The Avian Influenza and Influenza of Avian Origin in Mammals Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007

Restrictions at contact premises

27.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the measures in Schedule 1 apply to contact premises until the Department notifies the occupier that those measures are revoked or that the premises are infected premises.

(2) The Department may, by licence or in a notice served on the occupier of contact premises, grant the same derogations in respect of contact premises as it can in respect of suspect premises under regulation 11.

(3) The Department may, by notice served on the occupier of contact premises, also require the occupier to comply with one or more of the measures in Schedule 2.

(4) When considering whether to require an occupier to comply with any of the measures in Schedule 2, the Department must take the following criteria into account—

(a) the existence of any clinical signs of avian influenza in any birds on the contact premises;

(b) the susceptibility to avian influenza of the species of poultry on the contact premises;

(c) any movements of poultry or other captive birds from infected premises to the contact premises after the earliest date an inspector considers avian influenza may have been introduced to the infected premises;

(d) the density of poultry in the area where the contact premises are located;

(e) the time passed since avian influenza was first confirmed and how far avian influenza has spread from infected premises;

(f) the proximity of the contact premises to infected premises;

(g) epidemiological links between the contact premises and infected premises;

(h) the extent to which measures to control avian influenza are working.

(5) When considering the proximity of the contact premises to infected premises under paragraph (4)(f), the Department must give particular consideration to whether it should impose measures on premises which are—

(a) within 500 metres of infected premises; or

(b) 500 metres or more from infected premises but are in an area with a high density of poultry.

(6) When considering epidemiological links between the contact premises and infected premises in accordance with paragraph (4)(g), the Department must give particular consideration to whether it should impose measures on premises with links to more than one infected premises.

(7) If the Department requires poultry or other captive birds on a contact premises to be killed, it must ensure that samples are taken from the dead birds and tested for avian influenza.