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Guidelines to mitigate the impactof the COVID-19 pandemic on
livestock production and animal health
Guidelines to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on livestock production and animal health
Page 1 of 19
Guidelines to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on
livestock production and animal health
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Rome, 2020
Guidelines to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on livestock production and animal health
Page 2 of 19
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abbreviations and acronyms ......................................................................................................... 3
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 4
1. COVID-19 OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................. 4
1.1 COVID-19 .......................................................................................................................... 4
1.2 SARS-CoV-2 ...................................................................................................................... 4
1.3 COVID-19 in animals ......................................................................................................... 5
2. THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE LIVESTOCK SUPPLY CHAIN AND ANIMAL HEALTH .......... 5
2.1 The impact of COVID-19 on the livestock supply chain ..................................................... 5
2.2 The impact of COVID-19 on animal disease prevention and control ................................. 7
3. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE LIVESTOCK SUPPLY CHAIN AND ANIMAL HEALTH ................ 9
3.1 Recommendations for livestock farmers .......................................................................... 9
3.2 Recommendations for animal health professionals (veterinarians,
veterinary technicians and veterinary paraprofessionals) ..................................................... 11
3.3 Recommendations for animal product processing plants, live animal markets and
related supply chains ............................................................................................................ 12
3.4 Recommendations for policy makers at national level .................................................... 13
References ................................................................................................................................... 15
Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................... 19
Guidelines to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on livestock production and animal health
Page 3 of 19
Page 3 of 19
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
ICT Information and communication technology
MERS
MERS-CoV
Middle East respiratory syndrome
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus
OIE World Organisation for Animal Health
PCR Polymerase chain reaction
PPE Personal protective equipment
RNA
SARS
Ribonucleic acid
Severe acute respiratory syndrome
SARS-CoV Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus
SARS-CoV-2 Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
TAD Transboundary animal disease
WHO World Health Organization
NGO Non-governmental organization
Guidelines to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on livestock production and animal health
Page 4 of 19
Page 4 of 19
INTRODUCTION
COVID-19 has had a substantial impact on many sectors at global, regional and national levels,
including the livestock sector (FAO, 2020; G20, 2020). The actions taken in many countries, such
as lockdown, travel restrictions and border controls, have resulted in unintended or negative
consequences for the livestock sector, including but not limited to (i) difficulty moving live animals
and animal products like milk, meat and eggs to markets, (ii) restrictions potentially limiting
seasonal border crossings (transhumance) with ruminants, (iii) restricted capacity to purchase
necessary production inputs, (iv) restricted access to labour and professional services. These
difficulties have led to a decrease in processing capacity for animal products, as well as loss of
sales and slowdown of market activity. Additionally, COVID-19 could undermine the capacities of
countries to prevent and control animal diseases – as governments and households reallocate
resources to respond to the pandemic and reduce its socio-economic impact. Of particular
concern are current outbreaks of transboundary animal diseases such as African swine fever, foot
and mouth disease, avian influenza and other infectious animal diseases whose prevention and
control may have been severely compromised.
The purpose of these guidelines is to describe the impact of COVID-19 on livestock production and animal disease prevention and control, and to provide practical recommendations for actors along value chains to reduce this impact and ensure continuity of the livestock supply chain and animal health. The target beneficiaries of these guidelines are livestock value chain actors including livestock farmers, slaughterhouse workers, animal product processors, traders, animal health professionals and veterinary paraprofesionals, policy makers and other relevant stakeholders.
1. COVID-19 OVERVIEW
1.1 COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease of humans caused by a newly
discovered coronavirus: severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The
most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, dry cough and shortness of breath or
difficulty breathing (WHO, 17 April 2020; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020).
According to available reports (WHO, 2020; Yang X. et al, 2020; Zhou F. et al, 2020 ), some patients
may have aches and pains in joints or muscles, repeated shaking with chills, nasal congestion,
runny nose, sore throat, diarrhea, and loss of smell and taste in some cases. In severe cases,
COVID-19 can be complicated by acute respiratory disease syndrome, sepsis and multiple organ
failure (Yang X. et al, 2020). Most COVID-19 patients (85 percent) experience mild or
uncomplicated illness, approximately 14 percent develop severe disease requiring hospitalization
and 5 percent will require intensive care (The Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Emergency
Response Epidemiology Team. 2020).
1.2 SARS-CoV-2
Coronaviruses are capable of surviving in multiple unrelated hosts due to ease of
cross-transmission between numerous animal species, including humans. SARS-CoV-2 is closely
related to a group of coronaviruses in bat populations (the genus Betacoronavirus). Severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus
(MERS-CoV), that appeared in 2002 and 2012 respectively, are also part of this group.
Guidelines to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on livestock production and animal health
Page 5 of 19
Page 5 of 19
According to current evidence, even though this virus could have emerged from a spillover event
after zoonotic exposure, the COVID-19 pandemic is due to human-to-human transmission where
animals do not appear to play a role. The virus can be transmitted (i) directly from person to
person, when an infected person coughs, sneezes or speaks and produces droplets of saliva or
discharge, that reach the nose, mouth or eyes of another person, or (ii) when a person touches
contaminated objects or surfaces and then touches their eyes, nose or mouth. The virus can be
detected and isolated in faeces and the role of faecal-oral transmission is yet to be determined.
Aerosol transmission of the virus – in which fine particles or droplet nuclei are suspended in the
air – may be possible in specific circumstances and settings (e.g. associated with aerosol-
generating procedures or treatment such as endotracheal intubation) (WHO, March 2020).
1.3 COVID-19 in animals
The SARS-CoV-2 is zoonotic – it affects humans and some animals (O’Connor et al, 2020; FAO,
2020). It is not a surprise to find that domestic animals living closely with COVID-19 positive
human cases are exposed to the virus, either through environmental contamination, or through
human-animal interactions. Positive findings by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in household
animals such as dogs (OIE, 16 March 2020; OIE, 21 March 2020; Zhang Q. et al, 2020; OIE,
28 March 2020) and cats from households of COVID-19 patients have been reported.
Furthermore, some cat sera collected after the outbreak in Wuhan city, Hubei Province were
positive for neutralizing antibodies (Zhang Q. et al, 2020). These findings, albeit preliminary, have
raised concerns about the possibility of humans transmitting the virus to domestic animals, and
the potential role that domestic animals could play in the spread of the virus between each other.
Similar potential reverse zoonotic transmission has been seen in other settings such as tigers in
Bronx Zoo (OIE, 6 April 2020) and minks in two farms in The Netherlands (De Rijksoverheid, 2020).
The interconnectivity of humans, animals and the environment is important in understanding and
tackling any threats to food systems, agricultural production and livelihoods. This is particularly
important in rural livestock farming communities where animals play an important role for society
and food security – providing, income, transport, fuel and clothing as well as food. Embracing this
challenge, FAO recommends a One Health approach, where animal, human and environmental
health work together to achieve the best results.
2. THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE LIVESTOCK SUPPLY CHAIN AND ANIMAL HEALTH
The challenges posed by COVID-19 and the impacts experienced throughout livestock supply
chains and regarding animal diseases have been observed around the world and are detailed in
this section.
