SubTitle22-278-A1_22-278-A14. Scrapie Eradication, Title22 Agriculture. Domestic Animals, Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies

Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies (Last Updated: June 14,2023)

SubTitle22-278-A1_22-278-A14. Scrapie Eradication

Sec. 22-278-A1. Definitions

Latest version.

As used in this section and in sections 22-278-A2 to 22-278-A14, inclusive, of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.

(1) "Animal" means a sheep or goat, including lambs and kids;

(2) "Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)" means the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture;

(3) "Approved laboratory" means a laboratory approved by the state veterinarian and USDA to conduct scrapie testing;

(4) "Area veterinarian in charge (AVIC)" means the veterinary official of APHIS who is assigned by the administrator of APHIS to supervise and perform the official animal health work of APHIS in the state concerned;

(5) "Breed association and registries" means organizations that maintain the permanent records of ancestry or pedigrees of animals (including the animal's sire and dam), individual identification of animals, and ownership of animals;

(6) "CFR" means the United States Code of Federal Regulations;

(7) "Commingle" means animals grouped together and having physical contact with each other, including contact through a fence. Commingling includes, but is not limited to, sharing an enclosure, sharing the same section in a transportation unit where there is physical contact and residing in other flocks for breeding or other purposes;

(8) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Agriculture or the Commissioner's designated agent;

(9) "Dealer" means any person, firm or corporation who sells, offers for sale or arranges the sale of sheep or goats for another person, firm or corporation.

(10) "Department" means the Connecticut Department of Agriculture;

(11) "Designated scrapie epidemiologist (DSE)" means a state or federal veterinarian designated by USDA/APHIS and the state veterinarian to make decisions about the use and interpretation of diagnostic tests and field investigation data and the management of scrapie affected flocks;

(12) "Exposed animal" means: (1) Any animal that has been in the same flock at the same time as a scrapie-positive female animal, excluding limited contacts; or (2) any animal born in a flock after a scrapie-positive animal was born into that flock or lambed in that flock, if born before that flock completes the requirements of a flock plan; or (3) any animal that was commingled with a scrapie-positive female animal during or up to 30 days after she lambed, kidded, or aborted, or while a visible vaginal discharge was present, or that was commingled with any other scrapie-positive female animal for 24 hours or more, including during activities such as shows and sales or while in marketing channels; or (4) any animal in a noncompliant flock;

(13) "Exposed flock" means any flock in which a scrapie-positive animal was born or lambed or any flock that currently contains a female high-risk, exposed, or suspect animal, or that once contained a female high-risk, exposed, or suspect animal that lambed in the flock and from which tissues were not submitted for official testing and found negative. A flock that has successfully completed a post-exposure management and monitoring plan following the exposure shall not be considered an exposed flock;

(14) "Flock" means all animals that are maintained on a single premise and all animals under common ownership or supervision on two or more premises with animal interchange between the premises. Changes in ownership of part or all of a flock do not change the identity of the flock or the regulatory requirements applicable to the flock. Animals maintained temporarily on a premise for activities such as shows and sales or while in marketing channels shall not be considered a flock;

(15) "Flock identification" means a unique number assigned to a premise. The flock identification number is associated with an address or legal land description;

(16) "Flock of origin" means the flock in which an animal most recently resided in which it either was born, gave birth, or was used for breeding purposes. The determination of an animal's flock of origin may be based either on the physical presence of the animal in the flock, the presence of official identification on the animal traceable to the flock, the presence of other identification on the animal that is listed on the bill of sale, or other evidence, such as registry records;

(17) "Flock plan" means a written flock management agreement approved by the state veterinarian, signed by an accredited veterinarian and the flock owner or a representative of the flock owner who can bind the flock owner to the agreement;

(18) "High-risk animal" means a sexually intact animal, excluding male sheep that have tested RR at codon 171 and AA at codon 136 using an official genotype test, that is: (1) The progeny of a scrapie-positive dam; or (2) born in the same flock during the same lambing season as progeny of a scrapie-positive dam, unless the progeny of the scrapie-positive dam are from separate contemporary lambing groups; or (3) born in the same flock during the same lambing season that a scrapie-positive animal was born, or during any subsequent lambing season, if born before that flock completes the requirements of a flock plan; or (4) an exposed female sheep that has not tested QR, HR, or RR at codon 171 using an official genotype test;

(19) "Infected flock" means the flock of origin of a female animal that the state veterinarian or APHIS representative has determined to be a scrapie-positive animal; or any flock in which a state veterinarian or APHIS representative has determined that a scrapie-positive female animal has resided unless an epidemiologic investigation conducted by the state veterinarian or APHIS representative shows that the animal did not lamb or abort in the flock. A flock will no longer be considered an infected flock after it has successfully completed the requirements of a flock plan;

