Bovine semen may only be exported to the European Union if collected in a semen collection centre approved by DAFF specifically for this purpose.
Centres currently approved by DAFFthat have provided permission for their details to be listed publically:
Other relevant information including the relevant EU Directives and general approval checklist can be found at the following link:http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/semen_ova/bovine/index_en.htm
Testing regimes
Disease tested for |
Timing |
Method of testing |
EU requirements re method of testing |
Bovine tuberculosis |
On-farm- within the 28 day period before Quarantine; AND |
Intradermal tuberculin test - cervical site |
Dir. 64/432/EEC details the specifications for the purified protein derivative. |
|
On-centre- at least once yearly |
Intradermal tuberculin test - cervical site |
| | |
Bovine brucellosis |
On-farm- within the 28 day period before Quarantine; AND |
ELISA, CFT, Rose Bengal Test, SAT, FPA |
Laid down in Annex C to Dir. 64/432/EEC. |
|
Quarantine- at least 21 days after admittance; AND |
ELISA, CFT, Rose Bengal Test, SAT, FPA |
|
On-centre- at least once yearly |
ELISA, CFT, Rose Bengal Test, SAT, FPA |
| | | |
Enzootic bovine leucosis |
On-farm- within the 28 day period before Quarantine; AND |
AGID, ELISA |
Laid down in Annex D Chapter II to Dir. 64/432/EEC . |
|
On-centre- at least once yearly |
AGID, ELISA |
| | | |
IBR/IPV |
On-farm- within the 28 day period before Quarantine; AND |
A serological test - whole virus |
"...a serological test (whole virus) on a blood sample...as defined in Article 2.3.5.3 of the International Animal Health Code;" |
|
Quarantine- at least 21 days after admittance; AND |
A serological test - whole virus |
|
On-centre- at least once yearly |
A serological test - whole virus |
| | | |
BVD/MD |
On-farm- within the 28 day period before Quarantine; AND |
Virus isolation or virus antigen |
"...a virus isolation test or a test for virus antigen..." |
|
On-farm- within the 28 day period before Quarantine; AND |
Serological test *Positive titres are allowed |
"...a serological test to determine the presence or absence of antibodies..." |
|
Quarantine- at least 21 days after admittance; AND |
Virus isolation or virus antigen |
"...a virus isolation test or a test for virus antigen..." |
|
Quarantine- at least 21 days after admittance; AND |
Serological test *Positive titres are allowed, but only if positive titre during on-farm testing i.e. no seroconversion allowed |
"...a serological test to determine the presence or absence of antibodies..." |
|
On-centre- at least once yearly |
Serological test * Applied only to resident bulls that were serologically negative at admittance. No seroconversion allowed. |
"...a serological test to determine the presence or absence of antibodies..." |
|
On-centre- prior to first dispatch of semen |
Virus isolation on first semen sample collected - must have a negative result * Applied only to resident bulls that were serologically positive at admittance. |
No further guidance given - consistent with OIE manual |
| | | |
Campylobacter fetusssp.
