APHIS Factsheet

Veterinary Services May 2011

ctsheet Collaborating 

with the World 

Organization for 

Animal Health (OIE)

Veterinary Services (VS), a program within the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and 

Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), facilitates 

the domestic and international marketability of U.S. 

animals and animal products through its National 

Center for Import and Export (NCIE). With its 

import and export teams and International Animal 

Health Standards Team, NCIE is at the forefront of 

APHIS’ efforts to safeguard the health of our Nation’s 

agricultural resources. The growing interest in 

international agricultural trade has expanded VS’ role 

to ensure that new trade opportunities are created 

while continuing to safeguard the Nation’s animal 

health. 

 Under the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) 

Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement, countries are 

required to base their sanitary import measures on 

science-based principles and guidelines. The WTO 

recognizes the World Organization for Animal Health 

(OIE) as the international forum for setting animal 

health standards, reporting global animal health 

events and disease status, and presenting guidelines 

and recommendations on sanitary measures relating 

to animal health. At the same time, there is greater 

potential for countries to use disease concerns as 

artifi cial barriers to trade by attempting to establish 

import health requirements that protect their own 

industries and thus limit trade in animals and/or animal 

products.

OIE and International Standards

The OIE was established in Paris, France, in 1924 

with the signing of an international agreement by 28 

countries. As of May 2011, the organization had 178 

member nations, each of which is represented by a 

delegate who, in most cases, is the chief veterinary 

officer of the country. OIE’s mission is to improve 

animal health and welfare and prevent the spread 

of serious animal diseases. It works to achieve this 

mission through fi ve objectives:

1. Ensuring transparency in global animal disease 

situations;

2. Collecting, analyzing, and disseminating veterinary 

scientifi c information;

3. Providing expertise and encouraging international 

solidarity in the control of animal diseases;

4. Safeguarding world trade by publishing health 

standards for international trade in animals and 

animal products; and,

5. Improving the legal framework and resources of 

national veterinary services. 

 Four major groups within VS interact directly with 

OIE: NCIE’s International Animal Health Standards 

Team, the Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health 

(CEAH), the Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB), 

and the National Veterinary Services Laboratories 

(NVSL)—which are part of the Center for the 

Diagnosis of Animal Diseases and Vaccine Evaluation 

for the Americas. Collectively, these VS teams help 

develop international animal health standards and 

advance other international veterinary activities that 

are important to animal health and trade. 

 Additionally, VS coordinates the activities of three 

other collaborating centers based in the United States 

that also contribute their expertise to international 

veterinary efforts and enable safe and healthy trade. 

These centers include: the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for 

Zoonotic, Vector-Bourne and Enteric Diseases (ZVED); 

USDA’s Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory 

(SEPRL); and the Center for Animal Health and Food 

Safety (CAHFS) at the University of Minnesota.

NCIE’s International Animal Health Standards Team

NCIE’s International Animal Health Standards Team 

guides the development of sound international health 

standards for safe trade in animals and animal 

products by coordinating consensus-based comments 

on proposed modifi cations to chapters of the OIE 

“Terrestrial Animal Health Code.” The unit also:

• Maintains a database of disease and subject 

matter experts to review specifi c code chapters. 

Monitors and evaluates reports and scientifi c data 

produced by the OIE.

• Compiles information, together with CEAH’s 

National Surveillance Unit (NSU), for “World 

Animal Health” reports and the annual tabular and 

disease reports on the world animal health status 

of member countries and submits semi-annual 

disease reports.
• Coordinates import and export efforts to address 

the international movement of livestock, biological 

products, and animal products, and provides 

recommendations on health conditions regarding 

the movement of animals and animal products.

• Conducts meetings with appropriate staff 

members, pertinent industry groups, and subject 

matter experts to review and develop positions 

for the safe movement of animals and animal 

products.

• Prepares agendas and briefs for the U.S. 

delegation attending the Quadrilateral Animal 

Health Committee Meeting (Australia, Canada, 

New Zealand, and the United States), the 

North American Animal Health Committee Meeting 

(Canada, Mexico, and the United States), and the 

OIE Annual Meeting.

• Recommends changes to effectively address trade 

issues and align USDA standards and policies with 

international standards.

• Represents APHIS’ VS program and USDA 

at meetings with international officials and with 

livestock and poultry industry representatives.

 Contact information for International Animal Health 

 Standards Team:

USDA–APHIS–VS

National Center for Import and Export

International Animal Health Standards Team

4700 River Road, Unit 33

Riverdale, MD 20737

United States

Telephone: (301) 851-3300

Fax: (301) 734–6402

E-mail: usa.oie@aphis.usda.gov

Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health: An 

OIE Collaborating Center

As an OIE collaborating center, CEAH shares its 

risk analysis and disease surveillance and control 

expertise with member countries and provides 

technical assistance and advice. CEAH fulfi lls the 

following objectives:

• Reviews, evaluates, and adapts methodologies 

and approaches to enhance animal disease 

surveillance systems and the risk analysis process.

