Republic of Latvia Cabinet Regulation No. 809 Adopted 23 December 2014

Procedures for Monitoring, Controlling and Eradicating American Foulbrood

Issued pursuant to Section 25, Clause 17
of the Veterinary Medicine Law

1. General Provisions

1. This Regulation prescribes the procedures for monitoring, controlling and eradicating American foulbrood in honey bee (hereinafter - the bees) colonies.

2. Terms used in this Regulation:

2.1. suspicions of illness - a situation when a bee colony displays clinical signs characteristic to American foulbrood;

2.2. territory at risk - a territory around the affected area in a radius of at least three kilometres;

2.3. bee colony - a queen bee, worker bees, and drones that are kept in a beehive;

2.4. herd (apiary) - bee colonies which belong to one owner;

2.5. sample under investigation - a sample of brood or bees or honey from brood combs which is taken from a bee colony during the measures for monitoring of American foulbrood in order to detect the agent of American foulbrood or spores thereof in laboratory investigations;

2.6. sample of clinical material - a sample of brood or bees or honey from brood combs which is taken from a bee colony during the measures for control or eradication of American foulbrood in order to detect the agent of American foulbrood or spores thereof in laboratory investigations;

2.7. control measures - preventive targeted activities which are carried out in cooperation with the Food and Veterinary Service (hereinafter - the Service) in order to establish the diagnosis of American foulbrood and implement preventive measures to protect bee colonies from becoming ill with American foulbrood;

2.8. temporary holding for keeping of bees - a territory which is located outside the permanent holding for keeping of bees and to which bee colonies are moved to obtain nectar;

2.9. permanent holding for keeping of bees - an individual area which may be restricted and is registered in the Agricultural Data Centre (hereinafter - the Data Centre) for permanent keeping of bee colonies;

2.10. official veterinarian - a veterinary practitioner who has been authorised by the Service to implement measures to eradicate American foulbrood;

2.11. positive result of laboratory investigations - agent of American foulbrood or spores thereof established in laboratory investigations in the sample under investigation or the sample of clinical material which is taken from the relevant bee colony;

2.12. affected area - the permanent holding for keeping of bees where the diagnosis of American foulbrood has been confirmed;

2.13. ill bee colony - a bee colony with a confirmed diagnosis of American foulbrood;

2.14. monitoring measures - preventive activities - monitoring of health condition of a bee colony and preventive measures in order to protect bee colonies from becoming ill with American foulbrood.

[16 August 2016]

3. On the basis of this Regulation the Service shall:

3.1. develop a programme for monitoring and eradication of American foulbrood;

3.2. publish a list of official veterinarians on its website at www.pvd.gov.lv.

4. The Service shall indicate the following in the programme for monitoring and eradication of American foulbrood referred to in Sub-paragraph 3.1 of this Regulation:

4.1. the objectives of the programme;

4.2. the aetiology and pathogenesis of American foulbrood;

4.3. the clinical signs of American foulbrood;

4.4. the type of a sample under investigation in laboratory and the sampling procedures;

4.5. the laboratory investigation methods to be used;

4.6. the procedures for the notification of laboratory results;

4.7. the tasks of an official veterinarian and inspector of the Service - action during the measures for monitoring, control and eradication of American foulbrood.

5. The Service shall submit a programme for monitoring and eradication of American foulbrood to the Ministry of Agriculture for coordination and publish it on its website within five working days after coordination thereof. If the programme for monitoring and eradication of American foulbrood is updated, it shall be re-submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture for coordination.

6. The Ministry of Agriculture shall coordinate the programme for monitoring and eradication of American foulbrood within five working days after receipt thereof if it conforms to the requirements referred to in Paragraph 4 of this Regulation.

7. Samples under investigation and samples of clinical material shall be sent for laboratory investigation to the State scientific institute "Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment "BIOR"" (hereinafter - the Institute) or another accredited laboratory.

8. If the samples under investigation taken during monitoring measures of an owner or holder of a bee colony are investigated in another accredited laboratory, the relevant laboratory examinations for detection of American foulbrood shall be conducted according to the laboratory diagnostic methods recognised by the World Organisation for Animal Health.

