Regulations for Import of Bovine Frozen Semen into India
In exercise of the powers conferred by section 3A of the Livestock Importation Act, 1898 and in supersession of the notification of the Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries vide number S.O.1496(E) dated the 5th September, 2007 published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (ii), except as respects things done or omitted to be done before such supersession, the Central Government hereby directs that the import of bovine frozen semen into India shall be regulated in the manner laid down in the Schedule annexed to this notification and subject to the conditions—
SCHEDULE
(1) that the imports shall be allowed only through the sea ports of Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai and airports of Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore where animal quarantine inspection facilities are available;
(2) that no import of bovine frozen semen shall be allowed into the country unless certified by a certificate of health in English language signed by an official veterinarian of the exporting country in which bovine frozen semen fulfil requirements and the requisite information is provided in the Form annexed to this notification.
Form
(D). Sanitary Information:
The Official Veterinarian certifies that the donor animal –
(I) shows no sign of diseases on the day of collection and for the following thirty days.
(II) satisfies the following requirements:
(a) (i) The donor animal was born in and is continuously residing in the exporting country (name of the country);
or
(ii) The donor animal was born in a country (name of the country) having equal or better animal health status than the exporting country (name of the country).
(b) Foot and mouth disease (FMD):
(i) was kept for at least three months prior to collection in an FMD free country or zone where vaccination is not practiced or a FMD free compartment.
or
(ii) was kept for at least three months prior to collection in an FMD free country or zone where no other animal present in the artificial insemination centre has been vaccinated within the month prior to collection.
(c) Contagious bovine pleuro pneumonia (CBPP):
was kept in a CBPP free country, zone or compartment since birth or for at least the past six months.
(d) Lumpy skin disease (LSD):
was kept for at least twenty eight days prior to collection in an LSD free country.
(e) Bovine tuberculosis:
The donor animal showed no signs of bovine tuberculosis on the day of collection of the semen; and either-
(i) kept in an artificial insemination centre free from bovine tuberculosis in a country, zone or compartment free from bovine tuberculosis and which only accepts animal from free herds in a free country, zone or compartment.
or
(ii) showed negative results to tuberculin tests carried out annually and were kept in a herd free from bovine tuberculosis.
(f) Bovine brucellosis:
When the semen is sourced from an artificial insemination centre, the testing programme includes the Buffered Brucella Antigen and Complement Fixation tests or Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA);
when the semen is not from an artificial insemination centre, the donor animal-
(i) was kept in a country or zone free from bovine brucellosis;
or
(ii) was kept in a herd officially free from bovine brucellosis, showed no clinical sign of bovine brucellosis on the day of collection of the semen and was subjected to a Buffered Brucella Antigen Test or Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) or Fluroscence Polarizaion Assay (FPA) with negative results during the thirty days prior to collection;
or
(iii) was kept in a herd free from bovine brucellosis, showed no clinical sign of bovine brucellosis on the day of collection and was subjected to the buffered Brucella antigen and Complement Fixation Tests or Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) or Fluroscence Polarizaion Assay(FPA) with negative results during the thirty days prior to collection.
(g) Blue tongue (BT):
The donor animal-
(i) was kept in a Blue tongue (BT) free country or zone or vector protected establishment for at least sixty days before commencement of, and during, collection of the semen;
or
(ii) was subjected to a serological test according to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) Terrestrial Manual to detect antibody to the BTV group, with negative results, at least every sixty days throughout the collection period and between twenty one and sixty days after the final collection for this consignment;
or
(iii) was subjected to an Agent identification test according to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) Terrestrial Manual on blood samples collected at commencement and conclusion of, and at least every seven days (virus isolation test) or at least every twenty eight days Polymerase Chain Reaction test (PCR) during, semen collection for this consignment, with negative results.
(h) Trichomonosis:
(a) (i) The donor animal has never been used for natural service;
or
(ii) The donor animal has only mated virgin heifers;
or
(iii) The donor animal was kept in an establishment or artificial insemination centre where no case of trichomonosis has been reported;
(b) The donor animal was subjected to microscopic examination of a culture of prepeutial washing with negative results.
(i) Paratuberculosis:
(a) The animal has been kept in a herd where no case of Paratuberculosis has been observed in last two years.
(b) The animal was annually subjected to Delayed Type Hypersensitivity (DTH) or Enzyme Linked Immunosobent Assay (ELISA) or Faecal Culture Test.
(j) Bovine genital campylobacteriosis:
The donor animal –
(a)(i) has never been used for natural service;
or
(ii) has only mated virgin heifers;
or
(iii) was kept in an establishment or artificial insemination centre where no case of bovine genital campylobacteriosis has been reported;
(b) the culture of semen and preputial specimens for the presence of the causal agent of bovine genital campylobacteriosis proved negative.
(k) Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis:
(i) The donor animal was kept in an Infectious Bronchitis Rhinotracheitis and Infectious pustular vulvovaginitis (IBR/ IPV) free herd at the time of collection of the semen;
or
(ii) The donor animal was held in isolation during the period of collection and for the thirty days following collection and was subjected to a diagnostic test for Infectious Bronchitis rhinotracheitis and Infectious pustular vulvo-vaginitis (IBR/ IPV) on a blood sample taken at least twenty one days after collection of the semen, with negative results;
or
(iii) if the serological status of the bull is unknown or if the bull is serologically positive, an aliquot of each semen collection was subjected to a virus isolation test or Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), with negative results.
