The World Animal Health Information System as a tool to support decision-making and research in animal health.

The World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS) collects and publishes a wealth of information gathered by individual countries' Veterinary Services, including detailed country-specific information on outbreaks of diseases listed by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE), including emerging diseases, in domestic animals and wildlife, and non-listed diseases in wildlife. The data set is one of the most comprehensive in the world, with 182 Members obliged to report this information to WOAH in a timely manner. As such, the data provide invaluable input for Veterinary Services, animal health researchers and stakeholders to gain insight into risk from infectious diseases, for example through the development of predictive models and risk assessments to address the risk from trade of animal products, globalisation, or movement of wildlife or vectors across country borders. This paper reviews previous analyses that have been conducted using WAHIS data and outlines ways in which these data can be used for preparedness and risk assessment.

Le Système mondial d'information zoosanitaire (WAHIS) collecte et publie une grande quantité d'informations recueillies auprès des Services vétérinaires nationaux, parmi lesquelles des données détaillées spécifiques aux pays sur les foyers de maladies listées par l'Organisation mondiale de la santé animale (OMSA, fondée en tant qu'OIE), dont les maladies émergentes, chez les animaux domestiques et dans la faune sauvage, ainsi que de maladies non listées affectant la faune sauvage. Cet ensemble de données est l'un des plus exhaustifs du monde puisque les 182 Membres de l'OMSA ont l'obligation de lui faire remonter ces informations dans WAHIS dans des délais spécifiés. Ces données sont précieuses pour les Services vétérinaires, les chercheurs travaillant dans le domaine de la santé animale et les parties prenantes car elles permettent de mieux comprendre les risques relatifs aux maladies infectieuses, notamment grâce aux modèles prédictifs et aux évaluations de risques pour traiter le risque lié au commerce de produits d'origine animale, à la mondialisation, aux mouvements de la faune sauvage ou aux vecteurs entre les pays. Les auteurs font le point sur des analyses antérieures qui ont été menées en utilisant les données de WAHIS et soulignent comment ces données peuvent être utilisées dans le cadre d'un travail de préparation et d'évaluation des risques.

El Sistema Mundial de Información Zoosanitaria (WAHIS) colecta y publica una gran cantidad de datos recogidos por los Servicios Veterinarios de cada país, en particular detallada información sobre brotes de enfermedades listadas por la Organización Mundial de Sanidad Animal (OMSA, fundada como OIE), incluidas las enfermedades emergentes, que hayan afectado a los animales domésticos o la fauna silvestre, así como enfermedades no listadas que afectan a la fauna silvestre. Se trata de uno de los conjuntos de datos más completos del mundo, ya que los 182 Miembros tienen la obligación de comunicar esta información a la OMSA dentro de plazos determinados. Estos datos son una fuente de información de gran utilidad para los Servicios Veterinarios, los investigadores que trabajan en sanidad animal y demás partes interesadas porque permiten mejorar la comprensión de los riesgos derivados de las enfermedades infecciosas, por ejemplo elaborando modelos predictivos y evaluaciones de riesgo que ayuden a manejar los riesgos ligados al comercio de productos de origen animal, la globalización o al movimiento transfronterizo de animales salvajes o vectores de enfermedad. Los autores repasan una serie de análisis previamente realizados con datos de WAHIS y explican en síntesis cómo pueden utilizarse estos datos con fines de preparación y evaluación de riesgos.

Global formal live poultry and hatching egg trade network (2004-2016): description and association with poultry disease reporting and presence.

As international trade constitutes one of the main spread pathways of diseases, a better understanding of the trade behaviors of countries will help identify strengths and areas for improvement in the approach of national authorities to controlling poultry diseases globally. Using data reported to the United Nations Comtrade and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) between 2004 and 2016 by 193 countries, we used a network analysis on trade data of poultry hatching eggs, live poultry of less than 185 g and live poultry of 185 g or more to determine that: 1) quantities traded between countries are substantial, and tend to increase (average increase of 800,000 poultry heads and 21,000 tons of hatching eggs each year equivalent to an increase by 2-fold in 17 yr); 2) the stability of the networks was low (a quarter to half of trade relationships maintained between 2 consecutive years) and the subnetworks favorable to the spread of diseases were in general consistent with regional clustering, trade exchanges being equally at intracontinental and intercontinental levels; 3) countries with highest number of partners were located in the same world regions for the 3 poultry networks - Americas and Europe for export (up to 107 partners) and Africa, Asia and Europe for import (up to 36 partners); 4) for live poultry, biggest exporting countries shared more poultry disease surveillance data, and reported more disease presence than others, which did not stop them from trading. Biggest importers reported less poultry disease surveillance data and reported more disease presence than others; and 5) the main structural and trend characteristics of the international trade networks were in general similar for the 3 networks. The information derived from this work underlines the importance of applying the preventive measures advocated by the OIE and will support countries to reduce the risk of introduction of pathogens causing poultry diseases.

