Section 4-4-6. Penalty for introducing foreign animal disease; notice and reporting required for certain diseases; exception for bona fide research activities

   (a) Any person who knowingly introduces into this state any foreign animal disease or any animal disease, syndrome, chemical, poison, or toxin that may pose a substantial threat of harm to the animal industries in this state shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature.

(b) (1) Any person who makes a clinical diagnosis or laboratory confirmation of or who reasonably suspects the presence or occurrence of any of the following diseases, syndromes, or conditions in animals shall report the same immediately to the state veterinarian or the United States Department of Agriculture area veterinarian in charge:

      (A) African Horse Sickness;

      (B) African Swine Fever;

      (C) Avian Influenza;

      (D) Classical Swine Fever (Hog Cholera);

      (E) Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (Mycoplasma mycoides mycoides);

      (F) Contagious Ecthyma (Soremouth);

      (G) Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD, any type);

      (H) Heartwater (Cowdria ruminantium);

      (I) Lumpy Skin Disease;

      (J) Newcastle Disease (Exotic);

      (K) Nipah Virus;

      (L) Peste des Petits Ruminants;

      (M) Plague (Yersinia pestis);

      (N) Rift Valley Fever;

      (O) Rinderpest;

      (P) Screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax, C. bezziana);

      (Q) Sheep Pox and Goat Pox;

      (R) Swine Vesicular Disease;

      (S) Vesicular or Ulcerative Conditions;

      (T) Vesicular Exanthema; or

      (U) Vesicular Stomatitis (VS, any type).

   (2) Any person who reasonably suspects the presence or occurrence of any vesicular diseases, mucosal diseases, or abortion storms of unknown etiology in livestock; undiagnosed bovine central nervous system conditions; unusual number of acute deaths in livestock; unusual myiasis or acariasis (flies, mites, ticks, etc.) in animals; or any apparently highly infectious or contagious animal condition of unknown etiology shall report the same immediately to the state veterinarian or the United States Department of Agriculture area veterinarian in charge.

   (3) Any person who makes a laboratory confirmation of any of the following diseases, syndromes, or conditions in animals shall report the same within 24 hours or by the close of the next business day, whichever last occurs, to the state veterinarian or the United States Department of Agriculture area veterinarian in charge:

      (A) Akabane Virus Disease;

      (B) Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis);

      (C) Aujeszky's Disease (Pseudorabies);

      (D) Avian Chlamydiosis (Psittacosis and Ornithosis, Chlamydia psittaci);

      (E) Babesiosis (in livestock, any species);

      (F) Bluetongue;

      (G) Borna Disease;

      (H) Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy;

      (I) Brucellosis (Brucella. abortus, B. ovis, B. suis B. mellitensis);

      (J) Camel Pox Virus;

      (K) Caseous Lymphadenitis (Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis);

      (L) Chronic Wasting Disease;

      (M) Clostridium perfringens Epsilon Toxin;

      (N) Coccidioidomycosis (Coccidioides immitis);

      (O) Contagious Agalactia (Mycoplasma agalactiae, M. capricolum capricolum, M. putrefaciens, M. mycoides mycoides, M. mycoides mycoides LC);

      (P) Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia (Mycoplasma capricolum capripneumoniae);

      (Q) Contagious Equine Metritis (Taylorella equigenitalis);

      (R) Dourine (Trypanosoma equiperdum);

      (S) Enterovirus Encephalomyelitis (porcine);

      (T) Ephemeral Fever;

      (U) Epizootic Lymphangitis (Histoplasma farciminosum);

      (V) Equine Encephalomyelitis (Eastern, Western, Venezuelan, West Nile Virus);

      (W) Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA);

      (X) Equine Morbillivirus (Hendra virus);

      (Y) Equine Piroplasmosis (Babesiosis, Babesia (Piroplasma) equi, B. caballi);

      (Z) Equine Rhinopneumonitis (Type 1 and 4);

      (AA) Equine Viral Arteritis;

      (BB) Feline Spongiform Encephalopathy;

      (CC) Glanders (Burkholderia [Pseudomonas] mallei);

      (DD) Hemorrhagic Septicemia (Pasteurella multocida);

      (EE) Japanese Encephalitis Virus;

      (FF) Ibaraki;

      (GG) Infectious Laryngotracheitis (other than vaccine induced);

      (HH) Infectious Petechial Fever (Ehrlichia ondiri);

      (II) Louping Ill (Ovine encephalomyelitis);

      (JJ) Maedi-Visna/Ovine Progressive Pneumonia;

