RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/SPS/W/28
11August 1995
ORGANIZATION(95-2377)
Original: Spanish Committee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures
COMMUNICATION FROM URUGUAY
Thefollowing communication hasbeenreceived from thePermanent Mission ofUruguay
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Asfrom 15June1995, Uruguay hasfulfilled therequirements forrecognition asacountry
freeoffoot-and-mouth disease without vaccination inaccordance withtherules oftheInternational
Office ofEpizootics (IOE), aswellastherulesprevailing inthemarkets oftheUnited States andthe
European Union.
Although acertain timeisrequired forofficial recognition, which maynotbelessthanfour
months (asfrom July1995), thesuccesses obtained should bemade known.
Thecampaign against thedisease began inthe1960s bycontrolling allvaccines andin1968
allbovine andovine species were systematically vaccinated.
In1987, aregional strategy wasimplemented following theconclusion oftheConvention on
theControl andEradication ofFoot-and-Mouth Disease intheRiver PlateBasin byArgentina, Brazil
andUruguay andthePanAmerican Foot-and-Mouth Disease Centre ofthePanAmerican Health
Organization.
In1990, Uruguay adopted LawNo.16.082, which provided forstrategies decisively oriented
towards theeradication offoot-and-mouth disease inUruguay:
(a) Change tooil-based vaccine, which allowed alonger period between vaccinations and
greater security;
(b) direct control overvaccination, inparticular, close collaboration bythose concerned
intheEradication Programme, forexample, theveterinary services oftheMinistry
ofLivestock, Agriculture andFisheries; private veterinary surgeons andlivestock
breeders.
Thishadimmediate andinterlinked effects:
(a) On18June1990thelastoutbreak offoot-and-mouth disease wasdetected inUruguay;
(b) twoyears later, in1992, Uruguay requested theIOEtoinclude itinthelistofcountries
freeoffoot-and-mouth disease withvaccination andthiswasapproved bytheIOEat
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itsGeneral Assembly inMay1993 following anevaluation carried outbyateamof
experts;
(c) inJune1994, vaccination wasended forallspecies andmanipulation ofthevirus in
private andofficial laboratories, aswellastheentry ofvaccinated animals, were
prohibited.
On15June1995, Uruguay completed theformalities required bytheIOEandbycountries
exempt fromfoot-and-mouth disease inorder tobedeclared acountry freeoffoot-and-mouth disease
without vaccination, which means thatthedisease hasbeeneradicated.