Alpaca and llama biosecurity

Biosecurity is relevant to everyone who owns or works with animals and birds, regardless of whether you are a large-scale producer/breeder, or keep animals as pets or a hobby. Biosecurity measures can help prevent the outbreak and spread of pests and diseases in your animals.

As seen with the equine influenza outbreak, animal diseases can be highly contagious and are capable of spreading large distances in a short period of time.

The nature of the alpaca and llama industries sees these animals often coming together in considerable numbers, and in some situations they regularly move from one location to another for breeding, agistment and exhibition.

Biosecurity

The simple biosecurity measures below are relevant to everyone who owns or works with alpacas and llamas – whether they be kept as a hobby or as a business.

If you are a breeder or seller, you should be familiar with your industry’s biosecurity or quality assurance program.

On your property

• Only allow visitors contact with your alpacas or llamas if necessary. Keep visitors out of housing areas and paddocks if they don't need to be there.
  
  
• For new alpacas or llamas arriving on your property, know where they've been prior to their arrival and make sure they're healthy. A 7-day period of quarantine (isolation) before introducing them to other animals on your property is advised. While in quarantine check your animals for signs of disease and treat them (for example, vaccination if appropriate) so they have the same health status as your herd. Also wash your hands and change your clothes before coming into contact with alpacas or llamas already on the property.

Gear and equipment

• Don't share your animal’s gear (for example, headstalls, leadropes, grooming and feeding equipment etc) with neighbours or other owners.
  
  
• If your gear has been used by other animals/people, make sure it's thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before coming back into contact with your animals. This includes headstalls, leadropes, rugs, feed and water bins. Ensure vets, shearers and others providing services use clean equipment on your alpacas or llamas.

You and your gear

Some diseases can be easily carried on people's clothing, hats, hair and footwear. This was illustrated during the equine influenza outbreak.

Before having contact with alpacas or llamas outside your property, wash your hands with soap and water, and change into clean clothes and footwear.

Floats and trucks

Where alpacas or llamas from different properties are using the one vehicle, it is suggested the interior of the float or truck be washed out and disinfected before loading new animals.

Cleaning and Disinfectants

For a surface to be sufficiently disinfected, it must first be thoroughly cleaned. Remove all soil, organic material, mucus, saliva and faeces.

Disinfection cannot be achieved without thoroughly cleaning the item first. Wash your gear with warm soapy water (such as washing detergent), and then use a disinfectant such as household chlorine bleach or hypochlorites. Use this in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions on the label.

Animal gatherings - exhibitions

The biosecurity measures outlined above are also applicable at exhibitions or where animals from different properties are gathered at the one location.

Don't share your gear, feed and water bins. While it is impossible to keep alpacas and llamas separate at such gatherings, make sure your animal(s) is in full health before leaving your property.
Any animals showing signs of illness should be isolated and veterinary attention sought.

Event organisers are encouraged to keep a record of participants and details about the animals attending the event. This could include their property of origin and how many animals have come from that property. This information will greatly assist in the containment of a disease if there is an outbreak.

Keep Records

Keeping a simple log of visitors to your property is also a good practice - especially if they have had contact with other animals prior to entering your property. Other details that are also important to record are vehicle registration and a mobile phone number.

Free visitor register sheets can be downloaded from www.farmbiosecurity.com.au

Reporting

The key to success in eradicating any disease (whether exotic or endemic) is early recognition. The sooner a disease is reported, the earlier authorities can contain it, undertake tracing and put a control program in place - providing a better chance of disease eradication.

Reporting is easy. Simply call your local vet or phone the national Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888. This will put you in contact with your state or territory department of primary industries or agriculture, where an officer will follow up on your report.

Most camelid diseases do not require alpacas or llamas to be destroyed for disease control purposes. Usually a worst case scenario will involve quarantine, a recovery period and where necessary, vaccination.

Industry Information and Quality Assurance

It doesn’t matter whether you are a breeder and sell alpacas and llamas or just have one on your property as a pet – biosecurity is relevant to everyone.

If you breed and sell alpacas or llamas, you should be familiar with your industry’s biosecurity plan/program (for example Q-Alpaca for the alpaca industry).

Keep Informed and Inform Others

For specific information about alpacas and llamas, as well as industry standards, visit your relevant association:

Australian Alpaca Association
www.alpaca.asn.au

Llama Association of Australasia Inc
www.llama.asn.au

Alpaca and llama biosecurity [997kb] Alpaca and llama biosecurity PDF [153kb]

Biosecurity Video Clips

See our videos showing the simple biosecurity measures you can implement around alpacas and llamas.