2.1 The impact of COVID-19 on the livestock supply chain
To stop the spread of COVID-19, countries introduced various restrictive measures. These had an
impact on the supply chains of various products and sectors as well as reducing the availability of
workers. In April 2020, FAO published the policy brief: “Mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 on
the livestock sector”, which discusses how to plan for and address the difficulties at policy level,
reagarding the production of livestock and livestock products. Based on examples, the policy brief
proposes various options for action which national policy makers may take to mitigate the impact.
In relation to these policy options, further examples are shown in the table below, followed by
practical recommendations which can be implemented by different stakeholders.
Guidelines to m
itigate the impact of the C
OV
ID-19 pandem
ic on livestock production and animal health
Page 19
of 19
Page 19
of 19
AC
KN
OW
LEDG
MEN
TS
The main authors for the guidelines are Junxia Song (FAO
), Zhen Yang (FAO), Jieun Kim
(FAO),
Akiko Kamata (FAO
), Lina Yu (FAO), Arm
ando Hoet ( the Ohio State U
niversity), Ming Liao (China
Guangdong Academ
y of Agricultural Sciences), and Berhe G. Tekola (FAO
).
The development of the guidelines is a collaborative effort to w
hich the following experts
contributed significantly:
Abebe Wolde (FAO
), Ahmed El Idrissi (FAO
), Baba Soumare (FAO
), Badi Besbes (FAO), Caryl
Lockhart (FAO), Charles Bebay (FAO
), Cortney Price (FAO), Eran Raizm
an (FAO), Etienne Bonbon
(FAO), Fairouz Larfaoui (FAO
), Francesca Latronico (FAO), Friederike M
ayen (FAO), Ihab ElM
asry (FAO
), Julio Pinto (FAO), Kachen W
ongsathapornchai (FAO), Katinka De Balogh (FAO
), Ludovic Plee (FAO
), Maham
at Ouagal (FAO
), Maria Rom
ano (FAO), Racine N
diaye (FAO), Ryan Aguanno
(FAO), Sabenzia W
ekess (FAO), Scott N
ewm
an (FAO), Sean Shadom
y (FAO), Shuo Li (FAO
), Qi
Zhai (GAAS), Sophie Von Dobschuetz (FAO
), Tabitha Kimani (FAO
), Ugo Pica-Ciam
arra (FAO),
Vincent Martin (FAO
), Wantanee Kalpravidh (FAO
), Wenkang W
ei (GAAS) and Zelalem
Tadesse (FAO
).
China Guangdong Academ
y of Agricultural Sciences (GAAS) and the O
hio State University (O
SU)
are acknowledged for their contribution to this guidelines.
Comm
unication and design (FAO): N
atasha Little, Claudia Ciarlantini, Diana Gutierrez, and
Eibhlinn Lynam.
Some rights reserved. This w
ork is available under a C
C BY-N
C-SA 3.0 IG
O licence
Recom
mended citation: FAO
. 2020. Title lorem ipsum
dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing
elit lorem ipsum
. Rom
e. Publication link
Page 6
of 19
Guidelines to m
itigate the impact of the C
OV
ID-19 pandem
ic on livestock production and animal health
TAB
LE 1 | Th
e imp
act of C
OV
ID-1
9 o
n th
e livestock su
pp
ly chain
AR
EA
IMP
AC
T EX
AM
PLES
PPrroo
dduu
ccttiioonn
En
forced
closu
re of n
on
-essential b
usin
esses, travel restriction
s and
b
ord
er con
trols m
ay:
hhiinn
ddeerr ffaarrmm
eerrss ffrroomm
aacccceessssiinngg ffaarrmm
iinngg iinn
ppuu
ttss,, ssuupp
pplliieess aann
dd eeqq
uuiipp
mmeenn
tt, su
ch as feed
, replacem
ent sto
cks (chicks, p
iglets, gilts), breed
ing
materials an
d m
ilking m
achin
es;
cause a tteemm
ppoo
rraarryy llaabboo
uurr sshhoo
rrttaaggee;
rreessuulltt iinn
aanniimm
aall aanndd
aanniimm
aall pprroo
dduu
cctt lloossss//ww
aassttee - farmers m
ay d
epo
pu
late their an
imals to
save costs, su
ch as an
imal feed
, and
d
iscard p
erishab
le anim
al pro
du
cts.
The En
terprise Su
rvey for In
no
vation
and
Entrep
reneu
rship
in C
hin
a (ELSIC) lo
oked
at the
op
eration
al situatio
n an
d d
eman
ds in
small, m
ediu
m, an
d m
icro-en
terprises im
pacted
by
CO
VID
-19
. It sho
ws th
at as of Feb
ruary 2
02
0, lo
gistical interru
ptio
ns w
ere the m
ain issu
e agricu
ltural en
terprises faced
: 38
.5 p
ercent o
f livestock o
peratio
ns listed
this as th
e biggest
challen
ge. The m
ain reaso
n fo
r logistical in
terrup
tion
s is the sh
ortage o
f raw m
aterials, esp
ecially the in
sufficien
t sup
ply o
f feed fo
r livestock farm
ers (Zhan
g, X. 2
02
0).
Som
e Ch
inese p
ou
ltry farmers d
estroyed
chicks, ch
ickens an
d d
ucks to
avoid
furth
er losses
(刘畅
, 20
20
; 苏杰德
, 20
20
).
Pig farm
ers in th
e Un
ited States o
f Am
erica and
Can
ada h
ave culled
or ab
orted
their h
erds
as they h
ave no
t been
able to
sell and
ship
their an
imals d
ue to
closu
re of p
rocessin
g facilities (V
incen
t ter Beek, V
. & M
cCu
llou
gh, C
. 20
20
).
Farmers in
Wisco
nsin
, Un
ited States o
f Am
erica were asked
to d
um
p 2
5 0
00
gallon
s of fresh
m
ilk a day b
ecause th
ere was n
o p
lace for it to
go (B
arrett, R. 2
02
0).
PPrroo
cceessssiinngg aann
dd
ddiissttrriibb
uuttiioo
nn DD
eelliivveerryy ffaaiilluurree o
f anim
als and
anim
al pro
du
cts causes th
e oversto
cking
or w
asting o
f them
.
Restrictin
g anim
al mo
vemen
t can cau
se oovveerrccrroo
wwdd
iinngg aann
dd oo
vveerruussee oo
ff nn
aattuurraall rreessoo
uurrcceess su
ch as w
ater and
grazing lan
d.
RReedd
uucceedd
ssllaauugghh
tteerriinngg aann
dd pp
rroocceessssiinn
gg ccaappaacciittyy can
limit th
e meat
ou
tpu
t – no
tably fo
r labo
ur-in
tensive slau
ghterh
ou
ses and
foo
d
pro
cessing p
lants.
Pro
du
ct distrib
uto
rs are lloossiinn
gg tthheeiirr rroouu
ttiinnee ccuu
ssttoomm
eerrss such
as scho
ols,
local m
arkets, restauran
ts, pu
blic gath
erings an
d th
e travel ind
ustry.
