Iowa Admin. Code r. 21-64.191

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 11, December 11, 2024

Rule 21-64.191 - Flock plan

(1) The flock owner, the owner's veterinarian, if requested, and the epidemiologist shafl develop a plan for eradicating LPAI in each affected flock. The plan must be designed to reduce and then eliminate LPAI from the flock, to prevent spread of the disease to other flocks, and to prevent reintroduction of LPAI after the flock beCornes disease-free. The flock plan must be developed and signed within 15 days after the determination that the flock is affected.

(2) The flock plan will include, but is not limited to, the following areas:

a. Movement of vehicles, equipment, and people on and off the premises.

b. Cleaning and disinfection of vehicles entering and leaving the premises.

c. Proper elimination of daily mortality through Cornposting on premises, incineration on premises, or other approved method.

d. Biosecurity procedures for people entering or leaving the facility.

e. Controlled marketing.

(1) No poultry may be removed from the premises for a minimum of 21 days after the last detection of active avian influenza virus on the premises. Immune flocks that have recovered from avian influenza infection may remain on the premises for the remainder of their scheduled life span.

(2) After 21 days, poultry marketing will only be allowed for delivery to slaughter establishments at the close of business for the week.

(3) Routes used to transport poultry to slaughter must avoid other poultry operations.

(4) Trucks used to transport poultry from an infected premises must be cleaned and disinfected and may not enter another poultry facility for at least 24 hours.

(5) Eggs which are washed, sanitized, and packed in new materials may be moved into normal marketing channels, but trucks hauling these eggs must not visit another premises between the production site and the market. Egg handling materials must be destroyed at the plant or cleaned, sanitized, and returned to the premises of origin without contacting materials going to other premises. Disposable egg flats or sanitized, plastic flats must be used to transport eggs.

(6) Eggs that are sold as "nest run" and are not washed and sanitized must be moved directly to only an "off-line" breaking operation for pasteurization and used for breaking only. The egg handling materials must be handled as described in (5) above.

(7) Liquid eggs from layer flocks may continue to move from breaking operations directly to pasteurization plants provided that the transport vehicles are cleaned and disinfected before entering and leaving the premises.

f. Vaccination. Avian influenza vaccine will be considered for use only if allowed by the state veterinarian and USDA APHIS.

(1) Killed H5 or H7 vaccine may be used to immunize all noninfected poultry remaining on the premises. Laying-flock replacement poultry should be vaccinated at least two weeks before entering the laying operation.

(2) Twenty sentinel (nonvaccinated) poultry will be kept in each vaccinated flock, and all 20 will be tested for avian influenza every 30 days.

(3) Avian influenza virus will be considered to be no longer active when all sentinel poultry are serologically negative on two consecutive tests conducted at least 14 days apart and when cloacal swabs from each of the 20 sentinel poultry are negative by virus isolation testing.

(4) Positive sentinel poultry must be euthanized and replaced by negative poultry after 14 days.

(5) Slaughter withdrawal times must be followed in the marketing of poultry.

g. Housing facilities and manure. Before a new flock is placed in an infected house, manure must be removed and the housing facilities must be cleaned and disinfected. Manure shall not be removed from the premises for a minimum of 30 days after the last active detection of avian influenza virus in a house. Manure from infected housing facilities must be carried in covered conveyances, and transportation routes must avoid other poultry operations. Manure handling and disposal will be at the direction of the state veterinarian.

h. Wild bird, insect, and rodent control. Wild bird, insect, and rodent control programs must be implemented on the premises before a facility is repopulated with poultry. Rodenticide must be set out before feed or birds are removed from the premises.

(3) The plan must address flock management and be in Cornpliance with all provisions of these rules. The plan must be formalized as a memorandum of agreement between the owner and program officials, must be approved by the state veterinarian, and must include plans to obtain a disease-free status.

Iowa Admin. Code r. 21-64.191