The World Organisation for Animal Health and the World Health Organization: intergovernmental disease information and reporting systems and their role in early warning.

Only two international organisations have a global legal framework that allows them to request, collect, and release global animal or human health information: the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), which is responsible for transparently assessing the global animal health situation, and the World Health Organization (WHO), which is responsible for transparently assessing the global human health situation. Legal instruments bind OIE Member Countries and WHO States Parties (OIE's Standards and WHO's International Health Regulations [IHR]) to report certain disease outbreaks and public health events to their respective organisations. OIE Member Countries must report exceptional epidemiological events involving any OIE-listed diseases, including zoonoses. Moreover, they must notify the OIE of any emerging animal diseases. The IHR require WHO Member States to provide notification of events that may constitute a public health emergency of international concern. These include, but are not restricted to, outbreaks of communicable diseases of international concern. In both organisations, in addition to reporting outbreaks and exceptional events, Members also monitor diseases on an ongoing basis and provide regular reports. To complement these passive surveillance mechanisms, the OIE, WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations track signals from informal sources of outbreaks of animal and zoonotic infectious diseases, thereby increasing the sensitivity of worldwide disease reporting. The formal information collected is disseminated to Members and the general public through various communication channels, so that countries can apply science-based measures to prevent further disease spread. Both the OIE and WHO reporting systems are supported by a range of coordinating activities to ensure the proper flow of information between national and international levels.

Deux organisations internationales seulement disposent d'un cadre juridique mondial permettant de demander, collecter et diffuser des informations sur la santé animale ou humaine dans le monde : il s'agit de l'Organisation mondiale de la santé animale (OIE), qui est chargée d'évaluer de manière transparente la situation zoosanitaire mondiale, et de l'Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS), qui est chargée d'évaluer de manière transparente la situation de la santé humaine dans le monde. Ces deux organisations ont mis en place des instruments juridiques (les normes sanitaires de l'OIE et le Règlement sanitaire international [RSI] de l'OMS) qui imposent aux Pays membres de l'OIE et aux États parties au RSI de notifier tout événement sanitaire important à leurs organisations respectives. Les Pays Membres de l'OIE doivent notifier tout événement épidémiologique exceptionnel concernant les maladies de la liste de l'OIE, y compris les zoonoses. En outre, ils doivent notifier à l'OIE toute maladie animale émergente. Le RSI impose aux États membres de l'OMS de notifier tout événement pouvant constituer une urgence de santé publique de portée internationale. Cela couvre notamment les foyers de maladies transmissibles importantes au plan international. Outre le signalement des foyers et des événements exceptionnels, les Membres des deux organisations exercent également une surveillance de routine des maladies et communiquent des rapports réguliers. En complément de ces mécanismes de surveillance passive, l'OIE, l'OMS et l'Organisation des Nations Unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture (FAO) assurent le suivi de tout signalement provenant de sources non officielles concernant d'éventuels foyers de maladies animales infectieuses et zoonotiques, ce qui accroît la sensibilité du système de notification des maladies à l'échelle mondiale. Les informations recueillies par la voie officielle sont diffusées aux Pays membres et au grand public par divers canaux de communication afin que les pays puissent appliquer des mesures fondées sur la science et empêcher ainsi toute nouvelle propagation. Les systèmes de notification de l'OIE et de l'OMS s'appuient tous deux sur une série d'activités de coordination afin d'assurer la bonne circulation de l'information entre les niveaux national et international.

