§ 54.8 - Requirements for flocks under investigation and flocks subject to flock plans and post-exposure management and monitoring plans.

§ 54.8 Requirements for flocks under investigation and flocks subject to flock plans and post-exposure management and monitoring plans.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 84 FR 11183, Mar. 25, 2019.

(a) The (a) For animals in a flock under investigation, flock plan, or post-exposure management and monitoring plan (PEMMP), the official identification must provide a unique identification number that is applied by the owner of the flock or his or her agent and must identify all animals 1 year of age or over within the flock. All animals less than 1 year of age must be identified when a change of ownership occurs, with the exception of those animals under 1 year of age moving within slaughter channels that must be identified in accordance with §§ 79.2 and 79.3 of this chapter. The form of identification must be an be linked to that flock in the National Scrapie Database. APHIS may specify the type of official identification that may be used in order to maximize retention of the means of identification, identify restricted or test positive animals or to facilitate the testing or inventory of the animals. The owner of the flock or his or her agent must officially identify and maintain the identity of:

(1) All animals in the flock while it is subject to a flock plan or PEMMP;

(2) Any high-risk or genetically susceptible exposed animals in the flock and any other restricted animals;

(3) Any animals designated for testing by an APHIS representative or State representative until testing is completed, results reported, and animals classified; and

(4) All sexually intact animals, all exposed animals, and animals 18 months of age and older (as evidenced by the eruption of the second incisor) prior to a change in ownership and before they are moved off the premises of the flock.

(b) For flocks under a flock plan or PEMMP, the flock owner must maintain the following records for 5 years or until the flock plan and/or PEMMP is completed, whichever is longer.

(1) For acquired animals, the date of acquisition, name and address of the person from whom the animal was acquired, any identifying marks, or identification devices present on the animal including but not limited to the animal's individual official identification number(s) from its electronic implant, flank tattoo, ear tattoo, tamper-resistant eartag, or, in the case of goats, tail fold tattoo, and any secondary form of identification the owner of the flock may choose to maintain and the records required by § 79.2 of this chapter.

(2) For animals leaving the premises of the flock, the disposition of the animal, including, any identifying marks or identification devices present on the animal, including but not limited to the animal's individual official identification number from its electronic implant, flank tattoo, ear tattoo,

or

tamper-resistant

ear tag approved for this use by APHIS. In

eartag, or, in the case of goats,

the form of identification may alternatively be

a tail fold tattoo

. The official identification must provide a unique identification number that is applied by

, and any secondary form of identification the owner of the flock

or his or her agent and must be linked to that flock in the National Scrapie Database.

(b

may choose to maintain, the date and cause of death, if known, or date of removal from the flock and name and address of the person to whom the animal was transferred and the records required by § 79.2 of this chapter.

(c) Upon request by a State or APHIS representative or as required in a PEMMP, the owner of the flock or his or her agent must have an accredited veterinarian collect tissues from animals for scrapie diagnostic purposes and submit them to a laboratory designated by a State or APHIS representative or collect and submit samples by another method acceptable to APHIS.

(

c

d) Upon request by a State or APHIS representative, the owner of the flock or his or her agent must make animals in the flock available for inspection and or testing and the records required to be kept as a part of these plans available for inspection and copying.

(

d

e) The owner of the flock or his or her agent must meet requirements found necessary by a

State or APHIS representative

DSE to monitor for scrapie and to prevent the recurrence of scrapie in the flock and to prevent the spread of scrapie from the flock. These other requirements may include, but are not limited to: Utilization of a live-animal screening test; reporting animals found dead and collecting and submitting test samples from them; restrictions on the animals that may be moved from the flock; use of genetically resistant rams; segregated lambing; cleaning and disinfection of lambing facilities; and/or education of the owner of the flock and personnel working with the flock in techniques to recognize clinical signs of scrapie and to control the spread of scrapie.

(

e

f) The owner of the flock or his or her agent must immediately report the following animals to a State representative, APHIS representative, or an accredited veterinarian; ensure that samples are properly collected for testing if the animal dies; allow the animals to be tested, and not remove them from a flock without written permission of a State or APHIS representative:

(1) Any sheep or goat exhibiting weight loss despite retention of appetite; behavioral abnormalities; pruritus (itching); wool pulling; wool loss; biting at legs or side; lip smacking; motor abnormalities such as incoordination, high stepping gait of forelimbs, bunny hop movement of rear legs, or swaying of back end; increased sensitivity to noise and sudden movement; tremor

, “star gazing,”

; star gazing; head pressing

,

; recumbency; rubbing, or other signs of neurological disease or chronic wasting illness; and

(2) Any sheep or goat in the flock that has tested positive for scrapie or for the proteinase resistant protein associated with scrapie on a live-animal screening test or any other test.

(

f) Requirements for flock plans only. (1)

g) An epidemiologic investigation must be conducted to identify high-risk and exposed animals that currently reside in the flock or that previously resided in the flock, and all high-risk animals, scrapie-positive animals, and suspect animals must be removed from the flock except as provided in paragraph (h) of this section. The animals must be removed either by movement to an approved research facility or by

euthanization

euthanasia and disposal of the carcasses by burial, incineration, or other methods approved by the Administrator and in accordance with local, State, and Federal laws, or

, in the case of high-risk animals, by movement to slaughter in accordance with the provisions of part 79 of this chapter, or

upon request in individual cases by another means determined by the Administrator to be sufficient to prevent the spread of scrapie

;

.

