The quick reply from the World Animal Health Organization, OIE, acknowledging that the two cases of 'mad cow' reported in Brazil were atypical and China's willingness to accept the diagnosis, according to the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture should strongly mitigate the impact on beef exports to China and Hong Kong.
Brazil said that it is closely monitoring the outbreak of African Swine Fever, ASF, in the Dominican Republic and is taking the necessary measures, including an alert on the control of imports, international agriculture surveillance, and animal health services.
Zoonotic diseases continue to be a threat to global health, causing millions of deaths and economic losses every year. To support countries to control these diseases, the Tripartite organizations (FAO, OIE and WHO) launched a guide entitled ‘Taking a Multisectoral, One Health Approach: A Tripartite Guide to Addressing Zoonotic Diseases in Countries’.
In the lead-up to World Antibiotic Awareness Week (13-19 November 2017), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) are together calling for responsible use of antibiotics in humans and animals to reduce the emergence of antibiotic resistance.
A devastating livestock disease is continuing to extend its global reach and is now present in 76 countries. Georgia recently reported its first-ever case of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), a viral disease which is capable of severely impacting goat and sheep populations, while a new outbreak has occurred in the Maldives, showing that even island states are vulnerable to the plague.
Brazil' minister of agriculture Katia Abreu said she was very optimistic about Mercosur reaching a trade agreement with the European Union, and if there are problems look to Europe, because Mercosur members have almost agreed and finished their proposal.
Irish authorities have identified a suspected case of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, on a dairy farm in County Louth, the first such case to be discovered in the country since 2013. The Irish Department of Agriculture said on Thursday the five-year-old diseased cow was discovered as part of ongoing inspections of animals that die on farms.
The head of the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) called on countries that are banning Brazilian beef imports, following a case of mad cow disease last month, to lift restrictions as soon as possible, saying they were not justified.