Ecowize helps livestock operations block Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) at the most common entry points, including boots, vehicles, tools and load bays, so sites stay operational, compliant and audit-ready. Foot-and-Mouth Disease is caused by the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV), a highly contagious virus affecting cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep, goats and pigs.
The virus spreads mainly through animal movement and contaminated clothing, equipment and transport vehicles. Infected animals may also shed the virus through body secretions such as saliva, milk and nasal discharge before visible signs appear, which increases the risk of unnoticed transmission between farms. Under favourable environmental conditions, the virus can also spread through airborne transmission over considerable distances.
International monitoring and control guidance for FMD is provided by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). The incubation window is typically two to 14 days, which is why entry-point control must be treated as a daily discipline rather than a once-off response.
Why fast, visible controls matter
Fast, visible controls matter because a single uncontrolled entry can shut down an operation, stop animal movement and trigger restrictions that ripple through markets and supply chains. Provincial guidance emphasises strict movement control alongside cleaning and disinfection of people, pens, tools and vehicles, particularly before, during and after higher-risk situations such as shows, auctions or cross-farm work.
In practice, the farms that cope best are the ones that can show they control their entry points consistently, and can prove it with clear, simple records.
Where FMD gets in
FMD usually enters through predictable routes. Personnel entrances are a primary risk because boots and clothing can pick up contamination and move it straight into animal areas. Deliveries and load-out points are another pressure area because tyres, trailers, crates and load bays can carry contamination across sites.
Tools and equipment shared between barns or farms add a further pathway when they are moved without a clean, disinfect, dry and record discipline. Feed bags and delivery vehicles can also introduce risk because they often transit multiple sites and touch multiple environments before arriving on yours.
What good biosecurity looks like on the ground
Good biosecurity is practical on the ground and simple to supervise. It starts with controlled entry points and clear routines, such as boot dips at every entry that are maintained and signed off per shift, and vehicle and trailer disinfection at controlled gates or lanes so traffic moves through one managed pathway.
It includes equipment and surface hygiene at loading, handling and wash areas, with the expectation that nothing is shared across farms without being cleaned, disinfected, dried and recorded. Where appropriate, empty animal houses can be fogged as part of a validated protocol, and quarantine remains a key discipline for returns and purchases.
After shows or transfers, animals should be isolated for 28 days, with records kept, so any risk is contained rather than introduced to the main herd.
Selecting the Right Disinfectant for FMD Biosecurity
Ecowize supplies AGRISAN EXTRA as part of a practical entry-point programme designed for deployment at gates, personnel entries and wash bays. This broad-spectrum disinfectant can be used in boot dips, vehicle lanes and equipment hygiene within a controlled plan that sets contact times, defines when solutions must be refreshed and keeps logs that can be checked at any time.
A typical working dilution for AGRISAN EXTRA in biosecurity applications is 1 g of Agrisan Extra per 1300 mL of water, depending on the application method and label guidance.
As with all disinfectant systems, the operational rule remains consistent: remove visible soil through cleaning first, then disinfect according to the product label and method, because disinfectants do not perform as intended on heavily soiled surfaces.
More information on AGRISAN EXTRA can be found here:
https://www.ecowize.co.za/product/agrisan-extra/
A setup that is simple to supervise
A robust set-up does not need to be complicated, but it must be structured. Start by mapping every point of entry, including staff doors, vet gates, feed lanes and livestock movement routes.
Install boot-dip stations that use measured make-up, have lids, specify change frequency and include sign-off lines so there is accountability on every shift. Create a controlled approach for vehicles, such as a drive-through spray process or wheel bath, so deliveries, service vehicles and livestock transport follow one consistent hygiene pathway.
Standardise tool disinfection using a clean, disinfect, dry sequence supported by a labelled container system so staff do not improvise. Then reinforce the routine through short toolbox talks, posters at stations and clear escalation steps when non-compliance is observed.
Finally, record the essentials every time, including date, time, location, product, concentration, contact time, operator and any corrective actions taken.
Shows, auctions and events: tighten control
Shows, auctions and events raise the risk profile and require tighter control. Before events, confirm origin and owner declarations and, where possible, veterinary health certification, and avoid animals from restricted areas.
During events, prevent cross-farm contact wherever possible and treat pens, tools and lanes as shared-risk surfaces that must be disinfected in a controlled way. After events, disinfect vehicles thoroughly and isolate animals for 28 days on return or at destination, which has been a requirement since October 2022.
This is one of the simplest ways to prevent a higher-risk day from becoming a long-term operational crisis.
Verification that stands up to audit
Audit-ready verification should be straightforward. Farms need a solution log that records make-up, checks where relevant, and change or expiry timing. Supervisors should conduct spot checks that confirm visual cleanliness, correct dip depth and adherence to contact times.
Where a station fails a check, corrective actions must be documented and closed out, not discussed informally. Programmes should also be reviewed seasonally, because high-traffic periods and increased movements demand tighter frequencies and closer supervision.
How Ecowize helps
Ecowize supports farms by assessing entry points, specifying AGRISAN EXTRA by application such as boot dips, vehicle lanes and equipment hygiene, and setting up stations that are simple to operate and easy to supervise.
We provide training that focuses on doing the basics correctly every time, and we supply audit-ready checklists and logs so your programme is defensible. Where needed, we coordinate with your veterinarian and align the programme to current state guidance so your controls remain credible, consistent and practical.
Book a rapid biosecurity review. Ecowize will map your entry points, set up practical boot and vehicle controls, and put simple records in place so your site stays open and audit-ready.