PROGRAMME FOR PREVENTION, SUPPRESSION AND ERADICATION OF HIGH PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA (HPAI)

Programme for prevention, suppression and eradication of high pathogenic avian influenza (hereinafter referred as HPAI) presents framework for actions in case of HPAI outbreak threat or HPAI outbreak in Montenegro.
Depending on the development of the situation, need for modification of the programme can arise, since modification of programmes occured in the majority of countries with HPAI outbreaks.
Program of activities is divided into fifth phases depending on the level of severity or outbreak of contagious disease.

I Phase
HPAI outbreak threat to Montenegro as a conseqences of spreading of HPAI in Asian countries and presence of highpathogenic virus in migrational birds.

II Phase
Close HPAI outbreak threat

III Phase
Suspected HPAI in Montenegro

IV Phase
Confirmation of HPAI in teritory of Montenegro

V Phase
Suppression and eradication of HPAI inMontenegro




I Phase
HPAI outbreak threat to Montenegro as a conseqences of spreading of HPAI in Asian countries and presence of highpathogenic virus in migrational birds.


As a result that HPAI epizooty (type H5N1) lasts almosts two yearson Far East and is still emerging, countries of Near East and Middle East, North Africa and Europe were invited to enhance monitoring on HPAI in domastic and wild birds.

In compliance with Veterinary Law (Official Journal RCG no 11/2004) HPAI is listed in a group of contagious disease which prevention and suppression are of interest for Montenegro. Veterianary Law lays down measures for detection and prevention of contagious disease as well as obligations of Veterinary Directorate to monitor movements of contagious diseases on the territory of Montenegro and other countries and to issue reports. In compliance with abovesaid, Veterinary Directorate undertakes following measures:

1. Establishing working groups for surveillance, prevention, suppression and eradication of HPAI
2. Introducing measures for minimazing risk of outbreak of HPAI (ban on import, hygienic and other measures on farms etc)
3. Developing register of all poultry keepers on the territory of Montenegro
4. Introducing monitoring on HPAI (wild birds and domestic poultry) on whole territory of Republic of Montenegro, serological diagnostic of HPAI in domestic poultry with ELISA test performed by Specialistic Veterinary Laboratory in Podgorica)
5. Education of veterinary staff about HPAI and informing veterinary staff about Program
6. Delivering instructions to poultry keepers on enhancing biosecurity levels in poultry farming
7. Informing public about activities in control of HPAI in order to eliminate spread of panic in public
-to appoint public relation officer for HPAI
-to react on false headlines on HPAI
8. Supplying with protective equipment, diagnostics and desinfectant .












II Phase
Close HPAI outbreak threat


In the case of HPAI outbreak in the region (neighbour contries, Balkan, Mediterranean, Middle Europe) or detection of HPAI in wild birds in Montenegro, close HPAI outbreak threat shell be proclaimed.
Veterinary Directorate undertakes following measures :

1.Prohibition of free (open) farming in commercial breeding flocks during migrational seasons in wild birds (spring and autumn)
2. Enhancement of monitoring of HPAI
3. Prevention of contact betwen domestic poultry and wild birds
4. Renewal od flocks from strict controlled breeding farms
5. Strict application of on-farm bio-security measures (fences around farms, disinfectant barriers, protection coats and boots, shower prior entering on farms, desinfect of vehicles, prohibition of entrance for not authorized persons etc)





