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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Dear Cody<br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">indeed, potential (overambitious)
restrictions to fieldwork seem to be the biggest threat,
especially in times where it is of utmost importance to intensify
research to understand what is going on. And the CETAF/DiSSCo
approach clearly points into this direction (thanks for sharing
the link again).</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">It might be worth keeping in mind:
currently, a huge amount of highly active COVID-samples are
shipped around the globe quite smoothly. Our current (intentional)
regulatory frameworks and laws are well suited and designed to
accommodate the transfer and shipping of such samples. <u>We</u>
need to equip ourselves so that colleagues going into the field,
handling or shipping such kinds of materials know these regs,
understand how to read them and to communicate relevant
information to authorities in charge for implementing them.</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">If we look closely, there are already a
lot of exemptions and possibilities we can use, but my impression
is some of our research colleagues are not familiar with them. So
maybe not 'retool', but increased self-assuredness of existing
tools and knowing by heart how to use them would be the deal. <u>Prior</u>
is the keyword. You should get into touch with your authorities
before you start planning your field trip, prior to shipping of
samples the necessary paperwork/exemptions should be in place,
prior to import of potentially infectious material all people and
agents in charge to handle your material during importation are
informed, etc.<br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">All the best</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Dirk</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Am 15.04.2020 um 20:32 schrieb Cody
Thompson:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:CAMaB+fEzW9GKk-H4CSp+RaGiSNXYY_XCMV389usJ98=zyUba7g@mail.gmail.com">
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<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/"
moz-do-not-send="true"> 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>
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<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
size="2" face="arial,
helvetica, sans-serif">ichigan</font></div>
<div><font size="2"
face="arial, helvetica,
sans-serif">Museum of
Zoology</font></div>
<div>
<div
style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><font
size="2" face="arial,
helvetica, sans-serif">3600
Varsity Drive</font></div>
<div
style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><font
size="2" face="arial,
helvetica, sans-serif">Ann
Arbor, Michigan 48108</font></div>
</div>
<div><font size="2"
face="arial, helvetica,
sans-serif">Office:
(734) 615-2810</font></div>
<div>Fa<font size="2"
face="arial, helvetica,
sans-serif">x: (734)
763-4080</font></div>
<div><font size="2"
face="arial, helvetica,
sans-serif">Email: <a
href="mailto:cwthomp@umich.edu"
target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true">cwthomp@umich.edu</a></font></div>
<div><font size="2"
face="arial, helvetica,
sans-serif">Website: <a
href="http://codythompson.org" target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">codythompson.org</a></font></div>
<div><span
style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><font
size="2" face="arial,
helvetica, sans-serif"><br>
</font></span>
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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></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>
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</div>
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<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"
moz-do-not-send="true">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,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </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.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thank you for any information you
can provide.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Elizabeth</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Elizabeth Merritt</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Vice President, Strategic Foresight
and</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Founding Director, Center for the
Future of Museums</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">American Alliance of Museums</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">2451 Crystal Drive, Suite 1005</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Arlington, VA 22202</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(202)218-7661</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
<br>
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<p><br>
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<div>-- <br>
<p><img src="cid:part8.4E91A81B.467B9EDF@snsb.de" alt=""
class="" 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"
moz-do-not-send="true">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>
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href="http://www.zsm.mwn.de/sektion/ichthyologie-home/"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">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"
moz-do-not-send="true">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" moz-do-not-send="true">http://www.zsm.mwn.de/sektion/ichthyologie-home/</a><br>
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to<br>
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<p><br>
</p>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
<p><img src="cid:part16.8CF46B3F.7993805D@snsb.de" alt=""
width="152" height="59"></p>
<p><br>
Dirk Neumann<br>
<br>
Tel: 089 / 8107-111<br>
Fax: 089 / 8107-300<br>
neumann(a)snsb.de<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 class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.zsm.mwn.de/sektion/ichthyologie-home/">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)snsb.de<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 class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.zsm.mwn.de/sektion/ichthyologie-home/">http://www.zsm.mwn.de/sektion/ichthyologie-home/</a><br>
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