Biosecurity for agribusiness

Suggested Steps For Agribusiness Personnel to Improve Biosecurity

Farm Visits

• Make an appointment
• Do not interact with animals unless necessary
• Stay out of feeding and feed storage areas unless necessary
• Never travel from cow lanes/pens to feeding areas
• Plan your visit: sample forages first and evaluate cows last
• Wear freshly laundered coveralls and hat
• Always disinfect footwear upon arriving and leaving each farm
• Wash your hands before and after interacting with animals
• Wear gloves if you need to touch cows’ udders
• Use footbaths if they are provided
• Make sure any colleagues who are accompanying you adhere to biosecurity protocols
  Be prepared to provide coveralls, boots, and hats for your colleagues 
   

Visitors/Visiting Workers from Foreign Countries

• Provide clean clothing and footwear for visitors who will have contact with your animals
• Visitors from countries where Foot and Mouth Disease is endemic must disinfect clothing before visiting
• Visitors from countries where Foot and Mouth Disease is endemic must avoid ALL contact with both livestock and wildlife for 14 days prior to visiting a US farm
• If you will travel to another country, follow these guidelines yourself 

Cleaning

• Disinfectants cannot work in the presence of organic matter (feed, manure, etc.)
• When cleaning animal areas or equipment, remove all organic matter by sweeping, washing, scraping, etc. prior to disinfecting
• For best disinfecting results, thoroughly wash areas with a cleaning solution prior to disinfecting
• Thorough cleaning can remove 85-95% of microbes 

Disinfecting

• If you work directly with animals, disinfect your equipment between animals, groups and farms
  Cameras, computers, and other personal items can be wiped with a bleach disinfecting solution should they become contaminated with feed, manure, saliva, etc.
• Disinfecting should begin only after surfaces are clean and dry
• Disinfecting procedures should
  Start at the top of the item to be disinfected and work down
  Ensure that disinfectant solution runs off all the surfaces
• Allow disinfected surfaces to dry before using
• Suggested disinfectant for Foot and Mouth Disease
  1 ounce of household bleach per gallon of water
  2.5 ounces of household bleach per gallon of water for soiled surfaces such as boots

Pest Control

• Keep your dog at home - Do not allow dogs to accompany you on farm visits

Sources

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/

National Milk Producers Federation

USDA-APHIS

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/