The biocontainment program was launched in conjunction with Growing Forward 2 last month and provides Alberta swine producers with $600 to develop a biocontainment plan with the help of their herd veterinarian.

“Biocontainment is critical for the overall health of the entire industry,” veterinarian Kurt Preugschas said during Alberta Pork’s monthly telephone town hall. “If we can limit the number of farms contaminated by disease through excellent biocontainment protocols, we will ensure the long-term viability of the industry.”

Having a plan in place prior to a disease outbreak can control and minimize the impact on the farm and prevent the spread of the disease to other farms. There are a number of steps in a successful biocontainment plan. The first is to contact a herd vet if you see something new or different, or if you suspect a new disease outbreak on your farm.

“An early diagnosis will give you the best possible chance to minimize the spread of the disease,” said Preugschas, who works at Innovative Veterinary Services in Red Deer.

• Read more: Pig producers warned to be on the lookout for virus

Following the diagnosis, the producer and the vet will contact Alberta Pork, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, depending on which type of disease is identified. The veterinarian will then help the producer develop a farm-specific control plan to deal with biosecurity protocols for all movement of personnel on and off the farm. The plan also covers all pig movements to reduce the risk of spreading the disease to other farms.

“This is very disease dependent, but going to the slaughter plant and that type of movement could potentially be impacted and that will need to be addressed in your farm-specific control plan,” said Preugschas.

If any animals need to be relocated, determining possible locations ahead of time will reduce stress during the emergency situation. Any welfare issues related to the disease, a restriction of animal movement, or mass euthanasia will need to be covered.

Another key step is the epidemiology investigation by the herd vet into all service providers and suppliers.

“The goal is to identify the source of disease before any other sites are affected,” said Preugschas. “That may or may not be possible, but we want to minimize the number of sites affected so we can control the disease as an industry before it gets out of hand. I think PEDv is a great example of this in Canada. We have done a great job of controlling the disease.”

The next step is to contact suppliers, processors and tradespeople, so an up-to-date list of phone numbers for all these companies is required.

“I strongly believe that open communication and collaboration with neighbours and the industry is vital to the success of any biocontainment plan and ultimately, the longevity of our swine industry,” he said.

The plan needs to be accessible to all staff so they can find it in case of an emergency. The biocontainment plan goes hand in hand with the biosecurity self-assessment that Alberta Pork currently has in place. There is still funding available for this self-assessment, which helps producers assess their areas of risk, in conjunction with their veterinarian.

“I recommend an annual biosecurity audit done with your herd vet to prevent any disease introduction on your farm, so the biocontainment plans that we develop do not need to be put in action,” said Preugschas.

The key is to contact your vet immediately, he added.

“Don’t wait for an emergency. Make your biocontainment plan as soon as possible. We all know that if you have a plan, an emergency situation can be dealt with much easier than if you’re flying by the seat of your pants.”

The post Funding available for swine biocontainment plans appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“When we get into crisis mode, we tend to forget the important steps and communications pieces that need to be there — by having it all documented ahead of time, we found that there was a lot more reassurance for producers,” Heather Carriere said during a recent Alberta Pork telephone town hall.

Having an emergency to-do list would benefit any livestock producer, said the Abbotsford, B.C. ag consultant, who helped develop biocontainment plans for BC Pork in response to the porcine epidemic diarrhea threat.

“It’s a document that can save a lot of angst and speeds up the response process as well,” said Carriere. “The idea was to create an information package so in the case of emergency, they don’t have to go searching for all that information.”

The value of a biocontainment plan becomes evident when you start listing everything that needs to be done: Contacting processors, plant contacts, tradespeople, suppliers, and anyone who might be coming to the farm. A checklist of things to do before or during deliveries. Different ways to isolate sick animals from the main barn. Managing a break in production. Who will handle pickup of deadstock, garbage, recycling, and manure. Alternative transportation routes in order to avoid contaminating other nearby hog farms.

“By having these things written down ahead of time, it saves the producer from having to search when they are busy with other aspects of traceback or the biosecurity measures that they are implementing,” said Carriere. “By identifying every single possible contact who could come onto their farm, it gave producers peace of mind that they did have due diligence and were doing their best to be prepared.”

B.C. pork producers either worked with Carriere or their herd veterinarian to ensure the plan was complete. A copy was kept in a place where it could be accessed by all farm employees — a key measure because workers need to make decisions and take immediate action, even if the farm owner happens to be away.

As part of the biocontainment plan, producers signed a statement that said that they would inform BC Pork and their vet of their disease status and allow them to share the information with all necessary industry partners.

“This assists in the traceback processes that have to happen,” said Carriere. “They’ll only identify the farm to necessary industry partners. It’s not meant for general broadcasting and is not publicized anywhere. It’s mainly for traceback purposes to help minimize the spread of any virus.”

Once the herd vet had reviewed and signed off on the plan, it was then signed by the producer and BC Pork. All of the signatories were given copies of the plan.

Not only did creating the plan give producers a sense of what they would do at their farm, it also reaffirmed their role in keeping the entire industry safe and gave them ownership for the biosecurity of the entire province, said Carriere.

The post Biocontainment plan can be a lifesaver during a disease outbreak appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.