The UK is at increasing risk of severe animal disease outbreaks due to climate change, antimicrobial resistance, and globalised trade but remains underprepared to deal with such crises, according to a new report from the National Audit Office (NAO).
The report raises alarms over systemic weaknesses in the UK’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to threats posed by animal diseases – a situation with potentially devastating consequences for public health, food security, and the economy.
Animal diseases are becoming more frequent and harder to contain. Yet, despite this mounting threat, the government lacks a comprehensive strategy and action plan to build long-term resilience.
Past animal disease outbreaks highlight economic and agricultural risks
Historical outbreaks underscore the importance of readiness. The 2001 foot and mouth disease crisis, one of the worst in British history, resulted in economic losses estimated at £13.8bn in today’s prices.
More recently, highly pathogenic avian influenza led to the culling of 7.2 million birds between November 2020 and March 2025.
The scale and frequency of these outbreaks are increasing, posing growing risks to both animal and human health.
Gaps in preparedness and ageing infrastructure
While the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have successfully managed several medium-level outbreaks, the NAO report finds they would likely struggle in the face of a major disease crisis.
Key weaknesses identified include:
- Outdated contingency plans and operational systems
- Ageing facilities, particularly the Weybridge animal science centre, which won’t be fully modernised for another decade
- Staff shortages, including a 20% veterinary vacancy rate as of April 2025
- No effective national livestock tracing system despite plans dating back to 2013
These gaps significantly reduce the government’s ability to act swiftly during fast-spreading outbreaks.
Strained capacity and a reactive model to animal diseases
The government’s current all-hands-on-deck response model, which diverts staff from routine duties to outbreak management, is proving unsustainable.
With outbreaks becoming more common, this reactive approach limits the capacity to build resilience and carry out proactive disease control measures.
Defra and APHA do have robust surveillance and intelligence systems in place, including international disease monitoring and on-farm inspections.
However, the report cautions that continuous crisis response is draining resources from longer-term planning.
Progress and ongoing challenges
Initiatives like the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway offer funding to improve farm-level biosecurity and disease detection, and efforts are underway to rebuild infrastructure.
Yet, persistent global issues, including vaccine shortages and inadequate biosecurity at UK borders, are hampering progress.
Currently, only 5% of live animal imports undergo physical checks, well below the government’s 100% target by the end of 2024.
Industry demands urgent action
The National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) echoed the NAO’s concerns, calling for swift and strategic government action to combat animal diseases.
NOAH is urging support for vaccination programmes, faster approval of veterinary medicines, and a UK-EU veterinary agreement to smooth medicine access and enhance biosecurity.
Their Livestock Vaccination Guideline, developed with veterinary and farming experts, aims to boost immunisation uptake, reduce antibiotic reliance, and improve herd resilience.
Dawn Howard, NOAH Chief Executive, commented: “The NAO report is a wake-up call. The threats from diseases like bluetongue, African swine fever and avian influenza are real and growing, and the costs of inaction will be measured not only in billions of pounds but also in animal welfare, food security and environmental impact.
“We need urgent investment in disease preparedness and a clear, science-led strategy for prevention. That must include robust support for veterinary innovation and vaccine development.”
Time for a strategic overhaul
The NAO’s findings make it clear: without significant investment, strategic planning, and international coordination, the UK risks being overwhelmed by future animal disease outbreaks.
As pressures mount, a shift from reactive crisis management to proactive resilience-building is essential to safeguarding both agriculture and the broader economy.
