Reportable and Notifiable Diseases
Reportable and Notifiable Disease Regulations are important for a number of reasons:
- Federally important for trade
- Provincially important for animal health
- Important for public health as they may be transmissible to humans
Regulation
The Reportable and Notifiable Disease Regulation (2015) is one of many new regulations under the Animal Health Act, which was passed in 2014.
The regulation requires that a person who has reasonable grounds to suspect that a reportable or notifiable disease has occurred must, within 24 hours, make a report to the office of the Chief Veterinarian. Procedures and information requirements for making such a report are prescribed in the regulation, including requirements for retaining samples and records.
Summary and Key features:
This new regulation expands the scope of provincial authority for disease control from 16 diseases to over 120. This regulation also brings the Animal Health Act into force. The diseases listed in this regulation align with similar lists prescribed by other provincial governments and the government of Canada.
Reportable Disease
The Animal Health Act defines reportable disease as follows:
a "reportable disease" is an environmental toxin, infestation, syndrome or transmissible disease that is prescribed as a reportable disease for the purpose of implementing preventive, control or eradication measures:
(a) to safeguard animal health
(b) to safeguard public health in relation to environmental toxins, infestations, syndromes or transmissible diseases that are or may be transmissible from animals to humans
(c) to avoid barriers to trade
(d) for other reasons in the public interest
Reportable diseases include transmissible diseases, environmental toxins, infestations and syndromes. Some reportable diseases are zoonotic meaning they can be transmitted to humans.
Notifiable Disease
The Animal Health Act defines notifiable disease as follows:
a "notifiable disease" is an environmental toxin, infestation, syndrome or transmissible disease that is prescribed as a notifiable disease for the purpose of implementing monitoring measures:
(a) to determine its presence, identity, nature, effects or spread
(b) to avoid barriers to trade
(c) for other reasons in the public interest
Equine Disease Report
Status of reportable, notifiable and other specific diagnosed and confirmed equine diseases in B.C. This information is intended for veterinarians, horse owners and other stakeholders in the provincial equine industry.
