SECTION 35.46. Plans for Eradicating Brucellosis from Infected Swine Herds

If infection is disclosed in swine herds, one of the following plans or one similar shall be selected for eradicating the disease. If the herd owner fails to agree to a plan to eradicate brucellosis from the herd, a plan shall be developed by the veterinarian representing the commission.

(1) Plan one. This plan is recommended for commercial herds. The following procedures should be carried out:

(A) market the entire herd for slaughter as soon as practicable;

(B) clean and disinfect houses and equipment;

(C) restock premises with animals preferably from validated brucellosis-free herds, placing them on ground that has been free of swine for at least 60 days.

(2) Plan two. This plan is recommended for use in infected purebred herds only where it is desired to retain valuable bloodlines. The following procedures should be carried out:

(A) separate gilt pigs from sows at 28 days of age or less and isolate;

(B) market infected herd for slaughter as soon as practicable. Infected sows should not be rebred and should be slaughtered as soon as possible. Complete isolation of infected animals is essential. The separated weanling pigs form the nucleus for establishment of the infection-free herd;

(C) test the gilts to be used for the following breeding season about 30 days before breeding. Save only the gilts that are negative. Breed only to negative boars;

(D) retest the gilts after farrowing and before removing them from individual farrowing pens. If reactors are found, they should be segregated from the remainder of the herd and slaughtered as soon as possible. Select only pigs from negative sows for breeding gilts;

(E) after three consecutive negative infected herd retests the herd is eligible for release from quarantine. The first test must be at least 30 days after all reactors have been removed and slaughtered and the second test must be 60 to 90 days after the first test. A third test is required 60 to 90 days following the second negative retest.

(3) Plan three. This plan is not recommended in general, but it has been found useful in herds where only a few reactors are found and where no clinical symptoms of brucellosis have been noted. Carry out the following procedures:

(A) market reactors(s) for slaughter;

(B) retest herd at 30-day intervals removing reactors for slaughter until the entire herd is negative;

(C) if the herd is not readily freed of infection, abandon this plan in favor of plan one or plan two.

(D) After three consecutive negative infected herd retests the herd is eligible for release from quarantine. The first test must be at least 30 days after all reactors have been removed and slaughtered and the second test must be 60 to 90 days after the first test. A third test of the herd is required 60 to 90 days following the second negative retest.

Source Note: The provisions of this §35.46 adopted to be effective September 28, 1990, 15 TexReg 5359; amended to be effective July 20, 1992, 17 TexReg 4749.