This page contains known endemic and exotic animal diseases that have been specifically listed as “notifiable”. This means any new detection of the disease in Tasmania (or a part of Tasmania where the disease is not known to occur) is a reportable “biosecurity event”.
Section 73 of the Biosecurity Act 2019 (the Act) imposes mandatory notification requirements in respect of biosecurity events, which apply to specified classes of persons and require notification of the biosecurity event to an authorised officer as soon as practicable after the person becomes aware of the biosecurity event.
Exotic and emergency animal diseases
Exotic and emergency animal diseases are defined as prohibited matter under Section 20 of the Act. Prohibited matter is biosecurity matter or carriers assessed to be of greatest biosecurity concern. A person cannot possess or engage in any form of dealing with prohibited matter without a special permit – a prohibited matter permit.
Section 20 of the Act defines "prohibited matter" as follows:
20. Prohibited matter
(1) The Minister may, by notice published in the Gazette, declare any biosecurity matter, or class of biosecurity matter, to be prohibited matter if the Minister is satisfied on reasonable grounds that –
(a) the biosecurity matter, or class of biosecurity matter, poses a significant biosecurity risk to Tasmania or a part of Tasmania; and
(b) the declaration is necessary to prevent, eliminate, minimise, control or manage the biosecurity risk posed by the biosecurity matter or class of biosecurity matter.
(2) The Minister may, by notice published in the Gazette, declare any carrier, or class of carriers, to be prohibited matter if the Minister is satisfied on reasonable grounds that –
(a) the carrier, or class of carriers, poses a significant biosecurity risk to Tasmania or a part of Tasmania; and
(b) the declaration is necessary to prevent, eliminate, minimise, control or manage the biosecurity risk posed by the carrier or class of carriers.
(3) A declaration under this section may make provision for transitional arrangements –
(a) for the lawful disposal, treatment or destruction of any biosecurity matter, or carrier, that becomes prohibited matter as a result of the declaration; and
(b) that specify certain provisions of this Act as not applying in respect of such disposal, treatment or destruction of the biosecurity matter or carrier.
Diseases associated with multiple terrestrial animal species
Infection with Bacillus anthracis (Anthrax)
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Infection with Australian bat lyssavirus |
Bluetongue (clinical disease)
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Infection with Borna disease virus |
Infection with Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas disease) |
Infection with Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus |
Infection with Encephalitides
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Epizootic haemorrhagic disease (clinical disease) |
Infection with foot and mouth disease virus |
Infection with Ehrlichia ruminantium (Heartwater) |
Infection with Echinococcus multilocularis |
Infection with Japanese encephalitis virus |
Infection with ovine herpesvirus-2 or alcelaphine herpesvirus-1 (malignant catarrhal fever, wildebeest-associated) |
Infection with rabies virus |
Infection with Rift Valley fever virus
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Infection with rinderpest virus
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Infestation with Cochliomyia hominivorax (New World screwworm) |
Infestation with Chrysomya bezziana (Old World screwworm) |
Infection with Mycobacterium bovis |
Infection with Mycobacterium caprae |
Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis |
Infection with Trypanosoma evansi (Surra) |
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, chronic wasting disease of deer, feline spongiform encephalopathy, scrapie) |
Infection with Trichinella spp.
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Trypanosomosis (tsetse fly associated) |
Infection with Francisella tularensis (Tularaemia) |
Infection with vesicular stomatitis virus |
Infestation with Warble-fly (warble-fly myiasis) |
Infection with West Nile virus infection (clinical disease)
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Diseases associated with cattle
Haemorrhagic septicaemia (Infection with Pasteurella multocida serotypes 6:b and 6:e)
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Infection with Brucella abortus |
Infection with Jembrana disease virus |
Infection with louping ill virus |
Infection with lumpy skin disease virus |
Infection with Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides SC (contagious bovine pleuropneumonia) |
Infection with Theileria parva (East Coast fever) or T. annulata (Mediterranean theileriosis)
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Diseases associated with sheep and goats
Contagious agalactia (clinical disease)
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Infection with Brucella melitenisis |
Infection with Chlamydophila abortus (enzootic abortion of ewes, ovine chlamydiosis) |
Infection with Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae (contagious caprine pleuropneumonia) |
Infection with Nairobi sheep disease virus |
Infection with peste des petits ruminants virus |
Infestation with Psoroptes ovis (sheep scab) |
Infection with Sheep pox and goat pox virus |
Infection with Wesselbron virus |
Infection with Maedi-visna |
Infection with Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus
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Diseases associated with equines
Infection with African horse sickness virus
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Infection with Babesia caballi B. equi, or Theileria equi (Equine piroplasmosis) |
Infection with Burkholderia mallei (Glanders) |
Infection with Eastern, Western or Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis viruses |
Infection with equine encephalosis virus |
Infection with equine influenza virus |
Infection with Getah virus |
Infection with Hendra virus |
