Prevention of Classical Swine Fever
Classical Swine Fever can be transmitted over long distances via contaminated materials or meat products. Apparently healthy pigs may be incubating disease and disease recovered pigs can excrete the virus for long periods of time so carry out daily inspections of your animals. Strict rules exist on imports of live pigs and of fresh and cured pig meat to prevent the introduction of CSF. Imports are authorised only if the country or region of origin is CSF - free.
The last outbreak in Scotland occurred in the 1960s. In England Classical Swine Fever occurred in 2000. It is important to apply the biosecurity precautions that suit you and your farm. Practising good biosecurity is easy and should be part of routine farm management. The advice below offers methods to avoid spreading CSF during your farming activities. Applying biosecurity methods on your farm will help to maintain Scotland's CSF - free status.
Stocking densities
If there is an outbreak of CSF, disease will spread quickly amongst your animals if there are large numbers of animals in a small area. Therefore it is advised that appropriate stocking densities should be followed in indoor and outdoor pig units.
Keep yourself clean
The virus can survive on surfaces such as hands, hair, boots and clothing. High standards of hygiene should be a part of every day farm management.
If all your animals are at one location, keep a set of clothing or overalls to wear when working with them. If your livestock are at several locations, keep separate clothing / overalls for each group. Clothing should be washed at the hottest temperature for the material before being worn near a different group of animals.
Remove any mud or dung from footwear before applying approved disinfectant. Brush hard in the direction of the tread.
After handling animals, cleaning and disinfecting clothing, footwear and equipment, wash your hands with soap and water.
If returning from other livestock or livestock farm away from your farm, make sure your clothes and footwear are free from dirt before visiting your own animals.
Keep Livestock separate
Keep fencing in good repair. Stop nose to nose contact of your animals with your neighbours' animals. Well maintained electric netting or fencing or a wide unbroken hedge, ditch or similar, are suggested solutions. Where possible, try to keep an empty field, watercourse, wood or road between your livestock and anybody else's.
Keep new animals separate from your livestock for 20 days. This allows symptoms to develop and tests to be carried out without endangering other animals. Apparently healthy pigs may be incubating disease and recovered pigs can excrete the virus for long periods of time.
Keep the farm secure
Have the proper equipment (including brushes, hoses, water and disinfectant) at your farm entrance(s) for visitors to use. Restrict the movement of persons, vehicles and equipment to and from your farm.
Make sure your boundaries are secure. Straying animals could carry infection to or from your stock.
If your farm has a footpath or footpaths through it, people using the countryside are being advised to follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. To help reduce the risk of disease being brought onto your farm, use signs to advise visitors what you are doing to protect your stock. The source of infection of the 2000 outbreak in East Anglia, is thought to have been introduced via infected meat or meat products in a sandwich. This highlights the need to be aware of steps that should be part of a daily routine on your farm.
Clearly identify buildings where your animals are housed and ask people to keep out.
Purchasing new animals
Wherever possible, purchase stock from known sources. The Pigs (Records, Identification and Movement) Order 1995 requires, with certain exceptions, that when pigs are moved onto a farm no pig shall be moved from those premises for the next 20 days. This period allows pigs incubating the disease to show clinical signs.
Clean and disinfect
Good farm management should include the regular cleaning and disinfection of vehicles and trailers. Firstly, use water to wash off all mud before applying disinfectant. If the vehicle is dirty, disinfectant will not kill the virus. Ensure that the wheels and wheel arches are properly cleaned.
Make sure the inside of the vehicle is cleaned as well, including the foot wells, pedals and mats. Clean all areas used for carrying other things such as feed, bedding or equipment.
Restrict the movement of persons, vehicles and equipment to and from your premises.
Particular attention should be paid if visiting another farm(s) or venue where there are animals because disease can be carried on or off these holdings. Relief milkers, stockmen and contractors should follow all these precautions.
Your dog could be carrying infective material on its fur or feet, so it is best left at home. If this is not possible, then ensure that your dog is kept under control at all times.
Look for early signs of disease
Carry out daily inspections of your animals. There should be the means to restrain animals for closer inspection if necessary. If pigs are housed indoors there should be sufficient lighting to clearly see the animals.
Feed
Pests and vermin can carry the virus, therefore feed should be stored in facilities that do not encourage their activity.
The feeding of swill to animals is banned by The Animal By-Products Amendment Order (Scotland) Order 2001.
Medication
The use of unlicensed veterinary medicines is not permitted by The Marketing Authorisations for Veterinary Medicinal Products Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/3142).
Farmers or keepers of farm animals are required to keep a record of veterinary medicines used in accordance with The Animals and Animal Products (Examination for Residues and Maximum Residue Limits) Regulations 1997 (SI 1997/1729).
New needles should be used when injecting pharmaceutical products (e.g. antibiotics) to avoid transmitting the virus between animals.
Records and Traceability
There are legal requirements for the registration of all livestock and premises, animal identification and stock records. These requirements are important for a number of reasons including traceability and disease control.
Keepers of pigs must be registered and their animals identified according to the law: The Pigs (Records, Identification and Movement) Order 1995 (SI 1995/11).
In the event of Classical Swine Fever being confirmed it would assist veterinary investigations to keep a list of visitors and deliveries.
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