ON FARM NATIONAL BIOSECURITY U Producers leading the wa most effective vaccines, enabling rapid diagnosis and containment of disease outbreaks. 2. Producer‑led surveillance: Enhancing trust and relationships between producers, transporters, stock agents, veterinarians and other stakeholders, and improving early reporting of unusual diseases, detection, and effective and rapid response. 3. Outbreak decision support tools: Identifying strategies and developing guidelines for FMD response, post‑outbreak surveillance and management to support proof‑of‑freedom and a faster return to trade. 4. Disease transmission path analysis: Understanding how climatic factors While Australia is such as wind affect the spread of Tips and tools foot‑and‑mouth disease FMD virus between properties and (FMD) free, responding utilising genetic fingerprinting to to be FMD ready to and recovering from an trace its movement. • Understand your risk of exposure outbreak could cost $50 billion CSIRO senior scientist and veterinarian to disease, such as location over 10 years. Producers are Dr Yiheyis Maru, who leads the (proximity to other farms or now taking the lead to enhance ‘producer‑led surveillance’ sub‑project, transport routes). emergency disease surveillance, said the rural community plays an • Always be vigilant, regularly preparedness and response. integral role in helping Australia inspect animals and don’t maintain ‘free‑from’ status for many turn a blind eye to anything The FMD Ready Project, led by serious animal diseases. suspicious – early reporting CSIRO and co‑funded by MLA, “We need to be ready to prevent, detect, could prevent disease spreading. brings together researchers and the and rapidly and effectively respond to FMD‑susceptible industries of beef, the introduction of exotic or emergency • If you suspect an animal dairy cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, is showing symptoms of a animal diseases and spread of to improve preparedness. significant endemic diseases to protect notifiable disease, it must be reported to a local vet, a More than 1,000 producers have the livestock industries and Australia’s Department of Primary Industries contributed to the project by trade status,” he said. vet or to the Emergency Animal participating in a survey, interviews andThe producer survey revealed Disease Watch Hotline on joining groups to demonstrate the value factors which need to be overcome 1800 675 888. of producer‑led partnerships to improve to strengthen general animal health • Connect with your relevant livestock surveillance. veillance, including: sur FMD Ready pilot group to There are four integrated sub‑projects • producer concern about what might participate in events and training. that use FMD as a model to look at how happen if they report signs of anything For more information visit: Australia could prevent, control and unusual, such as property quarantine, research.csiro.au/fmd manage an emergency animal disease financial cost and social stigma • Implement on‑farm biosecurity, outbreak, and return to trade as soon • uncertainty about what to look for, supported by recording tools as possible. and what will happen when reporting such as NLIS, to enhance animal The sub‑projects are: health and livestock traceability. unusual diseases Check out farmbiosecurity.com.au 1.Rapid diagnostics and vaccination • limited existing relationships with for farm biosecurity plans. strategy preparedness: Developing veterinarians and uncertainty about better tests and identifyg thein how to report 22