ROLE OF WORLD ORGANISATION FOR ANIMAL HEALTH (OIE) IN CONTROLLING ANIMAL ZOONOSES

October 23, 2020

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ROLE OF WORLD ORGANISATION FOR ANIMAL HEALTH (OIE) IN CONTROLLING ANIMAL ZOONOSES

Dr.Sunit kr. Upadhyay, Livestock consultant,UK

Introduction

World Organisation for Animal Health, formerly Office International des Epizooties, intergovernmental organization established to gather and disseminate information about animal diseases around the world and to create health standards to protect international trade in animals and their products. It was founded in 1924 as the Office International des Epizooties (OIE). The organization adopted its English-language name in 2003, but it retained the well-recognized abbreviation of its original name. Its headquarters are in Paris.

The OIE’s highest governing body is the World Assembly of Delegates, which meets at least once a year; each member country has one vote on its resolutions. Its other organizing body is the nine-member Council, which meets twice annually to handle administrative functions and prepare for the meetings of the World Assembly of Delegates. The OIE is headed by a director-general, who is elected by the World Assembly of Delegates to a five-year term and can serve multiple terms. In the early 21st century the organization had more than 170 member countries.

The formation of the OIE was inspired by an outbreak of the highly contagious animal disease rinderpest in Belgium in 1920 that had been transmitted by cattle en route from India to Brazil via Antwerp. It gave rise to concerns in Europe regarding communicable diseases among livestock. In 1921 a conference on the subject was held in Paris, attended by representatives of 42 countries. The conference’s recommendations included the creation of an international office to aid in the control of infectious diseases, an endeavour that gained the support of the League of Nations. On January 25, 1924, a group of 28 signatories—mainly European countries but also Mexico, several countries of South America, Egypt, Tunisia, and Siam (later Thailand)—ratified an agreement to create the OIE. The OIE held its first conference four years later in Geneva.

MISSIONS OF OIE:

Assuring the transparency of its workings, building international solidarity, promoting veterinary services, disseminating scientific information, monitoring food safety and animal welfare, and maintaining sanitary safety in the international trade in animals and animal products. Over the years it has formed a large number of official collaborations with other international organizations, such as the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the World Trade Organization (which recognizes the OIE as a reference organization—one consulted in an official capacity as to best practices), as well as a number of regional public and animal health alliances. Its member countries report to the OIE, which collects information on animal diseases around the world and maintains the World Animal Health Information System, a database of animal health conditions available to OIE delegates, and the World Animal Health Information Database, which is accessible to the public.

OIE is an intergovernmental organization created by the International Agreement of 25 January 1924 signed by 28 countries.
Its headquarters is in Paris, France. Incursions of rinderpest into Europe and most notably the epizootic which occurred in Belgium in 1920 led to the creation of the Office Internationale des Epizooties in 1924.
As on 2010, OIE totaled 176 Member Countries.
OIE maintains permanent relations with more than 20 other international organizations.
The office is placed under the authority and control of an International committee consisting of Delegates designed by the governments of member countries. The office has appointed regional coordinators on all 5 continents.
A Central Bureau headed by a Director General who is appointed by an International committee conducting the activities of the organization.
The OIE has 5 regional commissions covering to promote co-operations, study problems encountered by Veterinary Services and organize cooperation activities on a regional level.
Each commission promotes regional co-operation in animal disease control, mainly by holding conferences, on an average once in two years.
The proceedings of these conferences at which several topics of general interests are discussed and published. There are 4 specialist commissions and they are
- Foot and Mouth disease commission
- The Norms commission (concerned with standards for diagnostic methods and vaccine production)
- International Zoo-sanitary code commission (provides recommendations on the import/export of animals and animal products)
- Fish disease commission
- Administrative commission

