(1) Cattle, Bison or Dairy Goats.
    (a) When any animal in a herd reacts to the tuberculin test or is otherwise determined to be infected with tuberculosis, the herd and premises will be immediately placed under quarantine. Said quarantine will continue until the entire herd has passed a negative tuberculin test at least 60 days after the date on which infection was disclosed. If lesions of tuberculosis are found at slaughter in one or more reactors, or if lesions of tuberculosis are found at slaughter in animals directly traceable to the herd, two negative tests at intervals of not less than 60 days will be required for release of quarantine. During the quarantine, no animals may move onto or from the premises except under authority of a permit. Two complete annual herd tests will be conducted after release from quarantine; the first will be administered approximately one year after quarantine release.
    (b) All animals classified as reactors will be immediately branded on the left jaw with the letter “”T”” not less than two (2) inches in height and will be tagged in the left ear with an official TB reactor tag as provided in 9 C.F.R. § 77.5(a)(1).
    (c) A complete epidemiological survey will be made by appropriate state or federal personnel on all herds in which reactors are disclosed.
    (d) When the presence of M. bovis has been confirmed by culture, depopulation of the herd remains the procedure of choice. Otherwise, the herd will remain under quarantine until it has passed two negative tuberculin tests at intervals of not less than 60 days and one additional negative tuberculin test not less than six months after the second negative 60-day test. Five annual tests on the entire herd will be administered following the release from quarantine.
    (e) Cattle, bison or dairy goats that react to a test will be immediately segregated from all non-reacting animals. They will be maintained in strict isolation at the owner’s expense until moved for slaughter under authority of a permit. No animal may be retested if at any time it has been designated as a reactor.
    (f) All premises where reactors have been disclosed will be cleaned and disinfected under the supervision of a representative of the department within 15 days after the removal of the reactors and exposed animals.
    (g) Dairies, milk. The use of tuberculosis reactor cattle or dairy goats in dairies is strictly prohibited and the milk and milk products of a reactor shall not be sold nor shall it be used for human consumption or for consumption by other animals.
    (2) Cervidae.
    (a) Herd Quarantine. All herds in which reactors are disclosed will be quarantined. Reactor or exposed animals must remain on the premises unless a permit for movement has been obtained. If a change in destination becomes necessary, a new permit must be prepared. Movement for immediate slaughter must be directly to a slaughtering establishment where state or federal inspection is administered.
    (b) Reactors. All animals classified as reactors shall be immediately branded on the left jaw with the letter “”T”” not less than two (2) inches in height and will be tagged in the left ear with an official TB reactor tag as provided in 9 C.F.R. § 77.5(a)(1).
    (c) Exposed Animals. Animals must be identified by an official eartag. Use of “”S”” brand as prescribed in 9 C.F.R. § 77.5(b)(1) is required, or animals must be shipped in a sealed vehicle.
    (d) Epidemiological Investigation. Disclosure of tuberculosis in any herd shall be followed by a complete epidemiological investigation. All cervidae in herds from which tuberculosis infected livestock originate, and all cervidae that have been exposed to affected cervidae or other affected livestock, will be tested promptly. Epidemiologic investigations will be made on adjacent and contact herds as well as on possible source herds for the affected herd. Herds that have received exposed animals will also be tested. Every effort will be made to ensure the immediate elimination of the disease from all species of domestic livestock on the premises.
    (e) Testing procedures.
    1. Cervidae herds in which M. bovis is confirmed will remain under quarantine, if not depopulated, until they have passed three successive tuberculosis tests at intervals of not less than 90 days, 180 days and 180 days. Five complete annual herd tests of all eligible animals are required following the release from quarantine.
    2. Cervidae herds which have had a test of all eligible animals with NGL reactors only, and no evidence of tuberculosis infection was found by histopathology or culture for M. bovis, (including selected NGL specimens submitted from animals having no gross lesions indicative of tuberculosis), may be released from quarantine without further restrictions.
    3. Cervidae herds that have had a test of all eligible animals where compatible lesions are found by histopathology, in the absence of an isolation of M. bovis, may be released from quarantine following a negative 90 day retest of the entire herd.
    4. Cervidae herds in which a partial herd test reveals NGL reactors with no evidence of tuberculosis infection found on histopathology or tissue culture will be evaluated by the regional tuberculosis epidemiologist.
    5. In herds with a history of lesions compatible with or suggestive of tuberculosis by histopathology, two complete annual herd tests are required after release from quarantine. Herds with a bacteriologic isolation of a species other than M. bovis should be considered negative for bovine tuberculosis with no further testing required.
    6. In a newly assembled herd on premises where a tuberculous herd has been depopulated, two annual herd tests will be applied to all animals. The first test is to be applied approximately six months after assembly of the new herd. If the premises are vacated for over one year, these requirements will be waived unless they are adjacent to premises occupied by an infected herd.
    (f) Isolation of Reactors. Cervidae that are classified as reactors will be immediately segregated from all non-reacting animals and will be maintained in strict isolation at the owner’s expense until moved for slaughter under authority of a permit. If a change in destination becomes necessary, a new permit must be prepared. No animal may be retested if at any time it has been designated as a reactor.
    (g) Cleaning Premises. All premises, where animals reacting to the tuberculin test have been found, will be cleaned and disinfected under the supervision of a representative of the department within 15 days after the removal of tuberculosis affected or exposed animals.
    (3) Slaughtering. Tuberculosis reactor animals shall be slaughtered at an establishment at which state or federal meat inspection is maintained, or shall be slaughtered under the supervision of a representative of the department.
    (4) Materials. Title 9 C.F.R. § 77.5(a)(1) and 9 C.F.R. § 77.5(b)(1) (1994) are hereby incorporated by reference. Copies may be obtained from the United States Government Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop SSOP, Washington, D.C. 20402-9328.
Rulemaking Authority Florida Statutes § 585.002(4), 585.08(2) FS. Law Implemented 585.11(1), (2), 585.145(1), 585.16 FS. History-New 10-6-93, Amended 7-5-95.