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Over 850 participants, representing Member Countries of the OIE as well as numerous international, intergovernmental, regional and national organisations took part in the 82nd Session of the OIE, which marked the 90th Anniversary of the Organisation.
The World Assembly of Delegates approved the application of two new countries: Liberia and South Sudan, raising to 180 the number of OIE Member Countries.
OIE Delegates proceeded to the election of the new Vice-President of the Council, Dr Botlhe Michael Modisane, Delegate of South Africa.
During this week, the Assembly examined the worldwide 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. The latter was treated in one of the technical items during the OIE General Session.
OIE Member Countries exchanged views regarding PED situation. The OIE Director General decided to set up an ad hoc group on the topic. International experts have been identified and will be gathered to elaborate 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 numerous standards and guidelines in the fields of terrestrial and aquatic animal disease prevention and control, as well as diagnostic methods and vaccine quality.
- The OIE Delegates continued their work in the field of antimicrobial resistance by adopting the revision of three Chapters of the OIE Terrestrial Code on antimicrobial resistance, especially the Chapter (6.10.) on the risk assessment for antimicrobial resistance arising from the use of antimicrobial agents in animals.
- The three Chapters involving Brucella spp were merged into one single Chapter combining the three pathogens B. abortus, B. melitensis and B. suis, in order to harmonise their control measures.
- Official recognition of disease status:
- 11 countries were recognised as having a ‘negligible risk’ status with regard to BSE. The status of all the countries that already had an officially recognised status remains unchanged.
- Republic of Korea was recognised free from FMD with vaccination. New zones were recognised as officially free from the disease in Argentina (without vaccination), in Brazil and Bolivia (with vaccination). The OIE endorsed the national control programme for FMD submitted by Ecuador.
- 14 countries were recognised free from AHS.
- Argentina, Canada and Singapore were officially listed as ‘CBPP free’.
- For the first time, this year, 48 countries were recognised as ‘PPR free’.
- OIE scientific network and capacity building: the Delegates accredited nine new Reference Laboratories and six new Collaborating Centres, bringing the number of official centres of scientific excellence within the OIE worldwide network to 296, in 44 countries over the five continents.
Friday May 30, 2014/ OIE.
http://www.oie.int
