A disease emergency is one of the most challenging situations a veterinary service can confront. Veterinary services must be well prepared to deal with such an emergency in order to achieve rapid and cost-efficient control. This manual sets out in a systematic way the elements required to achieve an appropriate level of preparedness for any disease emergency in animals. In particular this manual focuses on the control of transboundary animal diseases. Some of the principles presented may also be helpful in preparing for food safety, zoonotic and even non-infectious disease emergencies.