Human Animal Infections and Risk Surveillance group

The Human Animal Infections and Risk Surveillance (HAIRS) group was established in 2004. It identifies and assesses emerging infection risks to human health from zoonotic infections, and makes recommendations for risk mitigation.

Role of group

The HAIRS group is a multi-agency horizon scanning and risk assessment group from the UK, Crown Dependencies and Republic of Ireland, which  assesses infections with potential for interspecies transfer (particularly zoonotic infections) which may pose a change in risk to animal or human health. The group comprises representatives from several organisations, including:

  • UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
  • Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC)
  • Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)
  • Food Standards Agency (FSA)
  • Food Standards Scotland (FSS)
  • Public Health Wales (PHW)
  • Public Health Scotland (PHS)
  • Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for Northern Ireland (DAERA)
  • Welsh Government
  • Scottish Government
  • Public Health Agency of Northern Ireland
  • Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
  • Health Service Executive, Republic of Ireland
  • Infrastructure and Environment, Government of Jersey
  • Isle of Man Government
  • States Veterinary Officer, Bailiwick of Guernsey

A system of horizon scanning is used to identify signals to emerging and potentially zoonotic infections which may pose a threat to public or animal health in the UK, Crown Dependencies and Republic of Ireland. The multidisciplinary nature of the HAIRS group enables it to assess horizon scan signals in an objective and scientific manner. HAIRS risk assessments and recommendations are communicated to the responsible agencies to inform risk management decisions.

Membership (2024 to 2025)

Animal and Plant Health Agency

  • Andrew Frost
  • Carmen Marco
  • Juan Herreros
  • Steve Wyllie
  • Susan Neale
  • Paul Duff
  • Jenny Cantlay

Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

  • Elaine Dickson

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

  • Eoin Ryan
  • Rachel Moran
  • Sunita Jeawon

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

  • Helen Roberts (Chair)
  • Lara Harrup

Health Service Executive, Republic of Ireland

  • Margaret B. O’Sullivan
  • Paul McKeown

Infrastructure, Housing and Environment, Government of Jersey

  • Caroline Terburgh
  • Rui Couchinho

Department of Health and Social Care

  • Claire Vittery
  • Shayda Moyassari

Food Standards Agency

  • Lauren Adams

Food Standards Scotland

  • Svetlozara Chobanova

Isle of Man Government

  • Amy Beckett

Public Health Agency, Northern Ireland

  • Paul Millar

UK Health Security Agency

  • Jolyon Medlock
  • Katherine Russell
  • Michael Reynolds
  • Gillian Armstrong
  • Tommy Rampling
  • Claire Gordon
  • Catherine Houlihan

Public Health Scotland

  • Dominic Mellor

Public Health Wales

  • Christopher Williams
  • Andrew Nelson

Scottish Government

  • Rebecca Miller

States Veterinary Officer, Bailiwick of Guernsey

  • David Chamberlain

Welsh Government

  • Gosia Siwonia
  • Gosia Dabrowska-Jones

Terms of reference

The terms of reference of this group are regularly reviewed but are currently (dated December 2024):

Hazard identification

  1. To identify and review zoonotic, or potentially zoonotic, or interspecies infectious incidents which may pose a change in risk to animal or human health in the UK, and provide that information to the Crown Dependencies and Republic of Ireland; whether these are acute clusters or outbreaks or increasing trends in reports of known or new infections or syndromes.
  2. These incidents are identified using a variety of sources through indicator and event-based surveillance and can be occurring or have occurred within or outside the UK.
  3. UKHSA and APHA have teams whose remit includes horizon scanning to detect signals to novel, emerging, re-emerging or potentially zoonotic pathogens. Signals identified through horizon scanning processes are shared with HAIRS members on a weekly basis for review.
  4. Each HAIRS member is responsible for raising any potentially significant incidents identified through their own organisations surveillance systems.
  5. The timeframe for alerting the HAIRS Chair and other members is dependent on the perceived threat.
  6. If the incident discussed falls within the remit of another group (for example, issues relating to antimicrobial resistance or food-borne infections), the HAIRS group will ensure that the relevant group is made aware.

