./.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/GEN/81
22 June 1998
(98-2514)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  Spanish
DECLARATION AS A COUNTRY FREE OF CLASSICAL SWINE FEVER
Statement by Chile at the Meeting of 10-11 June 1998
On 6 April 1998, Chile declared itself a country free from classical swine fever, having met
the requirements for international recognition as such.
For 18 years, the Ministry of Agriculture of Chile, through the Agriculture and Livestock
Service (SAG), has been implementing, in conjunction with the private pig producing sector, a project
for the control and eradication of classical swine fever through massive vaccination campaigns with a
controlled immunogen, epidemiological monitoring, control of outbreaks, laboratory diagnosis, healtheducation, dissemination, and training among other actions.
The actions undertaken in the framework of the project have made it possible to bring the
disease under control and ultimately to eradicate it.
On 6 April 1998, Resolution No. 987 was published in the Official Journal of the SAG
declaring Chile a country free of classical swine fever and placing that disease under the system for
the prevention of exotic diseases.
The resolution outlines the principal factors leading to the decision as follows:- Over the past 18 years, the SAG has developed a programme for the control and
eradication of classical swine fever.
- Within the framework of its activities, the project provided for specific actions in the
areas of epidemiological monitoring, detection of the disease and control of outbreaks
throughout the country's swine population.
- The last outbreak took place in August 1996, and was eliminated through sanitary
slaughter.
- Epidemiological studies conducted by the SAG have revealed no sign of the virus in
the swine population.
- SAG Resolution No. 2.928 of 1 October 1997 prohibits the use of vaccines against
classical swine fever throughout the national territory.
- The provisions of Article 2.1.13.2 of the International Animal Health Code of the
International Office of Epizootics (OIE) concerning declaration as a country free of
classical swine fever have been complied with.G/SPS/GEN/81
Page 2
On 29 April, the declaration as a country free of the disease was notified to the OIE and the
communication was ratified at the annual OIE meeting in May 1998.
With the eradication of classical swine fever, Chile has acquired the status of country free of
the diseases appearing in List A  of the OIE, a status of considerable importance and influence in
international trade.
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