| Biosecurity
Commercial poultry farmers
should also follow salmonella
control principles as part of the
National Control Programme
(NCP) for the disease. This
involves providing Defra with the
registration details of your
business and the number of birds
and flocks you have. You must
also comply with sampling
procedures, eg boot and sock
swabs.
Deer
Biosecurity measures specific to
deer - whether farmed, park or wild
- include health monitoring for
notifiable diseases such as:
• foot and mouth disease
• bovine tuberculosis
• bluetongue
• epizootic haemorrhagic virus
disease
It is also important to limit or
prevent contact of deer with
neighbouring livestock, and to be
aware of the health status of any
animals bought or sold.
Disinfectant procedures for animal
diseases
Disinfection is one of the main
biosecurity measures to control
the spread of animal diseases.
Equipment, vehicles, protective
clothing and footwear must all be
cleaned and disinfected before
and after contact with farm
animals. Disinfectants can also be
used as biosecurity barriers for
vehicles and people at farm
entrances.
Before disinfecting structures
such as sheds, you should clean
them with detergents to remove
organic matter and oily films.
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Disinfectants should be applied
under low pressure, for example
from a backpack sprayer.
List of approved disinfectants
The AHVLA maintains a list of
approved disinfectants for use in
farming. The information provided
includes supplier addresses and
statutory dilution rates for use
during control orders for:
• foot and mouth disease
• swine vesicular disease
• poultry diseases, including
avian influenza
• tuberculosis
• other diseases
Disinfecting livestock vehicles
There are special procedures
which apply when disinfecting
vehicles used to transport farm
animals. For example, you must:
• clean and disinfect vehicles as
soon as possible after use
involving animals
• clean wheel arches and mud
flaps
Drivers of empty, dirty vehicles
leaving markets or
slaughterhouses must complete a
form to declare where their
vehicles will be taken for cleaning.
Disinfectants and worker safety
You must ensure that farm
workers use disinfectants safely,
according to the agricultural
Control of Substances Hazardous
to Health regulations.
As well as exposure to
disinfectants, these cover hazards
from cleaning - for example dust
from animals - diseases such as
leptospirosis, and cleaning in
confined spaces.
Protecting employees from
infection at work
Farming and food processing
businesses should take steps to
protect their employees from
zoonoses - diseases transmissible
from animals to humans. There are
about 40 potential zoonoses in the
UK. Most are mild and tend to
clear up naturally. However, some
can cause serious health problems
and are notifiable, which means
you must report them to your
local AHVLA office.
Notifiable zoonoses include:
• anthrax
• avian influenza
• bovine spongiform
encephalopathy
• brucellosis
• equine viral encephalomyelitis
• glanders and farcy
• rabies
• rift valley fever
• tuberculosis
• West Nile virus
Non-notifiable zoonoses include:
• coxiella - causing Q fever
• chlamydia - causing
pscittacosis/ovine chlamydiosis
• toxoplasma - causing
toxoplasmosis
• orf - skin disease of sheep
• ringworm
Preventative health measures
on farms include hand-washing
facilities - these are especially
important for visitors and open
farms
Protection from bovine
tuberculosis
There are three main ways by
which bovine tuberculosis (TB)
can be transmitted to humans:
• drinking raw milk from cows
with ‘disseminated TB’ - cows
with TBthat has spread outside the
lungs or which have TB lesions on
udders
• close proximity to animals
with TB lesions in the lungs or
infected cattle carcasses
• infection through cuts or
abrasions in the skin
You can also take steps to
protect stored feed from being
contaminated by badgers that are
infected with TB.
Defra helps the farming industry
to operate as efficiently as
possible. Defra administers
European support policies that
provide around £3 billion to UK
agriculture. Defra oversees a
number of agencies that work with
farmers, supervise imports and
exports of crops, and implement
pest and disease controls. You can
call the Defra Helpline on
Telephone 08459 33 55 77.
In England, the Farm Advisory
System advises farmers about
cross compliance. For further
information, call the Cross
Compliance Helpline on Telephone
0845 345 1302.
Further information
NFU Callfirst Helpline
0870 845 8458
AHVLA Information Line
0844 884 4600
Defra Helpline
08459 33 55 77
April 2018 | Farming Monthly | 31