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PA Bulletin, Doc. No. 24-187

NOTICES

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

General Quarantine Order; Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Vaccine

[54 Pa.B. 733]
[Saturday, February 17, 2024]

Recitals

 A. Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) is a fatal disease of domestic and wild rabbits of the family Leporidae, which includes hares, jackrabbits and cottontails. RHD is caused by a calicivirus and there are several strains of RHD virus which cause disease.

 B. Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Serotype 2 (RHDV-2) is highly contagious and affects both domestic and wild rabbits.

 C. There is no known cure or treatment for this disease.

 D. Outbreaks of RHDV-2 have been reported in domestic and wild rabbits in the United States.

 E. The virus causing RHD can be transmitted by direct contact with infected rabbits or indirectly through carcasses, food, water, and any contaminated materials, and it is very resistant to extreme temperatures. RHD has not been shown to affect people or other mammals.

 F. Infected rabbits often show few clinical signs and die within six to 24 hours after the onset of fever and may have blood visible around the nose and other orifices due to internal hemorrhaging. The morbidity rate is often 100%, and the mortality rate is often 60%—90%.

 G. Under the Domestic Animal Law at, 3 Pa.C.S. § 2321(d) (relating to dangerous transmissible diseases), the Department has authority to declare a disease, that has not been specifically identified in the statute as a ''dangerous transmissible disease,'' to be a dangerous transmissible disease through issuance of a Temporary Order making that designation.

 H. The Department issued a Temporary Order, through publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on January 16, 2021 (51 Pa.B. 334), and renewed on December 2, 2023 (53 Pa.B. 7373) designating RHD as a dangerous transmissible disease.

 I. RHD is currently considered a foreign animal disease in the United States.

 J. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (Department) has broad authority under the Domestic Animal Law (3 Pa.C.S. §§ 2301—2389) to regulate the keeping and handling of domestic animals to exclude, contain or eliminate dangerous transmissible diseases such as RHD.

 K. The Department also has broad authority under the Domestic Animal Law to establish and enforce a General Quarantine Order against any area or locality within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Commonwealth) to exclude, contain or eliminate dangerous transmissible diseases such as RHD. (3 Pa.C.S.A. § 2329(d)).

 L. In October 2023, the Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus vaccine, Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Vaccine, Serotype 2, manufactured by Medgene Labs, was granted a conditional license by the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Center for Veterinary Biologics.

Order of Quarantine

 With the foregoing recitals incorporated into this Order by reference, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture under authority of the Domestic Animal Law, at 3 Pa.C.S.A. § 2329(d) and § 702 of the Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P.S. § 442), established a General Quarantine Order (''Quarantine Order'') related to the dangerous transmissible disease Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease and the sale, distribution and administration of the Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus vaccine, Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Vaccine, Serotype 2 available from Medgene Labs, 1006 32nd Avenue, Suite 104, Brookings, SD 57006 (''RHD Vaccine'') in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The availability of a conditionally licensed vaccine abrogates the need for the General Quarantine Order; Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Vaccine (52 Pa.B. 838) (Saturday, February 5, 2022).

 This Order repeals and rescinds the General Quarantine Order; Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Vaccine (52 Pa.B. 838) (Saturday, February 5, 2022).

 1. Quarantine Area. This General Quarantine Order (''Quarantine Order'') is applicable to the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

 2. Applicable definitions.

 Rabbit—For the purpose of this document, the term ''rabbit'' will include domestic rabbits of the family Leporidae, which includes hares, jackrabbits and cottontails.

 VCPR—Veterinarian-client-patient-relationship (VCPR). As defined in the PA Veterinary Medicine Practice Act, a relationship satisfying all of the following conditions: (i) the veterinarian has assumed the responsibility for making veterinary medical judgments regarding the health of an animal and the need for veterinary medical treatment, and the client, owner or caretaker of the animal has agreed to follow the instructions of the veterinarian; (ii) the veterinarian has sufficient knowledge of the animal to initiate at least a general, preliminary or tentative diagnosis of the medical condition of the animal; (iii) the veterinarian is acquainted with the keeping and care of the animal by virtue of an examination of the animal or medically appropriate and timely visits to the premises where the animal is kept; (iv) the veterinarian is available for consultation in cases of adverse reactions to or failure of the regimen of therapy; (v) the veterinarian maintains records on the animal examined in accordance with regulations established by the board.

 3. General Provisions.

 The General Quarantine Order; Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Vaccine (52 Pa.B. 838) (Saturday, February 5, 2022) is hereby repealed and rescinded.

 4. No Restriction on Further Action by the Department. This Quarantine Order shall not be construed as limiting the Department's authority to establish additional quarantine or testing requirements or take any actions otherwise permitted under applicable statute or regulation.

 5. Contact information. Questions regarding this General Quarantine Order may be addressed to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Health, 2301 North Cameron Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110; or by telephone at 717-772-2852; or by email at RA-ahds@pa.gov.

 6. Effective Date. This Order is effective immediately upon publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and shall remain in effect unless rescinded or modified by subsequent order.

RUSSELL REDDING, 
Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 24-187. Filed for public inspection February 16, 2024, 9:00 a.m.]


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