The Organisation International des Epizooties (OIE) last May published the official animal diseases status for six priority diseases. This document is very important for the OIE Members.

These official status mirror the level of transparency and good quality of the Veterinary Services of the country, improve the value of its livestock and enable access to regional and international markets. In fact, the OIE is recognised by the World Trade Organization (WTO) as reference standards in the field of animal health. This year the World Assembly of OIE Delegates gave 11 certificates to 10 countries for official disease status recognition:

- Argentina, Bulgaria and Costa Rica were recognised as being "free from Classical Swine Fever"
- Madagascar, Peru and Uruguay were recognised as being "free from Peste des petits rumninants"
- Nicaragua was recognised as having a "negligible Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy risk"
- Peru and Surinam, were officially recognised as "free from foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination"

- a zone in Brazil and one in Chinese Taipei were officially recognised as "foot-and-mouth disease free with vaccination".

All recognized disease status is available at:

http://www.oie.int/en/animal-health-in-the-world/official-disease-status/

Moreover, new “procedures for self-declarations” of disease freedom by country were made available: this document improve transparency and visibility, in a short time, of the absence of the disease in the countries.

http://www.oie.int/en/animal-health-in-the-world/self-declared-disease-status/