9. After laboratory investigation of the sample under investigation or the sample of clinical material the Institute or an accredited laboratory shall issue the investigation results in electronic or printed form to the following:

9.1. the Data Centre;

9.2. the person who sent the sample;

9.3. the Service in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding infectious animal diseases subject to reporting, registration, and State monitoring, and the procedures for informing the Food and Veterinary Service on such diseases, if positive result of laboratory investigation has been obtained.

10. The Data Centre shall register results of laboratory investigations in its database.

11. An owner or holder of a bee colony shall cover any expenses related to sampling, sending, and laboratory investigation of the sample under investigation.

12. If suspicions arise regarding illness or the diagnosis of American foulbrood has been confirmed and an owner or holder of a bee colony has implemented the monitoring, control and eradication measures referred to in Chapters 2 and 3 of this Regulation, the Ministry of Agriculture shall cover the following costs related to the measures for control and eradication of American foulbrood from the financing allocated to the budget of the current year:

12.1. for an official veterinarian:

12.1.1 the transport costs;

12.1.2. the work remuneration for a visit of an official veterinarian and drawing up of documents, for taking and packaging of a sample of clinical material, as well as clinical assessment of a bee colony;

12.2. for the Institute - the costs related to laboratory investigations.

13. If an owner or holder of a bee colony has failed to implement the monitoring, control and eradication measures referred to in Chapters 2 and 3 of this Regulation, he or she shall cover all expenses related to the measures for control and eradication of American foulbrood for an official veterinarian, the Service, and the Institute, and the Service shall lay down restrictions on the moving of bee products and apiculture by-products.

2. Measures for Monitoring of American Foulbrood

14. An owner or holder of a bee colony shall in his or her herd (apiary):

14.1. place the bee colonies or bees which have been brought from the following:

14.1.1. the herd (apiary) where ill bee colonies have not been established, there are no suspicions of illness, and the result of laboratory investigations has not been positive;

14.1.2. another European Union Member State (hereinafter - the Member State) in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding veterinary requirements for circulation of the animals which are not referred to in other laws and regulations regarding veterinary control;

14.1.3. the country which is not the Member State (hereinafter - the third country) in accordance with the requirements of Articles 7, 10, and 13 of the Commission Regulation (EU) No 206/2010 of 12 March 2010 laying down lists of third countries, territories or parts thereof authorised for the introduction into the European Union of certain animals and fresh meat and the veterinary certification requirements;

14.2. import honey, beeswax, royal jelly, propolis or pollen not intended for human consumption (hereinafter - the apiculture by-products) from the third country if import and transit conditions have been met in accordance with Chapter II of Annex XIV to Commission Regulation (EU) No 142/2011 of 25 February 2011 implementing Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down health rules as regards animal by-products and derived products not intended for human consumption and implementing Council Directive 97/78/EC as regards certain samples and items exempt from veterinary checks at the border under that Directive (hereinafter - Regulation No 142/2011);.

14.3. use the apiculture by-products which conform to the requirements laid down in Chapter IX of Annex XIII to Regulation No 142/2011.

15. An owner or holder of a bee colony shall move clinically healthy bee colonies to the temporary holding for keeping of bees, provided they have not displayed clinical signs characteristic to American foulbrood.

16. Processing of apiculture by-products shall take place in an establishment or equipment which has been registered or recognised in the Service in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding the procedures for recognising establishments and equipment and registering persons who are involved in the circulation of such by-products and derived products not intended for human consumption (hereinafter - the equipment registered in the Service).

17. An establishment involved in the circulation of bee feed, provided it has been registered in the Service in accordance with the law or regulation regarding the procedures for registering and recognising an establishment involved in the circulation of animal feed (except for the establishment referred to in Paragraph 18 of this Regulation), shall conform to requirements laid down in Regulation (EC) No 183/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 January 2005 laying down requirements for feed hygiene.

