Wrathall Anthony E, Simmons Hugh A, Bowles Dianna J, Jones Sam
Veterinary Laboratories Agency-Weybridge, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK.
Reprod Fertil Dev. 2004;16(1-2):103-12. doi: 10.10371/RD03083.
The foot and mouth disease (FMD) epidemic in the UK in 2001 highlighted the threat of infectious diseases to rare and valuable livestock and stimulated a renewed interest in biosecurity and conservation. However, not all diseases resemble FMD: their transmission routes and pathological effects vary greatly, so biosecurity strategies must take this into account. Realism is also needed as to which diseases to exclude and which will have to be tolerated. The aim should be to minimise disease generally and to exclude those diseases that threaten the existence of livestock or preclude their national or international movement. Achieving this requires a team effort, bearing in mind the livestock species involved, the farming system ('open' or 'closed') and the premises. Effective biosecurity demands that practically every aspect of farm life is controlled, including movements of people, vehicles, equipment, food, manure, animal carcasses and wildlife. Above all, biosecurity strategies must cover the disease risks associated with moving the livestock themselves and this will require quarantine if adult or juvenile animals are imported into the herd or flock. The present paper emphasises the important role that reproductive technologies, such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer, can have in biosecurity strategies because they offer much safer ways for getting new genetic materials into herds/flocks than bringing in live animals. Embryo transfer is especially safe when the sanitary protocols promoted by the International Embryo Transfer Society and advocated by the Office International des Epizooties (the 'World Organisation for Animal Health') are used. Embryo transfer can also allow the full genetic complement to be salvaged from infected animals. Cryobanking of genetic materials, especially embryos, is another valuable biosecurity strategy because it enables their storage for conservation in the face of contingencies, such as epidemic disease and other catastrophes.
2001年英国口蹄疫疫情凸显了传染病对珍稀和珍贵家畜的威胁，并激发了人们对生物安全与保护的新兴趣。然而，并非所有疾病都与口蹄疫相似：它们的传播途径和病理影响差异很大，因此生物安全策略必须考虑到这一点。对于哪些疾病应排除在外以及哪些疾病必须容忍，也需要保持现实态度。目标应该是总体上尽量减少疾病，并排除那些威胁家畜生存或妨碍其国内或国际流动的疾病。要实现这一目标需要团队协作，同时要考虑到所涉及的家畜种类、养殖系统（“开放式”或“封闭式”）以及场所。有效的生物安全要求几乎控制农场生活的方方面面，包括人员、车辆、设备、食物、粪便、动物尸体和野生动物的流动。最重要的是，生物安全策略必须涵盖与家畜自身移动相关的疾病风险，如果将成年或幼年动物引入畜群或禽群，这将需要进行检疫。本文强调了人工授精和胚胎移植等繁殖技术在生物安全策略中可以发挥的重要作用，因为与引入活体动物相比，它们为将新的遗传物质引入畜群/禽群提供了更安全的方式。当采用国际胚胎移植协会倡导并得到国际兽疫局（“世界动物卫生组织”）支持的卫生规程时，胚胎移植尤其安全。胚胎移植还可以使受感染动物的全部遗传物质得以挽救。遗传物质，特别是胚胎的冷冻保存是另一项有价值的生物安全策略，因为它能够在面对诸如疫病和其他灾难等突发事件时将其保存下来用于保护。
