Contingency Plan for BSE in Bovine Animals in the Republic of Slovenia, Version 3 Date: 01.06. 2009
BOVINE SPONGIFORMENCEPHALOPATHY (BSE)IN BOVINE ANIMALS
CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR BOVINE spongiform encePHalopatHY (BSE) IN BOVINE ANIMALS IN THE RepubliC OF SloveniA
Version3
Ljubljana, June 2009
Contingency Plan was drawn up by a professional team comprising:
Ivan Ambrožič, DVM, MSc (team coordinator),Marjana Mohorko, DVM,Elvis Šturbej, DVM,Breda Hrovatin, DVM, MSc,Urška Galjot, DVM, Tatjana Šterk– all employees of Main Office of Veterinary Administration of the Republic of Slovenia, Parmova 53, SI-1000 Ljubljana
Prof. Dr.Polona Juntes, DVM; Assist. Prof. Dr. Jelka Zabavnik Piano, DVM – both of Ljubljana University, Veterinary Faculty, National Veterinary Institute, Gerbičeva 60, SI-1000 Ljubljana
CONTENTS
1.GENERAL
1.1.Objectives and purpose
1.2.Legal basis
1.3.Financial provisions
1.4.Chart of operation of services
1.4.1.Chart of operation of services at an outbreak of BSE
1.4.2.Authorisations of VARS Chief Veterinary Officer
1.5.VARS Regional Offices (ROs)
1.5.1.Equipment of VARS ROs
1.5.2.Competences of VARS Regional Offices (ROs)
1.5.3.Authorisations of official veterinarian
1.6.Expert Group for BSE
1.7.Human resources and equipment
1.8.Permanent instructions concerning BSE
1.9.Diagnostic laboratories
1.9.1.Diagnostic laboratory for BSE
1.9.2.Address of LPTSE
1.9.3.Address of NRL for TSEs
1.10.Training programmes
1.11.Public relations and notification of the public on the disease
2.Suspicion and confirmation of BSE
2.1.Suspicion of BSE
2.1.1.Notification of suspected BSE
2.1.1.1.Clinical suspicion
2.1.1.2.Suspicion at the diagnostic laboratory (laboratory suspicion)
2.1.1.3.Notification chart at suspected BSE
2.2.Measures at suspicion of BSE
2.2.1.Measures at the holding
2.2.2.Measures at the slaughterhouse
2.2.2.1.Measures at suspicion of BSE during the ante-mortem inspection
2.2.2.2.Measures at suspicion of BSE by the rapid test (laboratory suspicion)
2.2.3.Withdrawal of measures instituted at official suspicion of BSE
2.3.Confirmation of BSE
2.3.1.Notification upon confirmation
2.3.2.Measures at the holding
2.3.2.1.Epizootiological enquiry
2.3.2.2.Cohort
2.3.3.Measures at the slaughterhouse
3.NaTUrE OF DISEASE AND diagnosiS
3.1.Definition of disease
3.2.Agent of disease
3.3.Mode of infection and spread of BSE
3.4.Susceptible animal species
3.5.Safety precautions in handling materials, which are suspected of being infected or contaminated with the BSE agents
3.6.Course of disease
3.7.Clinical signs of BSE in bovine animals
3.8.Summary of most frequent clinical signs
3.9.Pathoanatomic changes
3.10.Histopathological changes
3.11.Immunohistochemical profile of changes characteristic of BSE
3.12.Identification of agent
3.13.Determination of infectivity
3.14.Serological methods
3.15.Screen tests
3.16.Suspicion of BSE
3.17.Differential diagnosis
3.18.Diagnostic laboratories for BSE in Slovenia
3.19.Diagnostic methods used in Slovenia for the detection of BSE by screen tests and for confirmation of BSE
3.20.Samples for diagnosing BSE
3.20.1.Animal groups examined for BSE, parts of the central nervous system used in tests for BSE, and test types
3.20.2.BSE sampling procedure
3.20.3.Sampling for rapid post-mortem tests
3.20.4.Sampling for pathohistological and immunohistochemical investigation of the brain
3.20.5.Sampling for Western blot (SAF WB or another WB method)
3.20.6.Sampling for the isolation of scrapie-associated fibrils (SAF)
