If you raise livestock in Indiana, understanding your disease reporting obligations is not optional — it is a legal requirement with real consequences for noncompliance. Whether you manage a cattle herd, a swine operation, a poultry flock, or any other livestock enterprise, state law places specific duties on you to notify the Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) when certain diseases appear or are suspected.
This guide walks you through every aspect of livestock disease reporting in Indiana: which diseases are covered, who must report, what symptoms should trigger a report, how to file, and what happens after you do. Knowing the rules in advance helps you protect your animals, your neighbors’ herds, and Indiana’s agricultural economy.
Key Insight: Indiana’s livestock and poultry production is concentrated in a relatively small geographic area, making rapid disease reporting especially critical to preventing widespread outbreaks.
Reportable Livestock Diseases in Indiana
Indiana maintains a list of animal diseases that must be reported to the Board of Animal Health. Veterinarians, lab diagnosticians, and producers bear specific levels of reporting responsibility under the rule (345 IAC 1-6-2). Diseases on the list pose a significant risk to economic, animal, and/or human health in Indiana and the United States.
Effective July 1, 2022, under 345 IAC 1-6-2, the following diseases — among others — must be reported to the State Veterinarian within 24 hours of a diagnosis and/or identification of clinical signs: Akabane (congenital arthrogryposis-hydranencephaly syndrome), Brucellosis (B. abortus, B. canis, B. ovis, B. melitensis, B. suis), and Trichinella spp. The full list spans multiple species categories and includes both foreign animal diseases and endemic conditions of serious concern…