Biosecurity & quarantine

The Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) works with primary industries to safeguard our agricultural resources from biological threats and to maintain our export opportunities.

The State’s reputation is underpinned by a comprehensive biosecurity and quarantine system, developed and operated by DAFWA.

DAFWA is involved with:

  • creation of surveillance and diagnostic programs
  • animal and plant risk assessments
  • importing and exporting requirements
  • creating mechanisms to respond to incursions
  • livestock movement and identification
  • development and maintenance of biosecurity and quarantine legislation.

To find out more about what we do to protect agricultural production and export opportunities within the State please search our website.

Articles

  • The National TSE Surveillance Program (NTSESP) conducts surveillance for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or mad cow disease) in cattle and scrapie in sheep.

  • The National Arbovirus Monitoring Program (NAMP) monitors the distribution of economically important insect-borne viruses of livestock and their vectors.

  • Anthrax is a bacterial disease of animals, most commonly seen in cattle, sheep and goats.

  • Five-day foot bathing is a treatment option that can be used as a disease reduction measure in winter, spring, or at the start of summer to treat clinically mild forms of footrot in sheep.

  • Australia is free of scrapie, which is a fatal, progressive, degenerative disease of the central nervous system of sheep and goats.

  • Ovine campylobacteriosis is an infectious disease of breeding ewes causing abortion in late pregnancy. It is caused by the bacteria Campylobacter fetus ssp. fetus.

  • Salmonellosis of sheep is an infectious bacterial disease causing illness and death. It results from proliferation of salmonella bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract and other organs.

  • Scabby mouth is a viral disease of sheep and goats that causes scabs and pustules, usually around the mouth and face of affected animals.

  • Pulpy kidney (enterotoxaemia) is a disease of sheep, goats and cattle.

  • Photosensitisation is inflammation of the skin, and occasionally the conjunctiva and cornea of the eye.

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