1. (a) Determination of an infected herd.

   1. (1) The criteria outlined in the Uniform Methods and Rules shall be used to designate infected animals and herds.

   2. (2)

      1. (A) When blood test results on animals or herds are not definitive, or when blood tests of brucellosis ring test suspicious dairy herds are not productive, additional diagnostic procedures will be done under supervision of the State Epidemiologist.
      2. (B) The evaluation of all diagnostic test results and the final determination of infection will be made by the State Epidemiologist.
   3. (3) (3) Once infection has been ascertained, the herd will be placed under a state quarantine.
   4. (4) Other species showing symptoms should be isolated from cattle or destroyed.

2. (b) Infected herd quarantine.

   1. (1)

      1. (A) Quarantine may be issued by state and federal animal health regulatory officials and accredited veterinary practitioners.
      2. (B) One (1) copy of the quarantine will go to the county sheriff's office.
   2. (2) The quarantine shall include all cattle except for steers and spayed heifers (identified with a S-brand in the left jaw, and a spay tag in the left ear) in all herds and premises maintained by the recipient of the quarantine.

   3. (3) Exceptions to herd quarantine procedure.

      1. (A) Exceptions will be made for those herds for which there is proof (as judged by the section veterinary medical officer (VMO) and State Epidemiologist or State Veterinarian that the herd is indeed separate and distinct from the infected herd.
      2. (B) Individual herds may be released from quarantine if a complete negative herd blood test is accomplished and permission is granted by the section VMO and the State Epidemiologist or State Veterinarian.

   4. (4)

      1. (A) All heifers present while there is active infection in the herd shall remain under quarantine until one (1) of the following criteria are met:

3. (i) They are spayed;

   1. (ii) They are S-branded; or

      1. (iii) They have been tested negative twice:
4. (a) (a) After they have reached eighteen (18) months of age; and

5. (b) (b) At least three (3) weeks after they have calved.

   1. (B) The entire herd shall remain under quarantine as long as those heifers are intermingled with it.

   2. (5) The following deviations concerning heifers are applicable:

      1. (A) Heifers in Rivanol negative MCI reactor herds in which no infection is disclosed on the farm will not be placed under these restrictions;
      2. (B) Heifers in Rivanol positive MCI reactor herds will be placed under quarantine with the rest of the herd, but if no infection is found on the farm, enforcement of the restrictions on heifers will be up to the discretion of the VMO or the State Epidemiologist or State Veterinarian; and
      3. (C) Any heifer calves born after the removal of the last reactor from the herd will not be restricted.

   3. (6) Movement of animals out of a quarantined-infected herd.

      1. (A) (A) Movement of animals out of a quarantined-infected herd is authorized only in the accompaniment of a VS Form 1-27 shipping permit issued by a representative of the Arkansas Board of Animal Health or an accredited veterinary practitioner.

      2. (B) Reactors must be B-branded and S-branded exposed cattle in herd depopulations must be tagged on the farm premises of origin except that:

         1. (i) Under permission of the State Veterinarian, they may be followed to an auction market by a representative of the Arkansas Board of Animal Health (livestock inspector, animal health technician, or veterinarian) where they can be branded and tagged immediately upon arrival; or
         2. (ii)
6. (a) (a) They may move directly for immediate slaughter, using United States Department of Agriculture back tag identification in the accompaniment of an Arkansas Board of Animal Health representative, or in vehicles closed with official seals.

7. (b) (b) The slaughter house must be United States Department of Agriculture or state inspected.

   1. (C) Reactors and S-branded exposed cattle in herd depopulations may move through a maximum of one (1) auction market on their way to slaughter.

   2. (7) Exposed cattle.

      1. (A) Cattle considered to be exposed if they have been in contact with cattle from a quarantined herd for a period of twenty-four (24) hours or more.

      2. (B) Exposed cattle or serological suspects from an infected herd must be S-branded on the farm premises of origin except as follows:

         1. (i)
8. (a) (a) Under permission of the State Veterinarian, they may be followed to an auction market by a representative of the Arkansas Board of Animal Health (livestock inspector, animal health technician, or veterinarian) where they can be branded and tagged immediately upon arrival.

9. (b) (b) They may then be sold to a quarantined feedlot or direct to slaughter; or

   1. (ii)
10. (a) (a) They may move directly for immediate slaughter, using United States Department of Agriculture back tag identification in the accompaniment of an Arkansas Board of Animal Health representative, or in vehicles closed with official seals.

11. (b) (b) The slaughter house must be United States Department of Agriculture or state inspected.

    1. (C) Test ineligible animals (steers and spayed heifers) are not restricted in movement.

       1. (D)

          1. (i) The movement of other test-eligible animals from the farm premises of origin, until the herd is released from quarantine, is strictly prohibited.
          2. (ii) However, with the permission of the section VMO and the State Epidemiologist, the total herd may be moved under quarantine from farm premises to farm premises.
          3. (c) Testing and quarantine release criteria of an infected herd.

