Law of the People’s Republic of China on Animal Disease Control

(Adopted at the 26th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Eighth National People’s Congress on July 3, 1997, revised for the first time at the 29th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Tenth National People's Congress on August 30, 2007, amended for the first time in accordance with the Decision on Amending Twelve Laws including the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Protection of Cultural Relics adopted at the 3rd Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Twelfth National People’s Congress on June 29, 2013, amended for the second time in accordance with the Decision on Amending Six Laws including the Electric Power Law of the People's Republic of China adopted at the 14th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Twelfth National People’s Congress on April 24, 2015, and revised for the second time at the 25th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Thirteenth National People's Congress on January 22, 2021.)

Contents

Chapter I           General Provisions

Chapter II          Prevention of Animal Diseases

Chapter III        Report, Notification, and Publication of Information of Animal Diseases

Chapter IV        Containment of Animal Diseases

Chapter V          Inspection of Animals and Animal Products

Chapter VI        Safe Disposal of Fallen Animals and Products from Diseased Animals

Chapter VII       Veterinary Medicine Practice

Chapter VIII     Management of Veterinarians

Chapter IX        Supervision

Chapter X          Supporting Measures

Chapter XI        Legal Liability

Chapter XII      Supplementary Provisions

Chapter I      General Provisions

Article 1       This Law is enacted for strengthening the regulation of animal disease control activities including those for preventing, containing, eliminating and eradicating animal diseases, to promote the development of livestock industries, control zoonoses and safeguard public health security and human health.

Article 2       This Law shall apply to animal disease control and the supervision thereof within the territory of the People's Republic of China.

The entry and exit inspection of animals and animal products is governed by the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine.

Article 3       For purposes of this Law, the following definitions apply:

The term “animals” means livestock, poultry and other animals kept or captured by people.

The term “animal products” means animal flesh, raw hide, raw hair, fine hair, viscera, fat, blood, semen, oocytes, embryos, bones, hoofs, heads, horns and tendons, as well as milk, eggs and other animal-derived materials that may transmit animal diseases.

The term “animal diseases” means infectious animal diseases, including parasitic diseases.

The term “animal disease control” means the prevention, containment, diagnosis and treatment, elimination and eradication of animal diseases, health inspection of animals and animal products, and the safe disposal of fallen animals and products from diseased animals.

Article 4       Based on their levels of harm to the livestock industry and human health, animal diseases regulated by this Law are classified into the following three categories:

(1) “Category I Diseases” are diseases which cause exceptionally serious harm to human beings and animals and may cause severe economic losses and profound social impacts, and for the prevention and containment of which urgent and drastic compulsory measures shall be taken, including foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), African swine fever (ASF), and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), etc.;

(2) “Category II Diseases” are diseases which cause serious harm to human beings and animals and may cause considerable economic losses and social impacts, and against which rigorous prevention and containment measures shall be taken, for instance, rabies, brucellosis, and grass carp hemorrhagic disease (GCHD);

(3) “Category III Diseases” are common and frequently occurring diseases which cause harm to human beings and animals and may cause certain economic losses and social impacts, and against which timely prevention and containment measures shall be taken, for instance, colibacillosis, avian tuberculosis and parotitis of soft-shelled turtle.

The catalogues of the diseases in the above-mentioned Category I, II and III shall be developed and published by the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council, which shall add to, delete from or alter the catalogues of diseases in the Category I, II and III in a timely manner according to the detection, epidemiological status and scale of harm of animal diseases, and publish the amended catalogues thereafter.

The catalogue of zoonoses shall be developed and published by the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council in collaboration with the competent departments for health, wildlife protection and other relevant departments under the State Council.

Article 5       Animal disease control shall observe the principle of giving priority to prevention and adopting an integrated approach that combines prevention with containment, elimination and eradication.

