Dr. Cathy Furness, Ontario’s chief veterinary officer, has the following advice for farmers:
“Biosecurity best management practices on farms are key to preventing disease from entering, spreading or being carried off. Examples of good biosecurity practices include:
- Working with younger animals, who are more susceptible to disease, before moving to older animals;
- Separating sick animals from healthy ones;
- Handwashing between caring for different groups of animals and before leaving the barn;
- Changing into dedicated boots and coveralls anytime you enter a different barn or work with a sick animal;
- Having clearly defined animal housing and traffic areas;
- Establishing a hygiene barrier between dirty and clean areas;
- Ensuring any visitors to a farm are provided with uncontaminated boots and coveralls when entering premises, and
- Maintaining a visitor log and discussing appropriate biosecurity practices with visitors to the premises.
“Biosecurity best management practices are a foundational pillar of disease prevention and not to be taken lightly,” says Dr. Furness.
