| (a) Definitions. The following words and terms, when
used in this section, shall have the following meanings, unless indicated
otherwise.
(1) Approved feeder-pig market--A livestock market
where only feeder pigs from the following herds of origin are accepted
for sale in accordance with federal interstate regulations and applicable
provisions of the federal program standards:
(A) All swine must originate in a qualified pseudorabies-negative
herd;
(B) All swine must originate in a pseudorabies-monitored
feeder-pig herd;
(C) Each animal must have an official 30-day pseudorabies
serologic test; or
(D) All swine must originate from a state that has
achieved Pseudorabies Eradication Program status of Stage IV or V.
(2) Approved slaughter market--A livestock market at
which shipments of slaughter swine only are permitted in accordance
with applicable state and federal regulations. No swine may be released
from an approved slaughter market unless consigned directly to a recognized
slaughtering establishment for immediate slaughter.
(3) Commercial Production Swine (Commercial Swine)--Those
swine that are continuously managed and have adequate facilities and
practices to prevent exposure to either high-risk domestic (transitional
production) swine or feral swine.
(4) Commission--Texas Animal Health Commission.
(5) Continuous flow feeder facility--A premises where
there is a constant population of swine in various stages of finish,
being fed for slaughter purposes.
(6) Direct shipment--Movement without unloading en
route, without contact with swine of lesser pseudorabies status, and
without contact with infected or exposed livestock.
(7) Executive Director--Executive Director of the Texas
Animal Health Commission.
(8) Farm of origin--A farm where the swine were born
or on which they have resided for at least 90 consecutive days immediately
prior to movement.
(9) Infected Herd--Any herd in which any swine have
been determined to be infected with pseudorabies virus by a designated
State or Federal veterinarian whose diagnosis is supported by official
pseudorabies test results.
(10) Official random-sample test (95/5)--A sampling
procedure utilizing official pseudorabies serologic tests which provides
a 95% probability of detecting infection in a herd in which at least
5.0% of the swine are seropositive for pseudorabies. Each segregated
group of swine on an individual premises must be considered a separate
herd and sampled as follows:
(A) less than 100 head--test 45 or entire herd, whichever
is the smaller;
(B) 100-200 head--test 51;
(C) 201-999 head--test 57;
(D) 1,000 head and over--test 59.
(11) Official pseudorabies tests--Tests for the diagnosis
of pseudorabies approved by USDA-APHIS-VS. Those tests are:
(A) microtitration serum-virus neutralization;
(B) virus isolation and identification;
(C) fluorescent antibody tissue section;
(D) Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), specifically
PRV-gB-ELISA or PRV-gpI-ELISA;
(E) latex agglutination; and
(F) Particle Concentration Fluorescence Immunoassay
(PCFIA), including the gpI PCFIA test.
(12) High-Risk Domestic Swine--Captive swine located
in feral swine areas in which management practices allow for possible
exposure via direct or indirect feral swine contact. High-risk domestic
swine are formerly referred to as transitional or transitional production
swine.
(b) Commercial Swine. To qualify as a producer of commercial
swine, the producer must implement sufficient safeguards, including,
but not limited to management practices, perimeter fencing, and confinement
to prevent commingling and nose to nose contact with feral or high-risk
domestic swine. Feral swine shall not be commingled with commercial
swine.
(c) Animal Identification. Breeding swine sold or destined
for slaughter are required to be identified to the farm of origin
using a method recognized by the commission.
(d) Movement Restrictions: All herds suspected of pseudorabies
will be placed under movement restrictions and investigated pending
final determination. Final determination of the presence or absence
of pseudorabies in a herd shall be made by the investigating veterinarian
in consultation with an epidemiologist designated by the Executive
Director. Official diagnosis shall be based on an official pseudorabies.
(e) Pseudorabies Management of Infected, Exposed or
Area Herds.
(1) If an animal is determined to be infected with
pseudorabies, it shall be identified by placing an approved reactor
tag in the left ear. The infected herd shall be disposed of within
15 days after test results are reported. Disposition may include destruction
or permitted movement to slaughter by a VS Form 1-27.
(2) Following a determination that a herd is infected,
a herd plan to eradicate the disease from a swine herd will be developed.
The plan shall be developed by a State or Federal veterinarian in
consultation with the herd owner or caretaker and his or her veterinarian.
The plan shall include provisions for release of quarantine as specified
in this subsection. The plan developed by the commission shall be
final and the owner or caretaker will be provided a copy.
(3) All exposed herds will be placed under movement
restrictions, using a quarantine or hold order, until negative diagnostic
test results are determined.
(4) All swine herds within a 2.0 mile radius of infected
premises will be monitored either by a test of all breeding swine
or an official random sample test. All exposed swine herds as determined
by epidemiological investigation and all swine herds within 2 miles
of the new case shall be tested with an official random-sample test
(95/5). Testing of the herds must be accomplished, with negative test
results, no earlier than 30 days and no later than 60 days after depopulation
of the affected herd and of the premises.
(5) Swine showing clinical signs of pseudorabies shall
not be removed from the premises. Swine on a quarantined premises
not showing clinical signs of pseudorabies may be moved only directly
to a slaughter plant and accompanied by a permit issued by a state
or federal inspector, or may be shipped directly to a slaughter plant
in an official sealed vehicle when accompanied by a permit.
