Notifiable Disease

Salmonella- A reportable disease, but not
a notifiable one.


A notifiable disease is a disease named under article 88 of the ANIMAL HEALTH ACT 1981, or an order named under that act. Initially the order contained:

• Rinderpest.
• Contagious Bovine Pleuro-pneumonia.
• FMD
• Sheep Scab
• Sheep Pox
• Swine Fever 

Powers of the health act 1981:

• Movement restrictions.
• Powers to slaughter infected animals and dangerous contacts.
• Power to take samples.
• Slaughter of implicated welfare.
• Powers of entry.
• Seize infected animals.
• Slaughter animals in certain diseases. 

The animal health act covers a range of things which empowers veterinarians to make informed choices in light of the disease being presented. 

Animal Health Act 2002 provided additional powers to tackle FMD,  other diseases and also scrapie. It includes new powers to enter farms for the purposes of serology, vaccination and slaughter. It also gives further cull powers in the event of disease like FMD. 

Any person which has an animal affected with a disease should:

• Isolate the animal.
• Give notice of the affected animal to animal health. 

Example: BSE notification procedures

Farmer suspects BSE-> either reports directly to the AHVLA or the inspecting veterinay surgeon reports to AHVLA-> case inspected by veterinary officer-> BSE negative= no further action. BSE suspected= restrictions on farm served. 

A disease is made notifiable for the following purposes:

• Prevent the introduction of disease into the UK.
• Eradicate, control and prevent the spread of disease of economical or public health importance. 
• Collect information about new disease e.g. aujeskys disease. This may result in intervention if reported numbers are sufficient and steps to control and eradicate the disease and then to protect the 'free' status. 
• To confirm absence of a disease, for example bluetongue. Hard to detect due to mild clinical signs and hard to distinguish from footrot, pneumonia, and orf upon appearing between July to September. Sub clinical infections in cattle. Any suspected case is notified to the AHVLA. No cases for two years demonstrated that the UK was free from disease.
• To detect disease quickly, for example FMD would have resulted in less cases if it had been detected quicker.
• To control as part of a compulsory disease control program by the state, for example classical swine fever. Whilst it was eradicated in 1966, there were several cases picked up through surveillance in 2000.
• To facilitate exports and prevent risks to the public. For example with BSE and rabies. 

A disease may be made notifiable due to the following categories:

• Public health significance- anthrax.
• Economical significance- FMD, CSF. 
• Trade impact significance- contagious agalactiae. 

Acts generally take a long time to pass through parliament. This means that there is a tendency to make new diseases notifiable under the act by issuing an order. These generally pass through parliament without debate so that quick action can be taken. They can be related to a certain disease or a certain species.

Control of Notifiable Disease

• Knowledge of epidemiology and ecology.
• Identification of infected animal.
• Elimination of pathogen.
• Prevent pathogen reintroduction.
• All industry sectors need to co-operate.
• Finance.
• Infrastructure. 

Reduce the level of contamination of the organism or completely eliminate the organism.

Combination of:

1. Movement restrictions, farm, protection and surveillance zones.
2. Individual slaughter.
3. Selective slaughter of affected animals or groups.
4. Whole herd slaughter.
5. Vaccination.
6. Treatment. 

The animal disease notification system co-ordinates disease outbreaks between the EU member states. 

A reportable disease is one where the lab reports the isolation of a particular organism. This applies to salmonella and brucella. Zoonosis order 1989.