APHIS Factsheet

Veterinary Services March 2007

Biosecurity: 

Protecting Your 

Livestock and Poultry

Biosecurity means doing everything you can to reduce 

the chances of an infectious disease being carried 

onto your farm by people, animals, equipment, or 

vehicles. It also means doing everything you can 

to reduce the chance of disease leaving your farm. 

Healthy herds and flocks contribute to the health of 

U.S. animal agriculture as a whole.

 An outbreak of a foreign animal disease in the 

United States could seriously damage the domestic 

livestock and poultry industries. These animal diseases can have significant economic consequences 

from restrictions placed on the United States by its 

trading partners.

 Losses from foreign animal disease outbreaks 

can also hit close to home with animal deaths, 

reduced productivity, as well as treatment, labor, and 

management costs and the loss of valuable genetic 

material from certain animals. The 2002–03 outbreak 

of exotic Newcastle disease in the United States 

resulted in the destruction of more than 4 million birds 

and cost taxpayers some $170 million to eradicate. 

For producers and industry, the final result of a foreign 

animal disease outbreak is often reduced revenue and 

increased costs.

 Keeping exotic or foreign animal diseases out 

of the United States is the responsibility of the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) Veterinary 

Services (VS) program. Within VS, the Emergency 

Management and Diagnostics staff provides expertise 

on exotic animal diseases, ensures adequate disease 

surveillance within the United States, maintains a high 

level of emergency preparedness, and provides the 

needed resources to respond to and eliminate disease 

outbreaks in this country and its territories. In order to 

effectively protect against such outbreaks, VS needs 

the help of veterinarians, livestock producers, and 

State and local governments. 

 While it may not be possible for individuals to prevent a disease from arriving on our Nation’s shores, 

biosecurity practices can reduce the risk of introducing 

a disease onto your farm or spreading it to neighboring farms.

 An important first step is to identify some of the 

greatest risks for introducing disease to your farm.

Greatest Risks

1. Today’s global marketplace gives more access 

than ever before to agricultural commodities 

from around the world. It also requires greater 

vigilance to ensure that imports and exports 

comply with international standards for trade. 

APHIS works to maintain clear rules for trade 

involving animals and animal products arriving 

in and leaving the United States. Unfortunately, 

illegal agricultural imports and smuggled prohibited products pose an ever greater threat on a 

daily basis. Through its various programs and 

laboratories, APHIS’ diligence helps protect our 

country from foreign animal diseases.

2. On the farm, one of the greatest risks comes 

from bringing new animals onto your premises or 

commingling or exposing your animals to other 

animals. It is a common way to introduce new 

disease-causing organisms. As a rule of thumb, 

new animals and those who have been commingled or exposed to other animals should be 

segregated for 30 days.

3. Farm visitors can pose a risk, particularly if they 

have been on other farms with animals or have 

recently been in other countries with diseases 

exotic to the United States. 

4. Farm equipment that has been in contact with 

livestock or manure can be a source of infection. Equipment should not be shared with other 

farms unless it has been thoroughly cleaned and 

disinfected before it reaches your property.

Common Sense Biosecurity Measures You Can 

Follow

The following do’s and don’ts provide some basic tips 

for you to help prevent foreign animal disease 

outbreaks.

 1. Keep Your Distance 

Restrict access to your property and your livestock or 

poultry, and post a sign. Have one area where visitors can enter. Do not allow visitors near livestock or 

poultry unless absolutely necessary, and then make 

sure visitors have clean footwear (disposable boots 

work well) and clothes (supply these for them). Have 

an area where visitors can change clothes and provide 

shower-in, shower-out facilities if possible. 
United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture

Discourage handling of animals by all visitors. 

Require and teach biosecurity to family, employees, 

and all visitors coming into, or involved with, your 

livestock or poultry production area.

 2. Keep It Clean

You, your staff, and your family should follow biosecurity procedures for cleanliness. Wear clean 

clothes, scrub your shoes/boots with disinfectant, 

and wash hands thoroughly. Keep equipment and 

vehicles clean and insist that all machinery and 

vehicles must be cleaned before entering your property. Maintain programs to control birds and rodents 

that can carry and spread diseases.

 3. Don’t Haul Disease Home

If you, your family, or employees have been on other 

farms, at feed lots, petting zoos, auctions, or other 

places where there is livestock and poultry, clean 

and disinfect your truck or car tires and equipment 

before going home. If you have shown livestock or 

birds at a fair or exhibition, or are bringing in new 

animals, keep them separated from the rest of your 

herd or flock for 30 days after the event. Always 

change clothes and wash your hands before 

returning to your animals. 

 4. Don’t Borrow Disease From Your 

 Neighbor

Do not share equipment, tools, or other supplies with 

your neighbors or other livestock or poultry owners. 

If you do share these items be sure to clean and 

disinfect them before they reach your property.

 5. Look for Signs of Infectious Diseases 

You should know what diseases are of concern for 

your herd or flock and be on the lookout for unusual 

signs or behavior, severe illness and/or sudden 

deaths. When possible, assess the health of your 

animals daily. Early detection is important to prevent the spread of disease.

 6. Report Sick Animals

Don’t wait. Report serious or unusual animal health 

problems to your veterinarian, local extension office, 

or State or Federal animal health officials. USDA 

operates a toll-free hotline (1–866–536–7593) with 

veterinarians to help you. There is no charge for 

this service.

Safeguarding American Agriculture

Some dangerous foreign animal diseases you need to 

guard against include high pathogenicity avian influenza, foot-and-mouth disease, classical swine fever 

(hog cholera), swine vesicular disease, African swine 

fever, vesicular stomatitis, rinderpest, exotic Newcastle 

disease, and sheep pox.

 You should contact your State department of agriculture to learn about plans in place in your State for 

handling foreign animal diseases. 

APHIS

Additional Information

 For more information on how to protect your livestock 

and poultry from dangerous foreign animal diseases, 

contact:

U.S. Department of Agriculture

APHIS, VS, Emergency Management and 

Diagnostics Program

 4700 River Road, Unit 41

 Riverdale, MD 20737–1231 

 Phone: (301) 734–5416

 Fax: (301) 734–7817 or visit our

 Web site at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in 

all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial 

status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s 

income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all 

prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who 

require alternative means for communication of program information 

(Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET 

Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of 

discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 

Independence Avenue, S.W. , Washington , D.C. 20250–9410 , or 

call (800) 795–3272 (voice) or (202) 720–6382 (TDD). USDA is an 

equal opportunity provider and employer.