# Title 48.1 — State Board of Animal Health

## Article 48.1-07 — Farmed Elk

## Chapter 48.1-07-04 — Disease Control

### § 48.1-07-04-01. Disease control.

1. Anthrax.
a. Farmed elk susceptible to anthrax located on farms where anthrax has been diagnosed
must be vaccinated. Farmed elk must be quarantined for thirty days after the death of the
last animal or thirty days following vaccination, whichever occurs last.
b. Sale of hides removed from farmed elk infected with anthrax is prohibited.
2. Brucellosis.
a. The recommended brucellosis eradication uniform methods and rules as they appear in
publication of the USDA-APHIS-VS are hereby adopted and constitute a rule of the
board, unless otherwise ordered by the board.
b. Condemnation of infected farmed elk.
(1) The state veterinarian shall determine when an animal is infected with brucellosis,
and if infected, shall condemn the animal.
(2) Farmed elk that are condemned due to brucellosis must be marked in accordance
with a method prescribed by the state veterinarian.
(3) Animals must be slaughtered within thirty days following condemnation.
c. Brucellosis vaccination of calves.
(1) Female farmed elk may be vaccinated from four through twelve months (one
hundred twenty through three hundred sixty-five days) of age with a vaccine
approved by the state veterinarian.
(2) Vaccinated animals must be marked in accordance with a method approved by the
state veterinarian.
(3) The state veterinarian shall submit reports of vaccination on the appropriate form
provided by USDA-APHIS-VS, to the board within thirty days.
d. Sale of farmed elk out of brucellosis-infected herds. Herds of farmed elk infected with
brucellosis must be quarantined, with the quarantine prohibiting sale of all intact bulls and
females, except to licensed, monitored feedlots or for slaughter, under written permit.
Such farmed elk must be held separate and apart. The state veterinarian may grant an
exception to the quarantine by official permit based upon an epidemiological risk
assessment.
3. Chronic wasting disease.
a. If any farmed elk twelve months of age or older die for any reason, the owner shall
submit the appropriate sample to an approved laboratory for chronic wasting disease
surveillance as soon as practicable. Official identification must accompany the sample to
the laboratory.

b. A chronic wasting disease diagnosis will be based on postmortem sample testing
confirmed by the national veterinary services laboratory.
c. The state veterinarian may grant exemptions to this surveillance.
d. Herd disposition upon diagnosis with chronic wasting disease.
(1) A herd containing farmed elk diagnosed with chronic wasting disease, or that has
had chronic wasting disease traced back to the herd, must be quarantined until the
herd is depopulated or until a herd plan is established.
(2) If depopulation is not practicable, the owner and the state veterinarian shall develop
a herd plan according to the following:
(a) If the herd displays no evidence of disease transmission within the herd as
determined by an epidemiological investigation by the state veterinarian or a
validated test, the herd plan must include provisions for:
[1] Herd inspection by board agents;
[2] Herd inventory with annual verification;
[3] Herd surveillance (mandatory death reporting and chronic wasting
disease testing for sixty months from the last case or exposure);
[4] Separation of high-risk animals (high-risk animals are pen mates of an
affected animal for one year prior to the death of the affected animal and
all animals related to the affected animal); and
[5] All high-risk animals must be quarantined for sixty months from the last
case or exposure or euthanized and tested for chronic wasting disease.
(b) If the herd displays evidence of disease transmission within the herd as
determined by an epidemiological investigation by the state veterinarian or a
validated test, the herd plan must include provisions for:
[1] Herd inspection by board agents;
[2] Herd surveillance (mandatory death reporting and chronic wasting
disease testing for sixty months from the last case or exposure);
[3] Separation of high-risk animals;
[4] High-risk animals must be quarantined for sixty months from the last case
or exposure; and
[5] The entire herd must be quarantined for sixty months from the last case
or exposure.
(c) If the herd is a trace herd as determined by an epidemiological investigation by
the state veterinarian or a validated test, the herd plan must include provisions
for:
[1] Herd inspection by board agents;
[2] Herd inventory with annual verification;
[3] Herd surveillance (mandatory death reporting and chronic wasting
disease testing for sixty months from the last case or exposure); and

[4] Separation of high-risk animals and quarantine for sixty months from the
last exposure or death of high-risk animals and testing for chronic wasting
disease.
e. Management of herds containing animals diagnosed with, exposed to, or potentially
exposed to chronic wasting disease may be adjusted based upon epidemiological
investigation and guidance in the USDA-APHIS-VS chronic wasting disease program
standards.
4. Tuberculosis.
a. Uniform methods and rules - Tuberculosis. The current uniform methods and rules on
cervid tuberculosis eradication as they appear in publication of USDA-APHIS-VS are
hereby adopted and constitute a rule of the board unless otherwise ordered by the board.
b. Marking and slaughter of condemned farmed elk.
(1) The state veterinarian shall determine when an animal is infected with tuberculosis,
and if infected, shall condemn the animal.
(2) Farmed elk that are determined to be infected with tuberculosis must be marked in
accordance with a method prescribed by the state veterinarian.
(3) Animals must be slaughtered within thirty days following condemnation.
c. Reactors to tuberculosis must be accompanied by the proper official permit and are to be
slaughtered in slaughter establishments under the supervision of the federal government
or in another facility approved by the state veterinarian.
History: Effective July 1, 2016; amended effective July 1, 2024.
General Authority: NDCC 36-01-08, 36-01-12, 36-25-02
Law Implemented: NDCC 36-01-08, 36-01-12, 36-25-02
### § 48.1-07-04-02. Removal or damaging of official identification or marks.

Official identification or marks may not be removed or tampered with without approval by the state
veterinarian.
History: Effective July 1, 2016.
General Authority: NDCC 36-01-08, 36-25-02
Law Implemented: NDCC 36-01-08, 36-25-02
