| (a) Scrapie Flock Certification Program-Producers have the
opportunity to enroll their flock in this TAHC-APHIS sponsored program through
to certify their flock free of scrapie. Standards include:
(1) Flocks are monitored for a period of five years for the
presence of clinical signs of scrapie, to achieve "Certified Free" status.
(2) All animals one year of age and older are officially identified
with a tamper resistant premise and individual identification eartag or at
less than 12 months of age if a change of ownership occurs.
(3) Flock owner shall immediately report animals displaying
clinical signs suspicious of scrapie to his/her veterinarian or an APHIS or
TAHC representative who will conduct an investigation. The owner shall sacrifice
suspicious animals for appropriate histopathological testing when requested.
(4) Owner shall maintain records on all acquisitions, departures,
movements, births, and account for all deaths in the flock.
(5) Owner shall allow breed associations, livestock markets,
and slaughter facilities to disclose records to TAHC and/or APHIS representatives
if necessary.
(6) Owner shall provide necessary facilities and personnel
to assist in inspections and examination of the flock to:
(A) verify animal identification; and,
(B) check for clinical signs consistent with scrapie; and,
(C) check records for completeness and accuracy.
(7) Owner shall report to the State Certification Board all
acquisitions of sheep from flocks with lower status or from flocks not participating
in the program.
(b) Farm, slaughter, and market surveillance.
(1) Disposition of suspicious animals at the market or on the
farm:
(A) Clinically suspect and test-positive animals may not be
moved from the premises where identified except under permit to a research
facility designated by TAHC or APHIS, to a site for destruction, or, when
appropriate, back to the flock of origin under hold order.
(i) An investigation will be conducted on the animal and the
flock of origin.
(ii) The animal may be purchased for diagnostic purposes and
necropsied, or maintained under hold order until it recovers and is released,
or dies and is subjected to a postmortem examination.
(B) Clinically suspect animals identified at slaughter facilities
must be condemned according to Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulations,
and samples collected for diagnosis and the carcass removed from the food
chain.
(2) A random sampling of animals at slaughter will be conducted
to identify scrapie-infected flocks.
(c) Live animal surveillance testing: TAHC or APHIS representatives
may conduct live animal sampling on high-risk animals. Restrictions on the
flock will remain until all high-risk animals have been tested negative when
they die or are culled from the flock.
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