SENASA

FURTHER INFORMATION

REQUESTED BY USDA APHIS OF

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY

SENASA TO ATTAIN RECOGNITION

OF ARGENTINA AS A REGION AS

DEFINED IN SECTION 922TITLE 9

OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL

REGULATIONS FOR FOOT AND

MOUTH DISEASE FMD

2004 November
Authority organization and infrastructure of the veterinary services

organization in the region

Disease Status

The status of adjacent regions with respect to the agent

The extent of an active control program in the region 34

Vaccination status of the region 3

Separation from adjacent regions of higher risk through physical or other

barriers

Movement control of animals and animal products from regions of higher

risk and the level ofbiosecurity regarding such movements

Livestock demographics and regional marketing practices in the region

Type and extent of disease surveillance 75

Diagnostic laboratory capabilities

Disease Control Programs and Emergency Response Capabilities
Authority organization and infrastructure of the veterinary

services organization in the region

How do veterinarians become licensed to work inArgentina

Veterinarians in Argentina after obtaining the degree title shall authenticate

it at the Ministry of Culture and Education Afterwards the professional is

registered at the National or Provincial Professional Association of

Veterinary Physicians according to the jurisdiction where they will be

working who assigns them the licence Licence both national and

provincial is mandatory

2 How many private veterinarians are authorized to do official

government work on FMD and how are they authorized

Veterinarians have been part of the Eradication Program since it was

launched through their Professional Associations or Councils that participate

as members of the CONALFA the Regional Committees COPROSAS and

Local Animal Health bodies

In Argentina there are approximately 13000 veterinary physicians of which

5950 are accredited by SENASA to carry out health activities for the

Brucellosis Eradication Program and to certify Brucellosis free holdings and

4924 are accredited for the Tuberculosis program All veterinarians are

authorized for all sanitary programs including FMD

Veterinarians in private practice are continuously in contact with and provide

information to the farmers regarding the required animal health measures In
addition they participate in the National Epidemy Surveillance System

Resolution N 234 96

The National Private Veterinary Physician Registry was created by

SENASA Resolution N 1067 94Registry on the Register is annual and the

professional has to have the license up to date SENASA issues the

Registry Veterinarian certificate and guarantees the necessary training for

the correct performing of the duties

There is a dispatch pre inspection for bovines intended for export to the

European Union carried out by private veterinarians who verify the sanitary

status of the animals and the documents of the premises issuing a sanitary

pre certificate which is later endorsed by the local veterinarian The local

veterinarian is responsible for the record keeping ofthese professionals

3 Is specialized training in foreign animal diseases mandatory and

how often must a veterinarian attend such training

As expressed in the answer to the previous question it is concluded that

private veterinarians are part of the epidemiological surveillance system for

diseases of mandatory notification as sensors As soon as they take part of

the sanitary programs carried out by SENASA they have to comply with a

continuous training program being trained on the procedures and standards

in force

4 Do private or government veterinarians or animal health

specialists need to meet certification requirements to conduct

official animal health program and orFMD control activities
In the case of private veterinarians see questions N 2 and 3

With regards to official veterinarians the conditions for the fulfilment of the

official programs are determined by the compliance of training and updating

activities established by the National Plan

Sanitary Education can be mentioned within the main strategies that define

the FMD ERADICATION PLAN This strategy includes training activities

for the different participants of the program technicians and administrative

staff and promotion of the different activities of the plan

The content ofthe courses meets the technical guidelines established by the

FMD National Eradication Plan and the specific bibliography of the

OIE PAHO FAO

Likewise professionals are comprised in the guidelines of the TRAINING

OPERATIVE PLAN established by SENASA and the CIVIL SERVICE

NATIONAL INSTITUTE which includes different subjects in addition to

FMD such as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and other TSE Cross

