Article 9 Case definitions
United Kingdom
The competent authority shall classify an animal or a group of animals as a suspected case of a listed disease or of an emerging disease when:
clinical, post-mortem or laboratory examinations conclude that clinical sign(s), post-mortem lesion(s) or histological findings are indicative of that disease;
result(s) from a diagnostic method are indicating the likely presence of the disease in a sample from an animal or from a group of animals; or
an epidemiological link with a confirmed case has been established.
The competent authority shall classify an animal or a group of animals, as a confirmed case of a listed disease or of an emerging disease when:
the disease agent, excluding vaccine strains, has been isolated in a sample from an animal or from a group of animals;
an antigen or nucleic acid specific to the disease agent that is not a consequence of vaccination has been identified in a sample from an animal or from a group of animals showing clinical signs consistent with the disease or an epidemiological link with a suspected or confirmed case; or
a positive result from an indirect diagnostic method that is not a consequence of vaccination has been obtained in a sample from an animal or from a group of animals showing clinical signs consistent with the disease or an epidemiological link with a suspected or confirmed case.
Disease specific definitions of a suspected case and a confirmed case of listed diseases are laid down for terrestrial animals in Annex I and for aquatic animals in point 3 of Section 5 of Chapters 1 to 6 of Part II of Annex VI.
In the absence of disease specific definitions as provided for in paragraph 3, the criteria laid down in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall apply to definitions of a suspected case and a confirmed case of listed diseases and, if relevant, emerging diseases.