[Code of Federal Regulations] [Title 9, Volume 1] [Revised as of January 1, 2005] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 9CFR77.33] [Page 248-249] 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 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. [[Page 249]] (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.