Paris, 4 October - At the request of the OIE delegate of Russia, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has started yesterday its expert´s mission to assess the avian influenza situation of wildlife in Russia and the national measures to be taken to minimize the risk of international spread of the disease. The mission will last one week.

The reference laboratory of the country (located in Vladimir) and, if possible, other laboratories will be visited to assess the conditions for the laboratory in Vladimir to be part of the world wide network of OIE reference laboratories. Samples from wild birds will be collected to try to verify if they carry the H5N1. The relevant species of wild birds will also be listed in order to identify their migration routes and thus to allow the countries receiving these birds to be prepared to to develop surveillance activities when relevantl.

This mission will be the first of a series of missions in which the OIE will offer the necessary technical and scientific collaboration to Russia needed in combating and/or preventing the disease.

The OIE/FAO world wide laboratory network on avian influenza (OFFLU) will be in the forefront of these missions.

Below are published the Terms of reference of the mission of OIE experts to Russia:

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Mission to Russia to assess the avian influenza situation in wildlife and the national measures being taken to minimise the risk of international spread.

Requested by: Dr Evgueny A Nepoklonov, Chief Veterinary Officer of Russia

Proposed dates of visit: 28 September - 7 October, 2005

Team Composition under the framework of the OIE/FAO Avian Influenza Laboratory Network (OFFLU):

Dr Stefano Marangon, OIE Reference Laboratory at the IZS Venezia, Italy.
Dr Ian Brown, OIE Reference Laboratory Weybridge, UK.
Dr Nicolas Gaidet, CIRAD-EMVT, France
Prof Bjorn Olsen, Infektionskliniken Kalmar, Sweden
Dr Vittorio Guberti, IZS Venezia, Italy
Duration: 8 working days in Russia

Mission Programme

1. To asses the situation with regard to the possible relation between infection of wildlife with avian influenza and the avian influenza outbreaks in commercial poultry

- To assess whether there are healthy carriers of the H5N1 strain
- If yes, to assess the role of healthy carriers in the spread of the disease
- To assess which main wildlife bird species could get clinically or sub-clinically infected and might be involved in the spread of the disease.
- To gather information on the routes and periods of migration of the relevant (infected) wild birds and to provide advice on a system of surveillance of wild birds in Russia
- To give advice on a warning system for risk countries receiving the relevant (infected) wild birds.

2. To assess the current capabilities of the Russian reference laboratory and if possible other diagnostic laboratories in the diagnosis of avian influenza.

3. To submit an independent Mission Report to the OIE on completion of the mission.

4. Other OIE missions to Russia will be organised just after this first mission with the following purposes:

- Technical and economical evaluation of the reinforcement of the Vladimir laboratory in order to strengthen capacity and international recognition in the field of avian influenza diagnostic.
- Updating of the legislation and policies on avian influenza national control in Russia
- Designing by the Russian veterinary authorities of a national system of surveillance of influenza in wild birds in Russia.

The results of the mission will be published on the OIE website.