• Promotes a harmonized approach to disease 

surveillance and risk analysis.

• Provides technical assistance to OIE member 

countries as needed.

• Improves the quality of animal disease surveillance 

and risk analysis by establishing a critical mass 

of trained individuals in OIE member countries.

• Networks with other OIE collaborating centers to 

coordinate activities.

 Contact information for CEAH: 

USDA–APHIS–VS

Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health 

2150 Centre Avenue, Building B

Fort Collins, CO 80526

United States

Telephone: (970) 494–7214

Fax: (970) 472–2668

Email: ceah@aphis.usda.gov

Center for the Diagnosis of Animal Diseases and 

Vaccine Evaluation for the Americas: An OIE 

Collaborating Center

The Center for the Diagnosis of Animal Diseases and 

Vaccine Evaluation for the Americas is made up of 

three components—the National Veterinary Services 

Laboratories (NVSL), the Center for Veterinary 

Biologics (CVB), and the Institute for International 

Cooperation in Animal Biologics (IICAB). 

 NVSL is comprised of a number of full-service 

laboratories with expertise in diagnostic tests for 

signifi cant animal diseases found in the Americas. 

NVSL is committed to sharing and coordinating these 

procedures with other countries in the Americas. 

NVSL supports the OIE with the following activities:

• Provides diagnostic assistance, such as agent 

isolation and characterization.

• Supplies reference reagents to other laboratories, 

which can be used to standardize testing or for 

routine diagnosis.

• Evaluates diagnostic reagents used by other 

countries and exchanges sera to standardize and 

harmonize testing.

• Provides training in the diagnostic tests that NVSL 

performs.

• Consults on a wide range of diagnostic techniques. 

• Conducts developmental projects to improve 

diagnostic techniques for diseases of 

signifi cance in the Americas.

 Contact information for NVSL:

USDA–APHIS–VS

National Veterinary Services Laboratories

P.O. Box 844

Ames, IA 50010

United States

Telephone: (515) 663-7286

Fax: (515) 663-7397

Email: nvsl.concerns@aphis.usda.gov

 CVB is the sole confi rmatory and investigatory 

testing laboratory involved in the regulation of 

commercial veterinary biologics (vaccines and 

diagnostic kits) in the United States. CVB supports 

OIE with the following activities:
• Develops, distributes, and uses worldwide 

standard protocols for biologics evaluation and 

trains scientists throughout the world on these 

protocols.

• Validates and provides standard reagents to 

biologics manufacturers and regulatory 

laboratories worldwide.

• Conducts developmental projects to improve 

biological techniques for diseases of 

signifi cance in the Americas.

• Reviews, develops, compares, and harmonizes 

testing protocols in collaboration with 

industry and other government laboratories.

• Hosts scientifi c meetings in the area of veterinary 

biologics.

 Contact information for CVB:

USDA–APHIS–VS

Center for Veterinary Biologics

P.O. Box 844 

Ames, IA 50010

United States

Telephone: (515) 663-7331

Fax: (515) 663-7397

Email: cvb@aphis.usda.gov

 IICAB, based at Iowa State University, 

concentrates its efforts on educational endeavors 

and facilitating international communication and 

harmonization related to the availability, safety, 

and efficacy of veterinary biologics. The IICAB 

concentrates on the following activities:

• Offers training on scientifi c principles behind 

vaccine safety and efficacy.

• Works with other international organizations 

to harmonize regulations regarding veterinary 

biologics in the Americas.

• Assists developing countries to obtain veterinary 

biologics for specifi c unmet needs and in 

their efforts to manufacture, import, and regulate 

veterinary biologics and diagnostics.

 Contact information for IICAB:

Iowa State University

College of Veterinary Medicine

Institute for International Cooperation in Animal 

Biologics

2160 College of Vet Med

Ames, IA 50011

United States

Telephone: (515) 294-1850

Fax: (515) 294-8259

Email: iicab@iastate.edu

National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Bourne and 

Enteric Diseases: An OIE Collaborating Center

As an OIE collaborating center, ZVED focuses 

primarily on zoonotic infections (diseases transmitted 

between animals and humans). The center 

coordinates its activities with USDA and other 

OIE collaborating centers and intergovernmental 

organizations in an effort to strengthen collaboration 

between human and animal health sectors for global 

disease detection. The ZVED, in collaboration with 

other OIE centers, conducts the following activities:

• Coordinates joint OIE-CDC symposia on emerging 

zoonoses detection and control.

