For your large animal health needs contact our vets at Spencer Ag Center
DR. PEGGY BRINKMAN DR. JACK JOHNSON DR. WILLIAM SAFLEY DR. DAVID SHIRBROUN DR. EMILY TABOR
7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday thru Friday 712-262-5552 Weekends and Evenings 712-260-6065.
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Newsletter, continued
Fall is here, and with it comes more cases of influenza and PRRS. I just wanted to point out some timely reminders about biosecurity on our hog sites. -Dr. Peggy Brinkman, DVM For producers and employees: ·Don’t own other pigs or come in contact with other hogs. Many times when animals first pick up a disease, they may be shedding the organisms before they show clinical signs. By avoiding contact with other pigs, employees help ensure that accidental cross contamination from one group of pigs to the other is minimized. ·Leave valuables at home, it is difficult to clean jewelry while hand washing or showering to ensure removal of potential infectious diseases. It is better to leave them at home. ·Stay home when you are sick. Employees may infect pigs with zoonotic diseases, including influenza. ·Wash hands or shower-in/shower-out. Hand washing should be done with soap for at least 30 seconds. If you have shower facilities, follow correct biosecurity by removing all items on the dirty side, showering, and dressing with only items on the clean side. Eyewear should be cleaned in shower before entering clean side. ·Wear clean coveralls and boots on each site. Having clean coveralls and boots at each site limits the spread of disease if anyone needs to move between sites. ·Eating is prohibited in animal areas. Keep any food in a breakroom or office if it is necessary to bring the food into the building. Disease can be brought onto a site in meat products if those products are carried into animal areas. ·Respect clean and dirty areas when loading animals. Personnel and equipment in the clean area must stay on the “clean” side while the truck driver and any loading equipment from his truck must remain on the “dirty” side. ·Do not share equipment between sites or clean, disinfect, and allow equipment to dry, if sharing is absolutely necessary. Pathogens can survive on equipment and infect the next group of pigs. ·Clean and disinfect equipment between pigs or groups when possible. Even processing equipment can carry disease from one pig/one litter to the next if the instruments are not allowed sufficient contact time in a disinfectant. ·Keep pets out of hog buildings. Cats and dogs have the potential to carry and spread diseases to pigs. ·Follow farm policy for downtime following international travel. Depending on what country you travel to and what activities you participated in, your post trip procedures may be affected upon your return. ·Clean and disinfect the facilities. Cleaning and disinfecting facilities and allowing them to dry between groups of pigs reduce the risk of spreading disease. Source: Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, www.cfsph.iastate.edu
