Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 5C-6.006 - Purpose and Requirements - Swine Brucellosis

(1) All swine are subject to test. All swine in Florida are subject to brucellosis testing and the owner or custodian is required under receipt of official notice from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to present his swine for test as directed.

(2) Official test. The following methods of brucellosis testing shall be considered official:

(a) The standard tube agglutination test accomplished by a state-federal laboratory upon blood samples collected by accredited veterinarians, or by such persons as may be authorized by the chief state and federal animal health regulatory officials.

(b) The standard card test conducted by representatives of the department or by such persons as may be authorized by the chief state and federal animal health regulatory officials.

(c) The semen plasma test, in boars used for artificial insemination, when used in conjunction with the standard card test or the standard tube agglutination test. Classification of animals will be based on the maximum titer of either test.

(3) Definition of reactor, suspect, and negative.

(a) A reactor to the brucellosis test is defined as follows:

1. Any swine that discloses complete standard tube test agglutination reactions to the blood titer dilution of 1:100 or higher.

2. Any swine having a complete reaction in the 1:25 dilution or higher, in an infected herd or in a herd of unknown status due to an incomplete herd test.

3. Any swine disclosing a positive standard card test reaction or are found infected by other diagnostic procedures.

(b) Standard card test-positive swine disclosed in a herd which is otherwise serologically, bacteriologically and epidemiologically negative may be considered as suspects and held under quarantine until subjected to subsequent tests to determine the status of the animals.

(c) A negative animal to the brucellosis test is defined as follows:

1. Any swine from an infected herd or herd of unknown status that discloses a standard tube test agglutination reaction of less than complete agglutination in the blood titer dilution of 1:25.

2. Any swine from a validated herd, a herd not known to be infected in a validated area, or on a complete herd test that discloses a standard tube test agglutination reaction of less than complete agglutination in the blood titer dilution of 1:100.

3. Any swine which gives no reaction to the brucellosis standard card test.

(4) Identification of tested swine. Each animal tested shall be individually and permanently identified by a numbered metal eartag or tattoo unless the animal is already identified by such eartag or tattoo. Registered purebred swine may be eartagged for identification, or if positive identification can be satisfactorily maintained by use of ear tattoo or ear notch, such identification may be used, providing all such identification has been recorded in the book of record of a purebred registry association and is accurately recorded on the reports which accompany the blood samples.

(5) Identification of reactor swine. Reactor swine are to be permanently identified by placing an approved reactor eartag in the left ear.

(6) Quarantine and quarantine release. All swine in infected herds must be placed under quarantine and be confined to the premises until free of brucellosis or sold for slaughter under permit. Two consecutive negative herd tests are required for release of quarantine, with the first test occurring not less than 30 days after the removal of all reactors, and the second test to occur not less than 90 days following the first negative test. Herds of origin of market swine test (MST) reactors which fail to reveal additional reactors on a test of the entire herd would not be required to be held under quarantine for additional testing unless evidence suggestive of brucellosis infection or exposure thereto is present.

(7) Disposition of reactors and other swine from infected herds. Reactors must be sold for slaughter and be removed from the premises within 15 days of the date of identification. Reactors and other swine from infected herds may be moved under permit for immediate slaughter directly to recognized slaughtering establishments or may be sold for immediate slaughter through the regular sales facilities of public auction markets. Reactor swine upon delivery to the slaughtering establishment shall be slaughtered as soon as practicable. The time may be extended for reasons mutually acceptable to the chief state and federal regulatory officials.

(8) Reports of testing and tagging. Reports covering the testing (official or private), tagging, or identifying as required by this chapter must be immediately filed with the department by the veterinarian accomplishing the work.

(9) Herd management. Swine owners are required to practice sound herd management and sanitation procedures necessary to maintain herds free from infection as recommended by representatives of the department.

(10) Cleaning and disinfection of infected premises. Premises shall be cleaned and disinfected under regulatory supervision within 15 days following removal of the reactors or the entire herd for slaughter. An extension of time may be granted under extenuating circumstances. Exemptions from the cleaning and disinfection requirements, when indicated, can be authorized by the chief state and federal regulatory officials.

(11) Services to owners. Services shall be rendered without expense to the owner as long as funds for such purposes are available; however, owners are to provide for the handling of their animals. Contracts with accredited veterinarians, nonprofessionals, other state and federal agencies, or with the management of privately owned firms are to be used as needed to assist state and federal animal health personnel accomplish necessary sample collections, animal identifications and other activities.

(12) Successful traceback of MST reactors. A successful traceback occurs when the premises or herd of origin of a MST reactor is located and the herd is tested. If the herd has been dispersed or a significant portion of the herd has been dispersed, the herd(s) of destination of these dispersed animals must be located and the brucellosis status of these dispersed animals established by official blood test to claim a successful traceback. Further testing in the herd(s) of destination shall be conducted as is deemed necessary by the designated epidemiologist. If all animals at the premises of origin were sold for slaughter, a successful traceback can also be claimed. However, if some animals were not sold for slaughter, then the animals sold for return to farms must be traced and tested at destination to claim successful traceback. Tracing to dealers, feedlots, commission firms, and such, are not considered successful tracebacks of reactors.

(13) Exposed swine. Swine that are part of a known infected herd or have been in contact with brucellosis reactors in marketing channels for periods of 24 hours or periods of less than 24 hours if the reactor has recently aborted, farrowed, or has a vaginal or uterine discharge, are considered to be exposed regardless of the blood test results and must be placed under quarantine and restricted pending slaughter or testing after return to the herd of origin.

(14) Terminating validation status. Herd or area validation status may be terminated at any time during the period if the herd or area does not maintain adequate surveillance measures or fails to comply with quarantine, testing schedules, initial testing schedule for suspicious herds detected by the surveillance measures, or proper disposal of reactors unless legal action has been instituted and is in progress.

(15) Reinstating validation status. When herds or areas lose validation status because of deficiencies in levels of surveillance or in procedures necessary for locating infected herds, controlling infected or exposed swine, and eliminating infected swine as prescribed under the various plans and procedures, the validation status may be reinstated upon presentation of sufficient evidence showing that the deficiencies have been corrected. Areas in which the deficiencies have not been corrected within six months of the termination of the status must qualify as for initial validation.

(16) Market test swine. Includes sows, boars, and stags moving in trade through auction markets, stockyards, buying stations, or to slaughter establishments; also included are those sows, boars, and stags assembled at farms or ranches that are being readied for immediate movement to markets, stockyards, or slaughtering establishments or other sales.

(17) Feedlot. A feedlot is defined as a confined drylot area for finish-feeding swine on concentrated feed with no facilities for pasturing or grazing. All swine in feedlots must be held separate and apart from all breeding swine.

(18) Herd test. The herd test must include all breeding swine six months of age and older. All swine being held for feeding purposes are exempt from herd test requirements provided they are maintained separate and apart from all breeding swine.

(19) Infected herd. A herd in which any of the swine discloses a standard tube test agglutination reaction of complete 1:100 or higher or is positive on the standard card test. The herd may be reclassified by a qualified epidemiologist on the results of additional diagnostic procedures if the percentage of reactor animals is less than five percent.

Notes

Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 5C-6.006

Rulemaking Authority 585.002(3), 585.08(2) FS. Law Implemented 585.08(1), (3), 585.11(1), (2), 585.145 FS.

Amended 9-1-72, 8-1-76, 9-30-80, 6-26-83, Formerly 5C-6.06, Amended 6-1-92.

Amended 9-1-72, 8-1-76, 9-30-80, 6-26-83, Formerly 5C-6.06, Amended 6-1-92.