Animal and Plant Health Agency Campuses

The Bury St Edmunds Campus is renowned for its focus on poultry, equine, and small animal health diagnostics within APHA's network. Educational offerings include specialized short courses and apprenticeships that bridge research and practice, aimed at enhancing skills in high-volume testing environments.

• Poultry Disease Management: Training on avian influenza surveillance, Salmonella control, and welfare assessments in intensive farming.
• Equine Pathology: Courses covering strangles, equine viral arteritis, and forensic veterinary techniques.
• Small Mammal and Exotic Species Health: Modules on rodent diseases, pet import regulations, and zoonotic risks from companion animals.
• Advanced Molecular Diagnostics: Workshops on next-generation sequencing, genotyping for disease resistance, and bioinformatics tools.
• Quality Assurance in Labs: Certification in ISO standards, proficiency testing, and error management for accredited services.

Equipped with specialized necropsy suites and biosafety level 3 labs, the campus trains around 150 professionals annually. Programs emphasize evidence-based interventions and industry partnerships with poultry producers. Field trips to East Anglian farms provide context for theoretical learning. Courses address emerging issues like antimicrobial use in vets and sustainable feed practices. Through e-learning platforms, remote access ensures nationwide reach. This campus plays a crucial role in supporting the UK's £14 billion poultry sector and equine industry, preparing participants for roles in policy, research, and frontline diagnostics.

The Carmarthen Campus, serving Wales, concentrates on dairy, sheep, and plant health services. As part of APHA's devolved structure, it delivers targeted training for Welsh agricultural communities, focusing on integrated health management.

• Dairy Herd Health: Courses on mastitis control, lameness prevention, and milk quality assurance.
• Sheep and Goat Pathology: Training in enzootic pneumonia, clostridial diseases, and ectoparasite management.
• Plant Health in Wales: Modules on potato cyst nematode, fireblight diagnostics, and horticultural pest control.
• Veterinary Public Health: Workshops on residue monitoring, animal by-product regulations, and food hygiene.
• Sustainable Farming Practices: Programs on organic certification, biodiversity impacts, and climate-resilient agriculture.

With on-site investigation units and glasshouses, the campus educates over 120 participants annually. Collaborations with Aberystwyth University offer blended learning options. Field-based courses in Pembrokeshire farms highlight regional issues like bovine TB in badger areas. Digital platforms track progress and share resources across Wales. These initiatives bolster the £2 billion Welsh farming sector, emphasizing innovation in diagnostics and policy implementation. Trainees gain expertise in cross-border disease threats and community outreach.

The Lasswade Campus, APHA's primary site in Scotland, specializes in veterinary investigations for ruminants and wildlife. Training initiatives here focus on devolved Scottish policies, offering courses that align with national priorities in animal health and welfare.

• Ruminant Disease Surveillance: Practical sessions on Johne's disease, bovine viral diarrhea, and trace element deficiencies.
• Wildlife Health and Conservation: Modules on red deer TB, seal morbillivirus, and habitat-disease interactions.
• Scottish Veterinary Regulations: Training on export certifications, farm health planning, and EU transition rules.
• Pathology and Toxicology: Advanced courses in gross pathology, chemical residue analysis, and autopsy reporting.
• One Health Approaches: Interdisciplinary programs linking animal, human, and environmental health in rural Scotland.

Facilities include a large animal clinic and research kennels, hosting 100+ trainees per year. Partnerships with the University of Edinburgh enhance academic depth. Courses incorporate Highland fieldwork, addressing unique challenges like tick-borne diseases. Emphasis on digital tools for disease mapping and stakeholder engagement. These programs support Scotland's livestock industry, valued at £4 billion, by building capacity in outbreak containment and preventive medicine. Virtual reality simulations aid in remote area training, ensuring comprehensive skill development.