Truckin
g com
pan
ies that h
aul d
airy pro
du
cts are strugglin
g to get en
ou
gh d
rivers as som
e h
ave stop
ped
wo
rking d
ue to
fear of co
ntagio
n (H
uffstu
tter, P. J. 2
02
0).
In th
e Un
ited States o
f Am
erica and
Can
ada, th
ere is rising co
ncern
regardin
g a labo
ur
sho
rtage in m
eat pro
cessing p
lants an
d farm
s, wh
ile in th
e situatio
n o
f lockd
ow
ns an
d/o
r su
spen
sion
of fo
reign visas (A
ttwo
od
, J. 20
20
; Hein
, T. 20
20
).
Ab
ou
t 25
percen
t of p
ork p
rod
uctio
n an
d 1
0 p
ercent o
f beef p
rod
uctio
n in
the U
nited
States o
f Am
erica have b
een clo
sed d
ue to
CO
VID
-19
ou
tbreaks am
on
g staff (Go
od
, K. 2
02
0).
In several co
un
tries, foo
d h
as lost its ro
utin
e market d
ue to
the clo
sure o
f scho
ol can
teens,
restauran
ts, etc (Min
istry of A
gricultu
re, Foo
d an
d R
ural A
ffairs, 20
20
; InEu
rop
a Srl. 20
20
).
MMaarrkkeettss aann
dd
ccoonn
ssuumm
eerrss C
losu
re of lo
cal markets h
as lliimmiitteedd
tthhee aabb
iilliittyy ooff mm
aannyy ssmmaallllhh
oolldd
eerr ffaarrmm
eerrss aanndd
ssuupp
pplliieerrss to
sell their p
rod
ucts.
The mm
iissccoonn
cceeppttiioo
nn regard
ing livesto
ck or livesto
ck pro
du
cts bein
g h
osts o
r vehicles o
f the viru
s may resu
lt in fu
rther d
ecline o
f dem
and
fo
r meat an
d o
ther an
imal p
rod
ucts.
IImmpp
oorrtt aann
dd eexxpp
oorrtt restrictio
ns an
d red
uctio
n.
FAO
’s Foo
d P
rice Ind
ex decreased
by 4
.3 p
ercent b
etween
Febru
ary and
Ap
ril, largely driven
b
y chan
ges in d
eman
d (FA
O. 2
Ap
ril 20
20
).
Wo
rld B
ank estim
ates that agricu
ltural p
rod
uctio
n co
uld
po
tentially d
ecrease betw
een
2.6
percen
t and
7 p
ercent if th
ere are trade b
lockages. Fo
od
imp
orts co
uld
de
cline
sub
stantially (b
etween
13
percen
t and
25
percen
t) du
e to a co
mb
inatio
n o
f high
er tran
saction
costs an
d red
uced
do
mestic d
eman
d (W
orld
Ban
k. 20
20
).
Page 6 of 19
Guidelines to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on livestock production and animal health
TABLE 1 | The impact of COVID-19 on the livestock supply chain
AREA IMPACT EXAMPLES
PPrroodduuccttiioonn Enforced closure of non-essential businesses, travel restrictions and border controls may:
hhiinnddeerr ffaarrmmeerrss ffrroomm aacccceessssiinngg ffaarrmmiinngg iinnppuuttss,, ssuupppplliieess aanndd eeqquuiippmmeenntt, such as feed, replacement stocks (chicks, piglets, gilts), breeding materials and milking machines;
cause a tteemmppoorraarryy llaabboouurr sshhoorrttaaggee;
rreessuulltt iinn aanniimmaall aanndd aanniimmaall pprroodduucctt lloossss//wwaassttee - farmers may depopulate their animals to save costs, such as animal feed, and discard perishable animal products.
The Enterprise Survey for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in China (ELSIC) looked at the operational situation and demands in small, medium, and micro-enterprises impacted by COVID-19. It shows that as of February 2020, logistical interruptions were the main issue agricultural enterprises faced: 38.5 percent of livestock operations listed this as the biggest challenge. The main reason for logistical interruptions is the shortage of raw materials, especially the insufficient supply of feed for livestock farmers (Zhang, X. 2020).
Some Chinese poultry farmers destroyed chicks, chickens and ducks to avoid further losses
(刘畅, 2020; 苏杰德, 2020).
Pig farmers in the United States of America and Canada have culled or aborted their herds as they have not been able to sell and ship their animals due to closure of processing facilities (Vincent ter Beek, V. & McCullough, C. 2020).
Farmers in Wisconsin, United States of America were asked to dump 25 000 gallons of fresh milk a day because there was no place for it to go (Barrett, R. 2020).
PPrroocceessssiinngg aanndd ddiissttrriibbuuttiioonn
DDeelliivveerryy ffaaiilluurree of animals and animal products causes the overstocking or wasting of them.
Restricting animal movement can cause oovveerrccrroowwddiinngg aanndd oovveerruussee ooff nnaattuurraall rreessoouurrcceess such as water and grazing land.
RReedduucceedd ssllaauugghhtteerriinngg aanndd pprroocceessssiinngg ccaappaacciittyy can limit the meat output – notably for labour-intensive slaughterhouses and food processing plants.
Product distributors are lloossiinngg tthheeiirr rroouuttiinnee ccuussttoommeerrss such as schools, local markets, restaurants, public gatherings and the travel industry.
Trucking companies that haul dairy products are struggling to get enough drivers as some have stopped working due to fear of contagion (Huffstutter, P. J. 2020).
In the United States of America and Canada, there is rising concern regarding a labour shortage in meat processing plants and farms, while in the situation of lockdowns and/or suspension of foreign visas (Attwood, J. 2020; Hein, T. 2020).
About 25 percent of pork production and 10 percent of beef production in the United States of America have been closed due to COVID-19 outbreaks among staff (Good, K. 2020).
In several countries, food has lost its routine market due to the closure of school canteens, restaurants, etc (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, 2020; InEuropa Srl. 2020).
MMaarrkkeettss aanndd ccoonnssuummeerrss
Closure of local markets has lliimmiitteedd tthhee aabbiilliittyy ooff mmaannyy ssmmaallllhhoollddeerr ffaarrmmeerrss aanndd ssuupppplliieerrss to sell their products.
The mmiissccoonncceeppttiioonn regarding livestock or livestock products being hosts or vehicles of the virus may result in further decline of demand for meat and other animal products.
IImmppoorrtt aanndd eexxppoorrtt restrictions and reduction.
FAO’s Food Price Index decreased by 4.3 percent between February and April, largely driven by changes in demand (FAO. 2 April 2020).
World Bank estimates that agricultural production could potentially decrease between 2.6 percent and 7 percent if there are trade blockages. Food imports could decline substantially (between 13 percent and 25 percent) due to a combination of higher transaction costs and reduced domestic demand (World Bank. 2020).
Guidelines to m
itigate the impact of the C
OV
ID-19 pandem
ic on livestock production and animal health
Page 19
of 19
Page 19
of 19
AC
KN
OW
LEDG
MEN
TS
The main authors for the guidelines are Junxia Song (FAO
), Zhen Yang (FAO), Jieun Kim
(FAO),
Akiko Kamata (FAO
), Lina Yu (FAO), Arm
ando Hoet ( the Ohio State U
niversity), Ming Liao (China
Guangdong Academ
y of Agricultural Sciences), and Berhe G. Tekola (FAO
).
