Animal Importation

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Animal Importation
CAPT Gale Galland, DVM, MS Division of Global
Migration and Quarantine Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention Department of Health and
Human Services
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Reasons for Animal Importation

• Incidental / accidental
• Exhibition at zoos
• Education and research
• Scientific conservation programs
• Use as food and products
• Tourism and immigration
• Commercial pet trade

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Live Animal Importation - 2005

• 87,991 mammals
• 29 species of rodents
• 259,000 birds
• 1.3 million reptiles
• 5.1 million amphibians
• 203 million fish

U.S. Fish Wildlife Service Data
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Exotic Emerging Zoonoses

• Ebola primates, reservoir unknown
• Nipah bats
• West Nile birds, mosquitoes
• SARS masked palm civets, bats
• Avian Influenza poultry, wild birds
• Monkeypox rodents, primates

2001, Pam Brett Whitesell
EM, Marburg virus, CDC gallery
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Concerns about Wild Animal Importation for
Commerce

• High volume, rapid turn-over
• Most animals are wild-caught,
  not captive-raised
• No screening prior to shipment
• No holding or testing required on entry
• Opportunity for widespread exposure of public
• High mortality rates (30-50) common

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HHS/CDC Regulatory Authority

• Secretary of HHS has statutory responsibility for
  preventing introduction, transmission, and spread
  of communicable diseases in the United States.
• At CDC, the Division of Global Migration and
  Quarantine administers interstate and foreign
  quarantine regulations (42 CFR 71), which govern
  the international and interstate movement of
  persons, animals, and cargo.
• The legal foundation for these activities is
  found in Titles 8 and 42 of the US Code and
  relevant supporting regulations.

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CDC Division of Global Migration and Quarantine

• Enforce HHS regulatory authority at ports of
  entry
• 20 Quarantine stations
• Primary focus is human health
• Authority to restrict importation of animals is
  related to health risks they may pose to humans
• Species-specific
• Pathogen-specific

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CDC Quarantine Stations Jurisdictions, 2007
AK
ME
Minneapolis
Seattle
Chicago
Anchorage
VT
NH
WA
Boston
MA
ND
MT
Detroit
NY
MN
CT
RI
MI
WI
New York
NJ
OR
PA
SD
ID
Newark
WY
MD
Philadelphia
IA
OH
NE
IN
WV
No.CA
IL
NV
VA
San Francisco
UT
KY
CO
MO
Washington D.C.
KS
NC
TN
SC
OK
So.CA
AR
Atlanta
NM
AZ
Los Angeles
AL
GA
MS
San Diego
LA
East TX
West TX
El Paso
FL
Dallas
Houston
Miami
Honolulu
HI
PR
GU
San Juan
Pending in 2007
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CDC Regulatory Authorityfor Importation of
Animals and Animal Products

• 42 CFR 71 (Foreign Quarantine)
• 71.51 Dogs and cats
• 71.52 Turtles, tortoises, and terrapins
• 71.53 Nonhuman Primates
• 71.54 Etiologic agents, hosts, and vectors
• 71.56 African rodents
• 71.32(b) Persons, carriers, things

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42 CFR 71.51 Dogs and Cats

• CDC Quarantine Staff meet shipments and inspect
  dogs and cats when possible
• Rely on assistance from USDA and CBP staff
• Not all dogs and cats are inspected upon entry
• Entry may be denied for animals with evidence of
  zoonotic disease
• Emaciation, skin lesions, neurologic symptoms,
  jaundice, diarrhea)
• Can require further examination by a veterinarian
  at importers expense
• Dogs must have a valid rabies vaccination

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Rabies Concerns

• Vaccination requirements are based primarily on
  concerns about importation of foreign rabies
  virus variants
• The United States was decared free of canine
  rabies in fall, 2007
• Unvaccinated animals are at risk for infection
  with variants of rabies present in the United
  States and thus pose a public health risk.

