Biological Standards Commission

Founded in 1949, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Biological Standards Commission (BSC), composed of six elected members, is concerned with developing internationally agreed standards for laboratory diagnostic tests and vaccines for WOAH-listed animal diseases of mammals, birds and bees.

Founded in 1949, the WOAH Biological Standards Commission (BSC), composed of six elected members, is concerned with developing internationally agreed standards for laboratory diagnostic tests and vaccines for WOAH-listed animal diseases of mammals, birds and bees. To achieve this, its major activities are:

  • To establish or approve methods for diagnosing diseases of mammals, birds and bees and for manufacture and testing of biological products, such as vaccines; and to advise WOAH on the appropriate use of diagnostic tests and vaccines;

  • An important element in this is the development and supervision of the WOAH Register of Diagnostic Assays;

  • To oversee production of the Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals;

  • To select WOAH Reference Laboratories for diseases of mammals, birds and bees, and to communicate with these laboratories as a source of specialist expertise;

  • To promote the international standardisation of diagnostic tests, including the preparation and distribution of standard reagents.

Neither the WOAH nor the Commission distributes reagents directly, but provides contact points in the Reference Laboratories where such materials may be obtained.

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Terms of reference

Taking into account the periodic Strategic Plans adopted by the Assembly, pertinent Resolutions of the Assembly and the annual work plans approved by the Assembly, the terms of reference of the WOAH Biological Standards Commission shall be:

1. To propose methods for the diagnosis and prevention of diseases with respect to international trade or movement of terrestrial animals or their products, particularly diseases included in the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code (the Terrestrial Code ).

2. To define standards for biological products, diagnostic preparations, vaccines and immune sera relating to terrestrial animals.

3. To assess and approve applications for the registration of commercial diagnostic kits.

4. To provide, upon request by the Assembly or the Director General standard technical procedures for other activities included in the Terrestrial Code.

5. To keep the Director General and the Assembly, informed of advances in scientific knowledge that could have implications for the diagnosis and prevention of terrestrial animal diseases and to make recommendations on amendments or additions to the Terrestrial Code, as appropriate.

6. To respond to questions relating to their field of competence from the Director General and the Assembly, and collaborate with the other WOAH Specialist Commissions and Working Groups.

7. To edit the WOAH Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals (the Manual) relating to terrestrial animals.

8. To develop concepts and tools for capacity building of the veterinary scientific community in particular in developing countries.

9. To examine applications from Member Countries relating to the creation of new WOAH Reference Centres with activities corresponding to the Commission’s scientific mandate and report its findings to the Director General.

10. To advise the Director General on the status of the lists of the WOAH experts and Reference Centres.

11. To facilitate, and work with, Reference Centres to achieve WOAH’s mandate.

12. To provide, on request of the Director General, technical advice on proposals for the twinning of Reference Centres under Cooperative Capacity Building (“Twinning”) Agreements.

13. To identify issues that require in-depth review and propose, to the  Director General, the composition and terms of reference of experts or Ad hoc Groups of experts convened specifically to study such issues, and if necessary, to participate in the work of these Groups.

14. To represent the WOAH at scientific and specialised conferences upon the request of the Director General.

Qualifications of the Members

ARTICLE 1

The members of the Commission shall be internationally recognised specialists in the field of infectious terrestrial animal diseases diagnosis and/or prevention, particularly in laboratory methods and operations.

ARTICLE 2

The members of the Commission shall have international experience, at the regional or global level, in the area of laboratory diagnosis and/or immunological prevention of infectious animal diseases.

ARTICLE 3

The members of the Commission shall have specialised training in laboratory diagnosis of terrestrial animal disease.

  • Pr. Emmanuel Couacy-Hymann

    President, Biological Standards Commission, Professor of Virology

    COTE D'IVOIRE

  • Prof. Ann Cullinane

    Vice President, Biological Standards Commission; Head of the Virology Unit

    IRELAND

  • Dr. Chris Oura

    Vice President, Biological Standards Commission; Professor of Veterinary Virology, The University of the West Indies

    TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

  • Dr. Satoko Kawaji

    Principal Scientist, Division of Infectious Animal Disease Research (Bacteria Group)

    JAPAN

  • Dr. Joseph O’Keefe

    Head, Animal Health Laboratory, Ministry for Primary Industries

    NEW ZEALAND

  • Dr. Donald King

    Head of the Vesicular Disease Reference Laboratory Group, The Pirbright Institute

    UNITED KINGDOM

February 2024A_BSC_feb2024.pdf (3415 Kb)
September 2023A_BSC_sept2023.pdf (3256 Kb)
February 2023A_BSC_feb2023.pdf (1271 Kb)
September 2022A_BSC_sept2022.pdf (489 Kb)
February 2022A_BSC_feb2022_Part_A.pdf (377 Kb)
A_BSC_feb2022_Part_B.pdf (713 Kb)
September 2021A_BSC_sept2021.pdf (867 Kb)
February 2021A_BSC_feb2021_Part_A.pdf (491 Kb)
A_BSC_feb2021_Part_B.pdf (841 Kb)
September 2020A_BSC_sept2020.pdf (991 Kb)
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September 2019A_BSC_Sept2019.pdf (768 Kb)
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September 2009A_BSC_Sept2009.pdf(512 Kb)
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September 2007A_BSC_sept2007.pdf (726 Kb)
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September 2006A_BSC_2006S.pdf (563 Kb)
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September 2005A_BSC_Sept2005.pdf (303 Kb)
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September 2003A_BSC_Sept2003.pdf (516 Kb)
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September 2001A_BSC_Sept2001.pdf (962 Kb)
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November 2000A_BSC_Nov2000.pdf (484 Kb)
January 2000A_BSC_Jan2000.pdf (420 Kb)
September 1999A_BSC_Sept1999.pdf (283 Kb)

Reference Laboratory experts contributing to Terrestrial Manual chapters are invited to use this template to post their validation data online. In this way a repository of validation reports for tests recommended in the Terrestrial Manual will be created for anyone seeking the validation data available for a given test. Before filling in this form, contributors should consult the WOAH Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals (Terrestrial Manual) Chapter 1.1.6 ‘Validation of diagnostic assays for infectious diseases of terrestrial animals’ and supporting chapters 2.2.1.2.2.2., and 2.2.3., which provide information for validation of fundamentally different assays such as for the detection of antibodiesantigens and nucleic acid

Terrestrial Code and Manual


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