Notice2025-15829

Notice of Availability of Assessment of the Newcastle Disease Status of the Cantons of Zürich and Jura of Switzerland

Primary source

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Published
August 20, 2025

Issuing agencies

Agriculture DepartmentAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Abstract

We are advising the public of our intention to reinstate the animal health status of the Cantons of Z[uuml]rich and Jura in Switzerland as free of Newcastle disease. This recognition is based on an assessment we have prepared in connection with this action, which we are making available for review and comment.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 159 (Wednesday, August 20, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 159 (Wednesday, August 20, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Page 40558]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-15829]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2024-0033]


Notice of Availability of Assessment of the Newcastle Disease 
Status of the Cantons of Z[uuml]rich and Jura of Switzerland

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public of our intention to reinstate the 
animal health status of the Cantons of Z[uuml]rich and Jura in 
Switzerland as free of Newcastle disease. This recognition is based on 
an assessment we have prepared in connection with this action, which we 
are making available for review and comment.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
October 20, 2025.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
    <bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. 
Enter APHIS-2024-0033 in the Search field. Select the Documents tab, 
then select the Comment button in the list of documents.
    <bullet> Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2024-0033, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, 
APHIS, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., #AP760, Beltsville, MD 20705.
    Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may 
be viewed at <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> or in our reading room, which is located 
in room 1620 of the USDA South Building, 14th Street and Independence 
Avenue SW, Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is 
there to help you, please call (202) 799-7039 before coming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Rebecca Gordon, Import Risk 
Analyst, Regionalization Evaluation Services, Strategy & Policy, 
Veterinary Services, APHIS, USDA, 920 Main Campus Drive, Suite 200, 
Raleigh, NC 27606; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7435071f2611131d1b1a15181d0e15001d1b1a34010710155a131b02"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e1a0928ab38486888e8f808d889b8095888e8fa194928580cf868e97">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>; (919) 855-7741.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations in 9 CFR part 94 govern the 
importation of animal products into the United States in order to 
ensure that the products do not introduce or spread diseases or pests 
of livestock. Section 94.6 contains regulations governing the 
importation of carcasses, meat, parts or products of carcasses, and 
eggs (other than hatching eggs) of poultry, game birds, or other birds 
from areas in which Newcastle disease (ND) is known to exist. The 
section provides that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
(APHIS) will maintain a list on the internet of regions in which ND is 
not known to exist. It further provides that, should a region be 
removed from the list due to an outbreak, APHIS will reinstate the 
region to the list in accordance with the procedures in 9 CFR 92.4.
    Section 92.4 provides that after removing disease-free status from 
all or part of a region, APHIS may reassess the disease situation in 
that region to determine whether it is necessary to continue import 
prohibitions or restrictions. When reassessing the region's disease 
status, APHIS considers the standards of the World Organization for 
Animal Health for reinstatement of disease-free status, as well as all 
relevant information obtained through publicly available means or 
collected by or submitted to APHIS through other means. Prior to 
removing import prohibitions or restrictions, APHIS makes the 
information regarding its assessment of the region's disease status 
available to the public for comment through a notice published in the 
Federal Register.
    APHIS previously issued import alerts on February 7, 2022, and 
March 23, 2022, notifying trade partners that the Cantons of 
Z[uuml]rich and Jura in Switzerland, which had previously been 
considered to be regions in which ND is not known to exist, were now 
affected with ND. In accordance with the regulations in Sec.  94.6, 
concurrent to these determinations, APHIS placed restrictions on the 
importation of poultry products for commodities from the two cantons.
    APHIS completed a Report for Reassessment of Cantons Z[uuml]rich 
and Jura in Switzerland as Free of Newcastle Disease in November 2023. 
This document presents the results of APHIS' reassessment of the ND 
status of the Cantons of Z[uuml]rich and Jura. As a result of this 
reassessment, APHIS concludes that Switzerland has effectively 
controlled and eradicated ND in its domestic poultry population in the 
Cantons of Z[uuml]rich and Jura and that competent veterinary 
authorities of the cantons have adequate disease control measures in 
place to rapidly identify, control, and eradicate the disease should it 
be reintroduced into Switzerland. Based on the results of the 
reassessment, APHIS recommends reinstating the Cantons Z[uuml]rich and 
Jura onto the list of regions in which ND is not known to exist.
    The report may be viewed on the Regulations.gov website or in our 
reading room. (Instructions for accessing Regulations.gov and 
information on the location and hours of the reading room are provided 
under the heading ADDRESSES at the beginning of this notice). The 
document is also available by contacting the person listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Information submitted in support of this 
notice is also available by contacting the person listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    After reviewing any comments we receive, we will announce our 
decision regarding the disease status of the Cantons of Z[uuml]rich and 
Jura with respect to ND in a subsequent notice.

(Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1622 and 8301-8317; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 31 
U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.)

    Done in Washington, DC.
Sarah Helming,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-15829 Filed 8-19-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P


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Indexed from Federal Register on August 20, 2025.

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