Notice2025-16062
Rescission of Embargo Prohibiting the Importation of All Members of the Family Viverridae (Civets, Genets, Binturong, and Other Family Viverridae) Into the United States.
Primary source
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Published
August 22, 2025
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Abstract
Based on a review of existing import requirements, CDC has determined that the import requirements for civets (Family: Viverridae) are no longer necessary to protect the public's health and should therefore be rescinded. Accordingly, effective immediately, CDC is rescinding its embargo on the importation of civets (Family: Viverridae).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 161 (Friday, August 22, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 161 (Friday, August 22, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41075-41076]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-16062]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Rescission of Embargo Prohibiting the Importation of All Members
of the Family Viverridae (Civets, Genets, Binturong, and Other Family
Viverridae) Into the United States.
AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: Based on a review of existing import requirements, CDC has
determined that the import requirements for civets (Family: Viverridae)
are no longer necessary to protect the public's health and should
therefore be rescinded. Accordingly, effective immediately, CDC is
rescinding its embargo on the importation of civets (Family:
Viverridae).
DATES: CDC's embargo of civets (Family: Viverridae) is rescinded on
August 22, 2025.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ashley C. Altenburger, J.D., Division
of Global Migration Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS
H16-4, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; telephone 1-800-232-4636. For
information regarding CDC operations and CDC-regulated importations,
please contact: Dr. Mark E. Laughlin, D.V.M., Division of Global
Migration Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS H16-
4, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; telephone 1-800-232-4636.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CDC is rescinding its embargo on the
importation of civets (Family: Viverridae). In keeping with its public
health practice of reviewing the status of potential public health
threats at U.S. ports of entry, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS), concluded, for the reasons outlined below, that
importation restrictions for civets no longer serve the interests of
public health and should therefore be rescinded. Specifically, CDC has
determined that the marginal public health benefit of this long-
standing embargo does not outweigh the potential burden on importers.
Executive Order 14192 of January 31, 2025 on ``Unleashing
Prosperity Through Deregulation'' requires that any new incremental
costs associated with certain significant regulatory actions ``shall,
to the extent permitted by law, be offset by the elimination of
existing costs associated with at least 10 prior regulations.'' This
notice, which rescinds an existing import requirement, meets the
criteria of a ``deregulatory action'' under Executive Order 14192.
1. Background
On January 23, 2004, after the publication of scientific articles
identifying civets as a possible link in human infection with severe
acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-coronavirus in China, CDC published a
notice of embargo in the Federal Register (69 FR 3364) prohibiting the
importation of civets (and all members of Family: Viverridae) into the
U.S. under 42 CFR 71.32(b). SARS is a viral respiratory disease of
zoonotic origin caused by the virus SARS-CoV-1, the first identified
strain of the SARS-
[[Page 41076]]
related coronavirus.\1\ This action followed the 2003 global outbreak
of SARS which was contained only after extraordinary global effort and
the addition of SARS to the list of diseases for which the federal
government can isolate or quarantine individuals.\2\ Currently, there
is no known effective treatment for SARS.
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\1\ Al-Juhaishi, Atheer Majid Rashid; Aziz, Noor D. (12
September 2022). ``Safety and Efficacy of antiviral drugs against
covid-19 infection: an updated systemic review''. Medical and
Pharmaceutical Journal. 1 (2): 45-55. doi:10.55940/medphar20226.
ISSN 2957-6067. S2CID 252960321. Archived from the original on 20
February 2023.
\2\ The current list of quarantinable communicable diseases is
contained in Executive Order 13295 (April 4, 2003) as amended by
Executive Order 13375 (April 1, 2005), Executive Order 13674 (July
31, 2014), and Executive Order 14047 (Sept. 17, 2021).
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2. Rationale for Recission
Current and reliable scientific evidence indicates that civets are
not a reservoir host for the virus SARS-CoV-1. In fact, findings have
demonstrated that SARS-CoV-1 originated in horseshoe bats and only
later entered the human and civet populations.\3\ Through genomic
analysis, scientists have shown that the SARS-CoV-1 strain found in
horseshoe bats most clearly exemplifies SARS-CoV-1 before it entered
the human population. This finding establishes the sequence of transfer
from horseshoe bats to humans and then to civets.\4\ Although
scientists do not yet understand how SARS-CoV-1 is transmitted from
bats to humans, it is evident that civets are not the reservoir host
for SARS-CoV-1. \5\ There is also some genomic evidence that civets
contract SARS from humans, and not the reverse as previously
assumed.\6\
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\3\ Shi Z., Hu Z. A review of studies on animal reservoirs of
the SARS coronavirus. Virus Research. 2008:133:74-87.
\4\ Caldwell E. Evolutionary history of SARS supports bats as
virus source. February 19, 2010. Research News. The Ohio State
University. Available at <a href="http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/SARStree.htm">http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/SARStree.htm</a> (last accessed September 28, 2010).
\5\ Tang X., Li G., Vasilakis N., Zhang Y., Shi Z., Zhong Y.,
Wang L., Zhang Z. Differential stepwise evolution of SARS
coronavirus functional proteins in different host species. BMC
Evolutionary Biology. 2009:9:52.
\6\ Global hot spots for emerging infectious diseases; Senior,
Kathryn; The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Volume 8, Issue 4, 218-219.
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3. Conclusion
CDC has determined that the 2004 notice of embargo prohibiting the
importation of civets (and all members of Family: Viverridae) into the
U.S. is no longer needed to protect the public's health and should
therefore be rescinded. Published scientific articles have confirmed
that civets are not the reservoir host for SARS-CoV-1. For these
reasons, the notice of embargo prohibiting the importation of civets
(and all members of Family: Viverridae) published at 69 FR3364 (Jan 23,
2004) is hereby rescinded.
Immediate Action
Effective immediately, for the reasons outlined above, HHS/CDC
rescinds the following: Notice of embargo of civets (Family:
Viverridae) (January 13, 2004).
David Fitter,
Director, Division of Global Migration Health Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
[FR Doc. 2025-16062 Filed 8-21-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P
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