Ministerial Decision no. 1499/224272/2024. Surveillance program for infection by blue tongue virus (serotypes 1 - 24), measures upon suspicion and confirmation of the disease, movements of animals of susceptible species.

This Ministerial Decision establishes the surveillance programme for the blue-tongue disease, in accordance with article 26 of the Regulation (EU) 2016/429, in order to: improve the systematic research and differential diagnosis, with the application of appropriate laboratory techniques in cattle, sheep and goats, through passive and active surveillance; consolidate further research, clinical and laboratory, to exclude or not the circulation of the virus; strengthen the investigation, through entomological surveillance of the species. The Decision establishes competent authorities and defines their duties and responsibilities; details the surveillance system, through passive and active surveillance methods; measures to be taken on suspicion and on confirmation of the disease, including restriction the movement of animals and of their reproductive materials; concerns measures on vaccination of animals of disease-susceptible species.