UW-Madison Division of Extension Taylor County
The 2026 World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Report states that “1.3 billion people globally depend on farmed animals for food and income, and each year, animal diseases destroy more than 20% of global animal production. It’s estimated that 75% of emerging infectious diseases in humans originate in animals. Investing in animal health is one of the most effective economic decisions countries can make. Studies show returns on animal health investment of up to 85% per year, placing animal health among the most productive investments for society.”
Biosecurity often becomes a priority only after herd health declines or animal movement suddenly stops because of a foreign animal disease (FAD). But as the WOAH report points out, “Disease losses, emergency response spending, trade disruptions, and zoonotic spillovers are the price of a system that reacts rather than prevents. Every dollar invested in animal health prevention can save up to $20 in treatment and outbreak response costs.”
Two essential biosecurity tools, a plan and premises map, can help livestock producers manage their biosecurity investments. A biosecurity plan outlines what is done to prevent and control disease. A premises biosecurity map shows where those actions happen on the farm. Together, they create a practical system for managing animal health and the movement of animals, people, and equipment. They are both living documents, updated as the operation changes.
Biosecurity has two goals:
- Keep disease out (bioexclusion); and
- Limit the spread of disease around and from a farm (biocontainment).
Daily (routine) biosecurity practices, like facility cleaning, vaccinating livestock, and cleaning and disinfecting equipment, reduce risk. However, during a serious disease event, especially Foreign Animal Disease (FAD), routine practices alone aren’t enough.
Federal stop-movement orders will be issued during a FAD outbreak, and these orders will include restricting the movement of animals and animal products (i.e. milk, semen) from non-infected farms as federal health officials work to control spread of the FAD. To regain the ability to move animals or products, producers in the control zone must demonstrate they can do so safely. A well-prepared plan and map act as the “passport,” and combined with strong recordkeeping (animal inventory and movements, visitor and employee logs, equipment use, and mortality and waste practices), will allow animal health officials to quickly assess risk and issue movement permits. Without them, tracing efforts slow down, and eligibility for indemnity or compensation during a FAD outbreak may be at risk.
Manage Movements
One of the most important shifts in biosecurity thinking is focusing on movement control. A premises map helps to clearly define Lines of Separation (LOS), the boundaries that separate on-farm areas from potential off-farm contamination risks. By identifying these lines in advance of a biosecurity crisis, livestock producers can better manage traffic flow and reduce the need for time-intensive emergency measures like vehicle cleaning and disinfection stations.
Biosecurity planning and mapping start with evaluating what moves around the farm every day, i.e. feed deliveries, service providers, animal caretakers, and more. Always assume they are potentially carrying common disease threats. Consider how often these movements occur, how they can be managed to limit disease risk, and which ones can be done without when movement is restricted.
Establish practical biosecurity practices from these known movements, such as:
- Designated parking and entry points marked by signs
- Clean clothing and footwear protocols, and accessible boot wash stations that are correctly managed
- 21–30-day isolation for new or returning animals
- Cleaning and disinfection protocols for shared equipment
During an outbreak, these measures scale up into enhanced biosecurity, including stricter movement controls and cleaning and disinfection stations for vehicles moving onto and off the farm.
The key takeaway is simple: don’t wait for a crisis to define the plan. By taking time now to map their operation and strengthen daily biosecurity practices, producers put themselves in a better position to manage whatever disease threat comes their way. As the WOAH report reminds us, “The choice is not between investment and cost. It is between planned investment and unplanned loss.”
To learn more about biosecurity, visit https://go.wisc.edu/HTL2026 The WI Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and UW-Madison Extension are providing Holding the Line: Premises Biosecurity Mapping Workshops around the state to help livestock producers and veterinarians draft maps for their livestock operations. Please register for a workshop at: https://go.wisc.edu/hz4xsi Email sandra.stuttgen@wisc.edu for workshop or other biosecurity questions.
Citations:
World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). (2026, May 13). The state of the world’s animal health 2026. https://www.woah.org/en/document/the-state-of-the-worlds-animal-health-2026/
Cattlemen’s Beef Board, & National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. (2024). Biosecurity. Beef Quality Assurance National Manual (Chap. 4).