|
|
106-405.15 "Equine infectious anemia" defined.
Equine infectious anemia shall mean the disease wherein an animal is infected with the
virus of equine infectious anemia, irrespective of the occurrence or absence of clinical
signs of the disease. An animal shall be declared infected with equine infectious anemia
if it is classified as a reactor to a serological test or other test approved by the State
Veterinarian.
106-405.16 Animals infected with or exposed to equine infectious anemia declared subject
to quarantine.
It is hereby declared that the disease of horses, ponies, mules and asses (and other
equine animals) known as equine infectious anemia is of an infectious and contagious
nature and that animals infected with, exposed to, or suspected of being carriers of the
disease shall be subject to quarantine and identification as required by the rules and
regulations of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
106-405.17 Authority to promulgate and enforce rules and regulations.
The State Board of Agriculture shall have full power to promulgate and enforce such rules
and regulations as it deems necessary for the control and eradication of equine infectious
anemia. This authority shall include, but not be limited to, the power to make regulations
requiring the testing of horses, ponies, mules and asses for equine infectious anemia
prior to sale, exhibition or assembly at public stables or other public places, and
authority to require the owner, operator or person in charge of shows, sales, public
stables and other public places to require proof of freedom from equine infectious anemia
before any animal is permitted to remain on the premises. The Board shall also have the
authority to set fees for such tests as necessary to recover the costs to the North
Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
106-405.18 Implementation of control and eradication program.
The control and eradication of equine infectious anemia in North Carolina shall be
conducted as far as available funds will permit, and in accordance with the rules and
regulations made by the Board of Agriculture. The Board of Agriculture is hereby
authorized to cooperate with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the control and
eradication of equine infectious anemia.
106-405.19 Violation made misdemeanor.
Any person who shall willfully move, direct the movement, or allow to be moved, from the
premises where quartered any animal or animals known to be infected with equine infectious
anemia, or under quarantine because of suspected exposure to equine infectious anemia, or
who shall violate any provision of this Part or any rule or regulation promulgated by the
Board of Agriculture under this Part shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
§ 106-405.20. Civil penalties
The Commissioner may assess a civil penalty of not more than five thousand dollars
($5,000) against any person who violates a provision of this Article or any rule
promulgated thereunder. In determining the amount of the penalty, the Commissioner shall
consider the degree and extent of harm caused by the violation. The clear proceeds of
civil penalties assessed pursuant to this section shall be remitted to the Civil Penalty
and Forfeiture Fund in accordance with G.S. 115C-457.2.
.0206 IMPORTATION REQUIREMENTS: EQUINE
(a) Horses, ponies, mules, asses, zebras, and all other equine species may be
imported into the state when accompanied by an official health certificate giving an
accurate description of them and certifying that as determined by a physical examination
they are free from any evidence of an infectious or transmissible disease and have not
been exposed to any infectious or transmissible disease, and attesting that any animal
over six months of age has passed a negative official test, as defined in 2 NCAC 52B
.0401, for equine infectious anemia within 12 months prior to entry, provided that
stallions imported into North Carolina from any country where contagious equine metritis
(CEM) is recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to exist must also comply with
requirements of Paragraph (c) of this Rule. The EIA test form shall list one horse only.
Equine without a current EIA test may be imported into the state for direct shipment to a
livestock market or equine sale that is approved to provide EIA testing, pursuant to 2
NCAC 52B .0410.
(b) No health certificate will be required for horses, ponies, mules and asses which are
consigned to a race track or entering the state temporarily for the purpose of exhibition,
provided such animals are accompanied by certificates verifying a negative test for equine
infectious anemia within 12 months prior to entry.
(c) Any stallion imported into North Carolina from any country where CEM is recognized by
the U.S. Department of Agriculture to exist shall be accompanied by a written permit from
the State Veterinarian, and shall be placed under quarantine by a representative of the
State Veterinarian upon arrival. Prior to being used for breeding, he shall be treated by
or under the direct supervision of an accredited veterinarian licensed to practice in
North Carolina, according to the procedure prescribed in the Federal Register/Vol. 45, No.
3/Friday, January 4, 1980/Rules and Regulations/Pages 1003 through 1006 (9 C.F.R., Part
92).
(d) For the purpose of Paragraph (c) of this Rule the following shall apply:
(1) Stallion. A male horse other than gelding;
(2) Breeding. Natural or artificial insemination of a mare;
(3) CF test. A complement-fixation test on equine serum for the detection of specific
antibodies of the CEM bacterium.
.0401 DEFINITIONS
The following definitions are in effect throughout this Section:
(1) Equine. Any member of the equine family, including horses, ponies, mules, asses and
other equines;
(2) Reactor. An equine over six months of age that reacts positively to an approved test
for equine infectious anemia;
(3) Official Test. A test recognized by Veterinary Services, APHIS, USDA, pursuant to 9
CFR 75.4;
(4) Date of Test. Date blood sample is collected from the equine;
(5) Licensed Accredited Veterinarian. A veterinarian licensed to practice in North
Carolina by the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Board and accredited by the USDA;
(6) Exposed Equine. An equine which the State Veterinarian or his authorized
representative has reasonable grounds to believe has been exposed to equine infectious
anemia; An equine shall be considered exposed when in the professional judgment of a state
or federally employed, or accredited, veterinarian designated by the State Veterinarian,
the equine has been exposed. A premises may be approved by the State Veterinarian for the
permanent quarantine of an equine which is positive to an official test for equine
infectious anemia when it can be determined that other equines will not be exposed to the
disease;
(7) Division. Veterinary Division of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and
Consumer Services;
(8) Dealer. Any person who buys equine for his own account for the purpose of resale, or
for the account of others;
(9) Public Place. Any premises owned or operated by any governmental entity, any privately
owned or operated premises open to the public, or any privately owned or operated premises
where three or more equine originating from three or more premises are gathered.
.0405 FEES FOR BLOOD TEST
A person submitting a blood sample to the Division to be tested for equine
infectious anemia (EIA) shall pay a fee of four dollars ($4.00) per sample.
.0406 EIA TEST REQUIRED
(a) All equine more than six months of age entering North Carolina for any purpose other
than for immediate slaughter shall be accompanied by a copy of the certificate of test
from a laboratory approved by the USDA showing the animal to be negative to an approved
test for equine infectious anemia (EIA) within the past 12 months, except as provided in 2
NCAC 52B .0410. (See 2 NCAC 52B .0206 for other importation requirements.)
(b) No equine more than six months of age shall be sold, offered for sale, traded, given
away, or moved for the purpose of change of ownership unless accompanied by the original
official negative test for EIA administered within
12 months prior to sale or movement, except that equine which are offered for sale at
auction markets or sales may have a blood sample drawn at the market by the market's
veterinarian at the seller's expense. In such cases, the equine may be sold and
transferred contingent upon receipt of an official negative EIA test. Until receipt of an
official negative EIA test, the equine must be isolated in accordance with standards for
isolation of positive reactors, pursuant to 2 NCAC 52B .0408(c)(2).
(c) All equine brought to or kept at any public stables or other public place for
exhibition, recreation or assembly shall be accompanied by either the original or a copy
of an official negative test for EIA administered within the previous 12 months. The
owner, operator or person in charge of any public stables or other public place where
equine are brought or kept for exhibition, recreation or assembly shall not permit an
equine to remain on the premises without the test required by this Rule.
.0407 TESTING FOR EIA
(a) Equine tested for equine infectious anemia (EIA) must be completely and accurately
identified by a licensed, accredited veterinarian, using the official test form provided
by the office of the State Veterinarian.
(b) Only one form shall be utilized by the testing veterinarian for each equine to be
tested. Any distinctive markings and their location on the animal such as brands, tattoos,
stars, snips, stockings, or other markings shall be noted on the official chart.
(c) Equine receiving on-farm or private treaty test shall not be sold or ownership
otherwise transferred until the results of the equine infectious anemia test performed on
the animal are returned. Positive test results shall automatically result in the
quarantine of the animal without further notice at the premises of the owner or where the
test was conducted.
(d) All test results shall be reported to the office of the State Veterinarian. Tests
conducted at a laboratory within the state shall be reported on official forms supplied by
the Division. Licensed, accredited veterinarians submitting samples for testing in U.S.
Department of Agriculture approved laboratories outside of North Carolina shall supply a
copy of the test record to the office of the State Veterinarian within five days upon
receipt of the test results from the testing laboratory.
(e) The owner or manager of a market or sale shall announce, prior to the sale or auction,
that all equines not accompanied by either the original or a copy of an official negative
test for EIA will be tested. Each buyer of such equine at the sale or auction shall sign
an agreement to maintain such equine at a specified location until notified of the results
of the test. Equine that prove negative to the test may move in normal trade channels.
Owners of equine that react to the test must comply with 2 NCAC 52B .0408.
.0408 POSITIVE REACTORS
(a) Equine testing positive to an approved test for equine infectious anemia (EIA) may
have a confirmatory retest by a representative of the State Veterinarian within 15 days of
the initial test. If there is no retest within 15 days from notification, the right to
retest is forfeited and the equine shall be euthanized or branded immediately.
(b) If not euthanized, reactors must be branded on the left side of the neck with the
characters '55A' and the official reactor number assigned by the Division. The owner of
the reactor must submit the equine for branding by a representative of the State
Veterinarian within 15 days of the confirmatory test.
(c) A reactor shall be isolated, euthanized or sold for slaughter within seven days of
branding. Reactors shall be subject to the following disposition, at the option of the
owner:
(1) With approval of the State Veterinarian or his designated representative, the equine
may be sold for slaughter to bona fide slaughter buyers. EIA reactors must be permitted on
VS Form 1-27 by a representative of the State Veterinarian for movement from farm to an
approved slaughter establishment or research facility when, in the State Veterinarian's
judgment, it can be done without risk of exposure of other equine;
(2) Quarantine of the infected, branded, equine until death in an isolation facility on
the owner's premises or elsewhere, approved by an authorized representative of the State
Veterinarian. A written quarantine will be issued for each equine. Minimum standards for
an approved isolation facility shall be a plot or pasture located a minimum of 880 yards
from any other equine enclosure, or other equine, except another known EIA reactor. Owners
of infected, branded equine shall not sell, barter, trade or give away these equine except
as provided in this Rule.
.0409 ADJACENT OR EXPOSED EQUINE
When an equine is found positive by an official equine infectious anemia (EIA) test and an
EIA retest by state personnel, all equine on the same premises (farm, pasture, or stable),
and all other equine located on adjacent farms, pastures, or stables within 880 yards
shall be required to be tested by state regulatory personnel or a licensed, accredited
veterinarian. All exposed equine, as defined in 2 NCAC 52B .0401(6), shall be quarantined
until tested and found negative to the EIA test 60 days after removal of the reactor.
.0410 MARKET AND SALE RESPONSIBILITY
(a) Livestock markets and all others conducting sales of equine shall send a
written request for approval of all sales to the State Veterinarian at least two weeks
prior to sale. The State Veterinarian shall approve the request if:
(1) the applicant is in compliance with this Section at the time of the application;
(2) it appears that the applicant is able to comply with this Section at the time of the
proposed sale; and
(3) the Veterinary Division has personnel available to monitor the sale to determine
compliance with this Section.
(b) Livestock markets or equine sales offering to provide equine infectious anemia (EIA)
testing must employ a licensed, accredited veterinarian.
(c) Livestock markets or sales that have permanent facilities, including a licensed,
accredited veterinarian, may handle equine that do not have a negative test, provided each
such equine is tested as provided in this Section.
(d) Livestock markets and all others conducting sales of equine shall have check-in
procedures, including at least the following:
(1) See that the correct name and mailing address of the owner is on the
"check-in" form, along with the license number of the vehicle that transported
the animal;
(2) Apply a backtag or paint number at "check-in" and note it on the
"check- in" form;
(3) See that all EIA test records are collected and presented to the market veterinarian
or representative of the State Veterinarian for verification prior to the sale.
(e) Equine shall be presented to the market or sale veterinarian if testing is required,
and assistance shall be provided for drawing blood samples for the EIA test.
(f) The market or sale management shall maintain records of sales for a minimum of two
years, so that animals that react positively to the EIA test may be traced.
(g) Those managing the sale shall not permit the sale of equine on the premises except
through the market or sale.
(h) Non-compliance with these Rules is grounds for revocation of approval to conduct
sales.
.0411 MARKET OR SALE VETERINARIANS
(a) Market or sale veterinarians shall:
(1) Collect blood samples of five cubic centimeters in a blood collection tube with
identification of each equine presented for test;
(2) Properly identify each equine tested on a Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services form as to name, age, sex, breed, color and markings, brands, tattoos, scars; and
(3) Mail blood and form to an approved laboratory by the end of the next business day
following the sale.
(b) Each market veterinarian involved in the equine infectious anemia (EIA)
program shall notify the State Veterinarian of such involvement.
.0412 SLAUGHTER SALES
Market or sale operators who wish to conduct a sale of equine only for slaughter without
EIA testing must sign an agreement with the State Veterinarian to comply with the terms of
this Section.
Amended in 1999.
Reviewed by AAHS in October 2001.
Return to Top of This Page