Disease Prevention
“Prevention is better than cure.”
The first step farmers can take to prevent the development of AMR is to enhance the overall health status of animals on the farm. This approach not only reduces the need for antibiotics but also optimizes farm productivity. Acquiring this important goal requires the implementation of comprehensive disease prevention strategies, including strict farm biosecurity measures, effective farm husbandry practices and targeted animal vaccination programmes. Antibiotics should never be used as a substitute for poor husbandry management practices, as this would undermine efforts to prevent AMR and compromise animal health.
Disease Prevention Strategies
There is a collective responsibility on farmers, as key stakeholders in the agri-food sector, to use antibiotics only when absolutely necessary, so as to preserve their efficacy for disease treatment in both humans, animals, and for society as a whole.
Healthy animals don’t need treatment with expensive antibiotics, so an increased focus on disease prevention measures is a key action to reduce use of antibiotics and thus reduce the risk of AMR development. The first step in addressing the challenge of AMR in farming is to enhance the overall health status of the animal population. Minimising disease prevalence on the farm reduces reliance on antibiotics, prevents the build-up of AMR, and improves overall animal productivity.
This can be achieved through implementation of the following disease prevention strategies:
Biosecurity
Effective farm biosecurity management is essential for safeguarding animal health on the farm. The term biosecurity refers to practices that are designed to help prevent the introduction and spread of disease within a farm. Simple and practical biosecurity measures tailored to each farm, will significantly reduce the risk of disease spread.
A number of disease threats originate from outside the farm which can be classified into direct and indirect modes of transmission. Disease can be spread directly through the introduction of animals, such as those bought onto the farm or from neighbouring animals. Indirect transmission can occur through farm visitors, slurry, animal equipment, wildlife and vermin, biological materials and the farm environment.
A number of disease threats also exist within the farm which may either be recently introduced or endemic to the herd. An endemic disease is always present within the herd but will only become apparent at certain times or under certain conditions, for example during production stress or herd expansion. Examples of endemic disease include Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) and Salmonella. Management practices that prevent the spread of infection on the farm should be used to deal with on-going disease outbreaks, and these measures but should also be a part of standard farm practices to prevent the risk of future outbreaks.
More information on how to prevent disease entry onto farm
Farm Husbandry
Good farm husbandry practices can help protect the health of the animals on your farm, thus reducing antibiotic usage and the risk of AMR development. Good farm husbandry practices includes ensuring adequate immunity, ensuring appropriate nutrition, minimising animal stress, minimising exposure to bacteria, viruses and parasites and developing a herd health plan to protect the health of animals on your farm. Good husbandry helps to build the animal’s resistance to disease.
More information on good farm management practices
Vaccination
Vaccination is a means of boosting immunity to specific infectious agents – prompting the animal to produce antibodies or other defence against infection. Vaccinations not only boost the immunity of a herd but they also reduce disease and prevent or reduce the shedding of disease by infected animals. Contact your veterinary practitioner to discuss which vaccines should form part of the health plan for your herd. Each herd is unique and may be exposed to different disease risks, so it is important to develop a tailored vaccination program based on diagnostic testing to address the diseases specific to your farm.
Working with vaccines
- Select the right product
- Restrain animals securely
- Always read the label and follow the instructions
- Don’t combine vaccines
- Where possible use an automatic vaccinator and ensure it is clean and delivering the correct amount
- Use the recommended route of administration
- Choose the correct site of administration, ensure it is clean
- Choose the right needle for the size of the animal
- Observe the licensed withdrawal periods
- Practice good sanitation
- Use proper temperature storage
- Do not store vaccines in a fridge with food products
The following measures should be taken to ensure the vaccine is as effective as possible.
Target the correct infectious agent.
Many pathogens can cause similar symptoms. A diagnostic test should be carried out with a veterinary practitioner or through a milk testing programme, to identify the correct vaccine for the disease in question.
Vaccinate animals before the period of greatest risk/challenge.
Disease often shows recurring but predictable seasonal patterns therefore it is recommended to vaccinate before the greatest risk periods. Animals need a minimum of 2-3 weeks after the completion of the course to develop adequate immunity. However, the manufacturer’s instructions will state the specified time-frame required to complete a full vaccination course for optimal immunity. Also, if two doses are required (e.g. an animal being vaccinated for the first time with an inactivated/dead vaccine), both doses must be administered prior to the risk period to provide adequate disease protection. If two doses are required vaccinate with the two doses.
Ensure animals are capable of mounting an immune response.
Animals that are immunosuppressed as a result of poor nutrition or disease will not respond adequately to the vaccine.
Teagasc Vaccination / Dosing Programmes for Dairy Farmers (PDF)