Livestock Disease Reporting in Washington State: Rules Every Producer Must Know

Washington state’s livestock industry — from cattle ranches in the Palouse to sheep operations in the Cascades — depends on fast, accurate disease reporting to stay healthy and economically viable. When a reportable disease goes undetected or unreported, it can spread across herds, cross state lines, and trigger federal intervention that costs producers far more than compliance ever would.

If you raise, treat, or work with livestock in Washington, understanding the state’s reporting requirements is not optional. This guide walks you through exactly which diseases trigger a report, who is legally required to file one, what symptoms should put you on alert, and what happens if you don’t act.

Reportable Livestock Diseases in Washington

Washington state maintains a formal list of diseases that must be reported to the State Veterinarian’s Office whenever they are diagnosed or suspected. By state law, certain animal diseases must be reported to the State Veterinarian’s Office, and the full list is identified in WAC 16-70-020 of the state’s Administrative Code.

WAC 16-70-020 sets forth the list of diseases that licensed veterinarians and veterinary laboratories must report to the State Veterinarian, and it includes diseases listed by the State Veterinarian, by WOAH (World Organisation for Animal Health) on the WOAH notifiable disease list, and by the state board of health under chapter 246-101 WAC.

The diseases on Washington’s reportable list span multiple livestock species and fall into several broad categories. Below is an overview of key disease categories and examples drawn from the WAC 16-70-020 table.

“New, emerging, or unusual animal diseases” are defined as diseases in animals that have never or rarely been observed in Washington state, or that appear in a new species, show evidence of higher pathogenicity, or appear in a higher-than-expected number of animals clustered in time or space — and any of these may or may not be of potential public health significance.

Washington’s reporting framework also intersects with federal obligations. The National Animal Health Reporting System (NAHRS) is the only comprehensive reporting system for WOAH-reportable diseases in the United States, meaning state-level reports can feed into broader national surveillance. You can learn more about bovine diseases and zoonotic diseases that overlap with Washington’s reportable list.

Who Is Required to Report a Livestock Disease in Washington

Washington’s reporting mandate does not fall on a single group. Multiple parties carry legal responsibility depending on their role in diagnosing, testing, or caring for animals.

• Licensed veterinarians — Any veterinarian who diagnoses or suspects a reportable disease in a Washington animal must report it to the State Veterinarian.
• Veterinary laboratories — Private and state-funded labs that identify a disease agent through testing carry their own independent reporting obligation.
• Livestock owners and producers — Owners who observe signs consistent with a reportable disease are expected to contact their veterinarian or the State Veterinarian’s Office directly.

WAC 16-70-020 sets forth the list of diseases that licensed veterinarians and veterinary laboratories must report to the State Veterinarian as described in WAC 16-70-010 and 16-70-015. The reporting obligations for veterinarians and labs are codified separately under those two sections, with distinct timelines and information requirements for each.

Under Washington’s administrative code, “animal” means any animal species except fish and insects, including all those classified as wild, captive wild, exotic wild, alternative livestock, semidomesticated, domestic, or farm. This broad definition means the reporting obligation extends beyond traditional farm livestock to include exotic and alternative species.

Some disease agents are reportable to the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) by veterinarians under WAC 246-101-805, creating a dual-reporting pathway that connects animal health surveillance with the Washington State Department of Health’s communicable disease system.

Veterinarians treating livestock in Washington should also be aware that their reporting duty applies to suspected cases, not just confirmed diagnoses. Waiting for laboratory confirmation before filing a report is not required — and in the case of foreign animal diseases, it is strongly discouraged.

Signs and Symptoms That Trigger a Report in Washington

Knowing when to make a report is just as important as knowing how. Washington’s regulations specify categories of clinical presentations that must prompt immediate contact with the State Veterinarian, even before a diagnosis is confirmed.

Veterinarians are required to report any case of a reportable disease, including new, emerging, or unusual animal diseases listed in Table 1 of WAC 16-70-020; any higher-than-expected mortality or morbidity event; any highly unusual clinical signs such as mouth or muzzle lesions, especially if accompanied by foot, udder, vulva, or skin lesions resembling blisters or vesicles; and encephalitis conditions in all animals and avians.

