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Statutory Biosecurity

Guidance for Brucellosis

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To get a copy of this document in another format contact:

TB & Brucellosis Policy Branch

Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

Room 650

Dundonald House

Upper Newtownards Road

Ballymiscaw

BELFAST

BT4 3SB

Tel: (028) 9052 5479

Fax: (028) 9052 4305

Email: TBBR.Policybranch@dardni.gov.uk

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Statutory Biosecurity Guidance for Brucellosis

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What is Biosecurity?

Biosecurity is the word used to describe the common-sense steps we all take to reduce

the spread of disease. Good biosecurity is vital to help prevent the risk of brucellosis to

your herd and to help eradicate this disease.

What is Brucellosis?Brucellosis is a highly contagious disease of cattle and other animals, which often results

in abortions and infertility. The disease is spread by contact with infected female animals;

an infected aborted foetus; or discharged placental tissues and uids from an infected

animal. It can be spread to animals and humans that come into contact with an infected

animal at the time of calving. Breeding bulls can also become infected and then spread the

disease amongst females via infected semen.

What is the Denition of an Abortion?

An abortion is legally dened in Article 2 of the Brucellosis Control Order (Northern Ireland)

2004 (as amended) (the 2004 Control Order) as any bovine foetus or calf born dead orwhich dies within 24 hours of birth.

The Herdkeepers Responsibility

The guidance1brings together in one short document the statutory requirements for

herdkeepers in relation to brucellosis specically and the recommended key actions that

they should take to protect their herd from risk of brucellosis. Herdkeepers have a vital role in

eliminating the threat of brucellosis. Therefore you should read the following advice carefully.

Table 1explains what you mustdo by law;

Table 2explains the key actionsthat you should take to ensure good biosecurity

on your farm; and

Table 3sets out some further usefulbiosecurity advicefor brucellosis.

It is important to note that:

Table 1of this guidance summarises the existing legal requirements on herdkeepers in

relation to control of brucellosis. Herdkeepers are reminded that failure to follow the

existing statutory requirements set out in Table 1(with the exception of requirement number

3 in respect of animal by-products) may result in some, or all, of a herdkeepers

compensation being withheld if their animals become infected with brucellosis.

The advice set out in Table 2and in Table 3does not place any additional legal requirements

on herdkeepers but highlights important steps that you should take to reduce the risk of

brucellosis on your farm.

Failure to comply with this guidance is admissible in evidence in any civil or criminal

proceedings and a Court may take account of any failure to act in accordance with it in

deciding any question in all such proceedings.

For additional advice on biosecurity you should also refer to the voluntary Biosecurity

Code for Northern Ireland Farms2

, which was developed by the Department in conjunctionwith key stakeholders in 2004.

1As provided for by the Diseases of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 and the Biosecurity

Guidance (Specication of Brucellosis) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010 (S.R. 2010 No. 176)2 http://www.dardni.gov.uk/biosecurity-code-booklet.htm

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Statutory Requirements

(As provided for by Article 18(6) of the Diseases of Animals

(Northern Ireland) Order 1981, failure to follow these statutory

requirements (with the exception of requirement number 3 in

respect of animal by-products) may result in some, or all, of yourcompensation being withheld if your animals become infected with

brucellosis)

Relevant

Legislation

1 Notify a Divisional Veterinary Ofce as soon as possible if you:

a. have an animal which is affected or suspected of being affected

with brucellosis; or

b. know or suspect that an animal in your herd has been exposed

to the possibility of infection with brucellosis.

Article 3(1) of

the 2004 Control

Order

2 Notify a Divisional Veterinary Ofce as soon as possible if you

know or have reason to suspect that any animal in your herd hashad an abortion.

(An abortion means any bovine foetus or calf born dead or which

dies within 24 hours of birth)

Article 4(1) of

the 2004 ControlOrder

3 Ensure that animal by-products (including fallen stock, foetuses

and afterbirths) are collected, transported and disposed of without

undue delay (as soon as is reasonably practical, taking account

of the circumstances) in accordance with animal by-products

legislation.

Regulation (EC)

No. 1069/2009

Animal

By-Products

(Enforcement)

Regulations (NI)2011

4 Immediately house in isolation any animal that aborts and retain

it in isolation until the Department has tested it and informed the

herdkeeper that it may rejoin the herd.

Articles 4(3) and

(4) of the 2004

Control Order

5 When an abortion has taken place, liberally spray the area where

the abortion took place with an approved disinfectant as soon as

possible.

