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(v) The parts of the vessel which have been occupied by persons suffering from plague or which in the opinion of the Health Officer are infected shall be disinsected and if necessary disinfected.
50.-(1) The Port Health Officer may require deratisation Provisions before the discharge of cargo, if he is of opinion, having relating to
discharge regard to the nature of the cargo and the way it is loaded, of cargo. that it is possible to effect a total destruction of the rats before discharge. In this case a ship shall not be subjected to a new deratisation after discharge. In other cases the complete destruction of the rodents shall be effected on board when the holds are empty. In the case of ships in ballast, this process shall be carried out as soon as possible before taking cargo.
(2) If the vessel is to discharge a part of its cargo only, and if the Port Health Officer considers that it is impossible to carry out complete deratisation, the said ship may remain in port for the time required to discharge that part of its cargo, provided that all precautions, including isolation, are taken to the satisfaction of the Port Health Officer to prevent rats from passing from the ship to the shore, either during unloading or otherwise.
(3) The discharge of cargo shall be carried out under the control of the Port Health Officer, who shall take all measures necessary to prevent the staff employed on this duty from becoming infected. The staff shall be subjected to observa- tion or surveillance for a period not exceeding six days from the time when they have ceased to work at the unloading of the vessel.
ary measures
51. Plague suspected vessels and aircraft shall undergo Pleague the measures specified in section 49 (i) (iv) and (v) and in precaution- section 50. In addition the passengers and crew may be in case of subjected to surveillance which shall not exceed six days vessels reckoned from the date of arrival.
suspected
aircraft.
precautions
vessels or
52. A vessel or aircraft shall be regarded as uninfected Pleague or healthy notwithstanding its coming from an infected port in case of if there has been no human or rat plague on board either at contact the time of departure, or during the voyage, or on arrival and the investigations regarding rats have not shown the existence of any unusual mortality.
53. An uninfected or healthy vessel or aircraft shall be given pratique immediately with the reservation that the Port Health Officer may prescribe the following measures with regard to it :-
(i) Medical
inspection to determine whether the condition of the ship corresponds to the definition of an uninfected ship.
(ii) Destruction of rats on board under the conditions specified in section 50 (1) in exceptional cases and for well- founded reasons which shall be communicated in writing to the captain of the vessel.
(iii) The passengers and crew may be subjected to surveillance for a period not exceeding six days from the date on which the vessel left the infected port.
The crew may be prevented during the same period from leaving the vessel except on duty notified to the Port Health Officer.
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