Zoo Tasmanian Devils from Australia - Biosecurity New Zealand

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.
Ministry for Primary Industries Risk Management Proposal for Zoo Tasmanian Devils from Australia • 3