venerealis |
Quarantine- at least 7 days after admittance; AND |
Preputial specimen - isolation and identification of agent. Required either once or 3 times at weekly intervals. |
No further guidance given - consistent with OIE manual |
|
On-centre- at least once yearly |
Preputial specimen - isolation and identification of agent. |
No further guidance given - consistent with OIE manual |
| | | |
Trichomonas foetus |
Quarantine- at least 7 days after admittance; AND |
Preputial specimen - isolation and identification of agent. Required either once or 3 times at weekly intervals. |
No further guidance given - consistent with OIE manual |
|
On-centre- at least once yearly |
Preputial specimen - isolation and identification of agent. |
No further guidance given - consistent with OIE manual |
| | | |
EHD (all serotypes present in Australia - 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8) |
On-centre. Test timing must apply to the collection for each exported consignment. Either: | |
"Standards for EHD virus diagnostic tests are described in the bluetongue chapter of the Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals." |
• Two serological tests not more than 12 months apart - one prior to collection and one no less than 21 days post collection. OR |
CFT, AGID, cELISA |
|
• Serological tests throughout the collection period at intervals of no more than 60 days, and between 21 and 60 days post final collection. OR |
CFT, AGID, cELISA |
|
• Agent identification tests at commencement and conclusion of collection period, as well as at least every 7 days (virus isolation test) or every 28 days (PCR) during the collection period |
Virus isolation or PCR |
| | | |
Bluetongue |
EITHER: | | |
|
• Animals were kept in a bluetongue virus-free country or zone for at least 60 days prior to, and during, collection of the semen for the consignment; OR |
No BT testing required |
Consistent with the OIE Manual |
|
• Animals were kept in an establishment protected from Culicoides for at least 60 days prior to, and during collection of the semen for the consignment; OR |
No BT testing required |
|
• Serological tests for antibody at least every 60 days throughout collection, and between 21 and 60 days after final collection for the consignment; OR |
cELISA or AGID |
|
• Agent identification test at commencement and conclusion of semen collection for the consignment AND during the collection period, either virus isolation every 7 days or PCR every 28 days. |
Virus isolation or PCR as per schedule |
| | | |
| | | |
Other Health Status Requirements
Prior to entering quarantine - from an officially tuberculosis free herd (as per Directive 64/432/EEC)
Prior to entering quarantine - from an officially brucellosis free herd (as per Directive 64/432/EEC)
Prior to entering quarantine: EITHER - from an officially enzootic bovine leucosis (EBL) free herd (as per Directive 64/432/EEC) OR negative to an EBL test after removal from the dam (test must be in accordance with Annex D of Directive 64/432/EEC). Otherwise the semen cannot be the subject of trade until the donor is two years old and has been tested with a negative result to an EBL serological test in accordance with Directive 64/432/EEC)
Quarantine - no cases of foot and mouth within a 10km radius of property for 30 days prior to movement to semen collection centre
Quarantine - been free of foot and mouth and brucellosis for 3 months prior to movement to semen collection centre
Quarantine - been free of rabies, tuberculosis, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, EBL, anthrax for 30 days prior to movement to semen collection centre
Donors must not show any clinical sign of disease on the day of admission to the semen collection centre
Semen collection centre - free of rabies, tuberculosis, brucellosis, anthrax and contagious bovine pleuropneumonia during the 30 days prior to date of collection of semen to be exported and the 30 days after collection (in the case of fresh semen until the day of dispatch)
Australia has been free from rinderpest and foot and mouth disease during the 12 months immediately prior to collection of the semen for export and until its date of dispatch and no vaccinations against these diseases has taken place during the same period
Annex 1 to standard EU-approval checklist -Role of the centre veterinarian - Semen
As stipulated in EC Directives, approved semen collection and storage centres must be under the
permanentsupervision of a centre veterinarian.
The scope of supervision of the centre veterinarian must be indicated in the centre's operations manual.
