Quarterly news, views and activities from the European animal health industry I March 2008
 


Message from the Managing Director

Animal Health news

News from IFAH-Europe


Latest EU News & Developments

Animal Health Explained

Calendar of events
 

Dear Reader,

Over the past number of months, plans to control bluetongue have featured very high on our agenda. Bluetongue is a devastating disease with the potential to kill animals or severely impact on their health. We are engaged in a race against time to ensure the availability of sufficient quantities of vaccines by the middle of 2008. Bluetongue highlights the need for forward planning and truly co-ordinated action in responding to new disease threats. In reality, we see bluetongue as another reminder of our need to be better prepared for the arrival of new disease into Europe.

The European Technology Platform for Global Animal Health (ETPGAH) reflects how we are trying to respond better to new disease threats. We are delighted to announce the commencement of the DISCONTOOLS project as of March 1st. This is a project funded by the Commission (DG Research) with objectives including the prioritisation of research leading to a clearer focus of research funding. As may be appreciated, such prioritisation should deliver greater efficiency in research resulting in earlier breakthroughs in our ability to control diseases. In turn, this work has an important role to play in helping us to be better prepared for the arrival of new diseases into Europe.

We are preparing for our annual conference on 12 June 2008 titled “Animal Health solutions for the future”. The conference will explore developments in our global preparedness to control diseases along with global coordination of research – linking into the DISCONTOOLS project. We will also explore developments in food safety from the perspective of the role of our industry in preventing zoonoses and finally focus on developments in medicines for companion animals. We look forward to inspiring presentations and lively discussion and to the possibility of welcoming you to our conference.

Best regards,

Declan O' Brien
Managing Director
IFAH-Europe

BACK TO TOP
 

ETPGAH: tackling global animal health threats

Numerous exotic diseases are threatening animals in geographic areas where they previously had not been present, particularly in Europe. Global climate change, the intensification of trade in animal and animal products and an increased movement of humans contribute to this situation. Bluetongue, for example, was endemic (constantly present) in North Africa before spreading to Europe. Diseases such as Rift Valley fever, African Swine fever and African horse sickness might follow the same path and affect European livestock.

All EU stakeholders have to work hand in hand to tackle these emerging diseases. IFAH-Europe and its members are committed to playing their part in tackling emerging diseases. IFAH-Europe is chairing the ETPGAH, European Technology Platform for Global Animal Health, a unique project that supports research and innovation by enabling a continuous flow of information between international organisations (OIE, FAO), European institutions (DG RECH, SANCO), universities, research centres, laboratories and relevant authorities, to come up with concrete and innovative solutions to fight new animal diseases.

The ETPGAH has just completed another step towards translating its Action Plan into concrete measures by launching the DISCONTOOLS project in early 2008. DISCONTOOLS will build an interactive disease information database with the aim of prioritising emerging animal diseases and identifying research gaps or duplications, leading to better coordinated and more efficient research in the EU. DISCONTOOLS will also focus on optimising the deployment of cutting-edge technology in the animal health research field throughout the EU. A dedicated DISCONTOOLS website will be launched in 2008.

Should you wish to know more about the DISCONTOOLS project under the ETPGAH, please contact Telmo Valinhas, Project Manager, at +32 2 543 75 80, t.valinhas@ifahsec.org

The ETPGAH website is also available for further details on the platform:
 http://www.ifaheurope.org/EUPlatform/Platform.htm

BACK TO TOP
 

IFAH-Europe annual conference, June 2008: “Animal health solutions for the future”

IFAH-Europe will show its contribution towards improving the quality of life for animals and people with its 2008 annual conference, “Animal Health Solutions for the Future”, taking place in the Brussels Renaissance Hotel on 12 June 2008.

Representatives from the European institutions (European Commission and Parliament), international organisations (OIE and FAO), the animal health industry and other federations will gather in Brussels to set the scene to advance innovation in the animal health sector and better address global health threats in the future.

The conference opens with ”Global responses for global health threats”, where the European Commission, the FAO and the OIE will reflect on the challenges of emerging diseases, international cooperation and animal medicines strategy for developing countries. Second will be “Food Safety and Animal Health Policy”, with the EFSA, COPA (European farmers association) and the animal health industry examining the role of veterinary medicines in ensuring a safe food supply. With “A Global Platform for Innovation”, creating the future for innovation in Animal Health will be explored. The final session titled “Companion animals” will focus on the contribution of medicines to animal welfare and on the latest animal health products developed for pets.

