TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE: REGULATORY SERVICES – ANIMAL HEALTH

SUMMARY:LIVESTOCK HEALTH REQUIREMENTS FOR FAIR AND EXHIBITIONS

• GENERAL:
  • All stalls, pens, chutes, etc. located on the grounds of fairs and exhibitions shall be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected with a disinfectant approved by USDA, APHIS between each scheduled fair or exhibition.
  • All livestock (except poultry and equine) which enter fairs and exhibitions shall be accompanied by an official veterinary health certificate with individual permanent identification.Certificates for this purpose shall be valid for ninety (90) days from date of issue.(Tennessee livestock only – out-of-state certificates are valid for thirty (30) days from the date of issue.)
  • No animal showing clinical signs of infectious or communicable disease shall be allowed to enter or remain on premises of fairs or exhibitions.It shall be the responsibility of the manager of each event to assure prompt removal of such animals.
• LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY ORIGINATING WITHIN THE STATE OF TENNESSEE
  [Certificates of Veterinary Inspection Valid for a Period of Ninety (90) Days]
  • SWINE:
    All swine which enter fairs and exhibitions shall be accompanied by an official veterinary health certificate with individual permanent identification or sufficient description to identify each animal.
    
  • CATTLE:
    All cattle which enter fairs and exhibitions shall be accompanied by an official veterinary health certificate with individual permanent, official identification.
    
  • POULTRY:
    (1) Sponsors of poultry shows or exhibitions shall notify the Tennessee Department of Agriculture at least thirty (30) days prior to show or exhibition.
    (2) Poultry found not to be in apparent good health shall be removed immediately from any show or exhibition.
  • HORSES & OTHER EQUIDAE:
    Horses and other Equidae six (6) months of age and older must have a negative Equine Infectious Anemia test within the preceding twelve (12) months.
    
  • SHEEP
    (1) All sheep imported into or through Tennessee shall be accompanied by an official health certificate and be in compliance with 0080-2-1-.02, and Title 9, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 79.1 through 79.4.
    (2) All sheep that move within the state, with the exception of wethers under the age of 18 months that are produced for slaughter only, including for change of ownership, shows, fairs, expositions or slaughter shall be permanently, individually identified by a method approved in Title 9, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 79.1 through 79.4.
    
  • GOATS
    (1) Goats imported into or through Tennessee shall be accompanied by an official health certificate and be in compliance with 0080-2-1-.02, and Title 9, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 79.1 through 79.4.
    (2) Goats imported into Tennessee for immediate slaughter to an approved slaughter establishment or to an approved livestock market for sale to a slaughter establishment shall only be required to have a transportation document and be in compliance with Title 9, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 79.1 through 79.4.
    (3) All registered breeding goats, goats that have been commingled with sheep, goats for exhibition and dairy goats that move within the state, including for change of ownership, shows, fairs, expositions or slaughter shall be permanently, individually identified by a method approved in Title 9, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 79.1 through 79.4.
    
  • CAMELIDS:Camelids must have an official veterinary health certificate as provided in Rule 0080-2-3-.01 (1).
    
  • CAPTIVE CERVIDAE:Captive Cervidae must have an official veterinary health certificate as provided in Rule 0080-2-3-.01 (1).
  • LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY ORIGINATING OUTSIDE THE STATE OF TENNESSEE
    Livestock and Poultry entering fairs and exhibitions from areas outside the State of Tennessee shall be subject to current Tennessee import requirements.Please contact the state veterinarian’s office regarding questions or recent changes to these rules.These interstate requirements are summarized as follows:
    • ALL SPECIES (except poultry):
    Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection valid for thirty (30) days and individual permanent official identification, except for equine. Equine must have sufficient description to identify the animal.
    
    • CATTLE:
      Certificate of Veterinary Inspection and additional requirements as follows:
      (1) Tuberculosis:No requirements except for cattle originating from regions not considered free of tuberculosis.
    (2) Brucellosis: No requirements except for cattle originating from regions not considered free of brucellosis. Test eligible cattle-Intact male or female cattle eighteen (18) months or older. (Vaccinates and non-vaccinates)
    
    
    • SWINE:
      No testing requirements for swine unless originating from a region not considered free of Brucellosis and Pseudorabies.
    • HORSES AND OTHER EQUINES:
      Animals six (6) months of age or older – negative equine infectious anemia (Swamp Fever) test within twelve (12) months.
      
