La. Admin. Code tit. 51 § VII-503

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section VII-503 - Health of Dairy Animals

A. Tuberculosis. All milk for pasteurization shall be from herds which are located in a modified accredited tuberculosis-free area, as determined by the Animal Health Program, Veterinary Services, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), U.S. Department of Agriculture, or the Louisiana State Livestock Sanitary Board and which have been tested for tuberculosis at least once in every six year period. Note that herds located in an area that fails to maintain such accredited status, or that has an incidence of bovine tuberculosis in excess of 0.2 percent shall have been accredited by said the Animal Health Program, Veterinary Services, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), U.S. Department of Agriculture, or the Louisiana State Livestock Sanitary Board, for tuberculosis-free, accredited herds, in effect at the time of the adoption of this ordinance. A certificate identifying each animal signed by the veterinarian and filed as directed by the state health officer shall be evidence of the above tests. All milk for pasteurization shall be from herds in areas which have a Modified Accredited Advanced Tuberculosis status, any herd shall have established a tuberculosis testing protocol for livestock that assures tuberculosis protection and surveillance of the dairy industry within the areas and that it is approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the U. S. Department of Agriculture and the state health officer.

B. Brucellosis. All milk for pasteurization shall be from herds under a brucellosis eradication program which meets one of the following conditions:

1. is located in a certified brucellosis-free area as defined by the U. S. Department of Agriculture and enrolled in the testing program for such areas;

2. meets the U.S. Department of Agriculture requirements for an individually certified herd;

3. participates in a milk ring testing program at least two times per year at approximately 180-day intervals and all herds with positive milk ring results shall have the entire herd blood tested within 30 days from the date of the laboratory ring test; or

4. has an individual blood agglutination test performed annually with an allowable maximum grace period not exceeding two months.

C. Goat milk, sheep milk, water buffalo or other hooved mammal milk for pasteurization, ultra-pasteurization or aseptic processing shall be from a herd or flock which:

1. has passed an annual whole herd or flock brucellosis test as recommended by the state veterinarian or USDA Area Veterinarian in Charge (AVIC) followed by testing replacement animals or any animals entering the milking group or sold as dairy animals;

2. has passed an annual random blood-testing program sufficient to provide a statistical confidence level of 99 percent with a probability value (P-value) of 0.05. Any herd or flock with one or more confirmed positive animals shall go to 100 percent testing until the whole herd tests show no positive animals are found. Random sampling size shall be derived from Table 1 Regulatory Statistics, 5^th. Edition (June 1975) by Victor C. Beal, Jr., Program Development and Application, Veterinary Services, APHIS: Animal Health Programs; or

3. has passed a USDA approved bulk milk test at the USDA recommended frequency.

D. Lactating animals which show evidence of the secretion of milk with abnormalities in one or more quarters, based upon bacteriological, chemical or physical examination, shall be milked last or with separate equipment and the milk shall be discarded. Lactating animals producing contaminated milk, that is, lactating animals which have been treated with, or have consumed chemical, medicinal or radioactive agents, which are capable of being secreted in the milk and which, in the judgment of the state health officer, may be deleterious to human health, shall be milked last or with separate equipment and the milk disposed of as the state health officer may direct. The state health officer may require the use of the strip cup, a mastitis screening test or bacteriological examination of the milk or any other tests he may determine to be necessary to protect the public's health.

E. For other diseases and residues of toxic substances, such tests and examinations as the state health officer may require, shall be made at intervals and by methods prescribed by him, and any diseased animal or reactors shall be disposed of as he may require.

F. Records supporting the tests required in this section shall be available to the state health officer and be validated with the signature of a licensed and accredited veterinarian or an accredited veterinarian in the employ of an official agency.

La. Admin. Code tit. 51, § VII-503

Promulgated by the Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of Public Health, LR 37:2660 (September 2011).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 40:4(A)(1)(a). Also see R.S. 40:5(2)(3)(5)(7)(15)(17) and R.S. 40:922.