(20) "Limited contact" means incidental contact between animals from different flocks off the flock's premises such as at fairs, shows, exhibitions and sales; between ewes being inseminated, flushed, or implanted, or between rams at ram test or collection stations. Limited contact does not include any contact, incidental or otherwise, with animals in the same flock or with an animal during or up to 30 days after she lambed, kidded or aborted or when there is visible vaginal discharge;

(21) "Official certificate of veterinary inspection" means an official document issued by an USDA/APHIS representative, state animal health official, or an accredited veterinarian at the point of origin of an interstate movement of animals;

(22) "Official identification" means an identification number issued by USDA or a state animal health authority, that complies with a numbering system approved by the USDA, and a tag, mark or device approved by the USDA for use in identifying individual sheep and goats;

(23) "Owner" means a person, partnership, company, corporation, or any other legal entity who has legal or rightful title to animals;

(24) "Permit" means an official document issued in connection with the movement of animals that is issued by a state animal health official;

(25) "Premise" means each geographically distinct place or location where sheep or goats are housed, maintained, congregated or kept;

(26) "Premise identification" means a unique number assigned to a premise using a system approved by the USDA. The premise identification number is associated with an address or legal land description;

(27) "Scrapie" means a non-febrile, transmissible, insidious, degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system, and is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) found in sheep and goats;

(28) "Scrapie eradication program" means the cooperative state-federal program administered by USDA/APHIS and States to control and eradicate scrapie;

(29) "Scrapie flock certification program (SFCP)" means the cooperative federal-state-sheep and goat industry program for the control of scrapie;

(30) "Scrapie-positive animal" means an animal for which a diagnosis of scrapie has been made by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories or other approved laboratory;

(31) "Source flock" means a flock in which the state veterinarian or APHIS representative has determined that at least one animal was born that was diagnosed as a scrapie-positive animal at an age of 72 months or less. A flock shall not be considered a source flock after it has successfully completed the requirements of a flock plan;

(32) "Suspect animal" means an animal that is: (1) A sheep or goat that exhibits any clinical signs of scrapie and that has been determined to be suspicious for scrapie by a veterinarian or the state veterinarian or APHIS representative; (2) a sheep or goat 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, unless the animal is designated a scrapie-positive animal; or (3) a sheep or goat that has tested inconclusive or suggestive on an official test for scrapie;

(33) "State Scrapie Board" means a certification board consisting of a state animal health official(s), a USDA representative(s) and sheep and goat industry representatives established for the purpose of oversight of the Scrapie Flock Certification Program, including making decisions to admit flocks to the Scrapie Flock Certification Program and to change flock status in accordance with the Scrapie Flock Certification Program standards;

(34) "State veterinarian" means the Connecticut state veterinarian;

(35) "Trace" means all actions required to identify a flock of origin or destination.

(36) "USDA" means the United States Department of Agriculture;

(37) "USDA/APHIS" and "USDA/APHIS/VS" means the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services; and

(38) "Veterinarian" means a licensed and accredited veterinarian approved by a state animal health authority to practice in their state.

(Adopted effective September 5, 2007)

Sec. 22-278-A2. Importation of sheep and goats

Latest version.

(a) All goats and sheep imported into this state shall be identified with an official identification number.

(b) A permit to import sheep or goats shall be obtained from the department prior to transporting such sheep or goats into this state.

(c) All goats and sheep imported into this state shall be accompanied with a certificate of veterinary inspection or official health certificate which states the animals are in good health, not showing signs of infectious, contagious or communicable diseases, and have not been exposed to scrapie.

(d) This section shall not apply to sheep or goats being transported through this state to another state without stopping, or sheep or goats designated for immediate slaughter, provided sheep or goats designated for immediate slaughter are not resold or offered for re-sale live. Sheep or goats imported into this state and designated for immediate slaughter shall be accompanied by an invoice or bill of sale that shows the name of the consignee, consignor, place of origin and destination.

(Adopted effective September 5, 2007)

Sec. 22-278-A3. Reporting of suspected scrapie infection

Latest version.

Any veterinarian, flock owner or a flock owner's agent who observes any animal or animals exhibiting the clinical signs of scrapie such as behavioral changes, tremor of the head and neck, excessive rubbing, loss of coordination, weight loss despite retention of appetite, biting of feet and limbs, or otherwise has reason to suspect an animal or animals may be infected with scrapie or may have been exposed to scrapie, shall immediately report such information to the state veterinarian. All laboratories conducting tests for the presence of scrapie in sheep or goats located in this state shall report such scrapie test results within twenty four (24) hours to the state veterinarian.

