G1411

Biosecurity Basics
for Cattle Operations and
Good Management Practices (GMP)
for Controlling Infectious Diseases
Marilyn Buhman, DVM, MS, Beef Cattle Veterinarian
Grant Dewell, DVM, MS, Beef Cattle Veterinarian
Dee Griffin, DVM, MS, Extension Feedlot Veterinarian

This NebGuide introduces cattle producers to the • nonlivestock (horses, dogs, cats, wildlife, rodents, birds
concept of biosecurity and provides practical manage- and insects).
ment recommendations for preventing and/or containing
infectious disease. Develop a Biosecurity Resource Group

The first step is to develop a biosecurity resource­

group/ team. The group should include people important
Biosecurity to the success of your operation such as your operation
supervisors, veterinarian, nutritionist, extension specialist,
The goal of biosecurity is to stop transmission of disease suppliers and others that may have special knowledge in
causing agents by preventing, minimizing or controlling control of biologic organisms. Generally beef operations
cross-contamination of body fluids (feces, urine, saliva, etc.) have been open to vehicle traffic and visitors. Of all the
between animals, animals to feed and animals to equipment possible breakdowns­ in biosecurity, the introduction of
that may directly or indirectly contact animals. Biosecurity new cattle and traffic pose the greatest risks to cattle health.
management practices are designed to prevent the spread of Properly managing these two factors should be a top
disease by minimizing the movement of biologic organisms priority in your operation. Biosecurity plans should be
and their vectors (viruses, bacteria, rodents, flies, etc.) onto developed to meet the specific needs of each operation.
and within your operation. Biosecurity can be very difficult to Biosecurity has three major components: Isolation,
maintain because the interrelationships between management, Traffic Control, Sanitation.
biologic organisms and biosecurity are very complex. While When effectively managed these components meet the
developing and maintaining biosecurity is difficult, it is the principle biosecurity objective of preventing or minimiz-
cheapest, most effective means of disease control available, ing cross-contamination of body fluids (feces, urine, saliva,
and no disease prevention program will work without it. respiratory­ secretions, etc.) between animals, animals to feed
Infectious diseases can be spread between operations and animals to equipment.
by: Isolation prevents contact between animals within a
controlled environment. The most important step in disease
• the introduction of diseased cattle or healthy cattle control is to minimize commingling and movement of cattle.
incubating disease, This includes all new purchases as well as commingling
• introduction of healthy cattle who have recovered from between established groups of cattle. Even in operations that
disease but are now carriers, have high cattle turnover, such as feedlots, keeping feeding
• vehicles, equipment, clothing and shoes of visitors or groups from mixing is an import biosecurity measure. Isolate
employees who move between herds, feedlot hospital cattle and return them to their home pen
• contact with inanimate objects that are contaminated as soon as possible. Long acting therapies have improved
with disease organisms, our ability to minimize movement of infectious organisms
• carcasses of dead cattle that have not been disposed between groups. An important biosecurity action on ranches
of properly, is to separate cattle by age and/or production groups. Facili-
• feedstuffs, especially high risk feedstuff which could ties should be cleaned and disinfected appropriately between
be contaminated with feces, groups. Visit with your veterinarian about specific isolation
• impure water (surface drainage water, etc.), management procedures and how they can be applied to control
• manure handling and aerosolized manure and dust, targeted diseases.
 Traffic control includes traffic onto your operation and Specific Biosecurity Information is Important
traffic patterns within your operation. It is important to un-
derstand traffic includes more than vehicles. All animals and For more detailed and specific information about ap-
people must be considered. Animals other than cattle include plying biosecurity principles to your operation, contact your
dogs, cats, horses, wildlife, rodents and birds. The degree of veterinarian or Cooperative Extension specialist.
control will be dictated by the biology and ecology of the
infectious organism being addressed, and the control must GMP for Controlling Infectious Diseases
be equally applied. Develop a biosecurity plan and commit to its imple-
Stopping a truck hauling cattle from driving onto your mentation. Committing to a biosecurity plan is a vital step
operation as a biosecurity measure for controlling BVD may toward controlling of infectious disease. Keeping pathogens
not be beneficial since the virus is spread from animal to out of a herd improves production efficiency, lowers costs
animal. Purchasing cattle from herds that have a verifiable and reduces risks to employees and family.
quality vaccination program would be more important in
maximizing biosecurity. However, it would be important for
the pot to have been adequately cleaned before hauling the Biosecurity GMP Checklists
cattle. Traffic control can be built into the facilities design.
An example would be placing cattle loading facilities on the Review the checklists below and discuss each item with
perimeter of the operation. your veterinarian. Ask your veterinarian to rank the bios-
Traffic control within the operation should be designed to ecurity importance of each item (0=not important, 5= very
stop or minimize contamination of cattle, feed, feed handling important). Check Y (yes) or N (no) if the biosecurity item
equipment and equipment used on cattle. Pit silos should not be is being addressed.
accessible from nonfeed handling equipment such as loaders
used outside the feeding area or vehicles that travel outside the General Good Management Practice (GMP) Checklist
feed mixing and handling facility. No one (manager, nutrition- Notes Rank importance of each GMPs in biosecurity
ist, veterinarian, banker — no one) should be allowed to drive and note if being addressed:
onto the surface of a trench silo. The only equipment allowed
should be the loader used for handling the feedstuff. In large ________ Meet all of the Beef Quality Assurance Good
pits, it may be acceptable to allow feed trucks to enter, provided Management Practices and Guidelines.
they are loaded at least 100 feet away from the working face
________ Understand it is more profitable to prevent prob-
of the stored feed. If possible, separate equipment should be
lems than to correct problems.
used for handling feedstuffs and manure.
Vehicles and employees should not travel from the dead ________ Agree that doing things right the first time is a
cattle area without cleaning and disinfecting. The dead ani- critical part of biosecurity.
mal removal area should be placed in a location that allows
rendering trucks access without cross-contaminating healthy ________ Biosecurity requires some method of cattle iden-
cattle. Vehicle cleaning areas are becoming more common tification. An identification system in place.
in commercial feedlots. Unfortunately they are frequently ________ Can readily track and validate management prac-
used only for trucks and heavy equipment. Management tices used on my cattle.
should consider extending a decontamination policy to other
vehicles­ (especially tires) that are used across biosecurity GMP Checklist for Sanitation
control areas on the operation. Ask your biosecurity resource
team to help you evaluate traffic control on your operation. Notes Rank importance of each sanitation measure in
Sanitation addresses the disinfection of materials, people biosecurity and note if being addressed:
and equipment entering the operation and the cleanliness of
the people and equipment on the operation. ________ Attempt to prevent manure contamination of feed
The main objective of sanitation is to prevent fecal and equipment used orally.
contaminates from entering the oral cavity of cattle (fecal ________ Clean equipment used orally between animals.
- oral cross contamination). Equipment used which may
contact cattle’s oral cavity or cattle feed should be a special ________ Attempt to prevent cross contamination between
target. The first step in sanitation is to remove organic matter, healthy and sick/dead cattle.
especially feces. Blood, saliva, and urine from sick or dead ________ Regularly evaluate the activities on my operation
cattle should also be targeted. All equipment that handles to assess the potential for contaminating cattle.
feed or is introduced into the mouth of cattle should be
cleaned, including disinfection as appropriate, before use. ________ If manure accidentally contaminates feed or
Loaders used for manure or dead cattle handling must be water, an immediate remedy is provided.
cleaned thoroughly before using for feedstuff. It would be
best to use different equipment. Minimize the use of oral equip- GMP Checklist for Equipment
ment and instruments such as balling guns, drench equipment
and tubes. If used at processing and treatment, thoroughly clean Notes Rank importance of each equipment item in bi-
and disinfect between animals. Store cleaned equipment in osecurity and note if being addressed:
clean, dry areas. Avoid storage in tanks or containers contain- ________ Use different equipment to feed and to clean pens
ing disinfectants because most disinfectants are neutralized or completely clean between use.
by organic material. Disease transmission is commonly traced
to the use of those storage tanks. ________ Never step in the feed bunk.
________ Never leave manure-hauling equipment in pens ________ Loading area is located at the perimeter of the
with different groups of animals. operation.
________ Clean contaminated vehicles and equipment before­ ________ Dead animal pickup area located so rendering
use around healthy cattle. trucks do not contaminate my operation.
________ Routinely clean and disinfect feeding equipment ________ Limit people’s access to my cattle pens, feed
and cattle handling equipment. mixing and storage area, and treatment area.
________ Routinely clean and disinfect equipment used to ________ Keep a record of visitors to my operation.
medicate cattle.
GMP Checklist for Preventing Infectious Disease from
GMP Checklist for Disease Containment Entering Cow/Calf Operations

