NAVLE Regulatory and State Veterinary Medicine & International Trade: practice questions

Question 1 · hard

Private veterinarians in a country vaccinate cattle under an official brucellosis programme and record results for the state. In WOAH terms, how should they be classed?

1. As members of the Veterinary Authority itself, with full legal powers to impose movement restrictions
2. As outside the Veterinary Services entirely, because only government employees can belong to them
3. As veterinary paraprofessionals, because they act on delegated tasks rather than as veterinarians
4. As part of the Veterinary Services, working under the oversight of the Veterinary Authority

Question 2 · easy

Within what time must a WOAH Member notify WOAH of an event that meets the criteria for immediate notification?

1. Within 7 days
2. Within 72 hours
3. Within 24 hours
4. Within 30 days

Question 3 · easy

A practitioner examines cattle with fever, salivation and vesicles on the tongue and feet in a country free of foot-and-mouth disease. What should she do first?

1. Collect samples, send them to a private laboratory and report only if the result comes back positive
2. Treat the affected cattle with antibiotics and advise the owner to sell the rest before prices fall
3. Report the suspicion to the Veterinary Authority immediately and keep all animals and vehicles on the farm
4. Move the affected cattle to a separate farm owned by the client so the rest of the herd stays clean and unexposed

Question 4 · easy

Under the European Union Animal Health Law, what does 'category A' mean for a listed disease?

1. It occurs in every member state and is subject only to voluntary eradication programmes chosen by each state
2. It needs surveillance and reporting only, with no control measures required when it is detected in a herd
3. It needs measures only to prevent spread when animals enter the Union or move between member states
4. It does not normally occur in the Union and immediate eradication measures are required when it is detected

Question 5 · medium

Many rabies-free countries no longer require long quarantine of imported dogs. Which set of conditions usually replaces it?

1. A clinical examination at the airport and a written declaration by the owner that the dog has never bitten anyone
2. A single rabies vaccination given at the airport on arrival, followed by release to the owner on the same day
3. A blood test for antibodies against distemper and parvovirus taken within 48 hours before the flight departs
4. Microchip identification, rabies vaccination, a serological test showing an adequate antibody titre and a waiting period

Question 6 · medium

According to WOAH principles, what may a certifying veterinarian certify?

1. Anything the exporter declares in writing, provided the exporter signs a statement taking legal responsibility for it
2. Only matters within their own knowledge at signing, or ascertained by another competent party authorised by the Veterinary Authority
3. Any matter that is likely to be true based on the general disease situation of the region, even without records
4. Only matters they personally observed, so they may never rely on laboratory results produced by other people

Question 7 · medium

An exporter asks an official veterinarian to sign a batch of blank export certificates on Friday so they can be completed during the weekend shipment. What should the veterinarian do?

1. Sign them, provided the exporter promises in writing to fill them in accurately
2. Sign them, but keep photocopies so any later wrong entries can be traced back
3. Refuse, because certificates may be signed only when fully and correctly completed
4. Sign half of them now and the other half after the weekend shipment has left the port

Question 8 · medium

A certifying veterinarian finds a wrong date on a completed paper export certificate. Which correction is acceptable under usual certification rules?

1. Strike through the error so it stays legible and sign and stamp the alteration, or issue a new certificate
2. Use correction fluid to cover the error neatly, then write the right date in the same ink and colour
3. Leave the error, as importing authorities ignore dates on veterinary certificates in practice anyway
4. Ask the exporter's agent to correct the date and initial it, since the agent prepared the paperwork

Question 9 · hard

A veterinarian authorised to sign export certificates for cattle also owns a share in the exporting company. What is the correct position?

1. The veterinarian should not certify those consignments because of a commercial conflict of interest
2. The veterinarian may certify if the share is under 50%, since control of the company lies elsewhere
3. The veterinarian may certify if the importing country has not asked about ownership of the exporter
4. The veterinarian may certify if a second vet from the same company countersigns each certificate

Question 10 · medium

Which disinfectants are recommended against foot-and-mouth disease virus on premises after stamping out?

1. Ethanol at 70% as the sole agent on all surfaces
2. Sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate or citric acid solutions
3. Quaternary ammonium compounds used on their own at any dilution
4. Plain cold water used at a high pressure jet only