Article 6       The state encourages the participation of all walks of life in controlling animal diseases. The people’s governments at all levels shall take appropriate measures to support the participation of entities and individuals in animal disease control activities, including education and awareness enhancement, disease reporting, voluntary service and donation.

Article 7       Entities or individuals engaged in such activities as the keeping, slaughter, marketing, quarantine and transport of animals, or the production, marketing, processing, and storage of animal products shall, in compliance with this Law and the regulations of the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council, assume due responsibilities in animal disease control by conscientiously accomplishing duties such as immunization, disinfection, testing, isolation, elimination, eradication and safe disposal of animals and animal products.

Article 8       The people’s governments at or above the county level shall exercise overall leadership in animal disease control, implement effective measures to ensure the stability of primary-level institutions and personnel, enhance the competence of animal health professionals, put in place sound animal disease control systems, and develop and organize the implementation of animal disease control programs.

The people’s governments at the township level and sub-district offices are responsible for organizing people to carry out animal disease control within their administrative areas, for which villagers’ committees and residents’ committees shall provide support.

Article 9       The competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council is in charge of animal disease control of the nation.

The competent departments of agriculture and rural affairs of the people’s governments at or above the county level are in charge of animal disease control within their administrative areas.

Other relevant departments of people’s governments at or above the county level shall perform their duties related to animal disease control within their areas of responsibility.

Military agencies for animal health supervision are in charge of disease control among animals in military service and animals kept by the military for other non-commercial purposes.

Article 10     The competent health departments of the people’s governments at or above the county level shall establish a collaborative mechanism for the control of zoonoses with the competent departments of agriculture and rural affairs, wildlife protection and other relevant departments at the same level.

The competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council, the General Administration of Customs and other departments concerned shall establish a collaborative mechanism to prevent the entry of foreign animal diseases into China.

Article 11     Animal health supervision institutions of the people’s governments at or above the county level shall be responsible for conducting health inspection of animals and animal products in compliance with this Law.

Article 12     Based on centralized, coordinated, and rational planning, the people’s governments at or above the county level shall set up animal disease prevention and control bodies in accordance with the regulations of the State Council.

Animal disease prevention and control bodies shall undertake technical prevention and control tasks such as the surveillance, testing, diagnosis, epidemiological investigation, reporting of animal diseases, and conduct the technical work to eliminate and eradicate animal diseases.

Article 13     The state encourages and supports scientific research and international cooperation and exchange on animal diseases and promotes the dissemination of advanced and applicable scientific research results, with a view to improving scientific and technological competence for animal disease control.

The people’s governments at all levels, relevant departments and the media shall strengthen efforts of publicizing laws, regulations and knowledge on animal disease control.

Article 14     Entities and individuals that have made contributions to animal disease control, relevant scientific research and the stamping out of animal disease outbreaks shall be commended or rewarded by the people’s governments at all levels and relevant departments according to relevant state regulations.

The entities concerned shall pay employment injury insurance premiums for their workers in animal disease control in accordance with law. Subsidies or pensions shall be granted in compliance with relevant state regulations to people whose sickness, disabilities or deaths resulted from their work in animal disease control.

Chapter II   Prevention of Animal Diseases

Article 15     The state shall establish a risk assessment system for animal diseases.

Based on domestic and international animal disease situations and needs for protecting the livestock industry and human health, the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council shall conduct risk assessment for animal diseases in collaboration with the health department and other relevant departments of the State Council, and develop and publish measures and technical specifications for the prevention, containment, elimination and eradication of animal diseases.

The competent department of agriculture and rural affairs of the people’s government of a province, an autonomous region or a municipality directly under the Central Government shall conduct risk assessment for animal diseases within its administrative area in collaboration with the health department and other relevant departments at the same level, and implement measures for the prevention, containment, elimination and eradication of animal diseases.

Article 16     The state enforces the mandatory immunization policy for the control of animal diseases that may cause serious harm to the livestock industry or human health.

The competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council shall identify the animal diseases and regions for which the mandatory immunization policy shall be applied.

