CEAH continuously engages in projects with other agencies in USDA as well as agencies within other Departments in the US government. These activities fall into two main categories: technical cooperation and training. 

1.      Technical cooperation

Eastern Europe

APHIS-IS has requested CEAH’s assistance in strengthening infrastructures in monitoring and surveillance in Eastern Europe, Turkey and Bulgaria specifically. The main focus of this effort will be:

• Upgrading epidemiological survey methodology. Potential examples of this collaboration include:

o       Bluetongue. A problem that is consistently brought up in conversations with officials throughout the Balkans. Determine geographical spread, identify factors involved in disease occurrence, design appropriate surveillance strategies.

o       FMD control. Collaboration aimed initially at controlling the occurrence of disease. Development of monitoring and surveillance systems.

• Geographic information systems support

o       Utilize existing mapping sources and link epidemiological data into useful systems for decision-making.

Latin America

CEAH has been involved in a project to enhance beef quality in Uruguay . The collaboration focuses on traceability systems and antibiotic resistance. Lessons learned from this project will have direct applications in the US beef industry.  

In collaboration with FADL in Plum Island , APHIS-IS and the Animal Population Health Institute from Colorado State University , CEAH has been working on a project on vesicular stomatitis in Chiapas , Mexico . The project will enable a better understanding of the molecular epidemiology of VSV in an endemic situation.

General

Establish in coordination with APHIS-IS a set of critical information requirements that will help the risk analysis process. This information would be gathered at the country level by IS personnel and would encompass a broad range of areas. The purpose of this effort is to assess important changes in the animal health status, veterinary infrastructure, political environment or significant changes in the economy that could have an impact on the delivery of veterinary services in the country and would justify updating past risk assessments on that country.
 

2.      Training  

Africa

APHIS-IS has requested CEAH’s involvement in epidemiological training for African countries. A pilot training event will be held later this year in Nigeria for Nigerian veterinarians working in the field. The objective of the course will be to review epidemiology principles, design epidemiologic studies and prepare project plans, focusing on Nigeria ’s priority needs in animal disease control, disease monitoring and disease reporting.  The output from the course should enable Nigeria ’s Department of Livestock & Pest Control Services to improve on existing disease control activities and design and implement effective disease control and eradication programs.