Beef Biosecurity

What is Beef?Beef is the harvested meat of cattle, which some of you might have some at home. Some cattle carry diseases which are illegal to import into Australia. Australia has strict quarantine regulations to reduce the chances of our beef becoming diseased. Smugglers are also given a hefty fine.

Good beef Diseased beef

Which diseases are we trying to keep out of Australia?

• Mad cow disease• Hendra virus• Foot and mouth• Rabies• Avon influenza

These diseases are kept out of the Australian Beef Industry, even though they have been found in other countries.

This is what mad cow disease does to a average cow’s brain

Hendra virus

Hendra disease is a disease that affects the brains of cows and shuts it down.

Foot and mouth disease

Big ulcers are caused on the foot and mouth which means they may have difficulty walking or

eat, which may cause them to die slowly.

RabiesBy attacking the nervous system, brain and spinal cord,

rabies can cause brain deterioration and death.

Avon influenza is a type of bird flu which kills cattle in less than a week and can affect humans.

Avon Influenza

Why is it important not to bring diseases into Australia

Two reasons- • You will get fined for smuggling diseases.• And two, the Australian government is trying

to make Australia, making it a disease-free country.

Border Security

Border Security -What is it?

Border security is the protection of countries boarders.

Countries have different rules about what you can and cannot bring in. The things that are not allowed are called contraband.

Border Securityin Australia

Which of these objects CANNOT be brought into

Australia?

Border SecurityAustralia

Border SecurityWhat is it?

The book is absolutely fine to bring into Australia.

Border Securityof a bread roll

The bread roll is not allowed into Australia, because a lot of food items may harbour pests and disease. These could then get

into our crops and damage our wheat crops

Border SecurityWooden toy

The wooden toy is not allowed into Australia because the wood could have bugs or parasites burrowed in the wood that could spread and infect our crops or animals.

Border SecurityDirty shoe

These dirty shoes are not allowed into Australia because the dirty may have bad fertilisers or pests and diseases on them.

Border SecurityKnife

The knife is not allowed into Australia because it is a dangerous tool which could be used in the wrong way.

Border SecurityStraw hat

The straw hat is not allowed into Australia because the straw could have

diseases/parasites in it.

Biosecurity Imported Meat Stories

Example one: Foot and Mouth Outbreak

A Queensland man illegally imported 14 tonnes of frozen meat into Australia, doing this cost his company a fine of $60 000. The man was sentenced for two years and 11 months in jail. The reason that importing meat into Australia illegally is because in Korea, where the man got the meats from, had a huge out break of foot-and-mouth disease.

Example two: More Foot and Mouth

A New South Wales man, illegally imported meats and received a fine of $100 000! He has been kept in isolation and is not allowed to contact other people, he also had a three year suspended sentence. Again this could have caused an outbreak of foot and mouth disease, which has cost Australia around $50 billion in over a decade.

Foot and Mouth DiseaseThe reason that Australia has biosecurity, and importing meat illegally is so bad is to prevent diseases like foot and mouth coming into Australia. Foot and mouth disease is a very dangerous disease because if cattle or sheep get this disease their mouth and feet both get ulcers and they can’t walk or eat. The disease is highly contagious, and if animals do get this disease officials will come in and kill all the cattle/ sheep and burn the carcass’s so then it doesn’t spread to other properties. It is a disease that is not common in Australia, however, we sometimes have small outbreaks and we have managed to keep it under control.