Council Directive 92/119/EECShow full title

Article 4 U.K.

1. When animals on a holding are suspected of being infected or contaminated with one of the diseases listed in Annex I, Member States shall ensure that the official veterinarian immediately activates official investigation arrangements to confirm or rule out the presence of the disease in question and, in particular, must take or have taken the samples necessary for laboratory examination. To that end the animals in question may be transported to the laboratories under the supervision of the competent authority, which shall take appropriate steps to prevent the disease from spreading.

2. As soon as the suspected presence of the disease is notified, the competent authority shall have the holding placed under official surveillance and shall in particular require that:

(a) a census be made of all categories of animals of susceptible species and that, in respect of each of these categories, the number of animals already dead, infected or liable to be infected or contaminated be recorded; the census must be kept up to date to take account of animals born or dying during the period of suspicion; the information in the census must be kept up to date and produced on request and may be checked at each visit;

(b) all animals of susceptible species on the holding be kept in their living quarters or confined in some other place where they can be isolated taking into account the possible role of vectors, where appropriate;

(c) no animals of susceptible species enter or leave the holding;

(d) all movement:

• (d) of persons, animals of other species not susceptible to the disease and vehicles to or from the holding,

• of meat or animal carcases, or of animal feed, equipment, waste, droppings, litter, manure, or anything liable to transmit the disease in question

(e) be subject to authorization by the competent authority, which shall lay down the conditions for preventing any risk of the disease spreeding; appropriate means of disinfection be installed at the entrances and exits of buildings or places housing animals of susceptible species and of the holding itself;

(f) an epizootiological inquiry be carried out in accordance with Article 8.

3. Until such time as the official measures laid down in paragraph 2 are enforced, the owner or keeper of any animal in which disease is suspected shall take every appropriate measure to ensure compliance with paragraph 2, except for subparagraph (f) thereof.

4. The competent authority may apply any of the measures provided for in paragraph 2 to other holdings should their location, their configuration or contacts with the holding where the disease is suspected give reason to suspect possible contamination.

5. The measures referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall not be withdrawn until the suspicion of the presence of the disease has been ruled out by the official veterinarian.