China and UN come together to fight animal diseases

According to an interview of FAO representative to China, Percy Misika to China Daily, after more than 30 years of cooperating with the FAO, China has now become capable of detecting animal influenza early and can contribute more to anti-animal influenza efforts both in the region and around the world.

FAO in early March 2013 designated the Animal Influenza Laboratory of the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, the first reference centre for animal influenza in China.

If the centre identified a new epidemic in China, it will be able to alert other countries more efficiently before a mass outbreak occurred, and that will be able to avoid huge property losses and save more livestock and even human lives, Misika said.

“If a local laboratory is not sure whether a diagnosis is true or not, it will need a second opinion from another laboratory that has higher technical expertise and a higher level of bio-technology. This center will play that role,” he added.

China is the 10th country to have an FAO reference center, and the second one to have a reference center focusing on animal influenza research.