| (E) signature of the person who tested the cattle.
(6) The veterinarian interpreting the card test results shall,
at the time of testing, immediately report any and all positive test results
to the state-federal market inspector by means of the completed VS Form 4-54.
(7) Cattle which show a positive reaction to the card test
shall have another blood sample collected from them by an inspector. The inspector
will conduct another card test and the CITE test or deliver the sample to
a laboratory for a PCFIA test. If negative to the CITE or PCFIA tests, Strain
19 vaccinated dairy cattle shall be classified negative for intrastate movement
only and marked on the hip with yellow paint. If negative to the CITE or PCFIA
tests, beef cattle and non-Strain 19 vaccinated dairy cattle shall be classified
as suspect(s) and may be permitted to return to the premises of origin under
hold order for retest or be "S"-branded and permitted to slaughter or to a
quarantined feedlot or designated pen. In either case, the remainder of the
consignment may move unrestricted. Samples tested with the CITE test shall
then be submitted to a state/federal laboratory in a vacutainer for supplemental
testing and accompanied by a completed Form 91-28 which lists only the card
positive cattle.
(f) Requirements of a slaughter test. Slaughter plants operating
in Texas shall collect blood from all cattle 18 months of age and over except
steers and spayed heifers and finish fed cattle under 36 months of age. All
blood samples collected at slaughter shall be submitted to a state-federal
laboratory. Identification of the cattle in relation to the sample shall be
maintained so that reactors or suspects may be traced to their herd of origin.
The following collection procedures shall be followed:
(1) Blood samples shall be collected from each animal in tubes
numbered in sequence for each day's kill and placed in innercell mailing cartons
furnished by USDA.
(2) The samples shall be listed in numerical order on the USDA
Test Record, Market Cattle Testing Program Form (VS 4-54). All man-made identification
devices such as backtags, eartags, and bangle tags for each animal shall be
recorded on the VS 4-54 in the appropriate columns to the corresponding blood
sample.
(3) Known brucellosis reactors shall be identified on the VS
4-54 by entering "FR" in the test interpretation column.
(4) The full name and address of each person or firm from which
each animal was secured shall be recorded on the VS 4-54 and daily kill sheets.
Test records shall show the slaughter plant name and address, the date of
collection (kill date), and the signature of collector.
(5) The blood samples with the complete VS 4-54 and daily kill
sheets shall be promptly submitted to the appropriate state-federal laboratory.
(6) If cattle are delivered by someone other than the slaughterer
or the slaughterer's agent, the license plate number of the vehicle delivering
the cattle shall be recorded on slaughter records and made available to commission
personnel upon request.
(g) Retest of reactors. Reactors in markets or initial tests
on farms and ranches will be retested at the owner or his agent's request;
provided this request is within five days of his notification of the original
blood test results and prior to identification of the reactors by "B" brand
and eartag. Retest of reactors will be accomplished within five days of approval
for retest in dairies and 10 days of approval for retest in beef herds. Reactor
animals will be isolated from other cattle while awaiting retest. Animals
classified as reactors on the retest will be branded within 48 hours of classification.
Retesting of reactors on subsequent tests of the herd will be as provided
for in the herd plan.
(h) Identification of brucellosis affected cattle.
(1) Reactor cattle. All reactor cattle shall be permanently
identified within 15 days of classification by hot iron branding with the
letter "B" (at least two by two inches), placed high on the left hip near
the tailhead. An approved reactor tag shall be placed in the left ear. Identification
shall be prior to movement.
(2) Exposed Cattle. All exposed cattle moving to a quarantined
feedlot, designated pen, quarantined pasture, or to slaughter shall be identified
by branding with a hot iron the letter "S" (at least two by two inches) placed
high on the left hip near the tailhead. Identification shall be prior to movement,
except exposed cattle on the premise of origin may be "S" permitted to a livestock
market where they shall be identified by "S" brand upon arrival. Exposed cattle
returned from the livestock market to the herd of origin are exempt from such
identification.
(3) Suspects. Cattle classified as suspects in markets will
be identified as exposed cattle.
(i) Movement of cattle classified as reactors, exposed or suspects.
There shall be no diversion from the permitted destination. When moved, the
cattle must be maintained separate and apart from all other classes of livestock
in pens reserved for this purpose at livestock markets or trucking facilities.
These pens must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before reuse.
(1) Reactors. Reactors shall remain on the premises where disclosed
until a "B" permit for movement to immediate slaughter has been obtained.
Movement for immediate slaughter must be to a slaughtering establishment where
federal or state meat inspection is maintained or to a livestock market for
sale to such slaughtering establishment.
(2) Exposed cattle. All exposed cattle moving from a premise
of origin or from a livestock market to a quarantined pasture, designated
pen, quarantined feedlot, or to immediate slaughter shall remain on the premise
where disclosed until an "S" permit VS Form 1-27 for movement has been prepared
by a TAHC Representative and signed by the person or other legal entity moving
the cattle. The completed "S" permit shall accompany the shipment of cattle
to the permitted destination. Movement for immediate slaughter must be to
a slaughtering establishment where Federal or State meat inspection is maintained
or to a livestock market for sale to such slaughtering facility.
(3) Suspects. Suspects will be moved the same as exposed cattle,
except at a livestock market in a consignment of otherwise negative cattle
from a producer's herd of origin where the suspect is card positive on the
presumptive test and negative to supplemental tests, cattle may move as follows:
(A) For beef cattle and non-Strain 19 vaccinated dairy cattle,
the owner shall either:
(i) return the suspect under hold order to the herd of origin
until:
(I) the suspect is negative to the card test, in which case
the hold order will be released; or
(II) the suspect is classified as a reactor, in which case
it must be disposed of as described in subsection (j) of this section; or
(ii) sell the suspect to a quarantined feedlot, designated
pen, quarantined pasture, or to slaughter, identified with an "S" brand and
a 1-27 permit.
(B) For Strain 19 vaccinate beef cattle, the owner shall either:
(i) return the suspect under hold order to the herd of origin
until:
(I) the suspect is negative to the card test, in which case
the hold order will be released; or
(II) the suspect is declared a stabilized suspect by an epidemiologist
after subsequent testing conducted in not less than 30 days after the positive
card test was conducted; or
(III) the suspect is classified as a reactor, in which case
it must be disposed of as described in subsection (j) of this section; or
(ii) sell the suspect to a quarantined feedlot, designated
pen, quarantined pasture, or to slaughter, identified with an "S" brand and
a 1-27 permit.
(j) Immediate slaughter of reactors. Reactor cattle shall be
sold for immediate slaughter and removed from the premise under "B" permit
within 15 days from the date of identification for beef cattle and within
seven days from the date of identification for dairy cattle. Movement for
immediate slaughter shall be to a slaughtering establishment where Federal
or State inspection is maintained or to a livestock market for sale to such
a slaughtering establishment. When it has been determined by the Executive
Director that a specific reactor or reactors present a significant risk of
spread of brucellosis, those specific animals must move direct to slaughter
and may not be moved to a livestock market.
(k) Removal of heifer calves from quarantined herds. Heifers
born in an infected herd shall be removed from the herd immediately after
they are weaned and kept as a separate heifer herd under quarantine, or moved
to market with "S" permit to be "S" branded, or "S" branded and permitted
prior to movement to a quarantined pasture, designated pen, quarantined feedlot,
or slaughter.
(l) Requirements following classification of a dairy or a beef
animal or a bison as a reactor or a suspect.
Cont'd... |
