Farm Animal Restriction Protocols

Purpose for Restriction:

Restriction is used proactively to protect other hospitalized animals from exposure to infectious diseases by temporarily isolating a patient until its infection status has been clarified. Stall Restriction is initiated to contain a potential pathogen that has not yet been identified. The objective is to limit contact with the pathogen, by limiting the number of individuals in contact with the patient, limiting patient movement in the clinic, and carefully restricting the use of equipment and supplies to an individual stall.

Criteria for animals that must be placed under Restriction (only if they are not suspect of a disease requiring isolation)

• Please see the FA infectious disease chart for suspected pathogens and recommended PPE/restriction practices.
• Any patient (cattle, goats, sheep, alpacas, llamas, pigs, camels) exhibiting signs of respiratory disease such as coughing, respiratory distress or increased effort, nasal and/or ocular discharge in combination with fever or that has been diagnosed with respiratory disease (ultrasound, radiographs, endoscopy) highly suspicious of infectious etiology with or without fever.
• Any patient admitted with neurologic signs consistent with rabies.
• Any patient with a non-healing or infected wound, from which a multi-antimicrobial drug resistant pathogen has been cultured
• Any ruminant with a CAE/CL/Johne’s positive test result or originating from a CAE/CL/Johne’s disease positive herd.
• Any ruminant with oral or teat lesions consistent with ORF or other contagious lesions.
• Any bovine over 1 month of age presenting with non-hemorrhagic diarrhea in the absence of fever & absence of neutropenia.

Use of Restriction and Communication

• Stall Restriction status requires mandatory clear communication between the attending clinician and the EFAVC Technical and Attendant Staff Supervisors.
• The EFAVC Supervisors are responsible for informing all personnel, who may have contact with an animal, about the nature of the infectious disease(s) to be encountered. This communication should be done via email through LAZoonotic@lists.ncsu.edu, or verbally.
• When the presence of a pathogen requiring isolation housing has been identified or is strongly suspected by a clinician, stall restriction is not a substitute for movement of the animal to isolation.
• Stall restriction may be appropriate for animals that have recently had abdominal surgery or other procedures that may contribute to induced transient episodes of diarrhea.
• Patients diagnosed with or suspect of having a zoonotic disease require further special management, including contact logs and mandatory communications. Protocol for Handling Patients with Zoonotic Infections

Visitors (Non-CVM persons)

• See EFAVC Visitation Policy for specifics.

Standard Restriction PPE

• Disposable boots, gloves, gown/blue apron, face shield and mask, when applicable.
  • New PPE should be donned immediately prior to entering the Restricted area
  • PPE is disposable and should be discarded as exiting the restriction area, avoiding contamination of the non-restricted area.
  • In some cases (e.g. abortions, see infectious disease chart), masks are to be worn as well.
  • Hands need to be sanitized before donning and after doffing PPE. If hands are visibly soiled/dirty, hand washing is mandatory before sanitizing.

Temporary Movement and Permanent Withdrawal from Restriction

• Generally, animals under Restriction are not permitted to leave the Restriction Zone/area. However, if temporary movement of a restricted patient is required, this must be coordinated with an EFAVC supervisor to ensure proper and immediate disinfection of all affected surfaces. Temporary movement is permitted only under the following circumstances:
  • An animal requires an essential surgical procedure that must be performed in the VH.
  • An animal requires an essential medical or diagnostic procedure that cannot be performed in restriction.
• An animal can be permanently removed from restriction if they have tested negative for all pertinent diseases and/or have resolved all relevant signs (e.g., fever, neutropenia,  diarrhea, skin lesions).
• Removal of an animal from restriction for any other reason requires consultation with the EFAVC Director and/or IDC Committee.

Equipment use in restriction

• Equipment used while providing care to a restricted animal must be appropriately disinfected or sterilized before used on another animal.

Diagnostic Testing and Sample Collection

• Diagnostic testing can facilitate timely diagnosis and inform removal of an animal from restriction. Suggested diagnostic testing could include respiratory pathogen identification, abortion panels and fecal examination.
• Fecal samples collected for Salmonella PCR & culture must be collected in accordance with the EFAVC Biosecurity Surveillance Program Policy.
• In situations where an animal  is strongly suspected of having an infectious disease, including zoonoses, necessitating Restriction, yet appropriate diagnostic testing is not performed, the animal will remain in Restriction.