      (KK) Malignant Catarrhal Fever (Bovine Malignant Catarrh) (AHV-1, OHV-2);

      (LL) Mange (in livestock) (Sarcoptes scabiei var bovis and ovis, Psoroptes ovis, Chorioptes bovis, Psorergates bos and ovis);

      (MM) Menangle virus;

      (NN) Melioidosis (Burkholderia [Pseudomonas] pseudomallei);

      (OO) Nairobi Sheep Disease;

      (PP) Paratuberculosis (Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis);

      (QQ) Perkinsosis (Perkinsus marinus and P. olseni);

      (RR) Pullorum Disease (Salmonella pullorum);

      (SS) Q Fever (Coxiella burnetti);

      (TT) Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (Calicivirus disease);

      (UU) Rabies;

      (VV) Ricin Toxicosis (toxin from Ricinis communis);

      (WW) Salmonellosis caused by Salmonella enteritidis;

      (XX) Salmonellosis in equine (Salmonella typhimurium, S. agona, S. anatum, etc.);

      (YY) Scrapie;

      (ZZ) Shigatoxin;

      (AAA) Staphylococcal Enterotoxins;

      (BBB) Sweating Sickness;

      (CCC) Theileriosis (Theileria annulata, T. parva);

      (DDD) Transmissible Mink Encephalopathy;

      (EEE) Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (all types);

      (FFF) Trypanosomiasis (Trypanosoma congolense, T. vivax, T. brucei brucei, T. evansi);

      (GGG) Tuberculosis (Mycobacterium. bovis, M. tuberculosis);

      (HHH) Tularemia (Francisella tularensis);

      (III) Ulcerative Lymphangitis (Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis); or

      (JJJ) Wesselsbron Disease.

   (4) Any person who makes a laboratory confirmation of any unusual presentation, unexplained increase in number of cases, or unusual trend of Botulism (Clostridium botulinum toxin), aflatoxin, or T-2 toxin in animals which such person reasonably suspects may be caused by bioterrorism as defined by Code Section 31-12-1.1 or epidemic or pandemic presentation and may pose a substantial threat of harm to the animal industries in this state shall report the same immediately to the state veterinarian or the United States Department of Agriculture area veterinarian in charge.

   (5) Any person, including without limitation any veterinarian or veterinary diagnostic laboratory or practice personnel, person associated with any livestock farm, ranch, sales establishment, transportation, or slaughter facility, as well as any person associated with a facility licensed under Chapter 10 of this title, the "Bird Dealers Licensing Act," or under Article 1 of Chapter 11 of this title, the "Animal Protection Act," who shall fail to report any disease, syndrome, or condition specified in this subsection as required by this subsection shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(c) The Commissioner is authorized to declare certain other animal diseases and syndromes to be diseases requiring notice and to require the reporting thereof to the department in a manner and at such times as may be prescribed by the Commissioner. The department shall require that such data be supplied as is deemed necessary and appropriate for the prevention and control of certain diseases and syndromes as are determined by the Commissioner.

(d) Any person who reasonably suspects the intentional use of any chemical or nuclear agent, microorganism, virus, infectious substance, or any component thereof, whether naturally occurring or bioengineered, to cause death, illness, disease, or other biological malfunction in an animal shall report such suspicion immediately to the state veterinarian or the United States Department of Agriculture area veterinarian in charge.

(e) All such reports and data submitted to the state veterinarian or the department pursuant to this Code section shall be deemed confidential and shall not be open to inspection by the public; provided, however, that the Commissioner may release such reports and data in statistical form, for valid research purposes, and for other purposes as deemed appropriate by the Commissioner.

(f) Any person, including, but not limited to, any veterinarian or veterinary diagnostic laboratory or practice personnel, person associated with any livestock farm, ranch, sales establishment, transportation, or slaughter facility, as well as any person associated with a facility licensed under Chapter 10 of this title, the "Bird Dealers Licensing Act," or under Article 1 of Chapter 11 of this title, the "Animal Protection Act," submitting reports or data in good faith in compliance with this Code section shall not be liable for any civil damages therefor.

(g) Any person who knowingly and willingly makes a false, fictitious, or fraudulent report in any matter within the jurisdiction of the state veterinarian or the department under this Code section shall be subject to the provisions of Code Section 16-10-20.

(h) This Code section shall not prohibit the conduct of any bona fide research activities by or on behalf of any accredited public or private college or university in this state, nor shall the reporting requirements of this Code section apply to persons performing such research activities.

Code 1981, § 4-4-6, enacted by Ga. L. 2002, p. 1386, § 1; Ga. L. 2003, p. 322, § 1.