(

2) The premises of a flock under a flock plan must be cleaned and disinfected in accordance with § 54.7(e). Additional guidance on acceptable means of cleaning and disinfection is also available in the Scrapie Flock Certification Program standards and the Scrapie Eradication Uniform Methods and Rules. Premises or portions of premises may be exempted from the cleaning and disinfecting requirements if a designated scrapie epidemiologist determines, based on epidemiologic investigation, that cleaning and disinfection of such buildings, holding facilities, conveyances, or other materials on the premises will not significantly reduce the risk of the spread of scrapie, either because effective disinfection is not possible or because the normal operations on the premises prevent transmission of scrapie. No area where a scrapie-positive animal lambed or aborted may be exempted; (3

h) The Administrator may allow high-risk animals that are not suspect animals to be retained under restriction if they are not genetically susceptible animals or if they have tested “PrPsc not detected” on a live animal scrapie test approved for this purpose by the Administrator and are maintained in a manner that the Administrator determines minimizes the risk of scrapie transmission, e.g., bred only to genetically resistant sheep, segregated for lambing, and cleaning and disinfection of the lambing area. Such animals may be retained only if the exempted animal's official identification and the requirements for minimizing the risk of scrapie transmission are documented in the PEMMP and the owner is in compliance with the PEMMP. All such animals must be tested for scrapie when they are euthanized or die or if they are later determined to be suspect animals.

(i) The owner of the flock, or his or her agent, must request breed associations and registries, livestock

markets

facilities, and packers to disclose records to APHIS representatives or State representatives, to be used to identify source flocks and trace exposed animals, including high-risk animals

; and

.

(

4

j) The flock

owner must agree to conduct post-exposure management and monitoring. (g) Requirements for post-exposure management and monitoring plans only: The plan must require that a State or APHIS representative inspect the flock and flock records at least once every 12 months. The owner of the flock or his or her agent must maintain, and keep for a minimum of 5 years after an animal dies or is otherwise

plan will include a description of the types of animals that must be removed from a flock, the

following records for each animal in the flock:

(1) Any identifying marks or tags present on the animal, including the animal's individual official identification number from its electronic implant, flank tattoo, ear tattoo, tamper resistant ear tag, or, in the case of goats, tail fold tattoo, and any secondary form of identification the owner of the flock may choose to maintain;

(2) Sex, year of birth, breed, and when possible to determine, the following: sire, dam, and offspring of the animal;

(3) Date of acquisition and previous flock, if the animal was not born in the flock; and

(4) Disposition of the animal, including the date and cause of death, if known, or date of removal from the flock and name and address of the person to whom the animal was transferred.

(h) Modification of flock plans and post-exposure management and monitoring plans. A designated scrapie epidemiologist may modify the requirements of a flock plan or post-exposure management and monitoring plan to accommodate the situation of a particular flock if the modified plan requires:

(1) That a State or APHIS representative inspect the flock and flock records at least once every 12 months;

(2) The testing of animals at a level that will result in 99 percent confidence of detecting a 1 percent prevalence in the flock (for flock plans only);

(3) The official identification of all animals upon leaving the premises of the flock for purposes other than slaughter and of all animals over 18 months of age (as evidenced by the eruption of the second incisor) in slaughter channels; and

(4) Recordkeeping including:

(i) For acquired animals, the date of acquisition, name and address of the person from whom the animal was acquired, any identifying marks or tags present on the animal including the animal's individual official identification number from its electronic implant, flank tattoo, ear tattoo, tamper resistant ear tag, or, in the case of goats, tail fold tattoo, and any secondary form of identification the owner of the flock may choose to maintain.

(ii) For animals leaving the premises of the flock, the disposition of the animal, including, for those animals that are required to be identified, any identifying marks or tags present on the animal, including the animal's individual official identification number from its electronic implant, flank tattoo, ear tattoo, tamper resistant ear tag, or, in the case of goats, a tail fold tattoo, and any secondary form of identification the owner of the flock may choose to maintain, the date and cause of death, if known, or date of removal from the flock and name and address of the person to whom the animal was transferred.

(iii) Maintenance of these records for 5 years.

(5) Requirements equivalent to those contained in paragraphs (b), (c), (d), and (e) of this section.

(i) Post-exposure management and monitoring plans for exposed flocks that were not source flocks and in which a scrapie infected animal did not lamb. A designated scrapie epidemiologist shall determine the testing and monitoring requirements for these flocks based on the exposure risk of the individual flock.

timeframes in which they must be removed and any other actions that must be accomplished in order for the flock plan to be completed. Flock plans shall require an owner to agree to:

(1) Clean and disinfect the premises in accordance with § 54.7(e). Premises or portions of premises may be exempted from the cleaning and disinfecting requirements if a designated scrapie epidemiologist determines, based on an epidemiologic investigation, that cleaning and disinfection of such buildings, holding facilities, conveyances, or other materials on the premises will not significantly reduce the risk of the spread of scrapie, either because effective disinfection is not possible or because the normal operations on the premises prevent transmission of scrapie. No confined area where a scrapie-positive animal was born, lambed or aborted may be exempted;

(2) Agree to conduct a post-exposure management and monitoring plan (PEMMP); and

(3) Comply with any other conditions in the flock plan;

(k) A PEMMP will be required for exposed flocks and may be required for flocks under investigation that were not source or infected flocks. A PEMMP may also be required for flocks that formerly were exposed flocks or flocks under investigation as a condition for being redesignated. A designated scrapie epidemiologist shall determine when to require a PEMMP and the monitoring requirements for these flocks based on the findings of the classification or reclassification investigation.

(l) Provided that, the Administrator may waive the requirement for a flock plan or PEMMP or waive any of the requirements in a flock plan or PEMMP after determining that the flock poses a low risk of scrapie transmission.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control numbers 0579-0101 and 0579-0469)

[84 FR 11183, Mar. 25, 2019]