3.20.7.Sampling for genetic investigations
3.20.8.Other samples
3.21.Transport of samples
3.22.Staff carrying out screen tests and confirmatory methods for diagnosing BSE
3.23.Quality assurance in diagnosing BSE at LPTSE
3.24.Premises, equipment, staff and safety at BSE-diagnosing laboratories
3.25.Submission of samples to Reference Laboratory
4.Assessment of damage owing to implementation of measures for the supression of BSE
4.1.COMPENSATION PAYMENT PROCEDURE
4.2.COMPENSATION PAYMENT APPLICATION
4.3.DEADLINES FOR SUBMISSION OF COMPENSATION PAYMENT APPLICATION
4.4.DECISION ON COMPENSATION PAYMENT CLAIM
5.Killing of animals and removal and destruction of dead animal carcasses
5.1.General points concerning the killing of animals
5.2.Killing authorisation
5.3.Procedure relevant to killing
5.3.1.Killing of bovine animals
5.4.Removal and destruction of dead animal carcasses
5.5.Basic data on animal by-product processing and incineration plants
5.5.1.Category 1 processing plants
5.5.2.Incineration and co-incineration plants:
5.6.Derogations on the removal and destruction of dead animal carcasses
5.7.Protective clothing
6.Disinfection
6.1.Disinfection at slaughterhouse
6.2.Disinfection of animal accommodation facilities
6.3.Safeguard measures
7.Preventive measures against BSE
7.1.Feed ban
7.1.1.Notification and measures at detection of mammalian tissues in animal feed
7.2.Specified risk material (SRM)
8.ANNEXES
8.1.Addresses
8.1.1.VARS Regional Offices
8.1.2.NVI Regional Units
8.1.3.KOTO – Address and phone numbers
8.1.4.EU Reference Laboratory for BSE
8.1.4.1.Central Reference Laboratory of the EU for BSE and TSEs
8.2.Map indicating areas covered by individual VARS Regional Offices, and NVI Regional Units
8.2.1.VARS Regional Offices
8.2.2.NVI Regional Units
8.2.3.NVI Regional Units including a pathology department
8.3.Forms concerning BSE
8.3.1.Epizootiological enquiry at the holding
8.3.2.Enquiry in the feed business operator's establishment
8.3.3.Fax-message submission form on clinical suspicion of BSE
8.3.4.Fax-message submission form on official suspicion of BSE
8.3.5.Compensation form
8.3.6.Report on animal killing and activities carried out at the holding
8.4.Human resources
8.4.1.Expert Group for BSE/TSEs
1.GENERAL
1.1. Objectives and purpose
This Contingency Plan outlines the guidelines defining the national measures to be implemented in case of an outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Slovenia, with the purpose of eradicating the disease. The document defines the authorities involved, their competences and responsibilities, and the methods and procedures of information exchange between the parties involved in implementing the particular measures.
A detailed description of procedures shall contribute to an adequate information exchange between the competent authorities and all the interested parties, and to a most rapid and effective action in case of a suspected and/or confirmed presence of BSE.
Contingency Plan shall be revised at least once within a five-year period of time, or on the basis of changes in the applicable legislation, organisation of competent authorities or on the basis of new experiences gained.
Contingency Plan shall bepublished on VARS website.
1.2. Legal basis
Contingency Planfor Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in Bovine Animals in the Republic of Slovenia was drawn up on the basis of Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 and Article 7 of the Rules on Animal Diseases.
