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HEALTH PROTECTION AND SANITATION STRATEGIES FOR CATTLE

 Mike Sanderson, DVM, MS; Jan Sargeant, DVM, PhD; and Mark Spire DVM, MS

College of Veterinary Medicine
Kansas State University
April 2001

 INTRODUCTION

   This fact sheet describes management strategies to prevent the introduction of disease to a farm with particular reference to Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). Although the fact sheet refers specifically to cattle, the general strategies are applicable to other livestock.
   At the time of this writing, Canada, the United States and Mexico are free of FMD. This unique status is shared with Australia and New Zealand in the Southern Hemisphere. Several other countries in the world are also free of FMD. However, many Asian countries, several in South America, Africa, and most recently the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and France are experiencing outbreaks of the disease.

 1.      On-farm Control

   Kansas livestock producers can prevent the introduction of FMD (and other foreign animal diseases) by common sense and practical on-farm strategies. The FMD virus is easily killed by common procedures for cleaning or washing clothes - dry cleaning, bleach or washing soda. People may harbor the FMD virus in their nasal cavity for up to 2 days. The best available knowledge confirms that persons who have been working with FMD animals must stay away from healthy animals for at least five days.
   To prevent the introduction of foreign animal diseases from infected animals on farms in countries with the diseases, Kansas producers should follow these guidelines:

 A.  Management of New Arrivals - Prevent the Introduction of Disease

1.  Maintain a closed herd
   The first method is not to purchase cattle. A truly closed herd does not allow the introduction of any outside animals. For practical reasons, there are few truly closed herds in Kansas. In the case of an FMD outbreak, owners should maintain closed status until the outbreak is contained:

  •  do not allow the introduction of any outside animals to the herd.

  • prevent fence-line contacts of their stock with other cattle.

  • use artificial insemination for breeding and not bring in bulls.

  • not exhibit at shows. r

  • estrict visitors.

2.   Know the source of incoming animals

  • Require health certification on all incoming animals.

  • Receive incoming animals during daylight and inspect all animals off the truck.

B.  Management of Farm Traffic - Prevent the Spread of Diseases  

  • Minimize traffic between farms, ranches and feedlot operations.

  • Farm visitors wearing boots or clothing freshly contaminated with infectious agents can spread cattle diseases among farms

  • Birds, rodents, pets, people, equipment, and vehicles contaminated with manure (or other bodily excretions) should be considered potential disease carriers.

1.  Control birds rats and mice

  • Pigeons, sparrows, starlings and rats and mice may act as carriers of infectious agents on their feet and within their digestive system.

2.  Control people and pets

   People spread contaminated material directly on footwear, hands and clothing.  To decrease the spread of contaminants:

  •  inform herd workers, visitors, and truckers of your farm protection methods and insist upon cooperation from these individuals.

  • keep visiting vehicles out of areas accessible to livestock.

  • insist visitors wash/disinfect their boots before entering and leaving. supply rubber boots and clean coveralls for visitors.

  • provide a footbath containing an effective disinfectant.

  • control the movement of dogs and cats between farms.

  • wash farm clothing with detergents and bleach or washing soda.

  • ask foreign visitors about their attendance on farms in their country of origin.

  • restrict visitors from their farm if the visitor has been on a farm with a contagious foreign animal disease within the previous 5 days.

3.  Equipment

   Disease can spread from farm-to-farm indirectly by small and large equipment.  To reduce this spread:

  • use your own equipment, halters, nose tongs, clippers etc. rather than borrowing them.

  • thoroughly wash and disinfect the inside, outside, and tires of equipment shared with neighbors.

4.   Use disinfectants

   Information about disinfectants is available on the product label or from farm supply dealers, veterinarians, USDA and the product manufacturers. For best results, disinfectants should be applied to cleaned surfaces.

Table 1. Several common disinfectants effective against FMD.

Product

Dilution

Mixing Instructions

Notes

Bleach 5.25% Sodium hypochlorite

3%.

3 gallons of bleach to 2 gallons of water

Not effective on dirty surfaces

Acetic Acid

4-5%

6.5 oz of glacial acetic acid to 1 gallon of water

Vinegar is 4% acetic acid

Sodium Hydroxide (lye)

2%

Add 1/3 cup of Lye pellets to 1 gallon of cold water

Highly caustic- use rubber clothing, gloves and safety glasses. ALWAYS add the lye to the water - NEVER pour water over the lye

Sodium Carbonate (Soda Ash)

4%

Add 1pound of sodium carbonate to 3 gallon of hot water

Mildly caustic- may dull painted or varnished surfaces

C.  Monitoring and Reporting
   Provide training to employees on recognition of signs of FMD. Monitor livestock and promptly report any symptoms of FMD to your local veterinarian. FMD may cause high fevers, blisters around the mouth or on the feet, reduced appetite and lameness. FMD can be confused with several other less harmful diseases such as vesicular stomatitis or swine vesicular disease. Failure to promptly report a case of FMD will endanger your neighbors and the entire U.S. livestock industry.

For more information about FMD click here

 
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