International Trade
The International Trade Programme provides a comprehensive laboratory testing service and consultancy on a broad range of animal health issues relating to the import and export of animals, animal feedstuffs and genetic material.
Programme Manager
Legislation in GB requires that imported animals and animal feed are tested to ensure they are not carrying certain infections that are either not present in GB or are part of a national disease programme. Animals to be exported require certification to ensure they are free of specific infections.
VLA maintains over 150 types of test for the International Trade programme, although only about three-quarters of them are used regularly during the year.
In 2005/06 over 100,000 tests were performed to either check the health status of imported consignments of large animals and birds or to provide tests pre-export, for animals leaving the UK.This testing is to support export certificates issued in accordance with the requirements of the country of destination. All tests were carried out to specified turnaround times and well over 95% were completed well within these advertised times, which allowed the importer/exporter to work to predictable timescales prior to the planned animal movement.
This testing service also provides useful surveillance data on diseases in the UK and also can screen diseases being carried by infected animals arriving from abroad. This is particularly important for diseases which the UK is currently free of.
This year, an imported captive bird that died in quarantine was found to be as infected with the infamous H5 influenza virus. This prevented spread of the virus from infected birds that may otherwise have been released from quarantine into the UK cage bird population. The importation of captive birds was suspended during the year and VLA has been working together with other state veterinary bodies to update quarantine testing procedures in light of the threat of avian influenza and in readiness for any re-introduction of captive bird imports to the UK as determined by EU legislation.
Other avian diseases detected in quarantine included virulent paramyxovirus - types 1 and 2.
The UK introduced a new ELISA for equine piroplasmosis, in accordance with changed testing procedures being employed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for imported horses. VLA had been involved in the validation of the test with the USDA in previous years and initial performance problems with the test, originally used in the USA, appear to have been overcome. The introduction of this new test is timely since we have observed more borderline results with the equine piroplasmosis Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test (IFAT) this year than previously experienced.
The UK has been actively participating in a review of glanders serology testing with four other countries, all of whom are involved with the regular movement of horses for racing or breeding. The review has assessed the potential for cross-reactions between strains of different geographical origin. Whilst glanders has not been seen in the UK for many years, ongoing vigilance and testing has been successful in maintaining freedom from the disease.
A Leishmania serology IFAT was added to the list of tests required by one country receiving dogs exported from the UK. This illustrates the increasingly global view of animal diseases that many importing countries are now taking. VLA has an active programme of sourcing and validating such tests, both in response to requests and in advance of expected requirements. The validation of tests requires samples from infected animals but finding these samples is an ongoing challenge for a country that is endemically free of such exotic diseases. Maintaining good international contacts is one way that the VLA overcomes these problems.
There was another case of Equine Viral Anaemia in horses. The animals were being imported into the UK as part of their journey from Germany to New Zealand. Although not found in the country of origin, VLA detected the infection using an in-house test based on a strain of EVA virus that has a proven broad range of detection.
VLA’s new contagious equine metritis organism (CEMO) PCR has been in use as an early screen test on swabs cultured from horses, which have been in contact with suspect infected animals.
Statutory testing for licensing of animals kept in EU registered artificial insemination centres is also covered by the VLA International Trade programme, as is the testing of imported animal feedstuffs used to detect the presence of animal protein.
The vast majority of tests carried out for International Trade are accredited under the UKAS ISO 17025 Quality Standard, an independent inspection body specialising in internationally recognised standards. VLA is also ISO 9001 certified.
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