(6) Vehicles used for slaughter delivery of movement-restricted
swine will be cleaned and disinfected immediately after unloading
and prior to loading with other livestock.
(7) Movement restrictions will be released in the following
instances:
(A) when all reactor animals have been removed from
the premises;
(B) when there have been no clinical signs of pseudorabies
on the premises after removal of the reactor swine; and
(C) when all exposed swine over six months of age along
with a number of progeny equal to 20% of the breeding swine selected
from the oldest portion of swine under six months of age remaining
in the herd have withstood one negative herd test. The test must be
conducted not less than 30 days from removal of last infected animals.
Herd additions must be tested negative prior to being added to the
herd, remain on the premises 30 or more days, and be retested negative;
or
(D) when all swine on the premises are depopulated;
the premises is cleaned and disinfected under the direction of state
or federal personnel and 30 days have passed with no swine on the
premises following cleaning and disinfecting.
(f) Pseudorabies Vaccine.
(1) Vaccination of swine with a pseudorabies vaccine
is prohibited without written permission of the Executive Director.
Written permission may be granted only for use in high-risk herds
or as part of an approved herd cleanup plan.
(2) Approved pseudorabies vaccine shall be a product
for which there is a laboratory test approved by the Executive Director
available to differentiate between vaccine and field infection titers.
(3) The Executive Director will restrict the sale of
approved pseudorabies vaccine to a TAHC Authorized Veterinarian for
use only in infected and high-risk herds. The Executive Director will
request a specific number of doses of vaccine to be shipped to the
TAHC Authorized Veterinarian making the request.
(4) The herd owner will sign a memorandum of understanding
with the commission, and the TAHC Authorized Veterinarian will be
accountable for the vaccine and its use by signing an agreement to
this effect.
(5) All vaccinated animals shall be marked with a hole
punched in the left ear of not less than 1/2 inch in diameter at the
time of vaccination or other form of identification approved by the
commission.
(6) The movement restrictions will be released as provided
for in this section utilizing an approved test that will identify
vaccine titers.
(g) Qualified pseudorabies negative herd.
(1) Qualified pseudorabies negative herd status is
attained by 100% testing of the adult breeding herd over six months
of age plus a number of progeny equal to 20% of the breeding swine
population in the herd and finding them negative to an official pseudorabies
serologic test. Progeny shall be randomly selected from the oldest
swine in the herd less than six months of age. The herd must not have
been a known infected herd within the past 30 days. A minimum of 90%
of the swine in the herd must have been on the premises and part of
the herd for at least 90 days prior to the qualifying official pseudorabies
serologic test or have entered directly from another qualified pseudorabies
negative herd.
(2) Qualified pseudorabies negative herd status is
maintained by conducting an official pseudorabies serologic test at
least once each year on at least 80% of the swine over six months
of age and on a number of progeny equal to 20% of the breeding swine
population of the herd. All swine tested shall be randomly selected
and in the case of adult swine, representative of all age groups on
the premises. This must be accomplished by testing 25% of the required
breeding swine and progeny every 80 to 105 days and finding all swine
so tested negative, or by testing 10% of the required breeding swine
and progeny each month and finding all swine so tested negative. No
swine shall be tested twice in one year to comply with the 25% requirement
or twice in 10 months to comply with the 10% requirement.
(3) If on a qualifying official pseudorabies serologic
test or any subsequent official pseudorabies test, any swine are tested
positive, qualified pseudorabies negative herd status is suspended
until the infection status of the herd is determined through testing
and an epidemiological study of the herd. Before qualified pseudorabies
negative herd status may be attained or regained, all seropositive
swine must be sold for slaughter and the herd tested and released
from movement restrictions as provided for in subsections (e) and
(g) of this section.
(4) All swine intended to be added to a qualified pseudorabies
negative herd shall be isolated until the swine are tested negative
on two official pseudorabies serologic tests, one conducted 30 days
or more after the swine have been placed in isolation and the second
conducted 30 days or more after the first test, unless any of the
following exceptions apply:
(A) Swine intended to be added to a qualified pseudorabies
negative herd directly from another qualified pseudorabies negative
herd may be added without isolation or testing;
(B) Swine intended to be added to a qualified pseudorabies
negative herd from another qualified pseudorabies negative herd, but
with interim contact with swine other than those from a single qualified
pseudorabies negative herd, shall be isolated until the swine have
been found negative to an official pseudorabies serologic test, conducted
30 days or more after the swine have been placed in isolation; or
(C) Swine returned to the herd after contact with swine
other than those from a single qualified pseudorabies negative herd
shall be isolated until the swine have been found negative to an official
pseudorabies serologic test conducted 30 days or more after the swine
have been placed in isolation.
(5) Test records will be maintained by the commission
at its Central Office. Herd owners or caretakers will receive a letter
from the Executive Director's designee listing test dates, test results,
the laboratory in which the test was run, and the qualified herd status
of the herd.
(h) Requirements for a pseudorabies-monitored feeder-pig
herd. To qualify as a pseudorabies-monitored feeder-pig herd, breeding
swine must sample and test negative to an official pseudorabies serologic
test during the last 12 months at the following rate:
(1) 10 head--test all;
(2) 11 to 35 head--test 10;
(3) 36 head or more--test 30% or 30, whichever is less.
Breeding swine that are tested are to be selected at random from all
age groups, including herd boars, with all groups to be proportionately
represented.
Cont'd... |
