Avoid sharing equipment or vehicles with other farms
Indirect transmission can occur via equipment that has been contaminated with M. bovis bacteria and other pathogens. Some pieces of equipment carry a greater risk than others. Equipment for handling and spreading manure, or for handling and transporting livestock, is likely to pose a higher risk than equipment that has had no contact with animals or their excretions.
If sharing is unavoidable, then it is important for equipment to be properly cleaned and disinfected before entering the farm. All debris should be visibly removed before disinfection, as disinfectants are less effective when applied to dirty surfaces. The same precautions should also be taken for high-risk vehicles (e.g. carcase collection vehicles and livestock lorries) and personnel that enter the farm. Cleaning equipment and disinfectant should be available at entrances and visitors should use them.
Avoid sharing cattle grazing with other herds
Sharing grazing land with livestock owned by other people is particularly risky, particularly in high TB incidence areas, where potentially infected livestock may come into close contact with uninfected cattle through direct contact or indirectly at shared watering and feeding points.