Livestock Biosecurity and Disease Prevention: A Welfare Foundation

Biosecurity measures prevent disease introduction and spread on farms. Strong biosecurity is both the most effective disease control strategy and a foundation for good animal welfare.

Key Facts

Foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks cause mass slaughter of millions of animals - the 2001 UK outbreak killed 6 million animals
Biosecurity includes movement controls, disinfection, pest control, and quarantine of new stock
Avian influenza biosecurity requirements now mandate housing of poultry during high-risk periods
TB testing and movement restrictions are central to bovine TB control in the UK
Vaccination programmes are a key biosecurity tool where licensed vaccines are available
Poor biosecurity causes disease outbreaks that cause suffering and require welfare-compromising interventions

Welfare Considerations

Biosecurity is welfare prevention at scale. Disease outbreaks cause mass animal suffering that could often be prevented. The 2001 FMD outbreak involved mass slaughter of millions of animals, many of which were healthy and killed only for disease control. Mass slaughter under welfare-emergency conditions often fails to meet normal humane standards. Prevention through biosecurity is always preferable to culling welfare crises.

What You Can Do

Support farm biosecurity improvement schemes and training programmes
Advocate for biosecurity to be explicitly required in farm welfare certification
Clean and disinfect footwear when visiting farms to prevent disease spread