Duck, pigeon hatching eggs intercepted at Detroit Metro Airport

ROMULUS, Mich. (FOX 2) - Last month, two batches of hatching eggs were taken from separate passengers arriving at Detroit Metro Airport from overseas.

Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) said a U.S. citizen arriving from Iraq had four duck eggs in her checked luggage on Nov. 23. On Nov. 29, a U.S. citizen from Albania had six pigeon eggs in a carry-on bag.

The eggs were seized and turned over to the United States Department of Agriculture.

According to CBP, agricultural items are often brought back from trips with no malicious intent. In these cases, it is believed that the duck eggs were going to be used as commercial livestock, while the pigeons were for racing.

While the intent isn't to cause harm, bringing agricultural items such as eggs that will hatch to another place can be dangerous. CBP said hatching eggs could carry highly contagious diseases such as Virulent Newcastle Disease, a fatal viral disease affecting the respiratory, nervous, and digestive systems of birds and poultry. An outbreak of this disease could disrupt the food supply and impact the economy, CBP said.

Poultry hatching egg shipments must be accompanied by a USDA import permit, along with a health certificate, issued within 30 days of leaving the country of export.

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