Anthrax; carcasses not to be eviscerated; disposition of affected carcasses; hides, hoofs, horns, hair, viscera and contents, and fat; handling of blood and scalding vat water; general cleanup and disinfection.

9 C.F.R. § 310.9
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01
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(a) Carcasses found before evisceration to be affected with anthrax shall not be eviscerated but shall be retained, condemned, and immediately tanked or otherwise disposed of as provided in part 314 of this subchapter. (b) All carcasses and all parts, including hides, hoofs, horns, hair, viscera and contents, blood, and fat of any livestock found to be affected with anthrax shall be condemned and immediately disposed of as provided in part 314 of this subchapter, except that the blood may be handled through the usual blood cooking and drying equipment. (c) Any part of any carcass that is contaminated with anthrax-infected material through contact with soiled instruments or otherwise shall be immediately condemned and disposed of as provided in part 314 of this subchapter. (d) The scalding vat water through which hog carcasses affected with anthrax have passed shall be immediately drained into the sewer and all parts of the scalding vat shall be cleaned and disinfected as provided in paragraph (e) of this section. (e)(1) That portion of the slaughtering department, including the bleeding area, scalding vat, gambrelling bench, floors, walls, posts, platforms, saws, cleavers, knives, and hooks, as well as employees' boots and aprons, contaminated through contact with anthrax-infected material, shall, except as provided in paragraph (e)(2) of this section be cleaned immediately and disinfected with one of the following disinfectants or other disinfectant 1 approved specifically for this purpose by the Administrator: (i) A 5 percent solution of sodium hydroxide or commercial lye containing at least 94 percent of sodium hydroxide. The solution shall be freshly prepared immediately before use by dissolving 2 1/2 pounds of sodium hydroxide or lye in 5 1/2 gallons of hot water and shall be applied as near scalding hot as possible to be most effective. (Owing to the extremely caustic nature of sodium hydroxide solution, precautionary measures such as the wearing of rubber gloves and boots to protect the hands and feet, and goggles to protect the eyes, should be taken by those engaged in the disinfection process. It is also advisable to have an acid solution, such as vinegar, in readiness in case any of the sodium hydroxide solution should come in contact with any part of the body.) (ii) A solution of sodium hypochlorite containing approximately one-half of 1 percent (5,000 parts per million) of available chlorine. The solution shall be freshly prepared. (iii) When a disinfectant solution has been applied to equipment which will afterwards contact product, the equipment shall be rinsed with clean water before such contact. (2) In case anthrax infection is found in the hog slaughtering department, an immediate preliminary disinfection shall be made from the head-dropper's station to the point where the disease is detected and the affected carcasses shall be cut down from the rail and removed from the room. Upon completion of the slaughtering of the lot of hogs of which the anthrax-infected animals were a part, slaughtering operations shall cease, and a thorough cleanup and disinfection shall be made, as provided in paragraph (e)(1) of this section. If the slaughter of the lot has not been completed by the close of the day on which anthrax was detected, the cleanup and disinfection shall not be deferred beyond the close of that day. (3) The first and indispensable precautionary step for persons who have handled anthrax material is thorough cleansing of the hands and arms with liquid soap and running hot water. It is important that this step be taken immediately after exposure, before vegetative anthrax organisms have had time to form spores. In the cleansing, a brush or other appropriate appliance shall be used to insure the removal of all contaminating material from under and about the fingernails. This process of cleansing is most effective when performed in repeated cycles of lathering and rinsing rather than in spending the same amount of time in scrubbing with a single lathering. After the hands have been cleansed thoroughly and rinsed free of soap, they may, if desired, be immersed for about 1 minute in a 1:1,000 solution of bichloride of mercury, followed by thorough rinsing in clean running water. Supplies of bichloride of mercury for the purpose must be held in the custody of the veterinary medical officer. (As a precautionary measure, all persons exposed to anthrax infection should report promptly any suspicious condition (sore or carbuncle) or symptom to a physician, in order that anti-anthrax serum or other treatment may be administered as indicated.)

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