Chapter 10 - Artificial insemination
10.3 Porcine

Export eligible semen

On farm requirements for boars entering a center for the production of semen for export

The animals must be identified with an approved ear tag (or any tag deemed equivalent under the livestock identification and traceability program) which bears a unique number that follows the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 11784 standard format. More information may be found in Module 2.1 Identification of livestock.

Animals improperly identified or that have lost their identification will be rejected when they arrive at the isolation facility of the artificial insemination (AI) centre and retested at the centre's expense.

The herd of origin must not be subject to any quarantine. The animals must be isolated and be subject to the following tests with negative results, unless otherwise specified, within the 60 days preceding entry into the isolation facility of the centre:

Note on centres approved for export to the European Community (EC): animals must be tested within the 30 days preceding entry into the isolation facility of the centre.

• Brucellosis – (serum) fluorescence polarizing assay (FPA) or test prescribed by World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) for international trade.
  • all boars selected for entry into the isolation facility of a centre approved for export to the EC must also be tested negative using the indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (i-ELISA) test for brucellosis
• Leptospirosis - (serum) microagglutination test (MAT) – L. pomona and L. sejroe.
  • boars with a test result of 1:100 or 1:200 must be retested after a minimum interval of 14 days and obtain a stable titre to be considered negative and eligible for entry into the isolation facility of the centre.
  • boars with a test result of 1:400 or higher must be retested at least twice at intervals of 14 days
    • boars that are negative at 1:400 on at least 2 consecutive retests are considered to have a stabilized low titre and can enter the isolation facility of the centre
    • boars may be tested multiple times in order to achieve the 2 consecutive low titre tests 14 days apart, provided the original tests stated above fall within the 60 day period (or 30 days for EC) prior to entry into the isolation center
    • the sampling dates and titres must be recorded on the health certificate accompanying the animal to the isolation centre
• Transmissible Gastroenteritis (TGE) – (serum) serum neutralization (SN) test or ELISA test
  • in the event of a positive reaction to the SN test, the laboratory conducts an ELISA test; if the ELISA test is negative, the animal is eligible to enter the isolation facility of the centre
• Aujesky's disease – (serum) ELISA test

A CFIA/ACIA 1634 Certificate of Health for Entry into a Semen Production Centre (or equivalent) must accompany the animal to the isolation facility of the centre. (Refer to Module 10.1 for distribution details.)

The boars are moved directly from the premises of origin to the designated facility of an approved production centre.

Additional on farm requirements for centres approved for export to the European Community

Animals must be tested within 30 days prior to entry into the isolation facility of the centre.

All boars selected for entry in the isolation facility of a centre approved for export to the European Union must also subject to an i-ELISA test for brucellosis with negative results

During the period of at least three months prior to entry into the pre-entry isolation facility, no animal in the herd of origin was vaccinated against infection with porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome (PRRS), and no PRRS was detected in the herd of origin of the donor boars

In addition to the tests listed above, donor animals were tested within 30 days prior to entry into the pre-entry isolation facility of the semen centre for PRRS – (serum) immunoperoxidase monolayer assay (IPMA), indirect immunofluorescences assay (IFA) or ELISA, with negative results

Isolation health requirements for boars entering a centre for the production of semen for export

All qualifying and testing procedures associated with the assessment of the isolation health status of semen donor boars are to be performed by a veterinarian who is authorized to perform these functions as an accredited veterinarian.

Before performing any inspection or test in an isolation facility, the accredited veterinarian must have reviewed this section with a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) district veterinarian, and have been trained on site to collect and process samples and perform the appropriate tuberculosis (TB) test.

All animals presented for entry as additions to the resident herd of a semen production centre must undergo a minimum period of 30 days in an isolation facility maintained by the centre; the isolation period may begin when all animals are present in the isolation facility.

An animal is to be considered eligible for entry into isolation only if a certificate of health (CFIA/ACIA 1634 or equivalent) completed by an accredited veterinarian accompanies the animal to the isolation facility.

• an identification check is conducted on each animal against the certificate of health presented by the centre
• the certificate of health must show that the animal has met the appropriate on farm requirements that correspond to the status of the centre it is expected to enter after the isolation procedure

While in the isolation facility and after a minimum of 30 days in isolation, the animals are subject to the following tests with negative results, unless otherwise specified, as follows:

• Tuberculosis (TB) – intradermal purified protein derivative (PPD) bovine tuberculin – reading at 48 hours
  • in the event of a suspicious or inconclusive tuberculin test during testing in the pre-entry isolation facility, CFIA must be contacted and the TB Hazard Specific plan for porcine reactors followed
• Brucellosis – (serum) FPA or test prescribed by WOAH for international trade
• Leptospirosis – (serum) – MAT, serotypes L. pomona, L. sejroe
  • boars with a test result of 1:100 or 1:200 must be retested after a minimum interval of 14 days and obtain a stable or declining titre to be considered negative and eligible for entry into the centre
  • boars with a test result of 1:400 or higher must be retested at least twice at intervals of 14 days
  • boars that are negative at 1:400 (1:100 or 1:200 titre) on at least 2 consecutive retests are considered to have a stabilized low titre and can enter the centre
    • boars may be tested multiple times in order to achieve the 2 consecutive low titre tests 14 days apart
    • the sampling dates and titres must be recorded on the health certificate that accompanies the animal to the AI centre
• TGE – (serumELISA test. (SN test will only be performed when required by an importing country – please add in the submissions form Comments if this test is required)
  • if the ELISA test is negative, the animal is eligible to enter the centre as a resident
• Aujesky's disease – (serum) ELISA test

All samples to be analyzed in CFIA laboratories will be submitted through the local CFIA district office where the isolation center is located using the isolation blanket notification (IAI), porcine export.