The development of the guidelines is a collaborative effort to w
hich the following experts
contributed significantly:
Abebe Wolde (FAO
), Ahmed El Idrissi (FAO
), Baba Soumare (FAO
), Badi Besbes (FAO), Caryl
Lockhart (FAO), Charles Bebay (FAO
), Cortney Price (FAO), Eran Raizm
an (FAO), Etienne Bonbon
(FAO), Fairouz Larfaoui (FAO
), Francesca Latronico (FAO), Friederike M
ayen (FAO), Ihab ElM
asry (FAO
), Julio Pinto (FAO), Kachen W
ongsathapornchai (FAO), Katinka De Balogh (FAO
), Ludovic Plee (FAO
), Maham
at Ouagal (FAO
), Maria Rom
ano (FAO), Racine N
diaye (FAO), Ryan Aguanno
(FAO), Sabenzia W
ekess (FAO), Scott N
ewm
an (FAO), Sean Shadom
y (FAO), Shuo Li (FAO
), Qi
Zhai (GAAS), Sophie Von Dobschuetz (FAO
), Tabitha Kimani (FAO
), Ugo Pica-Ciam
arra (FAO),
Vincent Martin (FAO
), Wantanee Kalpravidh (FAO
), Wenkang W
ei (GAAS) and Zelalem
Tadesse (FAO
).
China Guangdong Academ
y of Agricultural Sciences (GAAS) and the O
hio State University (O
SU)
are acknowledged for their contribution to this guidelines.
Comm
unication and design (FAO): N
atasha Little, Claudia Ciarlantini, Diana Gutierrez, and
Eibhlinn Lynam.
Some rights reserved. This w
ork is available under a C
C BY-N
C-SA 3.0 IG
O licence
Recom
mended citation: FAO
. 2020. Title lorem ipsum
dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing
elit lorem ipsum
. Rom
e. Publication link
Guidelines to m
itigate the impact of the C
OV
ID-19 pandem
ic on livestock production and animal health
Page 7 o
f 19
2.2
The im
pact o
f CO
VID
-19
on
anim
al dise
ase p
reventio
n an
d co
ntro
l
CO
VID
-19
directly o
r ind
irectly disru
pts activities to
keep livesto
ck health
y, inclu
din
g the p
reventio
n an
d co
ntro
l of an
imal d
iseases. Som
e examp
les are sho
wn
belo
w.
TAB
LE 2 | Th
e imp
act of C
OV
ID-1
9 o
n an
imal d
isease preven
tion
and
con
trol
AR
EA
IMP
AC
T EX
AM
PLES
FFaarrmm
DDuu
ee ttoo llaabb
oouu
rr sshhoo
rrttaaggeess,, tthheerree iiss rreedd
uucceedd
ccaappaacciittyy ttoo
wwoo
rrkk oonn
aanniimm
aall hheeaalltthh
aaccttiivviittiieess such
as
main
tainin
g goo
d b
iosecu
rity, vaccinatio
n, m
ed
ical treatmen
t of sick an
imals an
d p
rop
hylactic
treatme
nt.
The o
verstockin
g of an
imals at farm
s cou
ld iinn
ccrreeaassee ssttrreessss aanndd
tthhee pp
rreevvaalleennccee oo
ff aanniimm
aall ddiisseeaasseess,, aann
dd
ccoomm
pprroo
mmiissee aann
iimmaall ww
eellffaarree ssttaanndd
aarrddss.. TThh
iiss ccaann lleeaadd
ttoo rreedd
uucceedd
pprroo
dduu
ccttiioonn
ppeerrffoo
rrmmaann
ccee.
Mo
vemen
t restriction
s and
qu
arantin
e measu
res lliimmiitt ffaarrmm
eerrss’’ aabbiilliittyy ttoo
aacccceessss bbaassiicc vveetteerriinn
aarryy
sseerrvviicceess and
also p
ose ch
allenge
s for veterin
ary and
veterinary p
arapro
fession
als to visit farm
s.
The im
pact o
n lo
gistics and
sup
ply ch
ains aaffffeeccttss ffaarrmm
eerrss'' aacccceessss ttoo aann
iimmaall hh
eeaalltthh iinn
ppuu
ttss, such
as
veterinary d
rugs, vaccin
es, disin
fectants an
d su
pp
lies.
Farmers are lleessss lliikkeellyy ttoo
rreeaacchh oo
uutt ttoo
tthheeiirr vveetteerriinn
aarriiaannss w
hen
anim
als were su
spected
to b
e sick, du
e
to fin
ancial h
ardsh
ip.
The farm
ers an
d/o
r pro
du
cers them
selves can b
e affected b
y CO
VID
-19
, pprreevveenn
ttiinngg tthh
eemm ffrroo
mm
mmaaiinn
ttaaiinniinn
gg tthheeiirr nn
oorrmm
aall rroouu
ttiinnee ww
oorrkk d
urin
g their o
wn
illness an
d co
nvalesce
nce p
eriod
.
Acco
rdin
g to th
e Un
ited States Fo
od
and
Dru
g
Ad
min
istration
(USFD
A), 6
of th
e 32
anim
al dru
g
com
pan
ies that m
ake finish
ed d
rugs o
r sou
rce
active ph
armaceu
tical ingred
ients in
Ch
ina fo
r
the m
arket of th
e Un
ited
States of A
merica,
have in
dicated
that th
e sup
ply ch
ain d
isrup
tion
s
cou
ld so
on
lead
to sh
ortages (A
merican
Veterin
ary Med
ical Asso
ciation
. 20
20
).
LLaabboo
rraattoorryy::
vveetteerriinnaarryy dd
iiaaggnnoo
ssttiiccss
aanndd
ddiisseeaassee ssuu
rrvveeiillllaannccee
aanndd
rreeppoo
rrttiinngg
RReedd
uucceedd
tteessttiinngg aann
dd dd
iiaaggnnoo
ssttiicc ccaappaacciittiieess
Sho
rtage of co
mm
on
ly used
ribo
nu
cleic acid (R
NA
) extraction
kits, po
lymerases an
d sp
ecimen
swab
s
will restrict th
e ability to
test anim
al diseases.
Societal lo
ckdo
wn
s and
the clo
sure o
f som
e veterinary lab
orato
ries and
institu
tion
s have su
spen
ded
anim
al disease testin
g and
research.
DDiissrruu
pptteedd
aanniimm
aall ddiisseeaassee ssuu
rrvveeiillllaannccee aann
dd rreepp
oorrttiinn
gg
Disease su
rveillance activities su
ch as o
utb
reak investigatio
n an
d d
isease repo
rting co
uld
be d
isrup
ted
du
e to lo
gistical issues in
clud
ing restrictio
ns an
d co
nstrain
ts on
: access to farm
s, transp
ort o
f samp
les,
access to eq
uip
men
t and
perso
nal p
rotective eq
uip
me
nt (P
PE).
The in
creased d
em
and
for C
OV
ID-1
9 testin
g has
caused
sho
rtages of ch
emicals fo
r extracting
RN
A, p
olym
erase enzym
es, spe
cimen
collectio
n
swab
s, and
PC
R m
achin
es (Slabo
dkin
, G. 2
02
0;
Herp
er, M. &
Bran
swe
ll, H. 2
02
0).
