[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 9, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2001]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 9CFR77.33]

[Page 217-218]
 
                  TITLE 9--ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS
 
  CHAPTER I--ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF 
                               AGRICULTURE
 
PART 77--TUBERCULOSIS--Table of Contents
 
                       Subpart C--Captive Cervids
 
Sec. 77.33  Testing procedures for tuberculosis in captive cervids.

    (a) Approved testers. Except as explained in paragraphs (a)(1) and 
(a)(2) of this section, official tuberculosis tests may only be given by 
a veterinarian employed by the State in which

[[Page 218]]

the test is administered or by a veterinarian employed by USDA.
    (1) A designated accredited veterinarian may conduct the SCT test, 
except as provided in Sec. 77.34(a)(2) and Sec. 77.39(e) and (f).
    (2) Any accredited veterinarian may conduct the BTB test.
    (b) Approved diagnostic laboratories.
    (1) With one exception, histopathology and culture results for all 
tuberculosis diagnoses will be accepted only from the National 
Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, IA. The exception is 
that results will be accepted from a laboratory of the Food Safety and 
Inspection Service, USDA, for tissue examination of regular-kill 
slaughter animals in those cases where no submission is made to NVSL.
    (2) The following laboratory is approved to perform the BTB test: 
Texas Veterinary Medical Center laboratory at Texas A&M University in 
College Station, TX.
    (c) Identification. Any captive cervid tested with an official 
tuberculosis test must bear official identification in the form of an 
official eartag, or another identification device or method approved by 
the Administrator as unique and traceable, at the time of the official 
tuberculosis test. Use of any identification device or method other than 
an official eartag must first be approved by the Administrator as unique 
and traceable. Written requests for approval must be sent to National 
Animal Health Programs, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 43, Riverdale, 
MD 20737-1231.
    (d) Reporting of tests.
    (1) SCT and CCT tests. For the SCT and CCT tests, the testing 
veterinarian must submit a report to cooperating State and Federal 
animal health officials of the State in which the captive cervid is 
tested. The report must include the following information for all SCT 
and CCT tests administered: The number of the individual eartag or other 
identification approved by the Administrator; the age, sex, and breed of 
each captive cervid tested; a record of all responses; the size of each 
response for the CCT test; and the test interpretation.
    (2) BTB test. Copies of the BTB test results must be submitted by 
the testing laboratory to the person, firm, or corporation responsible 
for the management of the herd, cooperating State and Federal animal 
health officials of the State in which the captive cervid is tested, and 
the testing veterinarian. The report must include the following 
information for all BTB tests administered: The number of the individual 
eartag or other identification approved by the Administrator; the age, 
sex, and breed of each captive cervid tested; the test interpretation, 
and a summary of supporting data. Full supporting data must be submitted 
by the testing laboratory on a case-by-case basis at the request of 
cooperating State and Federal animal health officials.
    (e) Test interpretation.
    (1) Interpretation of an SCT test will be based upon the judgment of 
the testing veterinarian after observation and palpation of the 
injection site, in accordance with the classification requirements 
described in Sec. 77.34(a).
    (2) Interpretation of a CCT test will be in accordance with the 
classification requirements described in Sec. 77.34(b).
    (3) Interpretation of a BTB test will be in accordance with the 
patented standards for the BTB test \2\ and the classification 
requirements described in Sec. 77.34(c).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ The patented standards for the BTB test may be obtained from the 
Texas Veterinary Medial Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas 
A&M University, College Station, TX, or from the Deer Research 
Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 
56, Dunedin, New Zealand.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (f) Captive cervids eligible for testing. Except as provided in 
Sec. 77.35(a)(1) and Sec. 77.36(a)(1), testing of herds for individual 
herd classification must include all captive cervids 1 year of age or 
over and any captive cervids other than natural additions (captive 
cervids born into the herd) under 1 year of age.