Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 11, August 30, 2024
(1) All milk
for pasteurization, ultra-pasteurization, aseptic processing and packaging, or
retort processed after packaging shall be from herds under a TB eradication
program, which meets one (1) of the following conditions:
(a) Areas which have modified accredited
advanced TB status or higher as determined by the USDA; or
(b) An area which fails to maintain such
status:
1. Any herd shall have been accredited
by USDA; or
2. Shall have passed an
annual TB test; or
3. The area
shall have established a TB testing protocol for livestock that assures TB
protection and surveillance of the dairy industry within the area and that is
approved by the FDA, the USDA and the Health Officer.
Note: Under the Federal
USDA Bovine TB Eradication Program, only cattle, bison, and captive cervids are
covered under the USDA State TB status determination. Therefore, other hooved
mammals (goats, sheep, water buffalo, camels, etc.) are not covered within the
program and shall comply with one (1) of the options cited under 3
below.
(2) All milk for pasteurization,
ultra-pasteurization, aseptic processing and packaging or retort processed
after packaging shall be from herds under a brucellosis eradication program,
which meets one (1) of the following conditions:
(a) Located in a Certified Brucellosis-Free
Area as defined by the USDA and enrolled in the testing program for such areas;
or
(b) Meet USDA requirements for a
Certified Brucellosis-Free Herd; or
(c) Participating in a milk ring testing
program at least two (2) times per year at approximately one hundred eighty
(180) day intervals and all herds with positive milk ring results shall have
the entire herd blood tested within thirty (30) days from the date of the
laboratory ring tests; or
(d) Have
an individual blood agglutination test on all cattle or bison six (6) months of
age or older, except steers and spayed heifers, annually with an allowable
maximum grace period not exceeding two (2) months.
Note: Under the Federal
USDA Bovine Brucellosis Eradication Program, only cattle and bison are covered
under the USDA State brucellosis status determination. Therefore, cattle are
the only dairy animal currently covered by both the Federal USDA brucellosis
and TB programs. All other hooved mammals (goats, sheep, water buffalo, camels,
etc.) are not covered within these programs and shall comply with one (1) of
the options cited under (3) below.
(3) Goat, sheep, water buffalo, camel, or any
other hooved mammal milk for pasteurization, ultra-pasteurization, aseptic
processing and packaging, or retort processed after packaging, defined under
this rule, shall be from a herd or flock that:
(a) Has passed an annual whole herd or flock
brucellosis and/or TB testing as recommended by the State Veterinarian or USDA
Area Veterinarian in Charge (AVIC) using tests approved by USDA APHIS for the
specific disease and species (blood testing for brucellosis and the caudal fold
tuberculin test for TB); or
(b) Has
passed an initial whole herd brucellosis and/or TB testing, followed only by
testing replacement animals or any animals entering the milking group or sold
as dairy animals using tests approved by USDA APHIS for the specific disease
and species (blood testing for brucellosis and the caudal fold tuberculin test
for TB); or
(c) Has passed an
annual random individual animal brucellosis and/or TB testing program, using
tests approved by USDA APHIS for the specific disease and species (blood
testing for brucellosis and the caudal fold tuberculin test for TB), sufficient
to provide a confidence level of 99 percent with a P value of 0.05. Any herd or
flock with one (1) or more confirmed positive animals shall go to 100 percent
testing until the whole herd tests show no positive animals are found;
or
(d) Has passed a USDA APHIS
approved bulk milk test for the specific disease and species, at USDA APHIS
recommended frequency, with an implementation date based on the availability of
the bulk milk test once USDA APHIS has approved such a test for the specific
disease and species (The brucellosis ring test is USDA APHIS approved for the
bovine species and is not suitable for most non-bovine species.); or
(e) Is determined to be free of brucellosis
and/or TB as provided by the development and implementation of a state
administered brucellosis-free and/or TB-free herd certification program
involving a documented surveillance program, which includes records supporting
the tests required in this section, and an official annual written
certification from the State Veterinarian documenting their brucellosis-free
and/or TB-free status. The surveillance program shall be documented and the
official annual written state brucellosis-free and/or TB-free certification
shall be retained on file with the State Health Officer. This official annual
written state brucellosis-free and/or TB-free certification shall include a
current list of Grade "A" non-cattle dairy herds and/or flocks (goats, sheep,
water buffalo, camels, etc.) that are covered within the documented
surveillance program and contained within the official annual written state
brucellosis-free and/or TB-free certification (refer to the
Note: on page 35).
(f) The following table will provide the
random sampling size needed to achieve 99 percent confidence with a P value of
0.05:
|
Herd/Flock Size
|
Sampling Size
|
Herd/Flock Size
|
Sampling Size
|
|
20
|
20
|
500
|
82
|
|
50
|
41
|
600
|
83
|
|
100
|
59
|
700
|
84
|
|
150
|
67
|
800
|
85
|
|
200
|
72
|
1000
|
86
|
|
250
|
75
|
1400
|
87
|
|
300
|
77
|
1800
|
88
|
|
350
|
79
|
4000
|
89
|
|
400
|
80
|
10000
|
89
|
|
450
|
81
|
100000
|
90
|
(g) For
diseases other than brucellosis and TB, the Health Officer shall require such
physical, chemical, or bacteriological tests as he/she deems necessary. The
diagnosis of other diseases in dairy animals shall be based upon the findings
of a licensed and accredited veterinarian or an accredited veterinarian in the
employ of an official agency. Any diseased animal disclosed by such test(s)
shall be disposed of as the Health Officer directs.
