Ottawa - May 19, 2010. Due to concerns that foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks are currently occurring in Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong, livestock producers are being urged to take measures to ensure the disease does not reach Canadian farms.
Foot-and-mouth is a very contagious disease that can be spread by animals, people or materials. It is absolutely essential that producers have stringent biosecurity protocols on their farms which include:
1. Avoid, if at all possible, visitors to the farm;
2.If visitors must come to the farm, (or if someone from the farm has been to asia) they must avoid contact with livestock, farm equipment and animal feed for at least 14 days;
3.Only introduce animals from swine farms whose sanitary status is known;
4.Only use semen from certified insemination centres;
5.Have a double entry biosecurity system so that all people who enter the swine farm must pass through an entrance room where they must wash their hands, leave their clothes and shoes and put
on clothes and boots suited to animal facility;
6.Prevent vehicles that are not empty and clean from approaching livestock buildings;
7.Do not use waste from food services as swine feed;
8.Prevent access to buildings by wild animals and strays;
9. Disinfect the material or equipment that may have been used on other livestock premises.
If you notice any signs of the illness in your swine herd, contact your veterinarian and/or notify the local office of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The disease is characterized by fever and blisters in the mouth, on the teats and around the hooves. These lesions result in a reduction in food consumption, excessive salivation and significant lameness.
The Canada Border Services Agency have been advised of these outbreaks and are on alert to increase surveillance of passengers and baggage arriving on international flights from the affected countries.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is being increasingly vigilant in its activities to prevent the introduction of the disease. Additional information about FMD is also available on CFIA’s Website at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/disemala/fmdfa/fmdfae.shtml Click here for more information about biosecurity procedures
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