Kan. Admin. Regs. § 9-7-4a - Trichomoniasis in cattle

(a) Definitions. For the purposes of this regulation, each of the following terms shall have the meaning specified in this subsection:

(1) "Approved laboratory" means any laboratory designated and approved by the commissioner for performing official Tritrichomonas foetus PCR tests.

(2) "Certified negative Tritrichomonas foetus bull" means a bull that is individually identified by an official identification method approved by the commissioner and meets one of the following requirements:

(A) Originates from a herd that is not known to be infected and, following at least 14 days of sexual rest before sampling and testing, has had a negative official Tritrichomonas foetus PCR test result within the last 60 days, with no subsequent exposure to female bovine; or

(B) originates from a positive Tritrichomonas foetus herd but, following at least 14 days of sexual rest before sampling and testing, has had a series of two negative official Tritrichomonas foetus PCR test results at intervals of at least 14 days, with the second test occurring within the last 60 days, with no subsequent exposure to female bovine.

(3) "Commissioner" means the animal health commissioner of the Kansas department of agriculture.

(4) "Herd" means a group of both sexually intact male animals and sexually intact female animals under common ownership or control and consisting of all bovines over 12 months of age at the time of commingling that have commingled for any period of time during the last 12 months.

(5) "Official positive trichomoniasis infection identification tag" means an individual identification tag approved by the commissioner and signifying that an animal is trichomoniasis-infected.

(6) "Official Tritrichomonas foetus PCR test" means a polymerase chain reaction test method approved by the commissioner that detects, through in vitro amplification, the presence of Tritrichomonas foetus deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Each official Tritrichomonas foetus PCR test shall be performed only on an animal that is individually identified by an official identification method approved by the commissioner. Each sample shall be collected using a test kit system approved by the commissioner, packaged and transported according to the approved laboratory's protocol for the transport of specimens, and collected by a veterinarian who has completed trichomoniasis training. This training shall be approved by the commissioner; include preputial sampling, sample handling and shipping, appropriate recordkeeping, and official animal identification; and be repeated every five years.

(7) "Positive Tritrichomonas foetus bull" means a bull that has had a positive official Tritrichomonas foetus PCR test.

(8) "Positive Tritrichomonas foetus herd" means either of the following:

(A) A herd in which any male or female animal has had a positive diagnosis for Tritrichomonas foetus; or

(B) a herd that has commingled for any period of time during the last 12 months with another herd, or portion thereof, from which an animal has had a positive diagnosis for Tritrichomonas foetus. The herd, or a portion thereof, shall no longer be classified as a positive Tritrichomonas foetus herd once any trichomoniasis quarantine has been lifted for the herd or that portion of the herd.

(9) "Trichomoniasis-infected bovine" means a bovine that has tested positive on an official Tritrichomonas foetus PCR test.

(10) "Trichomoniasis quarantine" means a movement restriction issued by the commissioner and placed on all cattle in a positive Tritrichomonas foetus herd. This restriction shall specify the identity of the animals and the premises to which the animals shall be confined.

(b) Importation of male bovines into Kansas.

(1) Bulls shall not be imported into Kansas from another state unless they go directly to a licensed slaughter plant or an approved Kansas livestock market to be sold for slaughter, or for feeding purposes and then to slaughter, or are accompanied by a completed certificate of veterinary inspection. The certificate of veterinary inspection shall meet the following requirements:

(A) Have been issued within the past 30 days;

(B) state whether, to the veterinarian's knowledge, trichomoniasis has or has not occurred in the herd of origin within the past two years; and

(C) for virgin bulls 18 months of age or younger, have attached to the certificate a statement signed by the veterinarian or owner or owner's representative and indicating that the bulls have not been sexually exposed to breeding-aged females.

(2) With the exception of bulls exempted in paragraph (b)(3), non-virgin bulls, bulls older than 18 months of age, and bulls of unknown virginity status shall not be imported into Kansas from another state for breeding purposes unless these bulls are certified negative Tritrichomonas foetus bulls. The inspecting veterinarian shall either attach a copy of the official Tritrichomonas foetus PCR test results to the certificate of veterinary inspection or provide the following information on the certificate: type of test, results of the test, accession number, and name and address of the testing laboratory.

