Biosecurity
Biosecurity is a series of management procedures designed to prevent or greatly reduce the risk of introducing new infectious agents to a farm. A related concept is biocontainment, management strategies directed at reducing the risk of spreading existing infectious agents between groups of animals or into the environment. Key components to both concepts include: screening and testing, isolation and quarantine, immunization, selective purchasing and monitoring and evaluating.
Biosecurity is a whole farm approach to herd health management. The risks to herd health must be assessed, prioritized, and addressed. Risk can be categorized by source of possible infection, area of the farm or by susceptibility of animals.
(Definitions & concepts from Dr. John Thompson, AABP'96)
Risks To Consider
Animal Density / Stocking Rate
Crowding of animals increases opportunities for aerosol and contact transmission. Crowded conditions also increases stress levels, affecting immune responses negatively. This is situation is particularly critical for animals housed within barns or other enclosed environments.
Solution: Avoid overstocking, provide adequate air circulation.
Introduction of sick or unknown status animals to the herd
Risk can be introduction of a disease the herd has not been exposed to (naïve population)
Solution: Maintain a closed herd (Raise your own replacements). If not feasible, isolate/quarantine new entries until you know they are healthy and try to buy animals from a known, disease free source. Isolation length depends on the incubation period of the disease(s) that concern you most.
Shared water / feeding sites
Common feeding sites or water sources can be contaminated by infected animals. Animals that drink or eat from a common site then run the risk of becoming infected as well.
Solution: Provide individual feed/water sources. If not possible reduce the number of animals sharing sources and periodically clean and disinfect.
Mixing of species
Some diseases can affect more than one species. In one species the diseases may have little to no health impact but by interacting with another susceptible species can result in devastating disease.
Solution: Use fencing and other management techniques to reduce contact between your animals and wildlife. If you raise multiple species, keep them separate and reduce disease transmission risks by having separate equipment and if keeping.