National Animal Disease Surveillance: Who Qualifies and What You Get
A guide for practicing veterinarians on the protocols and legal requirements for reporting animal disease outbreaks.
The National Animal Disease Surveillance system is a regulatory framework designed to monitor and manage the spread of infectious diseases in animals. This system provides the necessary protocols to ensure that outbreaks are identified and contained quickly to protect both animal populations and public health.
Who it's for
This scheme is specifically for all practicing veterinarians. If you are a veterinarian currently working in professional practice, you are required to operate within this surveillance framework to ensure national health security.
What you get
By participating in this surveillance system, you gain access to the official protocols used for reporting various disease outbreaks. These protocols provide clear instructions on how to handle and report specific illnesses, such as Bird Flu or MERS-CoV. Having these standardized procedures helps veterinarians respond to zoonotic diseases—which are diseases that can spread from animals to humans—in a way that is consistent and effective.
What it costs you
There is no financial cost to participating in this surveillance scheme. However, it does require a commitment of time and immediate action. When a suspected outbreak is identified, you must provide immediate notification via the MEWA hotline. This requires you to be ready to act quickly to ensure the information reaches the appropriate authorities without delay.
The catch to know
The most important thing to understand is the legal weight of this responsibility. Reporting is a mandatory requirement of your professional practice. Failure to report a suspected notifiable disease is considered a criminal offense. Because these diseases can have significant impacts on public health, the government enforces strict compliance with reporting rules.
How to apply
- Maintain professional awareness of the specific disease protocols provided by the authorities.
- Monitor animal health and identify any signs of suspected notifiable diseases.
- Immediately notify the official MEWA hotline when a suspected outbreak is identified.
- Follow the specific reporting instructions provided during the notification process.