Managing diseases of animals

Pests and diseases that affect animals can have a major impact on your business's profitability, so it's important to understand the risks and take action to protect your animals.

If you notice unusual signs of disease, abnormal behaviour or unexpected deaths in your livestock, call the Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888. This national service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Some diseases can be transmitted from animals to people, so it's essential to minimise this risk by practising good personal hygiene, wearing protective clothing, maintaining healthy animals and undertaking preventative treatments and vaccinations where appropriate. 

This guide provides an overview of pests and diseases in animals. It also includes information about on-farm biosecurity and what you can do to minimise risk.