Border diseases Brucellosis Tuberculosis Farm diseases Trichinosis

Classical Swine Fever Newcastle Avian Influenza etc The programs are

carded out by experts and teachers from SENASA and other institutions

through agreements with national universities research institutes such as

INTA National Institute for Agricultural Technology and others FAO

INPPAZ etc

During the past years several training activities were developed within the

Plan The main activities are detailed below
TRAINING ACTIVITIES YEAR 2001

TOTAL OF ACTIVITIES 35 TOTAL OF PARTICIPANTS 1233

TRAINING ACTIVITIES YEAR 2002

DATE PLACE PARTICIPANTS SUBJECTS

Paso de los Libres Characterization of

0852002 Corrientes 8 Border zone

Villa MercedesSan

0372002 Luis 12 Vaccination Plans

San Rafael Sanitary Management

18072002 Mendoza 4 System

Mercedes Sanitary Information

2108002 Corrientes 19 Systems

Sanitary Management

11092002 R Del TalaERios 18 System

12092002 Resistencia Chaco 4 Vaccination Campaigns

Lazareto Capital

2509002 Federal 15 Vaccination Campaigns

Bolivar Buenos

102002 Aires 15 Sanitary Regulatio ns

E Castex La

102002 Pampa 10 Vaccination Plans

Epidemiologicat

102002 Villa MariaCrdoba 15 Surveillance

Lobos Buenos Epidemiological

1102002 Aires 16 Surveillance

Gualeguaych8 Characterization of

1302002 ERios 9 Border zone

Information Systems at

1502002 Neuqu6n Neuqu6n 8 Barriers

1602002 Resistencia Chaco 25 Sanitary Alert in
Paragua

1702002 La Paz E Rios 20 Sanitary

Rio GrandeT del

1412002 Fuego 17 Sanitary

TOTALNUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS

IN COURSES 215

Standards

lin

0192002 Off site 344 FMD Epidemiology

SENASA

Headquarters

15082002 Capital Federal 43 FMD Epidemiology

COURSES 2003 DATE PLACE PARTICIPANTS

FMD Seroepidemiology Up date 03102003 Cbrdoba 39

FMD Seroepidemiology Up date 2210003 Corrientes 44

FMD Seroepidemiology Up date 1212003 Tandil 41

FMD Epidemiological Surveillance Up date 031012003 Cbrdoba 39

FMD Epidemiological Surveillance Up date 2210003 Corrientes 44

FMD Epidemiological Surveillance Up date 1212003 Tandil 41

Total 6

courses

124

COURSES 2004 DATE PLACE PARTICIPANTS

FMD Epidemiology Technical Up date 2502004 Viedma 24

FMD Epidemiology Technical Up date 2602004 R Colorado 22

Course on Animal Health Induction 19032004 Buenos Aires 15

Course Basic Epidemiology Up date 30042004 Formosa 18

FMDSeroepidemiology Tools 160612004 Tucum n 35

FMD Epidemiological Surveil anceUp date 18062004 TucumAn 35

FMD Seroepidemiology Tools 0672004 San Luis 36

FMD Epidemiological Surveillance Up date 0872004 San Luis 36

Continuous Education Project

IslandsMicro characterization Project Ongoing Buenos Aires 1
Continuous Education Project

S LuisMicro characterization Project

Total 10 Courses

Ongoing Buenos Aires 21

Seminars and Lectures

Assisted Lectured DATE PLACE PARTICIPANTS

OPS SIV CONTSeminar 0932004 Martinez 2

Cosalfa Seminar 0342004 Bolivia 2

OIE International Conference 1402004 Buenos Aires 4

III Argentine Congress on Zoonosis 15042004 Buenos Aires 4

Forum of Scientific Technical Interchange

of theDNSA 15072004 Buenos Aires 22

Total 5 Five 34

5 Please provide information on functions carried out by the

NationalAgrifood Inspection Service DNFA

At a national level DNFA is responsible for ensuring that slaughterhouses

processing plants and orstorage facilities for animal and plant products and

byproducts whether edible or inedible comply with hygiene and health

requirements DNFA is also responsible for approving all establishments that

slaughter and or process products derived from farm animals The

Veterinary Inspection Services are responsible for said controls and

approved plants throughout the country that process for export and for the

domestic market International Traffic Direction with the Co ordination of

Borders and Federal Traffic takes part in DNFA
How many veterinarians inspectors and support personnel are

employed by the deparb33ent What is the DNFA infrastructure in

the region proposed for evaluation

At slaughterhouses ofprimary inspection there are 325 official veterinarians

and 870 official assistant veterinary technicians who perform the ante

modem and post mortem inspections of the animals sent to slaughter

7 What type of biosecurity controls exist at slaughtering plants

approved for export

According to the Argentine regulations by Decree 4238 68biosecudty

controls in the plants approved by SENASA are as follows

Pens animals are kept within pens and cannot be moved from the

slaughterhouse after their entry

Effluent treatment all effluents from the coldstore pens slaughtering yard

and water used in all the processes are treated separating solids fats

liquids and chlorinates before releasing them to the general sewage system

Pens sanitary complex

Dead animals are treated at the necropsy digestor with skin after diagnosis

Fallen animals are slaughtered at the emergency yard and are not used for

export
The sanitary complex effluents are individually treated disinfection before

