Section 85.140  Requirements for Establishing and Maintaining a Herd Under the Voluntary Paratuberculosis (Johne's Disease) Risk Management Program

a)         The following definitions shall be applicable to this Section:

"Accredited laboratory" means a laboratory operated by the Illinois Department of Agriculture, the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, or a laboratory approved by the Director (on the basis that it is using USDA approved methods).

"Certified Johne's Disease Veterinarian" means a veterinarian who has completed a prescribed course and field training for conducting risk assessments and writing herd plans for herds dealing with Johne's disease.  Certification will be issued by the State Veterinarian and/or the designated Johne's Disease Coordinator.

"Herd" shall mean all animals under common ownership or supervision that are grouped on one or more parts of any single premises (lot, farm, ranch), or all animals on two or more premises geographically separated, but on which animals have been interchanged or where there has been contact between the premises. Contact of animals between separated premises under common management shall be assumed to have occurred unless otherwise established by the herd owner or manager.  Each separate species of animal shall be considered as a separate herd.

"M. avium paratuberculosis-detection test" or "organism detection test" means any test sufficiently sensitive and specific for detection of M. avium paratuberculosis in fecal samples.  Definition of "sufficiently sensitive and specific" will be on the basis of results of performance of a check test and proficiency standards set by the Uniform Program Standards for the Voluntary Bovine Johne's Disease Control Program (June 1, 2006).  Any test approved by the USDA for M. avium paratuberculosis organism detection (i.e., fecal culture test or PCR for M. avium paratuberculosis) is acceptable as long as it is performed at an accredited laboratory.

"Serum antibody test" means any test sufficiently sensitive and specific for detection of antibodies to M. avium paratuberculosis in bovine serum.  Definition of "sufficiently sensitive and specific" will be on the basis of results of performance of a check test and proficiency standards set by the Uniform Program Standards for the Voluntary Bovine Johne's Disease Control Program (June 1, 2006),  approved by the U.S. Animal Health Association (P. O. Box K227, Suite 114, 1610 Forest Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23228).  Any test approved by the USDA for serum antibody detection (i.e., ELISA for M. avium paratuberculosis) is acceptable as long as it is performed at an accredited laboratory.

b)         Criteria for herds qualified to enter into the risk management program:

1)         Participation in this program is voluntary and the producer/owner is responsible for the cost of testing.

2)         The herd has been in existence for at least one year or the herd was assembled with animals originating directly from paratuberculosis-certified or risk managed herds only.

3)         A herd assembled with animals originating directly from risk managed herds only shall start at the lowest certification level of the herds from which the assembled animals were acquired.

4)         All animals must have an approved, permanent, unique, legible identification other than a plastic ear tag or neck chain.  Acceptable types of approved, permanent, unique, legible identification include registration or association numbers accompanied by identification document, breed registry ear tattoos, USDA uniform series ear tag (metal tags), freeze branding when the brand is listed on the breed registration certificate and electronic identification (microchips) as long as a reader is supplied by the owner or is readily available.

c)         Criteria for enrolling and maintaining cattle, buffalo or bison herds under the Illinois Voluntary Johne's Disease Risk Management Program.

1)         The following certification levels will be awarded compliance with certification requirements:

A)        Level A − 30 head or the whole herd has been tested with no positives disclosed.

B)        Level B − the whole herd has been tested with less than 5% (0% to 4.99%) of the animals testing positive.

C)        Level C − the whole herd has been tested with 5% to 14.99% of the animals testing positive.

D)        Level D − the whole herd has been tested with 15% or greater of the animals testing positive, or 30 head were tested with one or more positive animals disclosed.

E)        Potential Maximum Risk herds have had no animals tested or do not disclose any test results.

F)         A level achievement year representing when the herd reached the status level will be added to the status designation (e.g., Level A since 1999).

