For More Information on Current Regulations Please Contact
Dr. Frank Rogers
State Veterinarians
Box 4722
Jackson, Mississippi 39216
Office Phone: (601) 354-6089
Residence Phone: (601) 829-1793 - (601) 847-3738

Health Certificate Requirements
Health Certificates are required on all livestock except livestock consigned to Federal approved slaughter establishments.

Relation to Federal Requirements
Livestock imports are to meet Mississippi and Federal interstate requirements, a health certificate, a permit and/or waybill shall accompany the shipment as stipulated. No animal, including poultry, exotic or pet birds, or any species affected with, or recently exposed to any infectious, contagious or communicable disease, or that originated from a quarantined herd or area, shall be shipped or in any manner transported or moved into the State of Mississippi except those animals affected with such diseases which are approved for interstate shipment by United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, Veterinary Services, except for immediate slaughter.

Permits
Requests for permits for cattle and swine shall be directed to the Mississippi State Veterinarians and the following information is required to secure the permit:

Complete name and mailing addresses of consignor and consignee;
Number, breed, and sex of animals;
Purpose of shipment;
Brucellosis and Tuberculosis status of test eligible cattle and swine; Pseudorabie status of swine;
Origin and destination if different from item 1.

To obtain a permit, call 601-354-6089, anytime day or night.

Duties of Carriers
Owners and operators of private and common carriers, trucks and other conveyances are forbidden to move any livestock into, or through this state, except in compliance with provisions set forth in these regulations.

All railway cars, trucks, and other conveyances used for the transportation of livestock and poultry shall be maintained in a sanitary condition.

Any carrier failing to comply with any of the provisions of this regulation, or interfering with any duly appointed representative of the Mississippi Board of Animal Health or USDA in the discharge of this duty, or having discharged of his duties, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished as authorized in Sections 69-15-9, 69-15-111, and 69-15-111, 69-15-331 of the Mississippi Code, Annotated. (et. seq. 1972)

Health Certificates
Licensed graduate accredited Veterinarians, or Veterinarians regularly employed by the state of origin, or Veterinary Services division of APHIS, USDA are authorized to inspect and issue official health certificates on livestock entering Mississippi.

All livestock entering Mississippi must be accompanied by an official health certificate, except livestock consigned to slaughtering establishments under State or Federal supervision accompanied by a USDA permit (VS Form 1-27), waybills, bills of lading or certificate of ownership. All tested cattle entering on a health certificate, other than cattle to slaughter, must be individually identified.

Amendment governing admission of cattle into the state moving directly to approved order buyers. Effective October 15, 1985.

Female cattle (heifers) of any breed, four (4) to eight (8) months of age, from herds not under quarantine because of Brucellosis or any other infectious communicable disease, may be shipped directly to an approved order buyer and be officially vaccinated against brucellosis by a veterinarian employed by the order buyer and approved by the Mississippi Board of Animal Health and USDA. The cost of administration of the brucellosis vaccination shall be borne by the Mississippi order buyer. Such cattle entering Mississippi must be accompanied by a properly executed health certificate showing the origin and destination and the number of heifers between four (4) and eight (8) months of age. Fat heifers four (4) to eight (8) months of age will be not be required to be vaccinated against brucellosis if being shipped directly to a slaughter establishment from the order buyers.

Female cattle (heifers) of any breed, born since January 1, 1984, more than eight (8) months of age that have not been official vaccinated against brucellosis, from herds not under quarantine because of brucellosis or other infectious communicable disease, may be shipped directly to an approved order buyer on a properly executed health certificate showing the origin and destination, and the number of heifers. Such cattle entering Mississippi from Class B states shall be "s" branded on the left jaw or on the tail head with a heat brand and then may be permitted to either an approved quarantine feed lot or to a slaughter establishment approved to handle such restricted cattle. The cost of administration of the branding and permitting shall be borne by the order buyer.

Brucellosis
The following requirements must be met for cattle to be eligible to enter Mississippi.

