1. Connecticut Department of Agriculture
Bruce A. Sherman, DVM, MPH
Director, Bureau of Regulation and Inspection
Agritourism:
Protecting Public Health , Animal Health and Your Farm
CT Dept. of Agriculture August 24, 2016

2. AGRITOURISM and Livestock Farms
Mutually beneficial to farms and non-farming public.
Determine if opening your farm to visitors is an essential part of the farm business plan.
DoAg does not advocate for livestock farms to prohibit visitors.
Fully recognize the risks and liability associated with allowing the public on the farm.
Risk reduction is possible. Risk elimination is not.
DoAg does recommend that farm visits occur only if adequate measures are in place to mitigate risk.
CT Dept. of Agriculture August 24, 2016
Agritourism:
Protecting Public Health , Animal Health and Your Farm

3. Department of Agriculture
Bureau of Regulation and Inspection
Responsible for Department regulatory functions relative to public health and safety, animal health and food safety.
Bureau of Agricultural Development and Resource Preservation
Agricultural Development, Farmland Preservation and the Regional Market
Bureau of Aquaculture and Laboratory
Administers the National Shellfish Sanitation Program; leases state shellfish beds; conducts laboratory testing on water and shellfish.
CT Dept. of Agriculture August 24, 2016
Agritourism:
Protecting Public Health , Animal Health and Your Farm

4. Bureau of Regulation and Inspection
Office of the State Veterinarian and Animal Health
Dairy and Milk Safety
Agricultural Commodities and Food Safety
State Animal Control
Licensing
CT Dept. of Agriculture August 24, 2016
Agritourism:
Protecting Public Health , Animal Health and Your Farm

5. Bureau of Regulation and Inspection
Animal Health and Office of the State Veterinarian
Animal and Poultry Disease Prevention and Control Programs
Animal Disease Surveillance Testing
Animal Movement Control
Animal Disease Traceability and Animal I.D.
Quarantine Orders
Emergency Animal Disease Response Activities
CT Dept. of Agriculture August 24, 2016
Agritourism:
Protecting Public Health , Animal Health and Your Farm

6. Bureau of Regulation and Inspection
Dairy and Milk Safety
Administers Interstate Milk Shippers Program / Enforces PMO / FDA oversight.
Inspections: dairy farms, processing plants (including on-farm processing and packaging) and bulk milk tankers.
Product and water sampling for laboratory analysis.
Monitors dairy HACCP programs.
CT Dept. of Agriculture August 24, 2016
Agritourism:
Protecting Public Health , Animal Health and Your Farm

7. Bureau of Regulation and Inspection
Agricultural Commodities and Food Safety
Animal Feeds - Quality, Safety, Label Compliance, AFRPS and VFD
Poultry Slaughter Inspection Program
Egg Safety Inspection Program
USDA GAP and GHP Audits (Produce)
Seeds, Fertilizers, Agricultural Liming Materials and Soil Amendments
CT Dept. of Agriculture August 24, 2016
Agritourism:
Protecting Public Health , Animal Health and Your Farm

8. Bureau of Regulation and Inspection
State Animal Control
Enforces Animal Control Laws
Rabies Control Activities and Rabies Exposure Investigations
Animal Neglect and Cruelty Investigations
CT Dept. of Agriculture August 24, 2016
Agritourism:
Protecting Public Health , Animal Health and Your Farm

9. RABIES Control of Rabies in Public Settings
Dept. of Agriculture Regulations (RCSA §§ )
“Public Setting” means any event, facility or premise at which the public is invited and allowed to have direct physical contact with animals.
All livestock species are susceptible to rabies infection and are often in environments where they can be readily exposed to wildlife species that serve as a reservoir for rabies.
Following the provisions of the regulations may also serve to reduce the risk of transmission of other zoonotic diseases in public settings.
CT Dept. of Agriculture August 24, 2016
Agritourism:
Protecting Public Health , Animal Health and Your Farm

10. Control of Rabies in Public Settings Regulations
Controlled Situation A public setting in which an animal is under the control of a handler and persons having direct physical contact with such animal can be readily identified and contacted if a rabies exposure incident occurs.
Uncontrolled Situation A public setting at which persons have direct physical contact with an animal and such persons can not be readily identified or contacted if a rabies exposure incident occurs.
CT Dept. of Agriculture August 24, 2016
Agritourism:
Protecting Public Health , Animal Health and Your Farm

11. Control of Rabies in Public Settings Regulation
No animal for which there is a licensed rabies vaccine may be in a public setting without being currently vaccinated for rabies.
Cattle, sheep and horses are the only livestock species for which there is a licensed rabies vaccine.
Animals are not considered “currently vaccinated” until 30 days after their primary vaccination.
CT Dept. of Agriculture August 24, 2016
Agritourism:
Protecting Public Health , Animal Health and Your Farm