The competent departments of agriculture and rural affairs of the people’s governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall formulate mandatory immunization programs for their respective administrative areas, and make decisions to expand the list of animal diseases or areas subject to mandatory immunization based on animal disease epidemiological situations in their respective administrative areas. Such decisions shall become enforceable upon approval by the people’s governments at the same level and be submitted for record to the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council.

Article 17     Entities and individuals that keep animals are obligated to vaccinate them in accordance with the national plan of the year and the technical specifications for mandatory animal immunization, and ensure traceability through maintaining vaccination records and marking vaccinated animals as required by state regulations.

Where a supplementary vaccination is carried out in the case of vaccination failure and fails again, the entities and individuals involved shall be handled according to applicable national regulations.

Vaccines shall reach quality standards set by the state.

Article 18     The competent departments of agriculture and rural affairs of local people’s governments at or above the county level shall oversee the implementation of mandatory animal immunization plans, and supervise and check on the immunization compliance of animal-keeping entities and individuals.

People’s governments at the town level and sub-district offices shall oversee the immunization activities of animal-keeping entities and individuals within their administrative areas, and assist in supervision and inspection; villagers’ committees and residents’ committees shall also play a supporting role.

The competent departments for agriculture and rural affairs of local people’s governments at or above the county level shall regularly assess the implementation and effect of mandatory immunization plans within their administrative areas and publicize the assessment results.

Article 19     The state runs a system of animal disease surveillance and early-warning.

Local people’s governments at or above the county level shall put in place a well-organized animal disease surveillance network to improve surveillance performance.

The competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council shall work with other relevant departments of the State Council in developing national plans for animal disease surveillance. The competent departments for agriculture and rural affairs of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall formulate their own plans accordingly.

Entities in charge of animal disease prevention and control shall monitor disease occurrence and prevalence in line with regulations and surveillance plans set by the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council. Such monitoring shall not be refused or obstructed by any entity or individual that farms, slaughters, markets, quarantines, and transports animals and that engage in the production, marketing, processing, storage and safe disposal of animal products.

The competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council and the competent departments for agriculture and rural affairs of the people’s governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government, shall timely issue early warnings according to their forecast on potential animal disease outbreaks and prevalence. Local governments, upon receiving warnings, shall take precautions and control measures without delay.

Article 20     To prevent the introduction of animal diseases from abroad, people’s governments of provinces and autonomous regions along land borders shall set up surveillance sites as needed and improve their surveillance mechanisms.

Departments for science and technology, and customs shall follow provisions of this Law and relevant laws and regulations in surveillance and early warning, regularly share information with and send emergency alerts timely to the competent departments for agriculture and rural affairs.

People’s governments at or above the county level shall improve their surveillance systems and working mechanisms on wildlife-borne diseases, and set up surveillance sites as needed. Departments of wildlife protection as well as agriculture and rural affairs shall carry out surveillance on wildlife-borne diseases according to their mandates, regularly share information with and send emergency alerts timely to each other.

Article 21     The state supports local governments in establishing specified animal disease free zones, and encourages animal farms to set up specified animal disease free compartments. The competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council shall recognize these zones and compartments once the evaluation results verify their conformity to its standards, publish correspondingly the list of the recognized zones and compartments, and carry out follow-up compliance supervision and inspections.

People’s governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government are responsible for formulating and implementing the plan on the establishment of specified animal disease free zones within their respective administrative areas. The competent department of agriculture and rural affairs of the State Council shall provide guidance on the establishment of such zones that span provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities directly under the Central Government.

The competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council, taking into consideration administrative divisions, distribution of animal farming and slaughtering industries, and risk evaluation results, shall exercise zone-based prevention and control of animal diseases, and may ban or limit the cross-region transport of specific animals and animal products.

Article 22     The competent department of agriculture and rural affairs of the State Council shall develop and organize the implementation of plans on the elimination and eradication of animal diseases.

