Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Welsh Government
Disease Management (Contingency) Plan
in the Event of a Suspected or Confirmed Case
of Notifiable Disease
at
Show and/or Sale
Dates and times
Circulation List
A copy of this plan can be found:
Address
Date hard or electronic copy of this
document provided
Licensee at
Licensed
Premises
Postcode
APHA Office
Local Authority
Contents
1. Aim and objectives of the Contingency Plan
2. Details of the premises, local Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) office and Local Authority
3. Section 1 of the Plan – Licensee
4. Notices for distributing to people on the premises in the event of a notifiable disease being suspected Appendix 2 and Appendix 3
5. Section 2 of the Plan - APHA
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6. Summary of the sequence of events when a notifiable disease is suspected - Appendix 4
Disease Management (Contingency) Plan In The Event of a Suspected
or Confirmed Case of a Notifiable Disease
1. Aim
The Contingency Plan is split into two distinct parts. Section 1 deals with action undertaken by the licensee and
their staff and section 2 deals with the role of (APHA).
Section 1 is prepared by the licensee and section 2 by APHA. It is essential that the licensee, the market authority
(if applicable), the local authority and APHA familiarise themselves fully with both parts of the Contingency plan.
The Contingency plan contains important elements of training and instruction for staff employed at the gathering
and its purpose is to deal effectively and efficiently with any suspected or confirmed case of a notifiable disease by
ensuring that staff from Defra, Welsh Government, the Local Authority and the staff at the licensed premises work
as a team.
Objectives:
Overall the Contingency Plan will:
1. describe how the licensee and their staff will respond to the report of a suspect notifiable disease by any
person at the animal gathering
2. describe the methods, including any detailed procedures to be undertaken by the licensee and his staff
following the report of a notifiable disease at the event
3. describe the methods, including any detailed procedures to be undertaken by the licensee and his staff
following the report of a notifiable disease in the country
4. record the essential contact details required in response to a notifiable disease report, and
5. record the location of any necessary information and equipment in relation to the contingency plan.
Contingency plans must be reviewed and updated regularly and as a minimum when any
significant structural, management or procedural changes are implemented.
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Details of Licensed Premises
Licensee
Address
Postcode
Premises address
Postcode
Contact details:
BioSecurity Officer(s)
Office hours contact:
Gathering hours contact:
Ordnance Survey
map reference
Location and map reference for vehicle wash
Location and map reference of equipment
cleaning and disinfection area - if off site.
APHA office Details
Contact name at
APHA office
Address
Postcode
Telephone Number(s)
During office hours
Fax Number(s)
Email address
Licensing Veterinary Officer
Mobile phone contact (office
hours only)
Local Authority office Details
Address
Postcode
Telephone Number(s)
During office hours
Out of office hours
Fax Number(s)
Team leader/Inspector(s)
who may attend the
gathering if known.
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Section 1 – Licensee/Event Organiser
Responsibility
Plan Details, Equipment And Records
Training and
instruction of all
employees that
work at the
premises
Notification of any
suspicion of a
notifiable disease
Apply Controls on
the public
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Apply Controls on
vehicles
Provide reasonable
assistance to the
Veterinary
Inspector
Have suitable plans
for housing animals
–
water/feed/bedding
etc
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Notes for Guidance –Section 1
Responsibility
Plan Details, Equipment And Records
Training and
instruction of all
employees that work at
the premises
All employees/event stewards who may be asked to work at the gathering will have full
training confirmed in the training record book in the event of the contingency plan being
implemented. Members of staff will have their own copy in the market office for
reference. They will all be aware of the importance of:
 contacting Auctioneer/Licensee, Animal Health Inspector, Local Authority officers or
Veterinary surgeon (if present) on suspicion of disease
 training in recognition of notifiable disease (FMD/Scrapie/BSE/Bluetongue etc.)





