Originally written for Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association (WCA) Cattle Trails newsletter, April 2024

Introduction

You know your livestock best and if something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t. You should contact your veterinarian early on as symptoms present, especially for something you have a negative gut feeling about. The odds of successfully returning the animal to health are improved the earlier it is correctly diagnosed and treated. But what if the problem is not due to a routine disease commonly found in your area?  Your veterinarian will in turn contact a Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (WI DATCP) Animal Health veterinarian when they suspect your animal may have a foreign animal disease (FAD). 

When it’s beyond a routine disease

DATCP will assign a case manager, and your livestock will be sampled to confirm the presence of a FAD. As Assistant State Veterinarian, Dr Elisabeth Patton, explains, “Once a FAD has been diagnosed on a farm, DATCP animal health officials will establish several zones around the infected premises. The zone that is nearest to the infected farm is called the infected zone. The next zone is the buffer zone, and the third is called the surveillance zone. The distance away from the infected farm for each zone varies by disease.” 

The infected and buffer zones together are called the control area. Heightened biosecurity measures are taken to contain the disease in the control area. To minimize the risk of disease spread, other premises within the control area will be quarantined, with all movements restricted, and testing animals for the FAD may be required.  As Dr. Rebecca Johnson, DATCP District Veterinarian, points out, “A critical part of biocontainment depends on you following the restrictions in your farm’s quarantine. While your farm is under quarantine, you must follow biosecurity requirements including limiting traffic to only those authorized to enter and exit the premises.  Some of these movements will require a permit to be issued before the movement happens.  For example, a permit may be required before a garbage disposal company can enter the farm to remove waste containers.”

Premises that are within the surveillance zone will not be quarantined. They will receive a questionnaire and may be required to conduct testing to show that their animals are free of the FAD before the control area can be released. 

WI DATCP’s mapping tool allows individuals to check if an address is located in a control area or surveillance zone. The map is updated when new premises are identified, and restrictions have been lifted for specific areas. Currently, Wisconsin DATCP uses the mapping tool for the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreak. Similar mapping tools may be used for other FADs. 

The case manager will gather information about animal inventory, animal and product movements, and people visiting the farm. This information will be important in determining how the infection may have been introduced to the farm and for identifying other farms at risk for disease. Having accurate and quickly accessible records of animal movements, and visitor logs is very important in looking for disease spread.  
To learn more, watch the Biosecurity During a Disease Outbreak video. Visit Secure Beef to learn about FADs and for advice about writing daily and enhanced biosecurity plans for your farm. Planning and prevention before an outbreak will better protect your operation and prepare you to withstand the challenges you could face in the event of a FAD outbreak.

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