Chapter 01. Health Requirements Governing Admission of Livestock and Poultry into Maryland
Regulation .01 General.LinkCopy Citation
No animal, including poultry or bird of any species, which is affected with, or has recently been exposed to any infectious, parasitic, or transmissible disease, or animals originating in a herd or area under quarantine, or animals which do not meet the import requirements as set forth below, may be brought into Maryland without written permission for the importation from the Secretary. Application for this permission shall be made in writing by the person wishing to import the animals, at least 10 days before the anticipated movement. Issuance of all permits for importation will be at the discretion of the Secretary. All animals imported under special permits and all animals that do not meet the requirements of these regulations are subject to a period of quarantine, and are required to undergo, at the owner's risk and expense, such test or tests as the Secretary may prescribe.
Regulation .02 Definitions.LinkCopy Citation
A.
“Department” means Maryland Department of Agriculture.
B.
“Secretary” means the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary’s designee.
Regulation .03 Health Certificates.LinkCopy Citation
A.
Definition. An official certificate of health is a legible certificate made on an official form issued and approved by the chief animal health official of the state of origin, or the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
B.
Preparation. Health certificates shall be prepared by veterinarians in the employ of the state of origin, by those in the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, by accredited veterinarians or licensed graduate veterinarians. The veterinarians shall be approved by the recognized animal health official of the state of origin.
C.
How Used. Livestock and poultry imported into Maryland shall be accompanied by an approved health certificate or permit, which shall be attached to the waybill or shall be in the possession of the driver of the vehicle or the person in charge of the livestock. A health certificate or permit will be void after 30 days.
D.
Contents. The health certificate shall contain the name and address of the consignor and the consignee, with an accurate description or identification of the livestock. It shall give appropriate dates and descriptions, by name, of current disease tests specifically required, and shall give the health status of the herd of origin, when required. A copy of the approved certificate shall be forwarded to the Department.
E.
Sanitation of Conveyances.
(1)
All trucks, railway cars, and other conveyances, used for the transportation of livestock and poultry, shall be maintained in a sanitary condition.
(2)
The owners and operators of railway cars, trucks, and other conveyances, that have been used for intrastate or interstate movements of any livestock or poultry infected with, or exposed to, an infectious or transmissible disease, shall be required to have the cars, trucks, and other conveyances and crates, coops, and boxes thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, under official supervision. Proper notice of cleaning and disinfection or certification shall be attached to the waybill or be in the possession of the operator of the truck or other conveyances.
Regulation .04 Cattle: Dairy, Breeding, and Feeder.LinkCopy Citation
A.
Tuberculosis Requirements.
(1)
Cattle, which originate directly or indirectly from herds where infection with Mycobacterium bovis (Bovine Tuberculosis) has been known to exist within the past 3 years, may not be imported into the State, except for immediate slaughter.
(2)
Cattle for dairy and breeding purposes, feeder cows, heifers and bulls of beef breeds, including calves and cattle for exhibition purposes, may be imported into Maryland provided they meet the following requirements:
(a)
Cattle originating directly from accredited tuberculosis free states—no tuberculosis test required;
(b)
Cattle originating from modified accredited tuberculosis free states:
(i)
Originating directly from accredited tuberculosis free herds—no tuberculosis test required,
(ii)
Originating directly from herds tested negative within the previous 12 months and provided the animals to be moved were included in the herd test or were natural additions under 1 year old—no tuberculosis test required,
(iii)
Cattle over 6 months old not qualifying under §A(2)(b)(i) or A(2)(b)(ii), above, require a negative tuberculin test within 60 days before import.
(c)
Steers, except those for exhibition purposes, and spayed heifers are exempt from the requirements in §§A(2)(a) and A(2) (b), above.
B.
Brucellosis (Bang's Disease) Requirements.
(1)
Cattle from herds which contain brucellosis suspects, or from herds under quarantine or restriction of any kind, are not eligible for entry without a prior written permit from the Secretary.
(2)
Cattle for dairy and breeding purposes, feeder cows, heifers and bulls or beef breeds, including calves and cattle for exhibition purposes, may be imported into Maryland, provided they meet the following requirements:
(a)
Cattle originating from herds not under restriction in certified brucellosis free states—no brucellosis test required;
(b)
Cattle from all states not certified brucellosis free:
(i)
Originating directly from certified brucellosis free herds—no brucellosis test required,
(ii)
All other cattle except steers shall originate directly from qualified herds* shall comply with one of the following:
(aa)
Be official vaccinates under 24 months old with vaccination dates recorded on the interstate certificate,
(bb)
Be under 6 months old,
(cc)
Be tested negative within 30 days before entry into Maryland.
(3)
In all brucellosis procedures and policies not stated above, the latest edition of “Recommended Uniform Methods and Rules” shall apply.
