LAHORE: The Punjab government is introducing a new law to effectively prevent, control, contain and eradicate deadly animal diseases.

Officials say this is being done to meet international standards of import and export of livestock and related products.

The draft of the Punjab Animal Health Act 2018 has been finalised and further legislative procedures are being completed, they say.

The diseases include Avian Influenza, Babesiosis, Black Quarters, Blue Tongue, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Mad Cow), Bovine Tuberculosis (BTb), Bovine Viral Diarrhea, Buffalo Pox/Cow Pox, Camel Pox, Contagious Bovine Pleuro-pneumonia, Contagious Caprine Pleuro-pneumonia, Equine Influenza, Foot and Mouth Disease, Haemorrhagic Septicaemia, Rabies, Scrapie, Sheep and Goat Pox, Strangles.

The animals to be covered by the law include cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat, camel, horse, ass, mule, wild animals, poultry, pheasant, quail, geese, ostrich and zoo birds. And the animal product means anything originating or made, whether in whole or in part, from an animal or from a carcass and includes blood, bones, casings, dairy products, eggs, fat, feed stuffs of animal origin, fish products, hair hides, horns, hooves, hormones and their biological preparations.

According to officials, the law will allow the livestock department to authorise its officers to undertake inspections in specified local limits of their respective jurisdiction to find out the affected animals.

People will also be able to report to the competent officer about an area affected, or believed to be affected, by such a disease. However, the prime duty of reporting such incidence will be of the veterinary officer concerned.

Every person in charge of a place where animals are being kept will be required to quarantine the infected animal(s).

The competent officer will declare an area to be a “controlled area” or an “infected area” in respect of any such disease to prevent, control or eradicate it.

All animals in the controlled area will be subject to compulsory vaccination against a deadly disease and such other preventive measures. No animal of any other susceptible species will be allowed to enter that area unless duly immunised.

The competent officer will prohibit the movement of all animals in the specified area for a specific period.

The law will disallow, as a precautionary measure, taking out of a controlled area an animal, alive or dead, which is infected with, or reasonably suspected to have been infected with any such disease.

Taking out any kind of fodder, bedding or other material which has come into contact with any animal infected with such a disease or could, in any manner, carry the infection of the notified disease or the carcass, skin or any other part or product of such animal will also be banned.

No person and organisation will be allowed to hold any animal market, fair, exhibition or mela and carry out any other activity which involves grouping or gathering of any species of animals within a controlled or infected area. Only competent officers will vaccinate animals and issue certificates of it.

The government will declare as many quarantine units within the province as may be required for the animals suffering from any scheduled disease or suspected of being in close proximity of such animals. The quarantine unit in the close proximity of a controlled area will be used for temporary stay of an animal before entry to or exit from the controlled area.

Vehicles used for transporting animals will be kept clean and competent officers will inspect them to ensure that they are safe and comfortable for the animals.

The government officials will have legal powers to inspect any area where animals are kept and conduct post-mortem examination of the dead ones to identify the death cause.

Anyone found throwing infected animal or its carcass in any river, lake, canal or any other water channel will be punished with imprisonment and fine.

The law will provide for prevention of escape of causative organism from any institution, laboratory or clinic engaged in the manufacture, testing or research, related to vaccines, sera, diagnostics or chemotherapeutic drugs aimed at the prevention or treatment of any scheduled disease. Any violation will lead to imprisonment and fine.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2018