Role of vehicles and equipment in biosecurity

Contaminated vehicles and equipment have proven to be a contributor to disease occurrence in poultry facilities. Service vehicles including garbage trucks; maintenance vehicles, for example your electrician’s vehicle; and even delivery vehicles can transfer pathogens to your farm.

In addition to vehicles, equipment brought in or used onsite can also harbor pathogens. Tools used by service providers may be contaminated depending on the environments they were used in prior to your farm. Skid loaders, wheel barrows, and other onsite equipment traveling between barns, sites, or neighbors can also play role in the spread of disease.

Restricting traffic on your site such as only allowing vehicles imperative to farm operations to cross the perimeter buffer area is a good biosecurity practice. Defining vehicle entry access and traffic patterns can further increase your biosecurity program. Disinfecting shared tools and equipment, within reason, can also address disease risk.