For the purpose of applying the provisions of this Resolution, the following terms and expressions shall have the meanings ascribed thereto respectively, unless otherwise required by the context:
State: United Arab Emirates.
Law: Federal Law No. (8) of 2013 On the Prevention and Control of Communicable and Epidemic Animal Diseases.
Ministry: The Ministry of Environment and Water.
Minister: The Minister of Environment and Water.
Competent Authority: The Local Authority concerned with Animal Health Affairs in every Emirate.
Health Authority: Ministry of Health and the Local Health Bodies in the State.
Facilities: Any place wherein animals are kept, detained, bred, raised, slaughtered, treated, or transported. These facilities include scientific research institutions, vessels, airplanes, trucks, and other means of transport.
Veterinarian: The persons holding an accredited bachelor’s degree in veterinary medicine or an equivalent degree from a recognized university and holding a practice license from the Ministry.
Government Veterinarian: A veterinarian working for the Ministry or the Competent Authority.
Animal: All kinds of animals including mammals (1), birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and bees.
Disease: Clinical and/or pathological symptoms of a disease, including any deviation or change in the normal or vital functions of the animal body.
Pathology Specimens: All specimens taken from an animal including tissues, cells, stool, urine, or others for laboratory testing purposes.
Communicable Disease: Any disease caused by a pathogenic and is transmissible from one organism to another by direct or indirect transmission.
Epidemic Disease: Communicable diseases which develop and spread rapidly.
Common Disease: Any disease or spread of a pathogen which transmits from animals to humans.
Disease Free Zone: A geographical area proved to be free from a certain zoonotic disease or pathogens causing this disease.
Epidemic Area: A geographical area wherein the presence of a certain zoonotic disease or pathogens causing this disease is proved.
Epidemiological Surveillance: The ongoing collection, comparison, and analysis of specimens and information in order to identify the animal health status.
Quarantine: Restricting the transport of animals which are ill or suspected to be affected by a communicable, epidemiological or common disease in an area, and preventing them to come in contact with healthy animals.
Animal Owner: The owner, possessor, guard, observer, or caregiver of animals.
Animal Products: All the edible parts of the slaughtered animal including, fresh, dried, smoked, and processed   red meats, white meats, and fish meat, meat powder, fish powder, fresh, dried, and concentrated milks and their products and derivatives, sperm, embryos, animal gelatin and eggs, whether used for consumption, hatchery, or scientific purposes.
Animal Wastes: All non-edible parts of animals, including the blood, horns, hooves, hair, wool, bristles, skins, fur, feathers, animal manure, dung, bones, intestines, stomach, tripe, aborted fetuses, the remains of animals used in fertilizers, fish fins and bones, bone powder and shells.
 

a. The animal owner and the veterinarian shall notify the competent authority or the police station immediately upon noticing, suspecting, or being notified of the presence of any of the communicable or epidemic diseases mentioned in the law. The competent authority or the police station shall report the same to the Ministry within (24) hours after being informed. The competent authority shall provide the Ministry with the Disease Reporting Form approved thereby and shall inform the Ministry of the actions taken in this respect.
b. The Minister shall make a resolution declaring any area as an epidemic. Said area shall not be deemed a Disease-Free Zone until a resolution is issued by the Minister to that effect.
c. The Ministry or the competent authority shall notify the health authority immediately upon being aware of the emergence of any of the common diseases to take necessary actions and measures in this respect.

If the government veterinarian suspects the presence of a communicable or epidemic disease, he shall:
1. Ask the animal owner to attend in a given place and time to perform the registration, vaccination, testing or examination process.
2. Obtain the animal owner's or facility’s undertaking not to dispose of any of their animals, their products, wastes, or supplies until otherwise notified.
3. Write down the persons’ statements and the names, addresses, and information about everyone related to the disease shall be recorded.
4. Obtain specimens, proofs, or copies of records and documents.
5. Enter the facilities, inspect, and examine the same, examine their products, equipment, supplies, and means of transport used in their transportation.
6. Restrict the animal’s movement, or prevent transportation of their products, wastes, or supplies until pathology specimens are collected, and inspection, examination, treatment, or disinfection procedures are performed; and
7. Prevent sale, transportation, slaughtering, or handling animals suspected to be infected, their products, wastes or supplies until the Ministry and the competent authority’s approval is obtained.

a. The government veterinarian shall immediately examine the suspect animals and facility, and he shall take necessary actions to diagnose the infection through clinical examination or perform an autopsy on the deceased animal, and collect pathology specimens or any other samples for laboratory diagnosis.
b. Subject to the provisions of Article (16) of the law, the government veterinarian shall, in case of presence of any evidences or symptoms of an epidemic, common or communicable disease, take necessary actions to control, eradicate, or limit spread thereof as required by the disease nature as follows:
    1. Maintain a headcount of the animals in the facility, showing their types, quarantine animals suspected to be infected to separate them from the healthy ones.
    2. Apply the veterinary quarantine procedures to the facility and detain suspected animals and animals coming in contact with them.
    3. Detain the products, feeds, and wastes of animals and of animals coming in contact with them.
    4. In coordination with the police, prevent or control the transportation and movement of persons, machinery, equipment and supplies, as well as any other material which constitute a risk in terms of disease transmission.
    5. Implement cleaning, disinfection and sterilization procedures at the facility.
    6. Safely dispose of dead animals, their wastes and any other materials which can’t be disinfected, sterilized, or treated.
    7. Implement disposal of insects, rodents and parasites procedures.
    8. Apply the biosecurity measures; and 
    9. Fill out the Disease Reporting Form.
 

