Institution: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Date of Approval: 04.02.2011
Official Gazette Date: 04.02.2011
Official Gazette No: 27836

CHAPTER ONE: Purpose, Scope, Basis and Definitions

Purpose

Article 1 - (1) The purpose of this Regulation is to regulate the procedures and principles regarding the measures to be taken to be prepared against foot-and-mouth disease, to protect from the disease, and to combat the disease.

Scope

Article 2 - (1) This Regulation covers the minimum control measures to be applied in the event of a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak regardless of the virus type, as well as certain protective measures aimed at increasing the awareness level of farmers, the preparedness of authorized units, and the agricultural sector regarding foot-and-mouth disease.

Basis

Article 3 - (1) This Regulation has been prepared based on Article 4 of the Veterinary Services, Plant Health, Food and Feed Law No. 5996 dated 11/6/2010 and in parallel with Council Directive 2003/85/EEC on the control of foot-and-mouth disease.

Definitions

Article 4 - (1) In this Regulation, the following terms mean;

  • a) Emergency vaccination: Vaccination performed in accordance with Article 49,
  • b) Emergency slaughter: Slaughter by bleeding of animals assumed not to be infected or contaminated with the foot-and-mouth virus based on epidemiological data, clinical diagnosis or laboratory test results, including slaughter for animal welfare reasons in emergencies,
  • c) Minister: Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs,
  • ç) Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs,
  • d) Suppressive vaccination: Emergency vaccination applied in situations where there is an urgent need to reduce the amount of foot-and-mouth virus circulating in a holding or area and the risk of the virus spreading outside these places, carried out together with a culling policy in holdings or areas where animals will be destroyed after vaccination,
  • e) Primary outbreak: An outbreak that has no epidemiological connection with the first outbreak previously seen in the same region or the first outbreak appearing in another region of the country,
  • f) Region: A part of the country with an area of at least 2000 km² under the supervision of the authorized unit and containing at least one province,
  • g) Zoning: Drawing the boundaries of a restricted zone established in accordance with Article 44 to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease to disease-free areas where the restrictions of this Regulation do not apply,
  • ğ) Susceptible animal species: Ruminants, suids, and animals of the camelid suborder within the order Artiodactyla; for special measures, especially in the application of Articles 17 and the second paragraph of Article 66, rodents or proboscideans susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease,
  • h) Animal owner: The natural or legal persons who own a susceptible animal or who are responsible for the care of the animal, whether paid or unpaid,
  • ı) HTST (High Temperature Short Time): Pasteurization of milk at 72 °C for at least fifteen seconds or an equivalent pasteurization effect that results in a negative alkaline phosphatase test,
  • i) Processing: One of the methods of processing high-risk material set out in Annexes 6, 7, and 8 of this Regulation to prevent the spread risk of the foot-and-mouth virus,
  • j) Holding:
    1. Any agricultural or other establishment within the country where susceptible animals are kept or fed temporarily or permanently, including circuses,
    2. However, under Article 12, this definition does not include human living areas, slaughterhouses, transport vehicles, border control points, or fenced areas of a size that does not prevent the application of measures foreseen in Article 12 where susceptible animals are not kept permanently or temporarily, including those referred to in the second paragraph of Article 66,
  • k) Permit: A written permission granted by authorized units, which must be kept for the country's advanced controls according to relevant legislation,
  • l) Protective vaccination: Emergency vaccination carried out in holdings in a designated area to protect susceptible animals that are intended to remain alive after vaccination against airborne or other forms of spread of the foot-and-mouth virus,
  • m) Incubation period: The time between infection and the appearance of clinical symptoms, consisting of fourteen days for cattle and pigs, and twenty-one days for sheep, goats, and other susceptible animal species for the purposes of this Regulation,
  • n) Directorate: Foot-and-Mouth Disease Institute Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs,
  • o) Culling: Any process causing the death of animals,
  • ö) Official veterinarian: Veterinarian working in the central or provincial organization of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs,
  • p) Herd: An epidemiological unit consisting of one or more animals kept in a holding; if there are multiple herds in a holding, each separate herd with the same health status,
  • r) Foot-and-mouth disease outbreak: A holding where susceptible animal species meeting one or more of the criteria specified in Annex 1 are kept,
  • s) Foot-and-mouth disease case or infected animal: Any susceptible animal or carcass derived from it officially diagnosed with foot-and-mouth disease based on clinical symptoms consistent with foot-and-mouth disease or post-mortem lesions as defined in Annex 1 or laboratory test results conducted according to Annex 11,
  • ş) Suspected infected animal: A susceptible animal showing clinical symptoms or post-mortem lesions similar to foot-and-mouth disease, reasonably suspected of having foot-and-mouth disease due to laboratory test reactions,
  • t) Suspected contaminated animal: A susceptible animal directly or indirectly exposed to the foot-and-mouth virus according to collected epidemiological information,
  • u) UHT (Ultra High Temperature): Application of high temperature to milk at 132 °C for at least one second,
  • ü) Wild animal: A susceptible animal living outside the holdings defined in the first paragraph of Article 4(j) or the establishments referred to in Articles 17 and 18,
  • v) Primary foot-and-mouth disease case in wild animals: Any foot-and-mouth disease case detected in a wild animal in an area where the measures in the second and third paragraphs of Article 66 are not applied,
  • y) Authorized veterinarian: A veterinarian authorized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and working under the authority and responsibility of an official veterinarian,
  • z) Authorized unit: Provincial and district directorates of the Ministry.

