March 15, 2013

 

China and UN to strengthen cooperation in animal disease control

 

 

China and the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have increased cooperation in animal disease control and detection, according to Percy Misika, a FAO representative to China.

 

After more than 30 years of cooperation, China has improved detection of animal influenza and can make stronger contributions to anti-animal influenza efforts in the region and around the world, added Misika.

 

In early March, FAO has designated the Animal Influenza Laboratory of the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute the first reference centre for animal influenza in China.

 

The FAO officially recognised the laboratory due to the lab's contribution to the implementation of FAO's programme priorities.

 

If the centre identifies a new epidemic in China, it can alert other countries before a mass outbreak occurs, thus avoiding huge property losses and saving the lives of both livestock and human, Misika said.

 

"If a local laboratory is not sure whether a diagnosis (of the animal) is accurate, it will need a second opinion from another laboratory that has higher technical expertise and a higher level of bio-technology. This centre will play that role," he added.

 

FAO designates reference centres in the field of animal health, and these cover disciplines such as veterinary epidemiology, laboratory bio-security and 12 types of animal diseases, including those shared by human beings.

 

China is the tenth country to have an FAO reference centre, and the second one to have a facility that's focused on animal influenza research.

 

In 2006, FAO established the Emergency Centre for Trans-boundary Animal Diseases China Office and initiated a project with the Ministry of Agriculture on highly pathogenic avian influenza.

 

Capacity for disease surveillance and emergency response for both national and provincial governments has been enhanced by this work.

 

The FAO and China have also enhanced the capacity for veterinary epidemiology through the implementation of the China Field Epidemiology Training Programme for Veterinarians.

 

The FAO ECTAD has worked with China in improving collaboration on trans-boundary animal diseases among China and neighbouring countries, including Mongolia, Russia, Vietnam and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.