S.L. 437.60 Art. 5Dispatch of equidae when not free from African horse sickness.

(1) When Malta is not free of African horse sickness within the meaning of a Member State or Third Country free from

African horse sickness in rule 2, the competent authority may authorise to dispatch equidae from that part of the territory of Malta which is considered to be infected within the meaning of sub-rule

(2) only under the conditions set out in sub-rule (3).

(2) (i) A part of the territory of Malta shall be considered to be infected with African horse sickness if:

(a) clinical, serological (in unvaccinated animals) and, or epidemiological evidence has revealed the presence of African horse sickness in the past two years, or

(b) vaccination against African horse sickness has been carried out in the past twelve months.

(ii) The part of the territory considered to be infected with African horse sickness must comprise as a minimum:

(a) a protection zone with a radius of at least 100 km around any centre of infection;

(b) a surveillance zone at least 50 km extending beyond the protection zone, in which no vaccination has been carried out in the last 12 months.

(iii) The rules controlling the combat measures relating to the territories and zones referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b) and the relevant derogation are specified in Directive 92/35/EEC.

(iv) All vaccinated equidae found in the protection zone must be registered and identified in accordance with Article 6 (1) of Directive 92/35/EEC. The identification document and, or health certificate shall carry a clear reference to such vaccination.

(3) Malta may dispatch from its territory referred to in subrule (2)(b) only equidae which meet the following requirements:

(i) they must be dispatched only during certain periods of the year, having regard to the activity of vector insects as has been determined by the Community;

(ii) they must show no clinical symptom of African horse sickness on the day of the inspection referred to in rule 4(1);

(iii) (a) if they have not been vaccinated against African horse sickness, they must have undergone and reacted negatively to a complement fixation test for African horse sickness as described in Schedule D, on two occasions, with an interval of between twenty-one and thirty days between the two tests, the second of which must have been carried out during the ten days prior to dispatch,

(b) if they have been vaccinated, they must not have undergone vaccination during the previous two months and must have undergone the fixation test described in Schedule D at the aforementioned intervals without having recorded an increase in the antibody count. Other monitoring methods recognised by the Commission may be used;

(iv) they must have been kept in a quarantine station for a minimum period of forty days prior to dispatch;

(v) they must have been protected from vector insects during the period of quarantine and during transportation from the quarantine station to the place of dispatch.