Press Release

Suzan J. Holl	(301)734-6464
Jerry Redding	(202) 720-6959

USDA ANNOUNCES CALIFORNIA MEETS CRITERIA FOR BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS ACCREDITED-FREE STATUS

WASHINGTON, July 29, 2005–The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is adopting as final an interim rule that amends the bovine tuberculosis (TB) regulations regarding state and zone classifications by raising California’s TB designation from modified accredited advanced to accredited free.

California has met the criteria for accredited free status by demonstrating that it has zero percent prevalence of infected cattle or bison herds and has had no significant findings of TB in any cattle or bison herds in the two years since the depopulation of the last affected herd in the state. Additionally, the state has complied with the conditions of the Uniform Methods and Rules.

In an interim rule published April 15, in the Federal Register, APHIS amended the bovine TB regulations to raise California from modified accredited advanced to accredited free status. The interim rule was based on findings that California met the criteria for designation as an accredited free state. Therefore, for reasons given in the interim rule, we are adopting it as a final rule.

This final rule is scheduled for publication in the July 29 Federal Register and became final and effective April 15. APHIS documents published in the Federal Register are available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.

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