Disease surveillance and control

Introduction

This section is for animal producers who want to find out more about monitoring and control programs for livestock diseases in the Northern Territory (NT).

The Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade carries out disease surveillance activities on pastoral properties and small farms around the NT.

These activities take place as part of a national surveillance system designed to prevent new diseases coming into Australia or existing diseases spreading to new areas.

Read the Agnote veterinary surveillance PDF (139.2 KB).

Responding to emergency animal diseases

An emergency animal disease outbreak could seriously damage the Australian economy, environment, livestock industries or impact human health.

Get the responding to emergency animal diseases fact sheet PDF (1.9 MB). DOCX (157.7 KB)


National surveillance and control programs

The Northern Territory (NT) participates in national animal disease surveillance, control and management programs, including the:


National Arbovirus Monitoring Program

This program monitors three important insect-borne livestock viruses:

  • bluetongue virus
  • Akabane virus
  • bovine ephemeral fever (BEF) or three-day sickness.

Viruses transmitted by insects are called arboviruses. They are spread by culicoides midges across the north of the Northern Territory (NT).

Southern NT remains arbovirus-free. The boundary between the two areas - across the southern Katherine and Tennant Creek/Alice Springs regions - is monitored.

Several strains of bluetongue virus have been identified in the NT but have not produced disease in cattle.

Akabane and BEF are both widespread in northern NT and can cause seasonal illness and production losses in cattle.

Surveillance activities

A network of sentinel cattle herds is maintained at research stations throughout the NT.

Blood samples are collected from cattle and insect vectors are trapped at monthly intervals.

Test results are used to update the National Arbovirus Monitoring Program (NAMP) map and reflect the seasonal changes in arbovirus distribution.

How information is used

NAMP information is used for all of the following purposes:

  • to support trade - it is used during export protocol negotiations and to assist exporters in meeting export certification requirements
  • to provide an early warning to producers - surveillance detects cases in areas not previously affected allowing early warning for producers
  • to manage risk - exporters can identify virus-free areas to source cattle from for export to virus-sensitive markets.

To read more about the program, go to the Animal Health Australia website.

You can also get the following information sheets about arboviruses and monitoring in the NT:


National mad cow disease and scrapie monitoring

Animal Health Australia coordinates a national program to monitor the following transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) diseases:

  • bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, which affects cattle
  • scrapie, which affects sheep and goats.

Neither disease is present in Australia.

National TSE Freedom Assurance Program

Animal Health Australia manages the TSE Freedom Assurance Program to keep Australian animals and their products free of these diseases and minimise the risk of them entering.

The program incorporates:

  • surveillance
  • ruminant feeding restrictions, including audit, feed sampling and testing
  • quarantine of all susceptible animals imported from countries which have later experienced TSEs.

To find out more, go to the Animal Health Australia website.

National restrictions

Since 1988 Australia has banned the importation of cattle, embryos and meat and bone meal from countries affected by mad cow disease.

Cattle feeding restrictions

You must not feed meat meal, bone meal, blood meal, fish meal, poultry meal, feather meal and poultry manure to ruminants.

To learn more about mad cow disease and restrictions on cattle feed, read the Agnote cattle feeding restrictions to prevent mad cow disease PDF (286.2 KB).


Screw-worm fly surveillance and preparedness program

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You must report screw-worm fly in the Northern Territory (NT).

Screw-worm fly infection is a serious animal disease which would have serious consequences for the northern livestock industry if the fly was to be found in Australia.

Screw-worm fly is a fatal insect parasite of warm-blooded animals including people and birds.

What it looks like

The fly has red eyes and a shiny blue-green body. It looks similar to Australian blowflies.

The flies lay eggs on the edge of open wounds from scratches, injury, branding, dehorning or castration.

Maggots hatch and feed on the underlying flesh, causing extensive tissue damage. Left untreated, animals can die from infection and loss of tissue fluid.

To read about how to identify and report screw-worm fly, go to the Animal Health Australia website.

Surveillance activities

Three sites close to the Darwin port are monitored throughout the year for screw-worm fly.

How to monitor wounds in livestock

It's important you check wounds on livestock for maggots to ensure early detection of screw-worm fly.

If you find maggots, you should follow the steps below:

Step 1. Collect up to 10 maggots from deep in the wound.

Step 2. Drop them in hot water for one minute.

Step 3. Place the maggots in a container with 3 parts methylated spirit to one part water, or vinegar.

Step 4. Report the maggots - see below.

For more information on how to diagnose and control screw-worm fly, go to the Animal Health Australia website.

How to report screw-worm fly maggots

To report the maggots, contact your local livestock biosecurity officer.

If you suspect your animals have screw-worm fly, you can call the national emergency disease watch hotline on 1800 675 888.

If you find maggots, you should follow the instructions in the collection and transportation of screw-worm fly maggots fact sheet PDF (323.0 KB).

For more information, go to the Animal Health Australia website.