Infection with Histoplasma farciminosum (epizootic lymphangitis) |
Infection with Neorickettsia risticii (Potomac fever) |
Infection with Taylorella equigenitalis (contagious equine metritis) |
Infection with Trypanosoma equiperdum (dourine)
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Diseases associated with swine
Infection with African swine fever virus |
Infection with Aujeszky's disease virus
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Infection with Bungowannah virus |
Infection with classical swine fever virus |
Infection with Influenza A viruses in swine |
Infection with Menangle virus |
Infection with Nipah virus |
Infection with porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus |
Infection with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus |
Infection with Seneca Valley virus (Senecavirus A) |
Infection with swine vesicular disease virus |
Infection with Teschovirus encephalomyelitis
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Infection with transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus |
Infection with vesicular exanthema of swine virus |
Post-weaning multi-systemic wasting syndrome
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Diseases associated with birds
Duck virus hepatitis |
Infection with Influenza A viruses in birds |
Infection with avian metapneumovirus (Turkey rhinotracheitis) |
Infection with duck herpesvirus (Anatid heresvirus-1)
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Infection with Mycoplasma iowae |
Infection with infectious bursal disease virus (hypervirulent and exotic antigenic variant forms) |
Infection with Newcastle disease virus (virulent) |
Infection with Salmonella gallinarum (fowl typhoid)
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Other diseases and Infections
Infection with Brucella canis
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Infection with camelpox virus
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Infection with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus
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Infection with Pseudogymnoascus destructans in bats (White nose syndrome)
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Diseases associated with bees
Africanised honey bees |
Infestation of honey bees with Acarapis woodi (Acariasis tracheal mite) |
Infestation of bees with Tropilaelaps clareae or Tropilaelaps mercedesae (Tropilaelaps mite) |
Infestation of bees with Varroa destructor or Varroa jacobsoni (Varroosis)
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Diseases associated with finfish
Bacterial kidney disease (Renibacterium salmoninarum) |
Enteric redmouth disease (Yersinia ruckeri – Hagerman strain) |
Infection with epizootic haematopoietic necrosis virus |
Furunculosis (Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida) |
Infection with Singapore grouper iridovirus (ranavirus) |
Infection with Aphanomyces invadans (epizootic ulcerative syndrome) |
Infection with Gyrodactylus salaris |
Infection with infectious salmon anaemia virus |
Infection with salmon alphavirus |
Infection with infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus |
Infectious pancreatic necrosis |
Infection with infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus |
Infection with Koi herpesvirus (Cyprinid herpesvirus 3) |
Oncorhynchus masou virus disease |
Infection with Red sea bream iridoviral disease |
Sealice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) |
Infection with spring viraemia of carp virus |
Infection with Tilapia lake virus (TiLV) disease |
Infection with betanodavirus
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Infection with viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus |
Whirling disease (Myxobolus cerebralis)
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Diseases associated with molluscs
Infection with Bonamia exitiosa
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Infection with Bonamia ostreae |
Infection with Mikrocytos mackini |
Infection with Marteilia refringens |
Infection with Marteilia sydneyi |
Infection with Marteilioides chungmuensis |
Infection with Perkinsus marinus |
Infection with Perkinsus olseni |
Infection with Xenohalitotis californiensis |
Infection with Iridoviroses |
Diseases associated with crustaceans
Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND)
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Infection with Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP)
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Infection with Gill-associated virus
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Infection with Aphanomyces astaci (crayfish plague) |
Infection with Hepatobacter penaei (necrotising hepatopancreatitis)(NHP)
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Infection with infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis virus |
Infection with Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus (white tail disease) |
Infection with myonecrosis virus |
Infection with Taura syndrome virus |
Infection with white spot syndrome virus |
Infection with yellow head virus genotype 1 |
Monodon slow growth syndrome
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Diseases associated with amphibians
Infection with Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans |
Infection with Ranavirus species
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Endemic animal diseases
Endemic animal diseases are defined as declared pests & diseases under the Act. Declared pest/disease is a fourth category of biosecurity matter established by the Biosecurity Regulations 2022 (the Regulations), see regulation 4.
There are generally endemic pests and animal/plant disease (including declared weeds) which pose an elevated biosecurity risk and are known to be present in the State or are well established in other parts of Australia, but not Tasmania (e.g. fox).
Part 2 of the Regulations prescribe certain dealings with declared pests and disease (e.g. importing, supply and propagation) to be prohibited dealings which can only occur under a special prohibited dealing permit.