(Adopted effective September 5, 2007)

Sec. 22-278-A4. Sale and movement of sheep and goats, animal identification

Latest version.

(a) Whenever a sheep or goat changes ownership or is moved from one premise to another, each such sheep or goat shall be identified with an official identification number. Owners of flocks of origin shall maintain records on each animal in the flock. Sheep and goats that have been previously tagged with an official animal identification number may be retagged, provided all official identification numbers are recorded in the animal's permanent record or pedigree maintained by a breed association or breed registry.

(b) Whenever an animal is assigned and tagged with an official identification number the owner or the owner's agent shall maintain a record of identification for sixty (60) months. Such record shall be available for inspection and copying by the department. The record shall record the disposition of each animal (i.e. moved, sold, died, slaughtered for home use) and shall include the following information:

(1) All identification including official identification assigned to each animal;

(2) Species, sire, dam, date of birth or age, breed and sex of each animal;

(3) Name, address and phone number of the person assuming ownership of an animal;

(4) If an animal is purchased, the date purchased and the previous owner's name, address and phone number;

(5) If the animal died, the date of the death, reason for the death, disposal method and location; and

(6) When an animal is moved, the date of movement and the location the animal was moved to.

(c) Veterinarians who apply official identification numbers that are not assigned to the owner of the animal shall maintain records of identification and tagging. Veterinarians shall maintain the records for sixty (60) months and shall forward a copy of the records to the department upon request. Such records shall include the following:

(1) The date;

(2) The number of sheep and goats tagged;

(3) The identification numbers applied;

(4) Species, date of birth or age, breed and sex of each animal; and

(5) The name, address and phone number of the owner of the flock of origin and the name, address and phone number of the current owner of the flock, if different.

(d) Commission sale stables and dealers shall identify all sheep and goats not bearing an official identification number with an official identification number prior to sale or being offered for sale. Animals originating from out of this state which are not accompanied by an official certificate of veterinary inspection, health certificate or an official Connecticut identification number shall be segregated and shall be identified and tagged, and sold only for immediate slaughter. Commission sale stables and dealers shall keep a record of the sales of all sheep and goats. Such records shall be maintained for sixty (60) months and shall be available for inspection and copying by the department. The records shall include the following:

(1) The date of sale/purchase;

(2) Species, date of birth or age, breed and sex of each animal;

(3) The name and address of the consignee and the all official identification numbers on the consignee animal(s) and all official identification number(s) applied to the animal by commission sale stable or dealer;

(4) The name and address of each person, firm, company, or corporation who purchases a sheep or goat and all official identification numbers on the purchased animal(s); and

(5) A copy of the certificate of veterinary inspection or official health certificate, if the animal originated from outside of this state or does not bear an official Connecticut identification number and was not sold for immediate slaughter.

(Adopted effective September 5, 2007)

Sec. 22-278-A5. Official identification, loss, damage or tampering

Latest version.

No person shall remove or tamper with any official identification device. Official identification devices that are lost or damaged or are no longer functional may be replaced, provided all possible flocks of origin are listed in the record associated with the new identification.

(Adopted effective September 5, 2007)

Sec. 22-278-A6. Movement of scrapie infected or suspected scrapie infected animals

Latest version.

No scrapie infected or suspect scrapie infected animal shall be moved in this state, including direct movement to slaughter, without written permission from the state veterinarian.

(Adopted effective September 5, 2007)

Sec. 22-278-A7. Scrapie infected flocks

Latest version.

(a) Any scrapie infected flock shall be quarantined for a period of not less than five (5) years after the last high risk animal is removed from the flock, or until all sheep and goats in the flock are depopulated, whichever is sooner. Premises where a scrapie infected flock was depopulated shall remain free of sheep or goats for one

(1) year after depopulation and the areas where animals were raised shall be cleaned and disinfected.

(b) In addition to subsection (a) of this section, a scrapie infected flock shall complete the following to the satisfaction of the state veterinarian:

(1) All sheep and goats are identified and inventoried as to sex, age, breed and species;

(2) The epidemiological tracing is completed as to the origins of animals and the destination of animals moved from the flock;

(3) All animals that are classified as high risk by the state veterinarian are slaughtered, depopulated or sent to a research facility acceptable to the state veterinarian; and

(4) The flock owner or flock owner's agent has developed and implemented a post exposure flock plan approved by the state veterinarian. The post exposure flock plan shall be in effect for five (5) years and shall comply with section 22-278-A10 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. Cleaning and disinfection of scrapie infected premises shall be part of the flock plan.

