• Danish Pig Production
• Guidelines to visiting farms

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Guidelines to visiting farms

Increased across-border travel enhances the risk of transmitting contagious diseases to Danish pig or cattle herds and poses a growing threat to the high Danish zoo-sanitary status.

The diseases in question are mainly Foot & Mouth Disease, African and European Swine Fever, Swine Vesicular Disease and Aujeszky’s Disease, which all occur in parts of Europe.

Any person or object that has been in direct or indirect contact with an infected animal may passively transmit viruses, which cause the above-mentioned diseases, to a susceptible animal with serious consequences for animal husbandry and meat exports.

Visitors from abroad or visitors returning from abroad are therefore requested to observe the following guidelines strictly:

1. Visitors are not allowed to enter any pig or cattle farm within the first 48 hours of their visit to Denmark.
   
   A 48-hour postponement reduces the risk of passive transmission of virus.
   
   
2. The host should be aware that without the permission of the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration it is strictly forbidden to bring any kind of meat or meat products (even for private purposes and for gifts) into the EU from third countries.
   
   Any remains or leftovers should be disposed of in a safe way (incinerated).
   
   Feeding leftovers to pigs or cattle is strictly forbidden
   
   
3. Footwear, walking sticks and other items may be contaminated with dirt, dust or plant material containing germs that could cause serious diseases. Visitors should therefore use clean footwear (best clean gumboots) and protective overall or coat and hat supplied by the herd owner.
   
   The use of disposable clothes and footwear, which are left at the farm after use, is the most effective way to prevent infection with clothing.
   
   
4. The visitor must not walk on the fodder passageway or step on the fodder troughs.
   
   
5. Please note that special strict rules apply to those visiting Specific Pathogen Free pig herds. Please follow the instructions given by the herd manager.
   
   
6. Effective disinfection methods with regard to Foot and Mouth Disease, Swine Fever and Aujeszky’s Disease (the disinfection is only effective if all items are thoroughly cleaned before disinfection):
   
   
7. 1. Wash and immerse the item in a 0.2% sodium hydroxide solution, let the item soak for 20 minutes, then rinse it in clean water. The disinfectant is highly corrosive!
      
      
   2. Spray the item with an aldehyde solution, such as formaldehyde (Formalin).
      
      Formaldehyde is a highly effective disinfectant. Be careful, formaldehyde is eye and skin irritant and dangerous when inhaled.

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