(h) Records supporting the tests required in
this section shall be available to the Health Officer and be validated with the
signature of a licensed and accredited veterinarian or an accredited
veterinarian in the employ of an official agency.
Note: For the ICP,
references to USDA and/or state in Items (a) through (e) above shall mean the
government agency responsible for animal disease control in the country or
region of that country. The term "accredited veterinarian" shall mean an
individual veterinarian authorized for those activities in said country or
region of that country.
(4) Public Health Reason
(a) The health of the animal is a very
important consideration because a number of diseases of cattle, including TB,
brucellosis, Q-fever, salmonellosis, staphylococcic infection, and
streptococcic infection may be transmitted to man through the medium of milk.
The organisms of most of these diseases may get into the milk either directly
from the udder or indirectly through infected body discharges which may drop,
splash, or be blown into the milk.
(b) The great reduction in the incidence of
bovine TB in man indicates that the practice of good sanitation in animal
husbandry, the testing of cattle and removal of the reactors from the herds,
and the pasteurization of milk have been effective in the control of this
disease. The reservoir of bovine TB still exists, however, constant vigilance
against this disease must be continued by industry and health
agencies.
(5)
Administrative Procedures - This item is deemed to be satisfied when:
(a) Bovine Tuberculosis - All tuberculin
tests and retests shall be made and any reactors disposed of, in accordance
with the current edition of
Uniform Methods and Rules; Bovine TB
Eradication,. Uniform Methods and Rules for Establishment and Maintenance of
TB-Free Accredited Herds of Cattle, Modified Accredited Areas and Areas
Accredited Free of Bovine TB in the Domestic Bovine, as published by
the USDA at the time of the adoption of these rules. For TB test purposes, the
herd is defined as all adult cattle twenty-four (24) months of age and over,
including any commingled beef animals. Dairy cattle less than two (2) years of
age and already milking shall be included in the herd test. A letter or other
official correspondence attesting to the accreditation status of the locality
in which the herd is located, including the date of accreditation, or a
certificate identifying the animals tested, the date of injection, the date of
reading of the test, and the results of the test signed by a USDA accredited
veterinarian shall be evidence of compliance with the above requirements and
shall be filed with the Health Officer (see Appendix A).
Note: For the ICP, an
official letter or other official correspondence attesting to the accreditation
status of the locality in which the herd is located, including the date of
accreditation or recertification or certificate identifying the animals tested,
the date of injection, the date of the reading of the test, and the results of
the test signed by the county's veterinary services shall be provided as
directed by the TPC.
(b)
Bovine Brucellosis - All brucellosis tests, retests, disposal of reactors,
vaccination of calves, and certification of herds and areas shall be in
accordance with the current edition of Brucellosis Eradication
Recommended Uniform
Methods and Rules, as published
by the USDA. All reactors disclosed on blood agglutination tests shall be
separated immediately from the milking herd; the milk of these reactors shall
not be used for human consumption.
(c) A certificate identifying each animal,
signed by the veterinarian and the director of the laboratory making the test,
shall be filed as directed by the Health Officer. Provided, that in the event
the herd is subject to the milk ring test, the record shall be required to show
only the date and results of such test. Within thirty (30) days following the
expiration of an official milk ring testing program or in the case of a herd
subject to annual blood tests, thirteen (13) months following the last annual
blood tests, the Health Officer shall notify the herd owner or operator of the
necessity to comply with the brucellosis requirements. The failure of the herd
owner or operator to comply with the brucellosis requirements within thirty
(30) days of written notice shall result in immediate suspension of the permit
(See Appendix A).
Note: For the ICP, a
certificate identifying each animal signed by the country's veterinary services
and director of the laboratory conducting the testing shall be provided as
directed by the TPC.
(d)
Other Diseases - Cows which show a complete induration of one quarter or
extensive induration in one or more quarters of the udder upon physical
examination, whether secreting abnormal or not shall be permanently excluded
from the milking herd; provided this shall not apply in the case of a quarter
that is completely dry. Lactating animals giving bloody, stringy, or otherwise
abnormal milk based on bacteriological, chemical, or physical examination, but
without entire or extensive induration of the udder, shall be excluded from the
herd until re-examination shows that the milk has become normal. For other
diseases such tests and examinations as the Health Officer may require shall be
made at intervals and by methods prescribed by him or the Alabama State
Veterinarian, and any diseased or dead animals or reactors shall be disposed of
as either may require.
Author: G. M. Gallaspy, Jr.
Statutory Authority:
Code of Ala.
1975, §§
22-2-2,
22-20-7.