12. Control of Rabies in Public Settings Regulations
Animals Not Currently Vaccinated
Animals not currently vaccinated that are present in a public setting in an uncontrolled situation shall be separated from the public (double fenced) to avoid direct contact between people and animals or a conspicuous sign shall be posted near the animal enclosure stating:
“CONNECTICUT RABIES ADVISORY NOTICE –
DO NOT FEED OR TOUCH ANIMALS”
CT Dept. of Agriculture August 24, 2016
Agritourism:
Protecting Public Health , Animal Health and Your Farm

13. Farm Pets and Visitors Another Rabies and Safety Concern
CT Law requires dogs and cats to be currently vaccinated for rabies and dogs to be licensed.
Unvaccinated dogs and cats present a risk of rabies exposure to livestock on the farm in addition to people.
Minimize the risk of bite wound injuries and liability issues. Visitors, especially children, should be prohibited from having contact with dogs and cats on the farm.
CT Dept. of Agriculture August 24, 2016
Agritourism:
Protecting Public Health , Animal Health and Your Farm

14. Protecting Public Health , Animal Health and Your Farm
E. Coli and Rabies Not the only Livestock Infectious Agents Waiting for the Farm Visitor Party
Examples
“Ringworm” – zoonotic fungal skin disease
Contagious Ecthyma (“Sore Mouth”, “Orf”) – zoonotic viral disease
CT Dept. of Agriculture August 24, 2016
Agritourism:
Protecting Public Health , Animal Health and Your Farm

15. Protecting Public Health , Animal Health and Your Farm
Visitor Perceptions
Sanitation, Animal Care, etc.
CT Dept. of Agriculture August 24, 2016
Agritourism:
Protecting Public Health , Animal Health and Your Farm

16. Protecting Animal Health
Biosecurity - a system of practices designed to reduce the risk of introducing disease to a herd or flock and prevent disease spread among animals.
Visitors can be a source of disease introduction into a herd or flock.
Have visitors been to other farms before yours? How will you know? Precautions to take?
Movement of animals off the farm to fairs, shows and exhibitions.
Comingling with other animals?
Biosecurity measures practiced while at the venue?
Are animals segregated from the other animals in the herd upon returning?
CT Dept. of Agriculture August 24, 2016
Agritourism:
Protecting Public Health , Animal Health and Your Farm

17. Roles in Outbreak Investigation And Response
Once a farm is implicated as the source of a disease outbreak, the Department of Agriculture:
Works with other State, local and Federal Agencies in conducting the outbreak investigation.
Issues animal Quarantine Orders
Gathers farm demographic and operational data useful to the investigation.
Obtains samples from animals for laboratory pathogen testing.
CT Dept. of Agriculture August 24, 2016
Agritourism:
Protecting Public Health , Animal Health and Your Farm

18. Roles in Outbreak Investigation And Response
(continued)
Obtains farm environmental samples for laboratory pathogen testing.
Conducts product sampling, inspections and equipment evaluations when the implicated farm is producing and/or processing dairy products.
Informs State Animal Health Officials in other states if necessary.
Assists the farm owner(s) and local authorities in the recovery process.
CT Dept. of Agriculture August 24, 2016
Agritourism:
Protecting Public Health , Animal Health and Your Farm

19. Animal Movements Animal Disease Traceability
Tracing the movement of animals onto or off of a farm implicated in a disease outbreak can be a key component in the outbreak control and its investigation and in the prevention of additional cases.
Compliance with state and federal animal movement requirements, including official animal identification (I.D.) and record keeping, is essential for being able to trace the origins and destinations of such animal movements.
CT Dept. of Agriculture August 24, 2016
Agritourism:
Protecting Public Health , Animal Health and Your Farm

20. Animal Movements Animal Disease Traceability
(continued)
Livestock Interstate Movement Requirements:
Official I.D. (each animal); Import Permits; Interstate Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (ICVI) and Negative Disease Test Results. (Goats and Sheep – Official I.D. required when ownership change or when moved off the farm).
Recent E. coli outbreak in CT:
Livestock from the source farm moved interstate without meeting interstate movement requirements and the farm did not maintain accurate sales records. As a result, it was difficult to identify the new owners and inform them in a timely manner of their potential health risks.
CT Dept. of Agriculture August 24, 2016
Agritourism:
Protecting Public Health , Animal Health and Your Farm

21. Connecticut Department of Agriculture
Bruce A. Sherman, DVM, MPH
Director
Bureau of Regulation and Inspection
165 Capitol Avenue Tel
Hartford, CT Fax
CT Dept. of Agriculture August 24, 2016
Agritourism:
Protecting Public Health , Animal Health and Your Farm