Biosecurity

Biosecurity is becoming increasingly important in agriculture and livestock production. Biosecurity can be defined as "a process or procedures designed to protect from infection, attack or interference by biological organisms". This process can be applied to an individual, to a farm, a district, or to an entire country. A related concept, biocontainment, can be defined as "a process or procedures designed to keep biological organisms within a limited space or area". For example, containing a disease and preventing it spreading.

What is Biosecurity? Biosecurity and Trade References and Further Reading

Biosecurity basically means protecting a flock or herd from infectious diseases. Biosecurity is a management process, and includes any precautionary measures that are taken to prevent diseases from emerging or from entering the livestock.

The concept is relatively new and different countries and different organisations use different definitions and place an emphasis on different biosecurity measures. FAO, for example, uses the term Biosecurity to broadly describe the process and objective of managing biological risks associated with food and agriculture in a holistic manner.

"Biosecurity is a strategic and integrated approach that encompasses the policy and regulatory frameworks (including instruments and activities) that analyse and manage risks in the sectors of food safety, animal life and health, and plant life and health, including associated environmental risk. Biosecurity covers the introduction of plant pests, animal pests and diseases, and zoonoses, the introduction and release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their products, and the introduction and management of invasive alien species and genotypes. Biosecurity is a holistic concept of direct relevance to the sustainability of agriculture, food safety, and the protection of the environment, including biodiversity."

(FAO, 2003)

Farm to farm movement of infected livestock is the most effective means by which many animal diseases, for example Foot and Mouth Disease, can be spread. The movement of contaminated clothes, boots, vehicles, agricultural and other equipment is another method by which diseases can be taken from one premises to another. Clearly, veterinarians could act as carriers if strict biosecurity measures are not employed. Diseases can also be spread by other means, such as wildlife, wind, or other vectors.

The most important biosecurity measures in more intensive production systems are:

• To ensure that methods of working with livestock are designed to minimise the movements of people, vehicles or equipment into areas where livestock are kept, including fields, sheds, markets or other holding areas. This will minimise the potential contamination of people, vehicles and equipment with material that could carry diseases, e.g. vehicles or carts transporting hay, other feeds, manure, milk, eggs and other products.
  
• If direct contact with livestock cannot be prevented then it is best practice to cleanse and disinfect protective clothing, footwear, equipment, vehicles etc. before and after the contact with the livestock.

No single biosecurity measure provides an answer to preventing all diseases. However, what is required is an integrated programme of related precautionary measures. At a local or individual farm level, the following should be considered:

		Keep a flock or herd history. This records the details of all individual animals
		Start a herd or flock with good, healthy individuals
		Where possible, maintain a closed system, i.e. prevent unplanned contact with other animals over which you have no control
		Breed for resistance to locally common diseases
		Provide medication only as necessary, or as recommended by veterinarians
		Practice good sanitation and keep areas clean
		Provide adequate housing and shelter for all livestock
		Minimise stress
		Provide sufficient food, and ensure that a balanced ration is received - taking account of the different requirements at different seasons or periods of the year

It is also important to apply biosecurity measures even when animals have been removed from the premises, as disease causing agents and their vectors can persist in the premises unless they are effectively eliminated.

Food is an important item of trade, and one which is increasingly important in international trade. This includes livestock products, and in a very few cases may include live livestock as well (although this is decreasing). Quality of the product, quarantine regulations, biosecurity and trade policy issues become increasingly important, both as a means to facilitate trade as well as to impose preventative barriers. In terms of biosecurity, international trade in livestock and livestock products is normally subject to restrictions based on the content of the traded product, which should obviously be free of infectious agents, but most importantly, should originate from an area that is free from infection.

Animal disease control restrictions are some of the most widely used constraints to international trade in animal products. These affect products that are not for human consumption, such as hides and skins, as well as food products (as well as the export/import of live animals).

The major centres of consumption of animal products are countries of relatively high per capita income and human population density. Most countries importing animal products for human consumption demand strict food safety standards. It can be very expensive to meet these requirements, and they would certainly prevent many potential exporters from gaining access to some markets (James, 2004). However, the failure of producers in exporting countries to meet the animal welfare and environmental protection standards demanded by importing countries is one of a number of reasons for restricting imports. As public concern over such issues increases, it is more likely that they will be used as a reason for restricting imports in the future, clearly emphasizing the needs for greater appreciation of the issues surrounding biosecurity and livestock in developing countries.

Food Safety

Food safety risks in international trade in animal products include zoonotic diseases, other food-borne pathogens, drug residues and the residues of other chemicals that may be contained in animal products. These risks can all be managed at the level of the slaughter and processing plants, and most importing countries will only accept animal products for human consumption from plants that they have inspected and approved.

Animal Disease

The principal animal disease concern in international trade is the introduction of epidemic diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease. Some of these diseases are readily introduced in animal products, and have the capacity to spread very rapidly. The economic cost of dealing with outbreaks can be very high. For example, the costs of the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in the United Kingdom were officially estimated to be £ 8 billion (James 2004).

A fundamental measure for management and control of animal disease risks is the control of those diseases deemed to be of greatest significance in international trade. The OIE lists are widely used for this purpose: see below. (The former List "A" and List "B" diseases are now combined into a single list of "Diseases Notifiable to the OIE"). For example, most importing countries will only accept meat from countries either free of FMD or having zones free of the disease.

For some diseases, the overall animal production benefits, in terms of the increased trade opportunities, of controlling a disease may outweigh the costs of control - which can be considerable. However, in many situations it is not feasible to eradicate certain diseases. There may be a reservoir of infection in wildlife, or infection in neighbouring countries, or a largely uncontrollable but low level reservoir of infection in those domestic stock owned by the poorest members of the community. In such situations, exporting countries have to maintain a vaccinated zone, an unvaccinated buffer zone with intensive surveillance and an export zone. Movement of animals between zones must be strictly controlled. For many potential exporting countries the various costs (including social) and risks are prohibitive, and these countries are excluded from international trade in livestock products. Similar situations exist when considering other agricultural products.

However, it must also be recognised that the illegal trade in animal products (including for example the illegal trade in bushmeat from West Africa to Europe) presents much greater risk of introducing exotic animal diseases than legal trade for most importing countries.

Diseases Notifiable to the OIE
(Source: OIE, 2004. Refer to the OIE web site for definitive lists)