Notification of any
suspicion of a
notifiable disease

Any suspicions of notifiable disease will be reported to the Licensee or Biosecurity
officer for immediate investigation, or directly to any officer from APHA or Local
Authority attending the gathering or to the local APHA office (listed above)

Staff/stewards will all be called to perimeter of affected animal holding area for
discussion with licensee and biosecurity officer and priority actions allocated
The animal(s) will not be moved until agreement has been made whether to isolate in
isolation area or pen it in the group it arrived with, near an entrance

Apply Controls on the
public
No-one leaving the site if they contacted a suspect prior to the investigation
A non-contact person rejecting arriving loads and locking and manning gates
Telephone contact to in-transit loads to wait away from the site
Closing all access gates and advising attendees of C&D requirements via the leaflet
as attached, 20 copies being held on site permanently and facilities available to
produce as many as necessary
Keeping up to date with any changes in the plan or national situation.


The entrance will be locked internally and the exits will be closed and manned
An information notice will be taken and displayed on all the entrance and exit gates
immediately by a member of staff.

Have barriers available on site to be used to close entrances/exit to keep public and
non- keepers for stock on affected lines away



Have footbaths provided at the entrances/exit to the animal area
Have an adequate supply of Notices (see Appendix 2) on the premises for
distribution to people leaving the premises will be able to be prepared within 30
minutes
APHA will provide tape to exclude people if necessary

Local Authority officers may provide support and advice in applying controls.
One of three levels of control will be applied:
1) In the event of a vesicular disease (Foot and Mouth Disease or Swine Vesicular
Disease), Bluetongue or Swine Fever being suspected, the licensee or biosecurity officer
will immediately implement movement restrictions, pending service of an official notice,
EXD01. They will ensure the following actions:
a) Use barriers, tape and gates to isolate animals if necessary
b) Close and man all access points to the premises until supplies of notices obtained
from the market office until arrival of VO
c) Halt auction/showing in the appropriate section to prevent further internal stock
movement
d) Ask the public to leave the site via one exit using the footbaths and brushes at the
exit door and being directed to the wash room for personal cleaning. No-one to be
allowed to enter unless an Animal Health Inspector, Veterinary Surgeon, APHA staff
or essential staff member
e) Information notices will be given to all on leaving and the need for non-contact with
livestock until totally cleaned explained
f) Movement restrictions on livestock on the site will be immediately implemented by
licensee through staff or stewards
g) The site access will be closed and all other vehicles turned away by a member of
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staff who has had no contact with the stock on the site.
2)
3)
Apply Controls on
vehicles
The licensee or biosecurity officer will ensure the following:
 Take a note of the vehicle registration number of all vehicles (including non-livestock)
that insist on leaving the site prior to the investigation and give to veterinary inspector





Provide reasonable
assistance to the
Veterinary Inspector
Have suitable plans
for housing animals –
water/feed/bedding
etc
Hand them a Notice and advise they remain away from livestock until they have
personally cleaned and disinfected clothing as appropriate
Livestock vehicles will not be permitted to enter or leave the animal area pending the
outcome of a veterinary investigation once the inspector has issued a restriction
notice
Gates will be closed at all entrances and exits
If necessary on a large site the main gates will be closed until a flow of traffic not
associated with the livestock gathering, and outside the licensed premises, has been
identified and released
No controls are required for any separate public car park

If the vehicle that transported the suspect animal is still on site it shall not be moved
until full C&D has been carried out to the satisfaction of an Animal Health Inspector.

Biosecurity officer, will gather staff and allocate specific areas of control - gates,
animal area, exits from animal area
All will be provided with leaflets for disease (Appendix 2 or Appendix 3)
Any stewards or staff will be immediately available to assist the Veterinary Inspector
as required




Assistance to move stock to isolation or secure facility will be given
A supply of bag for contaminated outer clothing not able to be disinfected at the time
will be provided by the licensee.

