Virginia Law

"Accredited veterinarian" means a veterinarian approved by the United States Department of Agriculture in accordance with 9 CFR 160.1 (2002).

"Animal" means any sheep or goat.

"Breeding goat" means any sexually intact goat of any age that is not moving directly to slaughter, or through slaughter channels to slaughter.

"Consistent state" means a state listed in 9 CFR 79.1 that the USDA Administrator has determined in compliance with 9 CFR 79.6.

"Exposed animal" means (i) any animal that has been in the same flock at the same time as a scrapie-positive female animal, excluding limited contacts; (ii) any animal born in a flock after a scrapie-positive animal was born into that flock or lambed in that flock, if born before that flock completes the requirements of a flock plan; (iii) any animal that was commingled with a scrapie-positive female animal during or up to 30 days after she lambed, kidded, or aborted, or while a visible vaginal discharge was present, or that was commingled with any other scrapie-positive female animal for 24 hours or more, including during activities such as shows and sales or while in marketing channels; or (iv) any animal in a noncompliant flock.

"Exposed flock" means any flock in which a scrapie-positive animal was born or lambed. Any flock that currently contains a female high-risk, exposed, or suspect animal, or that once contained a female high-risk, exposed, or suspect animal that lambed in the flock and from which tissues were not submitted for official testing and found negative. A flock that has completed a postexposure management and monitoring plan following the exposure will no longer be an exposed flock.

"Flock" means all animals, sheep, goats, or commingled sheep and goats, maintained on a single premises and all animals under common ownership or supervision on two or more premises with animal interchange between the premises. Changes in ownership of part or all of the flock do not change the identity of the flock or the regulatory requirements applicable to the flock.

"Flock of origin" means the flock in which an animal most recently resided in which it was either born, gave birth, or was used for breeding purposes. The determination of an animal's flock of origin may be based either on the physical presence of the animal in the flock, the presence of official identification on the animal traceable to the flock, the presence of other identification on the animal that is listed on the bill of sale, or other evidence, such as registry records. For all male animals it is the flock of birth.

"Flock plan" means a written flock-management agreement signed by (i) the owner of a flock, (ii) the accredited veterinarian (if one is employed by the owner), (iii) an APHIS representative, or (iv) the State Veterinarian, in which each participant agrees to undertake actions specified in the flock plan to control the spread of scrapie from, and eradicate scrapie in, an infected flock or source flock or to reduce the risk of the occurrence of scrapie in a flock that contains a high-risk or an exposed animal. As part of a flock plan, the flock owner must provide the facilities and personnel needed to carry out the requirements of the flock plan. The flock plan must include the requirements in 9 CFR 54.8.

"High-risk animal" means a sexually intact animal, excluding male sheep that have tested RR at codon 171 and AA at codon 136 using an official genotype test, that has not been redesignated as part of a USDA-approved pilot project that is:

1. The progeny of a scrapie-positive dam;

2. Born in the same flock during the same lambing season as progeny of a scrapie-positive dam, unless the progeny of the scrapie-positive dam are from separate contemporary lambing groups;

3. Born in the same flock during the same lambing season that a scrapie-positive animal was born, or during any subsequent lambing season, if born before that flock completes the requirements of a flock plan; or

4. An exposed female sheep that has not tested QR, HR, or RR at codon 171 using an official genotype test.

"Infected flock" means any flock in which a state or APHIS representative has determined that a scrapie-positive female animal has resided unless an epidemiologic investigation conducted by a State or APHIS representative shows that the animal did not lamb or abort in the flock. A flock will no longer be considered an infected flock after it has completed the requirements of a flock plan.

"Low-risk commercial goat" means a low-risk goat from a flock in which animals are moved to slaughter only directly or through slaughter channels or any animal raised only for meat or fiber production and not registered with a sheep or goat registry or used for exhibition.

