APHIS Conducts Biennial Review, Proposes to Remove Brucella from Select Agents and Toxins Registration List

February 1, 2024 — 

The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) completed its biennial review of the Biological Select Agents and Toxins (BSAT) list. As a result of this review, APHIS is proposing to remove five select agents from the BSAT list. These include: Brucella abortus, Brucella suis, and Brucella melitensis, African horse sickness virus, and Peronosclerospora philippinensis.

These agents pose little risk to animal health or the economy because they are unlikely to spread due to modern production practices. Removing regulatory barriers will greatly improve research on improved vaccines and diagnostics, thereby improving our efforts to control these diseases in animal populations.

As part of its biennial review, APHIS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other federal partners evaluated all potential animal and plant select agents based on their effects on health, production, and marketability of the animals or plants, their ability to cause disease, and whether countermeasures or treatments are available.

The working group considered whether inclusion on the list would have a substantial negative impact on the research and development of solutions for the animal or plant disease caused by the agent or toxin. Agents with significant potential impacts and/or few countermeasures or treatments available are placed on the select agents list and are subject to strong regulations on use and movement to protect the American public and agriculture.

In March 2020, APHIS published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register and solicited public comment on the possible delisting of these agents. APHIS closely reviewed and considered the feedback and addressed it in the proposed rule.

The proposed rule is on display in today's Federal Register. Beginning Tuesday, January 30, interested stakeholders may submit comments at www.regulations.gov. APHIS will consider all comments received on the proposed rule on or before 04/01/2024.

[Source: USDA APHIS 26 January 2024]