Limited
or restricted
access to P
PE h
as been
repo
rted in
mo
st cou
ntries (W
HO
, 3 M
arch
20
20
), makin
g it mo
re difficu
lt to safely p
erform
ou
tbreak in
vestigation
s and
respo
nses – th
is is a
particu
lar issue fo
r anim
al diseases th
at are
easily transm
itted th
rou
gh fo
mites o
r that
represen
t occu
patio
nal risks.
Guidelines to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on livestock production and animal health
Page 7 of 19
2.2 The impact of COVID-19 on animal disease prevention and control
COVID-19 directly or indirectly disrupts activities to keep livestock healthy, including the prevention and control of animal diseases. Some examples are shown
below.
TABLE 2 | The impact of COVID-19 on animal disease prevention and control
AREA IMPACT EXAMPLES
FFaarrmm DDuuee ttoo llaabboouurr sshhoorrttaaggeess,, tthheerree iiss rreedduucceedd ccaappaacciittyy ttoo wwoorrkk oonn aanniimmaall hheeaalltthh aaccttiivviittiieess such as
maintaining good biosecurity, vaccination, medical treatment of sick animals and prophylactic
treatment.
The overstocking of animals at farms could iinnccrreeaassee ssttrreessss aanndd tthhee pprreevvaalleennccee ooff aanniimmaall ddiisseeaasseess,, aanndd
ccoommpprroommiissee aanniimmaall wweellffaarree ssttaannddaarrddss.. TThhiiss ccaann lleeaadd ttoo rreedduucceedd pprroodduuccttiioonn ppeerrffoorrmmaannccee.
Movement restrictions and quarantine measures lliimmiitt ffaarrmmeerrss’’ aabbiilliittyy ttoo aacccceessss bbaassiicc vveetteerriinnaarryy
sseerrvviicceess and also pose challenges for veterinary and veterinary paraprofessionals to visit farms.
The impact on logistics and supply chains aaffffeeccttss ffaarrmmeerrss'' aacccceessss ttoo aanniimmaall hheeaalltthh iinnppuuttss, such as
veterinary drugs, vaccines, disinfectants and supplies.
Farmers are lleessss lliikkeellyy ttoo rreeaacchh oouutt ttoo tthheeiirr vveetteerriinnaarriiaannss when animals were suspected to be sick, due
to financial hardship.
The farmers and/or producers themselves can be affected by COVID-19, pprreevveennttiinngg tthheemm ffrroomm
mmaaiinnttaaiinniinngg tthheeiirr nnoorrmmaall rroouuttiinnee wwoorrkk during their own illness and convalescence period.
According to the United States Food and Drug
Administration (USFDA), 6 of the 32 animal drug
companies that make finished drugs or source
active pharmaceutical ingredients in China for
the market of the United States of America,
have indicated that the supply chain disruptions
could soon lead to shortages (American
Veterinary Medical Association. 2020).
LLaabboorraattoorryy::
vveetteerriinnaarryy ddiiaaggnnoossttiiccss
aanndd ddiisseeaassee ssuurrvveeiillllaannccee
aanndd rreeppoorrttiinngg
RReedduucceedd tteessttiinngg aanndd ddiiaaggnnoossttiicc ccaappaacciittiieess
Shortage of commonly used ribonucleic acid (RNA) extraction kits, polymerases and specimen swabs
will restrict the ability to test animal diseases.
Societal lockdowns and the closure of some veterinary laboratories and institutions have suspended
animal disease testing and research.
DDiissrruupptteedd aanniimmaall ddiisseeaassee ssuurrvveeiillllaannccee aanndd rreeppoorrttiinngg
Disease surveillance activities such as outbreak investigation and disease reporting could be disrupted
due to logistical issues including restrictions and constraints on: access to farms, transport of samples,
access to equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE).
The increased demand for COVID-19 testing has
caused shortages of chemicals for extracting
RNA, polymerase enzymes, specimen collection
swabs, and PCR machines (Slabodkin, G. 2020;
Herper, M. & Branswell, H. 2020).
Limited or restricted access to PPE has been
reported in most countries (WHO, 3 March
2020), making it more difficult to safely perform
outbreak investigations and responses – this is a
particular issue for animal diseases that are
easily transmitted through fomites or that
represent occupational risks.
Guidelines to m
itigate the impact of the C
OV
ID-19 pandem
ic on livestock production and animal health
Page 19
of 19
Page 19
of 19
AC
KN
OW
LEDG
MEN
TS
The main authors for the guidelines are Junxia Song (FAO
), Zhen Yang (FAO), Jieun Kim
(FAO),
Akiko Kamata (FAO
), Lina Yu (FAO), Arm
ando Hoet ( the Ohio State U
niversity), Ming Liao (China
Guangdong Academ
y of Agricultural Sciences), and Berhe G. Tekola (FAO
).
The development of the guidelines is a collaborative effort to w
hich the following experts
contributed significantly:
Abebe Wolde (FAO
), Ahmed El Idrissi (FAO
), Baba Soumare (FAO
), Badi Besbes (FAO), Caryl
Lockhart (FAO), Charles Bebay (FAO
), Cortney Price (FAO), Eran Raizm
an (FAO), Etienne Bonbon
(FAO), Fairouz Larfaoui (FAO
), Francesca Latronico (FAO), Friederike M
ayen (FAO), Ihab ElM
asry (FAO
), Julio Pinto (FAO), Kachen W
ongsathapornchai (FAO), Katinka De Balogh (FAO
), Ludovic Plee (FAO
), Maham
at Ouagal (FAO
), Maria Rom
ano (FAO), Racine N
diaye (FAO), Ryan Aguanno
(FAO), Sabenzia W
ekess (FAO), Scott N
ewm
an (FAO), Sean Shadom
y (FAO), Shuo Li (FAO
), Qi
Zhai (GAAS), Sophie Von Dobschuetz (FAO
), Tabitha Kimani (FAO
), Ugo Pica-Ciam
arra (FAO),
Vincent Martin (FAO
), Wantanee Kalpravidh (FAO
), Wenkang W
ei (GAAS) and Zelalem
Tadesse (FAO
).
China Guangdong Academ
y of Agricultural Sciences (GAAS) and the O
hio State University (O
SU)
are acknowledged for their contribution to this guidelines.
Comm
unication and design (FAO): N
atasha Little, Claudia Ciarlantini, Diana Gutierrez, and
Eibhlinn Lynam.
Some rights reserved. This w
ork is available under a C
C BY-N
C-SA 3.0 IG
O licence
Recom
mended citation: FAO
. 2020. Title lorem ipsum
dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing
elit lorem ipsum
. Rom
e. Publication link
Guidelines to m
itigate the impact of the C
OV
ID-19 pandem
ic on livestock production and animal health
Page 8
of 19
NNaattiioo
nnaall
aanniimm
aall hheeaalltthh
aaccttiivviittiieess N
ation
al aanniimm
aall ddiisseeaassee ccoo
nnttrroo
ll pprroo
ggrraammmm
eess may b
e redu
ced o
r even ssuu
ssppeenn
ddeedd
.
