Division 4

If dead or moribund pigs are detected in a suspected holding, post-mortem examinations must be carried out, preferably on at least five of these pigs and in particular on pigs that have:

• shown very evident signs of disease before death,

• high fever,

• died recently.

If these examinations have not shown lesions suggesting ASF but, due to the epidemiological situation, further investigations are deemed necessary:

• a clinical examination, as laid down in point 3, and blood sampling, as laid down in point 5 must be carried out in the subunit where the dead or moribund pigs were kept, and

• post-mortem examinations may be carried on three to four in-contact pigs, particularly if these pigs are showing clinical signs.

Irrespective of the presence or absence of lesions suggesting ASF, samples of the organs or tissues from pigs that have been subjected to post-mortem examination must be collected for virological tests in accordance with Chapter V(B)(1). These samples must preferably be collected from recently dead pigs.

When post-mortem examinations are carried out the competent authority must ensure that:

• the necessary precautions and hygiene measures are taken to prevent any disease spread, and,

• in case of moribund pigs, they are killed in a humane way in accordance with Council Directive 93/119/EEC of 22 December 1993 on the protection of animals at the time of slaughter or killing^f1, as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 806/2003^f2.