Test eligible cattle, or females not vaccinated over eight (8) months of age, or males over eighteen (18) months of age, should be brucellosis tested.

Cattle originating from states classified as:

Free States:
All test eligible cattle may enter provided they are individually identified on an official health certificate. There are no permanent test requirements. No permit is required.

Class A Status:
(a) Test eligible cattle from certified brucellosis free herds may enter without testing prior to entry if identity to sources is maintained, and cattle are individually identified on official health certificate which shows the certified herd number.

(b) Test eligible cattle from non quarantined herds (excluding certified brucellosis free herds) may enter Mississippi provided the cattle have been tested and are negative to the official brucellosis test within 30 days prior to entry, and are individually identified on an official health certificate.

(c) Test eligible cattle may move directly from a farm of origin to a specifically approved stockyard in Mississippi for the required test. Such cattle may then be moved to a farm in Mississippi. A health certificate is required for test negative cattle moving to a farm in Mississippi from a specifically approved stockyard in another state. No retesting is required in either instance.

(d) Steers and spayed heifers from any herd, and official calfhood vaccinated of the dairy breeds under 20 months of age, and official vaccinates of the beef breeds under 24 months of age, which are not parturient or post parturient, from non-quarantined herds, can enter without test restrictions.

Tuberculosis
All cattle will be required to be negative to a tuberculosis test within 30 days prior to date of shipment, and in addition the cattle must be from a non quarantined herd in a modified accredited area or tuberculosis-free area.

Exceptions:
If cattle entering Mississippi are on a show circuit, a 60-day test is allowed.

Cattle originating from an Accredited Tuberculosis Free Herd (accredited herd number and date accredited shall be entered on a health certificate).

Steers.
Cattle for immediate slaughter.

Cattle from non quarantined herds in the following states are exempt from test requirements because of a reciprocity agreement: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Equines entering Mississippi for any purpose must be accompanied by:

1. An official interstate health certificate issued by a licensed accredited veterinarian, or state or federal veterinarian showing the name, breed, registration number, if any, tattoo or brand, if any, sex, age, color and markings of each horse listed on the certificate.

2. Record of physical examination of each animal, verifying the animal to be free of symptoms of any infectious, contagious, or communicable disease.

3. An official copy of the official laboratory test for equine infectious anemia (coggins test), certifying the animal to be negative to test within the past 12 months.

General
All swine for breeding purposes must be accompanied by an official health certificate and a permit prior to movement obtained with the number of the permit shown on the certificate. All swine must be individually identified on the health certificate.

Health certificates on all swine for exhibition in Mississippi, coming from out of state, must have prior written approval by the State Veterinarian of origin. Such swine must originate from herds that have not had an infectious or communicable disease within the past 90 days prior to movement, and this statement written on the health certificate.

All gilts, sows, and boars six (6) months of age and over for breeding purposes must be negative to an official brucellosis test made within 30 days immediately preceding the date of entry. The exceptions are swine on a show circuit when 60 days will be allowed, or swine that originate from a validated brucellosis free herd.

Pseudorabies
(a) Swine are allowed to be imported into Mississippi only from states where pseudorabies is a quarantinable and reportable disease. Swine will not be permitted to enter for any purpose from a herd infected with, or exposed to, pseudorabies or which has been vaccinated against pseudorabies.
(b) A negative SN test (negative at 1:4 dilution) for pseudorabies is required within 30 days prior to movement, or swine must originate from a pseudorabies qualified herd. Imported swine will be quarantined and isolated from other swine for a 30, 60 days retest at owners' expense. If they are positive to the test, they must be immediately sent to slaughter or returned to their origin, with permission of state and federal personnel of both states.
All swine entering Mississippi must also meet requirements of Title 9 - Animals and Animal Products, Chapter I - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Department of Agriculture, Code of Federal Regulations.
All swine for immediate slaughter shall be consigned to a recognized slaughtering establishment on either a health certificate or permit or waybill or inspection certificate from federally inspected stockyards. In either instance, a copy shall accompany swine and a copy shall be forwarded to the State Veterinarian of Mississippi.

