An occurrence of a foreign animal disease in U.S. swine herds would devastate the pork industry; left undetected and unaddressed, all exports would be halted, driving prices down by 40-50 percent. Good security and biosecurity practices are critical for protecting farms from foreign animal disease.
Biosecurity is a combination of management practices designed to prevent the introduction and transmission of diseases and disease-causing agents into a herd. Prevention of the entry of diseases into a herd is a key component of a herd health management plan. Procedures that are typically associated with a biosecurity plan include barn and transportation sanitation, rodent control, worker and visitor entry policies and other general farm security measures. If a disease is already present in one or more segments of the herd, biosecurity can help prevent that disease from spreading to other segments. However, all biosecurity measures should be focused on the prevention of the entry of disease.
To learn about Biosecurity Management Best Practices click here.
BIOSECURITY is a critical step to keep your pigs healthy…BEFORE, DURING and AFTER a show. Following these easy steps can keep your animals healthy and protect pigs across the county from getting sick.
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BEFORE THE SHOW follow these steps:
A healthy swine herd starts with raising healthy pigs at home. And raising healthy pigs starts with biosecurity.
- If a pig is sick, call your veterinarian and do not attend a fair or exhibition.
- Before going to an exhibition, clean and disinfect your show box, equipment and truck and trailer.
– Clean, disinfect and dry all equipment to be used.
– Use disinfectant according to its label.
DURING THE SHOW take these simple steps:
- Keep your pen area clean and do not share equipment with other exhibitors.
- Wash your hands often with soap and running water before and after you have contact with animals. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
- Monitor your pigs for any signs of illness
- Report any illness to the veterinarian on-call.
AFTER THE SHOW when you come home from a fair/exhibition:
- Quarantine your pigs and watch for signs of illness
Clean and disinfect your trailer and all equipment (show boxes, feed pans, etc.)
The National Pork Board has developed a toolkit with materials related to biosecurity and foreign animal diseases for the show pig industry at www.pork.org/blog/biosecurity-youth-exhibitors.