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 DAERA 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 | Free - See WOAH self-declaration
|
| Classic Swine Fever | Pigs | 1958 |
| Contagious Caprine Pleuro-pneumonia | Sheep and goats | Never |
| Contagious Bovine Pleuro-pneumonia | Cattle | 1893 |
| Foot and Mouth Disease | Cattle, sheep, pigs and other ruminating animals | 2001 |
| Glanders | Horses | 1910 |
| Goat Pox | Goats | 1850 |
| Lumpy Skin Disease | Cattle | Never |
| Newcastle Disease | Poultry | 1997 |
| Peste Des Petites Ruminants (aka sheep and goat plague) | Sheep and goats | Never |
| Rift Valley Fever | All | Never |
| Rinderpest (Cattle Plague) | Cattle, sheep, pigs and other ruminating animals | 1900 |
| Sheep Pox | 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 | Present - Disease confirmed Dec. 2025 |
| Bovine Viral Diarrhoea | Cattle | Present |
| Echinococcus Multilocularis | Dogs and foxes | Never |
| Enzootic Bovine Leukosis (EBL) | Cattle | Never |
| Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) | 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 | Cattle and other mammals | 1990 |
| Avian Chlamydiosis / Ornithosis (inc. Psittacosis) | 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) | Sheep and goats | Never |
| Contagious Equine Metritis | Horses | 1984 |
| Dourine | 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) | Pigs | Present |
| Salmonellosis * | Poultry | Present |
| Surra (Trypanosoma Evansi) | Horses | Never |
| Trichomonosis | Cattle | Never |
| Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis | Horses | Never |
* Salmonella Pullorum, Salmonella Gallinarum and Salmonella arizonae are notifiable in poultry under EU Animal Health Law (AHL). All strains of Salmonella in all animals should be reported to DAERA under The Zoonoses Order (Northern Ireland) 1991.
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 | Horses | Never |
| Japanese Encephalitis | Horses | Never |
| Johne’s Disease (Paratuberculosis) | Cattle, sheep and goats | Present |
| Q Fever (Coxiella Burnetii | 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 | All | Never |
| Duck Plague (Herpes Virus Enteritis)(Infection) | Poultry | Never |
| Duck Septicaemia (Anatipestifer) | Poultry | Present |
| Duck Viral Hepatitis | Poultry | Never |
| Epizootic Lymphangitis | Horses | Never |
| Fowl Pox | Poultry | 1964 |
| Goose Hepatitis | Geese | Never |
| Influenza A infection | Birds, horses and pigs | Present |
| Jaagsiekte Complex | Sheep and goats | Present |
| Maedi Visna (MV) | Sheep | 2025 |
| 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 | Pigs | Never |
| Teschen Disease (Porcine Enterovirus Encephalomyelitis) | Pigs | Never |
| Transmissable Spongiform Encephalopathy | Numerous, eg bovine, ovine, caprine, feline, ervine and deer | Present |
| Transmissible Gastro-Enteritis | Pigs | Never |
| Trichinosis (Trichinellosis) | Pigs | 1979 |
| Vesicular Exanthema | Pigs (very rarely horses) | Never |
| Vesicular Stomatitis | All | Never |
| Warble Fly Infestation | Cattle (deer and horses) | 1996 |
Disease Free Status Table (Northern Ireland)
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.