Agricultural Quality Assessment Division

Marketing 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0258

Service Washington, DC 20250

QAD 730A Appendix 

November 1, 2022 

Page 1 of 3 

QAD Biosecurity Policy Appendix A

Inspection, Audit, and Supervisory Activities

This document is to be used in conjunction with QAD 730: QAD Biosecurity Policy and will 

assist in determining to delay or cancel on-site Shell Egg Surveillance (SES) inspections, audit 

activities, or supervisory reviews. This policy appendix does not apply to voluntary grading or 

certification services provided to applicants, where staffing must be provided on a continuous 

basis.

Recognizing the mission critical nature of SES inspections, as well as voluntary audit and 

grading service activities, this policy will allow QAD to continue activities where appropriate, 

while taking actions necessary to safeguard the health of our applicant’s flocks. While there are 

many reportable avian diseases in the U.S., highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and 

virulent Newcastle disease (vND) are the two most prevalent with significant economic impacts. 

Consideration will be given to delays or cancellations of QAD activities in areas where 

reportable avian diseases, such as HPAI or vND, have been confirmed in commercial poultry 

flocks. 

When confirmations of HPAI, vND, or other diseases identified by USDA’s Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service (APHIS) occur in commercial flocks, APHIS establishes control areas

to monitor affected and adjacent premises to prevent the spread of disease. These areas are 

established around the reported finding in order to restrict movement of poultry in and out of the 

area. Commercial control areas are identified and maintained on the APHIS website. The 

Branch Chief or designee will contact the National Shell Egg Office if the website is invalid, or 

there are reported confirmations of avian diseases identified by APHIS other than HPAI in the 

U.S. (e.g., vND). When control areas are no longer considered active, APHIS will list the date 

the area is released. QAD will use this information, along with input from the State 

Veterinarian, to decide whether to conduct SES, audit, or supervisory activities. As noted above, 

grading service will continue unless the applicant cancels service due to being in a control area.

At a minimum, SES, audit, and supervisory activities will be delayed or canceled within 

active control areas. For example, if a control area includes audit clients or grading plants, all 

onsite visits by supervisors or auditors to those facilities would be delayed until safe to perform 

the activities. Graders would remain in place unless service is discontinued as requested by the 

applicant.

Multiple Control areas: If more than one active control area is established within a state, or 

there are confirmations of HPAI or vND in multiple commercial flocks within an active control 
Agricultural Quality Assessment Division

Marketing 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0258

Service Washington, DC 20250

QAD 730A Appendix 

November 1, 2022 

Page 2 of 3 

area, this may be indicative of active disease transmission and warrant further precautions as 

follows:

The Branch Chief (Grading/Audit) or designee should contact the applicable State 

Veterinarian’s Office to discuss whether QAD activities should be delayed or canceled in 

an area wider than the established APHIS control zones. A list of State Animal Health 

Official contacts can be found on the U.S. Animal Health Associations website. Based on 

the State Veterinarian’s guidance, the Branch Chief or designee, after consultation with the 

National Shell Egg Office, may decide to temporarily (3 months or less) delay or cancel 

QAD activities in a wider area, even outside of the defined control areas. The Branch 

Chief is responsible for notifying field personnel of such decisions. 

In states with increased disease activity, the National Office must be consulted prior to 

suspension of grading / audit branch activities when: 

1. The State Veterinarian’s Office declines to offer guidance.

2. The provided guidance would prevent QAD from performing grading, inspection, or

audit activities across multiple work locations.

3. The provided guidance would prevent QAD from performing activities for extended

time periods.

Reasons to consult with the National Shell Egg Office may include:

 No response from State Veterinarian’s Office in sufficient time to alter work details.

 Hesitancy from the State Veterinarian’s Office to provide clear guidance whether

QAD activities can be conducted in a particular area.

 Guidance to delay or cancel activities across a whole state, unless there are numerous

confirmations throughout the state.

 Guidance to delay or cancel activities well outside of a control area (e.g., more than

10 km or 6.2 miles beyond the control area) unless disease spread seems to be moving

in the direction of the proposed QAD activity.

 Guidance to delay or cancel activities for an extended time based on a single

confirmation (e.g., no visits more than 3 months following confirmation of HPAI,

vND, or other avian disease identified by APHIS at a commercial premises).
Agricultural Quality Assessment Division

Marketing 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0258

Service Washington, DC 20250

QAD 730A Appendix 

November 1, 2022 

Page 3 of 3 

If the decision is made to delay the activity, efforts should be made to complete the activity later 

within the established time frame. For SES inspections, this may include conducting the 

inspection as a “make-up” inspection within the first month of the following quarter. If control 

areas have not been released or new disease confirmations have occurred which make it 

impossible to complete required tasks within established time frames, the visits or inspections 

should be canceled for the quarter. Reports should be completed and submitted with comments 

stating that the inspection or supervisory visit was canceled at the guidance of either the State or 

Livestock and Poultry Program veterinarian due to ongoing avian disease in the area. For SES 

inspections, the LP-156 inspection report will reflect the inspection type as “Other”. Poultry or 

cage-free audit activities that require on-farm presence or contact with birds may be conducted 

virtually, when appropriate. 

_____________________________________ 

Mark Perigen, Director

Quality Assessment Division

Livestock and Poultry Program 

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