Zoo Tasmanian Devils from Australia - Biosecurity New Zealand

Risk Management Proposal
Zoo Tasmanian Devils from Australia
November 2013

Disclaimer
This risk management proposal does not constitute, and should not be regarded as, legal advice. While
every effort has been made to ensure the information in this document is accurate, the Ministry for
Primary Industries does not accept any responsibility or liability whatsoever for any error of fact,
omission, interpretation or opinion that may be present, however it may have occurred.
Requests for further copies should be directed to:
Ministry for Primary Industries
Standards Branch
Animal Imports
PO Box 2526
WELLINGTON 6140
Email: animalimports@mpi.govt.nz
Telephone: 04 890 0134
Facsimile: 04 894 0733
© Crown Copyright - Ministry for Primary Industries

Contents
Page
1 Purpose 1
2 Background 1
3 Objective 2
4 Recommendations for identified risk organisms 3
4.1 Salmonellosis 3
4.2 Internal parasites 3
4.3 External parasites 4
i

1 Purpose
The purpose of this document is to:
• present the risks associated with the importation of Tasmanian devils from Australia;
• outline options considered for managing those risks;
• show how these options have been assessed; and
• provide recommendations for import requirements to be included in the import health standard
(IHS).
The import health standard (IHS) is developed under Section 24 of the Biosecurity Act 1993.
For a detailed risk assessment of the identified hazards, refer to the Import Risk Analysis: Tasmanian
devils (Sarcophilus harrisii/Sarcophilus laniarius) from Australia. A copy can be viewed at the following
link: http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/files/regs/imports/risk/tasmanian-devils-aus-ra.pdf
2 Background
In 2006 the Zoo and Aquarium Association submitted a request for the development of an import health
standard for the importation of Tasmanian devils into New Zealand zoos. This matter has since become
a high priority for the zoo industry.
In August 2009, the Ministry for Primary Industries issued an import risk analysis (IRA) for Tasmanian
devils from Australia with the objective of mitigating risks associated with importing this commodity. The
IRA is the basis for Tasmanian devil risk management measures discussed in this document.
The IHS for Tasmanian devils from Australia will be based on risk decisions from the IRA.
Tasmanian devils are the world’s largest carnivorous marsupial and native to Tasmania in Australia.
They are facing almost certain extinction in the wild due to an infectious cancer, the devil facial tumour
disease (DFTD). In less than two decades, DFTD has caused a more than 85% overall population
decline.
Conservation efforts aim for the establishment of a large, genetically diverse insurance population of
captive Tasmanian devils in zoos and wildlife institutions around Australia.
The insurance population held by zoos in Australia is vital for the future of the species. The insurance
population is managed by the Zoo and Aquarium Association. The IHS will enable New Zealand
members of the Zoo and Aquarium Association to take part in this conservation programme to assist the
Australian insurance population by giving vital additional spaces to help protect the species into the
future. To date, three New Zealand zoos have been approved by the Tasmanian Government to join the
programme.
The Department of the Environment in Australia has prescribed conditions under which Tasmanian
devils may be transferred overseas. Any animal imported to New Zealand would undergo these preexport
conditions. The conditions can be found in the Import Risk Analysis: Tasmanian devils from
Australia at the following link http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/files/regs/imports/risk/tasmanian-devils-ausra.pdf.
[Note: the conditions were previously issued under the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and
the Arts (DEWHA)].
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3 Objective
The objective of the risk management measures proposed for the IHS is to manage, to an acceptable
level, the biosecurity risks posed by the import of zoo Tasmanian devils into New Zealand.
From the IRA, the following preliminary list of organisms was identified for risk management.
• Devil facial tumour disease
• Salmonella species
• Internal parasites
• External parasites
After the initial risk assessment this list was then modified as DFTD was not considered a potential
hazard for the commodity.
This leaves the following hazards:
• Salmonella species
• External parasites
• Internal parasites
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4 Recommendations for identified risk organisms
The diseases that were considered as potential hazards are those that could be transmitted by
Tasmanian devils and may infect domestic and feral /wild animals, or humans in New Zealand.
The following diseases were considered a potential hazard in the commodity and will be considered in
this risk management proposal.
4.1 SALMONELLOSIS
Salmonella species exotic to New Zealand are notifiable, unwanted organisms.
The following points have been considered when drafting options to manage the risks associated with
the introduction of salmonellosis in Tasmanian devils.
Tasmanian devils and other animal species including humans can be infected by many different
Salmonella species and serovars.
Animals may be clinically healthy carriers and excrete the organism intermittently in their faeces. Carrier
animals can be detected by culturing faecal samples. However, as excretion is intermittent, repeated
sampling and culture are necessary.
The requirement that Tasmanian devils be kept in containment facilities will significantly limit the
exposure of both people and other animals to any associated Salmonella.