In practical terms, the following symptom clusters should put you on alert and prompt an immediate call to your veterinarian or the WSDA:

• Vesicular lesions — Blisters or fluid-filled sores on the mouth, feet, teats, or snout are classic signs of foreign animal diseases like foot-and-mouth disease and vesicular stomatitis.
• Sudden or unexplained death — Multiple animals dying in a short period without a clear cause warrants immediate investigation.
• Neurological signs — Staggering, circling, seizures, or unusual aggression can indicate encephalitic diseases such as rabies, equine encephalomyelitis, or scrapie.
• Rapid respiratory distress — Severe breathing difficulty, especially in poultry, can signal highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
• Sudden drop in production — A sharp decline in milk yield or egg production alongside other clinical signs may indicate a systemic disease.
• Unusual abortion rates — A cluster of abortions, stillbirths, or weak newborns can be associated with brucellosis, Q fever, or other reportable conditions.

When there is a case of livestock dying or becoming seriously ill due to a contagious disease, these are called “events,” and WSDA is especially concerned about infectious animal disease events involving a large number of animals becoming sick or dying. In cases of a contagious or infectious disease, the carcass should be disposed of quickly and on-site to minimize the spread of the disease.

Disease-causing agents can be brought onto a premises by human activity, fly and tick vectors, new animals, shared equipment, flooding, birds, vermin, and many other means, and some of these diseases are zoonotic — meaning they can be transmitted between people and animals. Understanding zoonotic disease transmission is critical for producers who want to protect both their herds and their families. You should also be aware of Newcastle disease in poultry and review resources on diseases in birds if you keep mixed-species operations.

How to Report a Livestock Disease in Washington

Washington state offers multiple pathways for submitting a disease report, making it straightforward to comply regardless of your location or situation.

By state law, certain animal diseases must be reported to the State Veterinarian’s Office, and the full list is in WAC 16-70-020. Reports can be made online at the WSDA Reportable Diseases webpage.

1. Online submission — Licensed veterinarians reporting to the State Veterinarian can submit reports online at https://agr.wa.gov/departments/animals-livestock-and-pets/animal-health/reportable-diseases. This is the preferred method for routine reportable disease notifications.
2. Phone or email — You can report any unusual illnesses or deaths to your veterinarian or the State Veterinarian’s Office at ahealth@agr.wa.gov or 360-902-1878.
3. Emergency / foreign animal disease hotline — For suspected foreign animal diseases or after-hours emergencies, the USDA APHIS FAD Hotline is available at 866-536-7593 for after-hours and weekend calls.

When you make a report, be prepared to provide the following information:

• Your name, contact information, and premises location
• Species and number of animals affected
• Clinical signs observed and when they first appeared
• Any recent animal movements, purchases, or herd additions
• Whether a veterinarian has already been consulted or samples submitted

Producers in Washington can also compare how neighboring states handle these requirements. See how Oregon and other states structure their programs, or review guides for California, Colorado, Florida, and Illinois for a broader picture of regional compliance expectations.

Reporting Deadlines and Timeframes in Washington

Washington’s reporting rules distinguish between different urgency levels depending on the type of disease and how it was detected. The timelines are set by Chapter 16-70 WAC and vary by reporter type.

For Licensed Veterinarians

Veterinarians must report immediately upon diagnosis or reasonable suspicion of a reportable disease. The regulation does not allow veterinarians to delay reporting while awaiting laboratory confirmation for diseases on the official list or for new, emerging, or unusual presentations.

For Veterinary Laboratories

All veterinary laboratories must notify the State Veterinarian of preliminary and final positive test results as follows: immediately when a disease agent listed in Table 1 of WAC 16-70-020 is identified, and immediately when the disease is a new, emerging, or unusual animal disease or a zoonotic disease. Monthly reporting applies when a disease agent is identified by serology with no clinical signs of disease.

What Happens After You Report in Washington

Filing a report is the beginning of a response process, not the end of your involvement. Once WSDA receives a report, a coordinated series of steps typically follows.

Preventing animal disease and the introduction of foreign animal disease is an important goal of the WSDA Animal Health Program, and the program maintains information and resources on animal diseases that pose a threat to Washington livestock and companion animals.

