But, CWD is a reportable disease, so surveillance is required. As early as Halloween, Santa's vet begins to prepare for the big flight. The animals will have two TB tests, at least 90 days apart, said Dr. Coats. This will ensure that states and countries around the world won't keep Santa from his appointed rounds. Just days before the flight, the vet will draw a blood sample to test for brucellosis, another bacterial disease.
Every country has entry regulations and some require special tests.
Then there are the copies of the certificates of veterinary inspection, or 'health paper' Santa has to carry for the deer. Because nearly every state requires an entry permit for reindeer, the vet and animal health inspector will call ahead to gather the special coded numbers they'll copy onto the health papers. As if this isn't enough, the vet has to make special arrangements for the reindeer to come home Christmas morning. After all, said Dr. Coats, the deer have been to so many places, there's always a remote chance they could have been exposed to a disease or pest. There's been talk of adding two deer to the string to pull the extra weight.