. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/TPKM/7
19 August 2002
(02-4489)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY OF TAIWAN,
PENGHU, KINMEN AND MATSU
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:  Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where
applicable): Live cervids, cervid semen and embryos/ova.
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:
United States of America and Canada
5. Title, language  and number of pages of the notified document: Suspension of Live
Cervids, Cervid Semen and Embryos/Ova Importation into the Separate Customs Territory ofTaiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu from the Un ited States of Amer ica and Canada, Nung-
Shou-Fang-Tzu-Ti 0911478507 Hao, 17 July 2002 (Available in Chinese) (2 pages)
6. Description of content: The legal document used to suspend the importation of live
cervids, cervid semen and embryos/ova into the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan,
Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu from the United States of America and Canada dated
17 July 2002.
7. Objective and rationale:  [    ] food safety, [ X ] animal health, [   ] plant protection,
[   ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [   ]  protect territory from other
damage from pests
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action: Live cervids, cervid
semen and embryos/ova import from the United States of America (USA) and Canada have
been suspended by the Council of Agriculture (COA) in Taiwan after new surveillance
showed that Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) may be more widespread in the United
States and Canada than previously thoug ht.  CWD is a transmissible spongiform
encephalopathy (TSE).  It is related to, but distinct from BSE and scrapie.  Although the
exact cause of CWD is unknown, it is associated with the presence of an abnormal protein
called a prion.  Both lateral (animal to animal) and maternal (mother to offspring)
transmission may be possible.  There is no live animal test or treatment or vaccine currently
available for the disease.
CWD affects wild and farmed deer and elk in the USA and Canada.  It has never been
detected outside North America.  In the early 1980s, CWD was identified in free-ranging
deer and elk in northeastern Colorado and southeastern Wyoming USA.  The first report of
a farmed elk with CWD came from Saskatchewan in 1996, and in 1997 another case wasidentified on a South Dakota elk farm.  Since that time, additional positive farmed or free-
ranging elk herds have been found in South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahoma,
Montana, Kansas and Alberta.  CWD has been diagnosed on 39 game ranches inG/SPS/N/TPKM/7
Page 2
Saskatchewan and one in Alberta Canada in  1996.  However, the number of CWD cases
confirmed by the laboratory in Canada is 225 as of March 2002.  Moreover, in recent
events including the recognition of presence of CWD in free-ranging deer in Wisconsin,
New Mexico and Saskatchewan, and the transport of CWD-exposed captive elk to
numerous States across the USA clearly show that cases of the CWD in those two countrieswas increasing.
Following the initial information received from the United Sates Department of Agriculture
(USDA) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regarding the increased
prevalence of CWD in their farmed elk industry, the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health
Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ)/COA in Ta iwan, began the process of reviewing and
identifying quarantine measure against import animal and animal products that may poserisks on transmission of CWD.  This review has identified the import health standard for
live cervids and their semen or embryos/ova from the USA and Canada as posing risks to
the biosecurity of the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu.
As such COA have suspended live cervids and their semen or embryos/ova import from the
USA and Canada until issues such as distribution of infectivity and risk to humans andanimals can be adequately addressed.
9. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] Office International des Epizooties,
[   ] International Plant Prot ection Convention, [ X ] None
If an international standard , guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:
10. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  None
11. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):  17 July 2002
12. Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [  ] National notification
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:
Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine
9F, 51, Section 2, Chungching South Road,
Taipei, Taiwan
Tel:  (+886)-(0)2-2343-1401
Fax:  (+886)-(0)2-2343-1400
E-mail:  baphiq@mail.baphiq.gov.tw
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notification authority, [ X ]  National enquiry point,
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine
9F, 51, Section 2, Chungching South Road,
Taipei, Taiwan
Tel:  (+886)-(0)2-2343-1401Fax:  (+886)-(0)2-2343-1400
E-mail:  baphiq@mail.baphiq.gov.tw