CHAPTER TWO: Notification, Measures and Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak

Notification of Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Article 5 - (1) In the country;

  • a) Notification of foot-and-mouth disease is mandatory.
  • b) Anyone involved with animals, accompanying animals during transport, or caring for animals, or the animal owner, is obliged to immediately notify the authorized unit or official veterinarian of the presence or suspicion of foot-and-mouth disease and to keep animals infected or suspected of infection with the foot-and-mouth virus separated from other susceptible animals at risk of infection or contamination.
  • c) Authorized veterinarians, veterinarians, senior officials of veterinary laboratories or other official or private laboratories, and anyone professionally related to susceptible animals or products derived from such animals must notify the authorized unit or official veterinarian without delay of any information obtained regarding the presence or suspicion of foot-and-mouth disease before official intervention within the scope of this Regulation.

Measures to be Taken in Case of Suspected Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak

Article 6 - (1) The authorized unit shall take the following measures when it suspects one or more animals in a holding are infected or contaminated with foot-and-mouth disease.

  • a) The authorized unit shall promptly initiate official investigations to confirm or rule out the presence of foot-and-mouth disease.
  • b) The authorized unit shall ensure the collection of samples under its supervision for laboratory examinations necessary to confirm the outbreak as defined in Annex 1.

(2) The official veterinarian shall officially place the holding where the suspected infection is reported under official control immediately and ensure especially the following:

  • a) Counting all animals in each group of susceptible species in the holding and recording the number of animals currently dead, infected, or suspected of being contaminated,
  • b) Recording by the animal owner of the numbers of susceptible animals born or died during the suspected disease period to keep the numbers updated for control by the authorized unit upon request or at each visit,
  • c) Recording and keeping records of milk and dairy products, meat and meat products, carcasses, hides and skins, wool, semen, embryos, ova, liquid manure and feces, as well as feed and bedding stocks in the holding,
  • ç) Ensuring that no susceptible animals enter or leave the holding, except for holdings consisting of different epidemiological units as per Article 19, and that all susceptible animals in the holding are kept in their own premises or isolated in a separate place,
  • d) Use of appropriate disinfection methods at entrances and exits of buildings and places housing susceptible animals and on the holding itself,
  • e) Conducting an epidemiological investigation in accordance with Article 15,
  • f) Collecting samples necessary for laboratory tests to facilitate the epidemiological investigation as per subparagraph (1) of paragraph (a) of the fifth paragraph of Annex 2.

