§ 71.50 Scope and definitions. ( a ) The purpose of this subpart is to prevent the introduction, transmission, and spread of communicable human disease resulting from importations of various animal hosts or vectors or other etiological agents from foreign countries into the United States.
( b ) In addition to terms in § 71.1, the terms below, as used in this subpart, shall have the following meanings: Animal product or Product means the hide, hair, skull, teeth, bones, claws, blood, tissue, or other biological samples from an animal, including trophies, mounts, rugs, or other display items.
*Authorized veterinarian* means an individual who has an advanced degree relevant to the practice of veterinary medicine, has a valid license or accreditation, and is authorized to practice animal medicine in the exporting country.
*Cat* means any domestic cat (*Felis catus*).
*Death certificate* means an official government document that certifies that a death has occurred and provides identifying information about the deceased, including (at a minimum) name, age, and sex. The document must also certify the time, place, and cause of death (if known). If the official government document is not written in English, then it must be accompanied by an English language translation of the official government document, the authenticity of which has been attested to by a person licensed to perform acts in legal affairs in the country where the death occurred. In lieu of a death certificate, a copy of the Consular Mortuary Certificate and the Affidavit of Foreign Funeral Director and Transit Permit, shall together constitute acceptable identification of human remains.
*Dog* means any domestic dog (*Canis familiaris*).
*Educational purpose* means use in the teaching of a defined educational program at the university level or equivalent.
*Exhibition purpose* means use as part of a display in a facility comparable to a zoological park or in a trained animal act. The animal display must be open to the general public at routinely scheduled hours on 5 or more days of each week. The trained animal act must be routinely schedule for multiple performances each week and open to the general public except for reasonable vacation and retraining periods.
*Histopathology* means the study of changes in human or animal tissues caused by disease.
*Human remains* means a deceased human body or any portion of a deceased human body, except: ( i ) Clean, dry bones or bone fragments; human hair; teeth; fingernails or toenails; or
( ii ) A deceased human body and portions thereof that have already been fully cremated prior to import; or
( iii ) Human cells, tissues or cellular or tissue-based products intended for implantation, transplantation, infusion, or transfer into a human recipient.
*Importer* means any person importing or attempting to import an item regulated under this subpart.
*In transit* means animals that are located within the United States, whether their presence is anticipated, scheduled, or not, as part of the movement of those animals between a foreign country of departure and foreign country of final destination without clearing customs and officially entering the United States.
*In-Transit Shipment* means a cargo shipment originating in a foreign country that is moved through one or more U.S. ports while transiting through the United States to a third-country destination. In-transit shipments pass through a U.S. port of entry and a U.S. port of exit, which may be in the same location, or which may involve numerous stopping points.
*Isolation when applied to animals* means the separation of an ill animal or ill group of animals from individuals, or other animals, or vectors of disease in such a manner as to prevent the spread of infection.
*Leak-proof container* means a container that is puncture-resistant and sealed in such a manner as to contain all contents and prevent leakage of fluids during handling, storage, transport, or shipping, such as ( i ) A double-layered plastic, puncture-resistant body bag (*i.e.,* two sealed body bags, one inside the other);
( ii ) A casket with an interior lining certified by the manufacturer to be leak-proof and puncture-resistant; or
( iii ) A sealed metal body-transfer case.
*Licensed veterinarian* means an individual who has obtained both an advanced degree and valid license to practice animal medicine.
*Microchip* means an implanted radio-frequency device placed under the skin of an animal that contains a unique identification tag that meets the International Standards Organization (ISO) compatibility through ISO 11784 or ISO 11785, or similar technologies as approved by the Director.
*Necropsy* means an animal autopsy in which the cause of death may be determined through the examination and collection, post-mortem, of tissues, organs, or bodily fluids.
*Official government veterinarian* means a veterinarian who performs work on behalf of an exporting country's government and can verify the license or credentials of an authorized veterinarian.
*Person* means any individual or partnership, firm, company, corporation, association, organization, or similar legal entity, including those that are not-for-profit.
*Quarantine when applied to animals* means the practice of separating live animals that are reasonably believed to have been exposed to a communicable disease, but are not yet ill, in a setting where the animal can be observed for evidence of disease, and where measures are in place to prevent transmission of infection to humans or animals.
*Render noninfectious* means treating an animal product (e.g., by boiling, irradiating, soaking, formalin fixation, or salting) in such a manner that renders the product incapable of transferring an infectious biological agent to a human.
*Scientific purpose* means use for scientific research following a defined protocol and other standards for research projects as normally conducted at the university level. The term also includes the use for safety testing, potency testing, and other activities related to the production of medical products.
You or your means an importer, owner, or an applicant.
( c ) Any provision of this subpart held to be invalid or unenforceable by its terms, or as applied to any person or circumstance, shall be construed so as to continue to give the maximum effect to the provision permitted by law, unless such holding shall be one of utter invalidity or unenforceability, in which event the provision shall be severable from this subpart and shall not affect the remainder thereof or the application of the provision to persons not similarly situated or to dissimilar circumstances.
[77 FR 75891, Dec. 26, 2012, as amended at 85 FR 42741, July 15, 2020; 89 FR 41837, May 13, 2024]