Reportable Animal Diseases

Listed animal diseases must be reported to the State Veterinarian when detected or suspected in Massachusetts animals.

The diseases listed below must be reported to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) Division of Animal Health when detected or suspected in animals that are living in or have been recently imported into Massachusetts. The Division should also be notified if there has been exposure to animals that have recently been exported from Massachusetts. Practitioners should also report outbreaks of other diseases that seem to be progressing and which pose a threat to the animal population (ringworm, rhinopneumonitis, salmonella, etc.).

Fill out the online Massachusetts Reportable Animal Disease form

March 3, 2022: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has been detected in wild birds in Massachusetts. Please see the Poultry Program page  for more information.

REPORT SICK OR DEAD BIRDS

Sick or dead domestic birds (chickens, turkeys, gamebirds, domestic ducks, etc.) should be reported to Department of Agricultural Resources Division of Animal Health at 617-626-1795 or through this online reporting form.

Sick or dead wild birds should be reported to the Department of Fish and Game Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) at 508-389-6300 or or [e-mail]. 

Please provide as much of this information as possible at the time of reporting

1. What disease is being reported? Please also provide the name or ID, age, sex, breed, and/or species of the animal(s) involved.
2. Veterinarian’s name and preferred contact information
3. Owner/caretaker name, address, phone number, and/or email
4. Physical address of the animal(s)
5. When was the animal obtained? If recently obtained, what was the source (provide contact information for rescue, breeder, farm, market, etc.)?

Reporting Priority

1. Report immediately by telephone to State Veterinarian; confirm in writing or via email.
   • Diseases marked with an asterisk (*) must also be reported to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Epidemiology Program at 617-983-6800 within 24 hours of suspicion or diagnosis.
2. Report by telephone or via email within 24 hours.
3. Report by telephone, in writing, or email within 72 hours.

Reporting Other Animal Diseases

Animal practitioners should report excessive outbreaks of other diseases (ringworm, rhinopneumonitis, salmonella, etc.) that seem to be progressing and which pose a threat to the animal population. In addition to the diseases listed below, animal practitioners should also report diseases on the National List of Reportable Animal Diseases.

MA Reportable Animal Disease List

Reportable Animal Diseases List

Disease	Species Affected	Priority
Actinomycosis	Bovine	2
African Swine Fever	Porcine	1
Anaplasmosis	Bovine	1
Anthrax *	All Species	1
Avian Influenza	Avian	1
Babesiasis (Piroplasmosis)	All Species	1
Blackleg	Bovine	2
Bluetongue	Bovine/ Ovine/ Camelids	1
Botulism (Clostridium botulinum)	All Species	1
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)	Bovine	1
Bovine Viral Diarrhea	Bovine	1
Brucellosis	All Species	2
Canine Distemper	All Species	2
Canine Influenza	Canine	1
Canine Parvovirus	All Species	2
Chronic Wasting Disease	Cervid	1
Contagious Ecthyma	Ovine	3
Contagious Equine Metritis	Equine	1
Eastern Equine Encephalitis *	Equine	1
Encephalomyelitis (All)	Equine/Avian	1
Equine Enteric Coronavirus (ECoV)	Equine	2
Equine Herpes Virus – 1 (all strains)	Equine	1
Equine Infectious Anemia	Equine	1
Equine Viral Arteritis	Equine	2
Erysipelas	Porcine	2
Feline Calicivirus	Feline	2
Feline Panleukopenia	Feline	2
Foot and Mouth Disease	All Species	1
Fowl Plague (Cholera)	Avian	2
Glanders	Equine	1
Hog Cholera (Classical Swine Fever)	Porcine	1
Infectious Laryngotracheitis	Avian	3
Leptospirosis	All Species	3
Listeriosis	Bovine/Ovine	2
Mange, All Types	Ovine	2
Sarcoptic, Psoroptic Mange	Bovine	2
Sarcoptic Mange	Porcine	2
Newcastle Disease including VVND	Avian	1
Paratuberculosis (Johnes)	Bovine	2
Plague (Yersinia pestis) *	All Species	1
Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv)	Porcine	1
Porcine Deltacoronavirus (PDCoV)	Porcine	1
Potomac Fever	Equine	2
Pseudorabies	All Species	1
Psittacosis	Pet Birds	2
Pullorum	Avian	2
Q Fever (Coxiella burnetti)	All Species	1
Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease	Rabbit	1
Rabies*  Link to Rabies Protocol and Regulations Page	All Species	1
Rinderpest	All Species	1
SARS-CoV2	All Species	1
Scrapie	Caprine/Ovine	1
Swine Enteric Coronavirus Disease (PEDv and PDCoV)	Porcine	1
Strep equi (Strangles)	Equine	1
Swine Influenza	Porcine	2
Tuberculosis	All Species	1
Tularemia (Francicella tularensis)	All Species	1
Vesicular Exanthema	All Species	1
Vesicular Stomatitis	All Species	1
Viral Abortion	Ovine	2
Viral Encephalities	Equine	1
Viral Enteritis	Avian (Ducks)	2
West Nile Virus *	Equine	1