Administrator. The Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or any other employee of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service delegated to act in the Administrator's stead.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Breeding flock. A flock that is composed of stock that has been developed for commercial egg or meat production and is maintained for the principal purpose of producing progeny for the ultimate production of eggs or meat for human consumption.

Classification. A designation earned by participation in a Plan program.

Cleaning. The removal of gross contamination, organic material, and debris from the premises or respective structures, via mechanical means like sweeping (dry cleaning) and/or the use of water and soap or detergent (wet cleaning), in order to minimize organic material to prepare for effective disinfection.

Commercial flock or slaughter plant. A commercial poultry flock or slaughter plant that is required because of its size to participate in the special provisions in part 146 of this chapter in order to participate in the Plan.

Compensation. In the case of H5/H7 LPAI detection, compensation specifically refers to reimbursement for the activities associated with the depopulation of infected or exposed poultry, including the disposal of contaminated carcasses and materials and the cleaning and disinfection of premises, conveyances, and materials that came into contact with infected or exposed poultry. In the case of contaminated materials, if the cost of cleaning and disinfection would exceed the value of the materials, or cleaning and disinfection would be impracticable for any reason, APHIS' Veterinary Services will base compensation on the fair market value (depreciated value) of those materials. Compensation does not include payment for depopulated birds or eggs destroyed (see definition of Indemnity in this section).

Cooperating State Agency. Any State authority recognized by the Department to cooperate in the administration of the provisions of this part 56. This may include the State animal health authority or the Official State Agency.

Department. The U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Disinfection. Methods used on surfaces to destroy or eliminate H5/H7 LPAI virus through physical (e.g., heat) or chemical (e.g., disinfectant) means. A combination of methods may be required.

Domesticated. Propagated and maintained under the control of a person.

Flock plan. A written flock management agreement developed by APHIS and the Official State Agency with input from the flock owner and other affected parties. A flock plan sets out the steps to be taken to eradicate H5/H7 LPAI from a positive flock, or to prevent introduction of H5/H7 LPAI into another flock. A flock plan shall include, but is not necessarily limited to, poultry and poultry product movement and geographically appropriate infected and control/monitoring zones. Control measures in the flock plan should include detailed plans for safe handling of conveyances, containers, and other associated materials that could serve as fomites; disposal of flocks; cleaning and disinfection; downtime; and repopulation.

H5/H7 low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI). An infection of poultry caused by an influenza A virus of H5 or H7 subtype that has an intravenous pathogenicity index in 6-week-old chickens less than or equal to 1.2 or causes less than 75 percent mortality in 4- to 8-week-old chickens infected intravenously, or an infection with influenza A viruses of H5 or H7 subtype with a cleavage site that is not consistent with a previously identified highly pathogenic avian influenza virus.

H5/H7 LPAI virus actively infected (infectious). (1) Poultry will be considered to be actively infected with H5/H7 LPAI for the purposes of this part if:

(i) H5/H7 LPAI virus has been isolated and identified as such from poultry; or

(ii) Viral antigen or viral RNA specific to the H5 or H7 subtype of AI virus has been detected in poultry.

(2) The official determination that H5/H7 LPAI virus has been isolated and identified, or viral antigen or viral RNA specific to the H5 or H7 subtype of AI virus has been detected, may only be made by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories.

H5/H7 LPAI virus exposed (non-infectious). (1) Poultry will be considered to be exposed (non-infectious) to H5/H7 LPAI for the purposes of this part if:

(i) Antibodies to the H5 or H7 subtype of the AI virus that are not a consequence of vaccination have been detected in poultry; and

(ii) Samples collected from the flock using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or virus isolation are determined to be not infectious for H5/H7 LPAI.

(2) The official determination that H5/H7 LPAI virus exposure has occurred is by the identification of antibodies to the H5 or H7 subtype of AI virus detected and may only be made by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories.

Indemnity. Payments representing the fair market value of destroyed birds and eggs. Indemnity does not include reimbursements for depopulation, disposal, destroyed materials, or cleaning and disinfection (virus elimination) activities; these activities are covered under compensation (see definition of Compensation in this section).

Mortgage. Any mortgage, lien, or other security or beneficial interest held by any person other than the one claiming indemnity for the destruction of poultry or eggs due to H5/H7 LPAI.

Official appraiser (APHIS official appraiser, State official appraiser). A person authorized by APHIS to appraise poultry for the purposes of this part. A State official appraiser is selected by a State and authorized by APHIS.

Official State Agency. The State authority recognized by the Department to cooperate in the administration of the Plan.

Plan. The provisions of the National Poultry Improvement Plan contained in parts 145, 146, and 147 of this chapter.

Poultry. Domesticated fowl, including chickens, turkeys, ostriches, emus, rheas, cassowaries, waterfowl, and game birds, except doves and pigeons, which are bred for the primary purpose of producing eggs or meat.

Secretary. The Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture, or any officer or employee of the Department delegated to act in the Secretary's stead.

State. Any of the States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands of the United States, or any territory or possession of the United States.

Table-egg layer. A domesticated chicken grown for the primary purpose of producing eggs for human consumption.

United States. All of the States.

Virus elimination (VE). Cleaning and disinfection measures conducted to destroy or eliminate all AI virus on an affected premises.

[71 FR 56323, Sept. 26, 2006, as amended at 75 FR 10656, Mar. 9, 2010; 76 FR 15792, Mar. 22, 2011; 79 FR 38753, July 9, 2014; 81 FR 53249, Aug. 12, 2016; 85 FR 62562, Oct. 5, 2020]