Biosecurity in Semen Stations
G K Sharma
GM (Animal Health) NDDB, Anand
The philosophy underpinning NDP-I is to increase the productivity of dairy animals through multipronged strategies of improving genetics, widening AI coverage and promoting scientific feeding practices in order to increase the milk production in the country. For improving genetics, various progeny testing (for crossbreds and buffaloes) and pedigree selection (for indigenous milk breeds) programmes are under way. By planning to increase AI coverage from the present 20% to around 35%, a significant population of breedable females in the country would be brought under AI coverage. For this to happen, the semen production in the country is to be increased to 100 million doses. This would entail producing a total of around 3600 high genetic merit bulls through various bull production programmes with an annual replacement of 900 by the end of NDP-I
Feeding practices in the country is envisaged to be improved by providing ration balancing services to small and marginal milk producers, who are the majority in the country so that the available feed resources are utilized optimally. Around 40,000 villages are planned to be covered under this programme.
Animal health is an integral part of this philosophy since it is obvious that diseases are a deterrent to harnessing the full production potential of an animal. The above strategies therefore may not have the desired affect if not juxtaposed with better animal health and biosecurity.
More importantly, in the context of semen production, infected bulls may act as conduits of disease transmission through infected semen since the probability of transmission of diseases are increased manifold when AI and frozen semen is used. While adopting scientific breeding techniques (selection of high genetic merit bulls & use of its semen on a larger population through AI), it is of paramount importance to take necessary measures to minimize transmission of diseases through infected semen. This would otherwise have ominous consequences that would be wide spread since semen from one bull may be used on thousands of animals across the country through AI. This situation is unlike that which ensues when an infected bull is used for natural service, where only a limited number of animals or area is involved. Many of the diseases that are transmitted through semen are also endemic to our country with infected animals acting as carriers. Most of these diseases are also difficult to cure. The presence of these diseases in the semen station or bull production areas causes loss of superior germplam, thus hampering the availability of high genetic merit bulls.
There is also a need to protect these valuable animals from other diseases that may not be transmitted through semen, but may be fatal or cause permanent disability or loss of production potential in the animal. Some of these diseases (eg. TB and brucellosis) are also zoonotic and may be transmitted to humans from animals and its control is important from the public health viewpoint. Since semen from the high genetic merit bulls would be used on a large population of breedable females, it is imperative that strict biosecurity protocols are required to be followed during procurement of bull calves from the bull production areas to preclude infection from being transmitted through semen. It is also equally essential to carry out control activities to reduce the incidences of other economically important diseases which would affect the semen station. To achieve this, a two pronged biosecurity implementation design has been put in place, namely; (i) biosecurity in semen stations (ii) biosecurity around 10 Km radius of semen stations.
The biosecurity plan for a semen station encompasses a string of activities, starting from the bull production villages, moving on to the quarantine, rearing and finally culminating at the semen station, the main aim being to check the transmission of diseases that are likely to spread through semen.
At the field/village level, male calves or their mothers found positive to any of the relevant diseases are removed immediately from the breeding programme. In the absence of such a plan, the entire effort and money spent on selecting a good bull after a period of 6-7 years would be set at naught if found to be infected at the end of the selection period. Some animals may even remain undetected for reasonable periods of time and only continuous monitoring would be able to identify them.
The biosecurity plan for the quarantine, rearing and semen station is far more focused and includes a plethora of activities which have been detailed in the biosecurity document drafted by NDDB which is under consideration by the DADF. Prompt biosecurity measures would therefore help detecting diseases that spread through semen at an early stage, thereby nipping the disease in its bud and not allowing it to spread through AI.
Providing a protective environment by creating a buffer zone of 10 Km radius around it augurs well for the semen station, especially for highly contagious diseases like FMD which causes serious production & economic losses to the semen station (the station has to close down for a considerable period in the wake of an outbreak). The impetus here is mainly on vaccination, ear-tagging, sero-monitoring and disease reporting. As requested by NDP-I, coordination committees have been put in place by the governments to coordinate, monitor and report the progress of animal health measures in the villages in 10 Km radius of semen stations which have been taken up for strengthening under NDP-I. NDP-I is also supporting the post of one Animal Health Officer exclusively for the purpose of coordinating with the various State governments to facilitate carrying out the abovementioned activities efficiently. Prompt and reliable disease diagnosis is a core component of biosecurity implementation plan, both in the bull production area and semen stations. It is very important that necessary capabilities to standardize and harmonise diagnostic procedures, test kits etc. are developed through regular proficiency testing so that the quality of diagnostic services provided are consistent.
Biosecurity measures would also indirectly help reduce the chances of spread of certain zoonotic diseases like TB & brucellosis. It is a known fact that diseases like brucellosis is prevalent in cattle and buffalo in our country and that a vast number of cases in humans remain undiagnosed. The occurrence of such diseases in animals & thereby in humans can be minimized if proper animal health measures are in place.
Dr. G K Sharma
Education:
Dr. Sharma is a Veterinary post graduate from Mathura Veterinary College and did his advanced course in animal virology from Animal Virus Research Institute, Pirbright, UK.
Current Professional Engagement:
Dr. GK Sharma is General Manager, Animal Health in National Dairy Development Board, Anand.
Professional Experiences:
Dr. Sharma has been involved in various animal disease control initiatives of the NDDB for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and brucellosis etc. He has worked in the areas of disease diagnosis, vaccine development, post-vaccination immune response monitoring and biosecurity.
Dr. Sharma has been a member of various working groups and committees of the DBT, ICAR, DADF and International Dairy Federation.
Dr. Sharma has extensively travelled and participated in many international conferences
Contact: gksharma@nddb.coop
