# Title 48.1 — State Board of Animal Health

## Article 48.1-07 — Farmed Elk

## Chapter 48.1-07-03 — Importation Testing Requirements

### § 48.1-07-03-01. Importation disease testing requirements.

1. Brucellosis.
a. Sexually intact farmed elk six months of age and older must test negative for brucellosis
by two different official tests prescribed by the state veterinarian, administered within
thirty days prior to importation into the state. The following exemptions may apply:
(1) Farmed elk originating from certified brucellosis-free cervid herds may be exempt
from testing requirements.
(2) Farmed elk originating from brucellosis-monitored cervid herds, must test negative
for brucellosis by two different official tests within ninety days prior to importation
into the state.
(3) Farmed elk originating from states recognized as "free" under the USDA-APHIS
brucellosis eradication program.
b. Additional testing may be required at the discretion of the state veterinarian or in
accordance with the uniform methods and rules for the control of brucellosis in cervidae
as published by USDA-APHIS-VS.
2. Chronic wasting disease requirements:
a. Farmed elk must pass a satisfactory risk assessment for chronic wasting disease,
conducted by the office of the state veterinarian. The office of the state veterinarian will
notify an applicant submitting a chronic wasting disease risk assessment form of the
decision within ten days of the form submission. Persons seeking an importation permit
for these species must ship the animals within thirty days of approval from the office of
the state veterinarian. After thirty days, a new risk assessment form application must be
submitted and approved prior to shipment.
b. The office of the state veterinarian may waive the requirement for a risk assessment if:
(1) The risks to be assessed are minimal and the person applying for the importation
permit has met all other statutory and rule requirements; or
(2) The herd of origin has been under surveillance for chronic wasting disease for at
least sixty months. The surveillance must meet the standards prescribed by the
state veterinarian.
c. The following statement must be verified on the certificate of veterinary inspection for
farmed elk by the herd veterinarian:
"These animals and the herd they originate from have no history of emaciation,
depression, excessive salivation or thirst, or neurological disease. In the event of these
symptoms, appropriate diagnostic measures were taken to rule out a transmissible
spongiform encephalopathy. These animals have not been exposed to an elk or deer
diagnosed positive for a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy."

d. No farmed elk may be imported from a herd where chronic wasting disease has been
diagnosed or a herd that has had chronic wasting disease traced to it unless that herd
has undergone sixty months of surveillance after the last case of or exposure to chronic
wasting disease. The surveillance must meet the standards prescribed by the state
veterinarian.
3. Paratuberculosis (Johne's disease). The following statement, signed by an accredited
veterinarian in the state or province of origin, must appear on the certificate of veterinary
inspection:
"To the best of my knowledge, animals listed herein are not infected with paratuberculosis
(Johne's disease) and have not been exposed to animals infected with paratuberculosis."
4. Tuberculosis.
a. Minimum specific disease test results and health statements that must be included on a
certificate of veterinary inspection include:
(1) Tuberculosis requirements for states with tuberculosis-modified accredited cervid
status:
(a) Farmed elk that are moved directly to slaughter at an approved slaughtering
establishment do not require tuberculosis testing.
(b) Farmed elk from a herd with a current accredited-free cervid status for
tuberculosis may be moved to any approved elk facility provided that they meet
the following requirements:
[1] Farmed elk are accompanied by a certificate stating the accredited herd
completed the testing necessary for accredited status with negative
results within thirty-six months prior to the movement.
[2] Farmed elk, except animals nursing negative-tested dams, originating in a
state or zone lacking bovine accredited-free status must test negative to
an official test for bovine tuberculosis within ninety days of movement or
consignment.
(c) Farmed elk from a farmed elk tuberculosis-qualified herd may be moved to any
approved elk facility provided they meet the following requirements:
[1] Farmed elk are accompanied by a certificate stating all animals in the
movement, except animals nursing negative-tested dams, were negative
to an official test for bovine tuberculosis conducted within six months prior
to the movement.
[2] Farmed elk, except animals nursing negative-tested dams, originating in a
state or zone lacking bovine accredited-free status must test negative to
an official test for bovine tuberculosis within ninety days of movement or
consignment.
(d) Farmed elk from a farmed elk tuberculosis-monitored herd may be moved to
any approved elk facility provided the farmed elk are accompanied by a
certificate stating that all animals in the movement, except animals nursing
negative-tested dams, were negative to an official test for bovine tuberculosis
conducted within ninety days prior to the movement.

(e) Farmed elk from herds of unknown cervid tuberculosis status may be moved to
any approved elk facility provided they meet the following requirements:
[1] Farmed elk are accompanied by a certificate stating all animals in the
movement, except animals nursing negative-tested dams, were negative
to two official tests for bovine tuberculosis. The required test must be
conducted not less than ninety days apart and with the second test
conducted within ninety days of the movement.
[2] Farmed elk, except animals nursing negative-tested dams, in a
consignment that is being moved from a herd located in a state or zone
lacking accredited-free status for bovine tuberculosis must be from a herd
that has had a negative official test for bovine tuberculosis within twelve
months prior to the movement. All farmed elk in the movement, except
animals nursing negative-tested dams, must be negative to a second
official test for bovine tuberculosis conducted within ninety days prior to
the movement unless the herd of origin herd test was conducted within
ninety days prior to the movement.
b. Tuberculosis requirements for states without tuberculosis-modified accredited cervid
status may be subject to additional importation requirements at the discretion of the state
veterinarian.
History: Effective July 1, 2016; amended effective July 1, 2024.
General Authority: NDCC 36-01-08, 36-25-02
Law Implemented: NDCC 36-01-08, 36-01-12, 36-25-02