18. An establishment involved in the circulation of bee feed which directly supplies primarily produced bee feed shall conform to the requirements laid down in the law or regulation regarding the hygiene requirements for primary production of animal feed and direct supplies in small quantities.

19. If the bee feed causes or may cause a threat to the bee health, the person involved in the circulation of feed shall notify the Service of this in accordance with Article 20 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety.

20. If an owner or holder of a bee colony wishes to verify the health of the bee colony, he or she shall ensure taking and sending of a sample under investigation for laboratory investigation for the purpose of monitoring.

21. If a sample under investigation is sent for investigation to an accredited laboratory in another country, an owner or holder of a bee colony shall, within one working day after receipt of laboratory results, send investigation results to the relevant territorial unit of the Service.

22. After receipt of the results of laboratory investigations referred to in Paragraph 21 of this Regulation the relevant territorial unit of the Service shall register them in the database of the Data Centre.

3. Measures for Control and Eradication of American Foulbrood

3.1. Control Measures if the Results of Laboratory Investigations are Positive

23. The relevant territorial unit of the Service shall, within three weeks from the moment a positive result of laboratory investigations has been received with regard to the sample under investigation, ensure implementation of the measures referred to in Paragraph 24 of this Regulation.

24. An official veterinarian or an inspector of the Service shall in the permanent holding for keeping of bees:

24.1. conduct clinical assessment of bee colonies;

24.2. send a sample of the clinical material to the Institute for ascertaining of the diagnosis of American foulbrood:

24.2.1. which has been taken from the bee colony with regard to which a positive result of laboratory investigation was received, irrespective of whether suspicions arise regarding this bee colony becoming ill or not;

24.2.2. which has been taken from the bee colony with regard to which suspicions of illness arise.

25. If it is not possible to implement the measures referred to in Paragraph 24 of this Regulation by 1 October of the current year, they shall be launched in spring of the next year when the air temperature during the day reaches at least 14 °C in shadow.

26. If an owner or holder of a bee colony has received information that:

26.1. the sample of clinical material taken for a repeated laboratory investigation and referred to in Sub-paragraph 24.2.1 of this Regulation has:

26.1.1. a negative result of laboratory investigation, he or she shall act in accordance with Paragraph 20 of this Regulation;

26.1.2. a positive result of laboratory investigation and no suspicions arise regarding illness of this bee colony, he or she shall implement the measures referred to in Paragraphs 27 and 29 of this Regulation, or, if suspicions of illness arise, the measures referred to in Sub-chapter 3.3 of this Regulation;

26.2. the sample of clinical material referred to in Sub-paragraph 24.2.2 of this Regulation has:

26.2.1. a negative result of laboratory investigation, he or she shall ensure taking of the samples under investigation and laboratory differential diagnosis;

26.2.2. a positive result of laboratory investigation, he or she shall implement the measures referred to in Sub-chapter 3.3 of this Regulation.

27. An owner or holder of a bee colony shall:

27.1. provided a positive result of laboratory investigations has been received repeatedly but the bee colony does not display any clinical signs of American foulbrood;

27.1.1. move the bee colony to a new or another beehive which has been disinfected,using the means and methods that ensure destruction of the agents of American foulbrood and spores thereof;

27.1.2. use the honey, royal jelly, propolis and pollen obtained from the bee colony only for human consumption, rather than feeding of bees;

27.1.3. not use the apiculture by-products obtained from the bee colony in apiculture except for wax, provided the requirements referred to in Paragraph 28 of this Regulation have been conformed to;

27.1.4. disinfect beehives, brood combs, and supers of the bee colony, using the means and methods that ensure destruction of the agents of American foulbrood and spores thereof;

27.2. disinfect the instruments and containers used in apiculture, using the means and methods that ensure destruction of the agents of American foulbrood and spores thereof.

28. It is allowed to use the wax obtained from the bee colony with regard to which a positive result of laboratory investigations has been received but which does not display any clinical signs of American foulbrood in apiculture in the territory of Latvia, provided the wax has been previously processed in the equipment registered in the Service by using the processing methods referred to in Parts A, B, and G, Chapter III of Annex IV to Regulation No 142/2011.

