[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 166 (Wednesday, August 26, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52541-52542]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-18690]


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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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 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 166 / Wednesday, August 26, 2020 / 
Notices  

[[Page 52541]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2019-0055]


Notice of Determination of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza 
and Newcastle Disease Status of Romania

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we are recognizing Romania as 
being free of highly pathogenic avian influenza and Newcastle disease. 
This recognition is based on a risk evaluation we prepared and made 
available for public review and comment.

DATES: This change of disease status will be recognized on August 26, 
2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Javier Vargas, Senior Staff 
Officer, Regionalization Evaluation Services, Veterinary Services, 
APHIS, USDA, 4700 River Road, Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; 
[email protected]; (301) 851-3316.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations in 9 CFR part 94 (referred 
to below as the regulations) govern the importation of certain animals 
and animal products into the United States in order to prevent the 
introduction of various animal diseases, including highly pathogenic 
avian influenza (HPAI) and Newcastle disease. Within part 94, Sec.  
94.6 contains requirements governing the importation of carcasses, 
meat, parts or products of carcasses, and eggs (other than hatching 
eggs) of poultry, game birds, or other birds from regions where HPAI 
and Newcastle disease is considered to exist.
    In accordance with Sec.  94.6(a)(1)(i), the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service (APHIS) maintains a list of regions in which 
Newcastle disease is not considered to exist. Paragraph (a)(1)(ii) 
states that APHIS will add a region to this list after it conducts an 
evaluation of the region and finds that Newcastle disease is not likely 
to be present in its commercial bird or poultry populations.
    In accordance with Sec.  94.6(a)(2)(i), APHIS maintains a list of 
regions in which HPAI is considered to exist. Paragraph (a)(2)(ii) 
states that APHIS will remove a region from this list only after it 
conducts an evaluation of the region and finds that HPAI is not likely 
to be present in its commercial bird or poultry populations.
    In 9 CFR part 92, Sec.  92.2 contains requirements for requesting 
the recognition of the animal health status of a region (as well as for 
the approval of the export of a particular type of animal or animal 
product to the United States from a foreign region). If, after review 
and evaluation of the information submitted in support of the request, 
APHIS believes the request can be safely granted, APHIS will make its 
evaluation available for public comment through a document published in 
the Federal Register.
    In accordance with that process, we published a notice \1\ in the 
Federal Register on September 16, 2019 (84 FR 48580-48581, Docket No. 
APHIS-2019-0055) announcing the availability for review and comment of 
our evaluation of the HPAI and Newcastle disease status of Romania. 
Based on this evaluation, APHIS concluded that Romania meets the 
requirements to form part of the European Union Poultry Trade Region 
(EUPTR), a region of the European Union recognized by APHIS that meets 
APHIS requirements for being considered low risk of HPAI and Newcastle 
disease, and for which the importation of live birds and poultry and 
poultry meat and products is harmonized.
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    \1\ To view the notice, risk evaluation, environmental 
assessment, and finding of no significant impact, go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2019-0055.
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    We solicited comments on the notice for 60 days ending November 15, 
2019. We received no comments by that date.

Newcastle Disease Detection

    On November 29, 2019, Romania's National Sanitary Veterinary 
Authority confirmed Newcastle disease in one commercial farm with 
laying hens located in the Nicolae B[abreve]lcescu locality, 
C[abreve]l[abreve]ra[scedil]i County, after an absence of more than 2 
years. The affected flock experienced a total mortality of 3,815 birds, 
and the remaining birds were culled for a total of 6,871 birds. The 
National Sanitary Veterinary Authority, through the local competent 
authority, placed restrictions to eradicate the disease and to prevent 
commodities that could harbor the disease from being exported, in 
conformity with European Community (EC) regulations regarding the 
Community measures for the control of Newcastle disease. These measures 
included a control zone with a radius of at least 3 kilometers (km), 
and a surveillance zone with a radius of at least 10 km around the 
affected farm.
    Tracing, additional testing, preliminary cleaning, and 
disinfestation measures were completed on December 5, 2019. Other 
measures, including disinfection of bedding material and treatment of 
surfaces, were carried out between December 6 and December 20, 2019. A 
final disinfection was completed on December 27, 2019. Sentinel birds 
were used to confirm the eradication of the disease. The event was 
closed on March 2, 2020.
    The epidemiological investigation concluded that the occurrence of 
the disease was due to a combination between breaches in the farm 
biosecurity that allowed contact with wild birds and failure to comply 
with the vaccination protocol. No other sick or dead poultry were found 
in either the surveillance zone or the protection zone. The movement of 
live poultry and poultry products from C[abreve]l[abreve]ra[scedil]i 
County was prohibited during the entire period of the event.

H5N1 HPAI Detection

    On January 14, 2020, Romania's National Sanitary Veterinary 
Authority confirmed H5N8 avian influenza on a farm in Seini, Maramur 
County, the first such outbreak in nearly 3 years. The affected flock 
experienced increased mortality of a total of 11,190 birds out of a 
flock of 18,699; the remaining 7,509 birds were culled. Romania 
immediately implemented strict movement restrictions in this area 
according to EC regulations on protective measures in relation to HPAI. 
These measures included a control zone with a radius of at least 3 km 
and a surveillance zone with a radius of at least 10 km around the 
affected farm.

[[Page 52542]]

    A second outbreak was confirmed on January 17, 2020, on a farm with 
22,762 laying hens located approximately 300 meters from the first 
outbreak. The affected flock experienced a mortality of 220 birds, and 
the remaining 22,542 were culled. Strict movement restrictions were 
implemented, including a control zone with a radius of at least 3 km 
and a surveillance zone with a radius of at least 10 km around the 
affected farm. The epidemiological investigation concluded that a 
vehicle used at both farms was likely the cause of spread. The sequence 
analysis of isolates showed close relationship to viruses detected in 
wild birds in Russia in 2018.
    No further outbreaks had been detected, and the cleaning, 
disinfection and treatment of affected premises and of materials and 
equipment were ongoing in accordance with the procedures established by 
EC regulations. Commodities from restriction zones (protection and 
surveillance zones) due to HPAI or Newcastle disease were not allowed 
to exit zones until the restrictions were lifted. Officials certifying 
commodities from areas outside of the restriction zones must follow the 
certification procedures enforced by Romania under national legislation 
and by the EU under EC regulations.
    As we stated in the initial notice, HPAI and Newcastle disease are 
known to exist in wild populations in Romania. This can lead to 
periodic events such as those detailed above. However, the scope of the 
disease events and Romania's response are consistent with our 
evaluation and do not undermine our conclusion that Romania can be 
added to the EUPTR. Moreover, because APHIS has determined that the 
affected birds have been depopulated, we have no reason to believe that 
HPAI or Newcastle disease currently exists in commercial bird or 
poultry populations within Romania.
    We are therefore adding Romania to the list of countries in which 
Newcastle disease is not considered to exist, removing Romania from the 
list of countries in which HPAI is considered to exist, and adding 
Romania to the EUPTR.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1633, 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 20th day of August 2020.
Michael Watson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-18690 Filed 8-25-20; 8:45 am]
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