You must immediately report the animal disease or your suspicion of an animal disease outbreak informally.

First notify the competent veterinary office. If the competent veterinary office cannot be reached, notify the local police authority:

• in person,
• by telephone
• by fax or
• by e-mail

If you notify by fax or e-mail, the obligation to notify is fulfilled if you receive a personal confirmation of receipt of the notification from the competent authority within two hours. If you do not receive this confirmation, you must try again.

Provide information on:

• suspected disease
• symptoms occurring
• Type, number and location of the animals
• Owner or keeper of the animals
• possibly: neighbouring herds affected
• measures taken by you
• have the animals been bought or sold

You must do everything possible to prevent the disease from spreading: for example, you must keep the sick and suspect animals away from places where there is a risk of infecting other animals.

The competent veterinary office investigates your suspicious report. It will first order that the sick and suspect animals be separated from other susceptible animals and, if necessary, confined.
The movement of people and vehicles on your farm will be restricted.
If the suspicion of an animal disease requiring control is confirmed, the competent veterinary office initiates the necessary countermeasures. These can be, for example, the killing or quarantine of the animals.