1.Improving animal health and welfare by appropriate risk management:

by ensuring the excellence of scientific expertise, the basis for OIE standards and recommendations, within the Specialist Commissions and Working Groups as well as in the global network of Reference Centres. Concrete proposals will be made with the aim of adapting the procedures for selecting experts, in compliance with the Basic Texts currently in force, and strengthening the internal capabilities of the Organisation’s scientific secretariats;
by making the appraisals that precede official recognition of Member Countries’ animal disease status more robust;
by formalising the work procedures involved and improving transparency and accountability towards Member Countries and partners.
2.Reinforcing trust through transparency and communication:
- by making better use of the animal disease information available in WAHIS, notably by making epidemiological and cartographic analyses widely available;
- by revamping the external information and communication tools, notably by making the OIE website more attractive, including for those in the public health sector.
- 3.Ensuring the capacity of Veterinary Services and the sustainability of their activities:
- by contributing to global and regional discussions on improving sanitary governance;
- by strengthening the quality of the Veterinary Services, including training and support for sanitary policies, notably through the various stages of the PVS Pathway; both the successes and weaknesses identified by the beneficiary countries will be analysed to enable the constant adaptation of the PVS Pathway to the needs of the Veterinary Services requesting this support;
- by its involvement in the analysis of emergency situations arising during sanitary crises, alongside our traditional institutional partners, FAO and WHO.

World Veterinary Year

OIE announced year 2011 as “World Veterinary Year”

OBJECTIVES OF OIE

To guarantee the transparency of animal disease status worldwide (Transparency)

Each Member Country undertakes to report the animal diseases that it detects on its territory.
The OIE then disseminates the information to other countries, which can take the necessary preventive action.
This information also includes diseases transmissible to humans.
Information is sent out immediately or periodically depending on the seriousness of the disease.
Dissemination is via the OIE Web site, e-mail and the following periodicals
- Disease Information, published weekly,
- OIE Bulletin published every two months
- Annual compilation – World Animal Health.

To collect, analyse and disseminate veterinary scientific information (Scientific information)

The OIE collects and analyses the latest scientific information on animal disease control.
This information is then made available to the Member Countries to help them to improve the methods used to control and eradicate these diseases.
Scientific information is also disseminated through various works and periodicals published by the OIE, notably the Scientific and Technical Review (3 issues a year).

To provide expertise and promote international solidarity for the control of animal diseases (International solidarity)

The OIE provides technical support to Member Countries requesting assistance with animal disease control and eradication operations, including diseases transmissible to humans.
The OIE notably offers expertise to the poorest countries to help them control animal diseases that cause livestock losses, present a risk to public health and threaten other Member Countries.

To guarantee the sanitary safety of world trade by developing sanitary rules for international trade in animals and animal products (Sanitary safety)

The OIE develops normative documents relating to rules that Member Countries can use to protect themselves from diseases, without setting up unjustified sanitary barriers.
The main normative works produced by the OIE are
- International Animal Health Code,
- Manual of Standards for Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines
- International Aquatic Animal Health Code
- Diagnostic Manual for Aquatic Animal Diseases.

To improve the legal framework and resources of national Veterinary Services (Promotion of Veterinary Services)

The Veterinary Services and laboratories of developing and transition countries are in urgent need of support to provide them with the necessary infrastructures, resources and capacities that will enable their countries to benefit more full from the WIO Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement (SPS Agreement) while at the same time providing greater protection for animal health and public health and reducing the threat for other countries which are free of diseases.
The OIE considers the Veterinary Services as a Global Public Good and their bringing into line with international standards (structure, organization, resources, capacities, role of paraprofessionals) as a public investment priority.

To provide a better guarantee of the safety of food of animal origin and to promote animal welfare through science based approach (New mandate for animal production food safety and animal welfare )

The OIE Member Countries have decided to provide a better guarantee of the safety of food of animal origin by creating greater synergy between the activities of the OIE and those of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
The OIE’s standard-setting activities in this field focus on eliminating potential hazards existing prior to the slaughter of animals or the primary processing of their products (meat, milk, eggs, etc.) that could be a source of risk for consumers.
Since it was created, the OIE has played a key role in its capacity as the sole international reference organization for animal health, enjoying established international recognition and benefiting from direct collaboration with the Veterinary Services of all its Member Countries.
As a mark of the close relationship between animal health and animal welfare, the OIE has become, at the request of its Member Countries, the leading international organization for animal welfare.