This may include holding animals for one - two days pending veterinary inspection
and licensing home in the event of a national movement ban
or up to three - four days if disease is suspected on the market premises and
diagnostic samples have been submitted
Describe stores feed and bedding held on site and water supply to pens
Describe facilities for holding animals - feed and water containers etc.
List companies or individuals from where additional feed/bedding can be obtained at
short notice.
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

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In the event of Brucellosis (a bovine aborting), Tuberculosis, or Anthrax being
suspected, the licensee or biosecurity officer will:
a) keep people and other animals away from the suspect animal/s
b) man the pedestrian access points to the relevant section of the site and prevent
any person from entering that section
c) request people leaving the Biosecure Area to use the disinfectant foot mats,
dips and cleansing facilities at the exit points, to cleanse and disinfect footwear
and waterproof protective clothing, to wash their hands and to remove fabric
protective clothing
d) post ‘Contagious Disease - Keep Out’ notices
e) keep people and other animals away from the suspect animal/s
f) halt auctions/showing in the appropriate section to limit internal stock
movements
They will not move the suspect animal/s or any other animals in the same section of
the market, unless necessary for welfare reasons.
In the event of Sheep Scab, Warble Fly, Scrapie or BSE being suspected, the
licensee or biosecurity officer will keep people and other animals away from the
suspect animal/s.
They will not move the suspect animal/s unless necessary for welfare reasons.
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Appendix 2
Important Notice
A Notifiable Disease is Suspected in Animals on This Site
It is Possible for People to Carry this Disease off the Premises on their
Clothing, Hair, Boots or Vehicles.
You are strongly advised to do the following in order to minimise the spread of disease:
 Use the brushes provided at the exit points to remove any bedding or
animal manure/slurry from your foot wear and to walk through the
disinfectant foot mat at the exit.
 Before handling or walking around any farm animals outside of these
premises, remove all outer clothing and subject them to a full hot wash
cycle (60OC) or have them dry cleaned and have a shower or bath
yourself, paying particular attention to hands, fingernails and hair.
Thank you for your co-operation.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused
We are sure you appreciate the reasons for these actions.
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Appendix 3
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Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Welsh Government
Animal and Plant Health Agency
Important Notice
Foot And Mouth Disease
Foot and Mouth Disease has been suspected in livestock on this Showground.
You are requested to leave the Animal Area immediately so that Animal and Plant
Health Agency (APHA) Officials can take the necessary action as swiftly and efficiently
as possible.
Foot and Mouth Disease is a highly infectious disease which can affect all clovenhoofed animals i.e. cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and deer.
It is possible for human beings to carry the virus.
It usually causes fever, salivation and lameness in cattle, and lameness in sheep, pigs,
goats and deer.
If you have the slightest suspicion that the disease might exist in your stock, or in stock
with which you have contact, you must by law report your suspicion to the Local APHA
office, to the Police or to the Local Authority.
Ideally you should not have contact with susceptible animals for 72 hours. If it is
essential for you to have contact with such animals, you should bath or shower and
have a complete change of clothing when you reach home and in any event, before
you have contact with the animals.
Thank you for your co-operation and we apologise if your day has been spoiled.
However, we are sure you will appreciate the reasons for this action, and the harm that
would be done to the livestock industry of this country if the disease went unchecked.
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Section 2 – Animal and Plant Health Agency
Sequence of Events When a Notifiable Disease is Suspected at an Animal Gathering
Reporting suspicion of notifiable disease to Animal and Plant Health Agency
1. If either a member of the public or a member of the premises staff becomes aware that a notifiable disease
may be present in an animal on the premises they must immediately notify the licensee or Local Authority
(LA). The licensee will:
(a) immediately contact the local APHA Office. The person making the report should state that they are
reporting a notifiable disease and ask to speak to either the Duty Veterinary Officer (VO) or
Veterinary Head of Field Delivery (VHoFD)/Veterinary Lead Wales (VLW).
(b) the VHoFD/VLW/VO will advise the licensee what to do. The type of advice given on the phone will
