Preventative care strategies 1

Question 1

Impact of animal diseases

Answer 1

• Economic risks (productivity losses, market disruptions, livelihood risks)
• Human heath risks (pandemic disease, endemic disease, food borne illnesses)

Question 2

Prevention of infectious disease

Answer 2

Defined as inhibiting the introduction or establishment of a disease into an area, herd, or individual

Question 3

Control of infectious disease

Answer 3

• The term ‘Control’ is a more appropriate term when the infectious disease is already present, and pertains to Containment of the Disease.
• Control efforts consist of the steps taken to reduce the problem to a tolerable level.

Question 4

Eradication of an infectious disease

Answer 4

Involves complete elimination of the pathogen or

the disease-causing agent from a defined geographic region.

Question 5

Levels in prevention of a disease

Answer 5

• Primary: Prevention - Avoid occurrence of
Infectious disease
•Secondary (failed primary step): Minimizing - Minimize resultant damage after disease has occurred
• Tertiary (failed primary and secondary step): Rehabilitation, management of the disease

Question 6

Primary prevention

Answer 6

• Aimed at maintaining a healthy population, by adopting measures to avoid occurrence of disease either through eliminating the pathogen or increasing resistance to disease.
• Includes vaccinations, education, prevention, nutrition

Question 7

Secondary prevention

Answer 7

•Action which halts the progress of a disease at its
incipient/early stage and prevents complications.
• Relies on “early diagnosis, prompt treatment, and control, such as quarantine”
• Intervention at individual level, but prevent spread of diseases to other individuals in a community.
• Difficult to implement in prolonged asymptomatic (symptom-free) infection, including asymptomatic carrier states (as difficult to detect).

Question 8

Tertiary prevention

Answer 8

Elimination of long term impairment due to disease

Question 9

Farm biosecurity

Answer 9

• Comprises all measures taken to minimize the risk of the introduction and the spread of infectious agents.
• External: Measures taken to prevent an infectious disease from entering or leaving the farm
• Internal: Measures taken to combat spread of an infectious disease within the farm

Question 10

Purchasing policy biosecurity

Answer 10

• Adopt a Closed Herd System, avoid buying animals from outside (Difficult to follow.)
• Reduce the number of new animals brought to the farm. More animals = More Risk.
• Limit the number of farms or sources from where you are buying the animals.
• Determine the vaccination & health status of newly purchased animals and of the herd of origin.
• Farms from which you buy animals or semen should have a higher sanitary status.
• Quarantine or keep newly arrived animals in isolation, away from the main herd.
• The quarantine period should be long enough and depend upon the incubation
period of important infectious diseases.
• Use the quarantine period to test the animals for possible and important infectious diseases.
• Vaccinate, if necessary.

Question 11

Incubation period

Answer 11

The time elapsed between infection and when clinical

symptoms are first apparent.

Question 12

Principle of the dirty road and the clean road

Answer 12

• Clean staff/animal walks into the farm from one path/road

* Dirty substances (manure, dead animals, feed, outside visitors) go through another entrance, the dirty path/road

Question 13

Biosecurity for vehicles

Answer 13

• Cleaning and disinfecting vehicles when using them for livestock transportation between different farms.
• Maintain a log book of all traffic that enter and leave the farm.

Question 14

Biosecurity for people

Answer 14

• Keep Visitors to the minimum.
• Current Health record/history of Visitor and Workers.
• Maintain a log book of all entering and leaving the Farm.
• Make Visitors aware of farm protection methods. Train and Educate Farm workers.
• Discourage visitors from entering the housing and feeding areas, and touching animals.
• Ensure supply of clean rubber boots or plastic disposable boots and clean coveralls.
• Provide a footbath containing disinfectant before entering Stables.
• Insist workers wash their hands before and after handling animals.
• Insist workers wear protective plastic or rubber gloves when required, such as for calving cows
• Establish a working line. Attend animals in order of increasing age groups, and at the last, visit sick animals.
• In most farms, Visitors and Staff should pass through the Hygiene Lock/Dressing Room before entering and leaving the Farm.

Question 15

Biosecurity for fodder and water

Answer 15

• Try to avoid feeding of animal byproducts/waste.
Feeding of uncooked pork scraps (in Swill-Feeding) caused epidemics of Swine Fever.
• Purchase feed from suppliers with quality assurance and monitoring programs.
• Protect feeds from contamination, ensure Proper storage facilities.
• Design and build storage facilities where animals do not cross feeding alleys.
• Protect feed from manure contamination.
• Monitor water quality and assure clean delivery systems.

Question 16

Biosecurity for equipment

Answer 16

• Do not share equipment or vehicles between farms.
• Avoid using manure handling equipment for handling feeds.
• To avoid contamination, use different sets of equipment in different sections of Farm, often indicate by colors.
• Clean and sanitize equipment and materials used for handling dead animals/birds.
• Wash farm clothing and boots with detergents and bleach or washing soda.

Question 17

Biosecurity for housing and management

Answer 17

• Minimize contact between young and older animals or consecutive production batches.
• Maintain optimal Stocking density. High stocking density facilitates disease spread, and also increases stress, lowering immunity and predisposing animals to infectious disease.
• Adoption of the All-in and All-out housing system

Question 18

All in and all out system

Answer 18

• A production system whereby animals are moved into and out of facilities in distinct groups.
• By preventing contact between groups, disease spread can be reduced.
• Facilities are normally cleaned and disinfected thoroughly between groups of animals

Question 19

Vermin and bird control

Answer 19

• Prevent contact with free roaming animals (e.g. wildlife, cats, dogs, etc.).
• Minimize bird contact
• Maintain a rodent and insect control program.
• Secure all feed storage areas and clean up spilled feed to minimize access by pests.
• Pasture management, for Microbes and Parasitic Diseases.