List of regulations governing BSE:
- Veterinary Compliance Criteria Act (UL RS93/2005) – hereinafter referred to as VCCA;
- Veterinary Practice Act (UL RS33/01, 45/04, 93/2005);
- Rules on Animal Diseases(UL RS81/2007);
- Rules on preventive measures concerning transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (UL RS28/2004);
- Rules on conditions for the use and storage of fishmeal, milk substitutes containing fishmeal, dicalcium phosphate and tricalcium phosphate of animal origin, blood meal, blood products, and of compound feedingstuffs obtained therefrom, at agricultural holdings (UL RS30/2009)
- Rules on compensations in the veterinary sector(UL RS105/2007);
- Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2001 laying down rules for the prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (OJ L 147/2001), with all pertaining amendments - hereinafter referred to as Regulation 999/2001;
- Rules on the collection, transport, storage, handling, use and disposal of animal cadavers as a type of animal by-products which are not intended for human consumption(UL RS 122/2007);
- Decree laying down the implementation of the Regulation (EC) laying down health rules concerning animal by-products not intended for human consumption, and of the Community implementing regulations issued on its basis, and laying down penalties for violations of its provisions(UL RS 100/2006)
- Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 October 2002 laying down health rules concerning animal by-products not intended for human consumption (OJ L 273/2002), with all pertaining amendments - hereinafter referred to as Regulation 1774/2002
1.3.Financial provisions
In accordance with provisions of Veterinary Practice Act, Rules on compensations in the veterinary sector (UL RS 105/2007), and Regulation 999/2001, the national budget of the Republic of Slovenia shall cover the expenses of:
- additional personnel to be engaged by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food (hereinafter referred to as MAFF), where so required in order to suppress the disease,
- equipment to be used in suppressing BSE,
- animal killing, destroying cadavers and contaminated materials, and of disinfection upon completion of animal killing,
- payment of compensations,
- diagnostic testing.
Compensations shall be paid within a 90-day period after animal killing. Compensation payment procedure is detailed in point 4, and the damage assessment report form is contained in point 8.3.5.
1.4.Chart of operation of services
1.4.1.Chart of operation of services at an outbreak of BSE
Minister
Expert Group VARS Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO)
for BSE
VARS Main Office National
Feed and TSEs Section Veterinary
Institute (NVI)
VARS Regional Office Veterinary
organisations
1.4.2.Authorisations of VARS Chief Veterinary Officer
VARS Chief Veterinary Officer is authorised for:
- giving instructions to VARS Regional Offices (ROs),
- liaisons with diagnostic laboratories,
- preparing financial provisions for Contingency Plan,
- preparing training programmes and designating staff to implement training programmes,
- preparing actions of raising awareness of disease,
- directing national strategy in case of an outbreak of disease,
- distributing staff and funds,
- negotiating financial provisions in emergencies so as to cover the expenses ensuing from an outbreak of disease,
- maintaining contacts with other ministries, Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry, agricultural extension services, and the media,
- notifying the European Commission and the other MemberStates,
- reporting to the OIE,
- notifying the neighbouring third countries.
1.5. VARS Regional Offices (ROs)
Director of every VARS Regional Office is responsible for the preparedness for and control of BSEat local level. Measures to be implemented are managed by an official veterinarian authorised for this purpose within the RO, who reports to the RO Director. RO Director or official veterinarian authorised by RO Director reports to VARS Main Office.
There are 10 VARS Regional Offices, including 6 Branch Offices (BOs), in the territory of Slovenia. RO and BO addresses and phone numbers are listed in point 8.1.1, and a map showing areas covered by the respective ROs is included in point 8.2.1of the Contingency Plan.
1.5.1.Equipment of VARS ROs
Every RO shall have access to data and equipment, including at least as follows:
- means of communication, including static and mobile phones and a fax machine;
- computers linked to the Internet;
- access to registers and other web applications or databases required for implementing measures concerning BSE – VOLOS, registers of establishments…
- printers;
- photocopying machines;
- maps in the scale of 1:50,000 and 1:10,000;
- archives containing information other than that accessible via the Internet, which may come useful in managing the disease control measures;
- list of organisations and associations, which may at any time be affected by the onset of disease and need to be notified upon confirmation of BSE;
- protective clothing and equipment required by VARS staff involved in the BSE control measures.