The centre veterinarian or another specified member of staff must be responsible for:
Ensuring collection centres contain only animals of the species whose semen is to be collected | |
Ensuring that a record is kept of all animals and their movements at the centre (including details of the species/breed, date of birth and identification of each of the animals, and also a record of all checks/testing for diseases and all vaccinations carried out for each animal) | |
Ensuring the centre is inspected/audited twice yearly by the DAFF Biosecurity official vet | |
Ensuring the entry of unauthorised persons is prevented | |
Employing technically competent staff; this includes ensuring they are suitably trained in disinfection procedures and hygiene techniques relevant to the control of the spread of disease | |
Ensuring that only semen collected at an approved centre is processed and stored in approved centres. | |
Ensuring that collection, processing and storage of semen takes place only on the premises set aside for the purpose and under the strictest conditions of hygiene | |
Ensuring that all instruments which come into contact with the semen or the donor animal during collection and processing are properly disinfected or sterilised prior to use, except for single-use instruments | |
Ensuring that products of animal origin used in the processing/storage of semen - including additives or a diluent - are obtained from sources which present no animal health risk or are so treated prior to use that such risk is prevented | |
Ensuring that storage containers and transport containers are either properly disinfected or sterilised before the commencement of each filling operation, except for single-use containers | |
Ensuring that the cryogenic agent used has not been previously used for other products of animal origin | |
Ensuring that each individual dose of semen is clearly marked in such a way that the date of collection of the semen, the breed and identification of the donor animal and the approval number of the centre can be readily established | |
Ensuring that the storage unit complies with the specific conditions relating to the supervision of semen storage centres. (This includes records of all movement of semen, status of donor animals, and all of points 1 to12 above.) | |
The centre vet must ensure movements of donors from quarantine accommodation to semen collection centre are only done with their express permission (cannot be delegated). | |
Where the centre veterinarian is not permanently present on-site, the procedure for ensuring compliance with each of the above points must be detailed in the operations manual. If any of these tasks are not considered to be the centre veterinarian's responsibility, the person responsible must be indicated in the operations manual, and the procedure for ensuring compliance must be detailed in the operations manual.
NOTE - a guide to requirements for health status and testing of donor bulls prior to movement onto an EU-approved semen collection centre is available. The guide also contains a checklist for annual health testing for bulls resident on an EU approved semen collection centre.
EU approved bovine semen collection centres (PDF 2.8MB)
Annex 2 to standard EU-approval checklist - Biosecurity Requirements for EU Approved Semen Collection Centres
European legislation/standards for semen collection centres were developed on the basis that animals are housed indoors. In 2007, on the basis of risk assessment, additional biosecurity requirements above that required by the European Commission (EC) legislation were agreed upon by the EU Food and Veterinary Office to allow semen collection centres in Australia to use outdoor housing.
These measures address the EC requirements for secure accommodation of animals within EU-eligible centres with particular regard to the separation and cleanliness requirements of EC directives.
These are the minimum biosecurity requirements that semen collection centres that wish to export to the EU must have. These requirements are to be read as an Annex which is additional to the standard EU centre approval/audit checklist/s.
Centres must have:
Procedures to address vector transmission of any diseases of concern. These must include the following: | |
The outside boundary fence will prevent the entry of feral or native terrestrial animals. | |
Vermin control procedures within the centres. | |
Appropriate insect vector devices including fly traps on the boundary fences and procedures for monitoring and changing these traps. | |
Animals within the centre will be treated with an appropriate insecticide with repellent properties as per manufacturer's recommendations. | |
Double external fencing 9 metres apart. Constructed so as both fences are stock proof (with the outside fence also being wildlife proof) so as to prevent contact with outside livestock and wildlife. | |
Procedures for cleaning animal accommodation areas, yards, buildings (where present), water and feed troughs within the centre, to maintain high levels of environmental cleanliness. | |
Animal accommodation must be physically separated by walls or fences and self closing doors or gates from the semen collection area, semen processing room. The semen storage room is physically separated by walls and self closing doors from the other areas of the centre. Appropriate movement controls of staff between all areas. | |
Authorised access policy a set of written visible conditions for authorised visitors as outlined by the centre veterinarian. These must include: | |
No unauthorised access. | |
No unaccompanied access. | |
Disinfection of vehicles entering the centre e.g. wheel baths. | |
Visitors must follow the same biosecurity procedures as staff. | |
Centre and area specific clothing and footwear for all staff and visitor to the centre | |
Requirements for staff and visitors: | |
Facilities to change into clean centre and area specific clothing and footwear. | |
Separate clothing and footwear requirements for animal handling staff and laboratory staff. | |
Procedures and infrastructure for controlling the movement of staff between semen processing and collection areas. | |
Separate social rooms for animal handlers and laboratory staff, or where there are shared facilities, written procedures for staff to address biosecurity hazards of staff mixing e.g. changes of clothing and footwear. | |
Operations Manual
All centres intending to become approved for export to the EU must submit an Operations Manual for assessment as part of the approval process.
