. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/SGP/23/Add.1 
23 May 2012  
 (12-2717) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
Addendum 
  
The following communication, received on 21 May 2 012, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of Singapore. 
 
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Veterinary Regulations for the Importation of  Horses - Removal of additional certification 
requirements with regard to West Nile virus (WNV) infection in horses 
 On 9 August 2003, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore notified WTO of the 
additional veterinary certification requirements on West Nile virus freedom for the importation of 
horses and for return of Singapore horses from inte rnational races. Testing and vaccinations were 
offered as options to the certification.  
 The additional certification requirements stated that: 
1. the country of origin has been free from West N ile virus infection for the last 12 months prior 
to the date of export;  or  
2. the horse has been subjected to an antibody- capture immunoassay for serum IgM to West 
Nile virus with negative results within 15 days of export;  or  
3. the horse has been vaccinated within 12 months but not within 30 days of export against West 
Nile virus with inactivated vaccines approved by  the Veterinary Authority of the country of 
export. 
 The rationale for imposing the above requirement s then was that there were no international 
guidelines with regard to certification for West Nile  virus for imported horses.  However, validated 
tests and vaccines were available for the infection in horses and were appropriate measures to prevent 
importing horses infected with West Nile virus.  
 Since 2003, there has been development in se tting West Nile virus-related guidelines in the 
World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), th e international standard-setting organization for 
guidelines related to animal health. OIE consid ers humans and equidae as dead-end hosts and 
recommends that member countries do not impose trade restrictions on dead-end hosts such as horses. 
The WNF free status of a country will also not be  lost through the importation of seropositive animals 
from WNF infected countries or infected zones.   
 As such, the additional veterinary certifica tion requirements imposed on the importation of 
horses are no longer necessary to mitigate the risk of introducing West Nile virus infection to 
Singapore.  Singapore will however retain the certif ication requirement that horses have not suffered G/SPS/N/SGP/23/Add.1 
Page 2  
 
  from or been exposed to nor been in premises infect ed with West Nile virus infection before export. 
The Agri-food and Veterinary Authority of Singa pore hereby notifies that the three additional 
veterinary certification requirements 1 to 3 as stat ed above have been w ithdrawn with immediate 
effect. 
This addendum concerns a: 
[ ] Modification of final date for comments 
[ ] Notification of adoption, publication or entry into force of regulation 
[ ] Modification of content and/or scope of previously notified draft regulation 
[X] Withdrawal of proposed regulation 
[ ] Change in proposed date of adoption, publication or date of entry into force 
[ ] Other:    
Comment period:  (If the addendum extends the scope of th e previously notified measure in terms 
of products and/or potentially affected Members, a new deadline for receipt of comments should be 
provided, normally of at least 60 calendar days.  Under other circumstances, such as extension of 
originally announced final date for comments, th e comment period provided in the addendum may 
vary.)  
[ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the addendum to the notification and/or 
(dd/mm/yy) :  Not applicable 
Agency or authority designated to handle commen ts:  [ ] National Notification Authority, [ ] 
National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body: 
   
Text available from:  [ ] National Notification Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, 
fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body: 
   
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