1.5.2.Competences of VARS Regional Offices (ROs)
Competences of VARS ROs are laid down in Article 77 of VCCA and include,inter alia:
- maintaining permanent preparedness in the territory within their regional competence,
- implementing official controls of BSE in compliance with work plan and legislative provisions,
- reporting on measures implemented to VARS Main Office,
- maintaining liaisons with NVI concerning the diagnostics, sampling, packaging and transport of samples,
- maintaining liaisons with the police, local administration authorities, agricultural and commercial organisations, fairs, markets, slaughterhouses, and plants processing animal by-products,
- directing and implementing local control strategy in case of an outbreak of disease,
- preparing and implementing epizootiological enquiries in cooperation with the Expert Group for BSE,
- controlling the implementation of measures instituted at the infected holding,
- managing the procedure of paying compensations to animal owners.
1.5.3.Authorisations of official veterinarian
Official veterinarian shall conduct professional tasks in the field of official veterinary controls on the basis of Article 85 of VCCA.
1.6.Expert Group for BSE
VARS Chief Veterinary Officer may appoint an Expert Group for consultation in case of an outbreak of BSE, which shall include professionals with specific qualifications in diverse areas. Expert Group composition is defined in point 8.4.1.Expert Group for BSE shall be convened in cases where the additional instructions on implementing the eradication of BSE need to be defined.
The Expert Group’s task shall be to:
-define the course and timetable of more extensive eradications (over 20 animals),
-in atypical BSE-cases, define the additional diagnostic tests, and the laboratory to conduct them.
Expert Group for BSE shall give advice as to the cleaning and disinfection and harmless disposal of animal cadavers.
Expert Group members shall cooperate in BSE-training programmes.
1.7.Human resources and equipment
At occurrence of BSE, the officers/employees of the Veterinary Administration of the Republic of Slovenia (VARS), National Veterinary Institute (NVI), and of the veterinary organisations, and of other organisations where applicable, shall cooperate in the implementation of measures.
VARS Regional Offices shall keep lists of services and persons to be involved at the local level (as part of Contingency Plan of each relevant VARS RO).
Composition of the Expert Group, which has experience in the filed of BSE, is indicated in point 8.4.1.
Equipment:
At occurrence of BSE, the equipment of VARS, NVI and veterinary organisations shall be used.
In compliance with VCCA and the Rules on the collection, transport, storage, handling, use and disposal of animal cadavers as a type of animal by-products which are not intended for human consumption(UL RS 122/2007), the removal of dead animal carcasses shall be within the responsibility of Veterinary Hygiene Service (VHS), operating within NVI, which may authorise by contract an operator implementing the public service of handling Category 1 and 2 ABPs for the removal of dead animal carcasses. Both the services are required to transport and to accept for destruction also any greater quantities of dead animal carcasses and of other animal by-products, which need to be harmlessly disposed of at the occurrence of disease.
1.8.Permanent instructions concerning BSE
Permanent instructions for veterinarians in case of suspected or confirmed BSE constitute an integral part of this document and have the following headings:
- Suspicion and confirmation of BSE
- NaTUrE OF DISEASE AND diagnosiS
- Assessment of damage owing to implementation of measures for the supression of Ocenjevanje škode zaradi izvajanja ukrepov za zatiranje BSE
- Napaka! Vira sklicevanja ni bilo mogoče najti.