29. An owner or holder of a bee colony shall document the measures referred to in Sub-paragraphs 27.1.4 and 27.2 of this Regulation, indicating the date, type of disinfection, name and concentration of disinfection solution, as well as the disinfected objects.

3.2. Control Measures if an Owner or Holder of a Bee Colony has Suspicions Regarding the Bees Becoming Ill with American Foulbrood

30. If an owner or holder of a bee colony has suspicions of illness in the holding for keeping of bees, he or she shall:

30.1. using any means of communication, inform an official veterinarian or an inspector of the Service and ensure that clinical assessment of the bee colony is carried out and a sample of clinical material is taken and sent to the Institute;

30.2. until ascertaining of the diagnosis of American foulbrood not move the bee colonies outside the territory of the permanent holdings for keeping of bees, but ensure that the bee colonies with regard to which suspicions of illness arise do not come into contact with healthy bee colonies.

31. If an owner or holder of a bee colony has suspicions of illness in the temporary holding for keeping of bees, he or she shall:

31.1. using any means of communication, inform an official veterinarian or an inspector of the Service and ensure that clinical assessment of the bee colony is carried out in the temporary holding for keeping of bees and a sample of clinical material is taken and sent to the Institute;

31.2. within three working days from the moment suspicions are established, move all bee colonies back to the permanent holding for keeping of bees and then act in accordance with Sub-paragraph 30.2 of this Regulation.

3.3. Measures to be Taken if the Diagnosis of American Foulbrood is Confirmed

32. An official veterinarian or an inspector of the Service shall confirm the diagnosis of American foulbrood, provided clinical signs characteristic to American foulbrood are displayed in the clinical assessment of bee colonies and the agent of American foulbrood or spores thereof have been established in laboratory investigations.

33. An official veterinarian shall, within one working day after confirmation of the diagnosis of American foulbrood, notify the relevant territorial unit of the Service, using any means of communication.

34. The relevant territorial unit of the Service shall, within two working days after receipt of the information regarding the confirmed diagnosis of American foulbrood:

34.1. take a decision to determine the affected areas and territory at risk in accordance with the procedures laid down in the Administrative Procedure Law. After approval of the plan of measures for eradication of American foulbrood referred to in Paragraph 35 of this Regulation, a study of epizootological situation shall be conducted in the abovementioned territory in order to ascertain the possible permanent holdings for keeping of bees which have become ill and are epizootologically related, as well as identify pathways of the agent of American foulbrood and possible infected objects;

34.2. register the affected area and territory at risk in the database of the Data Centre and determine prohibitions on the movement of bee colony and the use of by-products. The prohibition period shall start on the day when the last ill bee colony is established.

35. The relevant territorial unit of the Service shall, within five working days after receipt of the information regarding confirmed diagnosis of American foulbrood, take a decision to approve the plan of measures for eradication of American foulbrood in accordance with the procedures laid down in the Administrative Procedure Law. The plan of measures shall, upon agreement with the owner or holder of a bee colony, identify the measures for eradication of American foulbrood in the affected area, specifying the following:

35.1. the sequence of eradication measures;

35.2. the person who is responsible for control of the measures for eradication of American foulbrood;

35.3. the results of the study of epizootological situation and action with bee colonies, beehives, brood combs, supers, instruments, honey, and apiculture by-products;

35.4. the time of the implementation of the measures for eradication of American foulbrood.

36. The Data Centre shall maintain up-to-date information in the public section of its website regarding the areas affected by American foulbrood and territories at risk, indicating the municipality, parish, numbers of the herd (apiary), and permanent holding for keeping of bees.

37. An owner or holder of a bee colony shall, until the moment the relevant territorial unit of the Service repeals a decision to determine the affected area, not move the bee colonies and by-products obtained therefrom outside the affected area.