Article 4(3) of

the 2004 Control

Order

6 Ensure that manure containing discharges or uids from an animal

that has had an abortion is stored away from access by livestockfor at least 6 months and not spread on grazing elds for at least

12 months.

Article 4(5) of

the 2004 ControlOrder

7 Animals (except steers) over 12 months old should not be moved

(except direct to slaughter or from a market, show or exhibition)

unless they:

a. have reacted negatively to a pre-movement test on a sample

taken during the 30 days prior to the date of movement; or

b. are moved under and in accordance with the conditions of a

licence issued by the Department.(NB This requirement also applies to animals moving to or from

overwintering premises)

Article 5(2) of

the 2004 Control

Order

Table 1 - Statutory Requirements relating to Brucellosis

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8 Maintain fencing dividing a holding from adjoining land in such

condition as to prevent:

a. contact between the herd and animals on adjoining land; or

b. the herd from straying from the holding.

Article 10(1) of

the 2004 Control

Order

9 Where a reactor is found in any herd, the keeper of the herd shall

take all practical precautions to prevent the infection of animals

kept on adjoining lands by contact with animals from that holding.

Article 10(2) of

the 2004 Control

Order

10 Comply with any notice served by the Department prohibiting

grazing on all or part of the holding for a period of up to 6 months

by animals other than steers.

Article 11 of the

2004 Control

Order

11 Do not bring on to any holding on which a herd is kept any milk

or dairy by-products for feeding to livestock kept on the holding

except when the milk or dairy by-product -

a. comes from a holding not subject to a restriction notice;

b. has been converted into powdered form; or

c. has been boiled or pasteurised.

Article 12 of the

2004 Control

Order

12 Comply with any notice served by the Department regarding the

cleansing and disinfection of any holding, equipment, appliance,

utensil, etc.

Article 13 of the

2004 Control

Order

13 Cleanse and disinfect vehicles used for the transport of animals,

carcases, litter or dung in accordance with any notice served by

the Department.

Article 14 of the

2004 Control

Order14 Present animals or carcases for brucellosis testing when required

by the Department.

Paragraph 3(2) of

the Schedule to

the Brucellosis

(Examination and

Testing) Scheme

Order (Northern

Ireland) 2004

15 Do not, except with the prior permission of the Department, move

or attempt to move or cause or permit to be moved any animal off

a holding -

a. while it is undergoing an ofcial test; or

b. where a sample taken in the course of such testing is submitted

to an approved laboratory for testing,

until the result of any such test is notied to you by the

Department.

Paragraph 4 of

the Schedule to

the Brucellosis(Examination and

Testing) Scheme

Order (Northern

Ireland) 2004

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Key Actions When you

should adhere

to this Key

Action

1 Dispose of foetuses and afterbirths promptly and hygienically,keeping material secure and contained until disposal.

At all times

2 Do not move animals into your herd from a herd under brucellosis

restriction.

At all times

3 Do not share housing with herds under brucellosis restriction. At all times

4 Do not share common grazing with a herd under brucellosis

restriction.

At all times

5 Do not use or share bulls from a herd under brucellosis restriction. At all times

6 Do not allow animals to graze on other herdowners land which isunder brucellosis restriction.

At all times

7 Do not house animals on other herdowners premises which are

under brucellosis restriction.

At all times

8 Do not use vehicles or equipment that have been in contact with

animals from a herd under brucellosis restriction.

At all times

9 Do not use or spread slurry from a herd under brucellosis

restriction without permission from the Department.

At all times

10 Do not purchase or use silage or feed from a herdkeeper whose

premises are under brucellosis restriction without permission fromthe Department.

At all times

11 Do not allow a herdkeeper with brucellosis infection in his/her herd

to have contact with your animals.

At all times

12 Do not work with any other herdkeepers animals that are under

brucellosis restriction.

At all times

13 Do not sell silage, feed or milk without permission from the

Department.

(Milk from restricted herds can go for pasteurisation but milk from

animals showing a positive reaction to tests for brucellosis or anysymptoms of the disease must be withheld).

1) When the

Department

has notied

you that yourherd is at

risk; or

2) when your

herd is

restricted.

Table 2 - Key Actions that Herdkeepers Should Take

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14 Do not share bulls with other herds. 1) When the

Department

has notied

you that your

herd is atrisk; or

2) when your

herd is

restricted.

15 Seek advice from your local Divisional Veterinary Ofce or private

veterinary surgeon in all cases where abortions may have occurred

or fertility is problematic.