(3) Each imported bull going to a sanctioned rodeo event or to a livestock show where the bull will be shown and then returned to the state of origin without being sexually exposed to any breeding-aged females shall be exempt from the requirements of paragraph (b)(2).

(c) Importation of female bovines into Kansas. Cows and heifers shall not be imported into Kansas from another state unless the cows and heifers go directly to a licensed slaughter plant or an approved Kansas livestock market to be sold for slaughter, or for feeding purposes and then to slaughter, or are accompanied by a completed certificate of veterinary inspection. The certificate of veterinary inspection shall meet the following requirements:

(1) Have been issued within the past 30 days; and

(2) except for cows or heifers imported into Kansas for a sanctioned rodeo event or a livestock show that will be shown and then returned to the state of origin without being sexually exposed to any bull while in Kansas, document that the cows and heifers meet at least one of the following conditions:

(A) Have a calf at side and no exposure since parturition to bulls other than certified negative Tritrichomonas foetus bulls;

(B) are at least 120 days pregnant;

(C) are virgin heifers with no sexual exposure to bulls since weaning;

(D) are documented to have had at least 120 days of sexual isolation;

(E) are heifers or cows exposed only to bulls that are certified negative Tritrichomonas foetus bulls;

(F) are purchased for feeding purposes only, with no exposure to bulls after entering Kansas; or

(G) are moving for the purpose of embryo transfer or other artificial reproduction procedure, with no exposure to bulls after entering Kansas.

(d) Intrastate movement of bulls.

(1) Except as provided in paragraphs (d)(2) and (d)(3), if any non-virgin bull, bull older than 18 months of age, or bull of unknown virginity status changes possession or ownership in Kansas by private sale, public sale, lease, trade, barter, or other method, that animal shall be a certified negative Tritrichomonas foetus bull at the time of the movement accompanying the change of ownership or possession.

(2) If an individual has a herd management plan to reduce risk of trichomoniasis that has been approved by the commissioner, virgin bulls 24 months of age or younger included within the approved herd management plan shall not be required to be certified negative Tritrichomonas foetus bulls when changing ownership in Kansas. However, non-virgin bulls, virgin bulls older than 24 months of age, and bulls of unknown virginity status shall be certified negative Tritrichomonas foetus bulls before movement with a change in possession or ownership in Kansas even if these bulls originate from a herd with an approved herd management plan.

(3) Each non-virgin bull, bull older than 18 months of age, and bull of unknown virginity status sold at a livestock market shall be a certified negative Tritrichomonas foetus bull, go directly to slaughter, or be purchased for feeding purposes only and then to slaughter.

(e) Trichomoniasis-infected bovines and herds.

(1) The sale, lease, or movement of a bovine from a positive Tritrichomonas foetus herd for reproductive purposes shall be prohibited while the bovine is under trichomoniasis quarantine.

(2) The owner or manager of a positive Tritrichomonas foetus herd shall inform the commissioner of the total number of bulls and the total number of sexually intact female cattle in the herd.

(3) Each trichomoniasis-infected bovine, and the entire positive Tritrichomonas foetus herd from which the bovine originates, shall be placed under trichomoniasis quarantine at the time of positive lab confirmation.

(4) Bulls from a positive Tritrichomonas foetus herd shall remain under trichomoniasis quarantine as follows:

(A) Each positive Tritrichomonas foetus bull shall be identified with an official positive trichomoniasis infection identification tag by a licensed veterinarian within seven days of the positive official Tritrichomonas foetus PCR test.

(B) Positive Tritrichomonas foetus bulls shall be sent directly to slaughter or to public livestock market to be sold for slaughter. Each bull shall have an official positive trichomoniasis infection identification tag before the bull is moved to slaughter or public livestock market.