Question 20

Monitoring animal health

Answer 20

• Individually identify every animal.
• Keep health records on every animal.
• Review and update your vaccination and treatment protocols at least twice a year.
• Monitor and inspect animals at least daily for signs of illness.
• Isolation of sick animals from rest of Herd, Quarantine.
• Undertake Treatment of Sick Animals.
• Promptly euthanize (Cull/Kill) animals that are not going to recover.
• Perform Necropsy. Send samples for Laboratory Testing.
• Initiate Control measures for that Disease.
• Disinfect Sick Pens after Sick animals have been removed.

Question 21

Disposal of cadavers/bodies of dead animals

Answer 21

• Remove Cadaver as soon as possible from the stables.
• Store them in a well insulated place, such as in cadaver storage room.
• Use a cooled cadaver storage room.
• Dispose dead animals within 48 hours of their death.
• Dispose all contaminated bedding, milk, manure or feed.
• Disinfect the Cadaver room.

Question 22

Common methods of disposal of dead bodies: burying

Answer 22

• Far away from Farm or other farms and inhabited areas.
• Avoid carcass being scavenged by dogs, birds and other animals. Therefore, It is better to over-dig than under-dig.
• Avoid areas with drainage systems nearby.
• Adding of disinfectants, such as Lime. Now not recommended.

Question 23

Common methods of disposal of dead bodies: composting

Answer 23

• Natural breakdown of carcass.
• Can be used as Fertilizer.
• Use of substrates in Compost Pile, such as Sawdust, Straw, Hay to obtain proper moisture and Carbon:Nitrogen Ratio (6:1) required for composting.
• Compost pile should be away from farm, drainage areas and inhabited areas.
• Avoid Scavenging.

Question 24

Common methods of disposal of dead bodies: incineration/burning

Answer 24

….it’s burning the body

Question 25

Host factors of infectious diseases

Answer 25

• Breed, age
• Immunocompetence
• Nutrition status
• Stress levels
• Overall health

Question 26

Pathogen factors of infectious diseases

Answer 26

• Thorough knowledge on pathogen
• Transmission
• Incubation period
• Clinical signs
• Shedding pattern
• Effective disinfectants
• Carrier state.

Question 27

General considerations in prevention and control

Answer 27

• Avoid Overcrowding
• Maintain temperature, humidity, ventilation
• Separate enclosures, such as for puppies/kittens, newly arrived pets and pets with known exposure to disease
• Designated isolation and quarantine wards
• Disinfection, sanitation and pest control
• Reduction of stress
• Ecto- and endo-parasite control
• Good nutrition
• Vaccination
• Behavioral wellness/enrichment
• Routine health monitoring and record keeping

Question 28

Decontamination

Answer 28

• Decontamination is a term used to describe a process or treatment that renders a medical device, instrument, or environmental surface safe to handle.
• A decontamination procedure can range from sterilization to simple cleaning with soap and water.
• Sterilization, disinfection and antisepsis are all forms of decontamination.

Question 29

Sterilization

Answer 29

• A process that destroys or eliminates all forms of microbial life/pathogens, including highly resistant pathogens, such as Bacteria with Spores.
• No degrees of sterilization: an all-or-nothing process

Question 30

Disinfection

Answer 30

• A process that eliminates many or all pathogenic
microorganisms, except bacterial spores, on inanimate objects.
• Less effective than sterilization, does not necessarily kill all microorganisms.

Question 31

Antisepsis

Answer 31

The application of a liquid antimicrobial chemical to skin or living tissue to inhibit or destroy microorganisms.

Question 32

Sterilization methods

Answer 32

• Moist Heat: Use of steam. Autoclave (Use of steam heated
to 121°C (250 °F) for at least 15 min in 15 psi pressure).
• Dry Heat: Hot air oven, at least two hours at 160 °C (320 °F).
• Chemical Methods:
- Gases like Ethylene oxide, Ozone.
- Chemicals like Hydrogen peroxide at high concentrations.
• Radiation:
- Non-ionizing: Ultraviolet Radiation.
- Ionizing: Gamma rays, X-Rays
• Sterile Filtration:
- Microfiltration using membrane filters
(pore size

Question 33

Hand Hygiene

Answer 33

• Hand hygiene is the most important way to prevent the spread of infection.
• Gloves are not a substitute for hand hygiene.
• Hands should be washed before and after:
- Each patient
- After activities likely to cause contamination
- Before eating, drinking or smoking
- After leaving clinical areas
- After removing gloves
• Soap: Bar soaps not acceptable, use liquid or foam soap with antibacterial activity
- Skin disinfectants may be used

Question 34

Sequence for putting on Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Answer 34

• Gown (Neck to knees, all the way down to the wrist, and around the back.
• Mask
• Protective eyewhere for face shield
• Gloves (cover the wrist)

Question 35

Sequence of removal for Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Answer 35

• Gloves
• Protective eyewhere or face shield
• Gown
• Mask

Question 36

Veterinary standards precautions

Answer 36

• Prevention of bites and other animal-related injuries
- Use of physical restraints, bite-resistant gloves, muzzles, sedation, or anesthesia
• Sharps safety. Needlestick injury prevention.
• Use of Barriers, such as gloves, masks, etc.
• Extreme care and precautions during procedures involving surgery, obstetrics, and handling diagnostic specimens.
• Proper decontamination and disposal of Veterinary Waste.
• Vaccination of Vets against recommended Zoonotic Diseases.