Farming: Notifiable diseases
A number of diseases which can affect farm animals have been classified as ‘notifiable’. If you suspect any animal is showing signs of a notifiable disease you must report it at the earliest opportunity to your Animal Health Divisional Office.
With quick notification Defra vets can take reasonable precautions to prevent any further outbreaks of the disease.
The more common notifiable diseases are detailed below:
Exotic notifiable diseases with internationally agreed eradication policies:
Other notifiable diseases
- Anthrax
- Aujeszky’s disease
- Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
- Brucellosis
- Enzootic Bovine Leukosis
- Scrapie
- Tuberculosis (Bovine TB)
- Warble fly
The control measures implemented will depend upon the specific disease.
For exotic animal diseases, for which a policy of eradication exists, the controls will include compulsory slaughter on the infected premises and movement restrictions. These measures may extend beyond the individual farm or immediate location of the outbreak.
The Government has developed a contingency plan to control any future outbreak of an exotic animal disease.
For other notifiable diseases the response measures are more likely to be dealt with on an individual case basis.
A full list of notifiable diseases, with links to fact sheets on each, can be viewed in the animal health and welfare section of the site. Some of these diseases have never been found in the UK.
Many notifiable diseases can also be transmitted from animals to humans, and are referred to as zoonoses. Further information on some of these can be found on the zoonoses advice pages.
The micro-organisms that cause some notifiable diseases are subject to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 2002 (PDF KB). These regulations place a number of obligations on employers and the self employed to manage the risk, exposure and control.
For more information on general farm safety see Farmwise – the essential guide to health and safety in agriculture (PDF). A health carry card with notes on good practice for workers (PDF) can be downloaded from the Health and Safety Executive website.
Recording of livestock movements is an essential way to track the source of a disease and to minimise the spread of any infection. For more detailed information on measures to minimise the risk of notifiable diseases see the disease control section of the Defra website.
Links
- A-Z index of diseases
- Health Protection Agency
- Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens (ACDP)
- British Pig Executive: pig diseases and disease management
- Meat and Livestock Commission: BSE
- Food Standards Agency
- Animal Health
- Health and Safety Exectuive
- National Farmers Union
Further Information
- Defra Helpline - 08459 33 55 77
- Health and Safety Executive Infoline - 0845 345 0055
Page last modified: 9 September 2008
Page published: 1 July 2006