GUIDELINES GOVERNING THE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF AN
EQUINE SEMEN COLLECTION CENTRE
(Source: Council Directive 92/65/EEC, S.I. No. 12 of 1996 and Commission Decision 1995/
176)
A.
B.
C.
D.
GENERAL
1.
The centre must be constructed or isolated so as to ensure separation from
outside livestock. Guidelines for isolation facilities for horses are available in
the Equine Common Code of Practice for Control of Contagious Equine Metritis
and other Equine Bacterial Venereal Diseases.
2.
The entire centre, except the offices and the exercise area, must be constructed
so as to be readily cleaned and disinfected.
3.
It must not contain any livestock other than equines, but animals such as dogs or
cats are permitted on terms, designed to ensure that they do not present an
animal health risk, to be decided by the centre veterinarian.
4.
Insemination of mares or natural service are permitted in premises sharing the
same site, as the semen collection centre but there must be separation between
the centre and the premises where these other activities take place.
ANIMAL ACCOMMODATION
1.
There must be lockable accommodation for the donor stallions, as well as for
any teaser stallions and mares used in the collection of semen.
2.
There must be an isolation facility for sick animals, which has no direct
communication with the normal accommodation.
3.
There must be an exercise area.
4.
All these must be physically separated from the collection facilities and from the
semen processing and storage rooms.
SEMEN COLLECTION, PROCESSING AND STORAGE
1.
There must be a semen collection area, which may be outdoors but, in any case,
may not be overlooked by the stallion boxes.
2.
There must be a semen processing laboratory.
3.
There must be a separate room for cleaning and disinfection or sterilisation of
any non-disposable equipment used in the collection or processing of semen.
4.
There must be a separate room for semen storage, which need not necessarily be
on the same site.
RECORD KEEPING
The records to be kept include:
(a) the species, breed, date of birth and identification of each animal present in the
centre;
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(b) all movements of animals entering and leaving the centre;
(c) the health history and all diagnostic tests and the results thereof, all treatments
and vaccinations carried out;
(d) the dates of collection and processing of all semen produced in the centre;
(e) the destination of all semen dispatched from the centre;
(f)
the origin, identification and number of doses of all semen stored on the centre.
Records to be maintained:
1 A main register with the following headings
a) Date of collection of semen
b) Stallion name and identification
c) Storage details of semen by flask and goblet
e) Batch number/Identification of straw and number of straws
f) Destination of straw
g) Health certificate number of straw ( if exported)
For imported semen
a) Date of import
b) Animal health certificate number
c) Importers registration number
d) Stallion name and identification
e) Date of collection of semen
f) Client /consignee name and address
g) Storage details by flask and goblet
h) Straw codes and number of straws
i) Whether imported from an EU member state or third country( non EU member state)
j) Note a copy of all animal health certificates accompanying semen must be kept in records
For exported semen
a) Date of collection
b) Date of export
c) Health certificate number
d) Stallion name and identification
e) Straw codes and number of straws
f) Note a copy of all animal health certificates accompanying semen must be kept in records
Stallion records
a) Stallion name and identification
b) Breed
c) Date of birth
d) movement into centre
e) Isolation dates (Commencement and final date of isolation period)
f) Health history, diagnositic tests, all treatments and vaccinations administered
g) Health test dates and results for

EIA

EVA

CEM
These health tests may only commence after the stallion has been resident for 14 days during
the isolation period of 30 days
A copy of all health test results must be maintained at the centre

