Animal health is considered one of the most important issues in export of livestock. It represented and is still representing the major constraint of Sudan animal exports. This importance arises from the fact that many animal diseases are either infectious and of epidemic nature that the importing country safeguards against or these diseases are transmissible to humans (zoonosis).
The functions of the Unit of Animal Health and Safety of Animal Products can be summarized in that it acts to realize the objectives of the in Institute according to its name.
To understand the framework of the unit in the field of livestock export, we summarize the route of export animal in the following stations, taking the Hamari sheep as an example:
- The first station is the station of breeding and reproduction: this includes the areas in which sheep owners breed their animals under natural range in north and west Kordofan.
- The second station is the primary markets: this includes the areas in which sheep are gathered and marketed. Here, the exporter or his agent selects the herd he wants to buy and finishes the purchase after rejecting some sick animals. Then the exporter or his agent treats some animals and gives the animals doses of some drugs like dewormers and antibiotics.
- The third station is the inspection and vaccination centre: here animals are subjected to visual examination during which apparently sick animals are rejected. Then the animals are given doses of some vaccines. The animals remain in the centre for some days before being transported to the first veterinary quarantine after being reexamined and sick are being rejected.
- The fourth station is the first veterinary quarantine: before being admitted to this station, the animals are inspected visually as has been done in the inspection and vaccination centre. Blood samples are collected and sent to the laboratory for brucellosis test. The animals remain some other days before being transported to the next station after reexamination and rejection of sick animals.
The fifth station is the final veterinary quarantine: in this station, the animals are subjected to the same procedures of the first veterinary quarantine, but brucellosis test is not repeated. The animals remain in this station to complete to the whole period of quarantine of 21 days, which is calculated from the day of being admitted to inspection and