Cattle Diseases in the UK: Signs, What You Must Report and When to Call

If you suspect a notifiable disease

Call the Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301 (England) straight away. Failing to report a notifiable disease is an offence. In Wales call 0300 303 8268, and in Scotland contact your local Field Services Office.

The five notifiable cattle diseases covered first are bovine TB, foot and mouth, bluetongue, brucellosis and anthrax. They are not the only ones. BSE, enzootic bovine leukosis, epizootic haemorrhagic disease and lumpy skin disease follow them below, and rabies must also be reported. GOV.UK keeps the full list of notifiable animal diseases, and our guide to notifiable diseases explains what happens after you report. The diseases after this section are ones you manage with your vet.

Five notifiable cattle diseases and their signs

• Bovine TB: hard to spot, because it is usually found by testing before signs appear. Look for cattle that keep getting thinner, a light fever that keeps coming back, weakness and reduced appetite. Some have swollen lymph nodes, a moist cough that is worse in the morning and in cold weather, or chronic mastitis that antibiotics do not cure.
• Foot and mouth: sores and blisters between the toes, on the upper edge of the hoof and in the mouth and tongue. Also fever, reluctance to feed, shivering, lameness, drooling and smacking lips, and lower milk yield.
• Bluetongue: lethargy, crusty erosions around the nostrils and muzzle, redness of the mouth, eyes, nose and skin above the hoof, nasal discharge, erosions on the teats, fever, milk drop, not eating, abortion and stillbirths. Adult cattle can be infectious for weeks with little sign of disease. In Scotland, bluetongue has its own reporting line: 03000 600 704.
• Brucellosis: in cattle the main signs are abortions and premature calving.
• Anthrax: sudden death, sometimes with no obvious signs. Where there is illness: high temperature, shivering or twitching, harsh dry cough, blood in dung or nostrils, loss of milk, fits and colic.

The signs above are taken from the GOV.UK guidance for each disease, which also covers reporting and current restrictions.

Other notifiable diseases that affect cattle

None of these four is common in British herds, so the signs are easy to miss. GOV.UK says lumpy skin disease has never been present in Great Britain, enzootic bovine leukosis was last here in 1996, and epizootic haemorrhagic disease is not currently in the UK. A suspected case of any of them is reported on the same numbers as above.

• BSE: affected cattle do not usually show signs until they are at least 4 or 5 years old. Signs develop over weeks or months: nervousness, exaggerated reactions to touch or sound, high stepping of the hind legs, reluctance to cross concrete, turn corners or go through doorways, aggression, kicking during milking, and loss of weight, condition or milk yield.
• Enzootic bovine leukosis: most infected cattle show no signs. When they do, look for tumours that can appear as lumps in the skin, loss of appetite and weight, a fall in milk yield, bulging eyes and partial paralysis of the hind legs.
• Epizootic haemorrhagic disease: spread by biting midges, like bluetongue, and there is no commercial vaccine. Signs include fever, mouth ulcers, drooling, difficulty swallowing, a rash on the udder, and swollen red skin near the hooves.
• Lumpy skin disease: spread by biting flies and mosquitoes. Look for firm, painful nodules on the skin, nose or mouth, fever, a drop in milk, discharge from the nose and eyes, and swollen lymph nodes.

Sources: GOV.UK guidance on BSE, enzootic bovine leukosis, epizootic haemorrhagic disease and lumpy skin disease.

If a cow dies suddenly

Anthrax can kill cattle quickly and leave a carcass with no obvious signs, so GOV.UK advises talking to your vet before you move or dispose of any animal after a sudden or unexplained death. If anthrax is suspected:

• report it straight away and isolate the animal or carcass
• do not move, skin or open the carcass
• disinfect any blood or other fluids as soon as possible with a Defra approved disinfectant
• do not kill or bleed sick animals
• watch the animals that were in contact with it, and isolate any that show signs

Anthrax spores can survive for decades, even centuries, and people can be infected, including through milk from infected cows. If it is confirmed, the local authority pays for disposal of diseased carcasses. Source: GOV.UK: Anthrax: how to spot and report the disease.

BVD, IBR and Johne’s disease

BVD (bovine viral diarrhoea) is an endemic virus with varied effects: poor fertility, abortions, weak or ill calves and scours. Persistently infected (PI) calves shed virus for life and keep it in the herd. Control is testing, removing PI animals, biosecurity on bought-in stock, and vaccination on your vet’s advice.

