Emerging diseases in international trade in embryos

IETS management of the challenges associated with embryo pathogen interaction

One of the very first challenges the International Embryo Transfer Society (IETS) addressed was concern about disease transmission via the transfer of in vivo -derived (IVD) bovine embryos. IETS commissioned its Import/Export Committee, later named Health and Safety Advisory Committee (HASAC), to resolve this matter, with the assistance of the Data Retrieval Committee following its formation in 1991. Since its first meeting in 1984, considerable achievements have been made, including meeting the numerous challenges created by the many innovations in this industry. Based on research studies and their designs, the IETS HASAC developed a system for categorising pathogens and diseases potentially susceptible to interaction with IVD embryos. This has been instrumental in defining safe operating protocols and ultimately leading to the development of the now universally accepted techniques for certification of embryo health. The close cooperation of IETS/HASAC with the World Organization of Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE) has facilitated the establishment of guidelines for regulators worldwide, thus ensuring the safety of international trade with embryos, while avoiding unjustified regulatory measures. In addition, IETS/HASAC produced and published the IETS Manual: A Procedural Guide and General Information for the Use of Embryo Transfer Technology Emphasising Sanitary Procedures for the embryo transfer industry (1st edition, 1987; 5th edition, 2023). This manual and its updates were designed to provide the industry world-wide with a source of information on safe and sanitary handling procedures for embryos, to describe the procedures necessary to ensure that the transfer of embryos does not result in transmission of pathogenic agents or disease, and to ensure consistent and accurate identification of embryos. The result of these 40years of IETS/HASAC involvement is that embryo transfer technology is recognised as having a comparative advantage in international movement of germplasm.