WOAH Reference Laboratory designations
The World Organisation for Animal Health is the global authority on animal health. It is an intergovernmental organisation, focussed on transparently disseminating information on animal diseases, improving animal health globally and building a safer, healthier and more sustainable world.
ACDP is a WOAH designated reference laboratory for several high impact diseases of terrestrial and aquatic animals.
Reference laboratories function as a world reference centre of expertise on designated diseases. Each Reference laboratory has a designated world expert who provides scientific and technical assistance and expert advice on topics linked to diagnosis and control of the disease for which the Reference Laboratory is responsible.
Reference Laboratory experts work as part of an international network of people, to create a solid knowledge base, a pool of resources and information about high impact animal diseases, that can be easily accessed and shared.
Reference Laboratories are focused on high impact diseases, which are those capable of having severe effects on production, trade, environment, and in some case, the health of people.
| Disease | Designated expert |
|---|---|
| Bluetongue virus | Dr Debbie Eagles |
| Hendra and Nipah virus diseases | Dr Kim Halpin |
| Highly pathogenic avian influenza and low pathogenic avian influenza (poultry) | Dr Frank Wong |
| African swine fever | Dr David Williams |
| Classical swine fever | Dr Trevor Drew |
| Abalone herpesvirus | Dr Nick Moody |
| Ranavirus | Dr Nick Moody |
| Yellow head virus genotype 1 | Dr Nick Moody |
| Epizootic haematopoletic necrosis virus | Dr Nick Moody |
Read more about WOAH Reference Laboratories.
WOAH Collaborating Centres
WOAH Collaborating centres function as a world centre of research, expertise, standardisation of techniques and dissemination of knowledge on a specialty area. Collaborating Centres are designated for a specific specialty within a focus area relating to the management of general questions on animal health issues. In its designated specialty, they must provide their expertise internationally.
| Collaborating Centre | Designated contact |
|---|---|
| Diagnostic test validation science in Asia-Pacific Region | Dr Axel Colling |
| Laboratory capacity building | Dr Dwane O'Brien |
| New and emerging disease | Dr Debbie Eagles |
Read more about WOAH Collaborating Centres.
FAO Reference Centres designations
The Food and Agriculture Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
One of the FAO's global missions is to provide field and technical support to its member countries to prevent or control major diseases of poultry, livestock and wildlife.
ACDP has been appointed as a FAO Reference Centre in three of the 19 thematic areas identified by the FAO as critical for FAO member countries.
| Reference Centre | Designated contact |
|---|---|
| Animal Influenza and Newcastle disease | Dr Frank Wong |
| Laboratory Biorisk Management | Dr J.T. Paulley |
| Zoonotic coronaviruses | TBC |
Read more about FAO Reference Centres.