On-farm biosecurity involves protecting your livestock against pests, diseases and chemical residues.

Assessing the biosecurity risks and planning to control them can improve profitability of your business and contribute to your local community's economic health.

If you suspect an emergency animal disease or pest in your animals, report it to your veterinarian and the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 immediately.

Read the Biosecurity basics: ways to prevent risk to your property fact sheet for more information.

Biosecurity risks

Introducing new livestock to your property may spread diseases, pest or weeds.

Purchase livestock from a known and reliable disease-free source and seek written assurances about their health status, including vaccinations.

Keep new or returning livestock separate and monitor them for a minimum of 14 days (may be longer if concerned about certain diseases) before introducing to other animals on your property.

Keep movement records for 2 years for horses and 5 years for cattle, sheep and goats notify NLIS database of relevant movements within 48 hours of receiving livestock.

Water and stock feeds

Disease-causing agents and weeds may be brought onto a property through water or livestock feeds. To reduce risks:

• assess water sources for diseases, chemicals or algal bloom
• obtain a vendor declaration for raw stock feeds
• do not feed prohibited feed to pigs or poultry and do not feed restricted animal matter (animal meal and fish meal) to ruminants.

Visitors, vehicles, equipment and machinery

Visitors can accidentally bring disease and pests onto your property. Visitors may include neighbours, agents, salespeople, advisers, shooters, fishers and veterinarians.

To reduce biosecurity risks from visitors:

• place a sign at the front gate advising visitors of your entry requirements
• minimise entry points for vehicles where practical
• ensure visitors and their vehicles entering your property come clean, go clean
• minimise visitor contact with animals where possible
• ensure machinery is cleaned and free of soil, faeces and weed seeds before entry onto the property
• avoid sharing equipment between properties – if equipment is borrowed or lent, clean and disinfect equipment thoroughly.

Insect vectors

Insects such as mosquitoes, ticks and biting flies can spread disease and negatively impact on animal health and welfare. To reduce risks:

• implement an integrated control program to reduce biting insect populations
• look at livestock during periods of risk (after rain when insect populations increase).

Pest and vermin, or feral animals

Pest animals such as wild birds or feral animals and vermin can introduce disease onto livestock properties. To reduce risks:

• erect external fencing that is sufficient to keep feral or wild animals out of livestock areas
• implement a feral animal management program on your property
• manage vermin where feed is kept, reducing disease transmission or potential contamination of feed sources.

Good management

All livestock owners have a duty of care under legislation to care for their animals.

A health program should include plans for adequate nutrition, and timely husbandry procedures such as vaccinations and chemical applications.

All agricultural and veterinary chemicals must be used according to label instructions. Withholding periods must be observed to avoid chemical residues in animal products.

Monitor and report

Monitor your animals for signs of disease and pests. Isolate sick livestock (where practical) and report unusual signs in livestock immediately to your veterinarian and the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 immediately.

Dispose of carcasses appropriately.

Biosecurity management plan

If you own animals, develop a biosecurity management plan to minimise their potential for entry and impact.

Also consider...

• Find out more about farm biosecurity plans for animal industries.
• Read more information on how to protect your animals.
• Learn more about identifying, moving and selling livestock.
• Find information on notifiable diseases.
• Learn more about using agricultural and veterinary chemicals safely.
• Contact our Customer Service Centre.
• Read more about replacing rams on your property.

By law, all animal owners have a duty of care to look after their animals correctly.

Planning for adequate nutrition and animal care through a health program will help you prevent pests and diseases.

All veterinary chemicals must be used correctly according to label instructions and withholding periods observed to prevent chemical residues in plant or animal products.

Keeping disease out

The following resources are available to help you keep your animals disease-free:

• Laws against supplying and feeding swill to pigs
• Ruminant feed ban overview
• Chicken litter feeding ban

Livestock management

The following resources are available to help you manage livestock:

• Animal disease control programs
• Livestock vaccination
• Poisonings of livestock
• Buffalo fly control in cattle

Biosecurity plan

If you own animals, work out the risks on your property and develop a biosecurity property plan to minimise them.

Learn more about biosecurity plans for animal industries.

Animal diseases and pests

The list of significant animal diseases and pests provides details on a range of animal diseases, including common names and which animals are likely to be affected. The list also includes information on which diseases you are legally required to report to Biosecurity Queensland.

Find out more about animal health for:

• pigs
• dairy
• poultry
• sheep
• bees.

Animal Health Australia provides further advice on animal health systems in Australia and farm biosecurity.

Visit the Veterinary Surgeons Board of Queensland website to find a registered veterinarian.

Also consider...

