June 2, 2014
 

OIE adopts new international standards and guidelines on animal health
 

Over 850 participants, representing OIE member countries as well as international, intergovernmental, regional and national organisations have voted to adopt 40 new resolutions at the 82nd session of the OIE.

The World Assembly of OIE delegates have examined the global animal health situation, and gave special attention to the latest sanitary episodes of importance: the porcine epidemic diarrhoea (PED) in some countries of America and Asia, the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or 'mad cow disease' in Brazil, influenza H7N9 and H5N8 in Asia, rabies in Chinese Taipei and the African swine fever (ASF) in Eastern Europe.

OIE member countries exchanged views regarding the PED situation. The OIE Director General have set up an ad hoc group on the topic, where international experts have been identified and will be gathered to elaborate on a technical note and provide a risk analysis regarding international trade of pigs and pork products.

As in each year, OIE delegates adopted and revised standards and guidelines in the fields of terrestrial and aquatic animal disease prevention and control, as well as diagnostic methods and vaccine quality.

In particular, the World Assembly adopted a resolution with regard to a global peste des petits ruminants (PPR) control and eradication strategy.

The distribution of PPR has expanded during the past decade and it is now present in a large part of Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Since PPR is a major devastating disease of small ruminants, it has been selected as one of the top priority diseases to be addressed by the OIE.

The Global PPR Control Strategy, developed in the framework of GF-TADs (Global Framework for the progressive control of Transboundary Animal Diseases), is a joint FAO/OIE initiative.

The successful strategy which led to the eradication of rinderpest in 2011, built on long term continuous efforts including global and regional coordination will serve as a model for the PPR eradication programmes.

In the field of antimicrobial resistance, the OIE delegates adopted the revision of three Chapters of the OIE Terrestrial Code on antimicrobial resistance, especially Chapter (6.10.) on the risk assessment for antimicrobial resistance arising from the use of antimicrobial agents in animals.

The OIE also paid attention to improvement in animal welfare. The standard adopted in 2013 on animal welfare in broiler chicken production systems was revised (Chapter 7.10.), notably with regards to the deviation of the feed conversion rate, which is an indicator of animal welfare issues (article 7.10.3). Work is currently in progress on standards for dairy cattle.

In total, the World Assembly adopted the revision of 25 Chapters and the addition of two new Chapters in the OIE Terrestrial Code.

In the field of aquatic animal diseases, the World Assembly adopted among others: a new Chapter on infection with salmonid alphavirus; a new Chapter providing guidance on criteria for determining susceptibility of aquatic animals to specific pathogenic agents, given that approximately 500 different aquatic animal species are farmed globally, with several new species brought to aquaculture annually.