    • POULTRY:
      Originate directly from a Pullorum-Typhoid Clean Flock and an H5/H7 Avian Influenza Clean Flock, or be accompanied by evidence of negative Pullorum-Typhoid test within ninety (90) days and a negative Avian Influenza test within twenty-one (21) days.
      
    • SHEEP:
      (1) All sheep imported into or through Tennessee shall be accompanied by an official health certificate and be in compliance with 0080-2-1-.02, and Title 9, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 79.1 through 79.4.
      (2) All sheep that move within the state, including for change of ownership, shows, fairs, expositions or slaughter shall be permanently, individually identified by a method approved in Title 9, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 79.1 through 79.4.
      
    • GOATS
      (1) Goats imported into or through Tennessee shall be accompanied by an official health certificate and be in compliance with 0080-2-1-.02, and Title 9, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 79.1 through 79.4.
      (2) Goats imported into Tennessee for immediate slaughter to an approved slaughter establishment or to an approved livestock market for sale to a slaughter establishment shall only be required to have a transportation document and be in compliance with Title 9, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 79.1 through 79.4.
      (3) All registered breeding goats, goats that have been commingled with sheep, goats for exhibition and dairy goats that move within the state, including for change of ownership, shows, fairs, expositions or slaughter shall be permanently, individually identified by a method approved in Title 9, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 79.1 through 79.4.
      
    • CAMELIDAE
      Same requirements as for cattle.
      
    • CERVIDAE
      Certificate of Veterinary Inspection and additional requirements as follows:
      (1) Brucellosis:Same requirements as for cattle.
      (2) Tuberculosis:
      (a) All cervidae shall originate in herds which have had a negative herd test for tuberculosis within twelve (12) months with a USDA approved single cervical test and individual imported animals shall be negative to the single cervical test within thirty (30) days of entry; or
      (b) Animals not originating in tested herds as described above must test negative to two (2) single cervical tests at least ninety (90) days apart, the second test conducted not more than thirty (30) days prior to entry.
    • NOTE (Contact an accredited veterinarian for further details of import rules)

Fair association or exhibition or management shall inform exhibitors of the rules of this chapter, and shall notify the State Veterinarian or his agent of any violations. Exhibitors shall present evidence of compliance with this chapter to the State Veterinarian or his agent upon request.

These rules constitute a minimum legal standard and in no way restrict the right of fair and exhibition managers to establish additional or more stringent requirements.

The Fair and/or its agents, directors or employees will not be responsible for any article of any kind or nature that may be lost or destroyed or otherwise injured. Each exhibitor shall be responsible for any injury that may occur to any person whomsoever, by any animal exhibited, or that arises from the negligence of the person in charge of such animal.

Subject to changes from USDA or Tennessee Department of Agriculture.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LIVESTOCK EXHIBITION ORGANIZERS - DAIRY CATTLE