Furthermore, since many Salmonella serovars, including the serovars most commonly found in
Australia, already occur in New Zealand, the likelihood that any introduced carrier would be carrying an
exotic Salmonella serovar is low.
4.1.1 Risk management options for Salmonella species from risk assessment
1. Since many Salmonella serovars occur in New Zealand and because the small numbers of
imported Tasmanian devils is not regarded as important in the epidemiology of salmonellosis,
clinically healthy Tasmanian devils could be imported without further restrictions
2. Faecal samples from quarantined animals could be cultured for Salmonella species on at least
two occasions with an interval of at least 10 days, using suitable pre-enrichment and
enrichment media. All Salmonella species isolated could be serotyped (and where appropriate
phage-typed) and the result reported to MPI. Where pathogenic or exotic Salmonella species
are isolated, the animals could be considered ineligible for importation, or importation could be
at the discretion of the importer.
4.1.2 Recommended option
The small numbers of clinically healthy zoo Tasmanian devils imported pose a negligible risk, so no
measures are required. This is consistent with other recent live animal IHSs.
4.2 INTERNAL PARASITES
A range of internal parasites has been reported in Tasmanian devils including trematodes, cestodes and
gastro-intestinal nematodes.
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None of these known parasites are likely to be a significant hazard for Tasmanian devils or for other zoo
animals. However, it is possible that unknown parasites could be introduced and that the various host
associations of the known parasites may not yet be fully understood, making internal parasites a nonnegligible
hazard.
4.2.1 Risk management options for internal parasites from risk assessment
All animals coming from Australia will have undergone the Department of the Environment requirements
for internal parasites; internal parasite examination and treatment if required. This usually involves 3
faecal wet preparations and flotation on fresh faeces 5-7 days apart.
Recent MPI zoo standards have recommended two endoparasite treatments without examination in preexport
isolation (PEI) as our level of protection.
Options are:
1. The requirements could be limited to those specified by the Department of the Environment for
the overseas transfer of Tasmanian devils.
2. In addition to requirements specified by the Department of the Environment, animals found to
be carrying parasites could be treated using suitable anthelmintics and retested to ensure the
parasites have been eliminated before importation.
4.2.2 Recommended option
Tasmanian devils must receive an efficacious treatment for internal parasites twice during the PEI
period, with an interval of not less than 14 days.
4.3 EXTERNAL PARASITES
Tasmanian devils can be affected by many species of lice, ticks, mites, fleas and flies.
Zoo animals are not considered a significant pathway for the introduction of exotic ticks, due to the small
numbers of animals imported as well as reduced exposure in captivity.
4.3.1 Risk management options for internal parasites from risk assessment
The following measures could be considered to mitigate the risk of importing exotic external parasites:
1. The requirements could be limited to those specified by the Department of the Environment for
the overseas transfer of Tasmanian devils. This requires a minimum 28 day pre-export isolation,
with a clinical exam under anaesthetic for signs of parasitism and treatment, if required.
2. In addition to the Department of the Environment requirements, Tasmanian devils could be
treated when entering quarantine with an effective insecticide/acaricide solution applied to the
animals by thoroughly wetting the entire animal including under the tail, ears, axillary region,
between the hind legs, and the interdigital spaces (e.g. using a backpack spray unit).
3. Tasmanian devils could be held isolated for 28 days in quarantine premises with impervious
washable floors and walls or on a fenced, impervious pad without walls and surrounded by a
cleared area free from vegetation. Bedding should not be straw or plant material that could
contain tick eggs and larvae. Inert materials such as wood shavings or sterilised peat could be
considered.
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4. Tasmanian devils could have all the bedding on which they are housed removed every ten days
during the quarantine period and, at this time, the walls and floor could be thoroughly cleaned,
and sprayed with an insecticide.
5. Tasmanian devils could be meticulously inspected for ticks and other ectoparasites at least 10
days after entering quarantine and, if still infested, the treatment could be repeated and the
animals inspected again 10 days later. Treatments and inspections could be repeated until the
animals are found free from evidence of external parasites. The ectoparasiticide could be
altered, if the previously used treatment has not been effective.
6. Tasmanian devils could be treated with an acaricide within 3 days prior to shipment.
4.3.2 Recommended option
The above options are successive and all are recommended, with some slight variations, to mitigate the
risk of external parasites.
To be consistent with other current IHS conditions for zoo animals and to decrease the number of times
the animals are handled, treatments should be given on arrival into PEI, and repeated just prior to
shipment.
The timing of the tick examination will also be flexible so that this can be done at the same time and not
as an additional examination to the Department of the Environment requirements.
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