World Organisation for Animal Health

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a severe, highly contagious viral disease of livestock. The disease affects cattle, swine, sheep, goats and other cloven-hoofed ruminants. FMD is found in all excretions and secretions from infected animals, and may be present in milk and semen for up to 4 days before the animal shows clinical signs of disease. Although FMD is not readily transmissible to humans, it is a transboundary animal disease that deeply affects the production of livestock. Outbreaks can greatly disrupt regional and international trade in animals and animal products. Learn more about the disease: woah.org/en/disease/foo…

The health of humans, animals and the environment are woven together inextricably. We cannot protect one without protecting all three. This demands a One Health approach. That’s why @WHO, @FAO and @WOAH formed the tripartite in 2010, which became the Quadripartite in 2022 when @UNEP joined. At the One Health summit today, I was pleased to announce that we are extending the term of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) until April 2027. Thank you President @EmmanuelMacron and the Government of France for convening the summit. who.int/news/item/07-0…

The One Health Summit in #France took place against a backdrop of growing pressure on our health systems, biodiversity loss, food insecurity, the increasing threat of emerging infectious diseases, and increasing threats to global security, reminding us how closely these challenges are linked. As @WOAH_DG Emmanuelle Soubeyran highlighted, nearly 75% of emerging infectious diseases originate in animals, while preventable diseases like rabies and tuberculosis continue to claim lives each year. Strengthening animal health systems is therefore central to prevention and to global health security. Yet prevention remains underfunded. Animal diseases cost the global economy around USD 300 billion annually, while investment in Veterinary Services remains limited, despite clear returns. At WOAH, we are working with partners to strengthen prevention, preparedness and coordinated action, from eliminating dog-mediated human rabies to addressing evolving threats such as avian influenza. We commend France for its leadership in bringing partners together and advancing One Health from ambition to action. The focus now must be on sustained investment and stronger coordination to turn commitments into results. As President @EmmanuelMacron highlighted, “The One Health approach must now be our north star for developing our public health policies by systematically including animal health and ecosystem health challenges. Only then will they be fully effective. Only then will we improve our understanding of many diseases. Better prevention, better response. » #OneHealth is the only solution if we want to improve everyone’s health.

Read The Animal Echo for more such science-based stories and articles: theanimalecho.woah.org/en/

This week, we brought together partners, stakeholders and decision-makers for “Acting Now, Investing Smart – Partner Together to Tackle Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)” in collaboration with the @OECD. One message came through clearly: commitment alone is not enough. Turning the tide on antimicrobial resistance requires sustained investment, stronger partnerships, and policies that translate ambition into action. The fight against AMR will be won not just by what we promise, but by what we build, fund and implement collectively.

How can #OneHealth intelligence improve early warning for health threats❓ Join our virtual event to discover the modernized Global Early Warning System (GLEWS+) platform & new website with @FAO, @WHO & @WOAH expertise. 📅26 March 🕐13:00 CET bit.ly/4urZ9L7

The new avian influenza started in October 2025. Here's the latest update for how the disease evolved in January 2026: 🪿108 outbreaks were reported in poultry 🪿 178 outbreaks were reported in non -poultry birds and in mammals in Africa, Asia, Oceania , Americas and Europe 🪿 About 5,341,375 poultry birds died or were culled during the month, mostly in Europe. Read the report: woah.org/en/document/hi…

The latest African swine fever (ASF) update from Paolo Tizzani for January 2026: - Bhutan reported the recurrence of the disease. - South Africa, Bhutan, the Philippines, and 13 countries in Europe updated their ongoing events. - No new outbreaks were reported in the Americas and Oceania. - 12 new outbreaks were reported in domestic pigs and around 724 in wild boars in Africa, Asia and Europe, with 353 animal losses in domestic pigs. Read the complete report: woah.org/en/document/af…

Can countries continue to trade if affected by avian influenza? In this series, we answer common questions about trading with partners during outbreaks. For the full FAQ, take a look here: woah.org/en/disease/avi…

Getting rid of foot and mouth disease is no simple task. Yet, Brazil has succeeeded thanks to the deft use of standards and their implementation. Read about it here: woah.org/en/article/how…

Plant health, animal health and human health may be more closely linked than you imagined. From feeding terrestrial animals, including the tea we drink 🍵, to cleaning the air and water we consume, plants play an essential role in sustaining life. As we celebrate awe-inspiring functionality and beauty of plants, @WOAH_DG, Dr. Emmanuelle Soubeyran explains how deeply we are bound together.

Have you ever wondered how much of our daily lives quietly depends on veterinarians?

What lies behind the reluctance to notify disease outbreaks across different parts of the world? Take a deeper look at our findings: woah.org/en/article/wha…

"Science alone is not enough. Scientific evidence must be translated into political relevance." At the launch of our newest Ambassadors’ Dialogue Series, @WOAH_DG Dr Emmanuelle Soubeyran called for animal health to be recognised as a global public good under One Health.

Low- and middle-income countries face significant challenges in preventing and responding to avian influenza outbreaks, particularly in backyard and village poultry systems, where early detection can be difficult. In this webinar, we will present our newly published practical guidelines on the surveillance avian influenza in smallholder poultry systems in resource-limited settings. Designed to be adapted to local realities, these guidelines aim to strengthen early detection, protect farmers’ livelihoods, and support the resilience and stability of the poultry sector. Register here: woah.org/en/event/webin…

Nipah Virus (NiV) first appeared in domestic pigs in Malaysia and Singapore in 1998 and 1999. It is said that the first case in Malaysia may have been a result of deforestation programmes; the Malaysian pig farms where the disease first originated had fruit trees which attracted the bats from the tropical forest, thus exposing domestic pigs to bat urine and feces. In our series, Historical Diseases Outbreaks, we describe disease outbreaks from the past that have had a significant impact on human and animal health, to highlight the importance of animal health in the context of global health. It should be noted that the epidemiology of the recent Nipah virus outbreak differs from that of the outbreaks in Malaysia and Singapore in 1998 - 1999. The recent outbreak is primarily driven by human to human or bat to human transmission or transmission by contaminated food. Read more about the disease: woah.org/en/disease/nip…

Even as the animal health sector generates enormous economic opportunity and presents significant global risk, investment in the sector remains scarce, and money continues to tighten. On the other hand, USD 2.3 billion annually would suffice to bring Veterinary Services to international standards on prevention. This is less than 0.05% of the direct cost of COVID-19 in 2020, representing one of the highest-return health investments available. Investing in animal health today can be a game-changer. The time to start is now.

Avian influenza, also known as bird flu, is a highly contagious viral disease that affects domestic and wild birds. At times, it can also affect mammal species, including, occasionally, humans. Beyond its impacts on animal health, the disease has devastating effects on the poultry industry, threatening workers’ livelihoods, food security and international trade. Find out more about avian influenza: woah.org/app/uploads/20…

The spread of avian influenza into new geographic regions and host species in recent years, as well as zoonotic infections in humans, demonstrates the disease's increased risks and potential to cause a pandemic. This calls for an urgent need to strengthen preparedness, enhance surveillance systems, and promote coordinated action across sectors, under a One Health approach. In the second part of this two-part webinar series, discover latest initiatives, avian influenza strategy, among other activities, practical tools and technical guidance that can support countries in reducing the threats and impacts posed by avian influenza. Register here: fao.zoom.us/webinar/regist…