[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 217 (Wednesday, November 10, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 69046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-28351]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 217 / Wednesday, November 10, 2010 / 
Notices  

[[Page 69046]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2009-0088]


Notice of Determination of the High Pathogenic Avian Influenza 
Subtype H5N1 Status of Czech Republic and Sweden

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public of our determination regarding the 
highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) subtype H5N1 status of the 
Czech Republic and Sweden, following outbreaks of HPAI in Sweden during 
2006 and in the Czech Republic during 2007. Based on an evaluation of 
the animal health status of the Czech Republic and Sweden, which we 
made available to the public for review and comment through a previous 
notice, the Administrator has determined that the importation of live 
birds, poultry carcasses, parts or products of poultry carcasses, and 
eggs (other than hatching eggs) of poultry, game birds, and other birds 
from the Czech Republic and Sweden presents a low risk of introducing 
HPAI H5N1 into the United States.

DATES: Effective Date: This determination is effective November 10, 
2010.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Julia Punderson, Senior Staff 
Veterinarian, Regionalization Evaluation Services-Import, National 
Center for Import and Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 38, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-4356.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On April 6, 2010, we published in the Federal Register (75 FR 
17368-17370, Docket No. APHIS-2009-0088) a notice \1\ in which we 
announced the availability, for review and comment, of an evaluation of 
the animal health status of the Czech Republic and Sweden relative to 
highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) subtype H5N1. In the 
evaluation, titled ``APHIS Evaluation of the Status of High 
Pathogenicity Avian Influenza H5N1 (HPAI H5N1) in the Czech Republic 
and Sweden'' (July 2009), we presented the results of our evaluation of 
the status of HPAI H5N1 in domestic and wild poultry in the Czech 
Republic and Sweden, in light of the actions taken by the Czech and 
Swedish animal health authorities since the outbreaks in 2006 and 2007.
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    \1\ To view the notice and the evaluation, go to http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2009-0088.
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    Our evaluation concluded that the Czech Republic and Sweden were 
able to effectively control and eradicate HPAI H5N1 in their domestic 
poultry populations and that animal health authorities have adequate 
control measures in place to rapidly identify, control, and eradicate 
the disease should it be reintroduced into the Czech Republic's or 
Sweden's wild birds or domestic poultry population.
    In our April 2010 notice, we stated that if after the close of the 
comment period we could identify no additional risk factors that would 
indicate that domestic poultry in the Czech Republic and Sweden 
continue to be affected with HPAI H5N1, we would conclude that the 
importation of live birds, poultry carcasses, parts of carcasses, and 
eggs (other than hatching eggs) of poultry, game birds, or other birds 
from the Czech Republic and Sweden presents a low risk of introducing 
HPAI H5N1 into the United States.
    We solicited comments on the evaluation for 30 days ending on May 
6, 2010. We received no comments by that date. Therefore we are 
removing our prohibition on the importation of these products from the 
Czech Republic and Sweden, into the United States. Specifically:
     We are no longer requiring that processed poultry products 
from the Czech Republic and Sweden be accompanied by a Veterinary 
Service import permit and government certification confirming that the 
products have been treated according to APHIS requirements;
     We are allowing unprocessed poultry products from Sweden 
to enter the United States in passenger luggage; however, because APHIS 
has not evaluated the virulent Newcastle disease status of the Czech 
Republic, unprocessed poultry products remain ineligible for entry into 
the United Stated in passenger luggage from that country; and
     We are removing restrictions regarding the regions of the 
Czech Republic and Sweden from which processed poultry products may 
originate in order to be allowed entry into the United States in 
passenger luggage.
    However, live birds from the Czech Republic and Sweden are still 
subject to inspection at ports of entry and the post-importation 
quarantines set forth in 9 CFR part 93, unless granted an exemption by 
the Administrator or destined for diagnostic purposes and accompanied 
by a limited permit.

    Authority:  7 U.S.C. 450, 7701-7772, 7781-7786, and 8301-8317; 
21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 4th day of November 2010.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-28351 Filed 11-9-10; 8:45 am]
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