OIE LISTED DISEASES

Multiple species diseases

Anthrax
Aujeszky’s disease
Bluetongue
Brucellosis (Brucella abortus)
Brucellosis (Brucella melitensis)
Brucellosis (Brucella suis)
Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever
Echinococcosis/hydatidosis
Epizootic haemorrhagic disease
Equine encephalomyelitis (Eastern)
Foot and mouth disease
Heartwater
Japanese encephalitis
Leptospirosis
New world screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax)
Old world screwworm (Chrysomya bezziana)
Paratuberculosis
Q fever
Rabies
Rift Valley fever
Rinderpest
Surra (Trypanosoma evansi)
Trichinellosis
Tularemia
Vesicular stomatitis
West Nile fever

Cattle diseases

Bovine anaplasmosis
Bovine babesiosis
Bovine genital campylobacteriosis
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
Bovine tuberculosis
Bovine viral diarrhoea
Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia
Enzootic bovine leukosis
Haemorrhagic septicaemia
Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis/infectious pustular vulvovaginitis
Lumpky skin disease
Theileriosis
Trichomonosis
Trypanosomosis (tsetse-transmitted)

Sheep and goat diseases

Caprine arthritis/encephalitis
Contagious agalactia
Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia
Enzootic abortion of ewes (ovine chlamydiosis)
Maedi-visna
Nairobi sheep disease
Ovine epididymitis (Brucella ovis)
Peste des petits ruminants
Salmonellosis (S. abortusovis)
Scrapie
Sheep pox and goat pox

Swine diseases

African swine fever
Classical swine fever
Nipah virus encephalitis
Porcine cysticercosis
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome
Swine vesicular disease
Transmissible gastroenteritis

Equine diseases

African horse sickness
Contagious equine metritis
Dourine
Equine encephalomyelitis (Western)
Equine infectious anaemia
Equine influenza
Equine piroplasmosis
Equine rhinopneumonitis
Equine viral arteritis
Glanders
Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis

Avian diseases

Avian chlamydiosis
Avian infectious bronchitis
Avian infectious laryngotracheitis
Avian mycoplasmosis (M. gallisepticum)
Avian mycoplasmosis (M. synoviae)
Duck virus hepatitis
Fowl cholera
Fowl typhoid
Highly pathogenic avian influenza and low pathogenic avian influenza in poultry
Infectious bursal disease (Gumboro disease)
Marek’s disease
Newcastle disease
Pullorum disease
Turkey rhinotracheitis

Other diseases

Camelpox
Leishmaniosis

REPORTING OF ANIMAL DISEASES BY OIE

All OIE Member Countries have the obligation to report the occurrence of all OIE listed diseases
There are three different types of reports
- Emergency reports
  - Countries must notify the OIE Central Bureau within 24 hours of the occurrence of a significant epidemiological event.
  - Thereafter, they must provide progress reports on a weekly basis until such time as the situation becomes stable or the disease concerned has been eradicated.
  - The sending of weekly reports should stop once a disease has become enzootic.
  - The form can also be used to report the lifting of sanitary measures when it is considered that all the recorded outbreaks have been eliminated.
  - The central bureau immediately sends a summary of the warning message by e-mail to member countries.
  - In addition, the OIE publishes a weekly disease information leaflet that is sent to all member countries and is also available online.
- Monthly reports
  - Countries need to provide information on the absence or presence of OIE listed diseases and, where appropriate, a compilation of data relating to diseases not on this list that have been the subject of emergency or follow-up reports during the month in question.
- Yearly report
  - Once a year, member countries submit a written report summarizing the most important information on their disease control efforts as a complete report on the occurrence of OIE listed diseases in their territories.
- Reference-On request