Our Mission

To safeguard public and animal health through world-class veterinary research and surveillance.

VLA is one of the largest establishments of its kind in the world and is internationally recognised as a centre of excellence in veterinary science.

It provides a wide range of applied research and consultancy on diseases of livestock, diagnosis of diseases of statutory and public health importance and surveillance of new and emerging diseases throughout the country to the UK Government, all sectors of the livestock health industry and the private sector. VLA has close international links with research institutes, universities and commercial companies and acts as a Reference Laboratory for a wide range of infectious and non-infectious diseases in farm animals.

UK National Reference Laboratory for:

Aujeszky's Disease
Avian Influenza
Brucellosis
Classical Swine Fever
Enzootic Bovine Leukosis
Equine Encephalomyelitis
Equine Infectious Anaemia
Newcastle Disease
Teschen Disease (Porcine Enterovirus Encephalomyelitis)

European Union (EU) Community Reference Laboratory for:

Avian Influenza
Newcastle Disease
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies

World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Reference Laboratory for:

Antimicrobial Resistance
Avian Influenza
Bovine Tuberculosis
Bovine Viral Diarrhoea
Brucellosis
Classical Swine Fever
Contagious Equine Metritis
Enzootic Bovine Leukosis
Equine Viral Arteritis
Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis
Newcastle Disease
Salmonellosis
Scrapie and Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy

UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Reference Centre for:

Avian Influenza
Brucellosis
Newcastle Disease
Poultry Diseases

World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre for:

Characterisation of Rabies and Rabies-related Viruses
Reference and Research on Brucellosis