INTRODUCTION: 

• Material derived from any animal is potentially subject to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations and / or Public Health Service (PHS) policy.

• Shipments must be cleared by USDA inspectors at the port of arrival before entry into the United States is authorized.

• This information must be supplied as ORIGINAL endorsed statements and made available for review by the USDA inspector at the Port of Arrival. Do not put the documents INSIDE the shipping container.

• If the above information is not supplied, the shipment may be subject to delays. If the animals or their products cannot meet these criteria, then a USDA import permit may be required. Permit applications may be obtained by contacting the Division of Laboratory Animal Resources @ 919.684.4744

REGULATIONS & PROCEDURES: 

• USDA, APHIS, Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) regulates the importation of plants and other vegetable matter. In other words, DO NOT let the shipper use plants or other vegetable matter as a water source in your rodent shipments.  The plants (and animals) may be confiscated at the port of entry.  AT A MINIMUM, THE PROHIBITED VEGETABLE MATTER MUST BE REMOVED FROM THE CAGE AT THE PORT OF ARRIVAL BY A PPQ OFFICER.

  • USDA Importation permits ARE NOT REQUIRED for material derived from rodents and other small mammals which have not been inoculated with or exposed to any exotic livestock or poultry disease agents may be imported without USDA restrictions. This applies as long as the material was obtained from facilities that do not work with exotic livestock or poultry disease agents.

  • USDA importation permits ARE NOT REQUIRED for live laboratory mammals if:

    • a health certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian accompanies live mammals and states that they are clinically healthy; and

    • there is a statement from the shipper/producer indicating that the animals:

      • have not been exposed to or inoculated with any livestock or poultry disease agents exotic to the United States; and

      • have not originated from a facility where work with exotic disease agents affecting livestock or poultry is conducted.

  • USDA importation permits ARE NOT REQUIRED for laboratory mammal material if accompanying the shipment there is a statement from the shipper/producer which:

    • identifies the material and names the species; and

    • states the animals from which the material was derived:

      • have not been exposed to or inoculated with any livestock or poultry disease agents exotic to the United States, and

      • did not originate from a facility where work with exotic disease mainly affecting livestock or avian species is conducted; and

      • identifies the immunogen (for antisera).

  • The U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) has jurisdiction over the importation of live laboratory animals that have not been inoculated with or exposed to any livestock or poultry disease agents exotic to the United States. 

    • PHS Importation Permits ARE NOT REQUIRED and will not be issued for the importation of:

      • Non-infectious materials such as formalin-fixed tissues, sterile cell cultures, and other tissues or materials when there is no evidence or indication that they contain an infectious agent of public health significance.

      • Laboratory mice, rats, and hamsters raised under specific pathogen free (SPF) conditions generally do not require a permit for entry. This includes genetically altered ("knock-out" and "transgenic") animals provided that neither the animals nor their DNA contain any pathogens known to be transmissible to humans.  If the animals are from screened colonies certified to be non-infectious, a permit is not required.  

    • Public Health Permits ARE REQUIRED for animals either naturally or experimentally infected with zoonotic diseases require a public health permit for such importation or distributions. Regarding public health authorization necessary to import laboratory rodents (mice, rats, and hamsters). The Public Health Service Foreign Quarantine Regulations (42 CFR, Section 71.54) govern the importation, or subsequent distribution by transfer within the United States of etiologic agents and vectors of human disease.

  • DIVISION OF LABORATORY ANIMAL RESOURCES SUPPORT: 

    • The Duke Division of Laboratory Animal Resources has the required letters and USDA / PHS documentation that MUST accompany the shipment.

    • Supporting documentation should clearly state that neither the animals nor their DNA (in the case of transgenic animals) contain any pathogens of public health significance.

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    • For more information on shipping requirements, contact the Department of Laboratory Animal Resources  by EMail or call 919.681.6792.