International trade and the spread of animal diseases: assessing the risks.
Decisions about managing animal and zoonotic disease risks associated with the international trade in animals and animal products are inevitably made in the face of varying degrees of uncertainty. The risk analysis framework of the Office International des Epizooties (OIE: World organisation for animal health) provides a structured approach that facilitates the identification, assessment, management and communication of these risks. By ensuring that an analysis is transparent and subjected to scientific review, stakeholders and trading partners can be assured that a reasonable level of objectivity is obtained, that the measures adopted are appropriate and that international obligations, outlined in the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures of the World Trade Organization, are fulfilled.
Murray
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Animal Health and Production Division, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, 59 Camelot Drive, Ottawa, K1A0Y9, Canada. murray@inspection.gc.ca