5C-6.0021. Whole Herd Vaccination Plan

(1) The approval of each herd selected for whole herd vaccination will be jointly given by the chief state and federal animal health officials. The vaccinating and testing of the herds selected shall be the responsibility of state or federal regulatory veterinarians.

(2) Procedures in selected herds.

(a) Infected herds.

1. In infected herds, the individual herd plan will include the use of whole herd vaccination in addition to other recognized procedures for elimination of the disease. All test eligible animals must have an official brucellosis test and all reactors must be removed for immediate slaughter. Negative female animals must be vaccinated with a reduced dose of vaccine within 10 days of the test. All eligible calves shall also be vaccinated and identified.

2. Overage vaccinates shall be identified by an official numbered metal eartag in the right ear and, in the left ear, may be further identified by a large numbered unique tag correlated on test records with the official eartag. A permanent legible individual animal registration or individual animal registration brand may be used in lieu of the official numbered metal eartag. Additionally, each animal shall be identified at the time of vaccination with an open-ended “V” hot-iron brand at least two inches in height and two inches in width on the right jaw, or by an official AV (adult vaccination) tattoo in the right ear preceded by the quarter of the year and followed by the last digit of the year in which the vaccination was done, or both.

3. The herd must be maintained in quarantine, and a first retest is recommended at two months or as early as possible following vaccination to facilitate elimination of field strain infection. Complete herd testing shall be resumed not more than six months following the initial whole herd vaccination, and shall be conducted at such intervals as are established by the designated epidemiologist. Reactor animals must be removed for slaughter following each herd test.

4. Brucellosis infected adult vaccinated beef herds shall be released from quarantine on two negative tests, the first not less than 30 days following removal of all reactors and the second not less than 180 days following removal of the last reactor, as is currently provided in subsection 5C-6.0019(3), F.A.C., for release of quarantine in infected nonvaccinated herds. Such herds shall be considered negative if all animals in the herd show titers of less than +1 at 1:40 on the CF test or less than +25 on the rivanol test. An additional herd test is required not less than six months after release of a vaccinated herd from quarantine. A post-sale retest on animals moving from previously quarantined “AV” herds before the six-months retest shall be conducted between 120 and 180 days. However, animals may be tested as early as 45 days after movement if, at the time of test, at least six months have expired since the quarantine release of the herd of origin.

5. In all herd tests, a presumptive test shall be performed on each test-eligible animal. The card, and CF and/or rivanol tests shall be performed on all presumptive test positive animals. Animals positive to any of these tests, that are not identifiable as official vaccinates, shall be classified as reactors.

6. Official vaccinates positive on the standard card test or having a titer between +2 at 1:10 to +4 at 1:20 on the CF test in herds eligible for release from quarantine shall be classified as suspects and be quarantined individually (not the whole herd) until they are card negative and less than +2 at 1:10 on the CF test.

7. Dairy Herds. All of the foregoing procedures in Rule 5C-6.0021, F.A.C., shall apply to “AV” dairy herds. In addition, dairy herds shall either be negative to the last milk ring test or all individual lactating “AV” dairy animals shall have less than a 1:16 titer by the milk ring test on individual samples of all quarters prior to release from quarantine. Any “AV” dairy herd released from quarantine which continues to be suspicious on milk ring test surveillance shall be evaluated by the designated epidemiologist and monitored with further testing as necessary to ensure that there is no evidence of field strain brucella infection in the herd.

(b) Herds which are not Certified Brucellosis-Free.

1. Persons owning herds at high risk of becoming infected with brucellosis which are not Certified Brucellosis-Free, may also request whole herd vaccination. The individual herd plan will then include the use of whole herd vaccination in addition to other recognized procedures for elimination of the disease in accordance with paragraph 5C-6.002(2)(a), F.A.C. above. All eligible calves shall be calfhood vaccinated and identified. In addition to an official eartag, all animals so adult vaccinated shall also be identified by an open-ended “V” hot-iron brand on the right jaw, or high on the hip near the tailhead or an official “AV” (adult vaccination) tattoo in the right ear or both. Following vaccination, the adult vaccinated animals will be placed under quarantine. Included in the individual herd plan shall be provisions for the herd to be tested within 30 to 120 days following vaccination, and at intervals as agreed to in the individual herd plan, until a negative test conducted at least 90 days later than the first negative test 30 days or longer after the last reactor, if any, is removed qualifies the herd to be released from quarantine.

