(CN) China amends law to boost compulsory animal vaccination

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China amends law to boost compulsory animal

vaccination

Xinhua

2007-08-30

 

China's top legislature adopted the amendment to the

law on animal epidemic prevention on Thursday, which

asks all animal owners to comply with compulsory

vaccination policies, especially owners of poultry and

livestock bred in rural backyards, and pets in urban

houses.

 

The revised law, approved by lawmakers attending the

29th session of the Standing Committee of the National

People's Congress (NPC), which was to be effective on

January 1, 2008, was aimed at preventing future animal

epidemics and lower their social and economic impact.

 

" With an increasing demand for meat, eggs and milk

products, the country's animal husbandry sector

continues to expand and new animal diseases keep

emerging, " said an official with the Ministry of

Agriculture.

 

The revised law sets up a compulsory animal

vaccination system, requiring immunization of animals

against diseases harmful to people's health and

husbandry industry.

 

It made clear that animals stated in the law " include

pets " and all stipulations on animal immunization in

the law were " fit for pets " .

 

Lawmakers during the session this week proposed that

the law should include more detailed and systematic

stipulations on pets as pets, especially dogs, have

caused " a string of social problems " , such as dogs

excrement, loud barking, growing number of abandoned

and stray dogs, and more attacks on human beings by

dogs.

 

Statistics show Beijing alone sees more than 703,800

dogs have been registered, and the total number of

dogs including those unregistered might be bigger.

 

More than 90,000 people in Beijing were injured by

cats and dogs in the first six months of this year, up

almost 34 percent from the same period last year,

according to statistics.

 

Rabies has stayed atop the list of fatal infectious

diseases in China for more than a year, claiming 1,551

lives in the first seven months of this year,

according to the Ministry of Health.

 

Local governments above the county level would have to

set up a surveillance network to monitor animal

diseases, according to the revised law, which will

replace the current Animal Epidemic Prevention Law

that came into effect on January 1, 1998.

 

Veterinary departments at the central and provincial

levels are obligated to issue early warnings against

possible outbreaks based on thorough epidemiological

study, it says.

 

The law also demands a prompt and transparent

reporting system, saying all government agencies,

businesses and individuals must immediately report

outbreaks of animal diseases to veterinary

departments.

 

Officials and government employees, who fail to take

prompt preventative measures, delay reporting or try

to cover up outbreaks of animal diseases should be

disciplined, according to the law.

 

Animal owners will face a fine less than 1,000 yuan

(US$132) for violation of vaccination rules or poor

disinfection measures, a fine less than 3,000 yuan

(US$395) for mishandling ill animals, their excrement

and dead bodies, and a fine no more than five times

the total value of animals for transporting or storing

infected animals.

 

Business owners will face a fine between 1,000 yuan

(US$132)and 10,000 yuan (US$1,316) for running animal

breeding farms or slaughtering houses without

government licenses, the law says.

 

It also stipulates that organizers of shows or games

with animals that have not received vaccination will

be fined up to 3,000 yuan (US$395).

 

Veterinary institutions that cause a spread of animal

disease will be fined between 10,000 and 50,000 yuan

(US$6,579) or revoked of business license if the case

was serious, it says.

 

The Chinese government announced earlier that it would

increase investment in the prevention and control of

animal epidemics and set up a new national prevention

system on animal diseases by 2008.

 

To ensure transparency, the revised law requires the

State Council's veterinary department to report

promptly outbreaks of animal diseases to relevant army

organizations.

 

Information about serious outbreaks should also be

reported quickly to relevant international

organizations and trade partners, the law says.

 

As the world's largest producer of poultry, livestock

and aquatic products, China has much to lose from

outbreaks of animal diseases. It is estimated that

animal diseases cost China 40 billion yuan annually.

 

China has reported a total of 25 human cases of bird

flu since 2003, which have resulted in 16 deaths.

 

In July, about 47,000 pigs were infected by blue-ear

pig disease, down 51.5 percent from the previous

month, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

 

By August 22, China had administered 314 million

milliliters of vaccine to immunize more than 100

million pigs. By then, the disease had infected

257,000 pigs in 26 Chinese provinces, of which 68,000

died and 175,000 were destroyed.

 

The vaccinated pigs will no longer be infected by the

highly pathogenic disease, according to the ministry.

 

Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture show that

China vaccinated six billion poultry and 850 million

livestock in the first half of 2006.

 

The country has also set up a monitoring network,

covering 49,000 large and 80,000 individual poultry

farms, 900 pig farms and 2,000 markets trading animal

products.

 

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-08/30/content_6069276.htm

 

 

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