Housing Development Agency Act, 2008
R 385
International Health Regulations Act, 1974 (Act No. 28 of 1974)International Health RegulationsPart V : Special Provisions Relating to each of the Diseases subject to the Regulations |
Chapter I : Plague
Article 51
For the purposes of these Regulations the incubation period of plague is six days.
Vaccination against plague shall not be required as a condition of admission of any person to a territory.
Article 53
| 1) | Each State shall employ all means in its power to diminish the danger from the spread of plague by rodents and their ectoparasites. Its health administration shall keep itself constantly informed by systematic collection and regular examination of rodents and their ectoparasites of the conditions in any area, especially any port or airport, infected or suspected of being infected by rodent plague. |
| 2) | During the stay of a ship or an aircraft in a port or an airport infected by plague, special care shall be taken to prevent the introduction of rodents on board. |
Article 54
| 1) | Every ship shall be either: |
| a) | permanently kept in such a condition that it is free of rodents and the plague vector; or |
| b) | periodically deratted. |
| 2) | A Deratting Certificate or a Deratting Exemption Certificate shall be issued only by the health authority for a port approved for that purpose under Article 17. Every such certificate shall be valid for six months, but this period may be extended by one month for a ship proceeding to such a port if the deratting or inspection, as the case may be, would be facilitated by the operations due to take place there. |
| 3) | Deratting Certificates and Deratting Exemption Certificates shall conform with the model specified in Appendix 1. |
| 4) | If a valid certificate is not produced, the health authority, for a port approved under Article 17, after inquiry and inspection, may proceed in the following manner: |
| a) | If the port has been designated under paragraph 2 of Article 17, the health authority may derat the ship or cause the deratting to be done under its direction and control. It shall decide in each case the technique which should be employed to secure the extermination of rodents on the ship. Deratting shall be carried out so as to avoid as far as possible damage to the ship and to any cargo and shall not take longer than is absolutely necessary. Wherever possible deratting shall be done when the holds are empty. In the case of a ship in ballast, it shall be done before loading. When deratting has been satisfactorily completed, the health authority shall issue a Deratting Certificate. |
| b) | At any port approved under Article 17, the health authority may issue a Deratting Exemption Certificate if it is satisfied that the ship is free of rodents. Such a certificate shall be issued only if the inspection of the ship has been carried out when the holds are empty or when they contain only ballast or other material, unattractive to rodents, of such a nature or so disposed as to make a thorough inspection of the holds possible. A Deratting Exemption Certificate may be issued for an oil tanker with full holds. |
| 5) | If the conditions under which a deratting is carried out are such that, in the opinion of the health authority for the port where the operation was performed, a satisfactory result cannot be obtained, the health authority shall make a note to that effect on the existing Deratting Certificate. |
Article 55
In exceptional circumstances of an epidemiological nature, when the presence of rodents is suspected on board, an aircraft may be disinfected and deratted.
Article 56
Before departure on an international voyage from an area where there is an epidemic of pulmonary plague, every suspect shall be placed in isolation by the health authority for a period of six days, reckoned from the date of the last exposure to infection.
Article 57
| 1) | A ship or an aircraft on arrival shall be regarded as infected if: |
| a) | it has a case of human plague on board; |
| b) | a plague-infected rodent is found on board. |
A ship shall also be regarded as infected if a case of human plague has occurred on board more than six days after embarkation.
