Self-declaration by Mexico as a country historically free from African

Swine Fever

Declaration sent to the OIE on 19 July 2018 by Dr Joaquín Braulio Delgadillo Álvarez, OIE Delegate for Mexico, Secretary

of State for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Rural Development Fisheries and Food

I. African swine fever situation in Mexico

There have never been any registered cases or evidence of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Mexico, consequently it declares itself to be a country historically free from the disease. Likewise, Mexico complies with the provisions of Articles 15.1.2. and 15.1.3. subsection 1 of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code (Terrestrial Code), with regard to the declaration of a country or zone free from ASF. Mexico also complies with the requirements described in paragraph 1 a) of Article 1.4.6 of the Terrestrial Code.

With reference to the ASF health situation of Mexico, the World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS) contains reports on Mexico that put on record the fact that the presence of ASF has never been signalled in its territory since it became a Member of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). It thus fulfils the requisites of Chapter 1.4, Article 1.4.6, paragraph 1 a) of the Terrestrial Code, which can be accessed at: http://www.oie.int/wahis_2/public/wahid.php/Countryinformation/Countrytimelines

ASF is a notifiable disease governed by the following legal framework:

i. 14 November 1979. - Decree establishing the declaration of exotic animal diseases by Mexico, namely foot-and-mouth disease, African swine fever, Rinderpest and others and likewise the declaration of plant plagues and exotic diseases by Mexico, plagues that attack trees of the Citrus genus, coffee plant and other diseases. www.dof.gob.mx/index.php?year=1979&month=11&day=14

ii. 7 May 1981. - Exotic Disease Agreement. (www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=4912180&fecha=7/05/1981)

iii. 16 February 1988. - Agreement to establish the National Animal Health Emergency System in the Secretariat of Agriculture and Hydraulic Resources. (www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=4806786&fecha=21/02/1989)

iv. 21 September 1994. - Agreement for the United Mexican States to list exotic diseases and plagues. (www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=4945588&fecha=5/03/1999)

v. 19 February 1997. - NOM-046-ZOO-1995, National Epidemiological Surveillance System (SIVE), amended on 29 January 2001. (https://www.gob.mx/senasica/documentos/nom-046-zoo-1995)

vi. 25 July 2007. - Federal Law on Animal Health, amended on 16 February 2018. (www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/pdf/LFSA_160218.pdf )

vii. 20 September 2007. - Agreement for the United Mexican States to notify the listed exotic and endemic animal diseases and plagues. (www.dof.gob.mx/nota_to_doc.php?codnota=5436016 )

viii. 21 May 2012. - Rule of the Federal Law on Animal Health (www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/regley/Reg_LFSA.pdf)

ix. 4 May 2016.- Agreement for the United Mexican States to identify the exotic and endemic terrestrial and aquatic animal diseases and plagues. (www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/dof/2016/may/DOF_04may16.pdf )

II. Early detection systems

The information provided through WAHIS to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of the Terrestrial Code of the OIE, Chapter 1.4, Article 1.4.6, paragraph 1 a), shows that Mexico reports ASF as a disease that has never been reported in the country, on the basis of surveillance in place to comply with the articles of the same paragraph.

Passive epidemiological surveillance is conducted as part of the National Epidemiological Surveillance System (SIVE) in response to notification, whereby suspected outbreaks in swine that display clinical signs compatible with this disease and their differential diagnoses, including Classical Swine Fever, Aujeszky’s disease and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome are investigated. These diagnoses are conducted in the official National Agro-Alimentary Health, Safety and Quality Service (SENASICA) laboratories. Furthermore, the Wildlife Management Units (UMA) have never reported suspicions or cases of this disease.

The PCR assay is used for diagnosing ASF, in accordance with the guidelines established by the Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET), which is the OIE Reference Laboratory for this disease.

A number of standard techniques are used for differential diagnoses:

- for Classical Swine Fever using PCR, sequencing techniques, ELISA, viral isolation and immunoperoxidase.

- additionally, standard techniques are applied to salmonellosis by PCR, and sequencing, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome, by PCR, sequencing and ELISA;

- and lastly Aujeszky’s disease by PCR, sequencing and ELISA techniques.

Response to notifications of exotic diseases in swine from 2008–2018

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018*

11 14 2 0 0 209 136 161 156 102 38

Source: National Epidemiological Surveillance System (SIVE) * First six months of 2018.

Surveillance of wildlife health is based on the Rule of the General Law on Wildlife, specifically in its second chapter, article 15 (www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/regley/Reg_LGVS.pdf).

SENASICA, through the Animal Health Directorate, conducts national training programmes for the purpose of informing and training those involved in animal health of the relevance of exotic diseases, including ASF.

