APHIS Factsheet

Veterinary Services January 2011

Supporting 

International Trade

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 sanitary international 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 2010, the organization had 177 

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 interna- 

 tional 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 Sanitary International 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 Sanitary International Standards Team

NCIE’s Sanitary International 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 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 the sanitary international 

stadards 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) 734–5324

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 sur- 

 veillance systems and the risk analysis process.

 Promotes a harmonized approach to disease sur- 

 veillance and risk analysis.

 Provides technical assistance to OIE member 

 countries as needed.

 Improves the quality of animal disease surveil- 

 lance 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

E-mail: 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 laborato- 

 ries, 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

E-mail: 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 stan- 

 dard 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

E-mail: 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 vac- 

 cine 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 veteri- 

 nary 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

E-mail: 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 antimicro- 

 bial susceptibility testing.

 Trains national professionals (scientists, vet- 

 erinary public health professionals, and labora- 

 tory technicians) for zoonotic epidemic 

 preparedness, laboratory strengthening, and

 epidemiologic investigation.

 Assists OIE with efforts to strengthen laboratory 

 capacities in laboratory safety, biosecurity, labo- 

 ratory 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 zoo- 

 notic agents, including collaborating and 

 analyzing epidemiologic information for the 

 OIE and member countries.

 Develops and recommends methods of surveil- 

 lance 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 coutries’ 

 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 imple 

mentation process.

 Providing seminars and courses on specialized 

 topics for key veterinary services’ audiences. 

 Topics may address critical competencies of vet- 

 erinary infrastructure or cover basic manage- 

 ment competencies, such as enhancing commu- 

 nication skills.

 Providing leadership development opportunitites

 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 interna- 

 tional 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

E-mail: 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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