Supplementary health certificates showing residency period of 60 days at a holding
free of CEM prior to semen collection,
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The 30 days residency at a holding free of EVA, and the 30day residency where the stallion
may not be used for natural breeding- may be conducted during the period of isolation at the
collection centre.
h)
Collection period
i)
Movement out of center
E.
SUPERVISION BY THE CENTRE VETERINARIAN
1.
The semen collection centre must be under the supervision of a registered
veterinary surgeon approved by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the
Marine .
2.
The centre veterinarian must ensure the operation of procedures designed to
maintain the animal health status of the centre:
(a) none of the animals kept in the centre may be sued for natural breeding for
at least 30 days prior to the first collection of semen and during the
collection period,
Equine semen collection centres
(b) the collection, processing and storage of semen must be carried out only in
the places approved for these purposes,
(c) all utensils coming into contact with the semen or the donor animal during
collection or processing must either be properly disinfected or sterilised
prior to use or be new, disposable and discarded after sue.
3.
The centre veterinarian must lay down access rules for human visitors and for
any dogs or cats kept in the centre.
4.
He/she must ensure that if the collection centre shares a site with an artificial
insemination or service centre, mares, teaser stallions and stallions for natural
service admitted to either of those premises meet the following conditions:
(a) they must show no sign of infectious or contagious disease at the time of
admission;
(b) they must come from a territory or, in the case of regionalisation, from the
part of the territory of a Member State or a third country and from a holding
under veterinary supervision each of which satisfy the requirements of
Articles 4 and 5 of Council Directive 90/426/EEC1;
(c) they must have been kept, during the 30 days immediately prior to arrival,
only in holdings where no equine has shown any clinical sign of equine
viral arthritis during that period;
(d) they must have been kept, during the 60 days immediately prior to arrival,
only in holdings where no equine has shown any clinical sign of contagious
equine metritis during that period;
5.
He/she must ensure that there is strict separation between instruments and
equipment for artificial insemination or natural service and instruments and
equipment coming into contact with donor animals or other animals kept in the
collection centre or with the semen.
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6.
He/she must ensure that the staff are competent and have received adequate
training in disinfection and hygiene techniques to prevent the spread of disease.
7.
He/she must ensure that:
(a) products of animal origin such as diluents, additives or extenders which are
used in the processing of the semen present no animal health risk or have
undergone prior processing to preclude such risks,
(b) in the case of frozen or chilled semen cryogenic agents are used which have
not been previously been used for other products of animal origin;
(c) any receptacle for the storage or transport of semen is either disinfected or
sterilised as appropriate prior to use or new, disposable and discarded after
use.
8.
He/she must ensure that each individual dose of semen is indelibly identified in
such a way that the Member State of origin, date of collection, the species, the
breed, the identity of the donor animal and the name and/or number of the
approved centre where the semen was collected may be established.
9.
He/she must ensure that frozen semen is not dispatched until at least 30 days
after the date of collection.
10. He/she must certify to the official veterinarian any animal health information
which may be required for export certification and of which the official
veterinarian does not have personal knowledge.
F.
G.
OFFICIAL SUPERVISION
1.
The official veterinarian is the Superintending Veterinary Inspector in the
District Veterinary Office responsible for the area or any Veterinary Inspector
designated by him/her.
2.
The official veterinarian is responsible for certification of all semen for export.
3.
The centre will be inspected by the official veterinarian during the breeding
season at least once a year to assess all matters relating to the conditions of
approval and supervision;
ADMISSION OF DONOR STALLIONS
Only stallion which meet the following requirements may be used for the collection
of semen:
1.
They must show no sign of infectious or contagious disease at the time of
admission and on the day the semen is collected.
2.
They must come from a territory or, in the case of regionalisation, from the part
of the territory of a Member State or a third country and from a holding under
veterinary supervision each of which satisfy the requirements of Articles 4 and 5
of Council Directive 90/426/EEC2.
3.
They must have been kept, during the 30 days immediately prior to semen
collection, in the holdings free of equine viral arthritis during that period.
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4.
They must have been kept, during the 60 days immediately prior to semen
collection, in holdings free of contagious equine metritis during that period.
5.
They must not be used for natural mating during the 30 days immediately prior
to the first semen collection and during the collection period;
6.
They must be subjected to the following tests, carried out and certified in a
laboratory recognised by the competent authority according to one of the
programmes set out in Paragraph 7:
(i)
an agar-gel immunodiffusion test, (Coggins test) for equine infectious
anaemia with negative result;
(ii) a serum-neutralisation test for equine viral arterities. Unless a negative
result at a serum dilution of 1 in 4) is achieved, a virus isolation test for
equine viral arteritis shall be carried out with negative result on an aliquot
of the entire semen of the donor stallion;
(iii) a test for contagious equine metritis carried out on two occasions with an
interval of seven days by isolation of Taylorella equigenitalis from preejaculatory fluid or a semen sample and from genital swabs taken at least
from the penile sheath, urethra and urethral fossa with negative result in
each case.
7.
They must have been subjected to one of the following test programmes:
(a) equine animals (donor stallions, teaser stallions, jump mares) permanently
resident in the semen collection centre must be tested not less than 14 days
after entry and annually at the start of each breeding season. If any of the
animals concerned come into contact with an animal of health status lower
than that of a donor stallion, all the equine animals in the centre must be retested before the status of the centre can be re-established.
(b) if the donor stallion is continuously resident in the collection centre for at
least 30 days prior to the first semen collection and during the collection
period, and no equidae on the collection centre come into direct contact
with equidae of health status lower than that of the donor stallion, the tests
are carried out at least 14 days after the start of the above residence and
again at the beginning of the breeding season.
(c) if the donor stallion is not continuously resident in the collection centre, or
if other equidae in the collection centre come into direct contact with
equidae of health status lower than that of the donor stallion, the tests are
carried out on within the 14 day period immediately before the first semen
collection and again at the beginning of the breeding season; a Coggins test
is repeated at intervals of not more than 120 days during the period of
semen collection; a test for equine viral arteritis is carried out not more than
30 days before each collection of semen (unless, in the case of a stallion
sero-positive for equine viral arteritis, its non-shedder has been confirmed
by a virus isolation test carried out not more than one year before the semen
was collected);
(d) if all the semen produced by a donor stallion is frozen, the tests may be
carried out while the semen is in store and not less than 14 days after
collection.
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H Health Tests Required
Animal Health Tests For Equines Entering Equine Semen Collection Centres
As per Council Directive 1992/65 as amended by Commission Decision 1995/176
1) No infectious disease on day on admission to centre
2) Comes from a ms/3RD Country satisfying 1990/426
3) Kept for 60 days prior to semen collection on holdings which are free from any clinical
sign of Contagious Equine Metritis
4) Kept for 30days prior to entry to semen collection centre on a holdings where there were
no clinical signs of Equine Viral Arteritis
5) Has not been used for natural mating in 30 days prior to 1st semen collection and during
the collecting period
6) The donor must undergo quarantine at the semen collection centre for 30 days prior to 1st
semen collection
7) After 14 days of this quarantine the stallion must be tested with negative results for:
i) Equine Infectious Anaemia(EIA) - using an agar-gel immunodiffusion test
(Coggins Test) This test must be repeated for every 120 days the stallion is
continuously resident


