[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 117 (Wednesday, June 18, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36566-36567]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-15423]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Food and Drug Administration

RIN 0920-AA03


Control of Communicable Diseases

AGENCIES: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and 
Drug Administration (FDA), Department of Health and Human Services 
(HHS).

ACTION: Notice of embargo and prohibition on transportation or offering 
for transportation in interstate commerce, or sale, offering for sale, 
or offering for any other type of commercial or public distribution, 
including release into the environment, of certain rodents and Prairie 
dogs.

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SUMMARY: Shipments of rodents (order Rodentia) from Africa capable of 
transmitting monkeypox virus in humans are being imported into the 
United States and further distributed. In the United States, Prairie 
dogs (Cynomys sp.) and certain rodents from Africa may further transmit 
the monkeypox virus in humans.
    Because of the public health threat posed by the importation of 
rodents from Africa, CDC is implementing an immediate embargo on the 
importation of all rodents (order Rodentia) from Africa until further 
notice. In addition, as a public health measure, CDC and FDA are 
prohibiting, until further notice, the transportation or offering for 
transportation in interstate commerce, or the sale or offering for 
sale, or offering for any other type of commercial or public 
distribution, including release into the environment, of Prairie dogs 
and the following rodents from Africa: Tree squirrels (Heliosciurus 
sp.); Rope squirrels (Funisciurus sp.); Dormices (Graphiurus sp.); 
Gambian Giant Pouched Rats (Cricetomys sp.); Brush-tailed porcupines 
(Atherurus sp.), Striped mice (Hybomys sp.).
    This prohibition does not apply to individuals who transport listed 
animals to veterinarians or animal control officials or other entities 
pursuant to guidance or instructions issued by Federal, State, or local 
government authorities.
    This action is being taken because at least six different species 
of potentially infected rodents have been implicated in the current 
outbreak of monkeypox virus in humans. Monkeypox virus was also 
subsequently transmitted from infected rodents to native Prairie dogs. 
Based on epidemiologic and scientific knowledge gathered to date, 
specific interstate restrictions on the species within these genera are 
required to contain further movement of implicated animals. A ban on 
the intrastate sale or offering for sale or offering for any other type 
of commercial or public distribution of the species within these genera 
is also necessary because of the potential impact on interstate disease 
spread. Furthermore, a ban on the importation of shipments of all 
rodents from Africa is necessary to mitigate the harm of further 
introductions of monkeypox virus into the United States.

DATES: This embargo and prohibition is effective on June 11, 2003, and 
will remain in effect until further notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas A. Demarcus, National Center 
for Infectious Diseases (E03), Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, NE., Atlanta, GA 30333, 770-488-7100, or 
Gloria Dunnavan, Division of Compliance, Office of Surveillance and 
Compliance, Center for Veterinary Medicine, Food and Drug 
Administration, 7500 Standish Place (HFV-230), Rockville, MD 20855, 
301-827-1168.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    As of June 10, a total of 50 persons with suspected monkeypox had 
been reported from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and New Jersey. 
Monkeypox had been confirmed by laboratory tests in four persons. Seven 
of the people with suspected monkeypox had been hospitalized for their 
illness; there have been no deaths related to the outbreak. The number 
of cases and States involved in the outbreak will likely change as the 
investigation continues.
    Onset of illness among patients began in early May. All patients 
reported direct or close contact with Prairie dogs, most of which were 
sick. In May, the Prairie dogs were sold by a Milwaukee animal 
distributor to two pet shops in the Milwaukee area and during a pet 
``swap meet'' (pets for sale or exchange) in northern Wisconsin. The 
Milwaukee animal distributor had obtained Prairie dogs and a Gambian 
giant rat that was ill at the time from a northern Illinois animal 
distributor. On the basis of preliminary findings from the trace-back 
investigation of the Prairie dogs and the Gambian giant rat, it appears 
that the source of the infection was a shipment of rodents from Africa, 
which included six distinct species of rodents. It appears that the 
primary route of transmission may be from infected rodents from Africa 
to native Prairie dogs and then to humans as a result of close contact.

II. Public Health Risks

    Monkeypox is a rare zoonotic viral disease that occurs primarily in 
the rain forest countries of central and west Africa. Studies have 
shown that rodents from Africa are capable of transmitting monkeypox 
virus in humans. In humans, the illness produces a vesicular and 
pustular rash similar to that of smallpox. Limited person-to-person 
spread of infection has been reported in disease-endemic areas in 
Africa; the incubation period is about 12 days. Case-fatality ratios in 
Africa have ranged from 1 percent to 10 percent. It is likely the virus 
entered the United States via imported rodent species from Africa. 
Further transmission of the virus likely occurred in the storage and 
handling of these imported rodents during sale and distribution within 
the United States. This resulted in secondary transmission to domestic 
Prairie dogs housed in the same animal-holding facility or pet shop.

III. Immediate Action

    Introduction of exotic species, such as rodents from Africa, poses 
a serious public health threat because of the potential of human 
monkeypox virus infection. Transportation in interstate commerce or 
sale or any other type of commercial or public distribution, including 
release into the environment, of species of rodents linked to the 
initial

[[Page 36567]]

infected shipment and Prairie dogs poses a serious public health threat 
because of the potential for further spread of the monkeypox virus to 
other species and humans.
    The scope of this communicable disease problem is inherently and 
necessarily an interstate problem that cannot be controlled by 
individual state health authorities. Thus, the appropriate measures 
taken by the health authorities of any state or possession are 
insufficient to prevent the interstate spread of human monkeypox virus 
infection. Accordingly, CDC and FDA, pursuant to 42 CFR 70.2 and 21 CFR 
1240.30, are prohibiting, until further notice, the transportation or 
offering for transportation in interstate commerce, or the sale, 
offering for sale, or offering for any other type of commercial or 
public distribution, including release into the environment, of Prairie 
dogs and the following rodents from Africa: Tree squirrels 
(Heliosciurus sp.); Rope squirrels (Funisciurus sp.); Dormices 
(Graphiurus sp.); Gambian Giant Pouched Rats (Cricetomys sp.); Brush-
tailed porcupines (Atherurus sp.), Striped mice (Hybomys sp.).
    This prohibition does not apply to individuals who transport listed 
animals to veterinarians or animal control officials or other entities 
pursuant to guidance or instructions issued by Federal, State, or local 
government authorities. In addition, pursuant to 42 CFR 71.32(b), CDC 
is implementing an immediate embargo on the importation of all rodents 
from Africa (order Rodentia).

    Dated: June 12, 2003.
Julie Louise Gerberding,
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    Dated: June 12, 2003.
Mark B. McClellan,
Commissioner of Food and Drugs.
[FR Doc. 03-15423 Filed 6-13-03; 5:07 pm]
BILLING CODE 4160-01-P