Circular No. 53/2013/TT-BNNPTNT on reporting animal diseases

CIRCULAR

Regulations on Reporting Animal Diseases

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Pursuant to the Veterinary Law dated April 29, 2004;

Pursuant to Decree No. 33/2005/NĐ-CP dated March 15, 2005 of the Government detailing the implementation of certain provisions of the Veterinary Law; Decree No. 119/2008/NĐ-CP dated November 28, 2008 of the Government amending and supplementing some Articles of Decree No. 33/2005/NĐ-CP;

Pursuant to Decree No. 01/2008/NĐ-CP dated January 3, 2008 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Decree No. 75/2009/NĐ-CP dated September 10, 2009 of the Government amending Article 3 of Decree No. 01/2008/NĐ-CP;

Considering the proposal of the Director of the Department of Animal Health;

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development issues this Circular stipulating regulations on reporting animal diseases.

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Circular stipulates the reporting, collection, and storage of information on animal diseases.

Article 2. Applicability

This Circular applies to domestic and foreign agencies, organizations, and individuals involved in livestock breeding, veterinary activities, trading, transportation, slaughtering of terrestrial animals and their products within the territory of Vietnam.

Article 3. Explanation of Terms

In this Circular, the following terms are understood as follows:

1. Terrestrial Animals: Includes terrestrial farmed animals; wild terrestrial animals and wild terrestrial animals raised in captivity.

2. Terrestrial Animal Diseases (hereinafter referred to as animal diseases): Is an infectious disease listed in the Catalogue of Notifiable Diseases or the Catalogue of Dangerous Diseases of Animals that causes animals to become ill, die in large numbers, or spread in one or more regions; diseases that can be transmitted to humans.

Article 4. Principles for Reporting, Collecting, and Storing Information

1. The reporting, collecting, and storing of information on animal diseases and livestock herds must be carried out fully, accurately, and promptly.

2. Reporting must comply with procedures, formalities, authorities, and the prescribed forms of the Department of Animal Health.

Chapter II

REPORTING, COLLECTING

AND STORING INFORMATION ON ANIMAL DISEASES

Article 5. Information on Animal Diseases and Livestock Herd Information

1. Location where animals are diseased, time when animals first show clinical symptoms, and the progression of the disease situation;

2. Diseased animals, suspected diseased animals, infected animals, suspected infected animals, origin of animals, total number of infected animals, number of diseased animals, deaths due to the disease, animals required to be destroyed, treated animals, and recovered animals;

3. Symptoms and lesions of diseased animals;

4. Types of treatment drugs, vaccines, biological preparations used and the duration of use;

5. Pathogens causing the disease, suspected sources of infection or confirmed sources, results of passive surveillance and active surveillance programs for the disease;

6. Livestock herd information includes: Species, breed, and corresponding quantities compiled at commune level (hereinafter referred to as commune), number of organizations, individuals, households raising that species.

Article 6. Responsibility for Reporting Information on Animal Diseases

1. Livestock farms, households, individuals engaged in breeding, trading, transporting, slaughtering, and practicing veterinary medicine have the responsibility to report to the village animal health officer, village authority, or nearest veterinary agency.

2. Centralized livestock farms, including animal breeding facilities managed by local agencies: Report to the District Animal Health Station, Sub-department of Animal Health, and district authority.

3. Centralized livestock farms, including animal breeding facilities managed by central agencies: Report to the Regional Animal Health Agency, Sub-department of Animal Health, and provincial authority according to the prescribed form.

4. Village animal health officer: Report in writing to the People's Committee of the commune, simultaneously report to the District Animal Health Station, town, city directly under province (hereinafter referred to as District Animal Health Station).

5. District Animal Health Station: Report to the District People's Committee, simultaneously report to the Provincial Sub-department of Animal Health, centrally located city (hereinafter referred to as Provincial Sub-department of Animal Health) according to the prescribed form.

6. Domestic Animal Quarantine Stations, Border Animal Quarantine Stations managed by localities: Report to the Provincial Sub-department of Animal Health according to the prescribed form.

7. Provincial Sub-department of Animal Health: Report to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, simultaneously report to the Department of Animal Health and Regional Animal Health Agency according to the prescribed form.

8. Regional Animal Health Agency, Regional Animal Quarantine Sub-department: Report to the Department of Animal Health according to the prescribed form.