(Adopted effective September 5, 2007)

Sec. 22-278-A8. Source and trace flocks

Latest version.

All flocks designated as scrapie source or trace flocks shall be placed under quarantine until the following is completed to the satisfaction of the state veterinarian:

(1) All sheep and goats must be identified and inventoried as to sex, age, breed and species;

(2) The epidemiological tracing is completed as to the origins of the animals and the destinations of animals moved from the flocks;

(3) All animals that are classified as high risk by the state veterinarian are slaughtered, depopulated or sent to a research facility acceptable to the state veterinarian; and

(Adopted effective September 5, 2007)

Sec. 22-278-A9. Exposed flocks

Latest version.

Owners of exposed animals shall develop and complete a flock plan that complies with section 22-278-A10 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.

(Adopted effective September 5, 2007)

Sec. 22-278-A10. Flock plans

Latest version.

(a) Flock plans shall be developed using the USDA/APHIS Scrapie Eradication Uniform Methods and Rules. At a minimum, the flock plan shall include the terms set forth herein. All animals shall be identified with an official animal identification number. No animal shall be sold from the flock for breeding purposes. Only wether lambs or cull animals going directly to slaughter may be sold from the flock. All animals that die for any reason shall be examined by a veterinarian, or the state or federal veterinarian who shall determine the cause of death and submit the appropriate samples to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory, or another approved laboratory, for scrapie diagnosis. Inventories shall be kept of the flock to be reviewed by the state veterinarian.

(b) The state veterinarian may include any reasonable measures deemed necessary in the flock plan to prevent and eliminate scrapie, including, but not limited to, mandatory enrollment in the Scrapie Flock Certification Program.

(Adopted effective September 5, 2007)

Sec. 22-278-A11. Testing of flocks

Latest version.

The state veterinarian may obtain any samples of tissue deemed necessary to determine the scrapie status of any flock. Such samples may be submitted to an approved laboratory for analysis. All animals from infected, source or trace flocks shall be tested using a validated and approved "live animal" test. Positive test animals shall be designated high risk animals.

(Adopted effective September 5, 2007)

Sec. 22-278-A12. Scrapie flock certification program

Latest version.

Any person, firm, company, corporation or any entity owning sheep or goats may enroll in the Scrapie Flock Certification Program. Application for enrollment shall be on forms provided by the department. Each participant in the Scrapie Flock Certification Program shall agree in writing to adhere to the USDA Scrapie Eradication Uniform Methods and Rules.

(Adopted effective September 5, 2007)

Sec. 22-278-A13. Exhibition, identification and health requirements

Latest version.

(a) All sheep or goats exhibited at fairs, shows, petting zoos, exhibitions or other places where sheep or goats from different flocks are present shall be identified with an official identification number.

(b) Sheep or goats that are within thirty (30) days of parturition, or that are postpartum, have aborted, or are pregnant and have a vaginal discharge shall not be exhibited. Should a lambing or kidding occur at a show, fair, petting zoo or exhibit the dam and her offspring shall be removed from the show grounds.

(c) All sheep or goats exhibited at fairs, shows, petting zoos, exhibitions or other places where sheep and goats from different flocks are present shall be accompanied by a health certificate or certificate of veterinary inspection which states the animals are in good health, not showing signs of infectious, contagious or communicable diseases, and have not been exposed to scrapie.

(d) Sheep or goats which are enrolled in the Scrapie Flock Certification Program and are exhibited at fairs, shows, petting zoos, exhibitions or other places where sheep or goats from different flocks are present shall be housed such that a solid partition or sufficient space prevents contact between animals enrolled in the Scrapie Flock Certification Program from animals not enrolled in the Scrapie Flock Certification Program.

(Adopted effective September 5, 2007)

Sec. 22-278-A14. Sanitation

Latest version.

Fairs, shows, exhibitions, petting zoos, auctions, commission sales stables or other places where sheep or goats are congregated shall keep all pens, show rings and all areas the animals have in common clean and free of litter. Should a lambing or kidding occur at a show, petting zoo, fair or other exhibition, the placenta, placental fluids, and soiled bedding shall be removed and disposed of immediately. Fecal matter, bedding, unconsumed feed, bodily discharges, body tissues, fluids and other contaminated debris shall be held in leak resistant, covered containers and disposed of in a sanitary landfill or by other means acceptable to the state veterinarian.

(Adopted effective September 5, 2007)