IBR (infectious bovine rhinotracheitis) is a herpesvirus. Signs include fever, nasal discharge, coughing, sore eyes, a drop in milk and sometimes abortion. Infected animals can carry the virus for life. Vaccination and testing bought-in stock are the usual controls, so ask your vet.

Johne’s disease is a slow bacterial disease of the gut. Adult cattle lose weight and develop persistent diarrhoea while still eating. There is no cure. Control is testing, culling affected animals, and keeping young calves away from adult dung and from colostrum from infected cows.

BVD rules are different in each part of the UK

GOV.UK publishes no notifiable-disease reporting guidance for BVD in Great Britain. The rules that do apply are about testing, and they depend on where you farm.

• Scotland: all breeding herds must screen for BVD every year, by check testing, all calf screening or a whole herd screen. Keepers of non-breeding herds must test any calves born within 40 days of birth. A herd that stays Not Negative for 15 months must complete a Compulsory BVD Investigation, and since 1 February 2026 herds that fail to complete it within 13 months are publicly listed and moves on to the holding are prohibited until it is done, apart from licences in exceptional circumstances. Source: Scottish Government BVD eradication scheme guidance.
• Wales: since 1 July 2024 the Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (Wales) Order 2024 has required keepers to screen their herds every year by testing a small number of cattle, and to keep persistently infected (PI) animals isolated from the rest of the herd for the rest of their lives. Source: Welsh Government.
• Northern Ireland: since 1 March 2016 keepers have had to tag and test all newborn calves for BVD. Since 8 November 2023 BVD has been notifiable, so you must tell DAERA straight away if you suspect or detect it, and herds with positive or inconclusive animals, or animals of unknown BVD status, can be restricted. Breeding-age females (over 12 months old) in herds with BVD positive animals also face individual restrictions. Source: DAERA.
• England: there is no compulsory BVD scheme yet. Defra consulted from February to May 2026 on a mandatory BVD eradication programme, alongside a mandatory annual vet visit for cattle, sheep and pigs. It received 353 responses and says it will publish its response in late 2026. Source: GOV.UK consultation.

Mastitis, calf scours and calf pneumonia

Mastitis is inflammation of the udder. Signs are a hot, swollen or hard quarter, clots or watery milk, and in severe cases a cow that is off her feed. Call the vet for any cow that is unwell, and follow milk withdrawal times after treatment.

Calf scours is diarrhoea in young calves. The danger is dehydration: sunken eyes, or a calf that will not suck or stand. Give oral rehydration fluids and keep feeding milk, and call the vet if the calf is dull or down.

Calf pneumonia shows as coughing, nasal discharge, fast or laboured breathing and fever in calves. Early treatment matters, and housing with good ventilation reduces the risk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which cattle diseases must be reported in the UK?

Notifiable cattle diseases include bovine TB, foot and mouth disease, bluetongue, brucellosis, anthrax, BSE, enzootic bovine leukosis, epizootic haemorrhagic disease, lumpy skin disease and rabies. If you suspect any of them in England you must report it immediately on 03000 200 301.

Who do I call if I suspect a notifiable cattle disease?

In England call the Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301. In Wales call 0300 303 8268. In Scotland contact your local Field Services Office.

What are the common endemic diseases in UK cattle?

GOV.UK names bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD), infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) and Johne’s disease as common endemic cattle diseases in Great Britain.

What should I do if a cow dies suddenly?

Talk to your vet before moving or disposing of the carcass. If anthrax is suspected, report it immediately, isolate the carcass, and do not move, skin or open it.

Is BVD a notifiable disease?

In Northern Ireland, yes: since 8 November 2023 you must tell DAERA immediately if you suspect or detect BVD. GOV.UK publishes no notifiable-disease guidance for BVD in Great Britain. Scotland and Wales have compulsory annual screening instead, and England has consulted on a mandatory eradication programme.

BritFarmers Weekly

One email a week: what’s moved on schemes, prices, disease control and policy, with links to primary sources. Free. No sponsors. Unsubscribe anytime. Subscribe.

Source: GOV.UK: Bovine TB: how to spot and report the disease