Regulation 18 of the Regulations prescribes the presence in Tasmania or part of Tasmania of a declared pest or disease to be a “biosecurity event” – which means (as with prohibited matter) new detections of the pest or disease in Tasmania are notifiable and must be reported to an authorised officer as soon as possible after the detection (s73 of the Act).
Declared diseases also include exotic issues that are of local interest only such as DFTD or marine sea lice of salmonids.
In general, if a disease in on our Declared Diseases list – it does not have to appear on our Prohibited Matter list. All diseases on the National Notifiable Disease list have to appear in one of the 2 Tasmanian Lists. Positioning as a Declared Disease allows some flexibility in how the disease is managed and does not imply any attempt at eradication.
Diseases associated with multiple terrestrial animal species
Infection with Chlamydia psittaci (avian psittacosis)
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Infection with Echinococcus granulosus (Hydatid disease)
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Infection with Leptospirosis interrogans serovars
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Infection with Listeria monocytogenes
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Paratuberculosis (Johne's disease)
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Infection with Coxiella burnetii (Q fever)
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Salmonellosis (clinical disease)
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Infection with Verotoxic E. coli
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Diseases associated with cattle
Infection with Anaplasma marginale (bovine anaplasmosis) in tick free areas
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Infection with Babesia bovis, B. bigemina or B. divergens (bovine babesiosis) in tick free areas
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Infection with bovine leukaemia virus (enzootic bovine leucosis)
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Infection with bovine virus diarrhoea virus (type 2)
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Infestation with Taenia saginata (Cysticercus bovis)
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Diseases associated with sheep and goats
Infection with Brucella ovis (Ovine brucellosis)
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Infection with Salmonella abortus-ovis
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Diseases associated with equine species
Infection with equine herpes virus 1 (EHV-1)
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Infection with equine infectious anaemia virus
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Infection with equine arteritis virus
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Infection with Salmonella abortus-equi
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Diseases associated with swine
Infection with Brucella suis
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Infection with Taenia solium (Porcine cysticercosis / Cysticercus cellulosae)
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Diseases associated with birds
Infection with Mycobacterium avium (avian tuberculosis)
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Infection with Salmonella Enteritidis in poultry
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Infection with Salmonella Pullorum (Pullorum disease)
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Diseases associated with bees
Infection of bees with Melissococcus plutonius (European foulbrood)
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Infection of bees with Paenibacillus larvae (American foulbrood)
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Small hive beetle (Aethina tumida)
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Diseases associated with finfish
Infection with Aeromonas salmonicida - atypical strains (marine aeromonad disease, goldfish ulcer disease)
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Enteric septicaema of catfish (Edwardsiella ictaluri)
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Infection with Rickettsia-like organism (RLO) of salmonids
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Infection with Piscirickettsia salmonis
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Infection with Pilchard orthomyxo virus (POMV)
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Infection with Lactococcus garvieae (Streptococcosis of salmonids)
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Infection with aquatic birnavirus
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Infection with Irridoviruses
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Diseases associated with molluscs
Infection with Abalone herpesvirus (Haliotid herpesvirus-1)
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Bonamia species infection in shellfish, other than Bonamia ostreae infection in shellfish or Bonamia exitiosus infection in shellfish
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Infection with Ostreid herpesvirus-1
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Infection with Irridoviruses
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Diseases associated with amphibians
| Infection with Batrachochytrium dendrobatidi |
Diseases associated with wildlife and other species
Devil Facial Tumour Disease
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Possum nidovirus – Wobbly Possum Disease
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Where do I report an emergency animal disease?
The Emergency Animal Disease Hotline number: 1800 675 888
The Emergency Animal Disease Hotline is a national 24 hours a day, 7 days a week service designed to receive reports of animal disease and direct those reports to the appropriate authorities so they can be investigated further.
When making a report to the Emergency Animal Disease hotline, make sure you include the following information:
The type of animal/s that appears to be sick.
A description of the symptoms observed in the animal and their level of severity i.e. was the animal ‘a bit sick’, ‘quite sick’, ‘very sick’ or ‘dead’?
Where you observed the affected animal/s. This is VERY important.
Your contact details so a Government veterinarian can call you back.
If you are asked to leave a message PLEASE DO!
Download the Factsheet on Reporting an Emergency Animal Disease:
Reporting an Emergency Animal Disease (PDF 147Kb)
NOTE: If you think you have found signs of an emergency animal disease, consider calling your private veterinarian before the emergency animal disease hotline as the animal health issue may benefit from a more rapid response and early treatment and mitigation measures.
Other biosecurity matter listings