Livestock health & diseases

Western Australia’s freedom from many pests and diseases allows our livestock producers access to a wide range of international and domestic markets. To maintain this enviable biosecurity status, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development ensures significant livestock disease is investigated. This information helps to assure trading partners that we are free of diseases.

Some diseases can have devastating effects on the livelihoods of everyone in the supply chain. To ensure the impacts on the economy and community are minimised, the department maintains trained, response-ready staff and systems to ensure an emergency animal disease incident is promptly and efficiently controlled. In addition, the risk of introduction of exotic disease is also managed by ensuring stockfeed contains appropriate ingredients.

Articles

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

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

  • More than 60 livestock industries and government representatives joined forces on 2 May 2014 in Perth to work through their respective sectors’ preparedness to communicate and implement a national