- Razkuževanje
- Preventive measures against Preventiva pri BSE
- Priloge
1.9.Diagnostic laboratories
1.9.1.Diagnostic laboratory for BSE
Diagnostics of BSE is conducted in the Laboratory of Pathology and TSEs (LPTSE) operating within the National Veterinary Institute and making part of the Unit for diagnosing contagious and other animal diseases, and in the National Reference Laboratory for TSEs (NRL for TSE), which operates within NVI, but is located within LPTSE. At the LPTSE, diagnostics is carried out by the rapid post-mortem tests (Laboratory of TSEs), whilst the confirmatory diagnostics is conducted by the NRL for TSEs. The NRL for TSEs conducts also other tasks defined in Chapter A of Annex X to the Regulation (EC) No 999/2001. At the first BSE-cases, where the rapid BSE-test results are inconclusive and remain such even after conducting the confirmatory methods by the NRL, or in other cases to be defined by VARS, NRL shall, at all events, upon a specific authorisation submit the samples for testing and assessment to the Community Reference Laboratory listed under point 8.1.4.1, or to another Reference Laboratory to be defined by VARS and having in place an agreement on cooperation with VARS. The procedure of packaging and submitting of samples for testing is set out in the Contingency Plan for the case of an outbreak of BSE in Slovenia for laboratories.
1.9.2.Address of LPTSE
University of Ljubljana
Veterinary Faculty
National Veterinary Institute
Unit for diagnosing contagious and other animal diseases
Laboratory of Pathology and TSEs
SI-1115 Ljubljana, Gerbičeva 60, PO Box3425
Phone (n.c. VF)(0)1 47 79 100
Phone (0)1 47 79 155 (LPTSE), (0)1 47 79 360 (TSE-Laboratory Reception)
Fax (0)1 28 34 091 (LPTSE), (0)1 47 79 361 (TSE-Laboratory Reception)
Regular working hours of LPTSE are Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 15:00 hours; samples are accepted for investigations at the laboratory within the regular working hours, and on prior notice in emergency cases.
Regular working hours of the laboratory for diagnosing BSE by the rapid post-mortem tests (Laboratory for TSEs) are Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 21:00 hours; samples are accepted for investigations at the laboratory by 18:00 hours.
1.9.3.Address of NRL for TSEs
University of Ljubljana
Veterinary Faculty
National Veterinary Institute
National Reference Laboratory for TSEs
SI-1115 Ljubljana, Gerbičeva 60, POBox 3425
Phone (n.c. VF)(0)1 47 79 100
Phone (0)1 47 79 155
Fax(0)1 28 34 091
Regular working hours of theNRL for TSEs are Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 15:00 hours; samples are accepted for investigations at the laboratory within the regular working hours, and outside these hours on prior notice in emergency cases.
1.10.Training programmes
Official veterinarians employed at VARS, veterinarians of the NVI and educational institutions for agriculture and veterinary medicine, private veterinary practitioners, slaughterhouse staff, animal breeders, persons rearing animals and animal attendants shall be appropriately qualified for detecting the clinical signs of disease, and familiarised with the epidemiology of the disease and with the measures for the prevention and eradication of the disease. Professional staff responsible for the laboratory testing shall be qualified in the interpreting the laboratory findings concerning the different TSEs.
Training of official veterinarians, private veterinary practitionersand laboratory staff shall be organised and performed by the Veterinary Faculty, Veterinary Administration of the Republic of Slovenia, and Veterinary Chamber. Training of slaughterhouse staff shall be organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, and the training of animal breeders, persons rearing animals and animal attendants shall be organised by the Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia.
Interested persons have the possibility of the following types of training:
- training at courses and seminars concerning BSE,organised by the EU;
- veterinarians included by VARS into its operations shall obtain instructions on the diagnosing and control of BSE;
- VARS official veterinarians shall be trained in compliance with a programme of refreshing the knowledge on BSE – cooperation in courses, seminars and lectures;
- training of official veterinarians and NVI veterinarians concerning the sampling for BSE-testing;
- training of animal breeders in contagious animal diseases and reporting of any changes in behaviour of animals to veterinarians (compulsorily notifiable diseases).
1.11.Public relations and notification of the public on the disease
Notification of the public on BSE is conducted in the following ways: