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Since its creation in 1924, the OIE has become stronger and had gathered more Members. The full list of OIE Members can be consulted here. Find below the countries that have recently joined the Organisation, as well as more information about them.

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  Saint Lucia

  Saint Lucia joined the OIE on 26 May 2018, following the unanimous approval at the Administrative Session of the World Assembly of Delegates of the OIE of its application for accession submitted on 10 October 2017. Saint Lucia thus became the 182nd OIE Member Country and the 31st Member of the OIE Regional Commission for the Americas. The Caribbean island of Saint Lucia gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1979 and is a member of the Commonwealth. The Government of Saint Lucia designated Dr Auria King-Cenac as its permanent Delegate to the OIE.

The global network of OIE Reference Centres is the core of the OIE’s scientific expertise and excellence. An OIE Reference Centre is designated either as a Reference Laboratory or as a Collaborating Centre. Discover on this page the OIE Reference Centres designated by the World Assembly of Delegates at the last General Session (May 2018). View the comprehensive list of OIE Reference Laboratories and OIE Collaborating Centres.

• Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease

   

  

  Designated reference expert: Dr Grace Chu-Fang Lo

  International Center for the Scientific Development of Shrimp Aquaculture (CDSA), National Cheng Kung University (NCKU)
  No. 500, Sec. 3 Anming Road, Annan District, Tainan City 709
  Chinese Taipei

  Tel. +886-6-3842448
  E-mail: gracelow@mail.ncku.edu.tw

  This new OIE Reference Laboratory has a long-standing programme of work on shrimp diseases. Currently, CDSA’s research includes the new, rapidly spreading shrimp disease acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND), which is caused by a pathogenic strain of the opportunistic marine bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus. This pathogenic strain acquires a plasmid that expresses a deadly toxin. To develop potentially useful measures to control AHPND, the laboratory often partners with public institutions and the private sector of OIE Member Countries to collaborate on the pathogenesis of AHPND in shrimp, and for studies on microbiome dynamics during possible outbreaks of AHPND in shrimp grow-out ponds.

• Chronic wasting disease (CWD)

   

  Designated reference expert: Dr Sylvie L. Benestad

  Norwegian Veterinary Institute, National Reference Laboratory for TSE in animals
  P.O. Box 750 Sentrum, 0454 Oslo
  Norway

  Tel. +47 97 53 68 30
  E-mail: sylvie.benestad@vetinst.no

  This new OIE Reference Laboratory has extensive experience in diagnosis of the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) in small ruminants, cattle and cervids, and is the only Norwegian laboratory testing for TSE. The laboratory has a large collaborative network in Europe and North America and is particularly active in research, working on epidemiological studies and the characterisation of TSE strains. The TSE laboratory’s activities are subjected to quality assurance and are accredited under ISO/IEC 17025 by the Norwegian Accreditation Agency (NA).

• Highly pathogenic avian influenza and low pathogenic avian influenza (poultry) and Newcastle disease

  

  Designated reference expert: Dr Viktor N. Irza

  Federal State-Financed Institution ‘Federal Centre for Animal Health’ (FGBI ‘ARRIAH’)
  Yur’evets, Vladimir, 600901
  Russia

  Tel. +7 4922 26 18 67; +7 4922 26 06 14; mobile +7 910 774 01 99
  E-mail: mail@arriah.ru; irza@arriah.ru
  Website: www.arriah.ru

  This new OIE Reference Laboratory is located in the Federal Centre for Animal Health (FGBI ‘ARRIAH’), which operates under the auspices of the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor). The laboratories are also National Rosselkhoznadzor Reference Laboratories for avian influenza and Newcastle disease. They provide diagnostic services, undertake epidemiological studies and research projects, and conduct national proficiency tests (ring trials). The laboratories are accredited under ISO/IEC 17025 by the Russian Federal Service for Accreditation. The scope of activities includes OIE compliant molecular, genetic, virological and serological methods. The laboratories are prepared to offer assistance in diagnostics and epidemiological studies to neighbouring countries.

• Infectious bursal disease

   

  Designated reference expert: Dr Xiaomei Wang

  Division of Avian Immunosuppressive Disease
  Harbin Veterinary Research Institute (HVRI)
  Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS)
  678 Haping Road
  Xiangfang District
  Harbin, 150069
  People’s Republic of China

  Tel. +86-451-51 05 16 90; +86-451-51 05 16 94
  E-mail: wangxiaomei@caas.cn
  Website: www.hvri.ac.cn

  This new OIE Reference Laboratory focuses on diagnosis, epidemiology, research into prevention and control, and other services relating to infectious bursal disease (IBD). Two vaccines and two IBD diagnosis kits have been developed. The laboratory also undertakes national and international research projects focused on the pathogenicity and immunological mechanisms of IBD. The laboratory has been accredited to ISO 17025 by the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS).

