Exotic disease preparedness for livestock ships

Summary

Since foot and mouth disease (FMD) and lumpy skin disease (LSD) were detected in Indonesia in 2022, the livestock export industry has been increasing its preparedness to respond to a potential exotic disease outbreak in Australia.

The Strategic Response Group (made up of LiveCorp, Meat & Livestock Australia and the Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council) ran a simulation exercise to identify and begin to address gaps.

The resulting LSD Action Plan identified the potential for livestock already in transit to be held on ships for longer than originally scheduled, and a need for the ability to identify whether any livestock on board were infected.
This project will develop materials to help ship owners and exporters understand what may be required in the event of an outbreak, and explore ways to get additional feed, bedding, medicines and other items onto a ship at sea for an extended period with livestock on board.

This project is managed by the Livestock Export RD&E Program, a collaboration between LiveCorp and Meat & Livestock Australia.

Objectives

• Develop a protocol to determine the health status of livestock on a ship in transit.
• Develop a Standard Operating Procedure for using a livestock export ship as a quarantine facility, either while awaiting discharge at a destination country or in the vicinity of an Australian port.
• Provide recommendations on supplies and equipment that ships may need to carry, in case of an exotic disease outbreak.
• Consider the risks and requirements for obtaining and supplying additional fodder or other materials to a ship in transit.

Benefits to industry

This project will help to ensure the health and welfare of livestock being held on export ships for an extended period of time in the unlikely event that there were an exotic animal disease outbreak in Australia.

Future research