International disease reporting and communication.

The transparency of the world aquatic animal health situation is based on formal information provided to the OIE through notification by Member Countries when a disease event occurs within their territory. The efficiency of this transparency has been increased since 2002 by the addition of the active search and verification of unofficial information based on various sources. This system is also completed by the exchange of unofficial information between FAO, the OIE and WHO in the context of the GLEWS agreement. Other improvements consist of the establishment, in 2004, of new criteria for listing OIE diseases on a single list, and modification of the notification procedures, in 2005. The OIE World Animal Health Information System has been modernised with the web application WAHIS. The communication of information has also been improved thanks to an electronic distribution list that has been created for Delegates, OIE partners, the general public or institutions interested in receiving alert messages and weekly newsletters. The use of mapping to describe disease distribution worldwide has also been introduced on the website. The website has also been modernised with the development of the WAHID Interface, the new interface of the World Animal Health Information System Database, which allows end-users to perform a wide range of queries for a given country and a given disease. The international aquatic animal disease database of the CEFAS (OIE Collaborating Centre) allows the public to access official information from the OIE and other information found in publications.