Sec. 22-298. Test for brucellosis. Branding. Quarantine.
Sec. 22-298. Test for brucellosis. Branding. Quarantine. (a) The Commissioner
of Agriculture may require and provide for the drawing and collecting of blood samples
for the control of brucellosis from goats over three months of age and herds of bovine
animals, including male bovine animals, six months of age or over, but not including
steers, and may at his discretion decide not to test heifers which have been officially
calfhood vaccinated, until they have calved or are eighteen months of age. All blood
samples shall be submitted to a laboratory approved by the Commissioner of Agriculture
and all milk samples shall be submitted to a laboratory approved by said commissioner
for examination and the results of such tests shall be reported by the laboratories to the
commissioner in a manner prescribed by him. Upon receipt of the laboratory reports on
any such tests, the commissioner shall inform the owner or agent and the veterinarian
of the result thereof. When the commissioner has determined the condition of such herd
by such tests, all animals reacting positively to any test for brucellosis shall be identified
by branding with a hot iron on the left jaw and a metal number reactor tag in the left
ear as approved by the commissioner. All such reactors shall be appraised, branded,
tagged and slaughtered within fifteen days and the premises cleaned, disinfected and
approved within thirty days after slaughter in order to qualify for indemnity under section
22-307. If the reaction of any animal to a test for brucellosis is suspicious, it may be
identified and quarantined and shall not be disposed of without first obtaining written
permission from the commissioner.
(b) The state shall not be liable for any damage incurred or alleged to have been
incurred by any such test.
(c) No swine or goats used for breeding purposes shall be kept on the same premises
as cattle unless such swine or goats are certified free from brucellosis. Any positive
reactors shall be immediately slaughtered and the premises cleaned and disinfected.
(d) The drawing of blood samples for brucellosis tests shall be restricted to the State
Veterinarian, veterinarians employed by the Department of Agriculture, veterinarians
employed by the federal government and veterinarians licensed to practice in this state
and assigned by the commissioner for that purpose.
(1949 Rev., S. 3328; 1955, S. 1785d; 1957, P.A. 36, S. 1; 1959, P.A. 477, S. 1; 637, S. 2; 1961, P.A. 67; 1967, P.A.
215; 1969, P.A. 104, S. 1; 1971, P.A. 5; 872, S. 446, 448; P.A. 77-267, S. 3; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-10, S. 8, 20; June 30
Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(e), (f); P.A. 04-189, S. 1.)
History: 1959 acts deleted provisions re herd owners' requests for brucellosis testing, allowing instead that commissioner
may require such tests, increased age of heifers before testing from 24 to 30 months, required submission of milk samples
to state department of health, specified that brand on afflicted animals be placed on left jaw and that left ear have metal
reflector tag, required that premises where afflicted animals have been kept be cleaned, disinfected and approved within
30 days of their slaughter as qualification for indemnity and later replaced commissioner of agriculture with commissioner
of agriculture, conservation and natural resources; 1961 act replaced commissioner of agriculture, conservation and natural
resources with commissioner of agriculture and natural resources; 1967 act made testing mandatory rather than optional,
rephrased exemption re steers and other specially designated classes of animals to specifically include male bovines, 6
months or older except steers and reduced age for which postponement of testing for heifers applies from 30 to 24 months;
1969 act reduced age applicable to heifers to 18 months and replaced reference to Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station
laboratory and to department of health laboratory with reference to laboratory approved by commissioner; 1971 acts
replaced commissioner of agriculture and natural resources with commissioner of agriculture and added reference in
Subsec. (d) to veterinarians employed by state department of agriculture; P.A. 77-267 made testing provisions applicable
to goats over 3 months old; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-10 amended Subsec. (a) to make commissioner's duty under this
section a discretionary power; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced Commissioner and Department of Agriculture with
Commissioner and Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec.
146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection,
effective June 1, 2004.
See Sec. 22-288a re procedure for condemnation of herd and compensation of owner.