USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service signed three international agreements on trade restrictions resulting from an animal disease outbreak at a meeting of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) in Paris, France.  These agreements will make it easier to maintain safe and fair trade of animals and animal products if an animal disease outbreak occurs. They emphasize the cooperation and understanding of the countries involved to promote shared knowledge, data and resources, which can be crucial during an animal health event.

USDA APHIS signed three agreements with other nations regarding actions during animal health events. (Photo: Saklakova/Thinkstock)

The three arrangements, signed by the United States, relate to the International Animal Health Emergency Reserve (also signed by Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom), the Sharing of Vaccines for Foot and Mouth Disease (Australia, Canada, Mexico, and New Zealand), and Supporting the Recognition of Zoning for Foreign Animal Disease Outbreaks (Australia, Canada, and New Zealand).

The International Animal Health Emergency Reserve agreement allows for countries to share emergency response teams and personnel as needed during animal disease outbreaks.  It also lets the countries involved act rapidly and more effectively to control and eradicate an outbreak.

The Sharing of Vaccines for Foot and Mouth Disease agreement allows for countries to more readily request and consider requests for FMD vaccine from their respective FMD vaccine banks.

Supporting the Recognition of Zoning for Foreign Animal Disease Outbreaks agreement allows countries to understand and accept each other’s processes for managing outbreaks and paves the way for recognizing “zones” for trading purposes.

Source: USDA blog