Livestock Board

General Agency, Board or Commission Rules

Chapter 15: Trichomoniasis Rules

Effective Date: 12/27/2010 to 05/20/2016

Rule Type: Superceded Rules & Regulations

Reference Number: 051.0001.15.12272010

CHAPTER 15

TRICHOMONIASIS RULES

Section 1. Authority to Create Rules.

(a) Pursuant to the authority vested in the Wyoming Livestock Board by virtue of W. S. §11-18-103 (a) (v), the following rules are hereby promulgated.

Section 2. Purpose of Rules.

(a) These rules are adopted to prevent the introduction of, and control the spread of, Trichomoniasis, a venereal disease in Bovine.

Section 3. Definitions used in Rules.

(a) The following definitions are applicable for implementing these rules:

(i) “Approved Feedlot” means a feedlot permitted by the Board which allows for the feeding of untested Trichomoniasis Test Eligible Bulls, Trichomoniasis Infected Bovine or Trichomoniasis Exposed Bovine, in a Feedlot based upon the operation’s compliance with the provisions of the V Lot Permit. All Bovine shall be identified with official individual identification prior to, or upon arrival at the Approved Feedlot. After feeding, all Bovine shall be sent to immediate slaughter.

(ii) “Approved Livestock Market” means a livestock market that is licensed by the Board.

(iii) “Board” means the Wyoming Livestock Board, State Agency 051, whose current address is 1934 Wyott Drive, Cheyenne, WY 82002-0051, (307) 777-7515.

(iv) “Bovine” means sexually intact male and female Bovine of the genus Bos of any breed.

(v) “Brand Inspection Form” means a document issued by the Board that is used to record the change of ownership and/or movement of livestock both intrastate and interstate.

(vi) “Certified Trichomoniasis Negative” means any bull that has tested negative to either three (3) culture tests, two (2) PCR tests, or one (1) culture and one (1) PCR test conducted within seven (7) to twenty-one (21) days of each other with no reproductive exposure for at least thirty (30) days prior to the first test.

(vii) “Common Grazing” means any common pasturing arrangement, in which Bovine from two (2) or more Herd Units not under common ownership may commingle and Bovine sexual activity is possible. This includes common grazing on all private, state, tribal, or federal lands, or any combination thereof.

1. (viii) 'Culture Test' means the microscopic examination of a sample properly incubated and cultivated to grow the Tritrichomonas organism.
2. (ix) 'Direct Movement' means movement in which the Bovine are not unloaded en route to their final destination.
3. (x) 'Feedlot' means a confined dry lot area for feeding of animals with no facilities for pasturing or grazing.
4. (xi) 'Herd Unit' means a group of one or more Bovine under individual or multiple ownership that is managed as one herd on a year round basis.
5. (xii) 'Infected Herd Unit' means a Herd Unit in which one or more Bovine have been diagnosed as a Trichomoniasis Infected Bovine. The State Veterinarian, in cooperation with the livestock producer and the Trichomoniasis Certified Veterinarian will determine what constitutes an Infected Herd Unit.
6. (xiii) 'Official Trichomoniasis Infection Identification Tag' means a red Board Approved Individual Identification tag that signifies that the animal is infected with Trichomoniasis.
7. (xiv) 'Official Trichomoniasis Test' means an approved test, including the Culture and PCR Tests, conducted on a properly collected and cultivated or processed sample to detect the presence of the organism Tritrichomonas foetus and properly recorded on an official Trichomoniasis test record provided by the Board. Staff from the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory shall determine if the sample was properly collected and cultivated or processed.
8. (xv) 'Official Trichomoniasis Test Identification Tag' means an ear tag that is authorized by the Board and placed in the right ear of a Test Eligible Bovine at the time of the first Official Trichomoniasis Test prior to that immediate breeding season.
9. (xvi) 'PCR Test' means the Polymerase Chain Reaction test, a test which detects genetic material of Tritrichomonas foetus. Staff from the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory shall advise the State Veterinarian on the protocol for sample collection and processing for this test.
10. (xvii) 'Premises' means the ground, area, buildings and equipment utilized by one or more Bovine.

(xviii) “Quarantine” means a document issued by the State Veterinarian or his designee that restricts movement of specific Bovine to premises as determined by the State Veterinarian.