dumping them to the rest ofthe common treatments

Raw slaughter wastes

They are sent to processing plants with thermal treatments for non edible

use in closed vehicles approved for that purpose

They may be processed at the same plant in Melters or digestors with

thermal treatment to make non edible byproducts

Slaughter pathology wastes they are processed in digestors with

atmosphere saturated with pressure steam or in Melters to obtain by

products

8 On page 5 ofyour submission it was mentioned that the local animal

health offices gather information that serves to strenghten the official

inspection system oflivestock operations Please provide details ofthe

kind of information that is gathered and provide examples ofhow this

information is used to strenghthen the official inspection system for

FMD

SENASA local offices have a Sanitary Management system where the

actions carried out by the local veterinarian are recorded All the information

related to movements both ingoing and outgoing and RENSPA number as

well as destination producer coldstore dates participating veterinarians

etc is recorded
9 It was also mentioned that the local animal health offices represent

various local organizations and have technical subcommittees that are

chaired by official or private veterinarians What are these local

organizations and their functions

The 318 local SENASA Offices are strategically distributed throughout the

country and take pad of the Official Veterinarian Service to carry out the

decentralized operative actions These offices have para technicians and

administrative staff who report to a local veterinarian Furthermore there are

Local Sanitary Entities which are ONGs that operate as foundations

associations societies etc created through SAGPyA Resolution N

108 2001 These entities are the result of the cattle producers active

participation in the FMD eradication and are authorized by SENASA They

are formed by an Administrative Committee constituted by livestock

producers and other bodies representing the production sector as well

national provincial or municipal representatives related to animal health A

Technical Committee chaired by the SENASA Veterinarian and formed by

the Veterinarians of the Local Sanitary Entity area This committee carried

out the sanitary plans set up by SENASA specially the FMD vaccination

campaign An Operative Group formed by coordinators programmers and

vaccinators who carried out the vaccination in the establishments

10 What type ofstructure composition and functions do the technical

committees have
The Technical Committees of the Sanitary Struggle Local Entities are formed

by provincial municipal and private professionals technicians officials

SENASA local Veterinary who assess local possibilities and characteristics

for implementing the Local Vaccination Plans established by SENASA that

shall be carried out by the Operative Group

11 What practices if any are in place with regard to the control and or

prohibition of swill feeding If swill feeding is allowed is heat

treatment mandatory

SENASA Resolution N 225 95that regulates holding and maintenance of

pigs is in force This standard bans pigs feeding with raw viscera of any

origin kitchen garbage hospital clinics and or nursing homes garbage

national and orinternational pods and airports garbage

Feeding of pigs with rests of food substances of animal origin coming from

stores approved by the competent authority to manufacture and or sell food

is authorized Authorization is conditioned to the compliance of the following

requirements

a That swill feeding be subjected to a cooking process guaranteeing

destruction of pathogen organisms where pigs are fed

b The existence in the premise of the equipment necessary to carry out the

requirements of the previous point with an operation capacity allowing

treatment of all the rests in a period of time not longer than eight 8

hours

since entry

12 How is compliance monitored and enforced
SENASA Resolution N 350 98 establishes a mechanism making the

SENASA veterinarians duties easier with regards to confiscation of animals

infected with Trichinellosis or constituting a dsk because they do not have

the necessary sanitary hygienic conditions due to failure to comply with the

previously mentioned SFNASA Resolution N 225 95

At this moment work is being done on a

regulation gathering the previous

one to regulate pig activity and widening the scope of the current one with

the purpose of having all the elements to allow trichinellosis control As a

consequence of this there will be more elements going beyond this disease

and granting additional guarantees in the case of FMD

13 Does Argentina have establishments authorized to process swill

What are the requirements for this authorization

There are no establishments exclusively approved to process swill

Treatments to process food are carried out by the pig producer in the

establishment or the producer obtains the processed swill from slaughtering

establishments

On the other hand SENASA Resolution N 895 of 2312002 rules the

approval of treatment systems of swill coming through our frontierEts The

SENASA inspector according the dsk of the odgin of the swill or if that are

swills of a specific dsk shall recommend the treatment to guarantee its

destruction

The requirements for the treatment complies with the OIT recommendations

which are considered a strong guarantee of the BSE agent reduction As it is
the agent with the highest requirements for its destruction it may be a

