[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 17, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2422-2423]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-00696]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2017-0090]


Addition of the Philippines to the List of Regions Affected by 
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we are adding the Philippines 
to the list of regions that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service considers to be affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza 
(HPAI). This action follows our imposition of HPAI-related restrictions 
on avian commodities originating from or transiting the Philippines as 
a result of the confirmation of HPAI in the Philippines.

DATES: The Philippines was added to the list of regions under temporary 
restrictions on August 16, 2017. The Philippines is added to the list 
of regions considered to be affected by HPAI as of January 17, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Ingrid Kotowski, Regionalization 
Evaluation Services, National Import Export Services, VS, APHIS, 920 
Main Campus Drive Suite 200, Raleigh, NC, 27606; (919) 855-7732; 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#97def9f0e5fef3b9dcf8e3f8e0e4fcfed7f6e7fffee4b9e2e4f3f6b9f0f8e1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="80c9eee7f2e9e4aecbeff4eff7f3ebe9c0e1f0e8e9f3aef5f3e4e1aee7eff6">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations in 9 CFR part 94 (referred 
to below as the regulations) govern the importation of certain animals 
and animal products into the United States to prevent the introduction 
of various animal diseases, including Newcastle disease and highly 
pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The regulations prohibit or restrict 
the importation of live poultry, poultry meat, and other poultry 
products from regions where these diseases are considered to exist.
    Section 94.6 of part 94 of the regulations contains requirements 
governing the importation into the United States of carcasses, meat, 
parts or products of carcasses, and eggs (other than hatching eggs) of 
poultry, game birds, or other birds from regions of the world where 
HPAI exists or is reasonably believed to exist. HPAI is an extremely 
infectious and potentially fatal form of avian influenza in birds and 
poultry that, once established, can spread rapidly from flock to flock. 
A list of regions that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
(APHIS) considers affected with HPAI of any subtype is maintained on 
the APHIS website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-and-animal-product-import-information/ct-animal-disease-status.
    APHIS receives notice of HPAI outbreaks from veterinary officials 
of the exporting country, from the World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), or from other sources the Administrator determines to be 
reliable. On August 11, 2017, the veterinary authorities of the 
Philippines reported to the OIE that

[[Page 2423]]

HPAI occurrence in that country was confirmed on August 7, 2017. 
Subsequent to that report, and after confirming that the HPAI occurred 
in commercial birds or poultry, APHIS placed restrictions on the 
importation of poultry, commercial birds, other types of birds 
(research, performing), ratites, any avian hatching eggs, unprocessed 
avian products and byproducts, and certain fresh poultry products from 
the Philippines to mitigate risk of HPAI introduction into the United 
States. Those restrictions went into effect on August 7, 2017, the 
reported date of confirmation of the HPAI occurrence in the 
Philippines. With the publication of this notice, we are adding the 
Philippines to the list of regions APHIS considers affected with HPAI 
of any subtype.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 7701-7772, 7781-7786, and 8301-8317; 21 
U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 10th day of January 2018.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-00696 Filed 1-16-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P


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