On the basis of national plans, people’s governments at or above the county level shall develop local plans on the elimination and eradication of animal diseases within their administrative areas and organize the implementation.

Animal disease control entities shall, in accordance with national and local plans on the elimination and eradication of animal diseases, provide technical guidance and training on elimination, and monitor and assess the results of elimination programs.

The state promotes elimination of animal diseases, and encourages and supports the elimination efforts of animal-farming entities and individuals. The list of animal-farming entities and individuals that meet the elimination standards set out by the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council will be publicized by the departments of agriculture and rural affairs of people’s governments at or above the provincial level.

Article 23     Breeding and dairy animals shall meet health requirements defined by the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council.

Entities and individuals farming those animals shall routinely test their animals for diseases as required by the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council; infected animals shall be handled according to applicable state regulations.

Article 24     An animal farm, quarantine area, or a facility for slaughtering, processing, and safe disposal of animals and animal products shall:

(1)     Be appropriately distanced from residential areas, drinking water sources, schools, hospitals and other public places, as stipulated by the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council;

(2)     Ensure that production and operation areas are isolated, and engineering designs and procedures are consistent with animal disease prevention and control requirements;

(3)     Possess sufficient equipment for sewage and waste treatment, safe disposal or refrigeration of fallen animals or products from diseased animals, cleaning, and disinfection;

(4)     Be staffed with adequate licensed veterinarians or disease control technicians for its scale of operation;

(5)     Have well-established disease prevention protocols for quarantine, disinfection, purchase and sales record-keeping, and routine surveillance;

(6)     Meet other disease prevention requirements set out by the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council.

Apart from the requirements above, safe disposal facilities for carcass and animal products shall also be equipped with the devices and capabilities for pathogen detection and dedicated vehicles that meet disease control requirements.

Article 25     Animal disease control compliance assessment is a mandatory regulatory requirement.

Anyone that intends to open an animal farm, quarantine station, slaughterhouse, or a facility that safely disposes of animal carcasses or products shall file an application to the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs of the local people’s government at or above the county level, accompanied by supporting documents. The competent department that receives the application shall conduct inspections according to provisions stipulated in this Law and the Administrative Licensing Law of the People’s Republic of China. Applicants that pass the assessment will be granted a certificate of compliance for animal disease control and those who fail the assessment will be notified of the assessment result with explanations.

The certificate of compliance for animal disease control shall identify information such as the applicant’s name, address of the establishment (plant), and the animals (animal products) involved.

Article 26     Markets where animals and animal products are traded shall meet animal disease control requirements imposed by the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council, and are subject to supervision and inspections by competent departments for agriculture and rural affairs. The specific measures shall be developed by the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council.

Local people’s governments at or above the county level shall ban the trade of livestock and live poultry within certain urban areas if necessitated by local conditions.

Article 27     The vehicles, bedding, packaging and containers employed in transporting animals and animal products shall meet animal disease control requirements imposed by the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council.

Infected animals, their excreta and products, as well as animal excreta, contaminated bedding, packaging and containers on transport vehicles shall be disposed of in accordance with applicable state regulations instead of being disposed arbitrarily.

Article 28     Applicable state regulations on the management of laboratories working with pathogenic microorganisms shall be observed in the collection, preservation and transportation of diseased animal samples and pathogenic microorganisms, as well as during activities such as research, teaching, testing and diagnosis that involve pathogenic microorganisms.

Article 29     The slaughter, marketing and transportation of animals belonging to one or more of the following groups and the production, marketing, processing, storage and transportation of their products are prohibited:

(1)     animals that are from a blocked-off infected zone and related to the reported animal disease there;

(2)     susceptible animals within the infected zones;

(3)     animals that are not inspected as required or have failed the inspection;

(4)     animals that are infected or suspected to be infected;

(5)     animals that have died from diseases or unknown causes; or

(6)     animals that otherwise fail to meet the animal disease control regulations imposed by the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council.