parameter for this disease prevention as for any other agent with a potential

risk for animals and human health

14 What laws does Argentina have in place to regulate movements of

used farm machinery across regions in Argentina or across

international borders or from regions ofhigher risk to regions oflower

risk

There are not specific regulations for farm machinery

The former SENASA Resolution N 8091 establishes among other

aspects the washing and disinfection of livestock vehicles transiting empty

or with animals on the hoof in all livestock movements in the country

Disinfection is carried out in all the freight transports including farm

machinery and it is performed at random in automobiles in all the entry

points to the country and entry points to the free areas where vaccination is

not practiced These points are sanitarily approved by SENASA and are

located at certain risk borders

In case of emergency or outbreaks this disinfection is carded out in all

vehicles including farm machinery

5What are the cleaning and disinfection requirements for trucks

vehicles orany otherequipment

The Resolution 809 of 1982 establishes the cleaning and disinfection

requirements for livestock vehicles in plants approved by SENASA A
certificate in triplicate is issued laying down that the cleaning and disinfection

have been carried out This document must be submitted by the driver when

required by sanitary authorities as police or National Border Police This

document should also be required by the producer livestock agent as well

as in the farm or place where the animals shall be delivered whenever a

cattle transport is fulfilled

Disease Status

Please provide more information on the FMD outbreaks in 2001 and

2002

6Define outbreak and indicate how infection was detected in each

outbreak

Outbreak Holding where animals with MFD are

In all cases the detection of an outbreak arose from the notification about the

existence of animals with symptoms confusable with vesicular disease

Tissues samples were taken from these animals for virus and serum

isolation and detection of antibodies against non structural proteins of FMD

virus

17 How long is if likely that the infection was present before the

detection and how was it introduced How long after detection

weretrading partners notified
The first cases of FMD detected in 2000 were wrongly diagnosed by private

veterinarians as Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis IBR or Bovine Viral

Diarrhea The wrong diagnosis delayed the implementation of measures to

hold down the disease thus easing its spreading to other holdings

First cases were recorded by late July 2000

Argentina acknowledged internationally the disease in March 2001

The way the disease was introduced in the country in 2000 has not been

fully elucidated Nevertheless the analysis of the information regarding

typing of acting virus the areas affected at the beginning of the epidemic

and the characteristics of the border areas at the nodh of the country the

most probable hypothesis is that the virus may have been introduced

through the illegal traffic of infected animals from neighboring countries

The only outbreak recorded in 2002 was reported on January 5 and

responded the following day According to the lesions that were found the

disease should have appeared 10 days before As soon as the diagnosis

was confirmed it was internationally notified OIE Panaftosa and trading

partners

The origin of the infection of this outbreak was not found in the research

carded out Nevertheless the researches showed that the disease may have

been the result of the virus residual activity in the area due to both the shod

time passed since the last outbreak and the poor vaccination record of the

holding

At present Argentina notifies immediately to the international community any

suspicion of a vesicular disease before confirming the diagnosis
18 Provide data on the number ofsick animals and herds by species

week andprovince overthe course ofthe disease outbreaks

See tables in Annex I Number of sick animals2000123

19 Did any of the outbreaks occur in known vaccinated herds

vaccinated once ortwice orin export approvedslaughterhouses

Yes there were outbreaks in holdings previously vaccinated In these cases

vaccination has been carried out in a period ranging from 15 to 120 days

before the outbreak

Nevertheless these outbreaks appeared at the beginning of massive

vaccination implementation

At present the records of 7 vaccination campaigns and the ongoing 8th plus

the immunity levels showed in national serology samples are enough

elements to deduce the impossibility of the virus circulation

With regards to the disease in slaughterhouses two cases were detected

through the post modem observation of tongue lesions

The local office of the cattle area was notified in each case to take

measures in the holdings were the animal came from

20 What specific measures were taken to preverrt the spread of FMD to

otherfarms

The following measures to prevent the infection spreading are taken in

holdings where suspect or confirmed FMD animals were found
Delimitation of the focal perifocal and surveillance area