9. Regional Animal Health Agency, Provincial Sub-department of Animal Health where there are diseased animals, deaths due to animal diseases have the responsibility to notify the Provincial Sub-department of Animal Health of neighboring provinces.

10. Department of Animal Health: Report to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Article 7. Provision of animal disease information to the public, relevant agencies,news agencies,

1. For zoonotic diseases, veterinary authorities at all levels shall implement according to Circular No. 16/2013/TTLT-BYT-BNN&PTNT dated May 27, 2013 on guiding cooperation in preventing and controlling zoonotic diseases.

2. Forest rangers shall provide wildlife disease information to veterinary authorities at the same level.

3. The Director of the Animal Health Department shall provide nationwide animal disease information to the public and news agencies for prevention and control publicity.

4. The Head of the Provincial Animal Health Sub-department shall provide local animal disease information to the public and news agencies for prevention and control publicity.

Article 8. Emergency Reporting

1. Urgent epidemic outbreak report

a) Persons discovering animals with infectious diseases or suspected cases must report within 24 hours (or 72 hours for remote areas) from the time of discovery.

b) At commune level: The commune veterinarian officer is responsible for visiting the location of diseased animals to determine information and report the situation. Inspection and reporting must be completed within 48 hours (or 72 hours for remote areas, if the epidemic spreads widely) from receiving information from individuals or organizations.

c) At district level: The District Veterinary Station is responsible for dispatching technical staff to the location of the epidemic to diagnose the disease, organize investigations to collect information, and report using the prescribed form. Inspection and reporting must be completed within 48 hours (or 72 hours for remote districts, if the epidemic spreads widely) from receiving reports from commune veterinarian officers.

d) At provincial level: The Provincial Animal Health Sub-department is responsible for guiding the District Veterinary Station to investigate and verify the epidemic source, organize information collection, and report using the prescribed form. Reporting must be completed within 72 hours from receiving reports from the District Veterinary Station.

e) In case of dangerous epidemics that can spread rapidly over a wide area, persons discovering diseased animals or suspected cases, or veterinary authorities at commune and district levels may report directly to higher-level authorities and veterinary authorities.

2. Updated epidemic situation report

a) Updated reports apply when the epidemic has been confirmed as an animal disease by authorized veterinary authorities.

b) Updated epidemic reports must be submitted before 16:00 daily until the end of the epidemic period, including holidays and weekends.

c) The District Veterinary Station reports updated epidemic situations to the Provincial Animal Health Sub-department; the Provincial Animal Health Sub-department reports updated epidemic situations to the Regional Animal Health Authority and the Animal Health Department.

3. Epidemic investigation report

a) Epidemic investigation reports apply when the epidemic has been determined as an animal disease by authorized veterinary authorities.

b) The content of epidemic investigation reports and information collection must follow the prescribed form.

c) The Provincial Animal Health Sub-department is responsible for reporting the results of epidemic investigations to the Regional Animal Health Authority, the Animal Health Department, and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development within seven days from the end of the investigation.

4. Epidemic termination report: Within seven days from the end of the epidemic as stipulated by law, the Provincial Animal Health Sub-department is responsible for summarizing the epidemic period, reporting it, and evaluating the prevention and control results.

Article 9. Periodic Report

1. Monthly Report: Data for monthly reports are compiled from the first day to the last day of the month. Reports must be submitted in both written and electronic formats as follows:

a) The District Veterinary Station reports to the Provincial Animal Health Sub-department before the tenth day of the following month.

b) The Provincial Animal Health Sub-department reports to the Animal Health Department and the Regional Animal Health Authority before the fifteenth day of the following month.

c) The Regional Animal Health Authority reports to the Animal Health Department before the eighteenth day of the following month.

            2. Quarterly, six-monthly, and annual reports: Data for these reports are compiled from the months within the reporting period.

a) Quarterly reports are submitted during the first week of the next quarter.

b) Six-monthly reports for the first half of the year are submitted before July 15th.

c) Annual reports are submitted before January 15th of the following year.

3. The content of regular reports must follow the prescribed form, including: Animal disease information, livestock herd information as stipulated in Article 6 of this Circular, epidemic situation assessment, implemented preventive measures, planned measures, and recommendations.

Article 10. International Reporting

1. The Animal Health Department is the competent authority responsible for international reporting on animal disease situations in Vietnam.