The government veterinarian shall collect necessary diagnostic specimens based on the disease nature which shall be taken from suspected animals and animals coming in contact with them. The veterinarian shall follow the following procedures:
1. Identify the tubes and containers wherein specimen are placed using labels and waterproof pens to record the animal data and ID Number;
2. Specimens shall be covered by double plastic (2) bags to ensure non leakage of fluids. A label shall be fixed on every bag indicating its contents and number of specimens contained therein.
3. The bags containing specimens shall be kept in a safe box. Specimens which should be cooled shall be kept in cooler bags.
4. The specimen submission form approved by the Ministry shall be filled in and shall indicate the types and numbers of specimens, types of animals wherefrom the specimens were taken as well as the names and addresses of their owners, date and place of specimen’s collection, the pathological symptoms appeared on the animals suspected to be infected, the suspected disease, and name and address of the veterinarian sending the form; and
5. Transport specimens immediately to the laboratory and coordinate with the concerned parties to receive the same.

The Ministry, the competent authority, or the police stations, each within its area of competence, shall take the following actions if the existence of an epidemic area is confirmed:
    a. The Ministry shall:
        1. Notify all involved entities to activate the emergency plan concerning the epidemic or communicable disease;
        2. Participate with the competent authority, as needed, in the application of health standards to infected animals, the animals coming in contact with them, their products, and wastes based on the nature of the communicable or epidemic disease.
        3. Provide ongoing follow-up on and evaluation of the actions and measures taken by the competent authorities; and
        4. Coordinate with the competent authority to perform an epidemiological surveillance of the epidemic area and the surrounding areas pursuant to the provisions of this Resolution and the applicable emergency plan. 
    b. The Competent Authority shall:
        1. Apply the health standards to infected animals, the animals coming in contact with them, their products, and wastes based on the nature of the disease in the epidemic area.
        2. Provide supervision over the application of biosecurity measures, safe disposal of dead animals, and treatment of the infected animals wastes and products, and contaminated feed based on the disease nature;
        3. Take necessary measures to disinfect and sterilize persons and means of transport which enter into and exit from the epidemic area;
        4. Coordinate with the Ministry to perform an epidemiological surveillance of the epidemic area and the surrounding areas pursuant to the provisions of this Resolution and the applicable emergency plan; and
        5. Organize the business or close the markets where live animals are sold in the epidemic area, and perform the disinfection and sterilization processes therein.
    c. Police Stations shall:
        1. Prevent movement of animals from and into the epidemic area;
        2. Prevent sale, transportation, and handling of any of the infected animals or their products until the Ministry and the competent authority permit is obtained;
        3. Prevent persons and means of transport from entry into or exit from the epidemic area except for urgent cases; and
        4. Secure all the procedures related to application of the emergency plan.
    d. The Government Veterinarian shall:
        1. Restrict animals’ movement, or prevent transportation of their products, wastes, or supplies until collection of pathology specimens, or performance of the inspection, examination, treatment or disinfection is completed;
        2. Supervise the implementation of necessary health procedures based on the   nature, spread properties and methods of prevention thereof; and
        3. Submit regular reports to the Ministry and the competent authority on the latest updated at the epidemic area.

a. The competent authority shall supervise the safe disposal of carcasses of animal which died due to a communicable or epidemic disease in the facility incinerators. In case of unavailability of said incinerators, carcasses shall be moved to incinerators and dumps approved in each Emirate using specific containers and compounds which prevent leakage of excrements and fluids, and they can be cleaned and disinfected easily.
b. Safe disposal of carcasses of animal which died due to a communicable or epidemic disease through burning at the site of the epidemic area if transportation of the carcasses would impose high risks of infection. Contaminated materials shall be disposed of in the incinerators and dumps approved in each Emirate. The following shall be taken into consideration:
    1. The nature of environment surrounding the site must be appropriate for the incineration process;
    2. If the dead animal is infected with Anthrax, the autopsy may not be performed thereon, and the carcass may not be dissected;
    3. Carcasses shall be burned at the site where they were found, the contaminated soil under the carcass which is mixed with its excrements shall be burned up to a depth of 20cm;
    4. All contaminated wastes generated by the animal shall be burned; 
    5. Adequate quantity and quality of fuels shall be used in coordination with the Civil Defense, if necessary; and
    6. Safety of the persons performing the burning process as well as the surrounding environment shall be secured.

