Virginia Law

The following words and terms, when used in this regulation, shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Accredited veterinarian" means a veterinarian approved by the USDA, in accordance with the provisions of 9 CFR 160.1 (2002).

"AI" means "avian influenza," a disease of viral etiology, specifically an influenza A virus, that ranges from a mild or even asymptomatic infection to an acute, fatal disease of chickens, turkeys, guinea fowls, and other avian species, especially migratory waterfowl.

"APHIS" means the "Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service," an agency of the USDA.

"Approved laboratory" means a state, federal, university or private laboratory that has been approved by USDA, APHIS, VS to perform any or all official program tests for AI diagnosis.

"Auction market" means a business where producers, dealers, wholesalers and retailers meet to purchase, trade or sell live birds.

"Biosecurity" means the measures taken to prevent disease agents from being introduced and spreading to animal populations or their proximity.

"Bird" means "poultry" for the purposes of this regulation.

"C&D" means "cleaning and disinfection."

"Distribution unit" means a person or business such as a wholesaler, dealer, hauler, and auction market engaged in the transportation or sale of poultry within the live-bird marketing system.

"Hauler" means a business or individual that transports poultry from producer premises to another supplier premises, to another distributor, or to a LBM.

"HPAI" means "high pathogenicity avian influenza," which is any influenza virus that meets the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) definition and the definition included in 9 CFR 53.1.

"LBM" means "live-bird market," which is any facility that receives live poultry to be resold or slaughtered and sold on-site, not including any producer or grower that prior to the sale of his own birds slaughters or processes them on-site or at an approved slaughter facility or any producer or grower that sells live birds grown exclusively on his premises and is not a "production unit" or "distribution unit" as defined herein.

"Licensing" means the requirement for issuance of a license to conduct business in the live-bird marketing system in Virginia. This consists of the licensing of facilities by the state and providing oversight as required in this regulation.

"Live-bird marketing system" means LBMs and the production and distribution units that supply LBMs with birds.

"LPAI" means "low pathogenicity avian influenza," which is any AI virus that does not meet the criteria for HPAI.

"LPAI Program" means low pathogenicity avian influenza H5 and H7 program, the state-federal-industry cooperative program for the prevention and control of H5 and H7 LPAI. Participating states shall have regulations to enforce program standards and requirements.

"NVSL" means the USDA, APHIS, "National Veterinary Services Laboratories" in Ames, IA. It is the national diagnostic reference laboratory.

"Poultry" means any species of domestic fowl (including chickens, turkeys, ostriches, emus, rheas, cassowaries, waterfowl, and game birds) raised for food production or other purposes.

"Poultry waste" means dead birds, feathers, offal, and poultry litter.

"Premises identification number" means a unique identification number that may be assigned by the State Veterinarian to a LBM, distributor, or production flock.

"Production unit" means a production facility or farm that is the origin of or participates in the production of poultry offered for sale in a LBM.

"State Veterinarian" means a qualified veterinarian employed by the Commissioner of Virginia Agriculture and Consumer Services and so designated.

"USDA" means the "United States Department of Agriculture."

"VS" means "Veterinary Services," an office under the USDA, APHIS.