ii) Equine Viral Arteritis(EVA)- a serum neutralisation test at dilution of 1in 4. If a
positive result is achieved then a virus isolation test on an aliquot of entire semen
of the donor must be undertaken*
iii) Contagious Equine Metritis(Cem)- 2 tests at a 7 day interval to isolate Taylorella
equigenitalis from
pre-ejaculatory fluid or a semen sample and
genital swabs from the penile sheath , urethra and urethral fossa
iv) These tests must be carried out at least annually for animals continuously resident
except for the Coggins test which must be carried out every 120 days
v) Semen must be stored for 30 days prior to despatch unless fresh.
* Note the legislation does not provide scope for stallions vaccinated against EVA, so in
effect these stallions must be treated as seropositive stallions and will require a virus test on
semen.
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Animal Health Tests for Horses entering Equine semen centres as per Council
Directive 1992/65 as amended by Commission Decision 1995/176
60 days prior to entry 30 days prior to entry
30 days quarantine period
1. Must come form a
1. Must come from a
1. Must not be used for natural
Contagious Equine
holding free of clinical
breeding for 30 days prior to 1st
Metritis(CEM) free
signs of EVA
semen collection
holding
2. After 14 days in quarantine
period the stallion must be tested for:
(i) Equine Infectious Anaemia(EIA) –
using an agar-gel immunodiffusion
test (Coggins Test). Repeated every
120 days for stallions which
permanently reside at the centre
(ii) Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA) – A
negative serum neutralisation test at 1
in 4 diluation. If positive semen must
be tested using a virus isolation test.
(iii) CEM- 2 tests at a 7 day interval
to isolate Taylorella equigenitalis
from a) pre-ejaculatory fluid or a
semen sample and b) genital swabs
from the penile sheath, urethra and
urethral fossa
3. Semen must be stored for 30 days
prior to despatch.
The health tests must be carried out at least annually for animals continuously resident at the
centre except for the Coggins test for CEM which must be repeated every 120 days
8. APPROVAL OF A CENTRE
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine may grant an approval, attach conditions
to an approval, vary a condition, attach a new condition, withdraw an approval or refuse an
application.
9. NOTIFICATION OF CHANGES IN SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL, SUPPLY OF
SEMEN/EMBRYOS OR STRUCTURAL CHANGES TO THE CENTRE
Changes in supervisory personnel, supply of semen/embryos or structural changes to the
centre must be notified in advance to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
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