Here is what you can generally expect after submitting a report:

1. Initial contact and triage — A WSDA animal health official will contact you to gather additional information, assess the situation’s urgency, and determine whether an on-site investigation is needed.
2. Field investigation — For serious or foreign animal disease suspicions, a state or federal veterinarian may visit your premises to conduct a clinical examination and collect diagnostic samples.
3. Laboratory testing — Samples are submitted to an accredited veterinary diagnostic laboratory. For foreign animal diseases, samples are typically sent to the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa.
4. Quarantine or hold orders — If a reportable disease is confirmed or strongly suspected, WSDA has authority under RCW 16.36 to issue quarantine orders restricting animal movement on and off your premises.
5. Herd management guidance — State veterinarians provide guidance on treatment, isolation, biosecurity upgrades, and disposal of affected animals or carcasses.
6. Coordination with federal agencies — For WOAH-notifiable diseases, WSDA coordinates with USDA APHIS Veterinary Services to fulfill national and international reporting obligations.

All suspected or confirmed diagnoses of reportable diseases must be reported to WSDA, and the reporting tool can be found at the WSDA website, agr.wa.gov, by searching for “reportable diseases.”

Information used in reportable animal health investigations under chapter 16.36 RCW is subject to disclosure once investigations are complete, which means confidentiality protections apply during an active investigation but may not persist afterward.

The department reserves the right to decrease the civil penalty assessed for a violation by up to one hundred dollars in circumstances that include, but are not limited to, voluntary disclosure of a violation, or voluntary taking of remedial measures that would result in increased public protection and a decreased likelihood that the violation will be repeated.

If your livestock operation involves cattle or bison, review Washington’s specific rules under Chapter 16-86 WAC. Producers with sheep and goats should also consult Chapter 16-89 WAC governing scrapie disease management.

Penalties for Failing to Report in Washington

Washington takes animal disease reporting seriously, and the consequences for non-compliance range from civil fines to criminal prosecution. The penalty framework is established under Chapter 16-90 WAC and RCW 16.36.

The following RCW chapters are commonly investigated by the WSDA Compliance Program, and both contain civil and criminal violations with penalties ranging from civil fines up to criminal prosecution: RCW 16.36 (Animal Health) and RCW 16.57 (Identification of Livestock).

Civil Penalty Schedule

The penalty schedule under WAC 16-90-030 is used for violations of Washington state animal health laws and rules, including chapter 16.36 RCW and the rules adopted under that statute. The level of civil penalty is determined by the number of prior civil penalties the person has received in the past ten years, excluding notices of correction.

A one-thousand-dollar civil penalty will be issued regardless of the number of prior violations for the importation of a foreign animal disease or “transboundary” diseased animal — defined as a disease eradicated within the United States that would cause economic loss if detected — and for all quarantine and hold order violations under chapter 16.36 RCW. The department may assess a civil penalty for these violations without first issuing a notice of correction.

Disease-Specific Violations

Beyond general reporting failures, Washington’s rules also penalize specific acts of concealment and non-disclosure related to animal disease. WAC 16-89-120 specifically addresses the act of concealing disease in sheep and goat operations, and similar provisions exist for cattle and swine under their respective regulatory chapters.

The department reserves the right to increase the civil penalty assessed for a violation by up to five hundred dollars, not to exceed one thousand dollars per violation, when aggravating factors are present.

Beyond financial penalties, failure to report can have serious downstream consequences: loss of disease-free status for your herd, ineligibility for certain federal indemnity programs, and reputational damage within the agricultural community. Washington’s compliance investigators have authority to pursue both civil and criminal enforcement under RCW 16.36, and repeat violations are treated more severely under the tiered penalty schedule.

Staying compliant is straightforward when you know the rules. Bookmark the WSDA Reportable Diseases page, keep your veterinarian’s contact information accessible, and make sure everyone on your operation knows to report unusual illness or death events immediately. For producers who want to strengthen their overall herd health program, reviewing Michigan’s livestock disease reporting framework offers useful comparison, and the WSDA’s biosecurity resources provide practical on-farm prevention strategies that work alongside your reporting obligations.