<div dir="ltr"><div>Elizabeth et al:</div><div><br></div><div>Just to follow up on Dirk's message, I personally worry most about restrictions related to fieldwork. There already have been a number of recommendations made by various government agencies restricting field-based bat research. I personally worry that restricting research at this level actually will lead to knowledge gaps between the organismal biology necessary to inform biomedical research. Similar restrictions occurred with rodents following the discovery of hantavirus in the 4-corners area. Hopefully, the current restrictions are retooled to balance the need for basic science, active surveillance, and vouchering of host specimens.<div><div><br></div><div>That said, CETAF and DiSSCo have formed an international task force to address some of the questions you have. I believe information on the task force was posted on this forum. <a href="https://www.dissco.eu/joint-covid-19-task-force/"> Here is the link</a> for anyone interested in participating.</div><div><br></div><div>Take care,</div><div>Cody</div><div><br></div><div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr">Cody W. Thompson, PhD<br></div></div><div dir="ltr"><div>Mammal Collections Manager</div><div>& Assistant Research Scientist<br><div>University of M<font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">ichigan</font></div><div><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Museum of Zoology</font></div><div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">3600 Varsity Drive</font></div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108</font></div></div><div><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Office: (734) 615-2810</font></div><div>Fa<font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">x: (734) 763-4080</font></div><div><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Email: <a href="mailto:cwthomp@umich.edu" target="_blank">cwthomp@umich.edu</a></font></div><div><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Website: <a href="http://codythompson.org" target="_blank">codythompson.org</a></font></div><div><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><br></font></span><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">“Museums have two main objectives: the increase of knowledge and the diffusion of knowledge.”</span><u></u><u></u></p></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">-Alexander <span>Ruthven</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br></div></div></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Wed, Apr 15, 2020 at 9:12 AM Dirk Neumann <<a href="mailto:neumann@snsb.de">neumann@snsb.de</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div>
<div>Dear Merritt,</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>as far as I know there are currently
restrictions on the shipment of parcels itself, as some parcel
companies temporarily offer limited services to for specific
countries or countries themselves closed borders for postal
shipments/parcels. As these bans/restrictions strongly vary from
company to company and also have a strong country-dependent
component, it might be worth checking potentially existing
import/export bans directly on the websites of respective
couriers. <br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Regarding the specimens itself, I have
not heard anything about specific COVID restrictions. In general,
animal health regulations and veterinarian law is designed to
address transmissible diseases in general (including viral
infections and/or potential vectors). This of course also applies
for any preserved specimen we usually ship. From this perspective,
I would not expect any COVID-specific restrictions in veterinarian
law stipulating import and export of animals and parts thereof,
others than currently in place. If there would be amendments,
these would have to fit into the current regulatory framework of
veterinarian law (why should Ebola infected bats be treated
different then potentially COVID infected ones?).</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>With regard to existing regulatory
frameworks (at least this is the case for any kind of live/fresh
dead/dead preserved/dead fixed shipments animals between North
America and Europe), there are two basic principles:</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>1. Health Certificates issues by
veterinarian authorities confirming that the animal/specimen/part
thereof poses no health risk (and could not act as vector) (proof
of save sourcing)<br>
</div>
<div>2. The animal material is treated in a
way that it poses no health risk (proof of safe treatment)</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>The latter usually requires treatments
that definitely inactivate any germ or virus, e.g. cooking,
fixing, etc. 'Inactive' and 'lifeless' is a fundamental
requirement for a good museum specimen. This must be properly
documented when specimens are shipped via international borders to
avoid any hassles with vets anyway. Thus, I would not think that
there will be COVID-specific exemptions for fixed / preserved
museum specimens. Otherwise this would have merged for similar
transmissible virus diseases we saw earlier, e.g. during times of
bird flue, swine flue, Ebola etc. We imported fixed fish when
Ebola was still viral in Central Africa without any problems based
on current legislation and the aforementioned concepts.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>If any kind of fresh material. i.e.
non-fixed with potentially active protein-components inside
specimens, it is advised to get into contact with your local
veterinarian inspection post <u>before</u> materials are sent, as
enforcement of (federal) veterinarian law usually has a local
component of those implementing the rules during on-spot
inspections. <br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Hope this helps</div>
<div>Dirk<br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Am 15.04.2020 um 14:27 schrieb
Elizabeth Merritt:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hello all,<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Alliance is compiling a list of
collections-related COVID issues, and I hope you can help me
add the issues relevant to natural history specimens. Has
anyone been discussing the current or future impact of COVID
on shipment and intake of specimens? E.g., bans on shipment
of some specimens (based on taxa, locality) as we learn more
about what species can be vectors for coronavirus;
recommendations for quarantine or treatment of some incoming
specimens; need for research to inform these decisions.<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thank you for any information you can
provide.<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Elizabeth<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Elizabeth Merritt<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Vice President, Strategic Foresight and<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Founding Director, Center for the Future of
Museums<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">American Alliance of Museums<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">2451 Crystal Drive, Suite 1005<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Arlington, VA 22202<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(202)218-7661<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
</div>
<br>
<fieldset></fieldset>
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</blockquote>
<p><br>
</p>
<div>-- <br>
<p><img src="cid:1717f0090d6b1fb01d51" alt="" width="152" height="59"></p>
<p><br>
Dirk Neumann<br>
<br>
Tel: 089 / 8107-111<br>
Fax: 089 / 8107-300<br>
neumann(a)<a href="http://snsb.de" target="_blank">snsb.de</a><br>
<br>
Postanschrift:<br>
<br>
Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns<br>
Zoologische Staatssammlung München<br>
Dirk Neumann, Sektion Ichthyologie / DNA-Storage<br>
Münchhausenstr. 21<br>
81247 München<br>
<br>
Besuchen Sie unsere Sammlung:<br>
<a href="http://www.zsm.mwn.de/sektion/ichthyologie-home/" target="_blank">http://www.zsm.mwn.de/sektion/ichthyologie-home/</a><br>
<br>
---------<br>
<br>
Dirk Neumann<br>
<br>
Tel: +49-89-8107-111<br>
Fax: +49-89-8107-300<br>
neumann(a)<a href="http://snsb.de" target="_blank">snsb.de</a><br>
<br>
postal address:<br>
<br>
Bavarian Natural History Collections<br>
The Bavarian State Collection of Zoology<br>
Dirk Neumann, Section Ichthyology / DNA-Storage<br>
Muenchhausenstr. 21<br>
81247 Munich (Germany)<br>
<br>
Visit our section at:<br>
<a href="http://www.zsm.mwn.de/sektion/ichthyologie-home/" target="_blank">http://www.zsm.mwn.de/sektion/ichthyologie-home/</a><br>
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NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of<br>
Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose<br>
mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of<br>
natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to<br>
society. See <a href="http://www.spnhc.org" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.spnhc.org</a> for membership information.<br>
Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate.<br>
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