Abstract
Background: The risks of disease entering and spreading within any animal population can be managed. Dairy herds are no exception, although they bring special challenges due to their size, dynamic populations of mixed ages, and the stresses inherent with production demands.Aim of the article: This article discusses managing infectious disease risks at the herd level, providing principles and practical guidance on how to minimise the risk of introducing disease into a dairy herd and how to effectively control any disease introduction.