Destruction of poultry. Poultry that are infected with or exposed to H5/H7 LPAI may be required to be destroyed at the discretion of the Cooperating State Agency and APHIS and in accordance with the initial State response and containment plan described in § 56.10. The Cooperating State Agency and APHIS will select a method to use for the destruction of such poultry based on the following factors:

The species, size, and number of the poultry to be destroyed;

The environment in which the poultry are maintained;

The risk to human health or safety of the method used;

Whether the method requires specialized equipment or training;

The risk that the method poses of spreading the H5/H7 LPAI virus;

Any hazard the method could pose to the environment;

The degree of bird control and restraint required to administer the destruction method;

The speed with which destruction must be conducted; and

Consistency of the method with humane euthanasia guidelines.

Disposal of poultry. Carcasses of poultry that have died from H5/H7 LPAI infection or poultry that have been humanely slaughtered to fulfill depopulation requirements must be disposed of promptly and efficiently in accordance with the initial State response and containment plan described in § 56.10 to prevent the spread of H5/H7 LPAI infection. Disposal methods will be selected by the Cooperating State Agency and APHIS and may include one or more of the following: Burial, incineration, composting, or rendering. Regardless of the method used, strict biosecurity procedures must be implemented and enforced for all personnel and vehicular movement into and out of the area in accordance with the initial State response and containment plan to prevent dissemination of the H5/H7 LPAI virus.

Controlled marketing. (1) At the discretion of the Cooperating State Agency and APHIS, poultry that has been infected with or exposed to H5/H7 LPAI may be allowed to move for controlled marketing in accordance with the initial State response and containment plan described in § 56.10 and in accordance with the following requirements:

Poultry infected with or exposed to H5/H7 LPAI must not be transported to a market for controlled marketing until approved by the Cooperating State Agency in accordance with the initial State response and containment plan described in § 56.10.

Within 7 days prior to slaughter, each flock to be moved for controlled marketing must be tested for H5/H7 LPAI using a test approved by the Cooperating State Agency and found to be free of the virus.

Routes to slaughter must avoid other commercial poultry operations whenever possible. All load-out equipment, trailers, and trucks used on premises that have housed poultry that were infected with or exposed to H5/H7 LPAI must be cleaned and disinfected and not enter other poultry premises or facilities for 48 hours after removing such poultry from their premises.

Flocks moved for controlled marketing must be the last poultry marketed during the week they are marketed.

Poultry moved for controlled marketing will not be eligible for indemnity under § 56.3. However, any costs related to cleaning and disinfection of premises, conveyances, and materials that came into contact with poultry that are moved for controlled marketing will be eligible for indemnity under § 56.3.

Cleaning and disinfection of premises, conveyances, and materials. Premises, conveyances, and materials that came into contact with poultry infected with or exposed to H5/H7 LPAI must be cleaned and disinfected; Provided, that materials for which the cost of cleaning and disinfection would exceed the value of the materials or for which cleaning and disinfection would be impracticable for any reason may be destroyed and disposed. Cleaning and disinfection must be performed in accordance with the initial State response and containment plan described in § 56.10, which must be approved by APHIS. Cleaning and disinfection must also be performed in accordance with any applicable State and local environmental regulations. This paragraph (d) provides guidelines for the development of a cleaning and disinfection plan for a premises and for the materials and conveyances on that premises.

Preparation for cleaning and disinfection. Following the depopulation or controlled marketing of all poultry infected with or exposed to H5/H7 LPAI on a premises, the following procedures should be completed prior to cleaning and disinfection:

Secure all feathers and debris that might blow around outside the house in which the infected or exposed poultry were held by gathering and pushing the material into the house;

Apply insecticides and rodenticides immediately after the removal of the birds, before the house cools;

Close the house in which the poultry were held, maintaining just enough ventilation to remove moisture. Leave the house undisturbed for a minimum of 72 hours.

Cleaning and disinfection. All premises, conveyances, and materials that came into contact with poultry that were infected with or exposed to H5/H7 LPAI must be cleaned and disinfected. Cleaning and disinfection must be performed on all buildings that came into contact with poultry that were infected with or exposed to H5/H7 LPAI within a premises, including pumphouses and service areas. To accomplish cleaning and disinfection, the following procedures should be completed:

Disposal of manure, debris, and feed. Clean up all manure, debris, and feed. Compost manure, debris, and feed by windrowing in the house if possible. If this is not possible, set up a system for hauling manure, debris, and feed to an approved site for burial, piling, or composting. Manure, debris, and feed may be removed from the house or premises and disposed of by composting it on site, leaving it in a undisturbed pile on site, or removing it from the site in covered vehicles. Land application of manure, debris, and feed should only be performed in accordance with the initial State response and containment plan described in § 56.10. Clean out the house or move or spread litter as determined by the Cooperating State Agency and in accordance with the initial State response and containment plan. If composting is used as a disposal method, manure and litter should be composted in accordance with State and local regulations. If litter is piled, the litter pile must be covered and allowed to sit undisturbed for an amount of time approved by the Cooperating State Agency and APHIS and in accordance the initial State response and containment plan described in § 56.10. Drying and heat in situ over time are effective and may be used in place of composting if weather conditions or conditions in the building are favorable. After use, equipment used to clean out manure, debris, and feed must be cleaned, disinfected, and inspected at the site to which the manure and litter was transported. In the case of inclement weather, the equipment may be cleaned, disinfected, and inspected at off-site wash stations at the discretion of the Cooperating State Agency and APHIS.

Cleaning of premises and materials. Cleaning and washing should be thorough to ensure that all materials or substances contaminated with H5/H7 LPAI virus, especially manure, dried blood, and other organic materials, are removed from all surfaces. Spray all contaminated surfaces above the floor with detergent and water to knock dust down to the floor, using no more water than necessary. Wash equipment and houses with detergent and water. Disassemble equipment as required to clean all contaminated surfaces. Special attention should be given to automatic feeders and other closed areas to ensure adequate cleaning. Inspect houses and equipment to ensure that cleaning has removed all contaminated materials or substances. Rinse with fresh water and let houses and equipment dry completely before applying disinfectant.

Disinfection of premises and materials. When cleaning has been completed and all surfaces are dry, all interior surfaces of the structure should be saturated with a disinfectant registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for AI virus per label instructions or a disinfectant approved by the EPA for use under a Federal Insecticide, Rodenticide, and Fungicide Act section 18 exemption. A power spray unit should be used to spray the disinfectant on all surfaces that may be treated with the disinfectant according to its EPA label, making sure that the disinfectant gets into cracks and crevices. Special attention should be given to automatic feeders and other closed areas to ensure adequate disinfection.

Cleaning and disinfection of conveyances. Clean and disinfect all trucks and vehicles used in transporting affected poultry or materials before soil dries in place. Both exterior, including the undercarriage, and interior surfaces, including truck cabs, must be cleaned. The interior of the truck cabs should be washed with clean water and sponged with a disinfectant authorized in § 71.10(a) of this chapter. Manure and litter removed from these vehicles should be handled in a manner similar to that described in paragraph (d)(2)(i) of this section.

Activities after cleaning and disinfection. Premises should remain empty until testing provides negative virus detection results and checked by the Cooperating State Agency in accordance with the initial State response and containment plan described in § 56.10. The premises may not be restocked with poultry until after the date specified in the initial State response and containment plan described in § 56.10.

Destruction and disposal of materials. In the case of materials for which the cost of cleaning and disinfection would exceed the value of the materials or for which cleaning and disinfection would be impracticable for any reason, the destruction and disposal of the materials must be conducted in accordance with the initial State response and containment plan described in § 56.10.