158. Regulation of the Federal Minister for Health, Family and Youth on a programme for the monitoring of freedom from bluetongue (Bluetongue monitoring regulation, BTÜ-V)

On the basis of § 2 (1) to (3) of the Animal Health Act (TGG), BGBl. I n ° 133/1999, as last amended by the Federal Law BGBl. I n ° 6/2007, is being prescribed in agreement with the Federal Minister for Finance and the Federal Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, the Environment and Water Management:

Section 1

General

Scope

§ 1. This Regulation shall apply to ruminants (farm animals and farmed game) which are bred or kept in livestock farms in accordance with Article 1 (2) of the TGG.

Definitions and references

§ 2. (1) For the purposes of this Regulation:

1.		official veterinarian: the official veterinarian of the competent authority or a freelance veterinarian appointed by the provincial governor in accordance with Section 2 (6) of the TGG;
2.		Bluetongue: the bluetongue;
3.		receptive species: all ruminant species, i.e. sheep, cattle, goats, buffalo, zebus, bison, bison, mufflons, ibex, antelopes, chamois, gazelles, giraffes, camels, camelids, deer, roe, elk, reindeer;
4.		Entomology: insect customer;
5.		National Reference Laboratory: the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Security GmbH, the Mödling plant, Robert Koch Gasse 17, A-2340 Mödling;
6.		OIE: the World Organisation for Animal Health ("Office Internationale des Epizooties"; now "Organisation Mondiale de la Santé Animale" or "Organisation Internationale des Epizooties"). "World Organisation for Animal Health");
7.		Sentinel animals: indicator animals which are shown to be free from anti-bluetongue antibodies at the beginning of their use, from stocks not subject to any restrictions on the use of bluetongue, used in certain stocks; and are regularly tested for the presence of bluetongue-specific antibodies in order to determine whether there are indications of the presence of Bluetongue in these stocks;
8.		Livestock holdings in accordance with Article 1 (2) of the TGG: all holdings in which animals are reared or kept for profit, in particular agricultural holdings, animal gardens and farms for non-agricultural animal species;
9.		Vector (s): Insects predominantly of the genus "Culicoides" or other bloot-sucking insects which can transmit the bluetongue virus;
10.		Vector traps: Fishing devices for insects of the genus "Culicoides".

(2) Where reference is made in this Regulation to provisions in other regulations of the Federal Minister for Health, Family and Youth, these are to be applied in their respectively applicable version.

Section 2

Monitor

General

§ 3. (1) The Federal Minister for Health, Family and Youth shall draw up a monitoring programme in the context of which bovine animals and sheep are to be subjected to a random blood serological examination on a bluetongue basis. If necessary, goats and other animals of susceptible species may also be used for these studies.

(2) The monitoring programme shall include in particular:

1.		a sampling plan for the carrying out of the serological studies;
2.		an operational plan for Sentineltiere, and
3.		A schedule for vector traps.

(3) The preparation of the monitoring programme shall, in particular, take account of epidemiological and entomological conditions, in particular the epidemiological situation with regard to bluetongue, the number and size of the stocks, the density of the stocks, and the position of the animals to be examined, the presence of vectors and the possible use of sentinel animals in accordance with § 5.

(4) The basis of the sampling plan is a geographical breakdown of the federal territory in the form of a grid network with a side length of 40 by 40 km or according to administrative units.

(5) In the deployment plan for sentinel animals, the number of each state or province is in particular: A grid or administrative unit shall be used to determine the required sentinel animals and the way in which they are to be marked in addition to the ear tag number.

(6) The implementation of the monitoring programme, including a possible use of sentinel animals, shall be the responsibility of the district administrative authorities in accordance with Section 2 (4) of the TGG and shall be co-ordinated by the respective regional governor.

(7) Blood samples in the sense of § 4 and § 5 (1) may also be used for blood samples taken in the context of periodic examinations, other state surveillance programmes or on the occasion of slaughter.

(8) The animals to be examined in accordance with § § 4 and 5 shall, insofar as they are held in livestock holdings according to § 1 paragraph 2 TGG, on the basis of their ear tag number according to the Animal Identification and Registration Ordinance 2005, BGBl. II No 210/2005 or cattle labelling regulation 1998, BGBl. II No 1997/408, idF BGBl. II No 2002/471, which is clearly identifiable. In the event that such an individual animal identification mark does not yet exist, it shall be carried out immediately in the course of the sampling.

Sampling of blood samples according to sampling plan

§ 4. In accordance with the sampling plan referred to in § 3, blood samples from susceptible animals shall be taken from official veterinarians and shall be sent to the national reference laboratory for examination on a bluetongue antibody.