In the event of necessary temporary storage or transportation of such animals and animal products before their safe disposal in designated facilities, exceptions can be made when disease control measures have been implemented in accordance with applicable regulations.

Article 30    An entity or individual that keeps a dog shall have such dog vaccinated against rabies on a regular basis, as provided by applicable regulations, and obtain a vaccination certificate from the concerned veterinary establishment to register the dog with the local competent department.

When taking dogs in their custody outdoors, keepers shall attach a tag to each dog in accordance with applicable regulations and restrain it with a leash to prevent it from injuring people or spreading diseases.

Sub-district offices in coordination with residents’ committees, and town-level people’s governments in coordination with villagers’ committees, are responsible for controlling and handling the stray dogs and cats within their administrative areas to prevent disease transmission.

County-level and town-level people’s governments, and sub-district offices shall carry out disease control in domestic dogs in rural areas in light of local context.

Provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall develop their own rules on disease control for domestic dogs.

Chapter III Report, Notification, and Publication of Information of Animal Diseases

Article 31     Entities and individuals engaged in animal disease surveillance, testing, and research, animal health inspection, veterinary medicine activities, and animal farming, slaughtering, marketing, isolation and transportation shall immediately report to the local competent department of agriculture and rural affairs or animal disease prevention and control agencies when they detect an animal is infected with or is suspected of being infected with a disease, and they shall promptly take control measures such as isolation to prevent the spread of the disease. Other entities or individuals that encounter the above-mentioned situation shall report it in a timely manner.

Entities that receive reports of animal diseases shall, in order to prevent any delay of timely animal diseases control, adopt immediate necessary measures including temporary isolation and movement control, and report without delay to higher-level departments in compliance with procedures pursuant to state regulations.

Article 32     The competent departments of agriculture and rural affairs of people’s governments at or above the county level are authorized to declare outbreaks of animal diseases. In the case of major animal diseases, the competent departments for agriculture and rural affairs of people’s governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government or, when necessary, the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council are authorized to declare outbreaks.

For the purpose of this Law, an outbreak of a major animal disease refers to the situation where an animal disease of Category I, II or III breaks out suddenly and spreads rapidly, posing severe threats or danger to safe livestock production and causing potential harm to public health and human life.

While filing the report on an outbreak of a major animal disease, any local people’s government at or above the county level may, when the situation deems necessary, decide to lock down the affected area and take such measures as slaughter and destruction.

Article 33     The state enforces a notification system for animal disease outbreaks.

The competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council shall, in a timely manner, notify the health department and other departments concerned under the State Council, relevant military agencies, and competent departments for agriculture and rural affairs of people’s governments of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government of information on outbreaks of major animal diseases and response measures.

Where the customs finds that imported or exported animals or animal products are infected with or are suspected of being infected with a disease, it shall implement immediate response measures and notify the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs.

Where the competent departments for wildlife protection of people’s governments at or above the county level find that wild animals are infected with or are suspected of being infected with an animal disease, they shall implement immediate response measures and notify the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs of the people's government at the same level.

The competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council shall, in accordance with the treaties and agreements which China has concluded or acceded to, notify relevant international organizations or trading partners of outbreaks of major animal diseases and response measures in a timely manner.

Article 34     In the event of a zoonosis outbreak, the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs of the local people’s government at or above the county level and the competent departments for health and wildlife protection of the same government shall notify each other of the outbreak in a timely manner.

When a zoonosis breaks out, the competent health department shall monitor susceptible populations in the infected zone, publish information on the outbreak without delay and adopt corresponding prevention and control measures in compliance with the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases.

Article 35    Any person infected with a zoonosis must not directly engage in animal disease surveillance and testing, animal health inspection, veterinary medicine activities, nor the farming, slaughtering, marketing, isolation and transportation of susceptible animals.