Entry and Exit to Holdings in Case of Suspected Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak

Article 7 - (1) In addition to the measures stipulated in Article 6, when foot-and-mouth disease outbreak is suspected, all entries to and exits from the holding are prohibited. This prohibition specifically applies to the following:

  • a) Movement out of the holding of meat or carcasses of susceptible animals, meat products, milk or dairy products, semen, ova or embryos, animal feed, containers, objects, wool, hides and skins, hair or animal waste, liquid manure and feces, or any other material likely to transmit the foot-and-mouth virus,
  • b) Movement of animals not susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease,
  • c) Entry or exit of persons to or from the holding,
  • ç) Entry or exit of vehicles to or from the holding.

(2) As an exception to the prohibition in paragraph (a) of the first paragraph, if difficulties arise in storing milk in the holding, the authorized unit may order the destruction of the milk on the holding or allow its transport under veterinary supervision in a vehicle equipped to prevent the spread of the foot-and-mouth virus to the nearest possible place for destruction or processing to destroy the virus.

(3) As exceptions to the prohibitions in paragraphs (b), (c), and (ç) of the first paragraph, entry and exit to the holding may be permitted by the authorized unit provided that all measures to prevent the spread of the foot-and-mouth virus are taken.

Extension of Measures to Other Holdings

Article 8 - (1) If the location and structures of holdings or contact with animals in Article 6 create suspicion of contamination, the authorized unit shall extend the measures foreseen in Articles 6 and 7 to other holdings.

(2) If suspicion of foot-and-mouth disease infection or contamination arises due to the presence of susceptible animals, the authorized unit shall apply the measures foreseen in Article 6 and the first paragraph of Article 7 to establishments or transport vehicles referred to in Article 18.

Temporary Control Zone

Article 9 - (1) If the epidemiological situation requires and especially if this includes high density of susceptible animals, extensive animal movements, or persons in contact with susceptible animals, delay in reporting suspected cases, or insufficient information about transmission routes or possible origin of the foot-and-mouth virus, the authorized unit may establish a temporary control zone.

(2) In the temporary control zone, the measures foreseen in the first paragraph and subparagraphs (a), (b), and (d) of the second paragraph of Article 6 and the first paragraph of Article 7 shall be applied to holdings where susceptible animal species are kept.

(3) The measures taken in the temporary control zone may be supported by a temporary ban on all animal movements in a wider area or throughout the country by the Ministry. However, the ban on movement of animals not susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease shall not exceed seventy-two hours unless exceptional necessity is proven.

Protective Eradication Program

Article 10 - (1) The authorized unit may implement a protective eradication program, including the preventive killing of susceptible animals that may be contaminated and animals in epidemiologically linked production units or neighboring holdings, when epidemiological information or other findings require it.

(2) In such cases, sampling and clinical examination of susceptible animals shall be conducted at least in accordance with the first, second, third, and fourth paragraphs and subparagraph (1) of paragraph (a) of the fifth paragraph of Annex 2.

Continuation of Measures

Article 11 - (1) Until the suspicion of foot-and-mouth disease is officially lifted, the authorized unit shall not withdraw the measures specified in Articles 6, 7, 8, and 9.

CHAPTER THREE: Confirmation of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak and Measures to be Taken

Measures to be Taken

Article 12 - (1) Upon confirmation of a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, the authorized unit shall immediately apply, in addition to the measures foreseen in Articles 6, 7, and 8, the following measures in the holding.

  • a) All susceptible animals shall be culled on site. In exceptional cases, susceptible animals shall be killed under official supervision at the nearest suitable place in a manner that prevents the spread of the foot-and-mouth virus during transport and culling.
  • b) Before or during the culling of susceptible animals, the official authorized unit shall ensure that all appropriate samples necessary for epidemiological investigations as per subparagraph (1) of paragraph (a) of the fifth paragraph of Annex 2 are taken in the required quantities as specified in Article 15. The authorized unit may decide not to apply this if a secondary source epidemiologically linked to the primary source is observed and sufficient samples for epidemiological investigations as per Article 15 have been taken in accordance with the second paragraph of Article 6.
  • c) Carcasses of susceptible animals that died or were culled in accordance with paragraph (a) of the first paragraph shall be processed without delay under official supervision in a manner that does not pose a risk of spreading the foot-and-mouth virus.