Report a suspected notifiable animal disease

A notifiable disease is one you must report to the government by law. Some are endemic, meaning they are already present in the UK, such as bovine TB. Others are exotic and not normally present, such as foot and mouth disease. Some can pass between animals and people, such as rabies.

If you suspect one in your animals, report it to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) immediately, even if the signs are mild. Failing to report a suspicion is an offence. You can speak to your own vet if you are worried about your animals, but you or your vet must still report it straight away.

Know the signs to look for

The full list of notifiable diseases covers many species, including bees, fish and horses, and is published on GOV.UK. These are the diseases livestock and poultry keepers are most likely to need to spot.

Foot and mouth disease

Foot and mouth affects cloven-hoofed animals, including cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, camelids and deer. Cattle may develop blisters on the feet, in the mouth and on the tongue, with fever, shivering, lameness, drooling, lip smacking, reluctance to feed and a drop in milk. In sheep and pigs, sudden lameness that spreads quickly through the group is the main sign. Sheep may also have more abortions and lamb deaths, and pigs may squeal in pain and refuse to move.

Swine vesicular disease and Seneca Valley virus look similar in pigs. Report these signs anyway: APHA treats them as suspected foot and mouth until tests prove otherwise.

Bird flu

Highly pathogenic bird flu usually causes some or all of these signs: sudden death, lethargy, drooping wings, loose or discoloured droppings, a sudden fall in egg production, breathing difficulty, a swollen head, blue discolouration of the comb and wattles, and twisting of the head and neck. The less serious form may cause only mild breathing problems. Ducks, geese and swans can carry the virus without showing any signs.

If you keep birds in an avian influenza prevention zone or a disease control zone, extra rules on records, movements and biosecurity apply.

African and classical swine fever

Both affect pigs, including wild boar, and have very similar signs. The main ones are fever, loss of appetite, lack of energy and sudden death with few signs beforehand. Pigs may also have red or dark skin, especially on the ears and snout, breathing difficulty, vomiting, diarrhoea and abortions. Pigs infected with mild strains may not look ill.

Bluetongue

Bluetongue is spread mainly by biting midges and affects sheep, cattle, goats, deer and camelids. Sheep usually show clearer signs: sores in the mouth and nose, drooling, and swelling of the lips, tongue, head and the skin above the hoof, with fever, lameness and abortions. Cattle may show lethargy, crusty sores around the nostrils, reddened skin above the hoof and on the teats, fever and a drop in milk.

Report your suspicion

The number to call depends on where your animals are. When you call, a duty vet from APHA will ask you about your animals. If the duty vet cannot rule out a notifiable disease over the phone, a veterinary inspector will usually visit.

The duty vet will tell you what restrictions to follow until the inspector arrives. You may need to stop moving susceptible animals on or off your premises, and stop moving anything that can carry the disease, such as meat products, equipment or vehicles.

What happens during the investigation

The veterinary inspector may take samples for testing. For some diseases they may need to cull an animal to take samples. They may also put restrictions on your premises, and a temporary control zone may be set up around it to restrict movements of susceptible animals. You must follow these restrictions until the investigation is complete.

If disease is confirmed

APHA will investigate how long the disease has been present, where it came from and whether it has spread. It will restrict any premises the disease may have spread from or to, and may set up disease control zones over a wider area.

APHA may cull susceptible animals, carry out initial cleansing and disinfection, set strict rules on restocking, and limit activities that could spread disease, such as exports, hunting, markets, shows and sales.

If disease is ruled out

Any restrictions on your premises end. You may be able to get a follow-up investigation with an APHA vet to identify the disease, find its cause and help you treat and prevent it. APHA subsidises its diagnostic investigations, and some follow-up tests may be free.

Compensation

You may be entitled to compensation if the government culls healthy animals to control a notifiable disease. You cannot claim compensation for losses caused by being inside a disease control zone. Some animals and birds, including breeds at risk, may be spared from culling where this would not affect disease control.