2)         Certification requirements:

A)        Testing shall be done annually within 10-14 months after the initial status testing anniversary date and a herd shall remain at that level for a year, regardless of the amount of testing completed during that time. A herd can qualify through a split herd testing program.  The producer must test all test-eligible animals at least once a year throughout a 12 month period with the exception of any "J" punched animals in the herd. "J" punched animals do not have to be tested, but must be accounted for on the annual herd agreement.  The anniversary date would be the date that the herd test is completed for the year.  The testing schedule for the year must be described in the annual herd agreement.

B)        A fecal culture, PCR or ELISA test may be used for certification.

C)        Whole herd tests are conducted on all animals two years of age and older.

D)        Tests on 30 animals must be a random sampling of animals two years of age and older.  The same animals should not be tested in consecutive testing years.

E)        All tests must be performed at an accredited laboratory.

F)         Fecal and blood collection must be done either by, or under the direct supervision of, an accredited veterinarian, who must verify that the samples were collected from the animals identified on the test documents.

G)        An annual risk assessment and updated herd plan has been completed for the herd by a Certified Johne's Disease Veterinarian or a state or federal veterinarian.

3)         Upon completion of the required testing and review by the Director, the Department shall issue a certificate verifying the herd's status.

4)         Herds not tested within 14 months after the last sampling will lose their certification status.  Herds that stop testing but continue to have an annual risk assessment and herd plan completed by a certified Johne's disease veterinarian and follow the management guidelines prescribed in the herd plan will maintain their certification status.

d)         Criteria for enrolling and maintaining cervid or goat herds under the Illinois Voluntary Johne's Disease Risk Management Program.

1)         The following certification levels will be awarded compliance with certification requirements:

A)        Level A − 30 head or the whole herd has been tested with no positives disclosed.

B)        Level B − the whole herd has been tested with less than 5% (0% to 4.99%) of the animals testing positive.

C)        Level C − the whole herd has been tested with 5% to 14.99% of the animals testing positive.

D)        Level D − the whole herd has been tested with 15% or greater of the animals testing positive, or 30 head were tested with one or more positive animals disclosed.

E)        Potential Maximum Risk herds have had no animals tested or do not disclose any test results.

F)         A level achievement year representing when the herd reached the status level will be added to the status designation (e.g., Level A since 2002).

2)         Certification requirements:

A)        Testing shall be done annually within 10-14 months after the initial status testing anniversary date and a herd shall remain at that level for a year, regardless of the amount of testing completed during that time.  A herd can qualify through a split herd testing program.  The producer must test all test-eligible animals at least once a year throughout a 12 month period with the exception of any "J" punched animals in the herd.  "J" punched animals do not have to be tested, but must be accounted for on the annual herd agreement.  The anniversary date would be the date that the herd test is completed for the year.  The testing schedule for the year must be described in the annual herd agreement.

B)        The fecal culture must be used for certification.

C)        Whole herd tests are conducted on all animals two years of age and older.

D)        Tests on 30 animals must be a random sampling of animals two years of age and older.  The same animals should not be tested in consecutive testing years.

E)        All tests must be performed at an accredited laboratory.

F)         Fecal collection must be done either by, or under the direct supervision of, an accredited veterinarian, who must verify that the samples were collected from the animals identified on the test documents.

3)         Upon completion of the required testing and review by the Director, the Department shall issue a certificate verifying the herd's status.

4)         Herds not tested within 14 months after the last sampling will lose their certification status.

e)         Additions to the herd.  Animals purchased from another herd participating in an M. avium paratuberculosis certification program may enter the herd without further testing, and will be tested along with the herd at the next annual test.  Animals originating from herds that are participating in Johne's Disease Risk Management Program and are of the same level as the purchasing herd can be added to the herd without further testing and be tested on the next annual test.  If the purchased additions originate from herds that are of a lower risk management level or are from a herd that has not been tested, the purchasing herd will assume the level of the purchased additions or will lose its herd status unless the animals have had a negative test within 30 days prior to purchase, or are isolated from the other members of the herd until a negative test has been received.  Isolation means that the animal can have no opportunity to share feed or water receptacles with other members of the herd, and there can be no chance of fecal contamination from the animal.

(Source:  Amended at 40 Ill. Reg. 2682, effective January 22, 2016)