Natio
nal activities o
n o
utb
reak investigatio
ns, an
imal d
isease surveillan
ce, and
vaccinatio
n cam
paign
s
ccaannnn
oott bb
ee iimmpp
lleemmeenn
tteedd aass pp
llaannnn
eedd.
LLaattee oorr iinn
ssuuffffiicciieenn
tt rreessppoo
nnssee to
the o
utb
reak of tran
sbo
un
dary an
imal d
iseases may o
ccur.
Au
stralia’s Min
ister of A
gricultu
re said th
at
curren
t CO
VID
-19
restriction
s wo
uld
affect the
way in
du
stry and
govern
men
t respo
nd
to an
ou
tbreak o
f African
swin
e fever, regardin
g the
early detectio
n an
d rep
ortin
g of th
e virus
(Ph
elps, M
. 20
20
).
African
swin
e fever con
trol effo
rts in P
apu
a
New
Gu
ine
a are difficu
lt to im
plem
ent d
ue to
CO
VID
-19
lockd
ow
n in
the co
un
try.
IInntteerrnn
aattiioonn
aall
aanniimm
aall hheeaalltthh
aaccttiivviittiieess FFAA
OO,, tthh
ee WWoo
rrlldd OO
rrggaanniissaattiioo
nn ffoo
rr AAnn
iimmaall HH
eeaalltthh ((OO
IIEE)) aanndd
ootthh
eerr iinntteerrnn
aattiioonn
aall oorrggaann
iizzaattiioonn
ss’’ gglloobb
aall,,
rreeggiioonn
aall aanndd
nnaattiioo
nnaall aann
iimmaall hh
eeaalltthh pp
rrooggrraamm
mmeess aann
dd eeffffoo
rrttss mmiigghh
tt bbee dd
eellaayyeedd..
Mem
ber co
un
tries and
do
no
rs may sw
itch p
riorities to
man
age th
e mo
st relevant issu
es created
by
pro
du
ction
and
market d
isrup
tion
du
e to C
OV
ID-1
9, re
du
cing fu
nd
ing an
d/o
r logistical su
pp
ort to
oth
er pro
jects.
BBiillaatteerraall aann
dd mm
uullttiillaatteerraall an
imal h
ealth p
rojects an
d activities ccaann
nnoo
tt bbee iimm
pplleemm
eenntteedd
aass ppllaann
nneedd
..
The p
lann
ed
FAO
con
feren
ce: “African
swin
e
fever un
preced
en
ted
glob
al threat: a
challen
ge to fo
od
secu
rity, wild
life
man
agemen
t and
con
servation
” has b
een
po
stpo
ned
(FAO
. 20
20
).
FAO
pro
ject d
elivery is com
pro
mised
and
discu
ssion
s with
do
no
rs and
veterinary
services are on
goin
g to m
od
ify plan
s and
deliver activities.
Guidelines to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on livestock production and animal health
Page 8 of 19
NNaattiioonnaall
aanniimmaall hheeaalltthh aaccttiivviittiieess National aanniimmaall ddiisseeaassee ccoonnttrrooll pprrooggrraammmmeess may be reduced or even ssuussppeennddeedd.
National activities on outbreak investigations, animal disease surveillance, and vaccination campaigns
ccaannnnoott bbee iimmpplleemmeenntteedd aass ppllaannnneedd.
LLaattee oorr iinnssuuffffiicciieenntt rreessppoonnssee to the outbreak of transboundary animal diseases may occur.
Australia’s Minister of Agriculture said that
current COVID-19 restrictions would affect the
way industry and government respond to an
outbreak of African swine fever, regarding the
early detection and reporting of the virus
(Phelps, M. 2020).
African swine fever control efforts in Papua
New Guinea are difficult to implement due to
COVID-19 lockdown in the country.
IInntteerrnnaattiioonnaall
aanniimmaall hheeaalltthh aaccttiivviittiieess FFAAOO,, tthhee WWoorrlldd OOrrggaanniissaattiioonn ffoorr AAnniimmaall HHeeaalltthh ((OOIIEE)) aanndd ootthheerr iinntteerrnnaattiioonnaall oorrggaanniizzaattiioonnss’’ gglloobbaall,,
rreeggiioonnaall aanndd nnaattiioonnaall aanniimmaall hheeaalltthh pprrooggrraammmmeess aanndd eeffffoorrttss mmiigghhtt bbee ddeellaayyeedd..
Member countries and donors may switch priorities to manage the most relevant issues created by
production and market disruption due to COVID-19, reducing funding and/or logistical support to
other projects.
BBiillaatteerraall aanndd mmuullttiillaatteerraall animal health projects and activities ccaannnnoott bbee iimmpplleemmeenntteedd aass ppllaannnneedd..
The planned FAO conference: “African swine
fever unprecedented global threat: a
challenge to food security, wildlife
management and conservation” has been
postponed (FAO. 2020).
FAO project delivery is compromised and
discussions with donors and veterinary
services are ongoing to modify plans and
deliver activities.
Page 9 of 19
Guidelines to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on livestock production and animal health
3. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE LIVESTOCK SUPPLY CHAIN AND ANIMAL HEALTH
To reduce the impact of COVID-19 and ensure continuity of the livestock supply chain and animal
health activities, practical recommendations and precautionary measures are given below. These
are for livestock farmers, actors along value chains, animal health professionals and policy makers
– aiming to protect people and animals, and to minimize the disruption of services.
To avoid human-to-human transmission and prevent surface contamination including animal
surfaces, it is recommended to strengthen hygiene practices, including: washing hands with soap
and water (WHO, 2020; WHO, 13 March 2020) or using hand sanitizers before and after entering
farm areas and common places or having contact with animals; maintaining physical distancing;
limiting physical interaction; wearing necessary PPE1; and avoiding overwork. Please refer to WHO
advice on general personal hygiene practices.
Due to increased pressure and stress, physical and mental health issues are one of the main
concerns for people working in the livestock value chain. Therefore, it is recommended to
become familiar with early detection of signs of mental health difficulties and to identify existing
mental health services in the community that understand the occupational stressors that farmers
(and veterinary personnel) are facing. Early interventions should be made to provide practical and
emotional support. See WHO’s "Mental health and psychosocial considerations during the
COVID-19 outbreak” for more information (WHO, 18 March 2020; UN, 13 May 2020).
3.1 Recommendations for livestock farmers
1) Communicate with suppliers (e.g. feed, consumables) and professional service providers
(e.g. veterinarians, mechanics, milk collectors) to find solutions to secure supplies, inputs
and services.
2) Communicate through producer cooperatives or farmers associations – to reach out to
decision makers regarding assistance, as well as obtaining necessary exemptions for
mobilization of animals, products and personnel.
3) Explore alternative sales channels. These include online sales, e-commerce and direct sales
using point-to-point transportation to deliver livestock and their products to buyers instead
of via retailers or markets.
4) Obtain the latest information on the evolving COVID-19 situation from trusted sources
e.g. official news releases, radio programmes provided by local governments, field
livestock/veterinary officers, livestock market officers, livestock NGOs, veterinary
pharmacies and farmers associations.
