No L 87/22 Official Journal of the European Communities 2. 4.92 COMMISSION DECISION of 10 March 1992 concerning certain protection measures relating to the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) (92/188/EEC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, Having regard to Council Directive 90/425/EEC of 26 June 1990 concerning veterinary and zootechnical checks applicable in intra-Community trade in certain live animals and products with a view to the completion of the internal market(?), as last amended by Directive 91/628/EEC (3), and in particular Article 10 (4) thereof, Whereas several disease outbreaks caused by a virus that has not yet been classified have occurred in pigs in certain parts of the Community ; Whereas the disease, which has been named the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) results in unusual numbers of abortions or premature farrowing in sows and deaths and weakness in young piglets which cannot otherwise be attributed to a known pig disease for which laboratory diagnostic tests are easily available ; Whereas the disease has the potential for rapid spread within areas with a high density of pigs; Whereas the disease may constitute a hazard to pig production ; Whereas, as a result of outbreaks of the disease in ques- tion, the Commission adopted Decision 91/237/EEC of 25 April 1991 concerning further protection measures relating to a new pig disease (°), as last amended by Deci- sion 92/104/EEC(9); Whereas certain areas heavily infected in early 1991 have been without recorded outbreaks for several months; Whereas it appears necessary to take account of the evolu- tion of the disease and to adopt appropriate measures ; whereas in this respect it is necessary to repeal Decision 91/237/EEC; Whereas the authorities of the Member States have engaged themselves to implement national measures that () OJ No L 224, 18. 8. 1990, p. 29. () OJ No L 340, 11. 12. 1991, p. 17. () OJ No L 106, 26. 4. 1991, p. 67. () OJ No L 41, 18. 2. 1992, p. 17. are necessary to guarantee the efficient implementation of this Decision when pigs are sent to other Member States ; Whereas the measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Veterinary Committee, HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION : Article 1 For the purposes of this Decision : (a) ‘abortion” means the observed production of foetuses up to and including the 109th day of pregnancy, where none of the foetuses survive more than 24 hours ; (b) ‘premature farrowing’ means the observed production of foetuses up to and including the 109th day of preg- nancy, where some survive for more than 24 hours; (c) ‘infected holding’ means a holding where unusual numbers of abortions or premature farrowings in sows or gilts and deaths and weakness in young piglets, not attributable to known diseases, have been observed within the last eight weeks prior to certification ; (d) ‘high health risk municipality’ means a municipality which contains, at any one time, two or more infected holdings ; (e) ‘breeding pig’ is a pig intended to be kept for repro- duction ; (f) ‘production pig’ is a pig intended to be kept for fatte- ning for meat production. Article 2 Member States shall take all reasonable measures to avoid the spread of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome from infected holdings. These measures shall include : — destroying all the products such as placentae, foetuses and dead piglets from all abortions, premature far- rowings and normal farrowings, — arranging thorough cleansing and disinfection of farrowing quarters after each abortion, early farrowing or normal farrowing,