This training contributes to the recognition of exotic diseases, such as Erysipelas in pigs, including ASF, and is carried out through phased courses whose entry level is entitled: Recognition of the Main Exotic Animal Diseases, their Surveillance, Prevention and Control. The higher levels involve solving exercises on the main exotic animal diseases, their systems and emergency plans (courses entitled AUTOSIM) for the purpose of forming State Animal Health Emergency Groups with staff trained to respond to the presence of any exotic disease.

Courses given covering the recognition of ASF

Recognition, Surveillance,

Prevention and Control of

the Main Exotic Animal

Diseases.

Number of times given from 2008–2018*.

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018* Total

19 30 25 28 27 26 39 45 47 51 13 350

Simulation Exercise

Seminar on the Main

Exotic Animal Diseases,

Emergency Systems and

Plans (AUTOSIM I).

3 5 3 5 3 1 3 2 3 2 1 31

Source: SENASICA

* First six months of 2018.

III. Species susceptible to African swine fever in Mexico

The Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), the entity with federal responsibility for wildlife, works in coordination with the Secretariat of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Rural Development Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA) on animal health initiatives, so that if a specimen or population is found suspected of suffering from any exotic disease including ASF in the populations within its remit (Environmental Management Units also known as UMA), it must report the incident to SENASICA, based on the following legal means published in the Official Journal, in addition to those already mentioned:

i. 3 July 2000. - General Wildlife Law, Articles 25, 26 and 72, from the first version through to its latest reform of 9 May 2015. . (www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/pdf/146_190118.pdf )

ii. 30 November 2006. - Rule of the General Wildlife Law, Articles 15, 16, 17, 79, 80, 81 and 82, from the first version through to its latest reform of 19 January 2018. (www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/regley/Reg_LGVS.pdf )

iii. 26 November 2012. - Internal regulation of SEMARNAT “De la SEMARNAT” section Articles 19 section XXIII and 32 sections XIX and XX. (www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/regla/n25.pdf )

In regard to domestic Sus scrofa populations, these are considered as being from exotic origin and were introduced all over Mexico; in some parts of the country this species has feral characteristics associated also to rural areas, diverse socio-economic and marginalisation levels of their owners.

The largest populations of wild Sus scrofa are to be found on some of the mountain ranges of the extreme south of the Baja California Peninsula, in the centre and east of Chihuahua and west of Coahuila, and the extreme north of Nuevo León and north-west of Tamaulipas. (http://www.conabio.gob.mx)

From a historical viewpoint, SEMARNAT has never reported suspected cases of ASF or its differential diseases in these populations.

Moreover, as demonstrated in the following chart, the veterinary authority has historic and up-to-date knowledge of the herds of domestic pigs and has authority over them.

Swine population, at the end of each year.

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018*

15,230,631 15,267,985 15,435,412 15,547,260 15,857,899 16,201,625 16,098,680 13,214,144 13,248,705 13,591,262 14,106,498

Source: SIAP‐SAGARPA. * Preliminary

IV. Measures for maintaining ASF-free status

In addition to the early detection system mentioned in section II, for importing pigs or pork products compliance with animal health requirements1 or with predefined animal health provisions is required; in any case the importation is based on scientific risk analysis in order to complying with the obligations as a WTO Member.

The main pig and pork product exporting country is the United States of America. The products include breeding pigs and boars. These imports amount to about 80% of the total from 2007 to 2018, followed by Canada with 19% including breeding pigs, and the remainder come from other countries with import levels historically below 1%. All the countries trading with Mexico have “Disease never reported” status at the OIE with regard to ASF. (http://www.oie.int/wahis_2/public/wahid.php/Countryinformation/Countrytimelines)

V. Conclusions

Considering that:

- ASF is an immediately notifiable disease in our national territory, based on Mexican legislation ; - The articles relevant for self-declaration in the Terrestrial Code have been fulfilled ; - The national epidemiological surveillance and diagnosis systems are capable of detecting any

suspicion of the disease in a timely manner through mandatory notification and the application of animal health measures ;

- Historically, SENASICA has implemented the necessary measures to ensure that imported animals and animal products pose no significant risk for introducing ASF ;

- SEMARNAT has no reports of the disease’s presence in the wild fauna living in the national territory.

The Delegate for Mexico to the OIE declares (Annex 1) that the country complies with the requirements for a country free of African swine fever as of 19 July 2018, in compliance with Chapter 1.6. and Articles 1.4.6. paragraph 1a) and 15.1.3. paragraph 1 of the Terrestrial Code.

JOAQUÍN BRAULIO DELGADILLO ÁLVAREZ

DIRECTOR GENERAL OF ANIMAL HEALTH AND DELEGATE FOR MEXICO TO THE OIE

1 www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/pdf/LFSA_160218.pdf