5) Implement practical biosafety and biosecurity measures to prevent human contamination
with COVID-19 on the farm:
a. Install footbaths in between different areas if possible, and change the
disinfectant frequently.
b. Maintain a designated area for all external visitors and restrict visitor interactions with
farm workers and operations to essential activities only.
1 PPE plays two roles in the COVID-19 pandemic: it protects wearers and prevents carrying contaminated material to other places.
Different products have different protection capacity. Particular attention should be paid not to contaminate bare hands when removing PPE by touching outer surface of respirator or gloves. Follow instructions provided by WHO especially how to safely remove PPE (WHO, 2020).
Guidelines to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on livestock production and animal health
Page 10 of 19
Page 10 of 19
c. Limit visitors to minimum essential (e.g. animal health workers, feed truck drivers, milk
collectors) and keep records. Ensure that visitors follow physical distancing and other
hygiene recommendations.
d. Anyone (including farmers and farm workers) with fever and other symptoms of
COVID-19 (whether confirmed or suspected), people who have tested positive for
SARS-CoV-2 (including asymptomatic or recovering persons), and people in an isolation
period due to close contact history with COVID-19 patients, should avoid or minimize
close contact/work with animals, until recovered and cleared by medical providers.
e. Routinely clean and disinfect common areas e.g. resting areas, kitchens, changing
rooms, bathrooms, sleeping quarters (see BOX 1).
f. Control interactions/socialization of people inside the farm, e.g. around the TV or
resting areas, to ensure physical distancing and other recommendations are followed.
g. Disinfect equipment and other materials as they come onto the farm and at periodic
intervals. Limit the introduction of personal items to the farm.
h. Change clothes and footwear between livestock areas and living areas, or at least put
on work wear (e.g. coveralls) and change footwear to reduce cross contamination.
i. Maintain general hygiene of the premises where the animals are kept (e.g. prevent
rodents and vermin) to avoid contamination.
j. Consult with animal health professionals to improve biosecurity and biosafety on the
farm.
6) Adjust management measures on the farm:
a. Raise awareness among farm workers about how COVID-19 spreads and how to prevent
getting infected, and routinely remind them about biosafety and biosecurity measures
against COVID-19 on the farm.
b. For large farms
Stagger arrival of workers to the farm, screen body temperature and typical clinical
symptoms as described in 1.1 above, before entering the farm.
Frequently clean and disinfect common spaces including workers’ break rooms,
dining rooms, and bathrooms (see BOX 1).
Change the settings (e.g. add barriers) in common places (e.g. break rooms for farm
workers) to maintain physical distancing. Stagger mealtimes to avoid large
gatherings in the break rooms.
Prepare for shortage of workforce and develop a contingency plan.
c. For medium and smaller producers
Avoid contact or apply physical distancing outside the farm so you do not get sick
and have to leave your animals alone.
Identify a substitute person/people that could take care of your animals at short
notice in case you become indisposed (or to involve in finding the supplies and
resources needed to maintain production).
7) Maintain animal disease prevention at farm level:
a. Maintain good animal husbandry and production practices as much as possible (e.g.
milking hygiene).
b. Make best efforts to ensure continuation of sanitary programmes for the farm animals
as planned, including vaccination, vector control and deworming.
c. Implement good biosecurity practices, including routinely cleaning and disinfecting
barns, pens, rooms, and other facilities to reduce the pathogen loads.
d. Seek advice from veterinarians and livestock husbandry specialists when needed.
Guidelines to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on livestock production and animal health
Page 11 of 19
Page 11 of 19
BOX 1 | Disinfectants known to be effective* against SARS-CoV-2 to date (Kampf G, et al, 2020; Günter Kampf, 2020; Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 2020; Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2 April 2020).
DISINFECTANTS SOLUTION
Ethanol at least 70 percent
Glutardialdehyde 0.5 – 2.5 percent
Povidone iodine 0.5 percent
Sodium hypochlorite 0.1 percent sodium hypochlorite, which can be made by
1:50 dilution of household bleach (5.25-6 – 6 percent sodium
hypochlorite)
Hydrogen peroxide 3 percent
*When fully covered/soaked after washing away dust and dirt with water.
3.2 Recommendations for animal health professionals (veterinarians, veterinary
technicians and veterinary paraprofessionals)
1) Secure supplies, inputs and services:
a. Contact suppliers (of veterinary drugs and consumables) and professional services
(diagnostic laboratories) regarding availability and possible delay in delivery.
b. Where lockdown or curfew is in place, apply for the exemption for essential businesses
(many countries include animal health activities in the essential business category).
c. Manage the essential consumables you have in stock, including syringes, tubes,
disinfectants and PPE. Be familiar with the correct disinfection procedure of reusable
veterinary equipment such as needles, syringes and surgical instruments to help with
limited supply.
d. Consider reviewing and refreshing existing management, preventive and diagnostic
techniques, in order to substitute current practices that cannot be maintained due to
the lack of supplies and/or reagents (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2020;
OIE, 2020).
2) Keep up to date with reliable information and sensitize farmers on required behaviour
changes.
a. Help farmers to review and adjust production management with the supplies,
equipment and personnel available to them.
b. Help farmers to review and adjust biosecurity practices, such as cleaning and
disinfection, based on the need and the availability of resources.
c. Help farmers to identify the most relevant priorities and functions regarding prevention
of diseases, that can be performed with minimum personnel.
3) Implement personal biosafety and biosecurity measures (along with general hygiene
practices for COVID-19 recommended by WHO):
a. Do not visit farms, herds, markets or animal product processing facilities if you have any
symptoms of COVID-19, or if you are confirmed positive and have not yet
recovered/been cleared by medical providers following the isolation period.
b. Carry soap, alcohol-based hand sanitizer, disinfectant and PPE when visiting farms and
other livestock related facilities without relying on availability at the farm.
Guidelines to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on livestock production and animal health
Page 12 of 19
Page 12 of 19
c. Make sure you and the farms are using disinfectants that are known to be
effective against SARS-CoV-2 (see BOX 1).
d. Maintain physical distancing with farmers and workers when you interact with them
and follow other hygiene recommendations.
4) Assist animal disease prevention and control at field level:
a. Maintain open communication with livestock farmers and live animal markets
(if the markets are open).
b. Request farmers and markets to continue reporting disease outbreaks and animal
deaths of unknown reason to veterinary offices even when lockdown or curfew is in
place.
c. Advise farmers on good livestock husbandry practices to mitigate the risk of disease
outbreaks on farms.
d. Assist in contingency planning for livestock production, livestock markets and
processing facilities.
5) Have a contingency plan:
a. Maintain an inventory of medicines, drugs, disinfectants, PPE, diagnostic tests, supplies
and equipment.
b. Ensure information and communication technology (ICT) is in place for giving animal
health advice: e.g. telephone and messaging services.
c. Familiarise yourself with the latest laws and regulations regarding online veterinary
consultation or telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic.
3.3 Recommendations for animal product processing plants, live animal markets and
related supply chains
1) Secure supplies, inputs and services (refer to 3.1.1).
2) Keep updated with reliable information (refer to 3.1.4).