Article 36     The competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council is responsible for publishing information on animal diseases in a timely manner, and it may, when it deems necessary, authorize the competent departments for agriculture and rural affairs of people’s governments of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government to publish information on animal diseases in their respective administrative areas. No other entity or individual is allowed to publish information on animal diseases.

Article 37     No entity or individual is allowed to make a false report, delay the reporting, conceal facts or omit information of animal diseases, or incite others to conceal facts, make a false report or delay the reporting of animal diseases, or hinder others in reporting animal diseases.

Chapter IV Containment of Animal Diseases

Article 38     When an animal disease of Category I breaks out, the following containment measures shall be taken:

(1)     The competent department of agriculture and rural affairs of the local people’s government at or above the county level shall immediately send personnel to the place of detection to delimit the infected site, infected zone and threatened zone, trace the source of infection, and notify the people’s government at the same level and request it to lock down the infected zone in a timely manner. Where the infected zone spans across two or more administrative areas, the lockdown shall be imposed by the people’s government at the next higher level which exercises jurisdiction over all the affected administrative areas, or jointly by the people’s governments at the next higher level which exercise jurisdiction over the respective affected administrative areas. When the situation deems necessary, the people’s government at a higher level may instruct the people’s government at a lower level to lock down the infected zone.

(2)     The local people’s governments at or above the county level shall immediately instruct the departments and entities concerned to take mandatory measures including lockdown, isolation, slaughter, destruction, disinfection, safe disposal and emergency vaccination.

(3)     During a lockdown, animals and animal products that are infected with, suspected of being infected with, or susceptible to the disease are prohibited from leaving the infected zone. Susceptible animals outside the infected zone are banned from entering the infected zone. Disinfection shall be carried out and other restrictions shall be imposed as needed on personnel, transport vehicles and affected objects that enter or leave the infected zone.

Article 39     When an animal disease of Category II breaks out, the following containment measures shall be taken:

(1)     The competent department of agriculture and rural affairs of the local people’s government at or above the county level shall delimit the infected site, infected zone and threatened zone.

(2)     The local people’s government at or above the county level shall, as deemed necessary, instruct the departments and entities concerned to take such measures as isolation, slaughter, destruction, disinfection, safe disposal, emergency vaccination and restrictions on the entry and exit of susceptible animals, animal products and affected objects to and from the infected zone.

Article 40     Upon the completion of an assessment in accordance with the standards and procedures prescribed by the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council, the department that made the delimitation and initiated control measures may decide to delist the infected site, infected zone or threatened zone and lift lockdown measures and publicize such decision. 

Article 41     When an animal disease of Category III breaks out, the local people’s government at the county or town level shall organize control activities according to applicable regulations of the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council.

Article 42     When an explosive outbreak of an animal disease of Category II or III happens, the disease shall be treated as an animal disease of Category I.

Article 43     Relevant entities and individuals in the infected zone shall comply with the requirements for animal disease control set by the local people’s government at or above the county level and its competent department of agriculture and rural affairs in accordance with law.

No entity or individual may hide, transfer or excavate and steal animals or animal products that have been isolated, sealed up or disposed of in accordance with law.

Article 44     In the event of an animal disease outbreak, businesses in civil aviation, and railway, highway, and waterway transportation shall give priority to the transport of personnel and supplies for disease control.

Article 45     The competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council, taking into consideration the nature, characteristics and potential harm of animal diseases on society, shall formulate the National Contingency Plan for Outbreaks of Major Animal Diseases and submit it to the State Council for approval. It shall also develop implementation programs for different diseases based on their epidemiological characteristics and magnitude of impact.

Local people’s governments at or above the county level shall, based on local conditions and the contingency plans for outbreaks of major animal diseases issued by departments at the higher levels, formulate contingency plans of their respective administrative areas for outbreaks of major animal diseases, submit them to the competent departments for agriculture and rural affairs of the people’s governments at the next higher level for record, and send a copy to the emergency management departments of the people’s governments at the next higher level. The competent departments for agriculture and rural affairs of people’s governments at or above the county level shall develop separate implementation programs for different diseases according to their epidemiological characteristics and magnitude of impact.