38. An owner or holder of a bee colony shall, in the affected area:

38.1. isolate ill bee colonies from healthy bee colonies, as well as dispose of the ill bee colonies and brood combs and supers thereof within seven working days by incineration in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding the requirements for the circulation of animal by-products and derived products not intended for human consumption, and bury them after incineration;

38.2. use the honey, royal jelly, propolis and pollen obtained from the ill bee colony only for human consumption, rather than feeding of bees;

38.3. not use the apiculture by-products obtained from the ill bee colony in apiculture except for wax, provided the requirements referred to in Paragraph 39 of this Regulation have been conformed to;

38.4. disinfect the beehive where the ill bee colony was located, the instruments and containers used in apiculture, using the means and methods that ensure destruction of the agents of American foulbrood and spores thereof. If the beehive where the ill bee colony was located is damaged and not suitable for disinfection, it shall be disposed of, using the methods that ensure destruction of the agents of American foulbrood and spores thereof.

39. It is allowed to use the wax obtained from the ill bee colony in apiculture in the territory of Latvia, provided the wax has been previously processed in the equipment registered in the Service by using processing methods referred to in Parts A, B, and G, Chapter III of Annex IV to Regulation No 142/2011.

40. An owner or holder of a bee colony shall implement the measures referred to in Sub-paragraphs 38.1 and 38.4 of this Regulation according to the instructions of an official veterinarian or an inspector of the Service.

41. After implementation of the measures referred to in Sub-paragraphs 38.1 and 38.4 of this Regulation an owner or holder of a bee colony shall:

41.1. inform an inspector of the Service or an official veterinarian thereof in writing within two working days;

41.2. submit an application to the Rural Support Service for coverage of losses resulting during eradication of American foulbrood by destroying the bee colony in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding the procedures for granting and receiving a compensation by an animal owner for the losses resulting during an outbreak of State monitored infectious animal disease or epizootic disease.

42. An inspector of the Service or an official veterinarian shall, within one month after receipt of the information referred to in Sub-paragraph 41.1 of this Regulation, conduct clinical reassessment of bee colonies in a permanent holding for keeping of bees and, if suspicions of illness arise, take a sample of clinical material from a bee colony and send it to the Institute.

43. If it is not possible to implement the measures referred to in Paragraph 42 of this Regulation by 1 October of the current year, they shall be launched in spring of the next year when the air temperature during the day reaches at least 14 °C in shadow.

44. The relevant territorial unit of the Service shall determine permanent holdings for keeping of bees which are epizootologicall related to the affected area or located in the territory at risk and where an inspector of the Service or an official veterinarian will:

44.1. conduct clinical assessment of bee colonies;

44.2. take a sample of clinical material from the bee colony with regard to which suspicions of illness arise and send it for laboratory investigation to ascertain the diagnosis of American foulbrood.

45. If the sample of clinical material referred to in Sub-paragraph 44.2 of this Regulation is taken, an owner or holder of a bee colony shall not, until ascertaining of the diagnosis of American foulbrood, move the bee colonies and by-products obtained therefrom outside the permanent holding for keeping of bees, but ensure that the bee colonies with regard to which suspicions of illness arise do not come into contact with healthy bee colonies.

46. If upon clinical assessment of the bee colonies referred to in Paragraphs 42 and 44 of this Regulation an official veterinarian does not have suspicions of illness thereof, or negative results are obtained upon laboratory investigations of a sample of clinical material, then after clinical assessment or receipt of the results of laboratory investigations the official veterinarian shall inform the relevant territorial unit of the Service within one working day.

47. The relevant territorial unit of the Service shall, within five working days after receipt of the information referred to in Paragraph 46 of this Regulation, take a decision to retain or revoke the status of the affected area or the territory at risk.

4. Closing Provisions

48. The Service shall develop the programme referred to in Paragraph 3 of this Regulation and publish the list of official veterinarians by 1 February 2015.

49. Maintenance of the up-to-date information referred to in Paragraph 36 of this Regulation in the public section of the website of the Data Centre shall be ensured from 1 January 2016.

Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma

Minister for Agriculture Jānis Dūklavs

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Translation © 2018 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)