Dissecting Animal Diseases with the Animal and Plant Health Agency

Claire
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Welcome to this podcast, where we talk all about animal diagnostic investigations completed here at the Animal and Plant Health Agency.  Please note that this podcast includes pathological descriptions of injuries and animal disease which some listeners may find upsetting.   © Crown copyright 2026

Episodes

  1. Aug 18

    Swine fevers excluded in feral wild boar found dead

    In this episode, Claire Scott, APHA's Pig Expert Group lead, and Cat Man, Veterinary Investigation Officer (VIO) at Starcross Veterinary Investigation Centre (VIC), discuss investigations into feral wild boar found dead, in which notifiable diseases including the swine fevers were ruled out. This podcast includes pathological descriptions of animal disease which some listeners may find upsetting.  This episode was recorded in July 2026. Useful links:  Find out how to report suspect notifiable animal disease. Read about this case on page 3 of the quarterly Great Britain pig disease surveillance emerging threats report for January  to March 2026.Read more about diagnostic investigations into a cluster of deaths of wild boar from the Forest of Dean in 2021, which was published in the Vet Record.  Find out how vets can submit farm animals in England and Wales for a post-mortem examination and check if the submission is eligible for free carcase collection. Find out how vets can submit samples from farm animals in England and Wales for diagnostic submissions. Find your nearest Veterinary Investigation Centre (VIC) or surveillance pathology partner to discuss submissions of wild mammals found dead. Report dead wild birds using this online tool.Visit GOV.UK for information on what items can be brought into the UK and for information around the ban on personal meat imports currently in place to protect farmers from foot and mouth.An on-line guide with images of the clinical signs and pathology of ASF is available to veterinarians and pig keepers. This notes that, at the start of an outbreak, deaths may initially just involve one or two pigs. Significantly increased mortality may only develop later once the virus has spread further in a group.  © Crown copyright 2026

  2. Aug 18

    The different faces of oedema disease in pigs

    In this episode, APHA's Pig Expert Group lead Claire Scott, histopathologist Toby Floyd and Veterinary Investigation Officer Ed Fullick discuss two cases of oedema disease in pigs, with different clinical presentations. Oedema disease is caused by Shiga toxin-producing strains of Escherichia coli, or STECs for short.  Please note that this podcast includes pathological descriptions of animal disease which some listeners may find upsetting.  This episode was recorded in July 2026. Useful links:  The case of cerebrospinal angiopathy was also described, with a picture, in the disease surveillance in England and Wales (February 2026) report which is published in the Vet Record. A case of sudden deaths and acute neurological disease due to oedema disease was described in the October 2024 report. Find out how vets can submit farm animals in England and Wales for a post-mortem examination and check if the submission is eligible for free carcase collection. Find your nearest Veterinary Investigation Centre (VIC) or surveillance pathology partner. Find out how vets can submit samples from farm animals in England and Wales for diagnostic submissions. Find out how to report suspect notifiable animal disease.  © Crown copyright 2026

  3. Jul 3

    Investigating congenital tremors in piglets

    In this episode, Claire Scott, APHA's Pig Expert Group lead, and Cornelia Bidewell, Veterinary Investigation Officer (VIO) at Bury St Edmunds Veterinary Investigation Centre (VIC), discuss completion of a diagnostic investigation into a case of congenital tremors in litters born to parity two sows. Please note that this podcast includes pathological descriptions of animal disease which some listeners may find upsetting.  This episode was recorded in June 2026. Useful links:  Watch a video of pigs with congenital tremors.  Read about this case in the pig section of the disease surveillance in England and Wales, March 2025 report, which is published in the Vet Record. Read more about the different types of congenital tremors in our surveillance focus article published in the Vet Record. Find out how vets can submit farm animals in England and Wales for a post-mortem examination and check if the submission is eligible for free carcase collection. Find your nearest Veterinary Investigation Centre (VIC) or surveillance pathology partner. Find out how vets can submit samples from farm animals in England and Wales for diagnostic submissions. Find out how to report suspect notifiable animal disease. Read more UK-based research on congenital tremors due to atypical porcine pestivirus. © Crown copyright 2026