Contingency plans and implementation programs for outbreaks of major animal diseases shall be revised in a timely manner according to the development of the outbreaks.

Article 46     In the event of an outbreak of a major animal disease, the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council shall delimit the areas at risk, and issue a ban or restriction on the transportation of specific animals or animal products from high-risk areas to low-risk areas.

Article 47     In the event of an outbreak of a major animal disease, emergency responses shall be initiated in accordance with relevant laws, regulations of the State Council and the contingency plans.

Chapter V   Inspection of Animals and Animal Products

Article 48     Animal health supervision institutions shall undertake health inspection of animals and animal products pursuant to the provisions of this Law and applicable regulations of the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council.

The health inspection of animals and animal products shall be conducted by official veterinarians of the animal health supervision institutions.

Article 49     Before slaughtering, selling or transporting animals, or selling or transporting animal products, the owner shall, according to applicable regulations of the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council, submit an application to the local animal health supervision institution for health inspection.

Upon receiving such an application for inspection, the animal health supervision institution shall, in a timely manner, send official veterinarians to conduct health inspection of the animals or animal products, and issue animal health certificates for animals or animal products that pass the inspection and attach them with animal health marks. Official veterinarians who perform the inspections shall affix their signatures or seals to the animal health certificates and marks, and shall be accountable for the conclusion of the inspection.

Licensed veterinarians or animal health technicians of animal farms or animal slaughtering businesses shall assist official veterinarians in conducting animal health inspections.

Article 50     The use of wild animals for non-food purposes such as scientific research, medicine, exhibitions or other special purposes, shall be reported to the competent animal health supervision institution for wild animals’ health inspection pursuant to applicable state regulations, and they shall only be used after passing the inspection.

The capture of wild animals shall be reported to the local animal health supervision institution where the animals are captured and are subject to health inspection pursuant to applicable state regulations, and those animals shall only be raised, traded or transported after passing the inspection.

The competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council shall, in cooperation with the competent department of wildlife protection under the State Council, develop the rules for animal health inspection of wildlife.

Article 51     Animals to be slaughtered, marketed or transported, or used for scientific research, exhibitions, performances, competitions and other non-food purposes, shall have animal health certificates, and animal products to be marketed or transported shall have animal health certificates and marks.

Article 52     For the animals and animal products to be transported by air, rail, highway or waterway, the consignor shall provide the animal health certificates of the consignments; otherwise, the carrier shall not accept them for transport.

The carrier shall only transport and deliver imported animals and animal products based on necessary import declaration documents, and transport and deliver animals and animal products for export based on available health certificates issued by the customs.

The entities, individuals or vehicles engaged in animal transport shall be registered for record at the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs of the local people’s government at the county level, and properly record the transport route and information provided by the consignor including the name, animal health certificate number and quantity of the animals. The specific rules shall be developed by the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council.

The transport vehicles involved shall be cleaned and disinfected immediately before loading and after unloading.

Article 53     People’s governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall determine and publish the designated passages for road transport of animals into their respective administrative areas, and set up guiding marks. The transport of animals by road across the borders of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall pass through designated passages established by people’s governments of the concerned provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government.

Article 54     In the event of transporting animals and animal products to specified animal disease free zones, the owner shall, according to the regulations of the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council, submit an application for health inspection to the local animal health supervision institution. Such animals and animal products shall only be allowed to enter disease free zones after passing the inspection.

Article 55    After the arrival of the dairy and breeding animals transported to the destination from another province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government, the owner shall put them in quarantine for observation in accordance with the regulations of the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs under the State Council.

Article 56     For the animals or animal products that fail health inspection, the owner shall handle them according to applicable state regulations with the supervision of the competent department of agriculture and rural affairs concerned, and shall bear the expenses thus incurred.