2. The content of international reports must comply with Vietnamese laws and international organizations to which Vietnam is a member.

Article 11. Collection of animal disease information and livestock herds

1. At commune level: The person responsible for veterinary work at the commune shall cooperate with the relevant departments, mass organizations of the commune to collect information on animal diseases and livestock herd information within the commune's territory.

2. At district level: The District Veterinary Station shall be responsible for cooperating with the People's Committee of the commune and the person responsible for veterinary work at the commune to collect information on animal diseases and livestock herd information within the district's territory according to the form..

3. At provincial level: The Provincial Animal Health Department shall be responsible for collecting information on animal diseases and livestock herd information within the province's territory according to the form.

4. At central level:

a) Regional Animal Health Authority shall be responsible for collecting information on animal diseases and livestock herd information within the managed region;

b) The General Department of Animal Health shall be responsible for collecting information on animal diseases and livestock herd information throughout the country.

Article 12. Provisions on storage of information on Animal Diseases

1. The person responsible for veterinary work at the commune must have a record book to monitor and store information on animal diseases within the commune's territory.

2. The District Veterinary Station and the Provincial Animal Health Department shall store information on animal diseases within the district and provincial territories in writing and computer databases.

3. The Regional Animal Health Authority shall store information on animal diseases within the managed region in writing and computer databases.

4. The General Department of Animal Health shall store and manage information on animal diseases throughout the country in writing and computer databases.

Chapter III

IMPLEMENTATION

Article 13. Units under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

1. The General Department of Animal Health

a) Issuing and guiding the use of forms for collecting information, forms for reporting sudden incidents, regular reports, and detailed contents that need to be reported, collected, and stored; guiding localities to synthesize, analyze, and evaluate information on animal diseases.

b) Building, training, and guiding localities to exploit and use databases on animal diseases.

c) Directing, inspecting, and supervising animal health agencies at all levels in implementing reporting, collecting, and storing information on animal diseases.

d) Assigning staff responsible for synthesizing reports, collecting, and storing information on animal diseases.

2. The Forest Protection General Department: Directing and guiding subordinate units to provide information on wildlife diseases within their management scope to animal health agencies at the same level.

3. Units under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development: Directing subordinate units to coordinate with related animal health and livestock breeding units at all levels in reporting, collecting, and storing information on animal diseases.

Article 14. Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development

1. Developing plans and budgets to submit to the Provincial People's Committee for approval and organizing the implementation of reporting, collecting, and storing information on animal diseases.

2. Directing, inspecting, and supervising animal health agencies at all levels in organizing the implementation of reporting, collecting, and storing information on animal diseases.

Article 15. Provincial Animal Health Department

1. Training, guiding, and supervising the animal health system and related organizations and individuals under its management to implement reporting, collecting, and storing information on animal diseases.

2. Assigning staff responsible for synthesizing reports, collecting, and storing information on animal diseases.

Article 16. People's Committees at all levels

Directing, inspecting, and supervising related departments at the local level in reporting, collecting, and storing information on animal diseases; providing funding to organize implementation.

Chapter IV

IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS

Article 17. Abolish current regulations

This Circular replaces the provisions on reporting animal diseases set forth in the following legal documents:

1. Circular No. 04/2011/TT-BNNPTNT dated January 24, 2011, of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development guiding measures to prevent and control swine fever;

2. Circular No. 05/2011/TT-BNNPTNT dated January 24, 2011, of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development guiding measures to prevent and control Newcastle disease in poultry;

3. Circular No. 48/2009/TT-BNNPTNT dated August 4, 2009, of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development guiding measures to prevent and control rabies in animals;

4. Decision No. 80/2008/QD-BNN dated July 15, 2008, of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development promulgating regulations on preventing and controlling Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS);

5. Decision No. 38/2006/QD-BNN dated July 15, 2008, of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development regarding the issuance of regulations to prevent and control foot-and-mouth disease in livestock;

6. Circular No. 69/2005/TT-BNN dated July 15, 2008, of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development guiding the implementation of some urgent measures to prevent and control avian influenza (H5N1) in poultry.

Article 18. Effective Date

1. This Circular takes effect from January 27, 2013.

2. During the implementation process, if there are any difficulties, agencies, organizations, and individuals should promptly reflect them to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for consideration and resolution./.