The European Commission of the European Union (EU) has notified the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Heath Inspection Service (APHIS) that import restrictions have been expanded to horses from Pennsylvania due to West Nile virus (WNV).  These restrictions are an extension of those previously in effect for horses from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. Changes to distance requirements, clarification on test requirements, and clarification on EU horses spending less than 21 days in the affected areas, were also made.

The updated requirements state that a supplementary certificate (see below) must be added to the animal health certificate for “the temporary admission of registered horses, the re-entry after temporary export of registered horses, and the imports and transit of equidae” coming from the six States named above.

The above does not apply to horses coming from areas outside the specified States which are “transported on main roads in transit without stopping through the areas specified … directly to an airport situated within the areas specified … for subsequent air transport to the Community.  During the transit and transhipment operations suitable measures must be taken to protect the equidae from vector insects