| 2) | A ship on arrival shall be regarded as suspected if: |
| a) | it has no "case of human plague on board, but such a case has occurred on board within the first six days after embarkation; |
| b) | there is evidence of an abnormal mortality among rodents on board of which the cause is not yet known; |
| c) | it has a person on board who has been exposed to pulmonary plague and has not met the requirements of Article 56. |
| 3) | Even when coming from an infected area or having on board a person coming from an infected area, a ship or an aircraft on arrival shall be regarded as healthy if, on medical examination, the health authority is satisfied that the conditions specified in paragraphs I and 2 of this Article do not exist. |
Article 58
| 1) | On arrival of an infected or suspected ship or an infected aircraft, the following measures may be applied by the health authority: |
| a) | disinsecting of any suspect and surveillance for a period of not more than six days reckoned from the date of arrival; |
| b) | disinsecting and, if necessary, disinfection of: |
| i) | any baggage of any infected person or suspect; and |
| ii) | any other article such as used bedding or linen, and any part of the ship or aircraft, which is considered to be contaminated. |
| 2) | On arrival of a ship, an aircraft, a train, road vehicle or other means of transport having on board any person suffering from pulmonary plague, or if there has been a case of pulmonary plague on board a ship within the period of six days before its arrival, the health authority may, in addition to the measures required by paragraph 1 of this Article, place the passengers and crew of the ship, aircraft, train, road vehicle or other means of transport in isolation for a period of six days, reckoned from the date of the last exposure to infection. |
| 3) | If there is rodent plague on board a ship, or in its containers, it shall be disinfected and deratted, if necessary in quarantine, in the manner provided for in Article 54 subject to the following provisions: |
| a) | the deratting shall be carried out as soon as the holds have been emptied; |
| b) | one or more preliminary derattings of a ship with the cargo in situ, or during its unloading, may be carried out to prevent the escape of infected rodents; |
| c) | if the complete destruction of rodents cannot be secured because only part of the cargo is due to be unloaded, a ship shall not be prevented from unloading that part, but the health authority may apply any measures, including placing the ship in quarantine, which it considers necessary to prevent the escape of infected rodents. |
| 4) | If a rodent infected with plague is found on board an aircraft, the aircraft shall be disinfected and deratted, if necessary in quarantine. |
Article 59
A ship shall cease to be regarded as infected or suspected, or an aircraft shall cease to be regarded as infected when the measures required by the health authority in accordance with Articles 39 and 58 have been effectively carried out, or when the health authority is satisfied that the abnormal mortality among rodents is not due to plague. The ship or aircraft shall thereupon be given free pratique.
Article 60
On arrival, a healthy ship or aircraft shall be given free pratique, but, if it has come from an infected area, the health authority may:
| a) | place under surveillance any suspect who disembarks, for a period of not more than six days, reckoned from the date on which the ship or aircraft left the infected area, |
| b) | require the destruction of rodents on board a ship and disinfecting in exceptional cases and for well-founded reasons which shall be communicated in writing to the master. |
Article 61
If, on arrival of a train or a road vehicle, a case of human plague is discovered, the measures provided for in Article 39 and in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Article 58 may be applied by the health authority, disinfecting and, if necessary, disinfection being applied to any part of the train or road vehicle which is considered to be contaminated.
Chapter II : Cholera
Article 62
For the purposes of these Regulations the incubation period of cholera is five days.
Article 63
| 1) | If on arrival of a ship, an aircraft, a train, a road vehicle or other means of transport a case of cholera is discovered, or a case has occurred on board, the health authority- |
| a) | may apply surveillance or isolation of suspects among passengers or crew for a period not exceeding five days reckoned from the date of disembarkation; |
| b) | shall be responsible for the supervision of the removal and safe disposal of any water, food (excluding cargo), human dejecta, waste water including bilge water, waste matter, and any other matter which is considered to be contaminated, and shall be responsible for the disinfection of water tanks and food-handling equipment. |
| 2) | Upon accomplishment of (b) the ship, aircraft, train, road vehicle or other means of transport shall be given free pratique. |
Article 64
Foodstuffs earned as cargo on board a ship, an aircraft, a train, a road vehicle or other means of transport in which a case of cholera has occurred during the journey, may not be subjected to bacteriological examination except by the health authorities of the country of final destination.
Article 65
| 1) | No person shall be required to submit to rectal swabbing. |
| 2) | A person on an international voyage, who has come from an infected area within the incubation period of cholera and who has symptoms indicative of cholera, may be required to submit to stool examination. |
Chapter III : Yellow Fever
Article 66
For the purposes of these Regulations the incubation period of yellow fever is six days.
