. /. RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/R/37/Corr.11 
G/SPS/R/37/Rev.1/Corr.22
21 October 2005 
 
 (05-4852) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures  
  
 
SUMMARY OF THE MEETING HELD ON 29 AND 30 JUNE 2005 
 
Note by the Secretariat
3 
 
Corrigendum  
 
  The following corrections are ma de to the summary report of the 33rd regular meeting of the 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures held on 29 and 30 June 2005. 
 
_______________ 
 
The text of paragraph 28 should read as follows: 
 
28. The representative of Mexico explained that since low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) 
had been detected in his country in May 1994, Mexico had been applying health measures to prevent 
exotic subtypes and control and eradicate the onl y subtype identified, H5N2.  Mexican Official 
Standard NOM-044-ZOO-1995, which covered any s ubtype of avian influenza (AI), both low and 
high pathogenic strains, was published in 1995.  In the United States, various subtypes of low and 
high pathogenic AI had been officially identifie d, in particular H5N2, and H7N2, H6N2, H7N3, 
H5N3 and H3N2, none of which – with the exception of the first one, and in its low pathogenic form 
– existed in the Mexican poultry sector.  The san itary requirements established by Mexican legislation 
in the domestic poultry sector were equivalent to those applied for the export of poultry and poultry 
products originating in the states affected by AI in  the United States.  Howeve r, the sanitary measures 
aimed at ensuring epidemiological surveillance and m onitoring of the transport of poultry and poultry 
products applied in the affected states of the Unite d States were not equivalent to those implemented 
in the Mexican poultry sector.  Live poultry presented the highest risk of transmission of AI, while the 
risk was lower in fresh poultry products and by-products such as poultry meat and eggs.  
Nevertheless, importa tion of certain products from the quarantined states in the United States was 
allowed.  Mexico was continuing to analyse the t echnical information provided by the United States 
with a view to the opening up of exports of poultr y and poultry products.  Th is additional information 
had been provided by the USDA during the first quarter of 2005. 
The text of paragraph 29 should read as follows: 
 
29. The representative of Mexico recalled that the OI E, at its General Session of 2005, had agreed 
to establish new regulations with r espect to AI in both its high and low pathogenic forms.  These new 
regulations (Chapter 2.17.12:  Avia n Influenza, Terrestrial Animal Health Code) stipulated that all 
AI viruses of the H5 and H7 subtypes were notifiabl e, as well as any AI virus with an intravenous 
pathogenicity index (IVPI) greater than 1.2.  It al so stipulated that a country, zone or compartment 
                                                     
 
1 In Spanish and French only. 
2 In English only. 
3 This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights or obligations under the WTO. G/SPS/R/37/Corr.1 
G/SPS/R/37/Rev.1/Corr.2 Page 2 
 
 
 could be recognized as free from notifiable avian influenza viruses, and others as free from highly 
pathogenic notifiable influenza viruses.  Accordi ngly, the health requirements for exporting poultry 
and poultry products from and originating in countr ies, zones and compartments free of notifiable 
AI viruses, or free only of highly pathogenic notif iable AI viruses, were established jointly in 
accordance with Articles 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 of the SPS Ag reement.  Mexico currently allowed imports of 
poultry, and poultry products and by-products fro m the United States except for birds and some 
products from the states that ha d been affected by a subtype of AI.  Regarding Canada, the 
representative of Mexico explained that in Ma rch 2004, there had been an outbreak of highly 
pathogenic avian influenza of the H7N3 subtype in British Columbia;  that the province had therefore 
been quarantined, and technical information had b een requested concerning the outbreak.  That same 
month, Mexico had received information identifying the AI virus in ducks as subtype H11N9, and in 
geese as H6.  In June 2005, it had received informati on identifying the low pat hogenicity virus of the 
subtype H3, also in British Columbia, and would ca rry out an assessment of the health situation in 
respect of AI in British Columbia. 
__________