Letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
On August 25, 2008, NMPF submitted a letter to the U.S Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to point out the dangers in a DHS proposal to close the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) and potentially move its biological research laboratory to a new location on the U.S. mainland. The full letter is available here.
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement can be viewed online at the DHS NBAF website.
Foot-and-Mouth Prevention Practices
This document is an excellent source of biosecurity information for the dairy industry.
Top Ten Steps Dairy Producers Can Take Against FMD and BSE
It is of the utmost importance that every dairy farmer institute a biosecurity plan. Biosecurity is managing the herd to prevent the introduction and spread of infectious diseases. The following is a list of NMPF’s Top Ten List to protect livestock from infectious diseases.
(1) Maintaining a healthy herd with proper biosecurity protections. The best biosecurity protection is a healthy, closed herd.
(2) Do not purchase any animals from any foreign country or source where cattle may have been exposed to a foreign animal disease such as FMD. Likewise, do not purchase replacement animals from domestic sources without determining the herd health status, particularly with regard to emerging cattle diseases such as Johne's Disease.
(3) Do not allow any visitors on the farm if they have been outside the continental United States in the past two weeks, unless you can verify that they have not been in close contact with any cloven-footed animal for the past five days.
(4) All visitors should be wearing clean clothing (preferably dry cleaned) or disposable outer coveralls (Cloth or Tyvex) and be required to wear disposable plastic footwear covering, or thoroughly wash boots and disinfect with an EPA-approved disinfectant such as Virkon-S or Oxonia Active/Oxycept 333. Household vinegar or acetic acid at 4%-7% in the absence of organic matter will effectively inactivate the FMD virus.
(5) Implement a quarantine program for all newly purchased animals, before introducing or exposing them to any animals in the herd. Develop an appropriate quarantine plan in consultation with your vet.
(6) Clean, disinfect and maintain all livestock treatment and handling equipment in a sanitary condition at all times. Milking, vet, animal identification and foot trimming equipment should be cleaned and disinfected or sanitized properly between use on individual animals, groups of animals and farms, as dictated by best management practices.
(7) Immediately report to your vet or State Vet any signs of blistering on the nose and mouth of any animal, including excessive salivation. Clinical signs of Vesicular Stomatitis or FMD may also be indicated by detachment of the epithelial surface of the tongue, ruptured blisters on the gum or at the end of the cow's teat. Quick reporting is absolutely essential, because these two diseases cannot be differentiated except through laboratory tests.
(8) Restrict unauthorized visitors and vehicles from entering any animal production related area. Off-facility traffic should be confined away from the herd and animal production areas to avoid spread of disease from other farms or livestock facilities. All visitors should sign in and out and be escorted while visiting the operation.
(9) Implement precautions to assure compliance with the FDA Ruminant Feed Ban. Be sure all purchased feed mixes or supplements do not contain prohibited mammalian protein such as meat and bone meal. If you are uncertain regarding a feed source, require a supplier letter certifying compliance with all FDA Feed Ban regulations. If you are mixing feed on the farm for other species such as poultry or swine, dedicate a seperate mixer and feed handling equipment for bovine use only. Avoid all possibilities of any cross-contamination from unapproved ruminant protein sources. Keep all invoices of purchased feed for a minimum of three years in the event there is a need to track back illegal sources of feed ingredients.
(10) Implement an active fly, rodent and bird control program. Avoid any feed bunk exposure to wildlife, if at all possible. Prevent urine and feces excrements from dogs and cats from contaminating feed and feed bunks. These vectors are well-documented carriers of diseases that can infect cattle.
The above list includes general precautions that will go a long way in ensuring that dairy farmers are actively engaged in minimizing potential exposure to infectious diseases including FMD. It is important to emphasize that we do not have, nor do we anticipate the onset of FMD in the United States. This list is provided to be preventative in nature.
