The National Agri-Food Health and Quality Service (Senasa) authorized the import, marketing and use of 1,200,000 doses of vaccine live attenuated against Aujeszky's disease.
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The new regulations were agreed upon by the National Commission for Pig Health and Welfare (CONALEP). It will last for one year or until the authorized quota is completed and comes into effect upon its publication in the Official Gazette.
Importing firms must present to Senasa the Certificate of Free Sale, the Certificate of Compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices and, in specific cases, the agreement between the parties.
The registration process for veterinary products will be carried out with priority and speed.
Each imported batch will be tested at the General Directorate of Laboratories and Technical Control of Senasa to guarantee the absence of unwanted microorganisms and confirm the identity of the vaccine.
Establishments with a positive diagnosis for Aujeszky's disease must present a Sanitation Plan, which includes "emergency vaccination" or "protective vaccination", for approval by the health agency.
Sanitation plans are based on the elimination of positive cases, improving biosecurity and vaccination. The accredited veterinarian must submit monthly vaccination records, results from official laboratories and a report on the progress of the Sanitation Plan.
Genetics establishments and commercial hatcheries must comply with strict biosafety measures and periodic serological sampling to maintain the free or negative farm certification.
The program involves owners, accredited veterinarians, laboratories authorized by Senasa and local offices.
If reactor sera are detected, immediate protocols are activated. The official veterinarian takes sanitary measures, update data, carry out epidemiological investigations and apply partial movement restrictions.
Sick animals are isolated and recovered seropositive ones are identified and sent to slaughter.
These animals are characterized by having been infected and having generated immunity, thus the virus remains hidden in the animal (and in the establishment) and is only reactivated in stressful situations (such as childbirth) to infect other susceptible animals, which is why it is so important to carry out a serological survey.
This disease is notifiable in Argentina. This program implements biosecurity measures and serological sampling to certify the status of farms and control animal movements.
Clinical presentation is not common, but when the owner or veterinarian detects signs compatible with the disease, they must immediately notify Senasa so that a veterinarian can visit the establishment, verify the clinical presentation and collect samples.
Importantly, Aujeszky's disease is a highly contagious viral infection of the herpesvirus family. Although it does not pose a risk to humans, its presence in other species can be fatal, with the exception of pigs and wild boars, which are its natural hosts.
The virus infects the central nervous system and other organs, such as the respiratory tract, of a variety of mammals (such as dogs, cats, cattle, sheep, rabbits, foxes, minks, etc.) except humans and the tailless apes.
It is associated primarily with pigs, the natural host, which remain latently infected following clinical recovery (except piglets under 2 weeks of age, which die from encephalitis). ■