Safe disposal of animal carcasses shall be made by way of burial in the facilities in case of inability to transport them to the approved incinerators or dumps. The following shall be taken into consideration:
    a. An immediate technical assessment shall be performed to select the burial site which shall ensure the following:
        1. The site and nature of the surrounding environment must be appropriate in terms of water, soil, wind direction, accessibility to the site, public health safety, and future uses of the site;
        2. Determination of the entrance and exit of the burial site, and the route of vehicles during implementation of burial;
        3. The burial site shall be located at least 30m away from the boundaries of privately owned vacant, un-urban lands;
        4. The pit site shall be located at least 100m away from any surface water or groundwater source, rainwater, torrent, and sewerage catchment sites; 
        5. Burial sites shall be located at least (100m) away from the boundaries of neighborhoods including buildings, and ensure the ability to dig a pit of at least 1.5m depth;
    b. Total weights of carcasses may not exceed (2500 kgm) in every pit;
    c. Safety of persons implementing the burial shall be secured;
    d. Intensive biosecurity procedures shall be applied in cases of dangerous epidemic diseases;
    e. Avoid cutting the animal organs, skin, and pressing which would cause excretion of excrements from natural body openings;
    f. Cover carcasses infected with  anthrax, foot-and-mouth disease, rabies, rift valley fever, or any other diseases classified as high-risk disease with quicklime; and
    g. Cover carcasses with layer of dust of at least 20cm thickness. Thereafter, fill the tip completely with a layer of dust of at least 70 cm thickness above the surface of the tip.

The government veterinarian shall apply disinfection and sterilization mechanism and systems, shall identify effective disinfectants and sterilizers against the pathogen, and provide supervision over implementation of this mechanism which shall involve the following:
1. All persons present in the epidemic area including persons dealing with the disease, their equipment and machinery; and
2. The pathologically affected area including the soil, products, wastes, equipment and means of transport.

In coordination with the competent authority, the Ministry shall form an epidemiological surveillance team, who shall:
    a. Control, identify the source, and limit the spread of the epidemic or communicable disease; and
    b. Provide follow-up on the epidemic area until the disease is stamped out, the original health status is recovered, or the health condition becomes stable.

In coordination with the competent authority, the Ministry shall implement the disease emergency plan including implementation of necessary biosecurity procedures to prevent transmission of infection from the epidemic area to the surrounding and healthy areas. The Ministry shall prepare epidemiological surveillance reports including:
1. Boundaries and area of the epidemic area around the facility wherein the infection has emerged based on the epidemiological nature of the disease, methods of transmission thereof, the factors determining spread thereof, the geographic nature of the area, and animal density therein; and
2. Boundaries and area of the epidemiological surveillance area around the facility wherein the infection has emerged based on the epidemiological nature of the disease, methods of transmission thereof, the factors determining spread thereof, the geographic nature of the area, and animal density therein, provided necessary clinical examination and specimens collection for animals vulnerable to infection be performed regularly in the same region in order to identify any signs or evidences concerning the spread of disease according to the world health standards; and
3. Boundaries and area of the vaccination area around the epidemic area in cases of vaccine-preventable diseases based on the epidemiological nature of the disease, density of vaccinable animals, and use of accredited vaccination.

The epidemiological surveillance team shall:
    a. Record data of and provide follow-up on the epidemic area, and shall:
        1. Specify and identify the place and facility where the disease onset, and their owner’s name and address;
        2. Perform a headcount of all animals present in the facility/s wherein the disease onset;
        3. Describe all pathological cases, their number, and number of dead animals;
        4. Investigate the disease causes and source;
        5. Investigate the therapeutic and preventive program adopted inside the epidemic area;
        6. Investigate the adopted nutrition program and any changes to the quality, quantity, and source of feed provided to animals prior to onset of the disease;
    7. Specify the spread of the disease among the animals in the facility and in the surrounding areas;
    8. Take necessary specimens and send the same to the laboratory;
    9. Specify the pathogen and its source, method of disease spread, and identify the animals carrying pathogens;
    10. Identify the threatening factors which contribute to emergence of the  epidemic area; and
    11. Develop a program to control and monitor the disease  during the subsequent period;
    b. Collect and analyze information after end of outbreak, recovery of the original health status, or stability of health condition. The epidemiological investigation form appended to this Resolution shall be filled in and shall be accompanied by the surveillance findings and relevant recommendations; and
    c. Submit follow-up reports up to complete eradication of the disease, recovery of the original health status, or stability of health condition in case of presence of endemic communicable diseases which are formally registered.

a. The Minister shall issue necessary resolutions to implement the provisions of this Resolution including approval of the Disease Reporting Form, and specimen submission form.
b. The Minister may change, amend, or alter any of the date included in the epidemiological investigation form appended to this Resolution, or any of the abovementioned forms in this Resolution.

Any provisions in any other resolution shall be repealed to the extent they contradict the provisions of this Resolution.

This Resolution shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall enter into force on the day next to such publication.