depend on the contingency plan and may include:
i)
ii)
iii)
iv)
v)
do not move the animals which are under suspicion and those in surrounding pens until asked to do
so by a veterinary inspector
restrict access of the public to that specific area where the animals under suspicion are located
close all site access roads (entry and exit) and stop vehicles entering and leaving
restrict pedestrian access points and ensure that cleansing and disinfection points are used
set up of advisory notices at entry and exit points to the site.
2) A VO will be sent immediately to the site. The local enforcement agencies including the local authority and,
in some cases the police, may be requested to attend the premises by the VO. Local authority are able to
serve a restriction notice on the premises.
3) The VO will seek any assistance that is considered necessary e.g. notifiable disease kits, further veterinary
resource and Animal Health Officer support. The VO will be instructed to inspect the suspect animal(s) and
follow the standing instructions for the disease concerned.
4) If a Veterinary Inspector is on site he will immediately notify the VHoFD/VLW of any reports of a notifiable
disease at the gathering and to seek any assistance that is considered necessary and will be instructed to
inspect the suspect animal(s) and follow the standing instructions for the disease concerned
5) The licensee should follow the procedures outlined in paragraph 1(b) unless the Veterinary Inspectors say
otherwise.
Service of a Restriction Notice on the premises
1) The Veterinary Inspector (or a LA) will serve a restriction notice on the premises. The event staff or
stewards and/or Police, APHA or LA staff will close gates or barricades to prevent public access to restricted
premises.
Veterinary examination of the suspect animals on the premises
1) The Veterinary Inspector will then carry out a detailed examination of the animals under suspicion and any
others that have come from the same premises. Premises staff must provide all reasonable assistance to
the Veterinary Inspector to allow him to carry out this examination. This may involve moving the suspect
animals to isolation facilities.
Outcome of the veterinary examination
1) After consultation with colleagues, the Veterinary Inspector will reach one of two conclusions after the
detailed veterinary examination. These are:
(a) the animal(s) do not have any signs of a notifiable disease and the premises can resume its normal
activities; or,
(b) the presence of a notifiable disease cannot be ruled out and further investigation is necessary. This will
only be done in discussion with Head of Field Delivery England (HFDE)/Head of Field Delivery Wales
(HFDW)/VHoFD/VLW and Defra Veterinary Advisor. In these circumstances the following procedures
will apply:
i)
diagnostic samples will be taken and submitted to an appropriate laboratory
ii)
controlled evacuation of the public from the property taking the necessary biosecurity measures
iii)
supervision of the cleansing and disinfection of all vehicles within the licensed premises;
iv)
Implementation of the Animal Health part of the Contingency Plan.
Evacuation of the Premises
1) Animal Health officials will then begin to organise the removal of members of the public/farmers. As the site
is under restrictions, it is necessary for a licence to be issued for everybody and everything (vehicles,
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equipment etc.) that leaves the animal area/licensed premises. These will normally be issued by the APHA
officials or LA staff.
2) Members of the general public leaving the premises will be advised that a notifiable disease is being
investigated and asked to take the following precautions before going to any premises with other susceptible
livestock:
i)
use the brushes and footbaths at the premises to cleanse and disinfect their footwear;
ii) to keep away from any susceptible livestock until they have changed their outer clothes and washed
themselves
iii) subject any outer clothing they have had on at the event to a full 60OC (hot wash) cycle or have
them dry-cleaned.
3) Members of staff, stewards, judges and any other person authorised to handle the animals by the
licensee leaving the premises will be asked to take the following precautions before going to any premises
with other susceptible livestock:
i)
use the brushes and footbaths at the premises to cleanse and disinfect their footwear and leave
them and any protective clothing they were wearing at the premises. The licensee will be
responsible for cleansing and disinfecting all such protective clothing and footwear under
supervision.
ii) to keep away from any susceptible livestock until they have changed their outer clothes and washed
themselves
iii) subject any outer clothing they have had on at the event to a full 60OC (hot wash) cycle or have
them dry cleaned or any other process as necessary.
4) ALL vehicles leaving the premises must be fully cleansed and disinfected before being allowed to leave or the
CP will give the location to which they will be licensed for C&D. The actual cleansing and disinfecting will be
