|
Division of Animal Health and Dairy Services
Animal Health
|
Bureau of Animal Health
The Bureau of Animal Health focuses its efforts on ensuring the health and safety of the Commonwealth's domestic animals. Through diligent inspection, examination, licensing, quarantine, and enforcement of laws, regulations and orders and the provision of technical assistance the Bureau promotes the welfare of companion and food-producing animals in Massachusetts.
A REMINDER TO VETERINARIANS
As a result of regular contact with animal owners veterinarians are afforded the opportunity to educate people about disease prevention and acceptable biosecurity procedures. The veterinarian should set a good example for the client by employing measures to protect against the spread of potential disease. Protective clothing, footwear and gloves should be stored in the veterinarian’s vehicle and utilized by the veterinarian when visiting potentially infected farms. For emergencies, at lease one change of protective clothing should be stored in the veterinarian’s primary vehicle. After visiting a farm, prior to getting into the vehicle, protective clothing and footwear should be removed and placed into a designated receptacle or bag in the vehicle. Hands should be washed with appropriate soap and water or hand sanitizer if water is not available. If the veterinarian is not able to remove the protective clothing prior to getting into the vehicle, the vehicle should be sanitized prior to being used to go to another farm. If an infectious disease appears to be present it should be treated as such until proven otherwise.
The Animal Health initiatives include:
- Animal Shipment and Livestock Market Program:
All livestock, horses, poultry, waterfowl and other animals, including
cats, dogs and other pets entering Massachusetts from other states must
comply with Commonwealth regulations and requirements. This compliance
significantly reduces the possibility of introducing contagious disease
to our domestic animal population.
MDAR requires all livestock dealers, transporters, and auction lot owners
to be licensed. Facilities and equipment used for the handling and transporting
of livestock will be inspected as part of the licensing process.
For more information on specific animals, please click on the links below.
- Biosecurity, Livestock and Poultry Disease Control Programs:
The Poultry Disease Programs provide every poultry producer, from large farms to backyard flocks, technical assistance, testing and inspection to ensure disease-free, quality eggs and poultry. Programs include salmonella, avian influenza, mycoplasama testing, and egg and flock inspections.
Livestock disease control programs include, for cattle: brucellosis and tuberculosis; for swine: brucellosis and pseudorabies; for sheep and goats: scrapie; for horses: equine infectious anemia; and for llamas/camelids: brucellosis, tuberculosis and blue tongue. A cattle paratuberoulosis (Johne's Disease) control program will begin in 2003.
The Bureau of Animal Health provides technical assistance in bio-security management practices. Bio-security minimizes the introduction of disease onto farms, limits the spread of disease already on farms, and reduces the risk of disease being carried between farms. This includes controlling the transmission of disease-causing agents between animals, from animals to feed and from animals to equipment that may directly or indirectly contact other animals.
Click here for: Livestock & Poultry Bio-security Program
- Bio-terrorism Preparedness and Response
Program:
Funds have been provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to improve preparedness and response capabilities relative to bio-terrorism affecting animals. Food-producing animals and foods derived from animals could be targets of bio-terrorist acts. Many potential bio-terrorism agents are zoonotic; in some diseases clinical signs may manifest in animals prior to humans. Companion animals are an essential component of the Bio-terrorism Preparedness and Response Program; they serve a sentinel function for the human population.
- Equine Programs:
The Bureau of Animal Health promotes the breeding of thoroughbred and standardbred horses in the Commonwealth and licenses riding instructors, riding schools, and rental stables. The Equine Program ensures the health and safety of the Commonwealth's horses through its dealer/transporter licensing program and its Prevention and Suppression of Equine Infectious Anemia Program. The Bureau also participates in the registration of thoroughbred and standardbred racehorses for the Massachusetts State Racing Commission.
- Municipal Animal Inspection Program:
The Bureau of Animal Health appoints a municipal animal inspector for each and every city and town in the Commonwealth. The primary duty of the Animal Inspector has recently become rabies control in the domestic animal population. Municipal Animal Inspectors are also responsible for barn inspections and may be called to assist with domestic animal disease quarantines in the event of an outbreak.
- Pet Shop Inspection Program:
The Bureau of Animal Health has the statutory responsibility to license all pet shops. Pet shop inspections are required for licensure and re-licensure of all Massachusetts pet shops. The aim of the Pet Shop Inspection Program is to protect the health and well-being of the animals, the visiting public and the employees.
- Rabies Control Program:
Because rabies affects people as well as animals, control of this disease has become a top priority for the Bureau of Animal Health. With the cooperation of the Department of Public Health and the Division of Fisheries, Wildlife and Environmental Law Enforcement , every angle of potential rabies exposures gets covered in order to prevent further rabies exposures.
- Reportable Disease Program:
Reportable diseases may be foreign animal diseases which we currently do not have in this state; diseases which have serious public health consequences; or diseases that we have either previously eradicated from Massachusetts or are very close to eradicating. Veterinary practitioners are required to report suspect or positive cases of these diseases to the Bureau of Animal Health promptly. The Bureau will then take appropriate action following a thorough investigation and evaluation. The Bureau is in the process of developing a web-based disease reporting system for the convenience of veterinary practices and to improve after hours reporting. The list of Reportable diseases can be found here.
News and Features
Biosecurity Guidelines for:
 Livestock Auctions
Live Bird Markets
Poultry Facilities
Dairy Facilities
Hot Topics
Monkeypox
Mad Cow Disease
Foot-and-Mouth Disease
|
Important Information:
Related Links
|
