OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM:
The Ontario Maedi Visna Flock Status Program (OMVFSP) is a voluntary program to enable sheep producers to determine the disease status of their flocks with respect to maedi visna (MV) infection (also known as ovine progressive pneumonia or OPP), and to eradicate this infection through a program of serological testing of sheep and subsequent removal of positive animals from the flock. To enroll in the program, the producer must be willing to follow the testing and removal protocols of the program, permanently and uniquely identify all sheep in the flock, and follow specific biosecurity requirements.

"WHOLE FLOCK" TEST (Appendix 1)
At the first qualifying test, all sheep and goats 180 days of age (6 months) and older are serologically tested using the MV recombinant ELISA test developed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and confirmatory tests when required. Positive animals and their lambs are removed from the flock. The status of the flock is then "Enrolled". After a second flock test 120 to 240 days apart in which all sheep tested are negative, the status of the flock will be "B", indicating a lower risk status. A minimum of 365 days (maximum 395 days) after the second negative test, the flock then qualifies to have only a random proportion of the total flock 365 days of age and older tested. After this third consecutive negative flock test, the flock status will be "A", designating the lowest risk level. This status is then maintained through annual testing of a random proportion of the flock, with all test results remaining negative. For closed flocks, the frequency of this test will be bi-annual. Biosecurity recommendations and requirements, as outlined in the document must also be followed in order to maintain flock status. The benefits of this program may be realized through increased productivity and increased breeding sales opportunities due to the low risk MV status of the flock.

"MONITORED" TEST (Appendix 2)
Producers may choose to enrol in the "Monitored" MV status option. This is a suitable program for large producers that already believe that their flock is not infected with MV virus (MV-v). A random sample of all sheep and goats 365 days of age and greater will be sampled. If all sample results are negative, the flock is MV "Monitored". To maintain this status, testing must be repeated annually. Those flocks that adhere to the same biosecurity requirements as the whole flock program, and have remained sero-negative on a minimum of three consecutive annual flock tests, will acquire a status of MV "Monitored - Low Risk". Flocks can at any time switch to the "Whole Flock" test following the criteria explained in detail below.