning), recommendations for action (behavioral learning), along with considerations of how the messages can best be distributed. The intention of the research is to produce findings generalizable to biosecurity threats beyond this particular avian influenza virus. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.