Page 16 of 201
and dead cattle. The forms and their application and use were described in the Veterinary Export Handbook W.LIV.0252.
A review was conducted of the job descriptions for AAVs Objective 4 including expectations and obligations placed on their performance by the relevant government
regulatory body AQIS and by exporters who are responsible for employing the AAVs. This activity included discussions with AAVs and exporters and review of example letters of
agreement or contracts between exporters employers and veterinarians contracted as AAVs.
A training needs analysis Objective 5 was conducted to understand the training needs for accredited veterinarians and stockpersons who may be participating in disease
investigations on board export voyages as part of this project.
A variety of options were considered for collection and management of data as part of the project Objective 6 in discussion between project team members and industry
stakeholders. This information in turn contributed to the development of the systems and procedures described in the Veterinary Export Handbook W.LIV.0252.
An agricultural economist member of the project team was engaged to provide advice on approaches to incorporate economic assessments of impacts of mortality and possible
benefits of reducing mortality risk to the industry Objective 7.
3.2 Stage 2 – Pilot voyages
The purpose of pilot voyages was to apply the newly developed procedures and protocols as outlined in the Veterinary Export Handbook W.LIV.0252 on a small number of commercial
voyages as a test of the procedures Objective 8.
Feedback from all parties concerned would then be sought and used to modify and refine the procedures Objective 9 and result in a final, agreed set of procedures and protocols
that were accepted by all stakeholders and that could then be applied to a larger number of voyages in the main part of the project.
The desired outcome from the pilot voyages was a final protocol that could be embedded into routine commercial voyage operations and that could deliver a minimum set of research
data on each voyage into the research project. The resulting systems would then be robust and sustainable and would both meet the needs of the research project and contribute to a
broader, long-term and sustainable improvement in the way animal health and welfare was managed during livestock export voyages.
3.3 Stage 3 – Collection of data from 24 months of voyages
Stage 3 of the project involved applying the final procedures and protocols to as many voyages as possible over a two-year period.
For 19 out of 20 voyages, data and sample collection was performed by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service AQIS; now DAFF Biosecurity Accredited Veterinarian
AAV accompanying the voyage. A standardized protocol was provided, and all participating AAVs received training in the data and sample collection protocols.
Page 17 of 201
Necropsy equipment, containers for collecting samples, and paper or electronic templates for recording observations were all provided on board each ship. The AAVs accompanying
the voyages were encouraged to collect a defined set of data and samples from each animal that died, but this was not always possible due to the demands of other tasks and duties that
they are routinely expected to perform during voyages. For 1 out of the 20 voyages, data and sample collection was performed by a member of the research team SJ Moore.
Standardized data recording forms were used to collect animal and epidemiological data for each animal that died. Data included the animal’s location on the ship, animal characteristics
including visual ear tag, electronic identification tag, breed, and weight, clinical signs displayed before death, risk factors or events that may have contributed to death, gross
necropsy findings if available, and a preliminary cause of death.
Necropsy samples included fresh tissue samples collected into 10 buffered formalin at a maximum ratio of 1 part tissue to 10 parts formalin, and tissue samples approximately 5
mm² andor swabs collected into a 5 ml plastic screw top container filled with 2 ml of viral transport media VTM; Hanks balanced salt solution, penicillin G [1,000 unitsml],
streptomycin [25 mgml], and amphotericin B [0.1 mgml]; Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia DAFWA. Samples stored in VTM were stored frozen on-board
the vessel until they were collected when unloaded at an Australian port.
The number and type of samples collected at necropsy depended on the animal’s clinical signs prior to death and gross necropsy findings. These protocols were all defined in the
Veterinary Export Handbook W.LIV.0252. Core samples collected from all animals were: lung grossly normal and abnormal, trachea, heart, ileocecal junction, kidney, liver, and
rumen into 10 buffered formalin, and nasal and lung swabs. When the animal showed clinical signs prior to death which were suggestive of a specific disease and which was
confirmed at necropsy, then a range of additional samples were collected according to the suspected disease. When there was no obvious cause of morbiditymortality and the cause
of death could not be determined from gross necropsy findings then the core samples plus fixed skeletal muscle, reticulum, abomasum, small intestine, large intestine, pancreas,
mesenteric lymph node, gall bladder, spleen, adrenal gland, and the brainstem and cervical spinal cord were collected into 10 buffered formalin.
Samples and data collection forms remained on the ship until the next time it berthed in Fremantle Western Australia. At that time a member of the project team boarded the ship
and collected all forms and samples, processed them through importation inspection and transported them directly to the quarantine approved premises at the Department of
Agriculture and Food, Western Australia, for processing. Care was taken during this process to ensure that VTM samples remained frozen during transit and were held frozen at DAFWA
facilities until they were processed and analysed.
3.4 Collection of samples from assembly depots