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Importation of Dogs Additional Rabies
Requirements

• Unvaccinated dogs may receive rabies vaccine upon
  entry if owners agree to confine dog for 30
  additional days
• Puppies lt 3 months old must be confined until 3
  months of age, then vaccinated for rabies, and
  confined an additional 30 days
• Confinement agreement must be signed by importer
• Responsibility cannot be transferred
• Enforcement is problematic
• Violations may be subject to criminal penalties
• Rabies vaccination not required for dogs from
  rabies-free countries (resided 6 months or more)

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Importation of Puppies forCommercial Trade

• May be younger than stated age
• (fraudulent health and breeding records)
• Inhumane shipping conditions
• Illness and death
• CDC can require veterinary exam or diagnostic
  necropsy
• Quarantine station staff may report inhumane
  treatment to USDA staff
• Sometimes sold prior to the end of
• confinement period

Puppy with rabies, CDC photo gallery
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Puppy Importation from Mexico

• Puppies crossing at U.S.-Mexico land borders
• large numbers for commercial resale
• more difficult to document than airport entry
• sick, too young, high mortality
• rabies and other infectious diseases are of
  concern in Mexico
• Puppies may not be adequately declared by
  importers
• Smuggled
• Undervalued to avoid Customs penalties
• Unvaccinated dogs/puppies still require a
  confinement agreement
• rely on assistance from CBP to issue confinement
  agreements
• documented violations can be prosecuted
• Increasing media attention to inhumane treatment
  of puppies, infectious disease issues

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42 CFR 71.52 Turtles, Tortoises, and Terrapins

• Restrictions stem from concerns over Salmonella
  infection
• Turtles with shell length lt 4 inches may not be
  imported for commercial purposes
• An individual may import up to 6 for
  noncommercial purposes
• May be imported for scientific, educational, or
  exhibition purposes with a permit
• Restrictions also apply to viable turtle eggs

Credit iStockPhoto
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42CFR 71.53 NHP Quarantine Requirements

• Importers must register with CDC
• Certify use for science, education,
• or exhibition (cannot be imported
• as pets)
• NHPs must be isolated and
• quarantined for 31 days
• Must have negative TB tests prior to release
• Filovirus testing for suspected infections
• Importers must report suspected zoonotic illness
• Importers must maintain records of distribution

Credit iStockPhoto
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FY94-07 NHP Imports, All Species

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42 CFR 71.54 Etiologic Agents, Hosts, and Vectors

• Persons may not import an animal host or vector
  of human disease (or animal capable of being a
  host or vector) without a permit
• Bats
• Concerns over Ebola, Nipah,
• SARS, lyssaviruses
• Requires permit
• Scientific, educational exhibition purposes only
• NHP trophies
• Concerns over filovirus (Ebola)
• Must go to a USDA-licensed taxidermist with permit

Credit to Paul Arguin
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Bushmeat

• Bushmeat composed of nonhuman primates, civets,
  African rodents, or bats is prohibited by CDC and
  should always be denied entry
• Bushmeat has not been properly treated to render
  it noninfectious
• If the animal species cannot be identified,
  assume it contains restricted animals
• Seizures of CDC-restricted bushmeat should be
  reported to the CDC Quarantine Station

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Importation of Potentially Infectious Products
from Restricted Animals

• Includes civets, African rodents, bats
• May apply to trophies that are not fully
  disinfected, or blood, tissue
• Requires a permit, only allowed for science,
  education, exhibition

Credit Richard Nadeua
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Importation of Nonhuman Primate Trophies, Skulls,
and Skins

• Regulated under 42 CFR 71.54 (Etiologic Agents,
  hosts, and vectors)
• Allowed with a CDC permit
• Must go to a USDA-listed taxidermist
• Fully taxidermied or disinfected nonhuman primate
  trophies may be admitted without a CDC permit

Credit trappeur_at_videotron.ca
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42 CFR 71.56 African Rodents, Prairie Dogs