C.
Health Certificates.
(1)
Cattle conforming to the preceding tuberculosis and brucellosis requirements will be accompanied by a health certificate issued by an accredited veterinarian or a licensed graduate veterinarian and approved by the proper animal health official of the state of origin. The certificate shall contain:
(a)
A statement certifying that the cattle are free from any evidence of an infectious, parasitic, or transmissible disease, and have not been recently exposed to the same;
(b)
The tuberculosis and brucellosis status of the herd and area in which the imported cattle originate, the date and results of brucellosis and tuberculin tests when required, description, age, tag, or tattoo number, specific brand, registry name and number of each animal to be imported.
(2)
The names and addresses of the owner consignor and consignee shall be clearly legible.
D.
Public Stockyards and Auctions. Cattle approved for entry into Maryland as free from tuberculosis or brucellosis may not be assembled, handled, or confined in any public stockyard, livestock auction, sales stable or yard, unless they are properly segregated in thoroughly cleaned disinfected pens to prevent their exposure to infected cattle or premises.
E.
Immediate Slaughter.
(1)
Apparently healthy cattle of strictly slaughter type to be used only for immediate slaughter may be imported into the State without a health certificate or tuberculosis or brucellosis test, provided the cattle are:
(a)
Accompanied by a waybill and consigned for immediate slaughter to a recognized public stockyard where federal or State veterinary inspection is maintained;
(b)
Shipped to a slaughtering establishment or slaughtering center that is approved and designated by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, and the animal health official in the state of destination.
(2)
The cattle shall be slaughtered within 10 days after arrival at destination, except when the 10 day period is extended by special permit from the Department.
Regulation .05 Horses, Mules, and Asses.LinkCopy Citation
A.
These animals may be imported into Maryland when accompanied by a health certificate, issued by an official veterinarian of the state of origin or of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, accredited veterinarian or a licensed graduate veterinarian who has been approved by the proper animal health official of the state of origin. The health certificate shall give the name and address of the consignor and consignee and an accurate description of the animal or animals and certify that the animal or animals, as determined by a physical examination, are free from any evidence of an infectious, transmissible, or parasitic disease and have not been recently exposed to any infectious, transmissible, or parasitic disease.
B.
All equines over 9 months old entering the State shall have been found negative to an official test for equine infectious anemia made within 12 months before entry and shall be accompanied by a copy of the negative test results.
C.
A copy of the approved health certificate shall be forwarded to the Department before the arrival of the animals at their destination.
D.
Equines not known to be affected with infectious, transmissible, or parasitic disease and not under restriction are exempt from the interstate health certificate requirement provided they are consigned directly to a Maryland licensed market or auction which handles equines.
Regulation .06 Goats.LinkCopy Citation
All goats entering the State for purposes other than immediate slaughter shall be accompanied by an approved interstate health certificate showing a negative test for tuberculosis and brucellosis conducted within 30 days before the date of entry, and that they are clinically free from symptoms of all other infectious and communicable diseases.
Regulation .07 Sheep.LinkCopy Citation
All sheep and lambs entering the State for purposes other than immediate slaughter shall be accompanied by an approved interstate health certificate, indicating that the flock of origin was examined not more than 30 days before entry, and that the examination revealed no symptoms of scabies, contagious ecthyma, foot rot, or any other infectious or communicable disease.
Regulation .08 Dogs.LinkCopy Citation
A.
All dogs imported into Maryland shall be accompanied by a certificate of health issued by an accredited or a licensed graduate veterinarian and approved by the proper animal health official of the state of origin. The certificate shall state that the dog or dogs:
(1)
Are free from symptoms of any infectious or communicable disease;
(2)
Did not originate within an area under quarantine for rabies; and
(3)
Have been vaccinated (except puppies under 4 months old) within 12 months of shipment with killed rabies vaccine or within 3 years with a modified live virus rabies vaccine.
B.
Dogs consigned directly to research facilities, licensed dealers, or both, as defined by Federal Law No. PL 89-544 are exempted from provisions of this regulation.
C.
A health certificate will not be required for dogs entering the State temporarily for exhibition purposes, provided the other stated health requirements have been fulfilled.
Regulation .09 Wild Animals.LinkCopy Citation
Wild and semi-wild animals under domestication or in custody may be imported into the State, provided that a report of the number of animals is made to the Department, within 72 hours after arrival. Immediate opportunity for examination shall be afforded a representative of the Department, to determine the health status of the animals before the wild animals are released from confinement.
Chapter annotations
Authority: Agriculture Article, §3-101, Annotated Code of Maryland
History: Effective date: July, 1972
History: Regulation .05 amended effective January 19, 1977 (4:2 Md. R. 89)