(1) The Governor of the State of Mississippi, when advised by the Board of Animal Health that an emergency exists due to the presence of foot and mouth disease, rinderpest, contagious pleuropneumonia, or other contagious or infectious diseases of animals, or European fowl pest and similar diseases among poultry, in this state, or chronic wasting disease in any cervids, is hereby authorized to declare a state of emergency and to order all animals or poultry quarantined or slaughtered that may be affected with, or possible carriers of such diseases.
(2) The Governor is hereby authorized and empowered to cooperate with any department of the federal government engaged in the combating and control of any such disease mentioned in subsection (1) and to this end the Governor is authorized and empowered to do any and all things in cooperation with the federal government necessary to the control and extermination of any such diseases mentioned in subsection (1) among animals or poultry that may be affected therewith.
(3) For the purposes of this section, the Governor shall have full and complete police power, and shall exercise same anywhere in the State of Mississippi, and if an emergency should exist to such an extent that such becomes necessary the Governor may employ such personnel to enforce such police powers and quarantine that may be necessary to control and prevent the spreading of any such diseases mentioned in subsection (1) among animals or poultry in this state. Such personnel when appointed by the Governor shall work under the direction of the Mississippi Board of Animal Health, or its representative, and shall be paid such compensation as the Governor may determine out of any money made available for the enforcement of this section.
(4) When any animals or poultry or materials are ordered to be destroyed, under the provisions of this section, the owner of same shall be paid for each such animal or poultry or materials destroyed an amount not exceeding the amount authorized to be paid by the federal government in matching funds expended for the destruction of each such animal or poultry or materials infected with any such diseases mentioned in subsection (1).
(5) In the event of the happening of an outbreak of any such diseases mentioned in subsection (1) in Mississippi, the Governor is hereby authorized to borrow not to exceed Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00) to carry out the terms and provisions of this section.
Citation: Miss. Code Ann. § 69-15-109.
The Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce shall keep himself informed as to known varieties of insect pests, diseases and noxious weeds, their origin, locality, nature and appearance thereof, the manner in which they are disseminated, and approved methods of treatment and eradication.
The Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, in his rules and regulations made pursuant to this article, shall list the insect pests, diseases and noxious weeds, of which he shall find that the introduction into, or the dissemination within, this state should be prevented in order to safeguard the environment, agricultural and horticultural production and the plants and plant products of this state, together with the plants and plant products and other things likely to become infested or infected with such insect pests, diseases and noxious weeds. Every such insect pest, disease and noxious weed listed, and every plant and plant product and other thing infected therewith, is hereby declared to be a public nuisance. Every person who has knowledge of the presence of any insect pest, disease or noxious weed listed, as required by this section, in the rules and regulations made pursuant to this article, in or upon any place, shall immediately report same to the commissioner or an inspector therefor giving such detailed information relative thereto as he may have. Every person who deals in or engages in the sale of plants and plant products or other things infested or infected, or likely to be or become so shall furnish to the commissioner or his inspectors, when requested, a statement of the names and addresses of the persons from whom and the localities where he purchased or obtained such plants and plant products, and other things infested or infected, or likely to be or become so.
Citation: Miss. Code Ann. § 69-25-9.
Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of Article 5 of this chapter, or any of the rules and regulations of the Board of Animal Health, relative to the control and eradication of tuberculosis, anthrax, hog cholera, Texas and splenic fever and the fever-carrying tick (Margaropus annulatus), cattle brucellosis, anaplasmosis, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, muscosal disease, cattle viral diarrhea, cattle scabies, sheep scabies, swine erysipelas, swine brucellosis, equine encephalomyelitis, rabies, vesicular diseases, salmonella group, newcastle disease, infectious laryngotracheitis, ornithosis-psittacosis, mycoplasma group, equine infectious anemia and any suspected new and/or foreign diseases of livestock and poultry, and all other diseases of animals in this state, made and promulgated thereunder shall be subject to the provisions of Sections 69-15-53 through 69-15-69.
Citation: Miss. Code Ann. § 69-15-115.