Notifiable diseases (WOAH-listed diseases)
A notifiable disease (ND) is one that is included in a list issued by the competent veterinary authorities. Its presence or a suspicion of it in a slaughterhouse must be confirmed by laboratory tests and immediately reported to the competent Veterinary Authority. From the SESC we support this diagnostic task through laboratory analysis of the samples and, if necessary, submiting them to the corresponding reference laboratories.
We find three lists at international, EU and national level:
- World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) list: WOAH defines “listed diseases” as a disease, infection or infestation listed in Chapter 1.3 of the Terrestrial and Aquatic Codes after their adoption by the World Assembly of Delegates.
The basic criterion for including a disease, infection, or infestation on the list is its potential for international spread. Other conditions are also considered, such as:
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- At least one country has demonstrated the actual or imminent absence of the disease, infection, or infestation in susceptible animals.
- There is a reliable detection and diagnostic method, and a precise case definition is available that allows them to be clearly identified and distinguished from other diseases, infections, or infestations.
- It has been demonstrated that:
- Natural transmission of the disease to humans and human infection is associated with serious consequences; or
- The disease has a significant impact on animal health in a country or area, taking into account the frequency and severity of clinical signs, including direct production losses and mortality; or
- It is demonstrated or scientific evidence indicates that the disease has a significant impact on the health of wildlife, taking into account the frequency and severity of clinical signs, including direct economic losses, mortality, and any threat to the viability of a wildlife population.
- European Union (EU) list
- Regulation (EU) 2016/429
- Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687: defines category A ND: Category A diseases are those that are not present in the EU (or in a very limited form) and require urgent and strict control measures due to their high risk of spread and their significant impact on animal health, public health and the economy. These diseases are included in the list of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and are characterized by the need for immediate eradication in the event of an outbreak, applying control measures at the European Union level to guarantee a high level of protection of animal health and welfare. NDs of categories B to D are present in the territory and different control actions have been established depending on their relevance.
- List of the Spanish State. Royal Decree 779/2023.
Over the years, in this SESC webpage we have posted cases of some of these diseases submitted to our laboratory or published posts to refresh which lesions must be taken into account when suspecting a ND. Here we complied the links (highlighted in blue) of those we have already published and in the coming months we will be adding others. The ones thar are zoonoses are indicated with a biohazard emoticon: 
. Although many are not currently present in our territory, for some there is a certain risk of entry or re-emergence, therefore it is essential that official inspectors are up to date on which lesions should raise a suspicion of a ND.
The following lists are divided by species and those that are in category A are marked. (EV)
Multi-species diseases
- Anthrax
- Heartwater (Cowdriosis)
- Japanese encephalitis
- Equine encephalomyelitis (Eastern)
- West Nile fever
- Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever
- Infection with Brucella abortus, Brucella melitensis and Brucella suis
- Q fever (Coxiella burnetii)
- Infection with Echinococcus granulosus
- Infection with Echinococcus multilocularis
- Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex see also: sheep, wild boar and sampling.
- Infection with Aujeszky’s disease virus
- Infection with foot and mouth disease virus (Category A)
- Infection with epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus
- Infection with Rift Valley fever virus (Category A)
- Infection with bluetongue virus
- Infection with rinderpest virus (Category A)
- Infection with rabies virus
- Leishmania spp. (Leishmaniosis)
- Infection with Trichinella spp.
- Trypanosomosis (Trypanosoma brucei, T. congolense, T. simiae, T. vivax)
- Surra (Trypanosoma evansi)
- Old world screwworm (Chrysomya bezziana)
- New world screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax)
- Paratuberculosis
- Tularemia
Poultry-specific diseases
- Avian infectious bronchitis
- Infectious bursal disease (Gumboro disease)
- Avian chlamydiosis
- Duck virus hepatitis
- Infection with Newcastle disease virus (Category A)
- Infection with high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses (Category A)
- Avian mycoplasmosis (Mycoplasma gallisepticum)
- Avian mycoplasmosis (Mycoplasma synoviae)
- Infection with influenza A viruses of high pathogenicity in birds other than poultry, including wild birds (Category A)
- Infection with low pathogenicity avian influenza viruses transmissible to humans
- Avian infectious laryngotracheitis
- Pullorum disease
- Turkey rhinotracheitis
- Fowl typhoid
Lagomorph-specific diseases (Leporidae)
Cattle-specific diseases (Bovidae)
- Bovine anaplasmosis
- Bovine babesiosis
- Bovine genital campylobacteriosis
- Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
- Infection with lumpy skin disease virus (Category A) and post with lesion images.
- Infection with Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides SC (Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia) (Category A)
- Bovine viral diarrhoea
- Enzootic bovine leukosis
- Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis / Infectious pustular vulvovaginitis
- Haemorrhagic septicaemia (Pasteurella multocida serotypes 6:b and 6:e)
- Theileriosis (Theileria annulata, T. orientalis, T. parva)
- Trichomonosis
Swine-specific diseases (Suidae)
- Nipah virus encephalitis
- Transmissible gastroenteritis
- Infection with African swine fever virus (Category A) see also sampling.
- Infection with classical swine fever virus (Category A)
- Infection with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus
- Porcine cysticercosis (Taenia solium)
Equine-specific diseases (Equidae)
- Equine infectious anaemia
- Dourine
- Equine encephalomyelitis (Western)
- Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis
- Infection with Burkholderia mallei (Glanders) (Category A)
- Infection with equid herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1)
- Infection with equine arteritis virus
- Equine influenza
- Infection with African horse sickness virus (Category A)
- Contagious equine metritis (Taylorella equigenitalis)
- Equine piroplasmosis (Theileria equi, Babesia caballi)
Small ruminant-specific diseases (Caprinae)
- Contagious agalactia
- Caprine arthritis/encephalitis
- Nairobi sheep disease
- Ovine epididymitis (Brucella ovis)
- Enzootic abortion of ewes (Chlamydia abortus)
- Infection with peste des petits ruminants virus (Category A)
- Theileriosis (T. lestoquardi, T. luwenshuni, T. uilenbergi)
- Maedi-visna
- Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (Category A)
- Scrapie
- Salmonellosis (Salmonella abortusovis)
- Sheep pox and goat pox (Category A)
: zoonosis (can affect human beings).