Restraint to move susceptible species within and out the holdings of

the area

Restrictions on people and vehicles movements

Establishment of check and disinfection points at the exit of the

affected holding sand in neighboring roads

Ring vaccination of all susceptible species in a parcel lot depending

on the area

o Slaughter of affected animals and contacts this measure was

implemented at the beginning of the outbreak according to Resolution N

478 99 afterwards this measure was not longer practiced due to the

number of cases and its spreading The sanitary slaughter was

implemented again at the last outbreaks in 2001 and in those occurred in

2002 and 2003 SENASA Resolution N 352002

21 What procedures does Argentina have in place for controlling FMD

outbreaks detectedinslaughterhouses

The cases with lesions compatible with FMD in slaughterhouses were

prompt reported to the local office of the area in order the local veterinary

could visit the establishment of origin immediately

Procedure in the slaughterhouse PROCEDURES MANUAL FOR FMD

OUTBREAK RESPONSE ITEM Detection of outbreak and or suspicion of

vesicular disease in slaughterhouses coldstores and Terminal
Concentrating Markets See Annex II Procedures Manual for FMD Outbreak

Response

Decree 4238 and its modifications establishes that in case of FMD detection

the following numerals should be followed

103When FMD is confirmed in pens activities shall be halted in the plant

and the SENASA office responsible of the establishment area shall be

notified to take the relevant measures

Veterinary Inspection of the establishment Actions

103Until the National Animal Health and Agrifood Quality Service

SENASA responsible of the establishment area visits the plant the

Veterinary Inspection Service shall

1 Halt the ingoing and outgoing of animals raw materials and products

2

Halt the movement of freight vehicles and other vehicles

3 Take the necessary measures to prevent the virus spreading by the

person who is in the plant

Pens disinfection

1032Pens streets wallows that may be infected by the FMD virus shall

be disinfected with a watery solution of sodium hydroxide at 2caustic

soda of 94 purity recently prepared or sodium hypochlorite with 5000

parts by one million active chlorine as minimum or any other product

approved by the National Animal Health and Agrifood Quality Service

SENASA
Slaughtering yard

1156If FMD is discovered in the slaughtering yard the Veterinary

Inspection Service shall follows the proceedings stated in numeral 103of

the present Rules of Procedure The National Animal Health and Agrifood

Quality Service SENASA shall decide the actions that will be carried out

22 Describe control activities that took place in the focal perifocal

and surveillance zones during the outbreaks How were affected and

exposed animals handled Were there differences in control

procedures according to the affected species

Focal area At the start of 20001outbreak sanitary slaughter of infected

animals and direct contacts was applied Afterwards this strategy proved to

be impracticable due to the extent and spreading of the disease

Consequently the only control applied in this area was the restraint of

livestock movements until the risk of infection ended

Perifocal Area Restrain of movements ring vaccination periodic

inspections serological samples check and disinfection posts

Surveillance or buffer area Restraint periodical inspections vaccination

serological samples setting up of control and disinfection posts

Furthermore as a result of the extent and spreading of the outbreak some

areas were restrained the suspected animal movements were banned

excepting those that would be slaughtered

Regarding the different infected species all received the same treatment

included vaccination in contrast to systematic vaccination that is only

applied on bovines
23 What how many and on whom eg farmers veterinarians

laboratories etc were penalties imposed for non compliance with

reporting requirements

Taking into account that in this period the attitude was the notification of every

FMD like disease and as it was not detected that the notification would have

been concealed there were no punishments

Decree 64311996 ARTICLE 50 Spontaneous or immediate notification of

FMD existence or suspicion supported by strict compliance of sanitary

standards arising from Law N 24305 shall bdng the following benefits

a Immediate advise of the NATIONAL ANIMAL HEALTH SERVICE

b Those foreseen in article 14 of Law Ley N 24305

Law N 24305

ARTICLE 14 SENASA shall compensate at the market value the producers

affected by the measures adopted within the framework of article 2 subsection

f

of this law or by the determining exclusive destination to slaughter due to

sanitary reasons

The Budget National Law shall foresee a specific sum of money to attend this

expenditures

The regulation shall establish the period to make effective this compensations

period that will not be longer than thirty 30 days as from the resolution

establishing the slaughter or sale for slaughtering

If afterwards the people responsible of the problem which gave origin to the

measure are determined by certain they shall pay for the compensations