32.3.501 DEFINITIONS

In this subchapter:

(1) "Accredited veterinarian" means an individual who is currently licensed to practice veterinary medicine and is accredited by the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services in accordance with the current 9 Code of Federal Regulations, Chapter 1, § 161 in the state where that veterinarian practices.

(2) "Approved laboratory" means a laboratory accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) and a laboratory approved by the state veterinarian to identify T. foetus.

(3) "Board" means the Montana Board of Livestock.

(4) "Bovine" refers to all sexually intact domestic cattle.

(5) "Certificate of veterinary inspection" (CVI) means the form issued by the state of origin that records the consignor, consignee, identity, origin, destination, and health status of animals, issued by an accredited veterinarian of that state for interstate shipment. It is commonly known as a health certificate.

(6) "Commingle" means animals of opposite sex in the same enclosure or pasture with a reasonable opportunity for sexual contact.

(7) "Deputy state veterinarian" is defined in ARM 32.3.138(2).

(8) "Epidemiological investigation" means the scientific investigation conducted to determine the population of bovines that may be affected with or exposed to trichomoniasis.

(9) "Exposed herds" means cattle herds that have, within the previous twelve months, commingled or had cross-fence contact with a test-positive animal or a test-positive herd.

(10) "Herd" means a group or groups of bovines 12 months of age or older under common ownership or supervision that have commingled during the previous 12 months.

(11) "Herd management plan" is a document listing best management practices that will be agreed upon by the producer and approved by the state veterinarian.

(12) "Licensed trichomoniasis approved feedlot" means any facility which is licensed annually by the state veterinarian's office where:

(a) all T. foetus positive animals are individually identified and branded with a "V" on the right tailhead;

(b) there is no commingling of intact male and female cattle;

(d) all T. foetus positive animals are kept for a minimum of 30 days before being sold directly to slaughter or through a licensed livestock market and then to slaughter;

(e) all facilities are subject to inspection; and

(f) animals may be castrated or spayed at any time if verified by a deputy state veterinarian.

(13) "Negative T. foetus bull" is a bull that qualifies by one of the following:

(a) negative to an official trichomoniasis test and originates from a herd not known to be infected; or

(b) originates from a test-positive herd, and has tested negative to three consecutive PCR tests at least one week apart with no breeding activity during the intervals between the tests; or

(d) negative on a T. foetus import bull test as determined by the state veterinarian.

(14) "Official trichomoniasis identification" means a Montana official trichomoniasis tag or other official individual identification as determined by the state veterinarian.

(15) "Official trichomoniasis test" means the sampling procedure conducted by a deputy state veterinarian of the preputial content of a test-eligible bull and submitted to an approved laboratory to identify T. foetus by three weekly cultures, an individual PCR test, or another test approved by the state veterinarian. Bulls must be sexually rested for at least two weeks prior to the sample date. Official trichomoniasis identification must be placed at the time of the first test. Tests expire after 60 days or immediately upon commingling. For the culture tests:

(a) the tests must be conducted at intervals of no less than seven days between each test; and

(b) there must be no breeding activity during the intervals between the three tests.

(16) "Premises" means the ground, area, building and/or equipment occupied by one or more bovine.

(17) "Quarantine" means movement restriction issued by a deputy state veterinarian or an agent of the department per ARM 32.3.108.

(18) "Slaughter channels" mean animals are consigned:

(a) directly to a licensed slaughterhouse; or

(b) directly to a licensed livestock market and then directly to a licensed slaughterhouse; or

(19) "Test-eligible bull" is any nonvirgin bull 12 months of age or older.

(20) "Test-positive animal" means an animal in which an approved trichomoniasis laboratory has identified T. foetus by an official trichomoniasis test.

(21) "Test-positive herd" means a herd of cattle in which an approved laboratory has identified T. foetus in one or more animals by an official trichomoniasis test.

(22) "Trichomoniasis" means a sexually transmitted disease of cattle caused by the protozoan organism Tritrichomonas (Trichomonas) foetus (T. foetus) that causes infertility, pyometra, abortions, and reproductive inefficiency in female cattle.

(23) "Trichomoniasis epizootic area" is an area as defined in ARM 32.3.111 determined to have a higher risk of trichomoniasis and includes the entirety of:

(a) Glacier County;

(b) Pondera County;

(d) Big Horn County.

(24) "V Brand" means a 2"X3" hot iron single "V" character brand, recorded by the Animal Health Division of the Department of Livestock, applied to the right tailhead of a bovine signifying that the bovine has tested positive for the venereal disease trichomoniasis (applied when the animal is presented to a licensed trichomoniasis approved feedlot).

(25) "Virgin bull" is defined in ARM 32.3.201.

(26) "Virgin heifer" means a female bovine less than 12 months of age that has had no potential breeding contact with sexually intact male cattle.

(27) "Whole herd trichomoniasis test" means an official T. foetus test from all test-eligible bulls in the herd.

History: 81-2-102, 81-2-103, MCA; IMP, 81-2-102, MCA; NEW, 2007 MAR p. 204, Eff. 2/9/07; AMD, 2010 MAR p. 413, Eff. 2/12/10; AMD, 2011 MAR p. 2632, Eff. 12/9/11; AMD, 2013 MAR p. 1624, Eff. 8/9/13; AMD, 2014 MAR p. 1096, Eff. 5/23/14.