Notes Rank importance of each disease containment Notes Rank importance of each disease entry item in
item in biosecurity and note if being addressed: biosecurity and note if being addressed:
________ Facilities provide a clean area for restraint, treat- ________ Cattle don’t use community pastures, or are not
ment and isolation of sick cattle. placed in performance evaluation centers.
________ Facilities prevent cross contamination of water, ________ Cattle do not share fence lines with neighbor’s
manure, feed, or equipment between groups. cattle.
________ Have a plan to manage group size, age distribu- ________ Do not purchase, borrow, or use loaner bulls from
tion, and animal flow to reduce risk of disease. other farms.
________ Handle highest health status animals first (young ________ Buy cattle from a Johne’s certified free farm.
calves, healthy older cattle and sick animals ________ Limit purchases to open heifers and virgin
last). bulls.
________ Everyone uses strict sanitation practices ________ Know the biosecurity, vaccination, and testing
________ All animals that die are examined by a veterinarian program of herd(s) for my replacement cattle.
(necropsy). ________ Quarantine new arrivals for 21-30 days before
________ Veterinarian collects blood samples from all cows allowing them contact with my cattle.
that abort. ________ Quarantined area is designed to prevent cross
________ Have visitors observe our strict sanitation contamination between cattle.
practices.­
GMP Checklist for Calf Management
________ Clean contaminated vehicles and equipment before
use around healthy cattle. Notes Rank importance of each calf management item
in biosecurity and note if being addressed:
GMP Checklist for Preventing Infectious Disease from ________ Have a strategic vaccination and parasite control
Entering All Operations plan in place for all cows.

