Texas Administrative Code
Title 4 - AGRICULTURE
Part 2 - TEXAS ANIMAL HEALTH COMMISSION
Chapter 60 - SCRAPIE
Section 60.4 - Monitoring and Surveillance
Universal Citation: 4 TX Admin Code ยง 60.4
Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024
(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.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Texas may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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