Article 67
| 1) | Vaccination against yellow fever may be required of any person leaving an infected area on an international voyage. |
| 2) | If such a person is in possession of a certificate of vaccination against yellow fever which is not yet valid, he may nevertheless be permitted to depart, but the provisions of Article 75 may be applied to him on arrival. |
| 3) | A person in possession of a valid certificate of vaccination against yellow fever shall not be treated as a suspect, even if he has come from an infected area. |
| 4) | The yellow fever vaccine used must be approved by the Organization, and the vaccinating centre must have been designated by the health administration for the territory in which it is situated. The Organization shall be assured that the vaccines used for this purpose continue to be of suitable quality. |
Article 68
| 1) | Every person employed at a port or an airport situated in an infected area, and every member of the crew of a ship or an aircraft using any such port or airport, shall be in possession of a valid certificate of vaccination against yellow fever. |
| 2) | Every aircraft leaving an airport situated in an infected area shall be disinfected in accordance with Article 26, using methods recommended by the Organization, and details of the disinsecting shall be included in the Health Part of the Aircraft General Declaration, unless this part of the Aircraft General Declaration is waived by the health authority of the airport of arrival. States concerned shall accept disinsecting of aircraft by the approved vapour disinsecting system carried out in flight. |
| 3) | Every ship leaving a port in an area where Aedes aegypti still exists and bound for an area where Aedes aegypti has been eradicated shall be kept free of Aedes aegypti in its immature and adult stages. |
| 4) | An aircraft leaving an airport where Aedes aegypti exists and bound for an area where Aedes aegypti has been eradicated shall be disinfected in accordance with Article 26, using methods recommended by the Organization. |
Article 69
A health authority in an area where the vector of yellow fever is present may require a person on an international voyage, who has come from an infected area and is unable to produce a valid certificate of vaccination against yellow fever, to be isolated until his certificate becomes valid, or until a period of not more than six days reckoned from the date of last possible exposure to infection has elapsed, whichever occurs first.
Article 70
| 1) | A person coming from an infected area who is unable to produce a valid certificate of vaccination against yellow fever and who is due to proceed on an international voyage to an airport in an area where the vector of yellow fever is present and at which the means for securing segregation provided for in Article 35 do not yet exist, may, by arrangement between the health administrations for the territories in which the airports concerned are situated be prevented from proceeding from an airport at which such means are available, during the period provided for in Article 75. |
| 2) | The health administrations concerned shall inform the Organization of any such arrangement, and of its termination. The Organization shall immediately send this information to all health administrations. |
Article 71
| 1) | On arrival, a ship shall be regarded as infected if it has a case of yellow fever on board, or if a case has occurred on board during the voyage. It shall be regarded as suspected if it has left an infected area less than six days before arrival, or, if arriving within thirty days of leaving such an area, the health authority finds Aedes aegypti or other vectors of yellow fever onboard. Any other ship shall be regarded as healthy. |
| 2) | On arrival, an aircraft shall be regarded as infected if it has a case of yellow fever on board. It shall be regarded as suspected if the health authority is not satisfied with a disinsecting carried out in accordance with paragraph 2 of Article 74 and it finds live mosquitoes on board the aircraft. Any other aircraft shall be regarded as healthy. |
Article 72
| 1) | On arrival of an infected or suspected ship or aircraft, the following measures may be applied by the health authority: |
| a) | in an area where the vector of yellow fever is present, the measures provided for in Article 75 to any passenger or member of the crew who disembarks and is not in possession of a valid certificate of vaccination against yellow fever; |
| b) | inspection of the ship or aircraft and destruction of any Aedes aegypti or other vectors of yellow fever on board; in an area where the vector of yellow fever is present, the ship may, until such measures have been carried out, be required to keep at least 400 metres from land. |
| 2) | The ship or aircraft shall cease to be regarded as infected or suspected when the measures required by the health authority in accordance with Article 39 and with paragraph 1 of this Article have been effectively earned out, and it shall thereupon be given free pratique. |
Article 73
On arrival of a healthy ship or aircraft coming from an infected area, the measures provided for in subparagraph (b) of paragraph 1 of Article 78 may be applied. The ship or aircraft shall thereupon be given free pratique.
