Understanding How Diseases Spread

Most animal diseases are caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites that are spread by:

Mother to offspring (maternal transmission).
Direct contact with infected animals.
Indirect transmission: infected animals to their environment, humans and / or machinery, vehicles etc that then spread infection to other animals.
Vectors, e.g. mosquitoes, ticks etc that carry the disease agent from an infected animal to a healthy one.
Eating or drinking contaminated food / pasture or water. Watercourses can introduce disease from other farms.
Breathing air contaminated by infected animals (airborne transmission).
Vermin, encouraged by vegetation and sources of food around farm buildings.

Animal Health & Welfare