WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/GEN/182
16 June 2000
(00-2425)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
THE ROLE OF THE CENTERS FOR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND ANIMAL
HEALTH AS AN OIE COLLABORATING CENTER FOR ANIMAL DISEASE
SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS AND RISK ANALYSIS
Submission by the United States
INTRODUCTION1. The Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health (CEAH) are part of the United States
Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services. Their
function is to provide information and technical services for animal health and other agricultural
interests to ensure a safe and economical supply of food and agricultural products through a
multidisciplinary team approach.
2. In 1998, CEAH was nominated as the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) Collaborating
Center for Animal Disease Surveillance Systems and Risk Analysis. The role of Collaborating
Centers is to provide Member Countries of the OIE with scientific and technical assistance and expert
advice on topics linked to disease surveillance and control and risk analysis.
3. The Collaborating Center has four primary objectives: (1) Develop methodologies and
approaches to enhance animal disease surveillance systems and the risk analysis process;  (2) Promote
the harmonization of methods applied in disease surveillance and risk analysis;  (3) Provide technicalcooperation to OIE Member countries on an ad hoc basis in areas related to animal disease
surveillance systems and risk analysis;  and (4) Establish a critical mass of trained individuals in OIE
member countries to improve the quality of animal disease surveillance and risk analysis.
4. CEAH continually seeks and welcomes input and inquiries on tasks and activities that will
help the Collaborating Center meet these objectives.  Below is a report of the activities of theCollaborating Center for 1999, as well as contact information for inquiries.G/SPS/GEN/182
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ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1999
Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health
United States Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service
Veterinary Services
555 South Howes Street, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, USA
Tel (970) 490-8000; Fax (970) 490-8099
Web Site www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ceah/
Name of Director: Position vacant at this time
Name of OIE designated expert: Steve Weber, Center’s representative
Activities related to the mandate of OIE Collaborating Centers
(a) International harmonization and standardization of methods:
• Risk analysis in decision-making training courses held in Japan, India and Canada
(Dr. Ken Forsythe);
• Meeting of the OIE Regional Commission for the Americas ad hoc group on risk
analysis.  Fort Collins, Colorado, 23-27 August 1999;
• CEAH is working with Canada and Mexico examining different mitigations in the
face of an FMD outbreak. The objective is to develop a model using animal
demographics and contact rates to determine when the use of vaccination becomes
economically feasible. The results of the modeling efforts will help managers to
decide if and when to use vaccine in the event of an FMD outbreak.
 
(b) Provision of consultant expertise to OIE or to OIE member countries:
/g120 OIE ad hoc group on guidelines for surveillance and monitoring, Paris 29-
30 September 1999 attended by Drs. Mark Schoenbaum and Cristóbal Zepeda
/g120 Analysis and dissemination of results from the Schwein 99 national study. Institute of
Virology and Immunoprophylaxis (IVI) of Swiss BVET
/g120 OIE Working Group on Epidemiology and Informatics, Madrid, 4-7 October 1999,
Dr. Steve Weber.
(c) Provision of scientific and technical training to personnel from OIE member countries:
/g120 Geographical Information Systems (Mexico)
/g120 Veterinary epidemiology and health management systems related to bovine
salmonella and pathogenic E. coli in the United States (Japan)
/g120 Monitoring and surveillance strategies (Japan)
/g120 Epidemiology and data analysis (Italy)G/SPS/GEN/182
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(d) Organization of international scientific meetin gs on behalf of OIE or other international
bodies
(e) Participation in international scientific collaborative studies
/g120 Dr. Jerry Freier visited the Institut Agr onomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II (IAV), in
Rabat, Morocco.  The purpose of this visit was to review accomplishments of thecurrent collaborative research effort on ticks and tick-borne diseases (TBD) inMorocco, an initiative funded by the US State Department through USDA/FAS andUSDA/ARS. The main objectives of the project were:  (1) Validate improveddiagnostic assays for use in Morocco;  (2) Transfer of technology to IAV;  (3)Determine the seroprevalence of TBD in a limited survey near IAV.
(f) Participation in international scientific meetings
/g120 "The Role of Agriculture in Managing Antimicrobial Resistance" Toronto, Canada,
24-26 October 1999
/g120 "Developing a National Surveillance Strategy".  Lelystad, Netherlands 20-
22 October 1999
/g120 International colloquium on paratuberculosis in Melbourne, Australia, February 1999
/g120 Third International Symposium on the Epidemiology and Control of Salmonella in
Pork. Washington, D.C. on 4-7 August 1999
(g) Publication and dissemination of information releva nt to the work of OIE.  A list of scientific
publications, internet publishing activities, and presentations at international conferences is
available upon request.
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