USDA SEEKS COMMENTS ON ITS EVALUATION OF THE ANIMAL HEALTH STATUS OF TWO COUNTIES IN HUNGARY
June 12, 2009
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has prepared an evaluation of the animal health status of two counties (Bács-Kiskun and Csongrád) in Hungary relative to the H5N1 subtype of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The evaluation presents its assessment of the HPAI H5N1 detection, control and eradication measures in place in those two counties in Hungary during outbreaks of HPAI H5N1 in 2006 and 2007. If, after the close of the comment period, APHIS can identify no additional risk factors that would indicate that domestic poultry in these two counties continue to be affected with HPAI H5N1, it would conclude that the importation of live birds, poultry carcasses, parts of carcasses, and eggs (other than hatching eggs) of poultry, game birds, or other birds from Bács-Kiskun and Csongrád Counties in Hungary presents a low risk of introducing HPAI H5N1 into the United States.
Notice of this action is scheduled for publication in the June 15 Federal Register.
Consideration will be given to comments received on or before July 15. You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
- Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2009-0005 to submit or view comments and to view supporting and related materials available electronically.
- Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send two copies of you comments to Docket No. APHIS-2009-0005, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your comment refers to Docket No. APHIS-2009-0005.
Comments are posted on the Regulation.gov Web site and also can be reviewed at USDA, Room 1141, South Building, 14th St. and Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C., between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. To facilitate entry into the comment reading room, please call (202) 690-2817.
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Note to Reporters: Public notices and other APHIS information are available on the Internet. Go to the APHIS news release page at http://www.aphis.usda.gov and click on the “Newsroom” button. For additional information about this topic contact Madelaine Fletcher at (301) 734-6125 or by e-mail at madelaine.fletcher@aphis.usda.gov.