• Assists with strengthening surveillance, prevention, 

and control activities for zoonoses—particularly 

those diseases that represent emerging and 

re-emerging threats to public health—by supporting 

outbreak investigations and assisting the OIE 

and member countries in emergencies, including 

on-site consultation during outbreaks and 

epidemics.

• Reviews and provides comment on relevant 

zoonoses chapters of OIE technical manuals 

through the official U.S. delegate to the OIE.

• Identifi es newly isolated zoonotic agents and 

exchanges these with international and other 

relevant laboratories; assists in the identifi cation 

and surveillance of microbial strains where 

appropriate, including subtyping and antimicrobial 

susceptibility testing.

• Trains national professionals (scientists, veterinary 

public health professionals, and laboratory 

technicians) for zoonotic epidemic preparedness, 

laboratory strengthening, and epidemiologic 

investigation.

• Assists OIE with efforts to strengthen laboratory 

capacities in laboratory safety, biosecurity, 

laboratory design and containment, occupational 

safety and health, and personal protective 

equipment guidance.

• Collaborates on zoonotic disease research 

recommended by the OIE expert committees, 

scientifi c groups, and other consultative meetings.

• Fosters research on the epidemiology of zoonotic 

agents, including collaborating and analyzing 

epidemiologic information for the OIE and member 

countries.

• Develops and recommends methods of 

surveillance and control of zoonotic diseases.

• Promotes information exchange on surveillance 

and control of zoonotic diseases. 

• Performs consultative work on zoonoses for OIE 

member institutions and laboratories upon 

request.
 Contact information for ZVED:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Bourne and 

Enteric Diseases, Division of Bacterial and Mycotic 

Diseases

1600 Clifton Road, MS-D63

Atlanta, GA 30333

United States

Telephone: (800) 311-3435

Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory: An OIE 

Collaborating Center

USDA’s SEPRL conducts basic and applied research 

on avian infl uenza, exotic Newcastle disease, West 

Nile virus, and other exotic and emerging viruses of 

poultry and other avian species. 

 As an OIE collaborating center, SEPRL’s Center for 

Research on Emerging Avian Diseases supports OIE 

with the following activities: 

• Provides research information to continue to refi ne 

the OIE “Terrestrial and Aquatic Animal 

Health Codes” and “Manuals of Diagnostic Tests 

and Vaccines for Terrestrial and Aquatic 

Animals.”

• Coordinates scientifi c and technical studies 

in collaboration with the other laboratories or 

organizations.

• Provides technical experts for OIE missions.

• Provides research sabbaticals for scientists in 

OIE member countries.

• Provides assistance with in-house training in 

molecular diagnostics.

 Contact information for SEPRL: 

USDA–Agricultural Research Service

Southeast Poultry and Research Laboratory 

934 College Station Road

Athens, GA 30605

United States

Telephone: (706) 546-3433

Center for Animal Health and Food Safety at the 

University of Minnesota

CAHFS is the United States’ newest collaborating 

center. It fosters public-private partnerships that 

advance new knowledge, innovative experiential 

learning programs, and scientifi cally sound public 

policy on global animal health and food safety 

leadership. 

 Its focus is to help veterinary professionals in 

OIE member countries improve the technical skills 

needed to respond to animal health problems using its 

expertise in distance education and online learning.

 CAHFS will assist member states through training and 

support activities in four areas: 

• Developing the technical skills of individual 

veterinary service professionals. Training 

options can be tailored and include on-site 

courses, specialized internships, distance 

courses, and intensive course offerings leading to 

professional certifi cation or an advanced degree.

• Advancing the capacity of OIE member countries’ 

national veterinary services. Upon request, 

CAHFS can help bring together the public and 

private sectors in individual countries in order 

to complete after-action reports and identify 

shared priorities for strengthening veterinary 

services’ technical, logistic, and communications 

capacities. CAHFS may assist countries to 

develop a facilitator’s manual to guide their 

assessment and implementation process.

• Providing seminars and courses on specialized 

topics for key veterinary services’ audiences. 

Topics may address critical competencies of 

veterinary infrastructure or cover basic 

management competencies, such as enhancing 

communication skills.

• Providing leadership development opportunities for 

current leaders and the next generation 

of veterinary service professionals. CAHFS will 

identify and train individuals who can be 

catalysts for leading animal health initiatives at the 

national level. It will continue to work 

with universities, multinational companies, and 

producer organizations to raise awareness of 

the opportunities and challenges presented by 

globalization and the application of international 

standards and agreements on animal health.

 Contact information for CAHFS:

Center for Animal Health and Food Safety 

University of Minnesota

136 Andrew Boss Laboratory

St. Paul, MN 55108

United States

Telephone: (612) 625-8709

Fax: (612) 624-4906

Email: cahfs@umn.edu

Web site: http://www.cahfs.umn.edu

United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture

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