FAZD Center releases biosecurity guidelines for small ruminant producers

The National Center for Foreign Animal Disease Defense (FAZD Center)’s primary goal is to prevent disease outbreaks and their spread. Along with maintaining illness rates on livestock operations, the group works to help producers keep livestock illnesses from spreading to humans.

After estimating that more than half of all disease-causing germs found in people originate from animals, the FAZD Center created species-specific groups to spread advice on ways to minimize bacterial transfer. The groups are known as Species Specific Educational Resource Teams (SSERT).

The small ruminant SSERT created voluntary guidelines for producers to consider as follows:

PREVENT DISEASES FROM ENTERING THE HERD

• Test existing breeding stock and newly purchased animals for certain diseases such as: Caseous Lymphadenitis (CL) sheep and goats, Caprine Arthritis-Encephalitis (CAE) in goats and Chlamydiosis in sheep and goats.

• Test other animals like cattle, llamas and alpacas for contagious diseases when kept with sheep and goats.

• Vaccinate healthy animals for potential harmful and contagious diseases.

• Use a clean needle for each animal when giving shots.

• Restrict access of visitors to barns, pastures and lambing/kidding pens.

• Use disposable shoe covers for all farm visitors.

• Minimize traffic and disinfect trucks and automobiles entering the operation.

• Quarantine new animals and animals returning from a livestock show for at least two weeks.

• Do not feed livestock on the ground; use troughs or hay racks.

• Purchase animals from disease-free herds with solid records.

• Do not buy animals with signs of abscesses or poor body condition.

To access the full article by Jeffrey Hoffelt (Agri-View, 11/23/2011), click here.