Help prevent the spread of animal diseases - biosecurity recommendations for utility and service companies 

Service activities including power and utilities monitoring, maintenance, and construction often bring people close to commercial animal farms. This creates a risk, especially for our poultry and swine farms, as there are many animal diseases that can be easily spread unknowingly by people, vehicles, and equipment. People, vehicles, and equipment can carry infectious animal viruses and bacteria on their clothes, hair, hands, shoes, and vehicles. To stop the spread of animal diseases, the NCDA&CS strongly encourages observing the following biosecurity recommendations:

1. Contact the company/farm ahead of time to verify the current health status of the farm.

2. Follow the company/farm biosecurity plan. Each of the animal production companies will typically have a biosecurity plan. In their plans there are procedures that the farmers, employees, and visitors follow to protect the animals from disease. As a visitor, please follow these plans at the request of each company.

3. Limit the servicing of infected or high-risk farms if possible. This could include postponing the visit or using estimated billing procedures that do not require an on-farm visit.

4. Use disposable shoe covers while on commercial animal farms when possible.

5. Wash your vehicle between farms.