• Restrictions followed a 2003 monkeypox outbreak
  in the U.S., linked to importation of infected
  African rodents
• November 4, 2003, Interim Final Rule prohibits
  importation of African rodents and prairie dogs
• Includes bushmeat of rodent origin
• May be imported for scientific, exhibition, or
  educational purposes with a permit

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42 CFR 71.32(b) Persons, Carriers, or Things

• When persons, carriers, or things on a carrier
  are suspected of being infected or contaminated,
  CDC may require detention, disinfection,
  disinfestation, fumigation, or other measures
  necessary to prevent introduction, transmission,
  or spread of communicable diseases.

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42CFR 71.32(b) Order to Restrict Import of Civets

• Civets linked to transmission of SARS coronavirus
  to humans
• January 13, 2004, Order prohibits import of
  civets and genets (family Viverridae)
• Can be imported for scientific/
  educational/exhibition purposes with a permit

Masked Palm civet (Paguma larvata) from
http//www.lioncrusher.com/animal.asp?animal108
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42CFR 71.32(b) Order to Restrict Birds from
Countries with HPAI H5N1

• Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1,
  documented human infections.
• February 4, 2004, Order
• restricts importation of birds and
• unprocessed bird products
• countries with H5N1 in poultry
• Parallels USDA-APHIS bans, but
• purpose is to protect human health.
• Allows return of pet birds if they meet USDA
  quarantine requirements.

Credit AFP/File/Shafiq Alam
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42CFR 71.32(b) Oddities

• Import restrictions on untanned goat-hair
  products from Haiti
• Advisory memorandum No. 107
• Handicrafts (goatskin drums)
• 1973 case of cutaneous anthrax

Credit iStockPhoto
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Import of Processed Animal Products

• May be imported without CDC permit if treated to
  render noninfectious
• Trophies
• Processed products
• Accepted treatment processes for trophies
• Heat (internal temperature of 70C or boiling
  water for 30 minutes)
• Preservation in 2 formaldehyde
• Chemically treating in acidic or alkaline
  solutions (soaking in a solution below pH 3.0 or
  above pH 11.5 for 24 hours)
• Use of hypertonic salts

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Summary of CDC Animal Authority

• Dogs and cats
• Dogs required to have proof of rabies vaccination
• Dogs and cats subject to inspection and
  veterinary exam if ill
• Turtles lt 4 inch shell length (7 or more)
• Cannot be brought in for commercial purposes
• Can be brought in for scientific/exhibition
  purposes with permission
• Nonhuman primates
• Cannot be brought in as pets or for commercial
  purposes
• Only registered importers may bring in animals
• Minimum 31-day quarantine, testing for infectious
  diseases

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Summary of CDC Animal Authority

• Bats
• Can only be brought in for scientific/exhibition
  purposes with a permit
• Nonhuman Primate Trophies
• To licensed taxidermist with permit
• African Rodents
• May only be brought in for scientific,
  educational, or exhibition purposes with
  permission
• Civets, birds from countries with H5N1 avian
  influenza
• May only be brought in for scientific/exhibition
  purposes with permission

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Summary of CDC Animal Authority

• CDC relies on relationships with USDA-APHIS,
  DOI-FWS, and DHS-CBP for enforcement
• CDCs authority to regulate animals is based on
  threats they may pose to human health
• Implementation has been species-specific and
  pathogen-specific
• CDC is exploring revision of our Animal
  Importation Regulations
• Aim to make more effective and proactive
• May consider import restrictions of a broader
  species range
• Clarify and simplify NHP Import Requirements

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For More Information
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/animal www.cdc.gov/ncidod/
dq/quarantine_stations www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/laws
and
DGMQ Zoonoses Team404-639-3441
Nina Marano, DVM (Branch Chief) Gale Galland,
DVM, MS Robert Mullan, MD Sheryl Shapiro, MS