"Low-risk goat" means a goat that is not a scrapie-positive, suspect, high-risk, or exposed animal; that has not been commingled with sheep; and that is from a state in which (i) scrapie has not been identified in a goat during the previous 10 years; (ii) scrapie has been identified in a goat during the previous 10 years, but the scrapie-positive goat was not born in the state, resided in the state for less than 72 months, and did not kid while in the state; or (iii) scrapie has been identified in a goat during the previous 10 years and the scrapie-positive goat was commingled with sheep but records allowed a complete epidemiologic investigation to be completed and all resulting infected, source, and exposed goat flocks had completed flock plans and were in compliance with post-exposure monitoring and management plans.

"Noncompliant flock" means (i) any source or infected flock whose owner declines to enter into a flock plan or postexposure management and monitoring plan (PEMMP) agreement within 60 days of being so designated or whose owner is not in compliance with either agreement; (ii) any exposed flock whose owner fails to make animals available for testing within 60 days of notification or as mutually agreed, or whose owner fails to submit required postmortem samples as directed in the PEMMP; (iii) any flock whose owner has misrepresented, or who employs a person who has misrepresented, the scrapie status of an animal or any other information on a certificate, permit, owner statement, or other official document within the last five years; or (iv) any flock whose owner or manager has moved, or who employs a person who has moved, an animal in violation of 9 CFR Part 79 within the last five years, as determined by the State Veterinarian or APHIS.

"Official USDA identification" means identification approved by the USDA/APHIS/VS for use in the scrapie eradication program.

"Postexposure management and monitoring plan (PEMMP)" means a written agreement signed by the owner of a flock, any accredited veterinarian employed by the owner, and a state or APHIS representative in which each participant agrees to undertake actions specified in the agreement to reduce the risk of the occurrence of scrapie and to monitor for the occurrence of scrapie in the flock for at least five years after the last high-risk or scrapie-positive animal is removed from the flock or after the last exposure of the flock to a scrapie-positive animal unless the monitoring time is otherwise specified by a state or APHIS representative. As part of a postexposure management and monitoring plan, the flock owner must provide the facilities and personnel needed to carry out the required elements listed in the plan. This plan must include the requirements in 9 CFR 54.8.

"Premises identification number" (PIN) means a unique number used on official eartags and tattoos to identify the premises of origin of an animal and that is recorded in the Scrapie National Generic Database. The first two digits are the Postal Service abbreviation for states followed by an alphanumeric number that does not include I, O, or Q, or is the national premises identification number or other PIN approved by the State Veterinarian and USDA/APHIS/VS.

"Scrapie" means a nonfebrile, transmissible, insidious, degenerative disease that affects the central nervous system, and is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) found in sheep and goats.

"Scrapie Flock Certification Program" means a voluntary program, sponsored by the USDA/APHIS/VS, to reduce scrapie occurrence and spread; identify flocks that have been free of evidence of scrapie over a specified time period; and contribute to the eventual eradication of scrapie.

"Scrapie-positive" means an animal that has tested positive for scrapie by USDA-accepted testing methods by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories, or another laboratory designated by the State Veterinarian, to have the disease scrapie.

"Source flock" means a flock in which a state or APHIS representative has determined that at least one animal was born that tested positive for scrapie at an age of 72 months or less or in which a scrapie-positive animal has resided throughout its life.

"State Veterinarian" means the Virginia State Veterinarian or his representative employed by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

"Suspect animal" means an animal designated suspect that is: (i) a sheep or goat that exhibits any of the following clinical signs of scrapie and has been determined to be suspicious for scrapie by an accredited veterinarian or a state or APHIS representative: weight loss despite retention of appetite; behavioral abnormalities; pruritus (itching); wool pulling; biting at legs or side; lip smacking; motor abnormalities such as incoordination, high stepping gait of forelimbs, bunny-hop movement of rear legs, or swaying of back end; increased sensitivity to noise and sudden movement; tremor; star-gazing; head pressing; recumbency, or other signs of neurological disease; or chronic wasting; (ii) a sheep or goat that has tested positive for scrapie or for the protease-resistant protein associated with scrapie on an unofficial test or a screening test; or (iii) a sheep or goat whose official scrapie test yielded inconclusive or suggestive results (i.e., the NVSL report reads inconclusive or suggestive rather than not detected).

"USDA and USDA/APHIS/VS" means the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services.