subject to an official control program, nor should it allow the exclusion of pathogens or diseases not listed by OIE (unless justified by an import risk analysis). The veterinary authority of the exporting country is responsible for veterinary certifications in international trade. It gives authorization to certifying veterinarians, provides instructions and training, and monitors activities to guarantee integrity and impartiality. At border posts and quarantine stations, veterinary services should provide adequate personnel, facilities, and equipment to implement measures justified by the amount of international trade and by the epidemiological situation. Such measures include: • Clinically examining and obtaining specimens of material for diagnostic purposes from live animals or carcasses of animals affected or suspected of being affected by an epizootic disease, and obtaining specimens of animal products suspected of contamination. • Detecting and isolating animals affected by, or suspected of being affected by, an epizootic disease. • Disinfecting, and possibly disinfesting, vehicles used to transport animals and animal products. In addition, border posts and quarantine stations should have facilities for feeding and watering animals. Importing countries should make available to the public a list of border posts equipped to conduct import controls. An importing country should accept only animals that have been examined by an official veterinarian of the exporting country, as attested by an accompanying international veterinary certificate issued by the exporting country’s veterinary authority.15 Similarly, an importing country should require an international veterinary certificate before accepting semen, embryos, ova, hatching eggs, and broodcombs of bees; meat and products of animal origin intended for human consumption; and products of animal origin intended for use in animal feeding or for pharmaceutical, surgical, agricultural, or industrial use. For aquatic animals and products, the importing country should accept raw, uneviscerated fish of species susceptible to a disease listed by OIE and destined for introduction into an aquatic environment or for human consumption only if the fish have been
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examined by the competent authority of the exporting country, as attested by an accompanying international aquatic animal health certificate. The importing country may refuse entry to: • Animals found to be affected by, suspected of being affected by, or infected with a disease capable of being transmitted to animals in its territory. • Aquatic animals found to be affected by a disease listed by OIE and of concern to the importing country. • Semen, embryos, ova, hatching eggs, and broodcombs of bees, and products of animal origin intended for use in animal feeding, or for pharmaceutical, surgical, agricultural, or industrial use—if certain diseases in the exporting country, or in transit countries that preceded the importing country, are capable of being introduced by these products into its territory. • Meat or products of animal origin intended for human consumption, if inspection shows that these might be a danger to the health of persons or animals. • Animals, semen, embryos, ova, hatching eggs, and broodcombs of bees that are not accompanied by an international veterinary certificate, and aquatic animals that are not accompanied by an international aquatic animal health certificate. If international veterinary certificates are not correct or do not apply to the products, the veterinary authority of the importing country may either return the products to the exporting country or, alternatively, subject them to adequate treatment to make them safe. For animals, the importing country may choose to quarantine them for clinical observation and biological examinations to establish a diagnosis. If the diagnosis confirms the presence of an epizootic disease, the importing country may return the animals to the exporting country or slaughter them if return to the exporting country is not practical or would pose a danger. Countries are encouraged to apply risk management in dealing with hazards arising from trade in animals and animal products, to implement objective, scientific, defensible, and transparent measures to achieve protection appropriate to the risk.