Guidelines for preventing the introduction of infectious diseases
The establishment of quarantine procedures for introduced stock is a recommended practice to prevent the transfer of infectious diseases onto the farm. The principles of quarantine and risk assessment need to be applied when introducing any new livestock onto the farm.
Assess the risk of introducing an infectious disease before bringing new animals onto the property. Disease risk assessment protocols is designed to help assess the likely risk of introducing diseases such as Bovine Johne’s Disease (BJD) and Mucosal disease (bovine pestivirus) into a herd.
Local veterinarians or state departments of agriculture can also provide advice on preventing the introduction of infectious diseases. It is worth the cost of a phone call to avoid introducing a serious disease into your herd. A diagnostic table (see Diagnostic tools to assess disease status) is also provided to assist with assessing the disease status of cattle before being introduced into your disease-free herd. In principle:
• Only purchase stock known to be free of infectious diseases; and
• Where appropriate, quarantine all introduced animals until you are sure they are disease-free.
As an overall disease prevention strategy, implement a biosecurity plan for the property by:
• Making sure the boundary and internal fences are stock proof;
• Quarantining all introduced cattle;
• Restricting use of yards and handling facilities to your own stock;
• Ensuring visitors’ vehicles remain in the house area.
What to measure and when
• Assess the risk of introducing infectious diseases into your herd. Disease risk assessment protocols covers Bovine Johne’s Disease (BJD) and mucosal disease (bovine pestivirus).
• If there is a risk, know the symptoms of common diseases and carefully check all cattle introduced onto the property (see Diagnostic tools to assess disease status).
• If your herd contracts an infectious disease, take immediate action to prevent the disease spreading (see Reduce the impact if disease is introduced).
