Rodents from Africa or with a native range that includes Africa are restricted from import by which agency?

• A. FDA
• B. US Fish and Wildlife Service
• C. CDC
• D. NIH

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that protecting public health through controlling the entry of animals is a function of public health regulation. The CDC has the authority to prohibit or restrict the import of live animals that could carry diseases and threaten human health, using quarantine and import regulations to prevent introduction of zoonotic diseases. This authority has been applied to rodents from Africa or with Africa in their native range to reduce risks like monkeypox and other pathogens that could be brought into the United States. FDA, NIH, and US Fish and Wildlife Service handle other areas—FDA oversees safety of foods, drugs, and biologics; NIH funds and oversees research; USFWS focuses on wildlife conservation and trafficking issues—not the broad health-based import restrictions on animals intended to prevent disease spread.