• Learn more about animal welfare.
• Learn more about using agricultural and veterinary chemicals safely.
• Contact our Customer Service Centre.

A disease that is naturally transmissible from animals to people is classified as a zoonosis.

Zoonotic diseases can spread in many ways, such as:

• working closely with infected livestock
• contact with infected pets, exhibited animals or wildlife
• contact with soil or water contaminated by animals
• consumption of contaminated unpasteurised dairy products.

Preventing the spread of animal diseases to humans

Practising good personal hygiene, wearing protective clothing, maintaining healthy animals and undertaking preventative treatments and vaccinations where appropriate can minimise the risk of some animal-borne diseases infecting people.

If you work with or handle animals you should take precautions to reduce your risk of infection.

• Keep animals healthy.
  • Minimise their exposure to other animals that are likely to be infected (e.g. minimise domestic dog exposure to feral pigs that may be infected with Brucella suis. Dogs may become infected and serve as a source of infection for humans).
  • Vaccinate livestock for known zoonotic diseases, such as anthrax and leptospirosis in cattle, and Hendra virus in horses.
• Ensure you and your staff are vaccinated for zoonotic diseases where a vaccine is available and you are at risk of contracting the disease, such as Q-Fever.
• Wear personal protective equipment (PPE) where possible, and cover any wounds with water-tight dressings. Protect against mosquitoes and other biting insects that can transmit diseases by:
  • covering up with a loose-fitting long-sleeved shirt and long pants when outside
  • applying mosquito repellent to exposed skin.
• Disinfect or wash your hands regularly – especially before eating, preparing food or smoking.
• Ensure you, your family and your staff seek medical attention if unwell. Talk to your medical practitioner about minimising the likelihood of being infected with zoonotic diseases.

Known zoonotic diseases

• Anthrax
• Australian bat lyssavirus
• Brucellosis
• Hendra virus
• Hydatid disease
• Leptospirosis
• Melioidosis
• Psittacosis
• Salmonella
• Sparganosis
• Tetanus
• Toxocariasis
• Toxoplasmosis

Also consider...

• Read the A-Z list of significant animal pests and diseases.
• Contact our Customer Service Centre for more information about zoonotic diseases.
• Find out more about workplace health and safety and zoonoses.
• Read about food poisoning and hygienic food preparation.
• Read Queensland Health's information on disease prevention in animal contact areas.

Why you need to report

Early recognition of a serious or exotic animal disease is one of the most important factors in:

• controlling the disease
• reducing adverse impacts on
  • our health
  • our way of life
  • the economy
  • the environment.

Reporting your suspicion of serious diseases and incidents is vital for early recognition.

You must report whether you are an animal owner, veterinarian, laboratory staff or anyone else.

All reports are treated confidentially.

Reportable diseases

Some animal diseases are prescribed as category 1 restricted matter or prohibited matter under the Biosecurity Act 2014. These are known as reportable diseases.

In Queensland, reportable diseases include:

• diseases that are not found in Queensland and for which immediate action must be taken if detected (prohibited matter)
• some significant diseases that do occur in Queensland (restricted matter).

Check the full list of reportable diseases of aquatic animals, bees and terrestrial animals in Queensland.

Notifiable incidents

A notifiable incident is a biosecurity event that you must report to us immediately. These are some examples of notifiable incidents.

Aquatic animal examples

• Unusual deaths
• Animals coming to the edge or water surface of the pond, tank or cage
• Animals demonstrating unusual swimming patterns
• Reduced feeding and failure to thrive
• Unusual changes in the physical appearance of animals, such as:
  • red or black colouration of prawns
  • ulcers or mouldy growth on the skin
  • blackening of the skin
  • pop eye
  • erosion of fins and tails
  • fouling of gills
  • any symptoms of white spot disease

The field guide for aquatic animal diseases can help you identify signs of disease. If you are in doubt, contact us online, by phone or in person to seek expert advice.

Designated terrestrial animal examples

• A lot of sick or dead animals
• Rapid spread of disease through a herd or flock
• Animals that are lame, drooling or salivating excessively
• Animals that have ulcers, erosions or blisters around the feet, muzzle, udder or teats and/or in the mouth
• Unusual nervous signs
• Respiratory distress or persistent coughing in horses
• Deep, smelly, fly-struck wounds
• A sudden and unexplained fall in production
• A contaminant (such as a heavy metal, residual organochlorine pesticide or pathogenic bacteria) above a prescribed threshold

More information

• Guide to animal diseases and disorders
• Queensland's reportable animal diseases
• Biosecurity matter, reporting requirements and restricted place
• Contact us online, by phone or in person