Registrations will soon open online: http://www.ifaheurope.org/events/Animal_Health_solutions_for_the_future.htm   

For further information on the event, please contact Myriam Alcain, Communications Manager, m.alcain@ifahsec.org , +32 2 543 75 64.

BACK TO TOP
 

Bluetongue vaccination

Bluetongue is a viral disease that affects ruminants, especially sheep. It can also affect cattle, goats, camels and wild ruminants. It has been named after one of the symptoms that can occur in the animal, which is a bluish coloration of the tongue. There are 24 variations of the virus, called serotypes, 6 of them currently present in Europe.

The epizootic (epidemic striking animals) of serotype 8 bluetongue is causing particular concern since it is now affecting 10 European countries and 45000 farms. Serotype 1 has spread from the south of Spain and Portugal to the Basque country. A total of 15 European countries are now affected by one of the serotypes of bluetongue.

As this disease crisis intensifies, IFAH-Europe has been working hard to raise awareness with the EU institutions and among other stakeholders on the need to plan vaccination ahead, as it is foreseen that bluetongue will reoccur and spread further in Europe in 2008. Declan O’Brien, IFAH-Europe Managing Director, spoke at a DG SANCO conference on bluetongue vaccination on 16 January, emphasising that predictability is vital for the animal health industry. The sector needs to know the demands envisaged by national vaccination programmes in order to try and supply bluetongue vaccine doses on time.

Declan O’Brien also pointed out the need for all stakeholders to be aligned in the decision and supply chain and that risk assessors and managers must have a common approach.

IFAH-Europe has published a statement on bluetongue available on its public website, as well as a “Questions and Answers” document that also covers vaccination and vaccine production.

IFAH-Europe web page on bluetongue:
(picture of the bluetongue sheep see IFAH-Europe homepage)
http://www.ifaheurope.org/Topics/current_topics.html

Further reading:

European Commission DG SANCO dedicated bluetongue page:
http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/diseases/controlmeasures/bluetongue_en.htm

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA):
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EFSA/KeyTopics/efsa_locale-1178620753812_Bluetongue.htm

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) disease card on bluetongue:
 http://www.fao.org/AG/AGAINFO/subjects/en/health/diseases-cards/bluetongue.html

BACK TO TOP
 

Alternative testing methods in the Animal Health sector

Reducing the use of animals in testing programmes for human or veterinary medicines, consumer goods, chemicals or pesticides is a major animal welfare objective for the European Union. Animal experiments, and especially those causing suffering, should be avoided wherever possible.

Considerable importance is attached by IFAH-Europe to this objective. The veterinary medicines industry is already committed alongside other industry sectors to the so-called “3Rs”, i.e. the application of available alternative methods to Replace, Reduce and Refine animal use in testing procedures. This reduction, if possible replacement, is seen as important by both the European institutions and the European industry that are collaborating closely to pursue this objective.

IFAH-Europe believes that better co-ordinated research is needed to ensure that every opportunity is taken to pursue the 3Rs objectives, whether by either using alternative methods (such as in-vitro testing) or by reducing the testing required. Extensive research is needed in this area. In-vitro testing is more acceptable to the public and would create an environment more receptive to research into animal and human medicines, thereby restoring some of Europe’s competitiveness as a centre for research for animal diseases.

For further information:

The European Partnership for Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing (EPAA) is a joint initiative from the European Commission, European trade associations from seven industry sectors, including IFAH-Europe, and individual companies. Its purpose is to promote the development of new ‘3R’ methods (replace, reduce, refine) and modern alternative approaches to safety testing. Please refer to: www.epaa.org

The European Commission Directorate General ENVI has a dedicated page on the revision of Directive 86/609/EEC on the protection of Animals used for Experimental and other scientific purposes:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/lab_animals/revision_en.htm

ECOPA European Consensus Platform for Alternatives: www.ecopa.eu
ECVAM European Centre for Validation of Alternative Methods: http://ecvam.jrc.it/
IVTIP In Vitro Testing Industrial Platform: www.ivtip.org/

BACK TO TOP
 

 

BACK TO TOP