    2. (1) Test eligible animals:

       1. (A) All intact calfhood-vaccinated females and males eighteen (18) months of age and older, or if they are parturient; and

       2. (B)

          1. (i) All intact noncalfhood vaccinated females six (6) months of age and older.
          2. (ii) All heifer calves, between the ages of four and twelve (4-12) months, of known negative dams, shall be tested at the time they are calfhood vaccinated.

    3. (2) Testing procedure.

       1. (A) A herd plan (to expedite eradication activities) shall be agreed upon and signed by the:

          1. (i) Herd owner or manager and the section VMO;
          2. (ii) State Epidemiologist; and
          3. (iii) State Veterinarian or veterinary practitioner.
       2. (B) All test eligible cattle shall be gathered and restrained at regular intervals as specified by the herd plan, and with the approval of the State Epidemiologist and section VMO.
       3. (C) After a herd is adult vaccinated, there will be an interval of no more than four (4) months from the date of the adult vaccination until the regular testing regimen begins again.

       4. (D) Disclosure of reactors.

          1. (i) The card (buffered Brucella antigen) test may be run on the farm under a shelter with an ambient temperature of no more than seventy-five degrees (75˚) and no less than seventy degrees (70˚), provided:
12. (a) (a) The owner or manager of the herd signs a card test agreement (LR-4); and

13. (b) (b) A duly authorized representative of the Arkansas Board of Animal Health runs the test, or if it is done under the supervision of a section VMO.

    1. (ii) Final confirmation, or declaration, of test results will be done at the brucellosis laboratory in Little Rock.

       1. (iii) Retest of reactors is prohibited without the permission of the State Veterinarian or State Epidemiologist.

       2. (E) Disposition of reactors.

          1. (i) Except under special determination by the State Epidemiologist or State Veterinarian, all reactors must be B-branded and tagged within fifteen (15) days from the date of laboratory confirmation, and slaughtered within fifteen (15) days after the date of branding and tagging.
          2. (ii) Heifer calves off of reactor dams shall also be B-branded and tagged.
          3. (iii) Bull calves off of reactors must be castrated, and heifer calves may be spayed in lieu of B-branding.

       3. (F) Disposition of suspects (there are two (2) options):

          1. (i) They may be isolated from the main herd and retested in thirty (30) days from the date of the incriminating test, or as determined by the State Epidemiologist or State Veterinarian, for further serological, and perhaps microbiological, evaluation; or
          2. (ii) They may be S-branded and sold for slaughter or consigned to a quarantined feedlot.
       4. (G) Any cattle herd in which "S" or "B" branded cattle shall appear shall be immediately quarantined and all associated cattle subject to immediate brucellosis testing at owner's expense.

    2. (3) Quarantine releasing criteria.

       1. (A) A minimum of three (3) consecutive negative complete herd tests, with the last one (1) coming at least six (6) months after the removal of the last reactor from the herd, will be required for the herd to qualify for quarantine release.

       2. (B) A retest of those animals remaining from the previously quarantined herd shall be done six (6) to ten (10) months after the quarantine is released.

          1. (d) Testing of adjacent herds.
    3. (1) All herds within a one-mile radius of the fence line perimeter of the infected pasture or premises, or all herds located on the first two (2) farm premises located on a tangent extending out each direction from the fence line perimeter of the infected pasture or premises, or whichever of the two (2) previously mentioned conditions is satisfied first.
    4. (2) Each of these herds shall be quarantined, which will be released if a laboratory-confirmed complete herd negative test is achieved.
    5. (3) As long as the index herd continues to exhibit active infection, each contiguous adjacent herd shall be requarantined and retested every four to six (4-6) months.
    6. (4) After the index herd is released from quarantine, each contiguous adjacent herd may be requarantined and retested upon the decision of the State Epidemiologist.

14. (e) On farm calfhood vaccination.

    1. (1) Free of charge to owners, as long as funds are available.
    2. (2) Vaccination age four to twelve (4-12) months.

    3. (3)

       1. (A) Method of getting calves vaccinated:

          1. (i) State/federal employees - no charge; and
          2. (ii) Veterinary practitioner - no charge, while funds are available.

       2. (B)

          1. (i) Fee basis work by state/federal government- no charge to owner.
          2. (ii) Fees to be paid to veterinarians as set by policy of the Arkansas Board of Animal Health.
          3. (iii) Clinic charge for calfhood vaccination when farmers bring calves to private practitioner's clinic shall also be set by policy of the Arkansas Board of Animal Health.
    4. (4) All heifers that are over one (1) year of age and unvaccinated will be S-branded (and sent to slaughter or to a quarantined feedlot), or spayed.
    5. (5) This part does not interfere with the veterinarian, market operator, or State Veterinarian entering an agreement to vaccinate calves at a concentration point or market.

Codification Notes: "MCI" means market cattle identification.