The Swine Vesicular Disease Regulations 2009

Testing with sentinel pigs

20.—(1) Following cleansing and disinfection in accordance with the veterinary inspector’s instructions, a veterinary inspector must certify in writing that the cleansing and disinfection has been carried out in a satisfactory manner.

(2) The premises must then be tested for swine vesicular disease virus using sentinel pigs.

(3) The number of sentinel pigs must be limited to the minimum necessary for the test.

(4) Sentinel pigs may not be introduced until at least 28 days after the certificate has been issued, and must be introduced in accordance with a licence from a veterinary inspector.

(5) The pigs must have been tested at the expense of the occupier before being brought on to the premises and found to be negative for the presence of antibodies against swine vesicular disease virus.

(6) The veterinary inspector must ensure that the pigs are placed throughout the premises in sufficient numbers such that it is reasonable to expect any residual virus to affect one or more of the pigs.

(7) The pigs must be examined 28 days after having been placed on the premises, and sampled for the presence of antibodies against swine vesicular disease virus by a veterinary inspector.

(8) If none of the pigs shows clinical signs of swine vesicular disease or has developed antibodies against swine vesicular disease virus, the veterinary inspector must remove restrictions from those parts of the premises.

(9) As an alternative to introducing the minimum number of sentinel pigs, a veterinary inspector may license the introduction of an unlimited number of sentinel pigs, but in this case—

(a) paragraphs (4), (5) and (6) apply in relation to the introduction of the sentinel pigs;

(b) all the pigs must arrive within a period of eight days;

(c) they must come from premises situated outside a protection zone or surveillance zone;

(d) a veterinary inspector must clinically examine all the pigs. and sample and arrange for testing for the presence of antibodies against swine vesicular disease virus on a statistically valid number of pigs, at the earliest 28 days after the arrival of the last pig; and

(e) even if none of the pigs shows clinical signs of swine vesicular disease. a veterinary inspector may not remove the restrictions until 60 days after the arrival of the last pig.