EVALUATION
OF BIOSECURITY:
Biosecurity means to prevent the introduction of disease
and disease causing organisms or control their spread. In the OSHP, there
is no requirement for any specific level of biosecurity. However it is mandatory
for the producer and veterinarian to do a self assessment in order to identify
those areas of flock management that may put the flock at greater risk of
disease. As with flock health management, the producer and veterinarian
perform the assessment and then complete a Biosecurity Status Report which
is mandatory. A copy of the status form, signed by the veterinarian is submitted
to OSMA. Areas covered in this assessment are divided into RISK
FROM ANIMALS and RISK FROM PEOPLE AND EQUIPMENT
and include:
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- RISK
FROM ANIMALS:
- Risks
from direct contact with livestock.
- Risk
from introduction of new genetics from lowest risk (embryos and
semen) to highest risk (animals from an unknown source or many
sources).
- Isolation
of new introductions and sick sheep to reduce risk.
- Reducing
risk using animal flow.
- Risk
from indirect contact with livestock and their products, e.g.
manure, livestock trucks, wind-borne, water-borne disease.
- Management
of dead stock to reduce risk from improper handling, including
predators and dog tapeworms.
- How
to handle manure to reduce risk to flock of transmission of disease
(e.g. Johne's disease).
- Risk
from non-food animals such as vermin, cats, dogs and wild canids,
carrion birds, nuisance animals such as raccoons and skunks.
- RISK
FROM PEOPLE AND EQUIPMENT:
- Limiting
access to farm from outside vehicles such as livestock trucks
- Having
visitors not wear contaminated clothing into the barns.
- How
to avoid fecal contamination of feed and water.
- Risk
from veterinarians and veterinary equipment.
- Reducing
risks from the shearer, particularly with respect to caseous lymphadenitis.
- Reducing
risk from livestock vehicles to animals transported in them.
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SCORING
BIOSECURITY: Producers can score their farm's performance using
the Biosecurity Status report. The veterinarian can assign a score to each
section with 0 = Low Risk; 1 = Moderate Risk; and 2 = High Risk. Items under
Risk from Animals are weighted twice as much as items from Risk from People
and Equipment. A lower score means better biosecurity. This does not replace
any biosecurity requirements for any disease control program. |
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