The Swine Vesicular Disease (Wales) Regulations 2009

PART 4 Slaughterhouses

Controls in a slaughterhouse following notification

22.—(1) This regulation applies where the Welsh Ministers are notified under regulation 5(1) of a suspect pig or carcase in a slaughterhouse and a veterinary inspector considers that further investigation relating to the possible presence of swine vesicular disease is necessary.

(2) The veterinary inspector must orally or otherwise inform the person reporting the suspect pig or carcase that further investigation is necessary, and the controls in paragraph (3) then apply.

(3) The controls are that, except as permitted in writing by a veterinary inspector, the person in possession or charge of the pig or carcase must ensure that—

(a) no pig is brought into the slaughterhouse,

(b) any live suspect pig, live pig from the same premises as the suspect pig and any pigs they have had contact with is kept alive until slaughtered under regulation 23, and

(c) if any of those pigs have already been slaughtered, the carcases and any carcases that they have been in contact with are moved to a part of the slaughterhouse where they can be isolated, and the occupier must ensure that they are kept there and do not come into contact with other pigs or carcases,

and failure to do so is an offence.

(4) These controls continue to apply until a veterinary inspector has gone to the slaughterhouse and acted in accordance with the following regulation.

Action following the imposition of controls

23.—(1) After the imposition of the controls following notification of suspicion of swine vesicular disease in a slaughterhouse a veterinary inspector must go to the slaughterhouse immediately and examine the pigs or carcases.

(2) If the veterinary inspector is satisfied that swine vesicular disease does not exist in the slaughterhouse the veterinary inspector must confirm this (orally or otherwise) at which point the controls in regulation 22 cease to have effect.

(3) A veterinary inspector who suspects that swine vesicular disease exists in the slaughterhouse must serve a notice on the occupier requiring that all live suspect pigs, live pigs from the same premises as the suspect pig and any pigs they have had contact with are slaughtered separately from other pigs, and the carcases stored separately from carcases of other pigs, and failure to comply with the notice is an offence.

(4) The veterinary inspector must take samples (the samples may be from pigs and carcases at the slaughterhouse and samples from the premises of origin of the suspect pig) and test them to establish whether or not swine vesicular disease is present in the slaughterhouse.

(5) If the test results are negative the veterinary inspector must confirm this in writing and the controls in regulation 22 cease to have effect.

(6) A veterinary inspector may remove the restrictions in 22(3)(a) at any time if the slaughterhouse has been cleansed and disinfected in accordance with the written instructions of a veterinary inspector.

(7) If the test results demonstrate the existence of swine vesicular disease virus in the slaughterhouse (whether or not there is evidence of swine vesicular disease on the premises that the pigs have come from)—

(a) the Welsh Ministers must seize and dispose of the isolated carcases, and

(b) the occupier must ensure that the parts of the slaughterhouse used to store the carcases of pigs slaughtered under this regulation are not used until the occupier has cleansed and disinfected them to the satisfaction of the veterinary inspector, and failure to comply with this provision is an offence.