Epidemic Emergencies: New National Plan Approved

The State-Regions Conference has given a favorable opinion on the draft decree of the Ministry of Health updating the National Plan for Epidemic Emergencies (PNE) for the five-year period 2026-203 , in implementation of Article 43 of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 on transmissible animal diseases.
The Plan has not been updated since 2014.

The objective of the Plan - for the five-year period 2026-2030 - aims to strengthen the preparedness of the competent authorities at all levels and to ensure, in the event of the appearance of a category A disease (according to the classification set out in Regulation (EU) 2018/1882) or an emerging disease, a rapid, uniform and coordinated response throughout the national territory .

Furthermore, the roles, responsibilities, and chain of command of the parties involved are clearly defined, regulating the various phases of emergency management —from preparedness to post-emergency—and ensuring the availability of the necessary resources —facilities, laboratories, personnel, equipment, and funding—for the timely and effective eradication of the disease.

The Plan defines a more structured and coordinated model with particular attention to high-impact diseases such as African swine fever, foot and mouth disease, and avian influenza, focusing on early surveillance, biosecurity, and rapid response.

Operating manuals

Together with the Plan, there are operational manuals relating to individual pathologies (ASF, foot-and-mouth disease, avian influenza, LSD, AHS, peste des petits ruminants, Rift Valley Fever, sheep and goat pox ), which provide specific technical indications for the management of outbreaks of category A or emerging diseases affecting kept or wild animals.

African swine fever

The Plan focuses on early surveillance and containment of the spread , especially in wild fauna.
Passive surveillance activities are planned, including reporting and sampling wild boar carcasses, movement restrictions, and enhanced biosecurity measures on farms, as well as management of infected areas and coordination between institutional levels.

Foot-and-mouth disease

A highly contagious disease, PNE requires the culling of infected and suspected animals, the establishment of protection and surveillance zones with severe restrictions on movement, rigorous disinfection and biosecurity measures, and, where necessary, the use of emergency vaccination based on the epidemiological trend and the availability of resources.

Avian influenza

The Plan establishes the early identification of outbreaks, the culling of infected or suspected animals, the delineation of protection and surveillance areas, and the strengthening of health checks and biosecurity measures in poultry farms, accompanied by epidemiological tracing activities. (Source: https://www.anmvioggi.it /)