Spurred on by the emergence of rinderpest disease (German for “cattle-plague”) at Antwerp port in Belgium, on January 25, 1924 an international agreement between 28 States was obtained to create the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) based in Paris. An agency for overseeing animal disease status world-wide. [1, 2]

The International Committee of the Office held its first General Session on March 8, 1927 choosing their heads and establishing a Bulletin.
On January 30, 1928 the first international Conference was held in Geneva to begin the International Sanitary Policy. [1]

When the United Nations formed the OIE fought to remain following the creation of the FAO and WHO agencies.  Through time official agreements were signed with these initial UN organisations, then with IICA, WTO, OIRSA, SPC PAHO World Bank, WVA, IFAH and more. [1]

In May 2003 the agency adopted the name World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). With over 70 global organisation and its Members the WOAH “coordinate the global response to animal health emergencies, the prevention of zoonotic diseases, the promotion of animal health and welfare, and better access to animal health care”.[3]

  • In 1992, the OIE adopted the first standards/criteria for classifying Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) (fowl plague) – Terrestrial disease.  Definitions for pathogenicity evolved as scientific knowledge of the disease increased (such as clevage sites 2022). [7, 8]
  • Following the 1994 launch of a Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme (GREP), rinderpest is the first (and only) animal disease to be declared eradicated by OIE on May 25, 2011 and FAO in June 2011. [2]
  • In 1995, an international agreement prompted World Trade Organisation (WTO) Members to acknowledge the WOAH’s standards officially [9]
  • 2003 Terrestrial Animal Health Code – defines Animal as “a mammal, bird or bee” –  humans are a mammal! [6]
  • August 2003 OIE joined mission in China to find animal reservoir for SARS virus
  • Jan 2004 – avian influenza “Bird Flu” begins – PRESS
  • In April 7-8, 2005, – OIE/FAO officially launched the new worldwide Avian Influenza Network – IFFLU. [4]
  • In 2005 we created and have since managed the World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS) to provide information on 120 animal diseases, both terrestrial and acquatic.
  • August 2006: Virus strains were collected and sent US National Institute for Health (NIH) for sequencing and deposited in full transparency on the free-access database, “GenBank”, to supports the preparation of human vaccines. “OFFLU works closely with the World Health Organization Working Group on Influenza Research at the human-animal interface” [5]
  • “Virus strains can be considered as intellectual property and sharing them can be seen as potentially hampering research progress and scientific publication.” [5]
  • WOAH help coordinate global zoonotic diseases, animal influenzas, especially avian influenza, and in  June 2022 they put under the OneHealth umbrella.
  • June 2022 the OIE website officially became WOAH, and promoted OneHealth