Article 4

1.

When poultry in a holding are suspected of being infected or contaminated with Newcastle disease, Member States shall ensure that the official veterinarian immediately activates official investigation arrangements to confirm or rule out the presence of the disease and, in particular, must take or have taken the samples necessary for laboratory examination.

2.

As soon as the suspected infection is notified, the competent authority shall have the holding placed under official surveillance and shall in particular require that:

(a)

a record be made of all categories of poultry on the holding showing in respect of each of the categories the numbers of poultry which have died, which show clinical signs, and which show no signs. The record shall be kept up-to-date to include birds born or dying during the period in which there is a suspicion. The data in the record shall be kept up-to-date and be produced on request, and may be checked at each visit;

(b)

all poultry on the holding are kept in their living quarters or confined in some other place where they can be isolated and without contact with other poultry;

(c)

no poultry enter or leave the holding;

(d)

all movement

  • of persons, other animals and vehicles to or from the holding,

  • of poultry meat or carcasses, or of animal feed, implements, waste, droppings, manure litter or anything liable to transmit Newcastle disease be subject to authorization by the competent authority;

(e)

no eggs shall leave the holding with the exception of eggs sent directly to an establishment approved for the manufacture and/or processing of egg products under Article 6 (1) of Directive 89/437/EEC7, and transported under an authorization which has been granted by the competent authority. Such authorization must meet the requirements laid down in Annex 1;

(f)

appropriate means of disinfection be installed at the entrances and exits of buildings housing poultry and of the holding itself;

(g)

an epizootiological inquiry be carried out in accordance with Article 7.

3.

Until such time as the official measures laid down in paragraph 2 are enforced, the owner or keeper of any poultry in which disease is suspected shall take all reasonable action to ensure compliance with paragraph 2, except for (g) thereof.

4.

The competent authority may apply any of the measures provided for in paragraph 2 to other holdings should their location, their configuration or contacts with the holding where the disease is suspected give reason to suspect possible contamination.

5.

The measures referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall not be withdrawn until the suspicion of Newcastle disease has been ruled out by the official veterinarian.