(xix) “Recognized Slaughter Establishment” means any slaughter establishment operating under the provisions of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601-695) including all amendments as of July 22, 2010 or the Wyoming Food Safety Rule found at Chapter 1 Purpose, Variances, Definitions, Demonstrations of Knowledge, and Health Status as promulgated and amended by the Wyoming Department of Agriculture as of December 2009. This does not include any later amendments past July 22, 2010 and December 2009 respectively. These documents are available to the public at the office of the Board.

(xx) “Slaughter” means the slaughter of a Bovine within fourteen (14) days at a Recognized Slaughter Establishment.

(xxi) “Trichomoniasis” means a contagious venereal disease of Bovine, caused by a protozoan, Tritrichomonas foetus, and characterized by infertility, pyometra, abortion, and reproductive inefficiency.

(xxii) “Trichomoniasis Certified Veterinarian” means a veterinarian who is licensed in Wyoming and has successfully completed a Board approved Trichomoniasis certification program.

(xxiii) “Trichomoniasis Exposed Bovine” means any Bovine that has had commingling or fenceline contact with Trichomoniasis Infected Bovine, or an Infected Herd Unit.

(xxiv) “Trichomoniasis Infected Bovine” means a Bovine that has tested positive to an Official Trichomoniasis Test.

(xxv) “Trichomoniasis Quarantine Release Plan” means a written document outlining practices a livestock producer will conduct to qualify for release of quarantine of a Trichomoniasis infected herd.

(xxvi) “Trichomoniasis Test Eligible Bull” means 1) any non virgin, sexually intact, male Bovine; 2) any bull over twenty-four (24) months of age; or 3) any bull from a Trichomoniasis Infected or Exposed Herd Unit.

(xxvii) “V Brand” means a 2”X 3” hot iron single V character brand applied to the left tail-head of a Bovine signifying that the Bovine is a Trichomoniasis Infected Bovine or a Trichomoniasis Exposed Male Bovine that has not been tested and Certified Trichomoniasis Negative.

(xxviii) “V Lot Permit” means a permit issued by the Board to an operator of an Approved Feedlot that allows for the feeding of untested Trichomoniasis Test Eligible Bovine, Trichomoniasis Infected Bovine or Trichomoniasis Exposed Bovine, in an Approved Feedlot based upon the operation’s compliance with the provisions of the V Lot Permit.

(xxix) “Virgin Bovine” means a sexually intact male or female bovine that has not had sexual contact with a Bovine of the opposite gender.

(xxx) “VS Form 1-27” means an official restricted movement document issued by the State Veterinarian or his designee.

Section 4. Penalty for a Violation of Rules.

(a) Penalties for a violation of these rules will be pursuant to law.

Section 5. Duty to Report Trichomoniasis to State Veterinarian.

(a) Pursuant to W.S. §11-19-102, any person who knows or suspects that there is Trichomoniasis among Bovine that he or she owns or manages shall immediately report the same to the State Veterinarian.

(b) Any veterinarian who suspects or knows that there is Trichomoniasis among Bovine in a herd shall immediately report the same to the State Veterinarian.

(c) The Trichomoniasis Certified Veterinarian, who has collected the specimen and/or performed the laboratory diagnosis from a Trichomoniasis Infected Bovine, shall notify the owner and the State Veterinarian within twenty-four (24) hours of learning the results.

(d) All Official Trichomoniasis Test records shall be submitted to the office of the Board within thirty (30) days of testing.

Section 6. Veterinarians to be Certified in the Collection Techniques and Diagnosis of Trichomoniasis.

(a) All Official Trichomoniasis Test samples must be collected only by a Trichomoniasis Certified Veterinarian.

(i) Staff from the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory shall determine if samples were properly collected, and if not, notify the State Veterinarian of this information

(b) All Official Trichomoniasis Testing shall be performed only by a Trichomoniasis Certified Veterinarian or by authorized personnel at an approved veterinary laboratory.

(c) Trichomoniasis Certified Veterinarians shall recertify every five (5) years.

(d) The Board will provide certification programs as needed.

Section 7. Trichomoniasis Testing Requirements.

(a) All bulls tested for Trichomoniasis shall be identified with an Official Trichomoniasis Test Identification Tag which shall be recorded on the test record.

(b) All Trichomoniasis Test Eligible Bulls sold or leased for reproductive purposes in Wyoming shall be Certified Trichomoniasis Negative prior to the sale or lease, the issuance of a Brand Inspection Form, and/or delivery of the bull.