Withdrawal of blood samples from sentinel animals

§ 5. (1) Where the epidemiological situation so requires, but at the latest from the time of the establishment of bluetongue protection or surveillance zones in the federal territory or in adjacent regions of neighbouring countries, within the framework of the monitoring programme, the following shall be: in accordance with § 3, to investigate the presence of specific bluetongue antibodies by taking blood samples at regular intervals, including blood samples.

(2) The use and selection of the sentinel animals must be carried out on the basis of veterinary aspects in accordance with the implementation plan for sentinel animals (§ 3) by the district administrative authorities and are from the respective National captain to coordinate.

(3) The Sentineltiere shall be permanently marked as such, in addition to the ear tag number, and shall be registered by the official veterinarian. Movements, evenings, killing or slaughter of sentinel animals shall be carried out by the farmer or the farmer. Notify the competent district administrative authority of the owner of the animal without delay. In such cases, the District Administrative Authority shall immediately select other animals which are suitable as sentinel animals to replace them. As sentinel animals, preference is given to selecting those animals whose whereabout is provided during operation over a relatively long period of time.

(4) In connection with an outbreak of bluetongue, the investigations of sentinel animals must continue until the OIE guidelines for the recognition of the freedom of bluetongue are met.

Monitoring of the presence of vectors

§ 6. (1) Within the framework of the monitoring programme to be drawn up by the Federal Minister for Health, Family and Youth (§ 3), vector traps shall be drawn up at appropriate points. The catch is to be taken by official veterinarians or other suitable persons in accordance with § 2 para. 6 TGG at least once a week to the traps and to be sent to the national reference laboratory.

(2) After the arrival of the catch items in the national reference laboratory, the national reference laboratory has to arrange for their entomological evaluation and determination to ensure that any mosquitoes of the genus Culicoides by type and sex are present in the laboratory. is identified, quantified, and selected and prepared for any further examinations.

Obligations of the holder or Animal owners

§ 7. The farmer or Animal owners are in the context of the investigations and/or in accordance with § § 4 and 5 of Section 2 (5) of the TGG, in particular the obligation to:

1.		to grant access to the premises, land and animals to the public authorities,
2.		provide them with the necessary assistance in the preparation and implementation of the sampling and, where appropriate, in the selection of sentinel animals,
3.		(§ 5 (3)) to report immediately to the competent district administrative authority shipments, evenings, killing or slaughtering of sentinel animals,
4.		the setting up of vector traps (§ 6 para. 1) and to provide the necessary assistance to the authorities in drawing up and operating these traps; and
5.		to provide the animals to be examined in the course of the investigations which have been announced in such a way that the official veterinarian may carry out a sample of the blood sample for five animals at the latest within half an hour.

National Reference Laboratory

§ 8. (1) The national reference laboratory shall carry out the necessary serological examinations of the blood samples taken in accordance with § § 4 and 5 in order to determine the presence of the bluetongue virus in the samples, respectively. to be able to confirm the freedom of the samples from the bluetongue virus. The methods of examination shall be authorised in accordance with validated and scientifically recognised examination procedures provided for by the EU or the OIE.

(2) The National Reference Laboratory shall inform the Federal Minister for Health, Family and Youth and the respective State Governor in writing of the results of the blood sample examinations referred to in paragraph 1 once a month. If there are indications of the presence of bluetongue, the notification of these results shall be made immediately, possibly also orally or by telephone.

Procedure after identifying references to the
Presence of the bluetongue virus in vectors

§ 9. If, within the framework of the above studies, evidence of the presence of the bluetongue virus is detected in vectors, the Federal Minister for Health, Family and Youth may, if this is necessary from an epidemiological point of view, more detailed epidemiological studies. In accordance with Section 2 (4) of the TGG, the execution of these investigations is the responsibility of the district administrative authorities and is to be coordinated by the respective regional governor.

Procedure in case of suspicion or outbreak of bluetongue

§ 10. If a suspicion of bluetongue is detected in animals of susceptible species, or a bluetongue outbreak is confirmed, BGBl is in accordance with the provisions of the Bluetongue Control Regulation. II No 515/2006.

Section 3

Final provisions

Cost

§ 11. The cost of

1.		the examinations and sampling in accordance with § § 4 and 5,
2.		the acquisition and operation of the vector traps in accordance with § 6 (1) (material costs; if necessary also electricity costs),
3.		the evaluations, provisions and investigations in accordance with § 6 para. 2, § 8 and § 9,

shall be borne by the Federal Government pursuant to Section 7 (2) of the TGG.

Personal names

§ 12. For all personal names used in this Regulation, the chosen form shall apply to both sexes.

In-force pedals

§ 13. This Regulation shall enter into force on 15 July 2007.

Kdolsky