Animal Health Ireland (AHI) recently published its leaflet on biocontainment. The leaflet provides farmers with advice on the prevention and to reduce the spread of disease on the farm.

There are three pillars to support animal health on a farm:

  • Reduce the sources of infection.
  • Prevent the spread of disease.
  • Improve the animal immunity.

    • As with any plan, biocontainment has to start with knowing the current state of play.

    Look at farm records to identify any diseases that exist. Has there been an increased number of disease incidences? Has animal thrive been affected? How many abortions have taken place?

    Consult with your veterinary practitioner to assess infections in the herd, development of a herd health plan, taking samples from affected animals and having post mortems carried out.

    AHI advises that animals are tested for various diseases, either through bulk milk testing, blood sampling or tissue testing to identify the disease status of the herd. Create a biocontainment plan based around the three pillars outlined already, reducing the sources of infection, preventing the spread of infection and improving the immunity of susceptible animals.

    The AHI leaflet advises farmers to take action on clinically sick animals; sub-clinical animals are carrier animals. Removing these from the herd will ensure that there is less of disease challenge, as the clinically affected animals are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of disease prevalence.

    Prevent the spread of disease

    Transmission of disease should be prevented by direct transmission, from animal to animal, through the animal’s environment or from dam to calf. It is essential to quarantine animals moving on to the holding. Sick animals should be isolated immediately to ensure that the spread of disease is minimised. AHI also advises that animals which abort be isolated from the rest of the herd. Avoid animal groups mixing at handling, calving or housing to cut down on the possible spreading of infections.

    The final action is to improve the immunity of animals on the farm. This can be done through management practices and the use of a strategic vaccination programme. This first step should be good colostrum management, ensuring that calves get enough colostrum in the first few house of birth.

    Where groups are run separately at grass, when mixing in the winter, exhibit caution as disease outbreaks can occur. Where possible, avoid stress and the mixing of young and older animals in the same air space. Use vaccines in a timely fashion to ensure animals are covered at the correct times.

    Click here for more from our Animal Health 2015 special supplement