Risk assessment

  1. If a relevant signal is identified, HAIRS considers if there is a potential or known risk of interspecies transfer, and uses standardised risk assessment processes to determine the level of risk posed to the health of the UK public. The HAIRS risk assessment processes are published on GOV.UK.
  2. If a member of the group considers an incident to potentially be of high public health significance, then the HAIRS group will be convened as rapidly as possible to discuss the risk associated with the event, ensuring all the relevant agencies are informed and advised on appropriate recommendations for risk mitigation
  3. Risk assessment is performed using the expertise within the group, and when required, with input from the relevant subject matter experts in their agencies, other government departments, and academia (within or outside the UK).
  4. Risk ratings are derived through interpreting available information at a given point in time. Risk assessments and statements are considered live documents, which will be reviewed by HAIRS members on a quarterly basis to determine a change in risk based on the availability of new evidence.
  5. If a risk assessment cannot be completed due to lack of available evidence, the group may issue a risk statement  summarising the available evidence, evidence gaps and recommendations for filling them. The issue will be kept under review until further evidence is attained to upgrade a statement to a risk assessment (if necessary), or the hazard is taken up by another more appropriate group or is no longer relevant.
  6. A risk statement may be produced where the outcome of initial discussions suggests the risk is negligible or very low at most, but there is an external request due to the public interest.
  7. Prior to the completion of any risk statement or assessment, the final document must be reviewed and signed off by at least one member of each organisation represented on the HAIRS group. Risk statements and assessments undertaken by the HAIRS group will be published on the GOV.UK HAIRS collection page.
  8. The time taken to deliver a risk statement or assessment will be pathogen and context specific. A typical turnaround time is 5 to 6 weeks but can be as little as 5 days during an acute incident response.
  9. Members of the HAIRS group are responsible for escalating relevant signals, risk assessments and recommendations within their own organisation. They also act as a focal point for communication from their organisation to HAIRS.

It should be noted that HAIRS is a risk assessment and not a risk management group. However, risk statements and assessments will contain recommendations for risk mitigation, which are communicated to the most appropriate organisation to consider and inform risk management decisions.

Risk communication

  1. The group will be responsible for writing up, approving, and communicating conclusions and recommendations of any qualitative risk assessment completed by the group. Recommendations will be communicated to the most appropriate organisation to consider and inform risk management decisions. Such information will also be communicated to the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens (ACDP), the UK Zoonoses and Animal Diseases and Infections Group (UKZADI) and other appropriate technical groups or committees to which the work of HAIRS is relevant.
  2. For issues assessed as negligible or very low risk, or where direct action is not warranted, key discussion points relating to the issue will be added to an ‘Issues Discussed Log’ and the item may be closed. A summary inclusive of HAIRS actions will be circulated in a ‘Monthly summary’ to members and appropriate colleagues in their respective organisations.
  3. For incidents assessed as having a potentially significant threat to public health, the group will alert their own organisation and/or any other relevant groups or organisations to the situation and the need to consider risk management action. The HAIRS group will not act as risk managers but may contribute advice and expertise to the risk management process.

Escalation of issues

  1. HAIRS members each take individual responsibility for the appropriate reporting of significant incidents or issues to their organisation or department. If multiple organisations or departments need to be informed, a collaborative and simultaneous communication will be considered.

Role of HAIRS members

1. The role of a HAIRS member is to:

  • review signals identified through horizon scanning processes on a weekly basis
  • attend monthly HAIRS meetings
  • attend a minimum of 2 in person HAIRS meetings a year
  • alert the HAIRS chair and secretariat of any potentially significant incidents identified through their own organisations horizon scanning and surveillance systems
  • escalate relevant signals, HAIRS risk assessments and recommendations for mitigations within their own organisation
  • act as a focal point for communication from their organisation to HAIRS
  • provide input to risk assessments when required
  • identify where additional subject matter expertise is required and help identify who is best to input on specific issues within their agencies, other government departments, and academia (within or outside the UK)

2. At least one member from each membership organisation must review HAIRS risk assessments prior to sign off.

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