  4. Jul 3

    Investigating icterus (jaundice) in pigs

    In this episode, APHA's Pig Expert Group leads Claire Scott and Susanna Williamson discuss completion of a diagnostic investigation into a case of icterus (jaundice) in weaned pigs. Please note that this podcast includes pathological descriptions of animal disease which some listeners may find upsetting.  This episode was recorded in May 2026. Useful links:  You can read more about investigation of icterus through our new information note. This case was also described, with a picture, in the disease surveillance in England and Wales (July 2024) report which is published in the Vet Record. A case of leptospirosis where unusual antibodies were detected is described on page 5 of the quarter 1 2017 pig disease surveillance report. Read further information on leptospirosis in humans. Find out how vets can submit farm animals in England and Wales for a post-mortem examination and check if the submission is eligible for free carcase collection. Find your nearest Veterinary Investigation Centre (VIC) or surveillance pathology partner. Find out how vets can submit samples from farm animals in England and Wales for diagnostic submissions. Go to AHDB's website for pig farm biosecurity recommendations.   © Crown copyright 2026

  5. Apr 22

    Diarrhoea in a small-scale pig herd

    In this episode, Claire Scott, APHA's Pig Expert Group lead, and Liz Nabb, Veterinary Investigation Officer (VIO) at Starcross Veterinary Investigation Centre (VIC), discuss completion of a diagnostic investigation into a case of diarrhoea in a small-scale pig herd. Please note that this podcast includes pathological descriptions of injuries and animal disease which some listeners may find upsetting.  This episode was recorded in August 2025. Useful links:  Find out how vets can submit farm animals in England and Wales for a post-mortem examination and check if the submission is eligible for free carcase collection. Find your nearest Veterinary Investigation Centre (VIC) or surveillance pathology partner. Find out how vets can submit samples from farm animals in England and Wales for diagnostic submissions. This case was also described, with a picture, in the disease surveillance in England and Wales (November 2024) report which is published in the Vet Record. You can read more about prevention, diagnosis and management of swine dysentery for the general farm animal practitioner, which was published in In Practice. The APHA's interactive B. hyodysenteriae MLST dashboard provides information on different sequence types of B. hyodysenteriae isolated from pigs in Great Britain. There is AHDB information on swine dysentery and pig keepers are encouraged to sign up to the AHDB Pork’s Significant Diseases Charter, which anonymously informs participating pig keepers of new swine dysentery outbreaks. A useful paper describes implementation and evaluation of different eradication strategies for B. hyodysenteriae.  © Crown copyright 2026

  6. Apr 22

    A case of lameness and recumbency in breeding sows

    In this episode, Claire Scott, APHA's Pig Expert Group lead, and Chris Burns, Veterinary Investigation Officer (VIO) at Thirsk Veterinary Investigation Centre (VIC), discuss completion of a diagnostic investigation into a case of lameness and recumbency in breeding sows. Please note that this podcast includes pathological descriptions of injuries and animal disease which some listeners may find upsetting.  This episode was recorded in June 2025.  Useful links:  Find out how vets can submit farm animals in England and Wales for a post-mortem examination and check if the submission is eligible for free carcase collection.  Find your nearest Veterinary Investigation Centre (VIC) or surveillance pathology partner. Find out how vets can submit samples from farm animals in England and Wales for diagnostic submissions.  This case was also described, with a picture, in the disease surveillance in England and Wales (April 2025) report which is published in the Vet Record.   A previous case was described in the disease surveillance in England and Wales (June 2020) report which is published in the Vet Record.  Another interesting case of hindlimb paresis in sows is described from page 5 of the Great Britain pig quarterly report for quarter 2 of 2025.  © Crown copyright 2026

    A case of lameness and recumbency in breeding sows
  • 6 Episodes

About

Welcome to this podcast, where we talk all about animal diagnostic investigations completed here at the Animal and Plant Health Agency.  Please note that this podcast includes pathological descriptions of injuries and animal disease which some listeners may find upsetting.   © Crown copyright 2026

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