The joint Human Animal Infections and Risk Surveillance (HAIRS) group is a multi-agency and cross-disciplinary horizon scanning group, chaired by the HPA's Department of Gastrointestinal, Emerging and Zoonotic Infections at HPA Colindale.  Members include the Chair of the National Expert Panel on New and Emerging Infections and representatives from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Animal Health Veterinary Laboratories Agency, the Department of Health, the Food Standards Agency, Public Health Wales, Health Protection Scotland, the Scottish Government, and the Public Health Agency of Northern Ireland. 

The group has met every month since February 2004 and acts as a forum to identify and discuss infections with potential for interspecies transfer (particularly zoonotic infections). The work of the HAIRS group is described in a series of reports (see below).

A system of horizon scanning is used to identify emerging and potentially zoonotic infections which may pose a threat to UK public health. The multidisciplinary nature of the HAIRS group enables the group to assess horizon scanning reports in an objective and scientific manner. If infections are thought to be of potential significance, they are included in the "Infectious Disease Surveillance and Monitoring System for Animal and Human Health: Summary of notable events/incidents of public health significance", which is produced monthly. See the Emerging Infections Summaries

• 5 March 2012: Risk assessment for Schmallenberg virus
• HAIRS report 2010
• HAIRS report 2009
• HAIRS report 2008
• The Human Animal Infections and Risk Surveillance (HAIRS) Group, First Report 2004-2007
• Identifying hazards, assessing the risks (PDF, 590 KB)
• The work of the HAIRS group (poster) (PDF, 760 KB)