[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 13 (Monday, January 23, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7785-7786]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-01394]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2016-0048]


Addition of the Republic of Korea to the List of Regions Affected 
by Contagious Equine Metritis

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have added the Republic of 
Korea to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) list 
maintained on the APHIS Web site of regions considered affected with 
contagious equine metritis (CEM). We took this action because of the 
confirmation of CEM in the Republic of Korea.

[[Page 7786]]


DATES: Effective Date: The addition of the Republic of Korea to the 
APHIS list of regions considered affected with CEM is effective 
retroactively to May 7, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Javier Vargas, Import Risk 
Analyst, National Import Export Services, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road, 
Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851-3300; 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations in 9 CFR part 93 (referred 
to below as the regulations) prohibit or restrict the importation of 
certain animals into the United States to prevent the introduction of 
communicable diseases of livestock. Subpart C--Horses, Sec. Sec.  
93.300 through 93.326, pertains to the importation of horses into the 
United States. Sections 93.301 and 93.304 of the regulations contain 
specific provisions for the importation of horses from regions affected 
with contagious equine metritis (CEM), which is a highly contagious 
venereal disease of horses and other equines caused by an infection 
with the bacterium Taylorella equigenitalis. A list of regions that the 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) considers to be 
affected with CEM or that trade horses freely with a region in which 
CEM exists without testing for CEM is maintained on the APHIS Web site 
at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-and-animal-product-import-information/ct_animal_disease_status.
    APHIS receives notice of CEM outbreaks from veterinary officials of 
the exporting country, from the World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), or from other sources the Administrator determines to be 
reliable. On June 19, 2015, the veterinary authorities of the Republic 
of Korea reported to the OIE that subclinical infections of T. 
equigenitalis had been confirmed in 17 horses held in 7 locations in 
Jejudo on May 7, 2015.
    In response to this outbreak, APHIS added the Republic of Korea to 
the list of regions where CEM exists or is reasonably believed to 
exist. As a result, horses and other equines from the Republic of Korea 
are subject to APHIS import restrictions designed to mitigate risk of 
CEM introduction into the United States. These restrictions are 
effective retroactively to May 7, 2015.

    Authority:  7 U.S.C. 1622 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 13th day of January 2017.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-01394 Filed 1-19-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P