III Phase
Suspected HPAI in Montenegro


In case of presence of signs of suspected HPAI in animal, the owner of such animal, or keeper is obliged to immediately notify thereof the competent legal person or veterinary inspector and to undertake measures in compliance with article 14. Of the Veterinary Law.
After on site visit, authorised veterinarian or veterinary inspector suspecting HPAI infection or contamination of poultry on farm is obliged to notify immediately Veterinary Directorate by phone of by other means and later in written form.
Veterinary Directorate undertakes following measures:
Authorised veterinarian or veterinary inspector immediately applies measures of official investigation in order to confirm or eliminate presence of disease:
-performs clinical checks,
-performs sampling of materials for laboratory tests in compliance with Instructions for sampling, packaging, and delivering of materials issued by Specialist Veterinary Laboratory Podgorica;
-following materials are taken as samples : blood samples, cloacae swabs (or faeces), tracheal swabs, faeces or intestinal content, brain tissue, trachea, lungs, spleen and other changed internal organs, whole carcasses.
Holdings are placed under official supervision;
Census (registration) of all poultry category is performed on that holding in order to show for each category number of dead animals, number of animals with clinical signs and number of animals without any signs. Register shell be updated in order to cover hatched birds or birds which have died during of period of suspected disease. Register data shall be updated on the regular bases and be presented if requested so, and shell be subject to check during each on spot visit of veterinary inspector;
All poultry on holdings is kept in facilities or closed on some other place where it can be isolated and have no contact with other poultry;

That poultry doesnt enter or leave holdings;
All movements of:
- persons, other animals and vehicles to and from holdings;
- poultry meat or carcasses, feedstuff, equipment, waste, farm manure, litter and all materials which may transmit HPAI are subject to authorization of competent authority- authorized veterinarian and\or veterinary inspector;
that eggs can be transported from holdings, with the exception of eggs sent directly to authorized establishment for production and/or processing egg products, accompanied with permission issued by competent authority;
that disinfectant agents are used on the entrance and exit of facilities with poultry and on entrance and exit of holdings;

to perform epizootiological (epidemiological) investigations :

Epizootiological investigation shell cover :

- timeframe during HPAI might have been present on holding,
- possible origin of HPAI on that holding and identifinying other poultry holdings with poultry which might have been be infected or contaminated from same origin;
- movements of persons, poultry and other animals, vehicles, eggs, meat and carcasses and all equipment or materials which migth have transmitted virus of avian influenza on that holdings or from that holding

Authorized veterinarian or veterinary inspector takes detailed epozootiological anamnesis and enters all data into epizootological enquiry taken from Veterinary Administration of Republic of Montenegro.
Veterinary inspector notifies competent public health authority on presence of suspected HPAI. (Article 16, Veterinary Law).
Authorized veterinarian or veterinary inspector must be fully equipped before approaching suspected poultry flock (protective clothes, sampling equipment, epizootiolocigal enquery, bags and boxes for contagious waste etc)
Persons (authorized veterinarians and veterinary inspectors) who perform activities in this phase must be in good health condition, without chronic heart and lungs diseases and be not older than 55 years.
Abovementioned measures shall not be repealled untill authorized veterinarian or veterinary inspector rejects suspected HPAI.





IV Phase
Confirmation of HPAI on the territory of Montenegro


When HPAI is confirmed officialy, Veterinary Directorate proclaims holding to be contagious (facilities, farm or location), and on the basis of proposal made by Veterinary Directorate, MAFW determines infected area in the area at least of 3 km in diameter, and endagered area in the area of at least of 10 km in diameter. Geografical, administrative, ecological and epizootiological factors relating to HPAI as well as monitoring means have to be considered in the determination of areas.

Measures to be applied on infected holding are:

- marking of infected farm/holding with posts and marker tape and marking and supervision of site of controlled entrance and exit

-all poultry on holdings shell be killed on the spot. Died poultry or killed poultry, as well as all eggs shell be destroyed.
Destruction of carcasses is performed by burning on the spot:
-burning to be performed in at least 2m deep and width pits (depending of number of carcasses 4-5 metres long pit for 1.000 birds with avarage weight of 1.5-2 kg). Burned carcasses should be covered with layer of calcium carbonate, and then with layer of soil approximately 0.4-0.5 meters. All items, feedstuff, litter, or manure shell be destroyed or adequately treated.
-perfomed disinfection of facilities with disinfectant agents in concentrations approved by Veterinary Directorate, including disinfection of equipment, and storages for feedstuff. After disinfection, facility has to be treated at least 2 times within 2 weeks.
-under official supervision safe disposal of poultry meat sloughtered in the period of probable introduction of HPAI virus in farmyard/farms


