ARCHIVE: Foot and Mouth Disease: Breeds at Risk Register

Breeds at Risk Register and other animals potentially eligible for sparing from a culling policy

EU disease control legislation for Foot-and-Mouth Disease, Classical Swine Fever, African Swine Fever and other exotic diseases allows Member States to consider sparing certain categories of animals from culling, provided that disease control is not compromised.

Such categories of animals include animals kept:

  • In a zoo or a wildlife park
  • For scientific research or breeding for such research, or
  • In a premises approved for the purposes of intra-Community trade in semen, ova or embryos
  • For display or educational purposes
  • For purposes related to conservation of species or genetic resource. 

However, such exemptions are not guaranteed and will be considered on a case-by-case basis following a veterinary risk assessment of the premises and consideration of wider issues and impacts. 

Breeds at Risk Register

Keepers can register that they have breeds at risk animals (for cattle, sheep, goats and pigs in GB) on their premises in advance of a disease outbreak by sending a completed Breeds at Risk Registration Form to breedsatrisk@ahvla.gsi.gov.uk.

This registration does not guarantee that breeds at risk animals on the premises will be spared but it will help give advance information to Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) officials that can be used during an outbreak. During an exotic disease outbreak, keepers with premises within control zones or on suspect/infected or contact premises will also have the opportunity to inform the AHVLA if they have breeds at risk when AHVLA officials visit their premises.

The eligibility criteria are that:

  • The breed must be listed as being rare in the UK country report on farm animal genetic resources 2002
  • The breed must be native to the UK
  • The animals must be pedigree and registered with the relevant breed society

Page last modified: 1 April, 2011