• the CFIA district office will provide to the accredited veterinarian an Excel spreadsheet for the required submission information listed on the CFIA/ACIA 5473 – Animal Health Import, Export and Artificial Insemination Specimen Submission Form
  • the most recent version of the template must be used or the information will not upload into the system and the submission will be rejected
    Always verify the version you are using is the correct one prior to submission
• the accredited veterinarian will complete the Excel template in its entirety and email it to CFIA district office for entry into the Laboratory Sample Tracking System (LSTS)
  • do not modify the template in any way or the information will not upload into the system and the submission will be rejected
    Any fields or columns that do not apply, leave them blank. Do not delete or add fields or columns.
• the CFIA district office will provide a hard copy of the submitted LSTS documentation to the accredited veterinarian to include with the samples shipped to the lab
  • the accredited veterinarian must sign page one of the submission form and initial at the bottom of any additional pages
  • a copy of the submission form must accompany the samples sent to each laboratory
  • processing, packaging and shipping of the samples to the CFIA laboratory are the responsibility of the accredited veterinarian

Additional requirements for centres approved for export to the EU:

In addition to the tests listed above, the boars must be subject to with negative results:

• Brucellosis – (serum) indirect ELISA (in addition to FPA mentioned above)
• Porcine Reproductive Respiratory Syndrome virus (PRRS) – (serum) IPMA, IFA or ELISA AND a test for virus genome (reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)), nested RT-PCR, real time RT-PCR)*
• Classical Swine Fever – (serum) antibody ELISA or serum neutralization test

* The PCR test for PRRS is not available in CFIA laboratories and must be performed in a private laboratory in accordance with the Policy on the Use of External Laboratories for Export Testing. Contact your local CFIA District Veterinarian for further details.

In the event of a suspicious or positive reaction being reported during the pre-entry isolation testing regime, the individual animal is to be removed from the group.

The remaining animals shall not be released for entry into the production centre until either the suspect animal has been confirmed negative or has been removed from the isolation with the negative status of the remaining animals reconfirmed for the disease in question.

Removal of donors from isolation, either to enter the resident herd following the tests referred to above or to leave the centre, must be done only with the permission of the district veterinarian (in writing - using either an isolation release form or 1634).

Domestic use semen

Requirements for boars entering a centre to produce semen for distribution in Canada only

The herd of origin must be inspected and found free from clinical evidence of infectious disease and insofar as can be determined, from any history of infectious disease during the preceding 60 days.

All donor animals being presented as prospective additions to semen production centres must be examined, identified and any evidence of heritable physical defects is to be recorded on the health certificate.

The prospective donor boars should not be exposed to any infection to which they are susceptible from the date of examination until entry into the designated isolation facility of the centre.

The boars are moved directly from the premises of origin to the designated facility of an approved production centre.

The animals must be identified with an approved ear tag (or any tag deemed equivalent under the livestock identification and traceability program) which bears a unique number that follows the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 11784 standard format. More information may be found in Module 2.1 Identification of livestock.

Animals improperly identified or that have lost their identification will be rejected upon arrival at the isolation facility of the centre.

The herd of origin must not be subject to any quarantine within the 60 days before entry into the isolation facility of the centre.

A CFIA/ACIA 1634 Certificate of Health for Entry into a Semen Production Centre must accompany the animal to the isolation facility of the centre. (Refer to Module 10.1 for distribution details.)

The boars are moved directly from the premises of origin to the designated facility of an approved production centre.

Isolation health requirements for boars entering a centre for the production of semen for distribution in Canada only

All qualifying procedures associated with the assessment of the isolation health status of semen donor boars may be performed by a veterinarian who is authorized to perform these functions as an accredited veterinarian.

All animals presented for entry as additions to the resident herd of a semen production centre must undergo a minimum period of 14 days in an isolation facility maintained by the centre; the isolation period may begin when all animals are present in the isolation facility.

An animal is to be considered eligible for entry into isolation only if a certificate of health completed by an accredited veterinarian accompanies the animal to the centre.

An identification check is conducted on each animal against the certificate of health presented by the centre.

• animals improperly identified, that have lost their identification or that are not listed on the health certificate (1634) will be rejected upon arrival at the isolation facility of the centre
• they may be recertified with a new health certificate (1634) at the expense of the centre or removed before the isolation period may begin

Removal of donors from isolation, either to enter the resident herd or to leave the centre, must be done only with the permission of the accredited veterinarian (in writing - using either an isolation release form or 1634).

A boar resident in a semen production centre for distribution in Canada does not qualify to enter the isolation facility of an export semen production centre.

Such a resident boar must comply with the pre-entry requirements for export eligible semen to enter the isolation facility of an export eligible semen production centre. (Refer to "Export Eligible Semen" section in this module.)

Owner's use only semen

Contact your district office for more information.

• Previous
• Table of Contents
• Next