Livestock Disease Reporting in Missouri: Rules, Deadlines, and Penalties Every Producer Should Know

Missouri ranks among the top cattle-producing states in the nation, and that agricultural strength depends on one critical safeguard: fast, accurate livestock disease reporting. When a contagious disease moves through a herd unchecked, the damage reaches far beyond a single farm — threatening neighboring operations, interstate markets, and public health.

If you raise cattle, swine, poultry, horses, sheep, goats, or exotic animals in Missouri, understanding your reporting obligations under state law is not optional. This guide walks you through every stage of the process, from which diseases trigger a mandatory report to what happens after you make the call — and what you risk if you do not.

Reportable Livestock Diseases in Missouri

Prompt reporting of any suspected foreign or emerging animal disease is critical to the mission of the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA), because the reporting process allows state and federal veterinarians to quickly respond to diseases with the potential to cause devastating damage to individual animals, the animal industry, the marketability of Missouri livestock, and in some cases, human health.

MDA’s list of reportable diseases includes diseases and conditions listed by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), National Reportable Animal Diseases, and USDA Program Diseases. Missouri’s reportable disease framework is therefore layered — state obligations sit alongside federal surveillance requirements that apply nationwide.

The following table outlines major reportable diseases in Missouri by primary species affected. Because several diseases are cross-species, always verify the current list with the MDA Animal Health Division directly.

Certain zoonotic diseases — those capable of causing illness in both animals and people — are also reportable to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Zoonotic Disease Program at (573) 751-6113. If you suspect a zoonotic disease in your herd, a dual report to both agencies may be required.

For cattle producers specifically, bovine tuberculosis, bovine brucellosis, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy are examples of federal and state cooperative disease programs. You can read more about cattle-specific disease concerns in this overview of bovine disease. Poultry producers should also be familiar with Newcastle disease, which remains on Missouri’s reportable list for all bird species.

Who Is Required to Report a Livestock Disease in Missouri

Missouri’s reporting obligation does not fall on one type of person alone. The law casts a wide net — and understanding whether it applies to you is the first step toward compliance.

The Animal Health Division, under the direction of the state veterinarian, is responsible for controlling, eradicating, and testing for livestock disease in Missouri. This is accomplished through testing, vaccinations, and regulatory programs involving cattle, swine, horses, poultry, exotic animals, sheep, goats, and small animals as provided under the Diseased Animal Law.

The following categories of individuals carry a mandatory reporting obligation under Missouri law:

• Licensed and accredited veterinarians — Missouri accredited veterinarians play an important role in helping to detect and control animal diseases in the state through disease monitoring, testing, and reporting. Under RSMo Section 267.605, veterinarians are specifically required to report contagious diseases to the state.
• Livestock producers and owners — Any owner or custodian who observes signs of a reportable disease on their premises is obligated to notify MDA.
• Livestock market operators — Missouri is home to more than 100 livestock markets, and those markets are required to employ an accredited veterinarian to conduct animal inspections and testing, apply or verify official identification, and provide CVIs or other required documents for interstate movement of animals.
• Diagnostic laboratories — Laboratories operating in Missouri must obtain a permit and submit reports when contagious diseases are detected, as outlined under RSMo Section 267.605.
• Animal health professionals — An animal health professional is an individual, corporate entity, or animal health organization with formal training in the diagnosis or recognition of animal diseases and/or pests of livestock, including veterinary medical professionals, diagnostic laboratorians, biomedical researchers, public health officials, animal health officials, and trained technicians.

Producers in other states with similar frameworks can review how obligations are structured in neighboring states, including livestock disease reporting in Illinois and livestock disease reporting in Colorado.

Signs and Symptoms That Trigger a Report in Missouri

You do not need a confirmed laboratory diagnosis to be required to report. Missouri’s rules are triggered by suspicion — meaning observable clinical signs that suggest a reportable disease may be present.

You must immediately report any animal disease or condition not known to exist in the United States, any event with increased mortality and/or morbidity of unknown cause or source, or vesicular lesions on the mouth, feet, or teats of livestock. These are among the highest-priority triggers under Missouri’s reporting framework.

