WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/GEN/1175 
19 July 2012 
 (12-3978) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
 
INFORMATION ON OUTBREAKS OF THE 
AH7N3 AVIAN INFLUENZA VIRUS 
 
Communication from Mexico 
  
 The following communication, received on 10 July 2012, is being circulated at the request of 
the delegation of Mexico. 
 
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 1. On 21 June 2012, Mexico's National Agriculture  and Food Health, Safety and Quality Service 
(SENASICA) notified the World Organisation for An imal Health (OIE) of the presence of the avian 
influenza virus, type A, subtype H7N3, in comm ercial poultry production units in the municipalities 
of Tepatitlán de Morelos and Acatic in the State of Jalisco. 
2. In the wake of this outbreak, on Monday 2 July  2012 the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture, 
Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food published the "Agreement activating, integrating 
and implementing the national animal health emer gency mechanism for the purpose of diagnosing, 
preventing, controlling and eradicating the highl y pathogenic avian influenza virus, type A, 
subtype H7N3".  The Agreement was published in accordance with the terms of Article 78 of the 
Federal Law on Animal Health. 
3. The animal health measures applied are as follows: 
(a) Animal health training in avian influen za for poultry farmers and natural and legal 
persons involved in poultry farming; 
(b) transport restrictions on poultry and pou ltry products and by-products, as well as on 
other animal species which are regulated by  the Federal Law on Animal Health and 
the provisions derived therefrom and which could pose a risk to poultry farming; 
(c) establishment of quarantine lines; 
(d) confinement and disposal of poultry and pou ltry products and by-products, as well as 
of biological, chemical, pharmaceutical and food products for administration to or 
consumption by poultry which could cause an outbreak of avian influenza; 
(e) immunization to protect against the disease and prevent its spread; 
(f) quarantine and isolation; 
(g) diagnosis and identification of the avian influenza virus; G/SPS/GEN/1175 
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  (h) sanitation, disinfection, disinfestation and sterilization of animals, holdings and 
transport vehicles and use of germicides a nd pesticides to prevent the spread of 
the AH7N3 avian influenza virus; 
(i) culling of poultry infected with or exposed to avian influenza; 
(j) elimination of poultry and poultr y products and by-products; 
(k) epidemiological surveillance and investigation; 
(l) other animal health measures regulated by the Federal Law on Animal Health, as well 
as measures which, thanks to modern t echnology and scientific developments, are 
effective for the purposes of diagnosing, preventing, controlling and eradicating the AH7N3 avian influenza virus. 
4. To date, epidemiological sampling has been conducted on 58 poultry farms in the focal and 
perifocal areas:  24 infected farms were identifie d by viral isolation, diagnosis is ongoing in 
another 24 farms and ten farms have tested negative to the H7N3 highly pathogenic virus. 
5. As soon as the emergency occurred and even befo re requests for such measures were received 
from the authorities of certain trading partners, exports of poultry products from the affected, 
quarantined area were restricted so  as to prevent risks and to ensure that exports of Mexican products 
were risk-free. 
6. Mexico wishes to clarify that the presence of the avian influenza virus, type A, 
subtype H7N3, has only been detected in commercia l poultry production units in two municipalities in 
the State of Jalisco.  All other entities in the country are free from the virus. 
7. It is also important to note that the H7N3 av ian influenza virus does not pose a risk to food 
safety provided that food products are handled and cooked properly.  Avian influenza rarely affects 
human beings;  human infection only occurs as a re sult of specific subtypes and very close contact 
with affected birds.  The aim of the measures is therefore to contain the disease in order to protect 
poultry production. 
8. Mexico requests that WTO Members notify th e Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary 
Measures of any measure imposed on imports of pr oducts originating in Mexico, in accordance with 
the terms of Article 7 of and Annex B to the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures, and comply in full with the other transparency  requirements laid down in this 
Agreement (such as allowing comments). 
9. Furthermore, with a view to avoiding great er repercussions on trade in poultry products, 
Mexico proposes the following: 
 Members should adhere to OIE guidelines - which permit the importation of products 
that have undergone heat treatment to eliminate the virus and which provide for 
compartmentalization - and take measures restricting imports from the affected municipalities without imposing a ban on expor ts from the rest of Mexican territory; 
 Mexico will continue to issue the relevant  reports on disease emergence and resurgence 
in a proper and timely fashion and to fulfil its OIE commitments, with a view to ensuring the transparency of its animal health status.  G/SPS/GEN/1175 
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   Members with which Mexico does NOT trade in poultry products should refrain from 
issuing and publishing impor t bans on Mexican products. 
10. This communication is being made for reasons of transparency under Article 7 of the 
Agreement, and is without prejudice to Mexico's rights under that Agreement. 
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