(a) Scrapie Flock Certification Program-Producers have the opportunity to enroll their flock in this TAHC-APHIS sponsored program through to certify their flock free of scrapie. Standards include:
  (1) Flocks are monitored for a period of five years for the presence of clinical signs of scrapie, to achieve "Certified Free" status.
  (2) All animals one year of age and older are officially identified with a tamper resistant premise and individual identification eartag or at less than 12 months of age if a change of ownership occurs.
  (3) Flock owner shall immediately report animals displaying clinical signs suspicious of scrapie to his/her veterinarian or an APHIS or TAHC representative who will conduct an investigation. The owner shall sacrifice suspicious animals for appropriate histopathological testing when requested.
  (4) Owner shall maintain records on all acquisitions, departures, movements, births, and account for all deaths in the flock.
  (5) Owner shall allow breed associations, livestock markets, and slaughter facilities to disclose records to TAHC and/or APHIS representatives if necessary.
  (6) Owner shall provide necessary facilities and personnel to assist in inspections and examination of the flock to:
    (A) verify animal identification; and,
    (B) check for clinical signs consistent with scrapie; and,
    (C) check records for completeness and accuracy.
  (7) Owner shall report to the State Certification Board all acquisitions of sheep from flocks with lower status or from flocks not participating in the program.
(b) Farm, slaughter, and market surveillance.
  (1) Disposition of suspicious animals at the market or on the farm:
    (A) Clinically suspect and test-positive animals may not be moved from the premises where identified except under permit to a research facility designated by TAHC or APHIS, to a site for destruction, or, when appropriate, back to the flock of origin under hold order.
      (i) An investigation will be conducted on the animal and the flock of origin.
      (ii) The animal may be purchased for diagnostic purposes and necropsied, or maintained under hold order until it recovers and is released, or dies and is subjected to a postmortem examination.
    (B) Clinically suspect animals identified at slaughter facilities must be condemned according to Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulations, and samples collected for diagnosis and the carcass removed from the food chain.
  (2) A random sampling of animals at slaughter will be conducted to identify scrapie-infected flocks.
(c) Live animal surveillance testing: TAHC or APHIS representatives may conduct live animal sampling on high-risk animals. Restrictions on the flock will remain until all high-risk animals have been tested negative when they die or are culled from the flock.

Source Note: The provisions of this §60.4 adopted to be effective September 1, 2002, 27 TexReg 8183