Zoonoses: Diseases
This page lists the more commonly-encountered zoonoses in animals only. For a more comprehensive list, please visit the OIE website. For information about the human aspects of zoonoses, please see the Health Protection Agency and the Department of Health websites.
Notifiable Zoonoses
A notifiable disease is a disease named in section 88 of the Animal Health Act 1981 or an Order made under that Act. Section 15(1) of the Act says that:
"any person having in their possession or under their charge an animal affected or suspected of having one of these diseases must, with all practicable speed, notify that fact to a police constable."
In practice, if you suspect signs of any of the notifiable diseases in the list below, you must immediately notify a Defra Divisional Veterinary Manager.
Some other notifiable diseases such as Newcastle Disease and Foot and Mouth Disease may, in exceptional circumstances, cause infection in humans. Further information on Notifiable Diseases is available.
Non-Notifiable zoonoses
The links below go to the Veterinary Surveillance A-Z of diseases listing.
The links marked with a asterisk (*) link to the relevant page of the
2005 UK Zoonoses report (Adobe Acrobat 
format).
Reportable Diseases
It should be noted that two of the diseases listed above are ‘reportable’ - Salmonella and Brucellosis. This means that should they be detected in samples tested in a laboratory, this must be reported to the local Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) laboratory (In England and Wales), and to the local Divisional Veterinary Manager in Scotland.
See also
-
Q&A on Hepatitis E
(16 KB)
- Information regarding Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) and Defra's Position
- Information aboutMeticillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Animals
- Common zoonoses in
agriculture
(67 KB) - Link to HSE website.
- Avoiding ill health
at open farms - Advice to farmers (with teachers’ supplement)
(66 KB) - Link to HSE website.
Page last modified:
May 2, 2008