Notifiable diseases in animals
A collection of guides to notifiable diseases in animals.
‘Notifiable’ diseases are animal diseases that you’re legally obliged to report to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), even if you only suspect that an animal may be affected.
Notifiable diseases can be:
- endemic – already present in the UK, such as bovine TB
- exotic – not normally present in the UK, such as foot and mouth disease
Some endemic and exotic diseases are zoonotic which means they can pass between animals and humans, such as rabies.
If you suspect a notifiable disease in your animals you must report it immediately by calling the Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301. In Wales, call 0300 303 8268. In Scotland, contact your local Field Services Office. Failure to do so is an offence.
Read guidance on what happens when you report a notifiable disease.
Specific notifiable animal diseases
This list only includes notifiable animal diseases on which we’ve published guidance. The list is not comprehensive: it does not include all such diseases.
Get notified about exotic disease outbreaks
Get the latest news about exotic notifiable disease outbreaks from the APHA subscription service.
Controlling exotic notifiable diseases
These contingency plans outline how the government will manage an exotic notifiable disease outbreak. Additional disease control measures will be based on the latest scientific evidence and veterinary advice.
How to prevent notifiable diseases
Get help preventing notifiable diseases.
There are rules on imports and exports of live animals and animal products.
Animals or birds spared from culling
For most notifiable diseases, there are legal powers to cull animals to prevent the spread of disease during an outbreak.
Certain animals and birds, including breeds at risk, may be spared from culling if it does not compromise controlling the disease.
Compensation when animals are slaughtered compulsorily
For some notifiable diseases, you may get compensation if your animals or birds are compulsorily culled.
Updates to this page
Published 26 August 2014Last updated 14 March 2019 + show all updates
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Added guidance on how to spot and report Echinococcus multilocularis disease.
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Contact details for reporting a notifiable disease updated.
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Contact details for reporting a notifiable disease updated.
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Added new guide: how to spot and report Equine viral encephalomyelitis
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You should contact the Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301 to report any suspicion of a notifiable animal disease.
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Guidance published on TSE diseases
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AHVLA documents have been re-assigned to the new Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).
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AHVLA documents have been re-assigned to the new Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).
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First published.