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Grant of status
A. An ovine or caprine holding is considered to be brucellosis (B. melitensis)-free:
in which:
all the animals susceptible to brucellosis (B. melitensis) have been free from clinical or other signs of brucellosis for at least 12 months;
all or some of the ovine or caprine animals have been vaccinated with Rev. 1 vaccine or any other vaccine approved under the procedure laid down in Article 15 of this Directive. The vaccinated animals must have been vaccinated before the age of seven months;
two tests separated by an interval of six months or more have been carried out, with negative results, in accordance with Annex C, on all vaccinated ovine and caprine animals on the holding which are over 18 months old at the time of testing;
two tests separated by an interval of six months or more have been carried out, with negative results, in accordance with Annex C, on all non-vaccinated ovine and caprine animals on the holding which are over six months old at the time of testing; and
after the tests referred to under points (c) or (d) have been carried out, all the ovine and caprine animals on the holding were either born there or come from a brucellosis-free holding under the conditions laid down in section D; and
in which the requirements laid down under B continue to be fulfilled once it has qualified as brucellosis-free.
Maintenance of status
An annual test must be carried out on a representative number of the ovine and caprine animals on each holding. The holding may retain its status only if the tests are negative.
The representative number of animals to be tested must, for each holding, consist of:
all non-castrated male animals over six months old which have not been vaccinated,
all non-castrated male animals over 18 months which have been vaccinated,
all animals brought onto the holding since the previous test,
25 % of females which are of reproductive age (sexually mature) or in milk, with a minimum of 50 per holding — except in holdings where there are fewer than 50 such females, in which case all these females must be tested.
Suspected or actual cases of brucellosis
The brucellosis-free status of an ovine or caprine holding must be withdrawn if the holding contains one or more ovine or caprine animals which are suspected of having brucellosis (B. melitensis). However, that status may be provisionally suspended if the animal or animals are immediately destroyed or isolated pending official confirmation of the disease or an official quashing of the suspicion of that disease.
If brucellosis (B. melitensis) is confirmed, the provisional suspension may be lifted only if all animals infected or all the animals of the species susceptible to infection are slaughtered and two tests, separated by an interval of three months or more and carried out in accordance with Annex C on,
all vaccinated animals over 18 months old,
all non-vaccinated animals over six months old, and
both give negative results.
Introduction of animals into a brucellosis (B. melitensis)-free ovine or caprine holding
The following animals only may be introduced into an ovine or caprine holding which is free from brucellosis:
ovine or caprine animals which come from an ovine or caprine holding which is free from or officially free from brucellosis (B. melitensis);
until the date laid down for holdings to qualify as brucellosis-free in accordance with the eradication plans adopted under Decision 90/242/EEC(1) ovine or caprine animals from holdings other than those referred to in point 1, provided that they meet the following conditions:
they must be individually identified in accordance with Article 4 (1) (a) of this Directive;
they must originate in a holding on which all animals belonging to species which are susceptible to brucellosis (B. melitensis) have shown no clinical or other signs of brucellosis (B. melitensis) for at least 12 months;
they must not have been vaccinated during the previous two years;
they must have been kept under isolation under veterinary supervision on the holding of origin and, during that period, must have undergone, with negative results, two tests separated by an interval of at least six weeks in accordance with Annex C; or
they must have been vaccinated with Rev. 1 vaccine or any other vaccine approved in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 15 of this Directive before the age of seven months and not less than 15 days before entering the holding of destination.
Change of status
A brucellosis (B. melitensis)-free ovine or caprine holding may qualify as an officially brucellosis (B. melitensis)-free herd after a minimum period of two years if:
it contains no animal which has been vaccinated against brucellosis (B. melitensis) during the preceding two years at least;
the conditions laid down in point D.2. have been complied with throughout that period;
at the end of the second year, a test carried out, in accordance with Annex C, on all animals aged over six months has in each case given a negative result.