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

1. (1) Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) - A transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of deer and elk.
2. (2) CWD Profile - A deer or elk 16 months of age or older that is emaciated and exhibits some combination of clinical signs including abnormal behavior, increased salivation, tremors, stumbling, incoordination, difficulty in swallowing , excessive thirst, and excessive urination.
3. (3) Commission - The Texas Animal Health Commission.
4. (4) Herd - A group of deer or elk maintained on common ground, or two or more groups of deer or elk under common ownership or supervision that are geographically separated but can have an interchange or movement without regard to health status.
5. (5) High Risk Animal - A deer or elk which has had direct contact with an animal which has been confirmed to be affected with CWD. In herds with evidence of transmission, as determined by an epidemiological investigation, high risk animals include all animals that have had contact with the affected animal(s) at any time during a 12 month period preceding the initial observation of clinical signs. In herds without evidence of transmission, as determined by an epidemiological investigation, high risk animals include all animals that have had contact with the affected animal at any time during a 12 month period preceding death of the affected animal.
6. (6) Official Eartag - An identification eartag that provides unique identification for each individual animal by conforming to the alphanumeric National Uniform Eartagging System.
7. (7) Official Laboratory - The National Veterinary Services Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, is the reference laboratory for CWD diagnostic procedures.
8. (8) Positive Herd - A herd in which a diagnosis of CWD has been confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory.
9. (9) Suspicious Animal - A deer or elk which has clinical signs which resemble the CWD profile.
10. (10) Suspicious Herd - A herd in which one or more animals are observed with clinical signs which resemble the CWD profile.
11. (11) Trace Herd - The term includes both traceback and traceforward herds. A traceback herd is any herd where an affected animal has resided during a 36 month period prior to death. A trace-forward herd is any herd which has received animals from a positive herd during a 30 month period prior to death of the affected animal.

Source Note:The provisions of this §40.1 adopted to be effective August 22, 1999, 24 TexReg 6280.