(i) The following are exemptions to this requirement:

(A) If adequate facilities do not exist to handle and test a Trichomoniasis Test Eligible Bull prior to a private sale or lease transaction, the owner may submit to the State Veterinarian a written request allowing for the Direct Movement and holding of the bull at a satisfactory testing location under a Quarantine issued by the State Veterinarian or his designee until they are Certified Trichomoniasis Negative which shall be completed within sixty (60) days of movement and prior to commingling with female Bovine;

(B) Untested Trichomoniasis Test Eligible Bulls sold for reproductive purposes in Wyoming through an Approved Livestock Market shall move by Direct Movement to the buyer's Premises and be held under a Quarantine issued by the State Veterinarian until Certified Trichomoniasis Negative which shall be completed within sixty (60) days of purchase, and prior to commingling with female Bovine;

(C) Trichomoniasis Test Eligible Bulls from a herd which is changing ownership as a whole and will continue to reside on the same ranch property may be exempted from change of ownership Trichomoniasis testing requirements by the State Veterinarian upon request of the owner, buyer, and herd veterinarian;

(D) Virgin sexually intact male Bovine more than twenty-four (24) months of age may be exempted from Trichomoniasis testing requirements by the State Veterinarian if the owner and herd veterinarian request a testing waiver in writing and supply any necessary information requested by the State Veterinarian to make a waiver determination.

Section 8. Common Grazing Trichomoniasis Test Requirements.

(a) All Trichomoniasis Test Eligible Bulls that will be grazed in Common Grazing or used by Common Grazing participants for breeding purposes prior to the Common Grazing shall test negative to one (1) Official Trichomoniasis Test prior to turn out.

(i) The following are exemptions to this requirement:

(A) Virgin male Bovine;

(B) Trichomoniasis Test Eligible Bulls tested negative for Trichomoniasis after the previous breeding season which have had no reproductive exposure since the last negative Official Trichomoniasis Test;

(C) Trichomoniasis Test Eligible Bulls used in Common Grazing arrangements may be exempted from testing by the State Veterinarian if all owners of Herd Units participating in the Common Grazing arrangement request a testing waiver in writing.

(b) A copy of the negative Trichomoniasis test record shall be supplied to the offices of the Board prior to Trichomoniasis Test Eligible Bulls being released for Common Grazing.

(c) A producer who manages Bovine on Common Grazing may request the State Veterinarian to investigate compliance with these rules by participants of the Common Grazing arrangement directly involving that producer's Bovine. The State Veterinarian shall investigate and take appropriate action in a timely manner.

Section 9. Trichomoniasis Test Requirement for Exposed Bulls.

(a) Trichomoniasis Exposed bulls shall be quarantined until the requirement outlined in (b) below is met and results are reported to the offices of the Board.

(b) One Official Trichomoniasis Test is required on all Trichomoniasis Test Eligible Bulls that have had fenceline or commingling contact with a Trichomoniasis infected herd during the breeding season. The test must be completed within sixty (60) days of notification by the State Veterinarian or his designee unless otherwise approved by the State Veterinarian.

(i) The following are exemptions to this requirement:

(A) Trichomoniasis Test Eligible Bulls sold for Slaughter, moving via Direct Movement and accompanied by a VS Form 1-27;

(B) Trichomoniasis Test Eligible Bulls moving via Direct Movement to a V Lot for terminal feeding, accompanied by a VS Form 1-27.

Section 10. Bovine that Breach a Fence and Commingle.

(a) Any Bovine, male or female, that breaches a fence commingling with another producer's Bovine shall be tested once with either the culture or the PCR test if that producer requests an Official Trichomoniasis Test. The requirement to test is subject to the discretion of the State Veterinarian. The owner of the offending Bovine shall bear all costs for the requested Official Trichomoniasis Test.

(b) The requesting producer shall contact the owner of the offending Bovine and the offices of the Board within thirty (30) days of the breach, requesting that the Bovine be tested.

(c) The requesting producer shall provide verifying documentation that another producer's Bovine commingled with his Bovine. This may include a brand inspection, photos, and/or individual identification.

(d) The State Veterinarian shall monitor the status of the event and ensure that the owner of the offending animals complies with this rule.

Section 11 Trichomoniasis Infected Bovine and Herd Units.

(a) The sale, lease, or movement of Bovine from a Trichomoniasis Infected Herd Unit for reproductive purposes is strictly prohibited.

(b) Any Bovine testing positive to an Official Trichomoniasis Test and the Infected Herd Unit shall immediately be placed under Quarantine by the Board. Quarantine is considered in effect at the time that the herd owner is notified.

