Biosecurity and Disease Transmission

Rodent control is an integral part of any biosecurity program. The highest price you pay for having rats and mice on your premises is the health risk they pose to your livestock. Rodents can be reservoirs for disease, which can live inside the rodent’s body and be excreted in their urine and feces. They are also a mechanical vector, transferring pathogens between animals and buildings.

• Diseases Include
  • Salmonellosis
  • Cholera
  • Leptospirosis
  • Bordetellosis
  • Hanta Virus
  • LCVM (Lymphoiyti Chronimeigitis Virus)
  • Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI – Avian Flu):  In 2017, a USDA/APHIS study reviewing the spread of Avian Flu identified the presence of rodents and other animals as risk factors that could bring viruses into barns
  • And many others
• Economic Losses
  • The exact cost of a disease outbreak will vary by situation, but the costs begin to mount very quickly, including:
    • Laboratory testing
    • Veterinary services and medications
    • Sanitizing and disinfecting facilities
    • Lost productivity or depopulation.
• Long-Term Costs of Disease
  • With less acute illnesses, there are other substantial long-term costs:
    • Slow growth of livestock
    • Decreased feed efficiency
    • IN SWINE: Reduced fertility, smaller litter sizes, increased number of stillbirths and abortions increases.
    • IN POULTRY: Decreases in Egg Production and feed conversion.

Disease outbreaks today can be more damaging than ever before. As we’ve seen in recent years, risks to food safety can damage consumer confidence in the industry and adversely affect export markets.

In May of 2018, a salmonella outbreak at a layer facility prompted the recall of over 200 MILLION eggs. An FDA Report determined that it was due to unsanitary conditions and an ongoing rodent infestation.