Whether raising backyard chickens or managing a large dairy farm, knowing how to prevent and respond to disease infections and their spread is critical for maintaining healthy herds and flocks.

A new video series by University of Vermont Research Professor and Project Director Julie Smith covers important topics for farm producers and industry allies about foreign animal disease preparedness and response.

Foreign Animal Disease Readiness for Farms

The series is entitled, "Foreign Animal Disease Readiness for Farms,” and consists of 11 animated, short-format videos that provide answers to challenging questions about preventing and responding to foreign animal disease outbreaks. The primary audience is people who manage and care for food animals. The videos will benefit livestock industry professionals, veterinarians, educators, animal science students, and anyone else interested in protecting the health of U.S. livestock and poultry.

Although foreign animal diseases (FAD) are not normally present in the United States or have been previously eradicated, they are a category of diseases recognized globally that may spread quickly, cause many animal deaths, have high economic or public health risks, and are of major importance in the international trade of animals and animal products.

Farm Producer Inspiration

Smith based the video storylines on questions she identified when engaging with producers and community members over the years about disease preparedness (in particular, foot-and-mouth disease). She wanted to convey the information in an accessible, audience-centered, and accurate way.

"The videos cover topics that are important for anyone involved in animal agriculture to understand. Colorful graphics and animations highlight key concepts and actions relevant to foreign animal disease response and preparedness," stated Smith.

Smith's research and outreach projects over her career have focused on agricultural biosecurity and animal disease prevention. Many of her projects translate scientific findings into actionable steps that support the agriculture industry in protecting animal health. The video series combines science-based knowledge about disease spread with practical answers on how to identify, prevent, and manage outbreaks.

Overview of Video Topics

  • Preparing everyday and enhanced farm biosecurity plans.
  • How foreign animal diseases are prevented from entering the U.S.
  • Mapping out strategies to stop or limit disease spread.
  • How scientists study the characteristics of disease spread with modeling.
  • Why regularly checking farm animals for signs of illness is important.
  • The purpose of control areas and quarantines during a foreign animal disease outbreak.

A Resource for Agricultural Educators

"The animated videos help to make a complex subject easier to understand. For educators, the videos are easy to include in lesson plans and an innovative way to introduce concepts about disease control in animal agriculture," Smith said.

Find out more about the videos and get ideas for sharing them with different audiences on the Healthy Farms Healthy Agriculture website, and as a playlist on the Healthy Farms Healthy Agriculture YouTube channel.

Why Care About Foreign Animal Diseases?

A frequently asked question about foreign animal diseases (FAD) is why we need to care about them, if they are not found in the United States. FAD outbreaks in other countries are ongoing, so the threat of a disease introduction to the U.S. never goes away. Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), African swine fever (ASF), and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in birds are just a few diseases in this category. Learn more about why we need to care about FADs in the video entitled, Why Plan for Foreign Animal Diseases?

The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) sets international trade standards for animal health and disease control. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service actively participates in creating and enforcing these standards, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection ensures that infected animals and products do not enter the country. Watch the video entitled, Who is Preventing Disease and Pest Introductions? to learn how the United States protects domestic agriculture from FAD introductions.

Funding Source and Acknowledgement

The "Foreign Animal Disease Readiness for Farms" video series was funded by USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service through the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP). It may not necessarily express APHIS’ views.

We are grateful to the many reviewers who took the time to provide insightful feedback as we developed the video storylines.