WOAH launches a pilot to simplify the official animal health status procedure

In response to concerns raised by Members about the administrative burden associated with the annual reconfirmation procedure, WOAH and its Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases (the Commission) launched a streamlining initiative. The objective is to simplify the procedure while ensuring continued alignment with the Terrestrial Animal Health Code. The pilot phase is ready to be launched.

Revised reconfirmation form for foot and mouth disease (without vaccination)

At the Commission’s request, WOAH developed a revised annual reconfirmation form for foot and mouth disease (FMD) last year. The updated form features closed-ended, concise questions and tailored guidance indicating when additional information is required.

This form was first shared with Members as an annex to the Commission’s September 2025 meeting report. Following feedback received from Members, the Commission endorsed further refinements at its February 2026 meeting and recommended piloting the form for Members having an FMD-free status where vaccination is not practised.

Pilot phase to gather Members’ feedback

Members having expressed interest in streamlining annual reconfirmations and provided input to date –ensuring balanced  representation across WOAH Regions – will be invited to participate in this pilot test.

The pilot will gather feedback from end users, identify  technical or operational challenges and propose more effective approaches for submitting supporting documentation, in line with the requirements of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code. Its outcomes will inform the timeline for full implementation and ensure the final process reflects Members’ practical needs and operating realities.

Engage with us during the 93rd General Session

To support continued dialogue, the WOAH Status Department will host a dedicated kiosk on Official Status Recognition during the 93rd General Session this May. All WOAH Members are warmly encouraged to visit the kiosk and engage with the team.

Open call for Members to express interest

The WOAH Status Department invites Members to take part in this initiative. Expressions of interest should be sent to the WOAH Status Department [email protected] by 29 May 2026.

Contact: WOAH Status Department ([email protected])

WOAH has launched the Guidelines Mitigating Disease Transmission Risk at the Wildlife–Livestock Interface to Facilitate Safe Trade, providing Veterinary Services with practical guidance to manage disease transmission risks where wildlife and livestock interact. The guidelines respond directly to Members’ needs to control transboundary animal diseases while maintaining continuity of safe national and international trade.

Why Did WOAH Develop These Guidelines?

Transboundary animal diseases (TADs), such as African swine fever (ASF), avian influenza (AI) and foot and mouth disease (FMD) continue to spread worldwide, with serious consequences for animal health, trade and livelihoods. In many countries where these diseases are endemic, infections can pass between wild and domestic animals, sustaining infection transmission cycles that are difficult to control because of the complex factors and risk pathways involved.

Importantly, for some diseases, WOAH standards allow the recognition of animal health status in effectively separated subpopulations and require that Members do not ban international livestock trade on the sole ground of disease occurrence in wildlife.

In this context, Members have requested WOAH guidance on managing risk at wildlife–livestock interface (WLI) for disease control purposes, while preserving the animal health status of domestic subpopulations for business continuity.

How Were the Guidelines Developed?

In 2024, WOAH launched a consultancy to develop technical guidelines addressing disease management at the wildlife–livestock interface.

The guidelines were authored by Prof. Christian Gortázar, Dr Joaquín Vicente and Dr Ursula Höfle from the Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Spain—an internationally recognised team with extensive expertise in this field.

In January 2025, the first draft underwent peer review by a WOAH ad hoc Group, which provided expert opinions and recommendations while ensuring that regional perspectives were considered. The WOAH Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases (SCAD) also reviewed the draft to confirm scientific soundness and alignment with WOAH international standards. Additionally, the WOAH Working Group on Wildlife  was consulted to ensure wildlife-related aspects were accurately addressed.

Following these reviews and revisions, the guidelines were officially published on the WOAH website in December 2025.

How Should the Guidelines Be Used?

The guidelines offer practical approaches for managing disease spillover risk between wildlife and livestock across a wide range of farming systems. They propose a structured methodology enabling Veterinary Services to manage WLI scenarios through customised risk mitigation programmes tailored to local conditions and needs.

Rather than offering prescriptive solutions, the guidelines present a flexible framework for addressing wildlife–livestock interfaces. Case studies and field examples illustrate how risk mitigation measures can be adapted to different epidemiological contexts.

Effective disease risk management must be tailored to local realities, taking into account geography, production systems, wildlife species and the target disease. All interventions should align with WOAH international standards and relevant national regulations.

Their effective use requires a solid background in veterinary sciences, particularly disease epidemiology, and benefits from knowledge of wildlife ecology. A clear understanding of the specific WLI scenario, farming practices and key risk pathways is essential for successful implementation.

WOAH encourages Members to make use of the guidelines to better implement the provisions outlined in the international standards and to share their experiences with the Organisation.

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Resources

Recording of the launch webinar on 15 January 2026: Webinar: Launch of Guidelines ‘Mitigating Disease Transmission Risk at the Wildlife – Livestock Interface to Facilitate Safe Trade’ – WOAH – World Organisation for Animal Health

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE) develops international standards on animal health, animal welfare and veterinary public health, to be used by its Members in their national policies and programmes.

Gathered in the Terrestrial and Aquatic Codes and Manuals, WOAH Standards provide recommendations for countries to improve animal health and welfare within their territories and craft joint responses to global health crises and common risks.

In the context of a globalised society where animals and humans are deeply interconnected, agreeing on common rules across countries and regions is critical to protect the world from disease spread, safeguard animal and public health, facilitate safe international trade, and promote sustainable development.

The Organisation relies on a vast network of subject matter experts to draft its International Standards, which undertake this task under the continuous oversight of Specialist Commissions, composed by internationally renowned specialists elected by Member countries. The Specialist Commissions also play a key role in the oversight of the process for official status recognition, and provide advice on topics relevant to their specific mandates.

Each Specialist Commission meets twice a year (in September and February) to deal with scientific and technical issues raised by Members, experts and partners and discuss current health challenges.

While the meetings are only attended by these experts, Specialist Commissions are one of the critical mechanisms for interaction with Members and WOAH is committed to ensuring transparent communications throughout the processes. The outcomes of the Specialist Commissions deliberations, as well as all supporting experts’ reports are publicly available on the website.   

Watch these video interviews to learn more about the discussions held during the meetings of the four Specialist Commissions in September: