All Island Animal Disease Surveillance Report 2020

Surveillance for animal disease continues in a changing Europe and a changing world, to monitor trends in disease prevalence and impact. Many factors such as climate change, political change, new trading patterns and the evolution of our food animal production systems ensure that animal disease is an ever-mobile shape-shifting target. While the recently implemented Animal Health Law mandates surveillance standards for EU member states, the OIE (World organisation for Animal Health) sets global standards and targets for every country on the globe and the sharing of intelligence on diseases, pathogens, and indeed even the specific strains of pathogens remain as key functions for animal surveillance systems globally.

This report, produced collaboratively between the Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute in Northern Ireland and the laboratory service of the Department of Agriculture & Food in Ireland continues to be a prime example of transboundary information sharing and collaboration. This report represents a synthesis of literally thousands of postmortem dissections, laboratory tests, histopathological examinations and painstaking note taking, report writing and data entry by dedicated teams of vets and scientists in both jurisdictions. 

View the All Island Animal Disease Surveillance Report 2020

Notes to editors: 

AFBI is an arms-length body of DAERA delivering research and development, diagnostic and analytical testing, emergency response capability and expert scientific advice for DAERA and other government departments, public bodies and commercial companies in Northern Ireland, and further afield.

AFBI’s Vision is “Advancing the Local and Global Agri-Food Sectors Through Scientific Excellence”.

AFBI’s core areas:

• Leading improvements in the agri-food industry;
• Protecting animal, plant and human health;
• Enhancing the natural and marine environment.

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