Notifiable diseases in Northern Ireland

A notifiable disease is any disease that is required by law to be reported to government authorities. The collation of information allows the authorities to monitor the disease and provides early warning of possible outbreaks.

If notifiable disease is suspected or detected, contact the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or your local DAERA Direct Regional Office  immediately. Failure to do so is an offence.

List of notifiable diseases in Northern Ireland

The following tables summarise the notifiable diseases in Northern Ireland (NI), which species are affected by the disease and the last known occurrence of the disease in NI. The diseases are categorised in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/429, known as Animal Health Law (AHL) and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882.

Category 'A' Diseases

These are listed diseases that do not normally occur in the European Union (EU) or NI and for which immediate eradication measures must be taken as soon as it is detected, as referred to in Article 9(1)(a) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429.

Category 'A' Diseases Species affected NI Last occurrence
African Horse Sickness Horses Never
African Swine Fever Pigs Never
Avian Influenza - High Pathogenic Avian Influenza Poultry 2022
Classic Swine Fever Pigs 1958
Contagious Pleuro-pneumonia(external link opens in a new window / tab) Cattle 1893
Foot and Mouth Disease Cattle, sheep, pigs and  other ruminating  animals 2001
Glanders Horses 1910
Goat Pox(external link opens in a new window / tab) Goats 1850
Lumpy Skin Disease(external link opens in a new window / tab) All Never
Newcastle Disease Poultry 1997
Peste Des Petites Ruminants (aka sheep and goat plague)(external link opens in a new window / tab) Sheep and goats Never
Rift Valley Fever(external link opens in a new window / tab) All Never
Rinderpest (Cattle Plague)(external link opens in a new window / tab) All

1900

Sheep Pox(external link opens in a new window / tab) Sheep 1850

Category 'B' Diseases

These are listed diseases which must be controlled in the EU and NI with the goal of eradicating it throughout the EU and NI, as referred to in Article 9(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429.

Category 'B' Diseases Species affected NI last occurrence
Bovine Tuberculosis (Myobacterium Bovis) Cattle and many other species Present
Brucellosis (Brucella Abortus) Cattle 2012
Brucellosis (Brucella Melitensis) Sheep and goats Never
Brucellosis (Brucella Suis) Pigs Never
Rabies Dogs and other mammals 1923

Category 'C' Diseases

These are listed diseases which are of relevance to some EU Member States and for which measures are needed to prevent it from spreading to parts of the EU and NI that are officially disease-free or that have eradication programmes for the listed disease concerned, as referred to in Article 9(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429.

Category 'C' Diseases Species affected NI last occurrence
Aujeszky’s Disease Pigs and other mammals 2009
Bluetongue Ruminants Never
Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Cattle Present
Echinococcus Multilocularis Dogs and foxes Never
Enzootic Bovine Leukosis (EBL)(external link opens in a new window / tab) Cattle Never
Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR)(external link opens in a new window / tab) Cattle Present

Category ‘D’ Diseases

These are listed diseases for which measures are needed to prevent it from spreading on account of its entry into the EU or NI or movements between Member States and NI, as referred to in Article 9(1)(d) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429.

Category 'D' Diseases Species affected NI last occurrence
Anthrax(external link opens in a new window / tab) Cattle and other mammals 1990
Arizona Disease (Salmonella Arizonae) Poultry Never
Avian Chlamydiosis / Ornithosis (inc. Psittacosis)(external link opens in a new window / tab)

Poultry

2005

Avian Influenza - Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza Poultry 1998
Avian Mycoplasmosis (infection with Mycoplasma gallisepticum and M melegridis)

Poultry

Never

Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans Amphibians Never
Bovine Genital Campylobacteriosis Cattle Never
Contagious Epididymitis (Brucella Ovis)(external link opens in a new window / tab) Sheep and goats Never
Contagious Equine Metritis Horses 1984
Dourine(external link opens in a new window / tab) Horses Never
Ebola virus disease Non-human primates (apes) Never
Epizootic Haemorrhagic Disease All Never
Equine Infectious Anaemia Horses 2006
Equine Viral Arteritis Horses 1995
Porcine Reproduction and Respiratory Syndrome (Blue Eared Pig Disease)(external link opens in a new window / tab)

Pigs

Present

Salmonellosis Poultry Present
Surra (Trypanosoma Evansi) Horses Never
Trichomonosis Cattle Never
Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis Horses Never

Category ‘E’ Diseases

These are listed diseases for which there is a need for surveillance within the EU and NI, as referred to in Article 9(1)(e) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429.

Category 'E' Diseases Species affected NI last occurrence
Equine Viral Encephalomyelitis(external link opens in a new window / tab) Horses Never
Japanese Encephalitis Horses Never
Johne’s Disease (Paratuberculosis) Cattle, sheep and goats Present
Q Fever (Coxiella Burnetii(external link opens in a new window / tab) Cattle, sheep and goats Present
West Nile Fever Horses, birds Never

Notifiable Diseases not Categorised within AHL

These are diseases which are notifiable in NI but are not categorised within AHL.

Notifiable Diseases not Categorised within AHL Species affected NI last occurrence
Avian Infectious Laryngo-Tracheitis Poultry Present
Bovine Encephalopathy (BSE) Cattle 2012
Brucellosis (Brucella Canis) Dogs Never
Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE) Goats 2020
Caseous Lymphadentis (CLA) Sheep and goats Present
Contagious Agalactia(external link opens in a new window / tab) All Never
Duck Plague (Herpes Virus Enteritis)(Infection)(external link opens in a new window / tab) Poultry Never
Duck Septicaemia (Anatipester) Poultry Present
Duck Viral Hepatitis(external link opens in a new window / tab) Poultry Never
Epizootic Lymphangitis(external link opens in a new window / tab) Horses Never
Fowl Pox(external link opens in a new window / tab) Poultry 1964
Goose Hepatitis Geese Never
Influenza A infection Birds, horses and pigs Present
Jaagsiekte Complex(external link opens in a new window / tab) Sheep and goats Present
Maedi Visna (MV) Sheep Present
Paramyxovirus Infection in Pigeons Pigeons Present
Porcine Respiratory Corona Virus Pigs Present
SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Cats, dogs, mustelinae Never
Scrapie Sheep and goats

Classical - 2009

Atypical - present

Sheep Scab Sheep Present
Swine Vesicular Disease(external link opens in a new window / tab) Pigs Never
Teschen Disease (Porcine Enterovirus Encephalomyelitis)(external link opens in a new window / tab) Pigs Never
Transmissable Spongiform Encephalopathy Numerous, eg bovine, ovine, caprine, feline, ervine and deer Present
Transmissible Gastro-Enteritis(external link opens in a new window / tab) Pigs Never
Trichinosis (Trichinellosis) (external link opens in a new window / tab) Pigs 1979
Vesicular Exanthema Pigs (very rarely horses) Never
Vesicular Stomatitis(external link opens in a new window / tab) All Never
Warble Fly Infestation(external link opens in a new window / tab) Cattle (deer and horses) 1996

Disease Free Status Table (Northern Ireland 2022)

The following table summarises the disease-free status for terrestrial animals and aquatic animals recorded in Northern Ireland pursuant to Article 38 of Regulation (EU) 2016/429.

Disease Free Status Table (Northern Ireland 2022)

 

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