Solo dos organizaciones internacionales disponen de un mecanismo jurídico de alcance planetario que les permita solicitar, reunir y hacer pública información sanitaria o zoosanitaria de dimensión mundial: la Organización Mundial de Sanidad Animal (OIE), responsable de evaluar con transparencia la situación zoosanitaria del mundo; y la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), que se encarga de evaluar con transparencia la situación mundial en materia de salud humana. Hay instrumentos jurídicos que obligan a los Países Miembros de la OIE y los Estados Miembros de la OMS a notificar a la organización correspondiente todo caso importante de enfermedad (las normas de la OIE, por un lado, y el Reglamento Sanitario Internacional de la OMS [RSI]), por el otro). Los Países Miembros de la OIE deben comunicar episodios epidemiológicos excepcionales en los que intervenga cualquiera de las enfermedades que figuran en la lista de la OIE, zoonosis inclusive. Además, deben notificar a la OIE la aparición de toda enfermedad animal emergente. El RSI obliga a los Estados Miembros de la OMS a notificar todo episodio que pueda constituir una emergencia de salud pública de importancia internacional, como pueden ser, por ejemplo, los brotes de enfermedades transmisibles de importancia internacional. Los Miembros de ambas organizaciones, además de comunicar brotes y episodios excepcionales, deben vigilar continuamente la presencia de enfermedades y presentar informes periódicos. Para complementar estos mecanismos de vigilancia pasiva, la OIE, la OMS y la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura (FAO) siguen de cerca las señales procedentes de fuentes oficiosas que puedan indicar la presencia de brotes infecciosos de enfermedades animales o zoonóticas, con lo que acrecientan la sensibilidad del dispositivo mundial de notificación. La información oficial así obtenida transita por diversos canales de comunicación para llegar a los Países Miembros y el gran público, de forma que los países puedan adoptar medidas científicamente fundamentadas para evitar la ulterior propagación de los brotes. Los sistemas de notificación de la OIE y la OMS están respaldados por una serie de actividades de coordinación que aseguran la adecuada circulación de información entre los niveles nacional e internacional.

Review of influenza A virus in swine worldwide: a call for increased surveillance and research.

Pigs and humans have shared influenza A viruses (IAV) since at least 1918, and many interspecies transmission events have been documented since that time. However, despite this interplay, relatively little is known regarding IAV circulating in swine around the world compared with the avian and human knowledge base. This gap in knowledge impedes our understanding of how viruses adapted to swine or man impacts the ecology and evolution of IAV as a whole and the true impact of swine IAV on human health. The pandemic H1N1 that emerged in 2009 underscored the need for greater surveillance and sharing of data on IAV in swine. In this paper, we review the current state of IAV in swine around the world, highlight the collaboration between international organizations and a network of laboratories engaged in human and animal IAV surveillance and research, and emphasize the need to increase information in high-priority regions. The need for global integration and rapid sharing of data and resources to fight IAV in swine and other animal species is apparent, but this effort requires grassroots support from governments, practicing veterinarians and the swine industry and, ultimately, requires significant increases in funding and infrastructure.

The influence of economic indicators, poultry density and the performance of veterinary services on the control of high-pathogenicity avian influenza in poultry.

High-pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) and low-pathogenicity notifiable avian influenza (LPNAI) in poultry are notifiable diseases that must be reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). There are variations between countries' responses to avian influenza (AI) outbreak situations based on their economic status, diagnostic capacity and other factors. The objective of this study was to ascertain the significant association between HPAI control data and a country's poultry density, the performance of its Veterinary Services, and its economic indicators (gross domestic product, agricultural gross domestic product, gross national income, human development index and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD] status). Results indicate that as poultry density increases for least developed countries there is an increase in the number and duration of HPAI outbreaks and in the time it takes to eradicate the disease. There was no significant correlation between HPAI control and any of the economic indicators except membership of the OECD. Member Countries, i.e. those with high-income economies, transparency and good governance, had shorter and significantly fewer HPAI outbreaks, quicker eradication times, lower mortality rates and higher culling rates than non-OECD countries. Furthermore, countries that had effective and efficient Veterinary Services (as measured by the ratings they achieved when they were assessed using the OIE Tool for the Evaluation of Performance of Veterinary Services) had better HPAI control measures.

[Deep non-reactive reversible coma after a Mediterranean neurotoxic fish poisoning]. / Coma profond aréactif réversible après intoxication par des abats d'un poisson méditerranéen.

INTRODUCTION: Neurotoxic fish poisoning appears to be a recent phenomenon in the Mediterranean Sea. We report a case of deep non-reactive reversible coma after ingestion of Mediterranean fish innards. CASE REPORT: An 80 year-old man, heavy smoker who had a previous cerebral infarct in the posterior territory, was admitted for rapid deterioration of his neurological condition. He started having perioral tingling, then dysarthria, then became quadriparetic, then developed respiratory and hemodynamic failure and within 3-4h, entered a state of deep non-reactive coma with absence of all brainstem reflexes. He started to improve after 20 h and recovered his neurological baseline within 36 h. Later on, he stated that all his symptoms started after he ingested the gonads of a toxic fish, Lagocephalus scleratus. DISCUSSION: Tetrodotoxin blocks voltage-gated sodium channels and inhibits the production and propagation of action potentials. This toxin is highly concentrated in the liver, gonads, intestines and skin of this fish that is well-known in Japan (where it is considered as a delicacy) and South-East Asia and seems to have migrated recently to the Mediterranean Sea. There is no known antidote to tetrodotoxin but intensive supportive treatment can be life-saving.