The Scottish Government

FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE

Veterinary Risk Assessment (No. 2)

What is the risk of causing new outbreaks of FMD by moving fallen stock from farms for disposal?

Summary of the risk factors

Moving fallen stock during an FMD outbreak increases the risk of spreading infection to premises which were previously uninfected. The greatest risk is to other farms if multiple pickups are permitted. There are lower risks to the first premises visited and even lower risks to premises passed during the journey.

The factors considered to be most responsible for increasing the risk are:

• Unrecorded movements of live animals on to farms from farms elsewhere delivered before the national movement ban resulting in "silent spread" of FMD
• Failure to detect FMD infection at premises of origin of fallen stock
• Collection vehicle or driver contact with resident livestock, their dung or secretions on farms visited
• Lack of awareness of appropriate hygienic precautions
• Failure to disinfect vehicles and equipment on leaving farms and at the end of the day
• Failure to minimise distance and stopping points on route
• Close proximity of an infected premises to route/journey
• The use of unlicensed vehicles for the fallen stock collection
• Cross contamination of vehicles at the disposal premises
• Leakage of contaminated material from vehicle(s) used for transporting fallen stock

Summary of risk reducing factors

There are many statutory controls which act to reduce risks. These include the pre-existing 6 day standstill periods applying to all farms in England & Wales and 13 day standstill periods in Scotland, introduced after the 2001 FMD epidemic. As soon as disease was suspected there were TCZ and other controls later after confirmation on infected premises, in the PZ and the SZ.

One of the most significant risk reduction measures has been the rapid introduction of the Restricted Zone measures which have prevented almost all movements of susceptible animals throughout GB since the evening of Friday 3 August 2007.

The use of collection vehicles which have been well maintained and subject to routine inspection for use by the National Fallen Stock Collection Company or on behalf of the Rural Payments Agency in relation to the collection of fallen stock subject to TSE testing.

Vehicles used by unlicensed collectors who are not working for the National Fallen Stock Collection Company are not inspected by Animal Health but must comply with the Animal By-products Regulations.

C&D facilities at disposal points such incinerators, renderers or kennels. Disposal points such as renderers and incinerators used for the disposal are approved by Animal Health and inspected, the frequency being determined by risk assessment. The frequencies of inspection are broadly:

• once monthly if SRM is handled
• once every three monthly for others

Other factors include:

• the limited number of live animal movements from England and Wales to Scotland during the summer, supported by preliminary results from modelling ;
• the fact that movements to slaughter of Scottish stock tend to flow from north and west in a southerly or easterly direction from parts of Scotland furthest from the infected farms in Surrey

Risk management options

Risk management procedures can be applied at the farm, en route, at the disposal point and at the vehicle depot at the end of the day's collections and deliveries. They are listed separately.

Collection depots and vehicles

• Facilities must be available on site and used following each collection journey for the effective cleansing and disinfection of parts of vehicles, containers or other equipment used to handle or transport fallen stock
• Ensure that the vehicle and equipment which will move fallen stock is clean and has been disinfected before the start of the day's collections, and that driver wears clean protective clothing.
• Driver should use a mobile phone or be able to confirm by other means that a collection is expected to avoid unnecessary visits
• Drivers must be provided with sufficient disinfectant and some means of spraying disinfectant

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At the farm

• Stockman must check all susceptible stock on the premises daily for clinical signs of FMD.
• Any suspicion of FMD must be reported to the local AHO without delay and the pick-up cancelled
• Fallen stock for collection must be taken to an access point close to the farm entrance, preferably on a hard standing which can be cleansed and disinfected after collection.
• Fallen stock driver must not go past the farm gate until s/he has made contact with the stockman
• Collection vehicles must not enter any field or buildings containing susceptible livestock
• Immediately after loading, the driver should check that the vehicle is not leaking
• The wheels and wheel arches of the collection vehicle must be sprayed with disinfectant
• The driver must C&D his/her boots and protective clothing before leaving the farm

En route

• Allow movement only if the disposal point is expecting the consignment
• Minimum detours, delays or stops
• If stop is unavoidable the vehicle must be parked at least 100m away from susceptible livestock preferably in an urban location

At the disposal point

Facilities

• The renderer or incinerator must be approved under Animal By-product Regulations to dispose of fallen stock or SRM.
• The disposal site must have a secure boundary fence
• Arrangements must be in place to accept in advance of deliveries.
• Facilities must be available on site and used after each delivery journey for the effective cleansing and disinfection of parts of vehicles, containers or other equipment used to handle or transport fallen stock

Practices

• The renderer or incinerator must not source any animals from premises within a Protection or Surveillance Zone
• Disposal must take place without undue delay
• No live animals are allowed to enter the working parts of the disposal point
• Before removal from a collection point hides and skins must be pre-treated by:

Personnel - other than office staff who do not have contact with the disposal operations must follow good biosecurity when entering and leaving the premises

Cleansing and disinfection

• Require cleansing and disinfection of vehicle at the disposal point
• Only one vehicle may use the C&D facilities at one time
• Clean and dirty vehicles must not be parked next to each other
• Require driver to cleanse and disinfect boots and clothing (or change into clean clothing) on leaving the disposal point
• Delivery areas to which vehicles deliver must be kept as clean and tidy during working hours and cleansed and disinfected after the last animal is processed or at least once during any 24 hour period.

SUMMARY OF THE RECOMMENDED ACTION

The collection of the fallen stock from farms in the Restricted Zone using multiple pickups and deliveries to renderers or incinerators in the RZ can be permitted under certain conditions which are listed in the risk management section above which can summarised as:

• Fallen stock must be picked up from an access point close to the farm entrance
• Multiple pickups permitted
• Vehicles must comply with ABP regulations
• Drivers must be equipped with clean waterproof clothing and boots before arrival on farm, which must be cleansed and disinfected on departure
• Wheels and wheel arches must be sprayed with disinfectant
• Vehicles must not leak
• No unnecessary delays or detours
• Disposal points must be approved under existing ABP regulations
• Carcase processing must take place without undue delay
• Vehicles must be fully cleansed and disinfected after each delivery to the disposal point.
• Areas at disposal points used by vehicles and drivers must be fully cleansed and disinfected at least once every 24 hours.

Veterinary Division
Rural Directorate
Scottish Executive

9 August 2007

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