Protecting Young Animals in Agricultural Shows
In the world of livestock farming, maintaining a healthy herd is crucial for productivity and profitability. Diseases such as avian influenza, foot-and-mouth disease, brucellosis, and pseudorabies can wreak havoc on animal populations, causing significant financial losses. To combat these threats, it's essential to implement effective biosecurity measures.
Prevent Introduction and Spread of Infection
Thorough cleaning and disinfection are key to preventing the transmission of diseases. This includes ensuring visitors adhere to hygiene protocols, maintaining clean clothing and footwear, and using clean and recently disinfected equipment.
Maintain Clean and Controlled Farm Environments
A clean and controlled farm environment is paramount. Keep access routes, parking areas, feeding/storage areas clean and tidy, and wash hands with soap after handling animals. Clean and disinfect farm machinery, especially if shared with other farms.
Control Animal Contact and Movement
Avoid contact between your livestock and neighbors’ animals, and maintain fences properly. Isolate new or returning animals with a health plan developed with your veterinarian.
Implement Pest Control Programs
Prevent livestock access to potentially contaminated water sources by fencing off natural water bodies and supplying clean drinking water in troughs.
Regular Health Monitoring and Record Keeping
Inspect animals at least daily for signs of disease, and keep accurate identification and health records to track and respond to issues promptly.
Properly Manage Fallen Stock
Promptly remove dead animals and keep carcasses away from livestock areas until collected, and minimize contamination risk from collection vehicles by limiting their access on your farm.
Education and Awareness
Build your and your workers’ understanding of the impact of disease outbreaks and the benefits of biosecurity, supported by veterinary professionals and online resources or protocols.
Use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Establish Biosecurity Zones
Appropriately use PPE and establish biosecurity zones, especially in emergency or shelter situations, to reduce cross-contamination risk.
Economic Motivation
Understanding that investing in biosecurity reduces long-term financial losses from disease outbreaks may increase commitment to these measures.
These combined practices address multiple transmission routes relevant to diseases like avian influenza, foot-and-mouth disease, brucellosis, and pseudorabies, offering an integrated approach to disease prevention and control on your farm.
Implementing Biosecurity Measures at Different Levels
Biosecurity measures can be implemented at national, state, and herd levels. For example, states set requirements for arriving animals to prevent the entry or reintroduction of livestock diseases. Herd-level biosecurity is the responsibility of the herd owner or management team.
When attending shows, be cautious regarding who has contact with livestock, ensuring they are wearing clean clothes that have not been in contact with other animals. Minimise nose-to-nose contact with other animals at the fair to reduce the risk of disease transmission. After returning from a show or contact with other animals, isolate show animals for at least two weeks to observe for signs of developing disease.
Examples of diseases managed at the herd level include Streptococcus agalactiae mastitis, bovine viral diarrhea, bovine progressive pneumonia, and swine dysentery. Sharing grooming equipment at shows can potentially spread diseases like "club lamb fungus" in sheep or "ringworm" in cattle. This is most common with viruses and bacteria that cause respiratory diseases in cattle and sheep.
Recent outbreaks of swine and avian influenza in the United States and foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom have highlighted the ease of spreading some infections among animals. To prevent the spread of disease agents, post signs asking visitors not to touch or feed animals. Use clean and recently disinfected equipment to haul animals, such as 1 Stroke Environ or Virkon S.
The United States is currently focusing on preventing highly pathogenic avian influenza and foot-and-mouth disease. Examples of diseases of concern to states include brucellosis, tuberculosis, and pseudorabies. Risks increase when show animals are exposed to other animals, equipment, or livestock trucks and trailers at shows. Exposing show animals to other animals off the farm can bring back new germs that could spread to other animals on the farm.
This fact sheet is a revision of the original written in 2001 by Dr. Gary L. Bowman, D.V.M., Extension Veterinarian, Swine, and Dr. William P. Shulaw, D.V.M., Extension Veterinarian, Cattle and Sheep; Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine. (Credit line)