Feeder Pigs:
Feeder pigs moving on shipment into Mississippi must be ear tagged and identified to the farm of origin, and be quarantined for 30 days to the farm of destination.

G. Feeder pigs consigned to Feeder Pig Association sales shall:

Be farrowed and raised on the farm of origin. Pigs are to be moved directly from that farm to the feeder sale.

The entire herds of origin of the pigs consigned to the sale are to be inspected for health by a veterinarian within (10) days prior to the sale, and the veterinarian must issue a certificate stating the herd is in good health.

Feeder sales shall accept no cull pig or pigs from herds that are fed garbage.

All pigs are to be ear tagged at the feeder sale to maintain records to the herd of origin.

Owners of pigs are required to present the health certificate issued by the veterinarian to a sale inspector prior to unloading at the sale.

Male pigs must be castrated, and properly healed by sale day.

All pigs are inspected upon arrival at sale by the sale personnel.

All pigs must have tails docked prior to the sale.

All sheep and goats, except those for immediate slaughter shall be accompanied by an official health certificate and shall comply with the following:

Originate from herds that are not quarantined for any contagious or communicable disease.

Free of scabies, lice and foot-rot.

When originating from an area known to have scabies, must be dipped within ten (10) days immediately preceding the date of entry in a USDA approved dip, and maintained on absolutely clean premises until delivered to the final destination.

Dairy goats must be negative to an official tuberculin test and official brucellosis test made within 30 days immediately preceding the date of entry. Dairy goats maintained separate from other sheep and goats are exempt from dipping when certified free of scabies on inspection.

All sheep and goats for immediate slaughter shall be consigned to a recognized slaughtering establishment on either a health certificate or permit or waybill or inspection certification from federally inspected stockyards. In either instance, a copy shall accompany sheep and goats and a copy shall be forwarded to the State Veterinarian of Mississippi.

See Sheep

All dogs, three (3) months of age and older, transported or moved into the state for any purpose shall be accompanied by an official health certificate with the following compliance:

Free from all contagious and infectious diseases and recent exposure thereto.

Did not originate within an area under quarantine for rabies, or exposed.

Properly vaccinated against rabies within six (6) months prior to date of entry. Dogs under three (3) months of age may be admitted without rabies vaccination.

All cats, three (3) months of age and older, transported or moved into the state for any purpose shall be accompanied by an official health certificate with the following compliance:

Free from all contagious and infectious diseases and recent exposure thereto.

Did not originate within an area under quarantine for rabies, or exposed.

Properly vaccinated against rabies within six (6) months prior to date of entry. Dogs under three (3) months of age may be admitted without rabies vaccination.

See General Requirements

No ratites shall enter Mississippi unless accompanied by a prior permit issued by the State Veterinarian or his designated representative. Such permits shall be issued only upon certification by a licensed, accredited veterinarian that such birds are free from:

Ticks.
Salmonella pullorum as determined by a testing procedure, approved by the State Veterinarian, conducted within 30 days of shipment.

Avian Influenza as determined by a testing procedure, approved by the State Veterinarian, conducted within 30 days of shipment. Each bird shall be identified on the health certificate with either an official United States Department of Agriculture leg band or Micro chip.

In addition to the aforementioned requirements, the Board of Animal Health recommends that all ratites be vaccinated against eastern equine encephalitis.

Any and all chicks, poults, hatching eggs, and breeding stock shipped or transported into Mississippi must be produced from flocks which meet the U. S. Pullorum-typhoid clean mycoplasma gallisepticum, and mycoplasma synoviae requirements as outlined in the rules of the National Poultry Improvement Plan and the National Turkey Improvement Plan.

Chickens produced from laryngotracheitis infected areas shall be vaccinated with an attenuated vaccine and retained on the farm of origin a minimum of four (4) weeks before shipment into Mississippi, and then only with approval of the State Veterinarian of Mississippi.

