The Small Animal Expert Group Annual Summary 2024

21 October 2025

APHA’s Small Animal Expert Group (SAEG) was established in 2022 through collaboration between APHA and BSAVA. Members of the Group, including Government departments, national animal charities and small animal surveillance systems, work collaboratively to gather, analyse, and share information on small animal disease surveillance, including those diseases that are zoonotic and pose a potential risk to public health. Small animal veterinary professionals can act as an early warning system for the Group by reporting unusual cases and by engaging with groups collating and anonymising clinical records and laboratory data. As valuable contributors within a complex surveillance network, veterinary professionals are encouraged to maintain a population perspective, flag changes in disease trends, and always consider diseases with zoonotic potential as part of their differential diagnoses.

The Group have published their 2024 summary, covering topics and intelligence gathered on emerging and important small animal diseases.

2024 Potential Risks and Threats

The SAEG aims to detect, investigate, and characterise new and re-emerging threats in Great Britain’s (GB) small animals. The following diseases represent some of the noteworthy potential risks and threats covered by the SAEG and wider intelligence network in 2024:

TB in cats caused by Mycobacterium caprae infection: A cluster of 16 feline tuberculosis (TB) cases were identified in domestic cats being fed the same raw meat-based diet, representing the first reported cluster of feline M. caprae infections worldwide. All cases developed severe (often fatal) clinical disease.

Influenza A(H5N1) in pets: In 2024, the USA Animal and Plant Health Inspector Service officially detected high pathogenicity avian influenza in 51 domestic cats. In the US, most infections in cats have been associated with avian influenza A(H5N1)-affected farms (poultry and cattle premises). Access to wild birds, raw milk, and commercially produced raw pet food are considered potential sources of infection. Suspicion of infection of Influenza A(H5N1) in a UK pet is notifiable. Government guidance can be found here: Influenza A (H5N1) infection in mammals: suspect case definition and diagnostic testing criteria.

Corynebacterium ulcerans: C.ulcerans can cause throat infections and diphtheria in humans. Most recent zoonotic incidents have been associated with contact with companion animals such as dogs and cats, who can carry the bacteria asymptomatically in the throat. It has also been isolated from skin lesions, nasal discharge, and other anatomical sites of clinically unwell dogs and cats. During 2024, APHA assisted with 55 pet index cases of toxigenic C. ulcerans involving cats and dogs, and seven human index cases. APHA recommends surveillance swabbing of pet cats and dogs which have had close contact with an animal or human index case of toxigenic C. ulcerans to investigate potential transmission. Typically, APHA will liaise closely with the private veterinary surgeon to provide relevant advice. Information on managing cases can be found here: Public health management of toxigenic C. ulcerans in companion animals

Salmonella in dogs: In 2024, there were 482 Salmonella isolations from dogs including 77 isolations of S. typhimurium, 39 isolations of S. Infantis, and 17 isolations of S. Enteritidis, all important causes of human disease. Salmonella in dogs became reportable following amendments to the Zoonoses Order in early 2021 and reporting of Salmonella isolation from all species of pets is encouraged.

Brucella canis: In 2024, there were 333 epidemiologically separate incidents where evidence of infection with Brucella canis was reported to the APHA Brucella National Reference Laboratory. Further information is available in the APHA Zoonoses and Veterinary Public Health quarterly and annual reports here.

Horizon Scanning

The SAEG also undertakes horizon scanning, a form of surveillance used to detect risks and threats across the world which pose a potential threat to the UK pet population. The 2024 summary covers:

  • Psittacosis in a pet bird linked with a human case in Denmark
  • Salmonella typhimurium outbreak in Norway linked to birds and cats
  • Factitial hyperthyroidism in a dog in the Netherlands linked to consuming thyroid gland tissue-contaminated food
  • European bat lyssavirus type 1 (EBLV-1) detected in a cat in the Netherlands – the first case of EBLV-1 in a pet in the Netherlands and the fourth in Europe since 2000
  • Yersinia pestis in cats in the USA (Y. pestis is not found in Europe currently)
  • Babesia gibsoni in a dog in New Zealand with no link to overseas cases

Small Animal Risks and Threats (SmART) Comms

The SAEG communication tool for the timely notification of potential risks and threats in the small animal sector. the SmART Comms system (Small Animal Risks and Threats Communications) keeps veterinary professionals informed with prompt pet-related disease and health notifications which are relevant to and can be used to inform small animal veterinary practice decisions. Small animal veterinary professionals wishing to register to receive these notifications should email siu@apha.gov.uk with the email address and/or mobile telephone number to be registered to receive email or text alerts.

BSAVA Policy works closely with subject experts and Government to support members and the wider profession with challenging scenarios that may be encountered on a daily basis in practice, including zoonoses and public health concerns.

The SAEG Annual Summary 2024 is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/small-animal-expert-group-annual-summary

BSAVA’s library collection on One Health: https://www.bsavalibrary.com/content/one-health and on zoonotic disease: https://www.bsavalibrary.com/content/zoonotic-diseases

BSAVA’s Brucella canis hub: https://www.bsavalibrary.com/pages/brucella-canis

BSAVA Companion: Please see upcoming editions of Companion for additional information.