Adapted from USDA APHIS Guidance May, 2024

Before the Event

• Collect sufficient contact information (i.e., email addresses and cell phone numbers) from all exhibitors to be able to rapidly communicate procedural changes, requests for information, or incidents associated with the exhibition.
• Review federal and state movement requirements (current as of 5/29/24) and work with State Animal Health Officials to develop a plan for enforcement according to Tennessee Animal Health Rules.
  • Rules and Regulations Governing Movement and Handling of Livestock at Fairs and Exhibitions
  • Federal Order Requiring Testing for and Reporting of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Livestock
  • Lactating Dairy Cattle moving interstate to an exhibition, show, or sale must have a negative H5N1 test result from samples collected within 7 days of movement. These animals may travel to their home herd using the same negative test result provided the exhibition, show, or sale does not exceed 10 concurrent days.
• Collect contact information for state animal health officials and local or state public health officials to ensure they can be reached if they are needed during an event.
  • Tennessee State Veterinarian’s Office: 615-837-5120
  • Weekend and After Hours, contact TEMA Watch Point: 615-741-0001
  • Tennessee Department of Health: 615-741-7247 (24/7 coverage)
• Ensure that a process is in place to document farms of origin of cattle as well as individual identification of cows.
  • Scan CVI/movement documents with smart phone or scanner and save in event State Animal Health Officials request copies.
• Develop and share the biosecurity plan for the event with exhibitors. The plan should:
  • Limit co-mingling of cows from different herds to the extent possible.
    • Exhibition spaces should be designed to limit nose-to -nose contact between animals with physical separation (such as tarps) provided to the extent possible.
  • Communicate expectations for milking of healthy cows while at the exhibition such as:
    • Require that all milk be disposed of, not sold or fed to other livestock;
    • Prohibition of dumping milk anywhere on the grounds outside of designated event tanks.
    • All waste milk be acidified or pasteurized before being disposed.
  • Designate isolation areas and plans for milk discard for sick cows.
    
    • Tennessee Animal Exhibition and Fair Rules require that any animal that arrives at an exhibition with signs of contagious illness must be removed from premises.
    • www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/agriculture/documents/animalhealth/2024/fairs/Fair%20Show%20Exhibition%20Regs%202024.doc

• Establish a protocol to immediately isolate sick cows who develop signs of illness after arrival on exhibition premises. Sick LDC can be evaluated on site before leaving the premises OR can be sent home and state animal health officials and your veterinarian should be contacted for follow up testing.
• Isolation areas should be located away from all other cattle/livestock and the public.
  • General public should NOT be allowed to walk through/visit isolation areas or barns. Barriers and signage should be put in place for animals sent to isolation.
• Isolation areas should not share confined air space, panels/fence lines, feeding, or watering space with other animals.
• Milk should be discarded according to state and local regulations.
• Limit direct contact with the general public to the extent possible (e.g., no “milk a cow” exhibits).
• Outline cleaning and disinfection procedures for both exhibition and isolation areas.
• Ensure handwashing stations with running water, soap, and paper towels are available near the exit of the exhibition area.
• Establish an official show veterinarian for the event to manage sick animals.
• Work with state animal health officials to understand interstate and intrastate testing and movement requirements for exhibition cattle and communicate these requirements to exhibitors.
  • Interstate movements of lactating dairy cattle must follow Federal requirements.
  • Additionally, state-specific guidance for moving cattle intrastate must be followed.

During the Event

• Communicate with exhibitors and their family members at the start of the exhibition to:
  • Review animal disease control measures to be utilized during the exhibition, including the daily monitoring of the animals during the show and biosecurity measures.
  • Provide specific actions that may be required if a cow becomes sick at the show (per the pre-event testing and movement requirements established with state animal health officials).
• Clean and disinfect equipment frequently.
  • Use approved disinfectants that are safe for human and animal contact: https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-m-registered-antimicrobial-products- label-claims-avian-influenza
• Ensure adequate ventilation and temperature control are in place.
• Post signs near the exhibition area exits that instruct visitors to wash their hands when leaving the animal area.

After the Event

• Clean and disinfect exhibition areas.
  • Use approved disinfectants that are safe for human and animal contact: https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-m-registered-antimicrobial-products- label-claims-avian-influenza

• Hold a debrief meeting to discuss what went well and improvements for next year.
• Consult the state or local public health department if exhibitors, attendees or family members develop influenza-like illness (e.g., fever or chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, tiredness, and/or vomiting and diarrhea) or conjunctivitis (red eyes) following the event. Testing and treatment for influenza A may be available. The Tennessee Department of Health can be reached at 615-741-7247 (24/7).
  • Tell the healthcare provider about exposure to dairy cattle.
• Collaborate with TDA and TDH on a communication plan if there is an Influenza A detection linked to the event.

For any questions, please contact the State Veterinarian’s Office at 615-837-5120 or animal.health@tn.gov or the Tennessee Department of Health at 615-741-7247 or cedep.investigation@tn.gov.