Goat 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 DAFF that 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/ovine/index_en.htm
Testing regimes
Disease tested for |
Timing |
Method of testing |
EU requirements re method of testing |
Brucella melitensis("brucellosis") |
On-farm: within 28 days prior to quarantine; AND |
Rose-Bengal test, CFT |
A serological test in accordance with Annex C to Directive 91/68/EEC - or any other test with an equivalent documented sensitivity and specificity. |
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Quarantine:at least 21 days after admission; AND |
Rose-Bengal test, CFT |
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On-centre: at least once yearly |
Rose-Bengal test, CFT |
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Border disease |
On-farm: within 28 days prior to quarantine; AND |
Virus isolation |
No further guidance given - consistent with OIE Manual |
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On-farm: within 28 days prior to quarantine; AND |
Serological test for antibodies *Positive titres are allowed |
No further guidance given - consistent with OIE Manual |
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Quarantine:at least 21 days after admission; AND |
Virus isolation |
No further guidance given - consistent with OIE Manual |
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Quarantine:at least 21 days after admission; AND |
Serological test for antibodies *Positive titres are allowed, but only if positive titre during on-farm testing i.e. no seroconversion allowed |
No further guidance given - consistent with OIE Manual |
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On-centre: at least once yearly |
Serological test for antibodies *Applied only to resident rams that were serologically negative at admittance |
No further guidance given - consistent with OIE Manual |
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Bluetongue |
EITHER: | | |
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• 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 |
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• Animals were kept protected from Culicoides 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 |
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• 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 |
Consistent with the OIE Manual |
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• Agent identification test on the day of semen collection AND during the collection period, either virus isolation every 7 days or PCR every 28 days. |
Virus isolation or PCR as per schedule |
Consistent with the OIE Manual |
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EHD (all serotypes present in Australia - 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8) |
TWO serological tests not more than 12 months apart - one prior to collection and one no less than 21 days post collection; AND |
AGID or cELISA |
"Standards for EHD virus diagnostic tests are described in the bluetongue chapter of the Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals." |
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TWO virus neutralisation tests not more than 12 months apart - one prior to collection and one no less than 21 days post collection. |
Virus Neutralisation |
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Other Health Status Requirements
Prior to entering quarantine - from an officially brucellosis-free (B. melitensis) ovine or caprine holding as per Directive 91/68/EEC and have not been previously kept in a holding of a lower health status
Prior to entering quarantine - from a holding in which there has been no detection of contagious agalactia for six months, paratuberculosis and caseous lymphadenitis for 12 months, pulmonary adenomatosis for 3 years, and caprine viral arthritis/encephalitis for 3 years
Quarantine - no outbreak of foot and mouth within a 10km radius of property for 30 days prior to movement to semen collection centre
Quarantine - free of foot and mouth disease and brucellosis (B. melitensis) for 3 months prior to movement to semen collection centre
Quarantine - free of contagious epidydimitis (B. ovis), anthrax and rabies for 30 days prior to movement to semen collection centre
Semen collection centre - free from foot and mouth disease for at least 3 months prior to collection of the semen and 30 days after collection (or in the case of fresh semen until the date of dispatch) and there has been no case of foot and mouth disease within a 10km radius of the property for 30 days prior to collection of the semen
Semen collection centre - free from brucellosis (B. melitensis), contagious epidydimitis (B. ovis), anthrax and rabies for the period starting 30 days prior to collection and ending 30 days after the collection of the semen (or in the case of fresh semen, until the date of dispatch)
Donors must not show any clinical sign of disease on the day of admission to the semen collection centre
Donors must not show any clinical sign of disease on day of collection
Australia has been free from rinderpest, peste des petits ruminants, sheep and goat pox, contagious caprine pleuropneumonia and Rift Valley Fever during the 12 months immediately prior to collection of the semen to be exported and up until its date of dispatch and no vaccination against these diseases took place during that period
Australia has been free from foot and mouth disease during the 12 months immediately prior to collection of the semen to be exported and up until its date of dispatch and no vaccination against this disease took place during that 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).*Bull note below. | |
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¿uro;™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.
* For bovine semen collection centres - all movements of bulls from quarantine accommodation to semen collection centre must be approved by DAFF Biosecurity in Canberra. This is a requirement over and above the European Community legislation.
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: |
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The outside boundary fence will prevent the entry of feral or native terrestrial animals. |
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Vermin control procedures within the centres. |
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Appropriate insect vector devices including fly traps on the boundary fences and procedures for monitoring and changing these traps. |
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Animals within the centre will be treated with an appropriate insecticide with repellent properties as per manufacturer's recommendations. |
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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. |
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Procedures for cleaning animal accommodation areas, yards, buildings (where present), water and feed troughs within the centre, to maintain high levels of environmental cleanliness. |
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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. |
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Authorised access policy a set of written visible conditions for authorised visitors as outlined by the centre veterinarian. These must include: |
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No unauthorised access. |
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No unaccompanied access. |
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Disinfection of vehicles entering the centre e.g. wheel baths. |
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Visitors must follow the same biosecurity procedures as staff. |
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Centre and area specific clothing and footwear for all staff and visitor to the centre |
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Requirements for staff and visitors: |
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Facilities to change into clean centre and area specific clothing and footwear. |
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Separate clothing and footwear requirements for animal handling staff and laboratory staff. |
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Procedures and infrastructure for controlling the movement of staff between semen processing and collection areas. |
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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. |
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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.
