BOAH: It's Always a Good Time for Biosecurity

What tool can be adapted to fit any flock or herd size, different species or different locations 365 days a year to reduce the risk of disease spread? Biosecurity.

Whether it's simply washing your hands or going through the process of showering in/out and donning coveralls, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health reminds people that you can take steps to protect the health of your animals and others with biosecurity. We talk about it a lot at the Board, and for good reason, because a little prevention effort can go a long way toward keeping the next big disease from making landfall in our livestock or pet populations.

Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus type 2 was confirmed in Minnesota last month and the first questions we received from rabbit owners were, "What can we do to protect our animals?" While vaccine approval was still in the works at that time, we quickly deployed our RHDV2 Biosecurity for Rabbits flyers to guide rabbit owners with actions they could take immediately to protect their animals.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, four words always on the minds of poultry producers. However, it's not the only disease that poses a threat to a flock of healthy birds. The good news is the poultry industry is better prepared to address this and other diseases with a robust set of 14 biosecurity principles outlined in the National Poultry Improvement Plan.

Swine producers have been busy buttressing their barns and preparing for many diseases over the years. The most recent threat is from African Swine Fever and producers are doing more than physical prevention on their farms, they're also planning what to do after a disease is introduced. Producers are building Secure Pork Plans to address everything from biosecurity to business continuity.

What's the takeaway from these examples?

There is always something you can do in your barn or backyard to prevent the introduction and spread of disease. Find practices for other species and learn more about the background of biosecurity on the BOAH website at https://bit.ly/3nCV8BK.