How outbreaks of notifiable avian diseases, avian flu and Newcastle disease, are managed in Great Britain.

The strategy sets out how we work to bring Great Britain back to disease free status as quickly as possible during an outbreak.

The strategy is meant for those affected by an outbreak, so they can be better prepared to respond quickly and effectively.

The objective of our border controls is to ensure that the live animals and products entering England are safe.

We are reviewing the regulations in England and would welcome your thoughts on:

• the extent the regulations achieve the objective
• whether those objectives remain appropriate
• could the objectives be achieved by less regulation

The review we are undertaking is required under Article 43 of the Trade in Animals and Animal Products Regulations 2011 SI 1197 (TARP).

Cases of TSE disease found in goats from passive surveillance in Great Britain have been recorded since 1993. The European Union active surveillance programme started in January 2002.

In active surveillance, the number of sheep sampled in the testing programme has varied each year. It has always included:

• a sample of fallen goats over 18 months of age.
• a sample of healthy slaughtered goats over 18 months of age (no longer in place)

Cases which have been identified from herds in the Compulsory Scrapie Flock Scheme (CSFS) are shown separately.

APHA attempt to trace all cases of scrapie back to their natal (birth) herd so that it can can confirm disease on the appropriate premises for control measures to be applied. In some cases this can take time. Where a final decision has not been made on where to confirm disease, the case is included in the number of pending cases.

At present no atypical cases of scrapie have been found in British goats.

The following reports are also available:

• Sheep and goats: scrapie disease surveillance
• Scrapie: TSE surveillance statistics