[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 105 (Thursday, June 1, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 35826]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-11575]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2022-0047]


Addition of Gabon, Guinea, and Moldova to the List of Regions 
Affected With Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we added Gabon, Guinea, and 
Moldova to the list of regions that the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service considers to be affected with highly pathogenic 
avian influenza (HPAI). These actions follow our imposition of HPAI-
related restrictions on the importation of avian commodities 
originating from or transiting Gabon, Guinea, and Moldova as a result 
of the confirmation of HPAI in Gabon and Guinea, and reports of HPAI 
from the veterinary authorities of Moldova in the country.

DATES: Gabon, Guinea, and Moldova were added to the list of regions 
APHIS considers to be affected with HPAI, effective respectively on May 
23, 2022; June 8, 2022; and January 31, 2022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information regarding HPAI 
in Gabon and Moldova, contact Dr. C. Aaron Monroy, Regionalization 
Evaluation Services, Strategy and Policy, VS, 920 Main Campus Drive, 
Venture II, Raleigh, NC 27606; phone: (919) 855-7207; email: 
[email protected]. For further information regarding HPAI in 
Guinea, contact Dr. Ingrid Kotowski, Regionalization Evaluation 
Services, Strategy and Policy, VS, 920 Main Campus Drive, Venture II, 
Raleigh, NC 27606; phone: (919) 855-7732; email: 
[email protected].

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 to prevent the introduction 
of various animal diseases, including Newcastle disease and highly 
pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The regulations prohibit or restrict 
the importation of live poultry, poultry meat, and other poultry 
products from regions where these diseases are considered to exist.
    Section 94.6 of the regulations contains requirements governing the 
importation into the United States of carcasses, meat, parts or 
products of carcasses, and eggs (other than hatching eggs) of poultry, 
game birds, or other birds from regions of the world where HPAI exists 
or is reasonably believed to exist. HPAI is an extremely infectious and 
potentially fatal form of avian influenza in birds and poultry that, 
once established, can spread rapidly from flock to flock. The Animal 
and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) maintains a list of 
restricted regions it considers to be affected with HPAI of any subtype 
on the APHIS website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-and-animal-product-import-information/animal-health-status-of-regions.
    APHIS receives notice of HPAI outbreaks from veterinary officials 
of the exporting country, from the World Organization for Animal Health 
(WOAH) or from other sources the Administrator determines to be 
reliable.
    On May 19, 2022, the veterinary authorities of Gabon reported to 
WOAH an HPAI occurrence in that country. On May 23, 2022, after 
confirming that the HPAI occurred in commercial birds or poultry, APHIS 
added Gabon to the list of regions where HPAI exists. On that same day, 
APHIS issued an import alert notifying stakeholders that APHIS imposed 
restrictions on the importation of poultry, commercial birds, other 
types of birds (research, performing), ratites, any avian hatching 
eggs, unprocessed avian products and byproducts, and certain fresh 
poultry products from Gabon to mitigate risk of HPAI introduction into 
the United States.
    On June 3, 2022, the veterinary authorities of Guinea reported to 
WOAH an HPAI occurrence in that country. On June 8, 2022, after 
confirming that the HPAI occurred in commercial birds or poultry, APHIS 
added Guinea to the list of regions where HPAI exists. On that same 
day, APHIS issued an import alert notifying stakeholders that APHIS 
imposed restrictions on the importation of poultry, commercial birds, 
other types of birds (research, performing), ratites, any avian 
hatching eggs, unprocessed avian products and byproducts, and certain 
fresh poultry products originating from or transiting Guinea to 
mitigate risk of HPAI introduction into the United States.
    On January 24, 2022, the veterinary authorities of Moldova reported 
to WOAH an HPAI occurrence in that country. On January 31, 2022, APHIS 
provisionally added Moldova to the list of regions where HPAI exists, 
pending a request for information. On that same day, APHIS issued an 
import alert notifying stakeholders that APHIS imposed restrictions on 
the importation of poultry, commercial birds, other types of birds 
(research, performing), ratites, any avian hatching eggs, unprocessed 
avian products and byproducts, and certain fresh poultry products 
originating from or transiting Moldova to mitigate risk of HPAI 
introduction into the United States. On February 25, 2022, after 
receiving insufficient information from Moldova, APHIS determined that 
removal of Moldova from the list of regions where HPAI exists would 
require a formal re-evaluation pursuant to Sec.  92.4.
    With the publication of this notice, we are informing the public 
that we added: Gabon to the list of regions APHIS considers to be 
affected with HPAI of any subtype, effective May 23, 2022; Guinea to 
the list of regions APHIS considers to be affected with HPAI of any 
subtype, effective June 8, 2022; and Moldova to the list of regions 
APHIS considers to be affected with HPAI of any subtype, effective 
January 31, 2022. This notice serves as an official record and public 
notification of these actions.

Congressional Review Act

    Pursuant to the Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C. 801 et seq.), 
the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs designated this action 
as not a major rule, as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
    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 25th day of May 2023.
Michael Watson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-11575 Filed 5-31-23; 8:45 am]
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