(l) Enzootic bovine leucosis (EBL):
(i) The donor bull was resident at the time of semen collection in an EBL free herd;
and
(ii) If less than two years of age, the bull came from a serologically negative ‘uterine’ dam;
or
(iii) The bull was subjected to diagnostic tests for EBL on blood samples on two occasions with negative results, the first test being carried out at least thirty days before and the second test at least ninety days after collection of the semen.
(m) Leptospirosis:
The donor animal has been annually tested against all serovars of leptospires prevalent in cattle in semen producing country and those found positive are either removed or given a complete treatment.
(n) Bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD):
The donor bull has been subjected to the following:
(i) Prior to entering Pre-entry isolation testing:
The animal has been subjected to a virus isolation test or a test for virus antigen, with negative results; and a serological test to determine the serological status of every animal.
(ii) Testing in the Pre-entry isolation facility prior to entering the semen collection facilities:
(a) The animal has been subjected to a virus isolation test or a test for virus antigen, with negative results. Only when all the animals in pre-entry isolation have had negative results, may enter the semen collection facilities.
(b) All animals have been subjected to a serological test to determine the presence or absence of Bovine viral diarhhoea (BVD) antibodies.
(c) Only if no sero-conversion occurs in the animals which are tested sero-negative before entry into the pre-entry isolation facility, may (sero-negative or sero-positive) be allowed an entry into the semen collection facilities.
(d) If sero-conversion occurs, all the animals that remain sero-negative should be kept in pre-entry isolation until there is no more sero-conversion in the group for a period of three weeks. Serologically positive animals may be allowed entry into the semen collection facilities.
(iii) Testing programme for bulls and teasers resident in the semen collection facilities:
(a) Animals are negative to previous serological tests and have been retested to confirm absence of antibodies.
(b) If an animal becomes serologically positive, every ejaculate of that animal collected since the last negative test shall be either discarded or tested for virus with negative results.
(iv) Testing for BVD prior to the initial dispatch of semen from each serologically positive bull:
Prior to the initial dispatch of semen from Bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) serologically positive bull, a semen sample from each animal shall be subjected to a virus isolation or virus antigen test for Bovine viral diarrhoea. In the event of a positive result, the bull shall be removed from the centre and all the semen collected from it be destroyed.
(o) Schmallenberg:
(i) The donor animal was kept since birth in a country where Schmallenberg Virus has never been recorded;
or
(ii) The semen has been collected before 01.06.2011;
or
(iii) The donor animal was subjected to a serological test to detect antibodies to Schmallenberg Virus (SBV), with negative results, at least twenty one days after the final collection for this consignment.
(p) Vesicular stomatitis (VS):
The animal was kept in a Vesicular Stomatitis (VS) free country or zone since birth or for at least thirty days prior to the shipment; or The animal was kept for twenty one days prior to, and during, collection in an establishment where no case of Vesicular stomatitis (VS) was reported during that period; and was subjected to a diagnostic test for Vesicular stomatitis (VS), with negative results, within the twenty one days prior to semen collection.
Note: The diagnostic tests described above are not necessary for the country which is free from these diseases (A separate certificate from the country towards disease free status shall be required). Please provide the testing reports also. The tests to be conducted as per the requirement under para D (II) are as per the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) list of tests for international trade.
(III) The semen comes from a semen collection centre that is accredited and approved by the exporting country and has been collected, handled or processed in accordance with the provisions of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the Office International Des Epizooties Chapter “General hygiene in semen collection and processing centres” and processed in accordance with the provisions of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of Office of the International Des Epizootics Chapter “Collection and processing of bovine, small ruminant and porcine semen”.
(IV) After collection of semen, antibiotics have been added in accordance with the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the Office of the International Des Epizootics Chapter “Collection and processing of bovine, small ruminant and porcine semen”. (Provide the list of antibiotics with concentration added in the semen).
(V) The semen is transported in container that is new or sterilized in a manner acceptable to Government officials of the exporting country (name of the country) and the container is not known to contain pathogenic micro-organisms.
(VI) At the time of semen collection, the donor animal had passed all pre-isolation and isolation tests needed for entry into the resident herd at the semen collection centre and had not been used for natural mating since the initiation of these tests.
(E) POST IMPORT REQUIREMENTS:
(1) On arrival in India, the consignment and the documents shall be examined by the Regional Officer or Quarantine Officer concerned.
(2) Samples from semen consignments may be taken for testing including the diseases like Bovine viral diarrhoea, Infectious bronchitis rhinotracheitis and Brucellosis.
(3) In case the documents and tests at the quarantine stations are not conforming to the requirements as per the health certificate and the semen is not as per Office International Des Epizooties Terrestrial Animal Health Code specifications, appropriate action shall be taken by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Government of India at the cost of importing agency.
Sd/- (Rajbir Singh Rana) Jt. Secy.
S.O. 2657(E) F. No. 102-69/2007-Trade Issued by: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries) New Delhi
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