Article 74
A State shall not prohibit the landing of an aircraft at any sanitary airport in its territory if the measures provided for in paragraph 2 of Article 74 are applied, but, in an area where the vector of yellow fever is present, aircraft coming from an infected area may land only at airports specified by the State for that purpose.
Article 75
On arrival of a train, a road vehicle, or other means of transport in an area where the vector of yellow fever is present, the following measures may be applied by the health authority:
| a) | isolation, as provided for in Article 75, of any person coming from an infected area, who is unable to produce a valid certificate of vaccination against yellow fever; |
| b) | disinsecting of the train, road vehicle or other means of transport if it has come from an infected area. |
Article 76
In an area where the vector of yellow fever is present the isolation provided for in Article 39 and in this Chapter shall be in mosquito-proof accommodation.
Chapter IV : Smallpox
Article 77
For the purposes of these Regulations the incubation period of smallpox is fourteen days.
Article 78
| 1) | A health administration may require any person on an international voyage who does not show sufficient evidence of protection by a previous attack of smallpox to possess, on arrival, a valid certificate of vaccination against smallpox. Any such person who does not produce such a certificate may be vaccinated or, if he refuses vaccination, he may be placed under surveillance for not more than fourteen days, reckoned from the date of his departure from the last territory visited before arrival. |
| 2) | A person on an international voyage, who during a period of fourteen days before his arrival has visited an infected area and who, in the opinion of the health authority, is not sufficiently protected by vaccination or by a previous attack of smallpox, may be required to be vaccinated, or may be placed under surveillance, or may be vaccinated and then placed under surveillance; if he refuses to be vaccinated, he may be isolated. The period of surveillance or isolation shall not be more than fourteen days, reckoned from the date of his departure from the infected area. A valid certificate of vaccination against smallpox shall be considered as evidence of sufficient protection. |
| 3) | Any health administration may apply the measures provided for in this Article, whether smallpox infection is present in its territory or not. |
Article 79
| 1) | A ship or an aircraft shall be regarded as infected if, on arrival, it has a case of smallpox on board, or if such a case has occurred on board during the voyage. |
| 2) | Any other ship or aircraft shall be regarded as healthy, even though there may be suspects on board, but any suspect may on disembarking be subjected to the measures provided for in Article 86. |
Article 80
| 1) | On arrival of an infected ship or aircraft, the health authority: |
| a) | shall offer vaccination to any person on board who, in its opinion, is not sufficiently protected against smallpox; |
| b) | may, for a period of not more than fourteen days, reckoned from the last exposure to infection, isolate or place under surveillance any person disembarking, but the health authority shall take into account the previous vaccinations of the person and the possibility of his having been exposed to infection in determining the period of such isolation or surveillance; |
| c) | shall disinfect: |
| i) | any baggage of any infected person; and |
| ii) | any other baggage or article such as used bedding or linen, and any part of the ship or aircraft, which is considered to be contaminated. |
| 2) | A ship or an aircraft shall continue to be regarded as infected until every infected person has been removed and until the measures required by the health authority in accordance with paragraph 1 of this Article have been effectively carried out. The ship or aircraft shall thereupon be given free pratique. |
Article 81
On arrival, a healthy ship or aircraft, even when it has come from an infected area, shall be given free pratique.
Article 82
If, on arrival of a train, road vehicle or other means of transport, a case of smallpox is discovered, the infected person shall be removed and the provisions of paragraph 1 of Article 86 shall apply, any period of surveillance or isolation being reckoned from the date of arrival, and disinfection being applied to any part of the train, road vehicle or other means of transport which is considered to be contaminated.