done under supervision and will include ensuring that the inside of driver’s cabs and other vehicles are cleaned
and the outside is fully cleansed and disinfected in accordance with the requirements specified by an Inspector.
Special attention will be paid to any vehicle that has transported livestock to the animal gathering.
Action within the Licensed premises
Welfare of animals at the animal gathering
1) The licensee is responsible for ensuring that any livestock remaining on the premises are properly fed, watered
and bedded while they are there.
Fate of animals at the animal gathering
1) In consultation with other colleagues, the VHoFD/VLW/HFDE/HFDW is responsible for deciding what to do with
the livestock at the gathering, which can be categorised into:
i)
suspect animals
ii) dangerous contacts from same premises
iii) dangerous contacts transported in the same vehicle(s)
iv) dangerous contacts which arrived after the suspects and used the same unloading pens
v) animals that arrived before the suspects
2) The actual fate of the animals at the animal gathering will be dependent upon the notifiable disease being
investigated and the risk assessment that the animals are actually infected.
Fate of equipment at the gathering
1) No one will be allowed to remove any objects or equipment from the animal areas until it has been subject to
preliminary cleansing and disinfection.
2) Equipment in vehicles will be subject to C&D at the vehicle wash site.
3) This will be carried out after removal of livestock.
4) Equipment at the gathering must be cleansed and disinfected. This must be done on site as a preliminary
disinfection.
5) Full C&D may be carried out at the location specified in section 1. Please note this will be done under
supervision.
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Appendix 4
Flow for management of suspect notifiable disease at a gathering
Notifiable disease suspected. Contact APHA. VO to attend. LA informed
At access to licensed premises:
1. Stewards/staff to divert livestock
vehicles to a park site.
2. Gate to be closed from any Stock
Vehicle Park into licensed
premises.
3. Arriving stock vehicles to be
diverted from main entrance to
other parking away from entrance
4. Stewards/staff to restrict access
from public of entrants and their
stock to affected area.
5. No people allowed access into
affected stock/vehicle except
owner or keeper.
On licensed premises:
1. Biosecurity officer to notify all staff/members of problem
2. All stewards/staff to support Biosecurity officer in lines affected.
3. Organiser to notify all gates to be closed until information
sheets are available to hand out to attendees.
4. Organiser to send person to close vehicle exit gates from
showground and stock vehicles park.
5. Stewards/staff to close off lines/pens and prevent
public/stockman access except owner/keeper of affected
animal(s).
6. No animals allowed to move from this line/pen and the next
(nose to nose) line/pens.
7. People within the lines to stay in lines if possible but if not, a
steward will prevent their exit without C&D.
8. Footwear to have full C&D overseen.
9. Any contaminated overalls to be left in the lines.
10. People to then be directed to the toilets for hand washing.
11. If negative then stand down and Biosecurity office to gather
stockmen for short explanation of situation..
APHA VO unable to rule out notifiable disease without further investigation
EXD01 restrictions served. No one to leave the licensed premises without notification of risk and steps to take.
Local Authority assist in advice re: control of movements
At entrance to licensed premises:
6. Restriction served on vehicle or
area affected.
7. Inspection and examination of stock
with owner.
On licensed premises – unable to rule out and samples taken
12. EXD01 conditions apply: Stewards/staff all notified of
restrictions
13. No one to leave/enter animal areas without a licence
14. Show organiser to copy appendix 2 and provide copies to
a) All stewards/staff
b) All employees at Entrances and Exits to the premises.
15. Exit gates to be opened to people exiting once they have
leaflets in place to distribute and can record details of persons with
stock at home (if given).
16. Exit staff to monitor C&D of footwear before leaving.
Notifiable disease confirmed. APHA notifies LA, licensee and biosecurity officer.
During Gathering: Disease confirmed
1. Livestock at premises to be valued and slaughtered as necessary. APHA to remove for disposal.
2. No stock or vehicles will leave.
3. Owners to be dealt with by APHA but support from staff/stewards, LA etc.
4. No Stewards to leave site without full C&D
5. Vehicles to be cleansed and disinfected at vehicle wash under APHA supervision.
APHA is an Executive Agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and also works on behalf of the Scottish
Government, Welsh Government and Food Standards Agency to safeguard animal and plant health for the benefit of people, the
environment and the economy.
HM3 Stamp
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Date Received:
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WS ID: