Biosecurity Reminders: It Doesn't Hurt To Refresh!
Key biosecurity practices:
· Clean and disinfect vehicles. Don’t walk through or drive trucks, tractors, or equipment in areas where waterfowl or other wildlife feces may be. If you can’t avoid this, clean your shoes, vehicle, and equipment thoroughly to prevent bringing disease agents back to your flock. This is especially important when visiting with farmers or those who hunt wildfowl, such as when gathering at a local coffee shop, restaurant, or gas station.
· Remove loose feed. Don’t give wild birds, rodents, and insects a free lunch! Remove spilled or uneaten feed immediately and ensure feed storage units are secure and free of holes. Wild birds can carry HPAI.
· Keep visitors to a minimum. Only allow those who take care of your poultry to come in contact with your birds, including family and friends. Make sure everyone who has contact with your flock follows biosecurity principles.
· Hygiene: Wash your hands before and after coming in contact with live poultry. Wash with soap and water (always your first choice). If using hand sanitizer, remove manure, feathers, and other materials from your hands because disinfectants will not penetrate organic matter or caked-on dirt.
· Provide disposable boot covers (preferred) or disinfectant footbaths for anyone having contact with your flock. If using a footbath, remove all droppings, mud, or debris from boots and shoes using a long-handled scrub brush BEFORE stepping into the disinfectant footbath, and always keep it clean.
· Change clothes before entering poultry areas and before exiting the property. Visitors should wear protective outer garments or disposable coveralls, boots, and headgear when handling birds. Shower out and change clothes when leaving the facility.
· Clean and disinfect tools or equipment before moving them to a new poultry facility. Before allowing vehicles, trucks, tractors, or tools and equipment (e.g., egg flats and cases) that have come in contact with birds or their droppings to exit the property, ensure they are cleaned and disinfected to prevent contaminated equipment from transporting disease. Do not move or reuse items that cannot be cleaned and disinfected, such as cardboard egg flats.
· Look for signs of illness. Know the warning signs of infectious bird diseases. If You Have Sick Poultry or Experience Increased Mortality in Your Flock:
¨ Commercial poultry producers should follow the procedures of contacting the company they grow for when they notice signs of disease.
· Provide disposable boot covers (preferred) or disinfectant footbaths for anyone having contact with your flock. If using a footbath, remove all droppings, mud, or debris from boots and shoes using a long-handled scrub brush BEFORE stepping into the disinfectant footbath, and always keep it clean.
· Change clothes before entering poultry areas and before exiting the property. Visitors should wear protective outer garments or disposable coveralls, boots, and headgear when handling birds. Shower out and change clothes when leaving the facility.
· Clean and disinfect tools or equipment before moving them to a new poultry facility. Before allowing vehicles, trucks, tractors, or tools and equipment (e.g., egg flats and cases) that have come in contact with birds or their droppings to exit the property, ensure they are cleaned and disinfected to prevent contaminated equipment from transporting disease. Do not move or reuse items that cannot be cleaned and disinfected, such as cardboard egg flats.
· Look for signs of illness. Know the warning signs of infectious bird diseases. If You Have Sick Poultry or Experience Increased Mortality in Your Flock:
¨ Commercial poultry producers should follow the procedures of contacting the company they grow for when they notice signs of disease.
Preventing Outbreaks of Avian Influenza Through Science-Based Education: Commercial Poultry Farmers Video links:
English https://youtu.be/ZrzwyMS-tME Korean https://youtu.be/T4umMC1F9wI
Spanish https://youtu.be/zVzj13Y5ad4
Chinese https://youtu.be/n052hM3CLFk Vietnamese https://youtu.be/n-NxAJwc7BI