How Often Should A Biosecurity Plan Be Updated

What is Bio security?

It is a set of coordinated processes that work against threats created by infectious diseases and contagious viruses. There are many types of bio security programs, for example, dairy cattle, farm, general grazing animals, and bio security of plants. These programs are designed according to the needs and requirements of their users.

This term was used by agriculturist to label the operations that are carried out to secure plants and farms from harmful effects of diseases and viruses. In the the laboratory, bio security is defined as the removal of biological material that may cause biological terrorism in research labs.

For farmers and cattle producers around the globe, a detailed guide on the implementation and development of bio security programs for farms is available online. The reason for adopting a particular program is to keep away the livestock from infectious diseases and outbreak of the plague among them.

Levels of bio security:

Cattle producers must know about the different levels of bio security to understand which one they need to implement. Agricultural bio security has three levels.

Conceptual or Primary level bio security

This level of biosecurity requires that the farms are built far away from a place that is publically dense. It includes the provision of facilities to the animals in isolated and remote areas. This prevents the spreading of any virus or disease because of its surroundings that are densely populated.

Structural or secondary level bio security

This is more about the overall physical structure of farms, its facilities of drainage, design, and fencing. This level includes steps that prevent infections through taking good care of the farm’s hygiene which the movement of equipment, people, and vehicles on the farm. 

Procedural or Tertiary level bio security

This level involves steps that deal with avoiding carriers of infections and emergency treatment of them, if diagnosed, within the parameters of the farms.

Cattle producers, who want to implement bio security programs, should understand which level of biosecurity is required by their farm, and they should adapt accordingly.

How often should a biosecurity plan be updated?

It is the duty of farm owners to adopt practices that are good for the health of their animals. The biosecurity programs should be checked every once in a while, and it should be updated every year. Farm owners must monitor the performance of their animals in order to understand which areas need improvement and what changes must be made in the program to maintain a healthy environment at their farms.

It is better to understand all the potential threats before updating the bio security plan, such as the introduction of pests and the growth of weed at the farm. After the assessment, they should take the necessary steps to minimize the potential risk according to the level of its severity. Before buying animals, cattle producers should also ask for health declarations, if seems necessary.

All farm owners must evaluate the overall performance of their farm in accordance with the mentioned steps in their bio security plan. Once, the reviewing process is completed, cattle producers must make necessary updates in farm practices to fulfill the needs of their animal, as declared by the state’s law.

After the successful upgrade of the bio security plan, the cattle producers must inform all their workers and involved parties about the changes in the framework of risk management.