Measures to be applied in infected area are:

(a) identifying of all holdings with poultry farms in the area,
(b) periodical visit to holdings with poultry, clinical investigations of poultry including, if necessary, collection of samples for laboratory testing; record keeping of visits and findings is obligatory;
(c) keeping poultry in their facilities or in other place where it can be isolated;

(d) using of appropriate disinfectant agents on holding entrances and exits;

(e) control of movements of staff working with poultry, poultry carcasses, eggs and vehicles transporting poultry, carcassses and eggs in the zone; in general

(f) transport of poultry is prohibited;
(g) prohibition of movement of poultry and brooding eggs from their holding, with the exception if competent authority allows transportation of:
(i) poultry for direct slaughter to slaughterhouses which are, if possible, placed in infected area, or, if not possible, to slaughterhouses outside of infected area, determined by Veterinary Directorate
(ii) one day old chicks or laying hens to holding within endagered area whithout
other poultry. This holding has to be placed under official control.
(iii) brooding eggs to hatchery determined by Veterinary Directorate; prior dispactch eggs and eggs packaging materials have to be disinfected. Movements approved under (i), (ii) and (iii) shell be performed immidiately under the supervision of veterinary inspector. Abovesaid movements shell be approved only after performed health cheks on holding performed by authorized veterinarian. Before and after use, used transport vehicles have to be cleaned and disinfected;
(h) prohibition of dislocation or spreading of used litter or poultry manure without approval;
(i) prohibition of fairs, exhibitions, and other events concerning poultry or other birds;
Measures applied in infected area shell be preformed at least during 21 days after preforming preliminary activities of cleaning and disinfections on infected holding
Infected area shell become part of endagered area afterwards.


Measures to be applied in endagered area are:


(j) identification of all poultry holdings within endagered area;
(k) control on movements of poultry and brooding eggs within endagered area;
(l) prohibition on movements of poultry outside of area during first 15 days, with the exeption on movements toward slaugtherhouses outside from infected area determined by Veterinary Directorate;
(m) special health mark has to be placed on poultry meat;
(n) prohibition on movements of brooding eggs outside of endagered area with the exeption of movements toward hatchery determined by Veterinary Directorate. Eggs ans eggs packaging materials have to be disinfected prior to dispatch;
(o) prohibition on dislocation or spreading of used litter or poultry manure outside of endagered area;
(p) prohibition on fairs, exhibitions, and other events concerning poultry or other birds;
(q) without reflecting provisions under (a) and (b), prohibition on transport of poultry with the exeption on transit on main highways and railways.

Measures applied in endagered area shell be executed during at least 30 days after carrying out preliminary activities of cleaning and disinfection on contaminated holding.
All persons who executed activities must take for prevention anti-influenza drug (Tamiflu) and must be vaccinated against influenza prior to any activity in coordination with Ministry of Health. All persons who executed activities must not be in contact with other poultry, birds and pigs for 72 hours.
In case of outbrake of HPAI, Veterinary Directorate may demand assistance from competent authority for interior affairs as well as from competent authority for defence according to article 17. of Veterinary Law.






V Phase
Suppression and eradication of HPAI inMontenegro



Vakccination against HPAI approved by Veterinary Directorate may be performed only as addition to measures of suppression executed after HPAI outbreak.
Vaccination has to be started in order to reduce damage occured to owner/animal keeper. Range of vaccinacion, region and category of poultry shell depend on current situation and conditions. Since vaccinaction does not eliminate infection and escretion of viruses (vaccinated poultry are more tolerant on infection dose and escretes viruses in lower quantities), all vaccinated poultry must be monitored and positive flocks must be destroyed. In the worst case scenario, if HPAI is not eradicated in regional and neighbour countries and if HPAI is controlled only by vaccination in those countries, depending on the situation and condition in field, destruction of vaccinated flocks as a measure shell be evaluated (flocks without symptoms but infected with HPAI virus).