2. Dairy Herds. All of the foregoing shall apply to “AV” dairy herds. In addition, dairy herds shall either be negative to the last milk ring test or all individual lactating “AV” dairy animals shall have less than a 1:16 titer by the milk ring test on individual samples of all quarters prior to release from quarantine. Any “AV” dairy herd released from quarantine which continues to be suspicious on milk ring test surveillance shall be evaluated by the designated epidemiologist and monitored with further testing as necessary to ensure that there is no evidence of field strain brucella infection in the herd.

3. If infection is disclosed on the pre-vaccinal or subsequent herd tests prior to quarantine release, an additional herd test is required not less than six months after release of a vaccinated herd from quarantine. A post-sale retest on the animals moving from previously quarantined “AV” herds before the six months retest is required between 120 and 180 days. Animals may be tested as early as 45 days after movement if, at the time of test, at least six months have expired since the quarantine release of the herd of origin.

(c) Certified Brucellosis-Free Herds. Under this plan, owners of Certified Brucellosis-Free Herds in an area of high risk of becoming infected with brucellosis may request whole herd vaccination. The purpose is to immediately establish a high level of resistance to the present or expected exposure from field strain Brucella abortus.

1. In herds of known status; i.e., Certified Brucellosis-Free Herds, the individual herd plan will include the following whole herd vaccination procedures in addition to other recognized procedures for prevention or control of the disease:

a. A blood sample shall be obtained from all test-eligible animals for serologic testing. If all tests are negative, the herd will be considered a Certified Brucellosis-Free Herd at high risk, but if any animals are reactors, the herd will be declared an infected herd and will follow the same rules for known infected herds as established in Rule 5C-6.0021, F.A.C.

b. In Certified Brucellosis-Free Herds at high risk, all eligible calves shall be calfhood vaccinated and identified. Within 10 days after negative serologic testing, all other female animals shall be vaccinated with a reduced dose of strain 19 vaccine and identified with an official “AV” (adult vaccination) tattoo in the right ear as well as the permanent individual official metal eartag. Following vaccination, the adult vaccinated animals will be placed under quarantine. Included in the individual herd plan shall be provisions for the herd to be tested within 30 to 180 days following vaccination. However, upon written request by the owner, the Area Veterinarian in Charge or Chief State Animal Health Official may extend the time of the first post-vaccination herd test to coordinate it with the recertification requirements. The herd must be retested at not less than 30-day intervals thereafter, until a negative test conducted at least 150 days later than the first negative test 30 days or longer after the last reactor, if any, is removed qualifies to release the quarantine. Certified Brucellosis-Free Herd status is suspended while the adult vaccinated animals remain under quarantine and is reinstated upon release from quarantine provided field strain Brucella abortus infection has not been diagnosed in the herd. During such period of quarantine, standard card test negative adult vaccinated animals in these Certified Brucellosis-Free Herds may move without restriction.

2. Dairy Herds. All of the foregoing shall apply to “AV” dairy herds. In addition, dairy herds shall either be negative to the last milk ring test or all individual lactating “AV” dairy animals shall have less than a 1:16 titer by the milk ring test on individual samples of all quarters prior to release from quarantine. Any “AV” dairy herd released from quarantine which continues to be suspicious on milk ring test surveillance shall be evaluated by the designated epidemiologist and monitored with further testing as necessary to ensure that there is no evidence of field strain brucella infection in the herd.

3. If infection is disclosed on the pre-vaccinal or subsequent herd tests prior to quarantine release, an additional herd test is required not less than six months after release of a vaccinated herd from quarantine. A post-sale retest on the animals moving from previously quarantined “AV” herds before the six months retest is required between 120 and 180 days. Animals may be tested as early as 45 days after movement if, at the time of test, at least six months have expired since the quarantine release of the herd of origin.

(3) Animals moved into adult vaccinated herds must originate in brucellosis negative herds and be negative to an official brucellosis test within 10 days prior to entry. Calves under six months and official calfhood vaccinates under 20 months for dairy breeds and 24 months for beef breeds which are not parturient or post parturient are exempt from the test requirements. Unvaccinated females must be vaccinated with strain 19 brucella vaccine before being placed in the herd.

Rulemaking Authority 585.002(3), 585.08(2) FS. Law Implemented 585.08(1), (3), 585.11(1), (2), 585.155(1), (2), (3), (4) FS. History–Amended 9-1-72, 8-1-76, 9-30-80, 6-26-83, 2-5-85, Formerly 5C-6.021, Amended 8-24-87, 6-1-92.