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Suzan Holl (301) 734-6464
Jerry Redding (202) 720-6959
USDA PROPOSES TO AMEND TB REGULATIONS REGARDING RE-ACCREDITATION TEST FOR CAPITIVE CERVIDS
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2006–The U. S. Department of Agriculture =s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing the following amendments to regulations regarding bovine tuberculosis in captive cervids: increasing, by one year, the term for which accredited herd status is valid; to allow re-accreditation tests to be performed within 33-39 months of the anniversary date and removing references to the blood tuberculosis test. APHIS also is proposing to reduce, from three tests to two, the number of consecutive negative official TB tests. These tests are required of all eligible captive cervids in a herd before the herd can be eligible for recognition as being accredited.
Experience has shown that carefully managing accredited captive cervid herds according to regulations and the Uniform Methods and Rules virtually eliminates the already low probability of TB being introduced into a herd from outside sources.
Amending the regulations to extend the period between re-accreditation tests, as well as reducing the number of consecutive negative, official TB tests, will reduce testing costs for herd owners, lessen the potential for animal injury or death during testing, and lower administrative costs for state and federal regulatory agencies.
Also, removing references to the blood TB test would update the regulations to refer only to those official tests currently in use. The blood test is no longer used in the captive cerivid TB eradication program.
Bovine TB is a contagious and infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis. It affects cattle, bison, deer, elk, goats and other warm-blooded species, including humans.
This proposed rule is published in the Jan. 12 Federal Register.
Consideration will be given to comments received on or before March 13. Send an original and three copies of postal mail or commercial delivery comments to Docket No. 04-094-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. If you wish to submit a comment using the
Internet, go to the Federal eRulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov and, in the ASearch for Open Regulation @ box, select AAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Service @ from the agency drop-down menu, then click on ASubmit. @ In the Docket ID column, select APHIS-2005-0119 to submit or view public comments and to view supporting and related materials available electronically.
Comments are posted on the Regulations.gov Web site and may also be reviewed at USDA, Room 1141, South Building, 14th St. and Independence Ave., SW, Washington, D.C., between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. To facilitate entry into the comment reading room, please call (202) 690-2817.
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