Report from USDA, APHIS, Veterinary Services, NATIONAL CENTER FOR IMPORT AND EXPORT: PROTOCOL FOR THE IMPORTATION OF CAMELIDS FROM CANADA
BORDER OPEN TO CAMELIDS
Report from USDA, APHIS, Veterinary Services, NATIONAL CENTER FOR IMPORT AND EXPORT: PROTOCOL FOR THE IMPORTATION OF CAMELIDS FROM CANADA
1. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
1.1 No import permit is required if the camelids are offered for entry at a land border port and meet one of the following conditions: (a) were born in the U.S. or Canada and have been in no other region, or (b) were legally imported into Canada from another region and have been unconditionally released and eligible to move freely within Canada for at least 60 days after such release.
In any other cases, the importer must obtain an import permit from:
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS),
Veterinary Services (VS), National Center for Import-Export (NCIE),
4700 River Road, Unit 39, Riverdale, Maryland 20737-1231
301-734-8364; 301-734-4704(fax)
1.2 An official health certificate is required. The official health certificate must be issued by a veterinarian designated by Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), and must be endorsed by a veterinarian employed by CFIA attesting to the certifications and tests required in this protocol.
1.3 All camelids must be permanently and individually identified. If a microchip transponder is used, an electronic reader that is capable of reading the microchip must accompany the animal(s) to the United States port of entry.
1.3.1. Unless at the foot of their dam, all animals to be imported from Canada must be at least six (6) months of age and fully weaned at least one (1) month prior to shipping.
1.3.2. Animals less than six (6) months of age and traveling at the foot of their dam must be identified on the health certificate and have their health status certified but do not require testing for tuberculosis or brucellosis.
2. CERTIFICATION STATEMENTS
2.1. Animal Residency: The Camelids being imported into the United States have resided in Canada or the United States from birth or, if imported from a country other than the United States , have been part of Canada 's national herd for a minimum period of time. Paragraphs 2.1.1 and 2.1.2 describe how USDA, APHIS, defines "part of the national herd" and for what length of time the animals must be part of the national herd.
2.1.1. If the camelids for export were imported from countries recognized by USDA as free of FMD and rinderpest, then these animals must have been free of any import quarantine or health related restrictions imposed by CFIA and able to move freely within Canada's national herd for a minimum of 60 days prior to export to the United States.
2.1.2 If the camelids are offspring of animals imported from a country not recognized by USDA as free of FMD and rinderpest, then the camelids for export must have been free of any import quarantine restrictions and able to move freely within Canada 's national herd for a minimum of ninety (90) days prior to export.
2.2. The animals have been resident of the herd of origin in Canada for a minimum period of sixty (60) days prior to export and do not originate from premises containing ruminant or swine species that are not part of a herd recognized by CFIA to be tuberculosis accredited free.
2.3 Herds of Origin: Neither Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) nor Brucella abortus (B. abortus) has been diagnosed clinically, by diagnostic test, or by post mortem examination in a llama or alpaca on the premises of origin within the three (3) years preceding the issuance of the export health certificate nor in the herd of origin at any time.
2.4 During the 60-days prior to export, the camelids to be exported have had no direct or indirect contact with any animals that are not of equivalent health status as the animals being exported to the United States .
2.5 Upon inspection immediately prior to departure for export to the United States , the camelids showed no clinical signs of communicable disease.
3. TESTING REQUIREMENTS
3.1 Tuberculosis – within 60 days of export each camelid intended for export must be tested with an intradermal tuberculin tests for M. bovis. with negative results.
3.2 Testing for M. bovis in Canada must be conducted by an veterinarian specifically approved by CFIA for the testing of Camelidae, or by a Provincial or Federal veterinarian trained in the testing of Camelidae for M. bovis.
3.3 Methodology: The tuberculosis test is the intradermal tuberculin test with a dose rate of (5000 I.U.) of bovine PPD tuberculin injected at a post-axillary site which has been previously clipped, the injection site identified with a permanent ink marker, and the thickness of the skin recorded with caliper. The skin thickness will be measured seventy-two (72) hours post injection and any increase in thickness more than 1.0 mm is to be interpreted as a response.
3.4 Animals responding positively to the Intradermal Tuberculin Test: Animals responding positively to the Intradermal Tuberculin Test are to be subjected to a comparative tuberculin test using biologically balanced M. bovis and M. avium tuberculin on the opposite post-axillary site within ten (10) days of, or after ninety (90) days following, the date of the original tuberculin injection.
3.4.1. Any animal in which the response to M. bovis tuberculin is equal to or greater than the response to M. avium tuberculin is to be considered a positive reactor for M. bovis. Animals which are positive for M. bovis on the comparative tuberculin test are to be destroyed and necropsied with appropriate samples submitted for culture of the organism.
3.4.2. The balance of the herd remains ineligible for import until negative laboratory results are received. Should M. bovis be isolated from the affected animal, all animals in the group remain ineligible for import into the United States .
3.4.3. If all animals give negative results to the comparative test, the balance of the shipment is eligible to enter the United States . Responders to any test for M. bovis remain ineligible for import.
3.5 Brucellosis – Within 30 days of export each camelid intended for export must be subjected to a standard test for brucellosis, as prescribed for international trade by the Office International Des Epizooties (OIE), with negative results. An animal that is positive to any brucellosis test is ineligible for import into the United States . The balance of the group will not be allowed entry into the United States until all reactors have been removed from the group and the remaining animals tested negative using a C-ELISA confirmatory test.
4. DEATHS DURING PRE-EXPORT
4.1. Any animal over the age of six (6) months that dies within 30 days of export to the United States must be subjected to a post-mortem examination.
4.1.1 In cases where the cause of death is not conclusively confirmed, all head, thoracic and abdominal lymph nodes and any suspected lesions found on other organs/tissues are to be examined and samples submitted for the histological examination and culture for Mycobacteria spp. with the results being forwarded to a Canadian Federal Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.
5. TRANSPORTATION TO THE UNITED STATES
5.1. Animals being exported to the United States shall be transported in cleaned and disinfected trucks directly from the premises of origin to the USDA port of entry. All camelids intended for importation from Canada shall be accompanied by a Canadian veterinary health certificate.