Guidance

Reportable diseases: immediate reporting requirements for diagnostic laboratories

Updated 24 March 2025

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Diagnostic laboratories in Great Britain are required to report the detection of some listed diseases in animals to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

1. Reporting requirements

Reporting requirements are dependent on the specific disease or genotype, species and diagnostic test used.

Reporting applies to:

• all positive detections from individual samples
• pooled samples
• bulk milk tank samples

Notifiable diseases must be reported immediately - read the notifiable diseases in animals guidance.

You can find the specific requirements for salmonella reporting in the report suspected salmonella in animals guidance.

In addition avian influenza is a reportable disease in wild birds in England. In England, if you analyse a sample taken from a dead or live wild bird and you detect avian influenza virus or antibodies to avian influenza virus, you must report it within 14 days of detection. Further information can be found in our Avian influenza and influenza of avian origin: diagnostic testing, controls and reporting obligations guidance.

1.1 Definitions

• ‘Listed diseases’ are all animal diseases that must be notified or reported to government as a result of statutory provisions.
• ‘Notifiable diseases’ are listed diseases which require notification on suspicion, without confirmatory testing. Notification can be made by anyone.
• ‘Reportable diseases’ are listed diseases which only require notification following detection in diagnostic testing in a laboratory, the field or other setting.

2. Diseases which must be reported as soon as possible

You are required to report the following diseases as soon as possible:

Disease	Species and group of species	Reportable test results which indicate the animal or carcase is or is reasonably suspected to be infected
Q fever	Cattle (including water buffalo and bison), sheep, goats and camelids	MZN stain, PCR
Avian chlamydiosis	Parrots	PCR
Bovine viral diarrhoea 2 Where testing differentiates BVDV-1 and BVDV-2, BVDV-2 must be reported as soon as possible. Undifferentiated BVDV is reported monthly.	Cattle (including water buffalo and bison)	Antigen ELISA, PCR, Virus isolation, Immunohistochemistry
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus 2 Where testing differentiates PRRSV-1  and PRRSV-2, PRRSV-2 must be reported as soon as possible. Undifferentiated PRRSV is reported monthly.	Pigs	PRRSV PCR, Virus isolation, Immunohistochemistry, IPMA for PRRSV-2 antibody

You must submit your report:

• Monday to Friday - within 24 hours
• Weekends and bank holidays - the next working day

3. How to submit your report

Report these diseases at premises level.

Submit the report to your nearest:

• Veterinary Investigation Centre in England and Wales 
• Field Services Office in Scotland

Provide the following information:

• organism (known or suspected)
• test type
• premises address from where sample was taken
• owner’s name
• keeper’s name (if not owner)
• vets name and veterinary practice name and address
• animal species from which the sample was taken
• date on which the sample was received by reporting laboratory
• name and address of the person submitting the report

Anonymised data may be shared within APHA, Defra, the Welsh Government and Scottish Government to enhance value of the data to industry.

4. Contact the Surveillance Intelligence Unit (SIU)

Email SIU@apha.gov.uk with any queries or for further information.

5. Privacy notice

Read the exotic, notifiable and reportable diseases privacy notice.