Notes Rank importance of each disease entry item in ________ Replacement cattle are kept off pastures where
biosecurity and note if being addressed: manure has been spread for six months.
________ Know the health history of the herds from which ________ Replacement cattle are kept separate from other
cattle are purchased. cattle for at least six months.

________ Know the health status of animals brought into ________ Replacement cattle have a separate source of
my operation. water.

________ My veterinarian talks to the seller’s veterinarian ________ Consult with veterinarian annually about calf
prior to buying animals. care.

________ Never bring in animals without knowing their ________ Calving area is clean and disinfected.
vaccination history. ________ All calves are born from cows that have been
________ Never buy animals from a herd that has mixed tested clean of infectious diseases.
origin cattle. ________ All colostrum fed to calves comes from cows that
________ Transport animals in clean vehicles. have been tested clean of infectious diseases.

________ Have a control program for outside animals which ________ Calves are permanently identified prior to any
could spread disease (rodents, etc.). grouping.
 GMP Checklist for Strategic Vaccine Use ________ Am committed to finding BVD PI cattle and
removing them from herd.
Notes Rank importance of each strategic vaccine item
________ Have discussed killed versus modified live virus
in biosecurity and note if being addressed:
(MLV) vaccines for BVD with my veterinarian.
________ Have a written strategic vaccination plan for my
operation. GMP Checklist for controlling Salmonella
________ Know when and how to use the vaccines listed
Notes Rank importance of each Salmonella control item
in the vaccination plan for my herd.
in biosecurity and note if being addressed:
________ Discuss the vaccination history of all cattle pur-
________ Realize that my family and employees can be
chased before the cattle enter my operation.
infected with salmonella from cattle.
GMP Checklist for controlling Johne’s ________ Isolate sick cattle in hospital area and prevent
(M. paratuberculosis) Disease cross contamination.
________ Discuss proper antibiotic use with my veteri­
Notes Rank importance of each Johne’s control item in narian.
biosecurity and note if being addressed:
________ Clean all instruments and equipment used on sick
________ Understand how Johne’s disease can impact my cattle between cattle.
herd and how it is spread.
________ Provide dry, clean, disinfected calf and maternity
________ Whole herd is screened using an antibody ELISA pens.
test (measures antibody in blood).
________ Test purchased feed for salmonella once per
________ Whole herd is tested using a fecal culture. year.
________ Animals testing positive are culled. (Johne’s is ________ Restrict birds, cats, rodents and stray animals from
reportable disease in some states.) access to my operation’s animal feed and water.
________ Replacement heifers are tested prior to introduc- ________ Do not allow rendering trucks to access feed or
tion to the herd. animal areas.
________ Calves from cows testing positive are removed
to a feedlot.
References
________ Have implemented a follow-up Johne’s testing
program and reviewed the results with my vet. Carlson, K. R., Biosecurity – Profit for the Taking!, Good Management
Practices for Controlling Infectious Diseases, Dairy Today
GMP Checklist for controlling Bovine Leukosis Supplement, Agri-education, Inc. Dairy Quality Assurance
Center. 1998.
Notes Rank importance of each Leukosis control item Howard, J. and Smith, R.A., Current Veterinary Therapy: Food
in biosecurity and note if being addressed: Animals, 4th Ed. Saunders, 1998.
________ Are needles and sleeves used on more than one Jeffrey, J.S., Biosecurity for Poultry Flocks, Extension Poultry
animal? Veterinarian, University of California-Davis. 1997.
________ Are cows which provide colostrum for your McFarlane, A., A Briefing on Biosecurity Procedures. Prairie Swine
calves tested for bovine leukosis? Centre Inc. 1999.
Smith, B.P., Large Animal Internal Medicine. Mosby, 1990.
________ Purchased cattle are tested during quarantine.
Spencer, J., Development of composting and management strategies
GMP Checklist for controlling for elimination of animal pathogens and assay systems to monitor
Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) effectiveness, Canadian Food Inspection Agency. 1996.
Wallace, R.L., Consider Biosecurity Steps When Expanding Herd.
Notes Rank importance of each BVD control item in University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine. 1996.
biosecurity and note if being addressed:
________ Understand “persistently infected” (PI) animals
as they relate to BVD. UNL Extension publications are available online
at http://extension.unl.edu/publications.
Am not willing to live with one or more PI calves
in my herd.
________ Am not willing to keep a PI calf as a replacement Index: Animal Diseases
heifer. General Livestock
2000, Revised December 2007

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