The Penrith Campus serves as a key regional hub for APHA's surveillance and diagnostic services in northern England, specializing in livestock health. Training programs here simulate real-world scenarios in rural veterinary practice, offering courses tailored to farmers, vets, and inspectors on disease prevention and control.

• Livestock Health Surveillance: Practical training in post-mortem examinations, sampling techniques for bovine TB, and sheep scab diagnostics.
• Exotic Disease Preparedness: Workshops on foot-and-mouth disease recognition, vaccination strategies, and emergency response planning.
• Wildlife and Environmental Health: Modules on vector-borne diseases, badger ecology, and integrated pest management.
• Diagnostic Laboratory Skills: Hands-on courses in serology, histopathology, and use of ELISA kits for endemic diseases.
• Rural Biosecurity Training: Certification programs for farm assurance schemes, waste management, and compliance with EU/UK regulations.

With facilities including a veterinary investigation center and teaching labs, the campus hosts over 200 trainees yearly. Courses integrate fieldwork in the Lake District, emphasizing sustainable farming. Collaborations with local universities provide pathways to advanced qualifications. Focus areas include antimicrobial stewardship and climate change impacts on disease vectors. Interactive sessions use case studies from recent outbreaks, fostering skills in rapid reporting and multidisciplinary teamwork. These programs are vital for maintaining Cumbria's agricultural resilience against threats like bluetongue virus.

The Starcross Campus in Devon is a specialized facility for fish and shellfish health, alongside general veterinary diagnostics. Training programs target aquaculture professionals, providing expertise in aquatic animal welfare and trade standards.

• Aquatic Animal Health: Courses on viral hemorrhagic septicemia, infectious salmon anemia, and shellfish toxin testing.
• Fish Pathology Techniques: Hands-on training in histopathology, parasitology, and water quality assessments.
• Aquaculture Biosecurity: Modules on disease zoning, import controls, and sustainable farming certifications.
• Environmental Monitoring: Workshops on algal blooms, pollution impacts, and ecosystem health surveillance.
• Trade and Compliance: Certification in EU shellfish regulations and international health certificates.

Featuring wet labs and quarantine tanks, the campus trains about 80 specialists yearly. Partnerships with the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) enrich curricula. Coastal field studies in the South West enhance practical knowledge. Courses address growing demands from the £1.5 billion UK seafood industry, focusing on emerging pathogens and climate effects. E-modules support ongoing professional development, ensuring compliance with global standards.

The Weybridge Campus, headquarters of the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), is a premier center for veterinary and plant health sciences. While not a traditional university, it offers specialized training, research programs, and professional development courses in animal and plant health diagnostics, surveillance, and policy. These 'courses' encompass hands-on laboratory training, workshops, and certification programs for veterinarians, scientists, and policymakers.

• Animal Disease Diagnostics: Intensive modules on virology, bacteriology, and pathology, including PCR techniques and biosecurity protocols.
• Plant Pathology and Quarantine: Courses on pest identification, molecular diagnostics for plant diseases, and regulatory compliance for imports.
• Veterinary Epidemiology: Training in outbreak investigation, data analysis using statistical software, and risk assessment modeling.
• Food Safety and Zoonoses: Programs covering antimicrobial resistance, food chain surveillance, and public health interfaces.
• Research Methods in Animal Health: Advanced seminars on experimental design, ethical considerations, and grant writing for interdisciplinary projects.

Participants engage in practical sessions at state-of-the-art facilities, including high-containment labs and animal housing units. The campus collaborates with universities for joint PhD programs and continuing professional development (CPD) credits. Over 300 professionals are trained annually, focusing on emerging threats like African Swine Fever and Xylella fastidiosa. These offerings ensure the UK's biosecurity and support global health initiatives. The curriculum emphasizes evidence-based practices, innovation in diagnostics, and sustainable agriculture. Virtual modules are available for international access, with field attachments to regional APHA sites. This comprehensive approach equips learners to tackle complex challenges in animal welfare, environmental protection, and economic impacts of diseases.