Beyond those immediate-report triggers, the following clinical signs should prompt you to contact MDA without delay:

• Sudden, unexplained death of one or more animals in a herd or flock
• Rapid spread of illness across multiple animals with no clear cause
• Neurological symptoms — circling, seizures, inability to stand, or blindness
• Blisters, sores, or erosions on the mouth, hooves, tongue, or teats
• Severe or unusual respiratory distress across multiple animals
• Unexplained abortions, stillbirths, or reproductive failure
• Unusual swelling of the head, neck, or limbs
• Signs of hemorrhagic disease — bloody discharge, internal bleeding
• Fly-strike wounds with larvae present (potential screwworm indicator)

For cattle specifically, cattle qualifying for BSE surveillance testing include any age or breed showing neurologic symptoms, any cattle that are down and over 30 months of age, and any cattle found dead with a known clinical history.

Poultry producers should watch for sudden flock die-offs, severe drops in egg production, swelling around the head and neck, or neurological signs. These can indicate highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) or Newcastle disease, both of which require immediate notification. For a broader look at bird health concerns, see this resource on diseases in pet birds.

How to Report a Livestock Disease in Missouri

Missouri keeps the reporting process straightforward. When you observe signs that trigger a report, your first call should go directly to the MDA Animal Health Division.

Diseases must be reported to the Missouri Department of Agriculture at (573) 751-3377 or animal.health@mda.mo.gov within 24 hours of suspicion or detection. Both phone and email channels are accepted, but for urgent or immediately reportable diseases, a phone call is strongly recommended to ensure the fastest possible response.

Here is a step-by-step overview of the reporting process:

1. Observe and document — Note the number of animals affected, species, age, clinical signs, onset date, and any recent movements or new animal introductions.
2. Contact your accredited veterinarian — Your veterinarian can help assess whether the signs meet the threshold for a reportable disease and may assist with the official report.
3. Call MDA directly — Reach the Animal Health Division at (573) 751-3377 during business hours. For after-hours emergencies involving foreign animal diseases or mass mortality events, contact USDA APHIS at 1-866-536-7593.
4. Submit by email if appropriate — For non-emergency reportable diseases, you may also contact animal.health@mda.mo.gov with your documentation.
5. Report zoonotic diseases to DHSS — Certain zoonotic diseases are also reportable to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Zoonotic Disease Program at (573) 751-6113.
6. Cooperate with follow-up — An MDA or USDA APHIS veterinarian may request on-site access to conduct an investigation.

MDA has two Animal Health Diagnostic Labs that provide accredited veterinarians with testing for many animal diseases. If samples need to be collected and submitted for laboratory confirmation, your veterinarian will coordinate with one of these facilities. Sample collection supplies can be ordered from the Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory in Jefferson City at (573) 751-3460.

Producers in other states can compare Missouri’s process against reporting frameworks in states like Florida, California, and Michigan to understand how requirements vary across state lines.

Reporting Deadlines and Timeframes in Missouri

Missouri’s reporting deadlines depend on the category of disease involved. Some conditions require an immediate report before any other steps are taken, while others carry a 24-hour window.

You must immediately report any animal disease or condition not known to exist in the United States, any event with increased mortality and/or morbidity of unknown cause or source. This “immediately” standard applies regardless of business hours — if you observe a potential foreign animal disease on a weekend, the expectation is that you make contact that same day.

The 24-hour clock starts at the point of suspicion, not confirmed diagnosis. Waiting for laboratory results before filing a report is not an acceptable reason for missing the deadline under Missouri’s framework.

For cervid producers, note that all suspected or confirmed cases of CWD must be reported to MDA, and movement of CWD-susceptible cervids is tightly regulated. All CWD susceptible cervids must have a CWD Status Level of 1 to move within Missouri.

What Happens After You Report in Missouri

Filing a report sets a formal regulatory process in motion. Understanding what to expect helps you cooperate effectively and protect your operation from unnecessary disruption.