All birds, including poultry and hatching eggs, originating from any state in which Avian Influenza (A.I.) Has been diagnosed are prohibited entry into Mississippi, until all quarantines, either State and/or Federal, are released in said State.

Shipping, hauling, trucking, carrying or in any manner transporting live or unprocessed poultry or other birds, hatching eggs, unprocessed eggs, rendered poultry by-products, egg flats, poultry coops, cages, crates, and any other used poultry equipment from states in which Avian Influenza (A.I.) Has been diagnosed are prohibited entry into Mississippi, until all state and/or federal quarantines are released in said state.

All live poultry transporting vehicles entering Mississippi must have a certificate showing it has been cleaned and disinfected at the place of origin, as specified in CFR, Volume 8, 1983, Section 71.10. The cleaning and disinfecting certificate must be signed by a state or federal veterinarian, or by a licensed accredited veterinarian, or by a qualified person designated by the State Veterinarian. All live poultry eggs, egg and poultry by-products, and transporting equipment owned and controlled by poultry companies of Mississippi are exempted from the cleaning and disinfecting restrictions upon issuance of a written permit from the State Veterinarian of Mississippi. This, however, does not remove the restrictions placed on the movement of products and equipment as may be required by other states.

Any materials used in the shipping of eggs into the state of Mississippi, must be new, or cleaned and disinfected plastic flats. In the event contaminated materials are found, the entire lot will be disposed of immediately at the expense of the shipper.

Poultry Exhibits and Sales
Persons conducting and participating in poultry exhibitions shall comply with the following:

Any individuals or organizations planning to have a poultry exhibit (show) must notify the state Poultry Epidemiologist, Mississippi Board of Animal Health, Box 4389, Jackson, Mississippi 39296 at least 30 days prior to exhibit date.

All poultry for exhibition in Mississippi shall have a negative pullorum-typhoid test within 90 days (30 days for out-of-state birds) of the date of exhibitions. All out-of-state birds must be tested by an authorized testing agent of that state. All Mississippi owned birds must be tested by a state Poultry Epidemiologist, or by an agent certified by a state Poultry Epidemiologist. The certified testing agent may charge a nominal fee for the testing service.

Poultry for exhibition shall not have vaccinated with a live virus vaccine within the last 30 days preceding the exhibition.

Each bird must be identified with a "tamper proof" band at the time of pullorum-typhoid test. A copy of the NPIP form 9-2 of NPIP from 9-3, signed by a certified testing agent, must accompany birds to an exhibition.

During the exhibition, birds are subject to examination (including blood test and swabs) by a representative of the Mississippi Board of Animal Health. Birds will not be accepted which are infected with, or showing any clinical signs of a contagious disease, or are infested with lice and/or mites.

Out-of-state birds will be admitted provided they are from an area that is not under quarantine for an infectious disease and satisfy the requirements for this rule.

The secretary of each show will furnish the representative of the Board of Animal Health with a list of names and addresses of all exhibitors at the time of the exhibition.

The State Veterinarian may, when in the public interest to prevent disease, suspend any poultry exhibition or poultry sale in Mississippi.

Live poultry being sold or offered for sale at livestock markets; count, district, or state fairs; flea markets; poultry exhibitions; or any similar type sale, must be tested by a certified agent of the Board of Animal Health. All poultry must be found negative for pullorum-typhoid disease, and identified with a "tamper proof" band, within 30 days of the sale.

All poultry involved in exhibition or sales having a positive pullorum-typhoid test, or showing signs of disease such as Avian Influenza (A.I.), Laryngotracheitis (LT) or any other communicable disease may jeopardize other birds in a show or the surrounding poultry industry. The untested or diseased birds may be confiscated and/or destroyed by the representatives of the Mississippi Board of Animal Health.

An official health certificate specifically covering the above requirement shall accompany the shipment and another copy forwarded through proper livestock officials of the state of origin to the State Veterinarian of Mississippi.

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