• Infectious haematopoietic necrosis

  

  Designated reference expert: Prof. Hong Liu

  Animal and Plant Inspection and Quarantine Technical Centre
  Shenzhen Exit & Entry Inspection and Quarantine Bureau
  General Administration of Quality Supervision
  Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) of P.R. China
  Room 907 of 1011 building
  Fuqiang Road
  Futian Qu
  Shenzhen
  Guangdong Province, 518045
  People’s Republic of China

  Tel. +86-755 25 58 84 10
  E-mail: liuhong@szciq.gov.cn; szciqlh@sina.com

  This new OIE Reference Laboratory undertakes research on emerging and exotic aquatic animal diseases in China, especially viral diseases, focusing mainly on pathogenicity, genomics, epidemiology and rapid detection methods. The Laboratory provides technical support for the national entry–exit quarantine competent authority and domestic fishery agencies in disease surveillance, investigation and analysis of exotic and emerging diseases, epidemiological analysis, import risk assessment of aquatic animals and their products, and in drawing up aquatic animal quarantine trade protocols and contract terms.
  Prof. Hong Liu has worked in aquaculture for over 20 years.

• Infectious haematopoietic necrosis and Viral haemorrhagic septicaemia

  

  Designated reference expert: Dr Kyle Garver

  Pacific Biological Station – Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory (PBS-AAHL)
  Fisheries & Oceans Canada
  3190 Hammond Bay Road
  Nanaimo V9T 6N7
  British Columbia
  Canada

  Tel. +1-250 756 73 40
  E-mail: Kyle.Garver@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

  The Pacific Biological Station is a government facility operating under the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada. It houses the national reference laboratories for infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) and viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV), which conduct regulatory diagnostics under the National Aquatic Animal Health Programme to prevent aquatic animal diseases from being introduced to or spread in Canada. In this role, the laboratories administer proficiency panels and control samples for IHNV and VHSV real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) testing, work towards the standardisation of diagnostic methods, and perform confirmatory testing. In addition, through maintenance of a biosafety level 2 aquarium facility, the laboratories conduct research on endemic aquatic viral diseases, with investigations focused on evaluating strain virulence, host response, development of diagnostic tools and vaccine efficacy studies. The laboratories’ activities are subjected to quality assurance and are accredited under ISO/IEC 17025 by the Standards Council of Canada.

• Koi herpesvirus disease

  

  Designated reference expert: Dr Sven M. Bergmann

  German Reference Laboratory for KHVD, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Infectology
  Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald – Insel Riems
  Germany

  Tel. +49-38351 71150
  E-mail: sven.bergmann@fli.de

  This new OIE Reference Laboratory is located at the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), the Federal Research Institute for Animal Health in Germany, which is an independent higher federal authority operating under the auspices of the Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture. The laboratory, which is the German reference laboratory for koi herpesvirus disease (KHVD), is in direct contact with government and federal state authorities regarding the classical, serological and molecular diagnosis of KHVD (including high throughput sequencing). It designs plans for KHVD eradication, and is involved in the development of vaccines against the disease.

  The Reference Laboratory also develops new test methods for the molecular, histological and serological detection of KHV, and conducts national proficiency tests (ring trials) for quality assurance procedures for animal disease diagnosis. The laboratory has extensive experience in diagnosing diseases of fish, molluscs and crustaceans. It is accredited for diagnostic techniques for notifiable diseases of fish, covering a wide range of diagnostic methods.

• Salmonellosis

  

  Designated reference expert: Dr Min-Su Kang

  Avian Bacteriology Laboratory, Avian Disease Research Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA), Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA)
  177, Hyeoksin 8–ro, Gimcheon–si, Gyeongsangbuk–do, 39660
  Republic of Korea

  Tel. +82 54 912 0818
  E-mail: kangmskr@korea.kr

  The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) is a government institute that is responsible for protecting animal health, animal welfare and plant health, and for undertaking animal and plant quarantine inspections in the Republic of Korea. This new OIE Reference Laboratory for salmonellosis is also the national reference laboratory for Salmonella in poultry. The laboratory develops new diagnostic methods and vaccines and conducts molecular epidemiological studies. The laboratory also performs confirmatory tests for the diagnosis of Salmonella infections in animals, and provides scientific and technical assistance and training to personnel from diagnostic laboratories in the Republic of Korea and other OIE Members of the Asia–Pacific region.

• Viral haemorrhagic septicaemia

  

  Designated reference expert: Dr Hyoung Jun Kim

  Aquatic Animal Quarantine (AAQ) Laboratory, National Fishery Products Quality Management Service (NFQS), Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries
  337 Haeyang-ro, Yeongdo-gu, Busan, 49111
  Republic of Korea

  Tel. +82-51-400-5653
  E-mail: hjkim1882@korea.kr

  The National Fishery Products Quality Management Service (NFQS) is the competent authority for quarantine of aquatic animals imported into and exported from the Republic of Korea. The new OIE Reference Laboratory for viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS), hosted by the NFQS, provides expertise on validation of molecular methods for VHS diagnosis. In addition, it provides scientific and technical support as well as training in diagnosis for VHS and fish rhabdoviral diseases. The laboratory also offers, at the international level, high quality diagnostic services using molecular and virological tools. The laboratory undertook a research project jointly with the OIE Reference Laboratory for VHS in Denmark that led to the development of a novel reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, which had the same sensitivity of detection as the cell culture method. The test has been submitted for consideration by the OIE Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission for inclusion in the chapter on VHS in the OIE Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals.