NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
General Quarantine Order; Poultry Exhibition Requirements
[49 Pa.B. 3093]
[Saturday, June 15, 2019]Recitals.
A. Avian influenza and Pullorum-typhoid are infectious diseases of poultry.
B. Avian influenza and pullorum-typhoid are designated ''dangerous transmissible diseases'' of animals under the provisions of the Domestic Animal Law (3 Pa.C.S.A. §§ 2301—2389), at 3 Pa.C.S.A. § 2321(d).
C. Avian influenza can be transmitted between poultry and by contaminated people, vehicles, equipment, and other fomites, as well as by aerosol.
D. Avian influenza has caused significant loss in the past to the Pennsylvania poultry industry.
E. Avian influenza is of particular concern to the entire Pennsylvania poultry industry and may severely limit the market for Pennsylvania product.
F. Avian influenza subtypes H5 and H7 are of particular concern due to their potential for developing into a virulent (highly pathogenic) form of the disease.
G. Avian influenza is periodically identified in poultry flocks in Pennsylvania and surrounding states.
H. Salmonella Pullorum-typhoid is a bacterial disease which can produce significant mortality in young gallinaceous (chicken, turkey and game) birds. Birds that survive infection will be lifetime carriers and may be the source of infection of other poultry.
I. Transmission of pullorum-typhoid is primarily vertically through the egg but may also be through direct or indirect contact with infected birds, and may be carried by fomites.
J. Pennsylvania is designated as a pullorum-typhoid free state by the National Poultry Improvement Plan.
K. Avian influenza and Pullorum-typhoid can be transmitted between poultry.
L. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (Department) requires official identification of poultry entering an exhibition to promote animal disease traceability in the event of a report of a dangerous transmissible disease (47 Pa.B. 1857).
M. The Department, under the edicts established by section 2327 of the Domestic Animal Law (3 Pa.C.S.A. § 2327) (related to disease surveillance and detection) has the authority and duty to carry out disease surveillance and detection and more specifically to regularly monitor the domestic animal population of this Commonwealth to determine the prevalence and incidence of transmissible diseases or contamination by hazardous substances.
N. The Department, under the provisions set forth at section 2329 of the Domestic Animal Law (3 Pa.C.S.A. § 2329) (related to quarantine) has the authority to establish three different types of quarantine orders—Interstate and International, General and Special. The Department may establish a Quarantine Order, ''Whenever a dangerous transmissible disease. . .exists anywhere within or outside of this Commonwealth, or whenever it is deemed advisable to test or treat any domestic animal upon the reasonable suspicion that it has contracted or been exposed to a dangerous transmissible disease. . .or whenever the testing or treatment of a domestic animal indicates that the domestic animal has been exposed to a dangerous transmissible disease. . .so as to render future accurate testing for recent exposure of that domestic animal to that dangerous transmissible disease. . .impractical or impossible, the department shall have the power to establish and enforce quarantines of any such infected, exposed, contaminated, suspected or susceptible domestic animal.'' (3 Pa.C.S.A. § 2329(a)).
O. An exhibition is defined as a show or display of animals.
Order.
PDA enters a General Quarantine Order, incorporating the foregoing recitals. This Order is entered under authority of the Domestic Animal Law (at 3 Pa.C.S.A. § 2329) and § 1702 of the Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P.S. § 442), and establishes the following quarantine restrictions and standards with respect to health requirements for poultry entering Commonwealth of Pennsylvania exhibitions:
1. General. For purposes of this Order, the term ''poultry'' includes all domesticated fowl, including chickens, turkeys, ostriches, emus, rheas, cassowaries, waterfowl, and game birds, but excludes doves, pigeons, and other species of birds.
2. Purpose. This Order allows for a proactive and preventative approach to prevention of the spread of dangerous transmissible diseases affecting poultry at Pennsylvania exhibitions.
3. Only veterinarians who are licensed or otherwise legally able to practice veterinary medicine and are USDA Category II Accredited in the state where sampling occurs, or persons certified and licensed as poultry technicians in accordance with the provisions set forth in the Department's General Quarantine Order; Certified Poultry Technicians, may draw blood, collect swab and egg samples, and conduct approved on-site testing of poultry for dangerous transmissible diseases of poultry for regulatory testing purposes, including entry into exhibitions.
4. Sample collectors and testers must maintain records of animal identification, approved rapid testing, and any other records required by the Domestic Animal Law, this Order, and any order issued by the Department for a minimum of two years and must make records available to the Department upon request.
5. Sample collectors and testers must report in a timely manner any suspected reportable diseases in accordance with applicable statutory and regulatory standards, and orders of the Department.
6. All poultry, including chickens, turkeys, waterfowl, and game birds entering an exhibition must bear an official PDA-issued leg band. Ratites must be identified with a neck band or an electronic implant device (the exhibitor must supply a reader). Pigeons, doves, and other avian species must bear a unique individual identification leg band but are not required to be identified with an official PDA leg band.
7. An Owner-endorsed Avian Health Certificate, or a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) issued by a USDA Category II Accredited Veterinarian, must accompany all poultry, including chickens, turkeys, waterfowl, game birds, and ratites; pigeons, doves; and other avian species; and hatching eggs entering exhibitions. The Owner-endorsed Avian Health Certificate or CVI will be valid for thirty (30) days and must include the following:
a. Name and location of the exhibition; and
b. Name, address, and telephone number of the owner; and
c. A statement that the entries and the flock of origin are free of evidence of infectious and contagious diseases; and
d. Verification of testing as required in this Order; and
e. A description of the birds or hatching eggs; and
f. Owner signature and date of that signature.
8. Testing and verification requirements for poultry:
a. Avian influenza testing and verification:
i. National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) protocols for sample collection, including the number of swabs/tube of viral transport media, and testing shall be followed. All samples must be tested at a NAHLN laboratory.
ii. All poultry, including chickens, turkeys, waterfowl, game birds, and ratites, and their hatching eggs must originate from a flock in which a random, representative sample of a minimum of 30 birds, three (3) weeks of age or older, were tested for avian influenza within the 30 days prior to entry into the exhibition.
iii. If there are fewer than 30 birds in the flock, all birds of age must be tested.
iv. Test results must be negative.
v. The birds or hatching eggs must be accompanied by the most recent test report (photocopies are acceptable).
vi. Gallinaceous birds may meet the testing requirements with blood testing or tracheal/oropharyngeal swab testing. If swab samples are collected, swabs from different species—e.g. chickens and turkeys—may not be combined in a tube of viral transport media.
vii. Waterfowl must be tested with cloacal swab samples. Swabs from different species—e.g. ducks and geese—may not be combined in a tube of viral transport media.
viii. Untested birds shall not be comingled with or added to the tested flock after negative samples have been collected and before birds or hatching eggs enter the exhibition.
b. Pullorum-typhoid testing and verification:
i. National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) protocols for sample collection and testing shall be followed.
ii. All poultry, including chickens, turkeys, game birds, and ratites (waterfowl excluded) and their hatching eggs;
(1) Must originate from a flock enrolled, tested, and in good standing on the NPIP Pullorum-typhoid Clean Program, with no break in the chain of ownership by NPIP participants, and the birds or hatching eggs must be accompanied by the most recent laboratory test report or 9-3 form (Report of Sales of Hatching Eggs, Chicks, or Poults) which includes the NPIP number; or NPIP 9-2 form (Flock Selecting and Testing Report) for the rapid whole blood agglutination plate test which includes the NPIP number (photocopies are acceptable); or
(2) Must originate from a flock enrolled, tested, and in good standing on the PA Pullorum Equivalent Program, with no break in the chain of ownership by program participants, and the birds or hatching eggs must be accompanied by the most recent laboratory test report which includes the program enrollment number, or state rapid test reporting form for the rapid whole blood agglutination plate test for pullorum-typhoid which includes the program enrollment number (photocopies are acceptable); or
(3) All individual birds (poultry), including chickens, turkeys, waterfowl, game birds, and ratites, or poultry providing hatching eggs (waterfowl excluded) (maximum of 300 from a flock) entering a Pennsylvania exhibition must have had a pullorum-typhoid test within the ninety (90) days prior to the opening date of the exhibition. The birds or hatching eggs must be accompanied by the most recent laboratory test report; or the Department's rapid test reporting form for the rapid whole blood agglutination plate test for pullorum-typhoid performed on non-NPIP birds (photocopies are acceptable).
(4) Test results must be negative.
(5) The following age restrictions apply for pullorum-typhoid testing:
A. Chickens shall be tested at four (4) months of age or older.
B. Turkeys shall be tested at 12 weeks of age or older.
C. Game birds shall be tested at four (4) months of age or older, or upon sexual maturity, whichever comes first.
D. Ratites shall be tested at 12 months of age or older.
E. Birds which are individually tested for pullorum for exhibition must have a negative pullorum test if of age at the time of entry into the exhibition.
9. Criminal and civil penalties. The Department may impose those criminal and civil penalties specifically established at section 2383 of the Domestic Animal Law (3 Pa.C.S.A. § 2383) for any violation of the provisions of this Order.
10. Civil remedy. In addition to any other action or remedy sought, the Department may seek any civil remedy, as specifically established at section 2386 of the Domestic Animal Law (3 Pa.C.S.A. § 2386), for any violation of the provisions of this Order.
11. This Order shall not be construed as limiting the Department's authority to establish additional requirements for poultry for exhibition or to limit any authority the Department possesses under the Domestic Animal Law or any other Act or Law administered by the Department.
12. This Order is effective upon publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
RUSSELL C. REDDING,
Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 19-895. Filed for public inspection June 14, 2019, 9:00 a.m.]
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