(c) The owner, lessor, manager, or other person who has charge over a Trichomoniasis Infected Bovine shall provide the State Veterinarian the names and addresses of all owners of Bovine which the Trichomoniasis Infected Bovine may have had commingling or fenceline contact with, and all adjacent landowners in writing within seven (7) days of the positive Official Trichomoniasis Test results.

(d) A Trichomoniasis Quarantine Release Plan shall be developed by the State Veterinarian and the herd owner.

(e) The owner of a Trichomoniasis Infected Bovine shall apply a V Brand on the infected Bovine within seven (7) days of notification of positive test results and prior to moving the Trichomoniasis Infected Bovine from the Quarantined Premises. Trichomoniasis Exposed Bovine that are moved from an Infected Herd unit without testing are also required to be V Branded.

(f) Any Trichomoniasis Infected Bovine must move in Direct Movement for Slaughter at a Recognized Slaughter Establishment or for feeding in a V Lot immediately followed by Direct Movement for Slaughter at a Recognized Slaughter Establishment accompanied with a VS Form 1-27.

(g) The Trichomoniasis Certified Veterinarian who collected the sample of an infected Trichomoniasis Test Eligible Bull shall attach an Official Trichomoniasis Infection

Identification Tag onto the existing Trichomoniasis test tag. The original test tag shall not be removed from the ear.

(h) All bulls in an Infected Herd Unit shall be held under Quarantine until Certified Trichomoniasis Negative. The herd owner/manager is required to inform the State Veterinarian of the total number of bulls and the total number of sexually intact female Bovine in the Infected Herd Unit.

(i) The following are exemptions to this requirement:

(A) Bulls sent by Direct Movement to Slaughter at a Recognized Slaughter Establishment accompanied by a VS Form 1-27 and V Branded;

(B) Bulls sent by Direct Movement to a V Lot accompanied by a VS Form 1-27 and V Branded;

(C) Virgin bulls.

(i) The Infected Herd Unit owner or manager shall assist the State Veterinarian in determining the destination of all sexually intact non-virgin male Bovine sold during the twelve (12) months prior to the diagnosis of Trichomoniasis. The State Veterinarian shall undertake all reasonable efforts to notify the recipients of the Bovine.

Section 12. Female Bovine Subject to Quarantine.

(a) Any sexually intact non-virgin female Bovine in an Infected Herd Unit shall be held under Quarantine.

(i) The following are exemptions subject to the State Veterinarian's prior written approval as part of the Trichomoniasis Quarantine Release Plan:

(A) Virgin, sexually intact female Bovine less than eighteen (18) months of age accompanied by an owner signed affidavit attesting to their virginity;

(B) Female Bovine not exposed to any sexually intact male Bovine for at least 120 days;

(C) Female Bovine determined to be at least 120 days pregnant as determined by a Wyoming licensed veterinarian;

(D) Female Bovine moved by Direct Movement to Slaughter at a Recognized Slaughter establishment accompanied by a VS Form 1-27;

(E) Female Bovine moved by Direct Movement to a V Lot accompanied by a VS Form 1-27;

(F) Female Bovine sold for purposes of feeding with an affidavit signed by purchaser that they will not be used for breeding for at least 120 days. The State Veterinarian may waive this requirement at his discretion.

(b) The Infected Herd Unit owner or manager shall assist the State Veterinarian in determining the destination of all non-virgin female Bovine sold during the twelve (12) months prior to the diagnosis of Trichomoniasis in a herd. The State Veterinarian shall undertake all reasonable efforts to notify the recipients of the Bovine.

Section 13. Movement of Bovine Held Pursuant to Quarantine.

(a) Trichomoniasis Infected or Exposed Bovine shall not be removed from a Quarantined Premises unless approved by the State Veterinarian in writing unless moving via Direct Movement to Slaughter or to an Approved Feedlot and accompanied by a VS Form 1-27.

Section 14. Release of Quarantine.

(a) The release of any Quarantine shall be subject to these rules, the requirements of a Trichomoniasis Quarantine Release Plan, and at the discretion of the State Veterinarian.

Section 15. Bovine used for Recreational and Exhibition Purposes.

(a) Sexually intact male Bovine used for recreational and exhibition purposes shall remain under confinement at the recreational or exhibition Premises and shall not be allowed to commingle with sexually intact female Bovine.

(b) Any bull that breaches a fence or is otherwise allowed to commingle with sexually intact female Bovine shall be tested for Trichomoniasis with either one (1) culture or one (1) PCR test. The owner of the offending bull shall bear all costs associated with the testing.