3) Implement biosafety and biosecurity measures against COVID-19 to protect people working
at the facility, including increasing air ventilation.
4) Following the measures for food processing facility workers, food delivery and transport,
and food retail premises as detailed in the FAO and WHO Interim Guidance, COVID-19 and
food safety: guidance for food businesses (FAO/WHO, 7 April 2020).
5) Follow biosafety and biosecurity measures to prevent contamination of the environment by
COVID-19:
a. Disinfect reusable PPE items after every use using appropriate disinfectant (see BOX.1).
b. Maintain general cleanliness of the premises and periodically disinfect the facilities.
c. Limit visitors to the processing environment.
d. Keep records of movement of people including workers, visitors and suppliers.
6) Adjust management measures to decrease the risk of introduction and spread of COVID-19
in the facilities:
a. Stagger workers entering or leaving the premises.
b. Stagger mealtimes and break times to avoid large gatherings in break rooms and dining
rooms.
c. Consider screening individual temperatures and typical COVID-19 symptoms before
entering the facilities. When possible, provide access to medical personnel (e.g. nurse)
for the workers.
d. Provide guidance to clean and disinfect the work environment before and after shifts,
including shared spaces, employee break rooms, dining rooms, sleeping quarters,
bathrooms and company transportation services.
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e. Prepare for shortages in the workforce. Develop an alternative plan to manage the
facility with fewer workers – adjusting work arrangements in case some of the workers
become infected or are isolating due to COVID-19. Implement cross-training as much as
possible.
f. If possible, review and adjust the sick leave policy of employees and encourage
self-reporting of illness.
7) Recommended actions for animal disease prevention at live animal markets and by traders:
a. Keep market area clean and regularly disinfected (See BOX.1).
b. Try not to let animals stay overnight in live markets in the case that lockdown or curfew
is imposed.
8) Have a contingency plan:
a. Identify alternative suppliers or inputs in case the main supply-chain is disrupted.
b. If possible, seek exemption of movement restrictions to contribute to ensuring stable
basic food supply for national food security and nutrition.
c. Review and adjust waste and litter management plans.
d. Strengthen control of movement of people including workers, visitors and suppliers.
3.4 Recommendations for policy makers at national level
1) Develop, endorse and implement policies to mitigate impact of COVID-19 on livestock
production and value chains:
a. Ensure availability and flow of the normal inputs and outputs for livestock production,
for example by releasing a list of exemptions to movement restrictions.
b. If possible, review and adapt existing biosafety and biosecurity measures to the
COVID-19 situation and provide these as a checklist for farms, livestock product
processing facilities, live animal markets, slaughterhouses and related value chains.
c. Include veterinary services as essential businesses.
d. Ensure a functioning supply chain of livestock and animal products:
Governments may release and broadly publicize a list of exemptions to movement
restrictions to ensure the flow of food materials and production related services.
The information on exemption should be shared with the relevant stakeholders
using various channels such as mass media, interest groups or associations.
Governments may work with farmers and producer organizations to promote
collective marketing which can maintain demand for products. Governments may
promote e-commerce to help connect rural producers to urban consumers.
Governments may coordinate with NGOs and suppliers to purchase products and
redistribute them, possibly through food banks, religious charitable organizations or
international emergency and relief organizations (e.g. UNICEF, UNHCR, etc.).
e. Plan to strengthen resilience of the national food system.
2) Review, revise, endorse, and implement policies on animal disease prevention and control:
a. Prioritize animal diseases, in consultation with the field veterinarians and other key
stakeholders to support maintenance of essential monitoring, prevention and control
programmes.
b. Continue monitoring, prevention and control of transboundary animal diseases by
maintaining surveillance, outbreak investigation, laboratory diagnosis and early
response capacities.
c. Review and update biosecurity and biosafety requirements and disseminate them
widely to farmers, livestock and live animal markets, slaughterhouses and animal health
professionals.
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d. Maintain the capacity of national reference laboratories to support surveillance,
diagnosis, early detection and response to outbreaks.
e. In case veterinary laboratories are needed to support the public health sector in testing
human specimens for COVID-19, the additional activities should not disrupt any
surveillance and routine diagnosis of animal diseases. Please refer to OIE Guidance on
Veterinary Laboratory Support to the Public Health Response for COVID-19
(OIE, 1 April 2020) for further information.
f. If possible, develop a specific contingency plan for access to veterinary services for
remote or rural smallholders.
g. Introduce/maintain ICT including online platforms, to facilitate livestock farmers
contacting veterinarians and livestock husbandry consultants in order to obtain advice.
h. Encourage veterinary services to continue supporting farmers, including real-time
communication using technologies such as short messaging services (SMS), social
networking services (SNS), etc.
3) Develop and disseminate information materials and collaborate with partners to organize
outreach activities, in order to sensitize livestock production and animal health
stakeholders, including relevant recommendations in this document:
a. Develop a series of communication materials and widely distribute through media, field
staff and other communication channels, with the advice of stakeholders. Materials also
can be made available through smartphone-friendly graphics and apps.
b. Strengthen coordination and collaboration among all relevant sectors including
transport industry, markets and media, to assist flow of information from reliable
sources. This will help stabilize availability and price of basic food and reduce disruption
of livestock production and animal disease control and prevention, in the context of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
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Recommended citation: FAO. 2020. Guidelines to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on livestock production and animal health. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/ca9177en
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The main authors for the guidelines are Junxia Song (FAO), Zhen Yang (FAO), Jieun Kim (FAO),
Akiko Kamata (FAO), Lina Yu (FAO), Armando Hoet (the Ohio State University), Ming Liao (China
Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences), and Berhe G. Tekola (FAO).
The development of the guidelines is a collaborative effort to which the following experts
contributed significantly:
Abebe Wolde (FAO), Ahmed El Idrissi (FAO), Baba Soumare (FAO), Badi Besbes (FAO), Caryl
Lockhart (FAO), Charles Bebay (FAO), Cortney Price (FAO), Eran Raizman (FAO), Etienne Bonbon
(FAO), Fairouz Larfaoui (FAO), Francesca Latronico (FAO), Friederike Mayen (FAO), Ihab ElMasry
(FAO), Julio Pinto (FAO), Kachen Wongsathapornchai (FAO), Katinka De Balogh (FAO), Ludovic Plee
(FAO), Mahamat Ouagal (FAO), Maria Romano (FAO), Racine Ndiaye (FAO), Ryan Aguanno (FAO),
Sabenzia Wekess (FAO), Scott Newman (FAO), Sean Shadomy (FAO), Shuo Li (FAO), Qi Zhai
(GAAS), Sophie Von Dobschuetz (FAO), Tabitha Kimani (FAO), Ugo Pica-Ciamarra (FAO), Vincent
Martin (FAO), Wantanee Kalpravidh (FAO), Wenkang Wei (GAAS) and Zelalem Tadesse (FAO).
China Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences (GAAS) and the Ohio State University (OSU)
are acknowledged for their contribution to the guidelines.
Communication and design (FAO): Natasha Little, Claudia Ciarlantini, Diana Gutierrez, and
Eibhlinn Lynam.
Some rights reserved. This work is available Recommended citation: FAO. 2020. Title lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing