Bluetongue: moving, freezing and storing germinal product (semen, ova or embryo)

Please note:

• ‘animals’ means ruminants (e.g. cattle, sheep, goats and deer) and camelids (e.g. llamas and alpacas)
• ‘germinal product’ means semen, ova or embryo

As of 10 November 2025, the whole of Wales is in a bluetongue restricted zone.   

You can move fresh or frozen germinal product within the bluetongue restricted zone without a licence:

• as long as the donor animal does not show signs of bluetongue 
• including germinal product collected and frozen at a premises in Wales before 10 November

You must not move or use germinal product from any animal showing signs of bluetongue until a vet has assessed the animal.

Moving germinal product to England or Scotland

You need a licence to move germinal product out of the restricted zone to England or Scotland. Follow the guidance on:

• moving germinal product from Wales to Scotland 
• moving germinal product from Wales to England 

To freeze germinal product in the bluetongue restricted zone you must either:

• apply for a specific licence
• have it done at a designated premises for the collection and processing of germinal products

When freezing germinal product, you must test animals after collection by either:

• bluetongue PCR where the donor animal is sampled 6 to 28 days after collection
• bluetongue ELISA where the donor animal is sampled 28 to 60 days after collection. NB. this option is not suitable for vaccinated animals 

You must do this whether the germinal product is being moved, or not.

When you are collecting germinal product regularly from the same animal:

• if a collection period lasts longer than 28 days, you will need a PCR every 28 days with a negative result, The last PCR test must be sampled at least 6 days after the last collection date
• you must not use the collected germinal product until you have received the negative post-collection test result

All donor animals must comply with testing requirements.

Keepers are responsible for the cost of sampling, postage and testing. 

You must clearly state:

• RT-PCR and/or ELISA (antibody) testing for bluetongue virus, and
• ‘germinal product freezing’ in bold at the top of the form

You should quarantine germinal product collected from an animal whose bluetongue infection status is unknown. Keep it separate from other germinal product until testing is complete and you have received negative results. You should store it in straws or another isolated container (such as a hexi-goblet). This avoids cross contamination.

If you are not using straws, the storage container must only contain product from one animal. The straw or container must have clear labelling. The licensee must keep auditable records.

A positive result will lead to an APHA veterinary investigation to determine what action is needed. The veterinary inspector will determine which germinal product must be destroyed and which might be eligible for use.

If cross contamination of the germinal product collected is suspected, the entire contents of a tank may need to be destroyed.

If your business would like to test donor animals, you can arrange private testing.

Any premises can be designated to collect, process, handle or store germinal product. These will normally be: 

• specialist artificial breeding centres, or 
• veterinary practices specialising in artificial breeding services

To apply for designation, contact APHA at outbreak.designations@apha.gov.uk for:

• a designation application form
• a separate form to detail how the business meets the designation conditions

If your premises regularly freezes and stores germinal product, you should apply for designation. This will minimise future disruption.

You can find a full list of conditions on the designation application form. Conditions for designation include, but are not limited to:

• complying with germinal product donor animal testing regime
• following biosecurity measures to avoid cross contamination including quarantining and detaining the germinal product until it has a negative test result
• permission to freeze germinal product
• clear germinal product labelling
• effective record keeping allowing traceability and audit