At all times

Table 3 - Further Useful Biosecurity Advice for Brucellosis

Recommended Actions

1 Calve cows in isolation, especially animals calving in the herd for the rst time.

2 Ensure calving pens are cleansed and disinfected regularly.

3 Avoid overwintering animals in accommodation shared with other herdkeepers cattle.

4 Enquire about the present and past disease status of herds from which you

are purchasing or when taking grazing from any herdkeeper and avoid purchasing

animals from:a) herds in an area designated by the Department as high risk1 or

b) herds where you may have reason to believe that there is a suspicion of brucellosis

infection.

5 When purchasing animals from outside Northern Ireland, give due consideration

to the disease risks involved2.

1 The Department will identify areas of high risk by reference to townlands where there is more than one

herd with a conrmed outbreak of brucellosis. This information can be made available at the request of

prospective purchasers by their local Divisional Veterinary Ofce.2 The local Divisional Veterinary Ofce can advise on the disease risks of purchasing animals from specic

countries.

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Denitions of Terms Used in this Guidance

abortion means any bovine foetus or calf born dead or which dies within 24 hours of

birth (see Article 2 of the 2004 Control Order);

animalmeans a bovine animal (see Article 2 of the 2004 Control Order);

approved disinfectant means a disinfectant for the time being approved by the

Department under the Diseases of Animals (Approval of Disinfectants) Order (Northern

Ireland) 1972 (see Article 2 of the 2004 Control Order);

at risk, in relation to a herd, means a herd which has been designated by the

Department, in writing, as having a high probability of being exposed to brucellosis;

breakdown herdmeans a herd where at least one animal has conrmed brucellosis;

bullmeans a mature male animal which has not been castrated;

carcasemeans the carcase of an animal (see Article 2 of the 2004 Control Order);

cowmeans a mature female animal;

Departmentmeans the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development;

herdmeans

(a) an animal kept, or

(b) a group of animals kept, managed or housed together (see Article 2 of the 2004Control Order);

herdkeepermeans any person or organisation responsible for animals, whether on

a permanent or temporary basis, including during transportation or at a market

(see Article 2 of the 2004 Control Order);

high risk, in relation to an area, means an area identied by the Department and

dened by reference to townlands, where there is more than one herd with conrmed

brucellosis;

holdingmeans any establishment, construction or, in the case of an open-air farm,place in which animals are held, kept or handled and includes land with or without

buildings (see Article 2 of the 2004 Control Order);

livestockmeans any creature kept for the production of food, wool, skin or fur or

(excluding a dog) for use in the farming of land (see Article 2 of the 2004 Control Order);

marketmeans a market place, sale yard or other premises or place in or upon which

animals are exhibited for the purpose of public sale (see Article 2 of the 2004 Control

Order);

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ofcial testmeans a test to determine whether or not an animal is diseased and

includes

(a) a test carried out in an approved laboratory on a sample of blood or milk from an

animal in accordance with Annex C of Council Directive 64/432/EEC;

(b) such other test carried out on an animal or sample therefrom, as the Departmentmay require. (See the Brucellosis (Examination and Testing) Scheme Order (Northern

Ireland) 2004);

pasteurisedmeans retained at a temperature of not less than 145 Fahrenheit and not

more than 150 Fahrenheit for at least 30 minutes or at a temperature of not less than 162

Fahrenheit for at least 15 seconds (see Article 2 of the 2004 Control Order);

pre-movement testmeans in the case of any animal an ofcial test carried out in

accordance with Annex C of Council Directive 64/432/EEC by a laboratory approved

by the Department for those purposes on a sample taken from it in accordance with

Article 5 (5) of the Brucellosis Control Order (Northern Ireland) 2004 (See Article 5 of the

Brucellosis Control Order (Northern Ireland) 2004);

restrictedmeans a herd which is subject to a notice (Form BT40) served under

Article 8(1) of the 2004 Control Order and which, amongst other things, may require the

herdkeeper to prohibit the movement of any animal to or from the holding on which the

herd is kept;

reactormeans an animal which has undergone an ofcial test, the result of which shall

give the Department reason to believe that the animal is probably affected with brucellosis

(see Article 2 of the 2004 Control Order);

steermeans a male animal which has been castrated (see Article 2 of the 2004 Control

Order).

A list of Divisional Veterinary Ofces can be found by visiting the Departments website -

www.dardni.gov.uk/veterinary-service.

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DMS 12.13.148

ISBN 978-1-84807-362-3