Once MDA receives your report, the response typically follows this sequence:

1. Initial assessment — An MDA Animal Health officer or state veterinarian will review the report and determine the appropriate response level based on the disease category and number of animals affected.
2. On-site investigation — Under the Diseased Animal Law, the department has the authority to enter any premises, barns, stables, sheds, vehicles, or other places to check for livestock disease or animal health violations. You are required to allow this access.
3. Sample collection and testing — The investigating veterinarian may collect blood, tissue, or swab samples for submission to one of MDA’s two Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratories.
4. Quarantine, if warranted — If the state veterinarian is satisfied that an animal, livestock, or bird is suffering from any highly contagious, communicable, or infectious disease, the state veterinarian shall immediately quarantine the same to pens, farms, sheds, or barns completely separated from other susceptible animals not so diseased or infected.
5. Movement restrictions — Any owner or custodian of livestock placed under quarantine may be required by the state veterinarian to test or retest such livestock for disease, in accordance with the terms and conditions and upon such schedule as the state veterinarian shall designate in the order of quarantine.
6. Disease management orders — In the event that disease is discovered in any such livestock, the owner shall comply with the order of the state veterinarian in effecting the removal, disposition, or cure of any such diseased livestock, or animals or birds exposed thereto, in the manner and in the time period designated in such orders.

For certain federally regulated diseases, USDA APHIS will be involved alongside MDA. The USDA Brucellosis Eradication Program works alongside Missouri officials during active investigations to ensure federal protocols are followed alongside state requirements.

Quarantine does not automatically mean your animals will be destroyed. Animals under quarantine and treatment or testing may not be removed from the premises until the licensee is notified that such animals are recovered and incapable of spreading the disease and otherwise released by the state veterinarian or an animal welfare official.

Epidemiological decisions and recommendations based on analysis and interpretation of test results, investigative reports, symptoms, and other evidence may result in orders for quarantines, vaccinations, herd depopulation, or other measures for the control and/or eradication of livestock diseases.

Penalties for Failing to Report in Missouri

Missouri takes non-compliance seriously. Failing to report a suspected reportable disease — or interfering with an investigation after a report is filed — exposes you to significant civil and criminal consequences.

Under the Diseased Animal Law, the department has the authority to enter any premises, barns, stables, sheds, vehicles, or other places to check for livestock disease or animal health violations. If a violation is discovered, a citation can be issued, and an alleged violator found guilty of violating animal health laws is subject to civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation.

Beyond the base civil penalty, Missouri law creates additional financial exposure for producers who fail to comply with quarantine orders:

• A civil penalty not to exceed $1,000 for each violation, and a penalty not to exceed $500 for each day a person fails to implement tests for disease or effect the removal, disposal, or cure of livestock subject to a prior quarantine order.
• All penalties assessed under this section shall be credited to the livestock dealer law enforcement and administration fund.

Criminal penalties also apply in certain circumstances. Any person or owner who is notified to quarantine animals as provided in the animal health disease control and eradication law and who violates any of the provisions of those sections or official orders of quarantine shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

The following table summarizes the penalty structure under Missouri law:

Producers who disagree with a penalty or quarantine order do have recourse. Any person who violates an order of the state veterinarian may be summoned by the director to a hearing to be held in the county where the livestock are quarantined, and any person aggrieved by a decision of the director after a hearing may appeal to the circuit court for a trial de novo in the county where the livestock are quarantined.

Missouri’s enforcement approach is consistent with how other major livestock states handle disease compliance. For comparison, see how penalties and reporting structures work in Florida and California. Producers managing multiple species should also be aware of disease reporting obligations that may extend to companion animals — for example, understanding conditions like autoimmune disease in dogs or Lyme disease in dogs can be relevant on mixed-use farm operations where working dogs are present.

The bottom line is straightforward: reporting promptly protects your herd, your neighbors, Missouri’s livestock industry, and your own legal standing. When in doubt, make the call to MDA at (573) 751-3377 — it costs nothing, and the alternative can cost a great deal.