./.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/GEN/110
2 March 1999
(99-0803)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  Spanish
DECLARATION OF COSTA RICA AS A COUNTRY FREE OF
CLASSICAL SWINE FEVER
The following communication, dated 24 February 1999, has been received from the
Delegation of Costa Rica.
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On 1 April 1996, following nine months without any cases of classical swine fever (CSF) in
the country and having used the "destruction" method to eradicate the disease, Costa Rica declared
itself an area free of classical swine fever.
The health authorities of Costa Rica received the first report of the apparent presence of CSF
in Costa Rican territory on 7 February 1994.  On the basis of the reports received, the authorities
inspected a number of farms in the northern region of the country (where the first outbreaks were
reported) and adopted quarantine measures.  On 19 February 1994, 12 days after the first report, the
Animal Health Laboratory of the Ministry of Ag riculture and Livestock issued a positive diagnosis,
confirming the presence of CSF.  Immediately foll owing the diagnosis, the following health measures
necessary to eradicate the disease were taken:
• The "National Plan for Exotic Disease Emergencies" provided for under the
Animal Health Act (Law No. 6243) and the Sanitary Protection Regulations
(Executive Decree 14584-A) was implemented.
• On 20 February 1994, in coordination with the Ministry of Public Safety, quarantine
posts were set up to carry out inspection and disinfection work on a round-the-clock
basis.
• On 21 February 1994, Executive Decree No. 22910-MAG declaring a state of
emergency in the northern region of the country was published, and mandatorytechnical measures were introduced by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock to
prevent the disease from spreading.
In January 1996, the Agricultural Protection Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture and
Livestock issued a national plan for the eradication of CSF comprising the following measures:
(i)  introduction of regulations for the slaughter (in this case destruction) of pigs, establishing the
procedure to be observed in the sanitary slaughter of pigs and providing for economic compensationfor the affected breeders;  (ii) adoption by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of sanitary
guidelines for the internal transport of pigs.
In July 1995, as a result of the adoption and implementation of the above sanitary measures,
the last outbreak of CSF was recorded in Costa Rica.G/SPS/GEN/110
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In January 1996, epidemiological surveillance operations were begun, including sampling for
analysis of slaughterhouses and centres along the Nicaraguan border, while increased efforts were
made to coordinate epidemiological surveillance of th e frontier zone with the animal health authorities
of Nicaragua.
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