(C) All other bulls in a positive Tritrichomonas foetus herd shall remain under trichomoniasis quarantine until one of the following conditions is met:

(i) The bulls have been declared certified negative Tritrichomonas foetus bulls.

(ii) The bulls are identified with an official positive trichomoniasis infection identification tag and sent directly to slaughter or to public livestock market to be sold for slaughter.

(D) The owner or manager of a positive Tritrichomonas foetus herd shall assist the commissioner in determining the destination of all non-virgin bulls and bulls of unknown virginity status sold during the 12 months before the diagnosis of trichomoniasis in the herd.

(5) Each reproductive bovine female from a positive Tritrichomonas foetus herd shall remain under trichomoniasis quarantine until one of the following conditions is met:

(A) The female is sold directly to slaughter.

(B) The female is sold or transferred directly to a feed-yard for feeding purposes and then to slaughter.

(C) The female is sold through an approved livestock market to be sold for slaughter or for feeding purposes and then to slaughter.

(D) Each bull from the female's herd has been declared a certified negative Tritrichomonas foetus bull or has been identified with an official positive trichomoniasis infection identification tag and sent directly to slaughter or to public livestock market to be sold for slaughter, and the female meets one of the following conditions:

(i) Has a calf at side and has had no exposure since parturition to bulls other than bulls that are certified negative Tritrichomonas foetus bulls;

(ii) has documented 120 days of sexual isolation, except that breeding by artificial insemination with semen from a certified negative Tritrichomonas foetus bull shall be allowed during the isolation period; or

(iii) is determined by a licensed veterinarian to be at least 120 days pregnant.

(E) Regardless of the status of bulls from the positive Tritrichomonas foetus herd, the owner or manager of the female obtains a release from trichomoniasis quarantine from the commissioner by providing adequate information and assurances, to the satisfaction of the commissioner, that despite being part of the positive Tritrichomonas foetus herd, the female has had no exposure to trichomoniasis.

(6) Unless otherwise allowed by the commissioner, all quarantined bovine females moved from the original premises of trichomoniasis quarantine during the trichomoniasis quarantine period shall be identified with an official positive trichomoniasis infection identification tag.

(7) The owner or manager of a positive Tritrichomonas foetus herd shall assist the commissioner in determining the destination of all non-virgin female bovines sold during the 12 months before the diagnosis of trichomoniasis in the herd.

(f) Approved laboratory responsibilities. Each approved laboratory shall immediately report any Tritrichomonas foetus-positive specimen to the commissioner. Each report shall include the official identification device; brand; owner's name, address, and telephone number; and the submitting veterinarian's name, address, and telephone number.

(g) Self-reporting. The owner or manager of cattle who has reason to believe that at least one of those cattle is affected with trichomoniasis shall report this belief to the commissioner as required by K.S.A. 47-622, and amendments thereto, and K.A.R. 9-27-1.

(h) Stray bulls. Any stray bull found on public or private land, from a known or unknown herd of origin, may be confined and placed under a hold order until the bull has one or more official Tritrichomonas foetus PCR tests. Each test and the cost of holding the bull shall be the responsibility of the bull's owner. The conditions of the hold or trichomoniasis quarantine order and the number of tests shall be determined by the commissioner.

(i) Neighbor notification. The owner or manager, or both, of a positive Tritrichomonas foetus herd shall, within 14 days after lab confirmation of the diagnosis, submit to the commissioner a list of the names and contact information of all known adjacent landowners or land managers. For purposes of this subsection, "adjacent landowners or land managers" shall include all owners and managers of land capable of maintaining livestock susceptible to trichomoniasis whose land is located within the perimeter of the epidemiological study established by the commissioner.

If an owner or manager does not comply with this subsection, the commissioner may assess all administrative costs associated with the notification process against the owner or manager, or both.

Notes

Kan. Admin. Regs. § 9-7-4a

Authorized by K.S.A. 2015 Supp. 47-607d and 47-610; implementing K.S.A. 2015 Supp. 47-607 and 47-610; adopted by Kansas Register Volume 35, No. 19;effective 5/27/2016