(1) "Pseudorabies" is an acute, sometimes fatal disease, caused by a specific herpes virus and characterized by a variety of clinical signs, involving mainly the nervous and respiratory systems. Most species of domestic and wild animals are susceptible to infection by this viral agent, but only swine are known to become chronic carriers. Man and higher primates are resistant.

(2) "Department" is the Montana department of livestock, animal health division.

(3) An "animal" is any quadruped of a species which can become infected with pseudorabies.

(4) An "official test" is any department-approved pseudorabies test conducted by a person authorized by the department and the USDA, as specifically qualified to conduct such test on animals or animal tissues. Official tests are designed to indicate the presence of pseudorabies infection, utilizing one or more of the following procedures: latex agglutination (LA) , serum neutralization (SN) , florescent antibody (FA) , enzyme labeled immunosorbant assay (ELISA) , or any other virus isolation test or serological procedure recognized for use in the diagnosis of pseudorabies.   To be considered official, the test must be conducted in an approved facility. Interpretation of test results are to be made by an individual qualified to make such scientific judgments and who is in the employ of the department or the USDA. Interpretation and test results are to be reported on official forms of the department.

(5) An "approved reagent" is a standardized biologic product approved by USDA for use in pseudorabies testing. Use of approved reagents, which includes antigens and test serums, are restricted to official tests only.

(6) "Official vaccination" is the administration of an approved pseudorabies immunization biologic licensed by USDA. The administration will be by a deputy state veterinarian or other person approved by the state veterinarian. The vaccination will be administered only with the express permission of the state veterinarian, and all such vaccinations will be reported on forms provided by the department. Only official vaccination is permitted in Montana.

(7) An "official vaccinate" is an animal receiving an official vaccination and which is given proper permanent identification.

(8) "Proper permanent identification" means use of the official nine-character alpha-numeric eartag as provided by the

department, or individual identification as otherwise prescribed by the department. Proper permanent identification is required with blood samples used for official tests.

(9) An "infected or positive animal" is any animal that discloses sufficient reaction to an official test which indicates the presence of field strain pseudorabies virus or which is found to be infected with field strain pseudorabies virus by other recognized diagnostic procedures.

(10) A "suspect animal" is an animal disclosing an equivocal result to an official test or diagnostic procedure in which there is sufficient reaction, indicating the possible presence of pseudorabies infection but is in itself insufficient to justify classification of the animal as infected. This classification ordinarily requires the use of additional laboratory testing procedures to allow classification as infected or noninfected.

(11) A "noninfected or negative animal" is an animal free of clinical signs of pseudorabies and giving a negative result to an official test designed to detect pseudorabies infection with field strain virus.

(12) An "exposed animal" is any animal that is part of a herd or the herd premises infected with pseudorabies, or an animal that has had sufficient contact anywhere with pseudorabies infection or test reactors for the transmission of pseudorabies virus to have occurred. Animals other than swine that have not had significant contact with infected pseudorabies animals within the previous 10 days are not considered exposed.

(13) A "herd" is one or more animals of the same species owned or supervised by one or more persons and that permits intermingling of animals unhindered or in which interchange of animals without regard to health status is allowed.

(14) A "contact herd" is a herd of animals of the same species that, through epidemiological investigation, is shown to come proximal to infected or test positive animals sufficiently for the transmission of pseudorabies virus to occur. Also, a herd containing exposed animals.

(15) A "herd test" is a test of all animals six months of age and older contained as a herd. Blood samples taken at the herd test will be identified to the donor animal using proper permanent identification applied to that animal.

(16) A "random herd test" is a herd test at recognized random rates that yield significant confidence that any infection would have been detected. Recognized random rates are shown in the UM&R for pseudorabies eradication.

(17) "Offspring segregation plan" means a procedure whereby offspring of pseudorabies-infected sows are segregated from those infected sows at an age where they are passively immune to pseudorabies and by applying test and separation principles can be developed into pseudorabies-free breeding swine that serve as the foundation for a pseudorabies-free breeding herd (Reference:

UM&R for pseudorabies eradication herd plan manual) .

(18) "Emergency circumstances" means events or situations which, in the opinion of the board of livestock, pose an immediate or impending economic or livestock health danger to the livestock industry.