Disease Surveillance
Domestic
Domestic surveillance for notifiable diseases is best carried out at a UK level, as disease present in the UK is free to move throughout the GB single epidemiological unit (the mainland of England, Wales and Scotland) and via the usual patterns of trade to the Scottish Islands and Northern Ireland.
Within Scotland, surveillance for non-notifiable diseases is currently carried out by the Scottish Agricultural College ( www.sac.ac.uk) under a SEERAD contract. This is based on SAC's network of eight Disease Surveillance Centres throughout Scotland, from Thurso in the north to Dumfries in the south west. These laboratories provide diagnostic facilities for farm and companion animals and horses, collate disease data and support animal health initiatives. This information is published in the veterinary and farming press.
International
International Disease Surveillance is the UK's early warning system for animal disease circulating in other countries. It monitors disease outbreaks worldwide and assesses the risk of incursion, using information from an international network of veterinary authorities and scientists. Further details are available from the International Disease Monitoring ( http://defraweb.defra.gsi.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/monitoring) webpage.