The Diseases of Swine Regulations 2014

PART 2 Notification and investigation of suspicion of disease

Notification requirements

5.—(1) Any person who suspects that a domestic or feral pig or carcase is infected with disease must immediately notify the appropriate authority.

(2) Any person who examines a sample taken from a pig or a carcase and who—

(a) suspects that the pig or carcase is infected with disease, or

(b) detects evidence of antibodies to, or antigens of, disease,

must immediately notify the appropriate authority.

Initial measures following notification

6.—(1) This regulation applies where the appropriate authority receives a notification under regulation 5, and a veterinary inspector considers that further investigation relating to the possible presence of disease is necessary.

(2) A veterinary inspector must examine the pig or carcase, and may examine any other pig or carcase on the same premises.

(3) A veterinary inspector must as soon as reasonably practicable orally inform (followed up by service of a notice by a veterinary inspector or by an inspector under the direction of a veterinary inspector) the occupier that the further investigation will be undertaken, and except in the case of a notification involving a feral pig or feral pig carcase, the occupier so informed must comply with the initial measures set down in paragraph (4).

(4) For the purposes of paragraph (3), the initial measures are—

(a) not to move, or permit to be moved—

(i) the pig or carcase which is the subject of the notification from the premises where it is located;

(ii) any other pig or carcase to or from those premises;

(iii) any other animal from those premises if the veterinary inspector is of the opinion that it is likely to spread disease;

(iv) any thing off those premises unless the veterinary inspector is of the opinion that it is not likely to spread disease;

(b) to ensure that any person who has been in contact with any pig or carcase, or who has been on any part of the premises that may be contaminated with disease, takes all necessary biosecurity precautions to reduce the risk of spreading disease before leaving the premises; and

(c) where the occupier is an operator of a slaughterhouse—

(i) not to permit any pig to be slaughtered unless authorised by a veterinary inspector; and

(ii) to identify and isolate any carcase in respect of which the notification requirements in regulation 5 apply, any carcase originating from the same premises (and any carcase that has been in contact with any such carcase) so that such carcases do not come into contact with any other pig or carcase at the slaughterhouse.

(5) In the case of a notification involving a feral pig or feral pig carcase the occupier must comply with any initial measures that are required by the veterinary inspector.

(6) The initial measures required under this regulation continue to apply until—

(a) a veterinary inspector informs the occupier that the presence of disease on the premises is not suspected;

(b) the premises are designated by notice as suspect premises by an inspector in accordance with regulation 7(2); or

(c) the occupier is notified that the measures no longer apply.

Measures on suspicion of disease

7.—(1) This regulation applies where a veterinary inspector suspects—

(a) that a pig or carcase is or has been infected with disease; and

(b) that pig or carcase is or has been on any premises other than in circumstances where Part 4 (disease at a slaughterhouse) or Part 5 (suspicion and confirmation of disease in feral pigs) applies.

(2) An inspector must serve a notice on the occupier designating premises as suspect premises, and Schedule 1 applies upon service of that notice.

(3) A veterinary inspector must take all reasonable steps to establish whether or not disease is present at the suspect premises.

(4) For the purposes of paragraph (3), a veterinary inspector may, if the Chief Veterinary Officer considers it necessary, take and have tested—

(a) samples from any pig or carcase that is, or has previously been, on the premises;

(b) environmental samples from the premises.

(5) In the case of classical swine fever and African swine fever, where required by the epidemiological situation, the Chief Veterinary Officer may order and arrange for the killing of any pig on the suspect premises and arrange for the taking of a sufficient number of post-mortem samples to confirm or negate the presence of disease.

(6) The notice served under paragraph (2) may only be revoked if a veterinary inspector is satisfied that the suspect premises no longer pose a risk of spread of disease.

(7) Where that notice is revoked, the measures in Schedule 1 cease to apply upon revocation of that notice.

(8) In the case of swine vesicular disease only, where a seropositive pig has been detected on premises designated as suspect premises but none of the pigs on the premises show clinical signs of that disease, a veterinary inspector must take further samples at least 28 days from the date when the disease was first suspected by the veterinary inspector and have those samples tested.

(9) If such tests reveal no evidence of swine vesicular disease on the premises, the seropositive pig must be—

(a) slaughtered at a designated slaughterhouse—

(i) with the pig being kept separate from other pigs in transport and at the slaughterhouse; and

(ii) ensuring that the carcase and any animal by-product coming from the seropositive pig is kept separate and not exported from the United Kingdom; or

(b) killed on the suspect premises and subsequently destroyed under supervision of a veterinary inspector.

Measures at contact premises

8.—(1) Where premises have been shown to have an epidemiological link with—

(a) suspect premises,

(b) infected premises, or

(c) other premises on which disease has been detected, including where a veterinary inspector is of the view that due to its proximity to an infected premises it is likely that disease may have been transmitted there,

an inspector must serve a notice on the occupier designating that premises as contact premises, and Schedule 1 applies upon service of that notice.

(2) Following the designation of premises as contact premises—

(a) where pigs on the contact premises do not show clinical signs of disease, but where the suspicion of disease cannot be ruled out, the Chief Veterinary Officer must assess the epidemiological situation at the premises, and on the basis of that assessment may—

(i) order and arrange for the killing of any pig on the premises if considered necessary to prevent the spread of disease;

(ii) require a person under the direction of a veterinary inspector, to monitor all pigs on the contact premises (which may require the taking and testing of samples) until the veterinary inspector is satisfied that the disease is not present;

(b) where any pig on the contact premises shows clinical signs of disease—

(i) if considered to be necessary to prevent the spread of disease, the Chief Veterinary Officer may order and arrange for the killing of any pig on the contact premises, and arrange for the taking of a sufficient number of post-mortem samples to confirm or negate the presence of disease; and

(ii) a veterinary inspector must take all reasonable steps to establish whether or not disease is present at the contact premises, which may include the taking and testing of samples, until satisfied that the disease is not present on the premises.

(3) Where pigs have been killed and disease cannot be negated, cleansing and disinfection must be carried out in accordance with regulations 13 and 14, followed by restocking with sentinel pigs unless a veterinary inspector specifies otherwise in writing, in accordance with regulation 18.

(4) The notice served under paragraph (1) may not be revoked until the Chief Veterinary Officer is satisfied following any tests or actions of a veterinary inspector, or the satisfactory completion of the steps in paragraph (3), that it is no longer appropriate for the premises to remain designated as contact premises.

(5) Where the notice served under paragraph (1) is revoked, the measures in Schedule 1 cease to apply upon revocation of that notice.

Temporary control zone

9.—(1) The appropriate authority may declare a temporary control zone around suspect premises.

(2) The temporary control zone must be of such extent as the appropriate authority considers necessary to reduce the risk of the spread of disease as far as practicable.

(3) A person must not move a pig from premises in the temporary control zone, except in accordance with a licence granted by a veterinary inspector.

(4) The declaration may apply any measure of a type listed in Schedule 1 as the appropriate authority considers necessary in all or part of the temporary control zone in order to prevent or reduce the risk of the spread of disease.

(5) Any part of a temporary control zone that is subsequently incorporated into a protection or surveillance zone will cease to exist as a temporary control zone.

(6) Where disease has been negated at suspect premises, the appropriate authority must revoke the temporary control zone declaration.