AR-News: The OIE paves the way for a new animal disease notification system

[Masako Miyaji]

http://oie.int/eng/edito/en_lastedito.htm

Updated : April 2004  

The OIE paves the way for a new animal disease
notification system

Resolutions passed by the International Committee (IC)
and recommendations issued by the Regional Commissions
have instructed the OIE Central Bureau to establish a
single OIE list of notifiable terrestrial animal
diseases to replace the current Lists A and B. The aim
in drawing up a single list is to be in line with the
terminology of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary
Agreement (SPS) of the World Trade Organization (WTO),
by classifying diseases as specific hazards and giving
all listed diseases the same degree of importance in
international trade.

In creating a single list of notifiable diseases, the
OIE is faced with two challenges: 

1) to define criteria for including a disease in the
OIE single list that are acceptable to the majority of
Member Countries, respect the criteria set out in the
resolutions of the Committee (more specifically
Resolution XXIII of May 2001) and are in line with the
OIE’s other goals and missions; 

2) to define criteria for the degree of ‘urgency’ of
each reporting.

I therefore convened an Ad hoc Group on Terrestrial
Animal Disease/Pathogenic Agent Notification,
comprised of internationally renowned experts, to
support the OIE Animal Health Information Department
in defining criteria to determine whether a given
disease should be included in the OIE list. This was
also the occasion to to conduct a thorough review of
the OIE’s animal health information system, aimed at
making improvements and adapting it to meet the new
requirements of a single list (frequency of reporting,
nature of the information to be collected, on-line
report forms, etc.).


The proposed criteria for a disease to be included in
the OIE single list were kept to a minimum and consist
of easily definable factors applicable world-wide. The
overriding criterion for a disease to be listed is its
potential for international spread. Other criteria
include a capacity for significant spread within naïve
populations and the zoonotic potential. Each criterion
is linked to measurable parameters: if a disease
fulfil at least one of these parameters, then it
becomes notifiable.

Under the future OIE notification system, not only the
disease but other related events will require urgent
notification. All events of epidemiological
significance must be notified immediately to the OIE,
as laid down in Article 1.1.3.3. of Chapter 1.1.3. on
‘notification and epidemiological information’ of the
Terrestrial Animal Health Code. These changes will
improve the efficiency of the OIE early warning system
for the benefit of the international community.

The events of epidemiological significance that should
be notified immediately are as follows:

- the first occurrence of a listed disease or
infection in a country or compartment1;

- the re-occurrence of a listed disease or infection
in a country or compartment following a report by the
Delegate of the Member Country declaring the outbreak
closed;

- the first occurrence of a new strain of a pathogen
of a listed disease in a country or compartment;

- a sudden and unexpected increase in morbidity or
mortality caused by an existing listed disease;

- emerging diseases with significant
morbidity/mortality or zoonotic potential;

- evidence of a change in the epidemiology of a listed
disease (including host range, pathogenicity, strain
of causative pathogen), in particular if there is a
zoonotic impact.

Proposals have also been made to adapt the OIE’s
information system to the single list, involving
changes in the frequency with which Member Countries
should submit regular reports to the OIE, namely
six-monthly and annual. However, in this context there
will be a significant increase in the number of
emergency and follow-up reports submitted.

Implementing these changes will mean completely
redesigning the existing animal health information
system, which will need to take full advantage of all
the possibilities offered by the latest information
and communication technology, including mapping
software.

The timetable for implementing the new system is as
follows:

- May 2004, discussion and adoption by the IC of the
new criteria for categorising diseases, the current
list (combination of Lists A and B) being kept without
any changes;

- January 2005, effective suppression of Lists A and B
and implementation of the new notification system;

- May 2005, discussion and adoption by the IC of the
new OIE list of diseases, resulting from the
application of the criteria adopted in May 2004.

Should unforeseen circumstances lead to delays in the
setting up of the new system, Member Countries will of
course be kept informed.

Bernard Vallat 

____________________________________ 
1 ‘Compartment’: autonomous epidemiological entity
defined on the basis of either geography (zone) or
management (enterprise) for the purpose of
international trade (cf. Art. 1.1.1.1. of the
Terrestrial Animal Health Code, OIE, 2003). 




	
		
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