The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will amend its animal import regulations by changing the disease statuses of the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. These countries will be added to the regions of the European Union considered low risk for classical swine fever and free of swine vesicular disease. Latvia and Lithuania also will be added to the list of regions considered free of foot-and-mouth disease and rinderpest. This final rule is scheduled for publication in the Nov. 28 Federal Register.
When the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland became members of the European Union, they adopted its animal health, welfare and identification legislation, including legislation specific to classical swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease and swine vesicular disease. By adopting these laws and regulations, as well as undergoing a thorough APHIS risk assessment; these countries met the requirements for a change in status.
These changes in disease status will result in fewer restrictions on imports of animals and animal products from these countries. For example, no swine can be imported from any region affected with classical swine fever or swine vesicular disease, although some cooked and cured products from affected regions are allowed into the United States. Countries under foot-and-mouth disease restrictions are not allowed to export ruminant animals nor allowed import of fresh nor chilled ruminant animal products into the United States.
Classical swine fever is a highly contagious and often fatal disease of pigs. Young animals are more severely affected than older animals and mortality rates can reach up to 90 percent among young pigs. Swine vesicular disease is less severe and does not usually cause death. A swine vesicular disease outbreak has not occurred in the United States and classical swine fever was eradicated in 1976.
Foot-and-mouth disease is a contagious viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals. Cattle, pigs, sheep and goats are highly susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease. Although the death rates in animals are often low, it has serious lasting negative effects on infected animals that survive the disease. In animals it causes decreased milk production, decreased pregnancy rates, weight loss and lameness.
Rinderpest is an infectious viral disease of cattle commonly referred to as cattle plague. The disease is characterized by fever, oral erosions, diarrhea, lymphoid necrosis and high mortality.
Source:
USDA News Release, November 27, 2007