Animal Biosecurity: Without Knowing What Normal Is, You Cannot Tell What Abnormal Is

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

“Without knowing what normal is, you cannot tell what abnormal is.”

So said Solano County 4-H animal biosecurity project leader Robert Young of Rio Vista at a recent workshop on animal biosecurity that drew 4-H’ers from throughout the county.

Young, the Rio Vista area representative to the Solano County 4-H Leaders’ Council and a Rio Vista 4-H Club rabbit project leader, is a science teacher at the Dozier-Libbey Medical High School in Antioch, where he teaches anatomy and physiology, which includes the immune system and diseases.

He shared his knowledge of disease transmission to the 4-H’ers, who rear and exhibit animals at the Dixon May Fair, Solano County Fair and the California State Fair. The workshop took place during the Solano County 4-H Project Skills Day, held at the Community Presbyterian Church, Vallejo.

“The goal of the animal biosecurity project is to teach 4-H members how to keep themselves and their animals safe in a variety of situations,” said Valerie Williams, program representative of the Solano County 4-H Youth Development Program. “Animal science projects are a cornerstone of the 4-H Youth Development Program. Many 4-H youth enroll in these projects, and the majority focus on the rearing and husbandry of market animals, including poultry, ruminants, and swine.”

The biosecurity project is designed to help 4-H members gain knowledge about disease transmission. “We are aiming to keep both humans and animals healthy by preventing the spread of diseases,” Young said. “As the members move through the units of the project, they will identify ways diseases are transmitted, risk factors for diseases and then ways to mitigate those risks. Members will then apply what they learn to their own animals and develop a plan to decease areas of risk for their animals.”

At the workshop, the group modeled disease transmission with a water and sodium hydroxide solution, “to show that pathogens can be transmitted without seeing them,” Young said. “People may carry pathogens and unknowingly pass them on.”

Next the 4-Hers will complete a short case study about either a goat or a horse and then will be engaged in a “14-day observation of one of their own animals to see what is normal behavior--the idea being that without knowing what normal is, you cannot tell what abnormal is,” Young said.

Solano County has some 500 4-H’ers in a total of 12 clubs, Williams said. Many are enrolled in beef cattle, swine, lamb, poultry, goats and cavies (guinea pig) projects. Statewide, approximately 37,000 youth participate annually in 4-H animal science projects.

National and state agencies/institutions have identified bio-security in animal agriculture as a high priority, Williams said.

--U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA): Long-term goal of safeguarding animal production industry.

--California Food and Agriculture (CDFA): Focus on whole-farm approach to herd health management through risk assessment, prioritization, and action; professional development and education materials.

--UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR): Strategic Initiatives: safe and secure food supplies; managing endemic and invasive pests and diseases.

For more information on the Solano County 4-H program, contact Valerie Williams at vawilliams@ucanr.edu.

-image via Kathy Keatley Garvey

Kathy Keatley Garvey is a Communications specialist, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology