Biosecurity

Biosecurity is fundamental for safeguarding our valuable agricultural resources against the threat and impacts of pests, weeds and diseases (pests).

Biosecurity is the management of the risk of animal and plant pests and diseases entering, emerging, establishing or spreading in Western Australia, to protect our economy, environment and the community.

To protect Western Australian agricultural industries from pests the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia:

  • Works with stakeholders to identify and manage biosecurity risks.
  • Develops legislation.
  • Establishes import controls.
  • Conducts inspections.
  • Provides quarantine services as required.

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

Articles

  • This webpage outlines the market impacts of a Johne’s disease (JD) diagnosis, biosecurity practices to reduce the likelihood of JD in sheep occurring on your property, the SheepMAP program, and opt

  • ‘Calf scours’ is when young calves develop diarrhoea and become dehydrated. The scour can be white, yellow, grey or blood-stained, and is often foul-smelling.

  • Pregnancy toxaemia and hypocalcaemia affect lambing ewe flocks and have similar signs but different causes.

  • The poultry biosecurity checklist summarises the actions needed to protect your poultry and the Western Australian poultry industry from the devastating effects of emergency diseases such as avian

  • There are multiple causes of infertility, abortion and stillbirths in cows. These include some diseases that are exotic to Western Australia and some zoonotic diseases.

  • Mastitis is the term for a bacterial infection of the udder. It is most common in ewes raising multiple lambs or with high milk production.

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

  • 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.

  • Arthritis means inflammation in one or more joints. In sheep, it is usually the result of bacterial infection.