Article 23 Persons who are infected with zoonosis shall not directly perform diagnosis or treatment of animal diseases, or be engaged in raising, slaughtering, marketing, isolation or transportation of susceptible animals.

The catalogue of zoonosis shall be compiled and published by the administrative department for veterinary medicine under the State Council jointly with the department of health under the State Council.

Article 24 With regard to animal epidemics, the State practices zoning management, gradually building regions which are free from specified animal epidemics. The regions free from specified animal epidemics shall meet the standards laid down by the administrative department for veterinary medicine under the State Council and, upon acceptance check by the said department, shall be made known to the public.

For the purposes of this Law, the regions free from specified animal epidemics are regions which are free from one or more specified animal epidemics during a given period of time because they are endowed with natural barriers or measures are taken by man and which have passed acceptance checks.

Article 25 Slaughtering, marketing and transporting of the following animals and manufacturing, marketing, processing, storing and transporting of the following animal products are prohibited:

(1) animals and animal products of the enclosed epidemic areas that are related to the outbreak of animal epidemics;

(2) animals and animal products in an epidemic area that are susceptible to infection;

(3) animals and animal products that have not undergone the quarantine as required by law or fail to pass the quarantine;

(4) animals and animal products that have already contracted epidemics or are suspected of having contracted epidemics;

(5) animals that die of illness or of uncertain reasons; and

(6) other animals and animal products that do not conform to the regulations of the administrative department for veterinary medicine under State Council governing animal epidemic prevention.

Chapter III

Report, Notification and Announcement of Animal Epidemic Situation

Article 26 Where the units and individuals engaged in animal epidemic monitoring, inspection and quarantine, epidemic research diagnosis and treatment, and in animal raising, slaughtering, marketing, isolation, and transportation shall immediately report to the local administrative departments for veterinary medicine, animal health supervision institutions or animal epidemic prevention and control institutions when they find that animals have contracted epidemics or suspect the same, and they shall have the animals isolated and take other control measures, to prevent the spread of the epidemics. Other units and individuals that have discovered or suspect the same shall report without delay.

The units that have received the report on animal epidemics shall take the necessary measures to control and treat the epidemics and report to the authorities at higher levels in compliance with the procedures prescribed by the State.

Article 27 The outbreak of an animal epidemic shall be subject to confirmation by the administrative department for veterinary medicine under the people’s government at or above the county level; and the outbreak of a major animal epidemic shall be subject to confirmation by the administrative department for veterinary medicine under the people’s government of a province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government, and when necessary, by the administrative department for veterinary medicine under the State Council.

Article 28 The administrative department for veterinary medicine under the State Council shall, in a timely manner, notify the departments concerned under the State Council and in the Army, as well as the administrative departments for veterinary medicine under the people’s governments of provinces, autonomous regions or municipalities directly under the Central Government, of the outbreak of a major animal epidemic and its treatment; in case of the outbreak of a zoonosis, the administrative department for veterinary medicine under the people’s government at or above the country level and the department in charge of health at the same level shall notify each other without delay.

The administrative department for veterinary medicine under the State Council shall, according to the treaties and agreements which China has concluded or acceded to, notify the international organizations concerned or trade partners the outbreak and treatment of a major animal epidemic in a timely manner.

Article 29 The administrative department for veterinary medicine under the State Council is responsible to announce the outbreak of an animal epidemic nationwide to the community in a timely manner, and it may, where necessary, authorize the administrative departments for veterinary medicine under the people’s governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government to announce the epidemic situation in their respective administrative areas. No other units or individuals may announce the epidemic situation.

Article 30 No units or individuals may conceal the facts about, make a false report or, delay the reporting or make omissions in the report of animal epidemics, nor incite others to conceal the facts about, make a false report or delay the reporting of animal epidemics, or prevent others form reporting the same.