World Organisation for Animal Health

In remote areas, where the nearest veterinarian may be several hours away, animal health depends on people who live and work closely with their communities.

This is the story of Álvaro and Aviyala, two young people from the Jepimana Indigenous community in La Guajira, Colombia. Through an initiative led by the @ICACOLOMBIA, they are receiving training to provide essential animal health services within their community.

Their work helps improve animal health and protect their families’ livelihoods. It also creates opportunities for them to build a future in their own territory, without having to leave in search of opportunities elsewhere.

Foot and mouth disease has recently caused unprecedented outbreaks in Southern Africa. The spread of New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasitic fly, is also raising concern, with tens of thousands of cases reported across Central America. Lumpy skin disease reached Western Europe for the first time. Worldwide, avian influenza recorded over thousands of outbreaks in animals, spreading to new species and new areas.

At the same time, the financing landscape on which prevention programmes depend is contracting
significantly. What the evidence shows is not comfortable reading. More than 20% of global animal production is lost to preventable disease every year.

Annually, less than US$ 1 billion in development aid reaches Veterinary Services and zoonotic disease prevention. Less than 2.5% of a shrinking global health aid budget is currently directed at the frontline of pandemic prevention.

Read more about what we can do correct this imbalance in the State of the World's Animal Health report: woah.org/app/uploads/20…

African swine fever (ASF) continued to affect the world in September 2026:
- 2 countries in Europe reported new ASF events.
- No new outbreak was reported by countries/territories in Asia and the Pacific, the Americas, and the Middle East.
- In Europe, 61 new outbreaks were reported in domestic pigs and 170 in wild boars, with 12,958 animal losses in domestic pigs.
- An outbreak of African swine fever in domestic pigs was reported in Africa.
- Since September 2025, the number of reported outbreaks in domestic pigs have shown a decreasing trend.
- South Sudan reported the first ever outbreak of ASF in the country in July 2026

Read the report for more such insights:
woah.org/en/document/af…

What do we know about #Shamonda virus, and what does its emergence in Europe mean?

First isolated in cattle in Nigeria in 1965, Shamonda virus has since been identified in parts of Africa and Asia. Transmitted by biting midges, it affects cattle and other animals, including sheep, goats and horses. Now, the first human infection has been reported in France.

Information on the Shamonda virus variants currently detected in Europe is still evolving. In collaboration with our reference centres and expert networks, WOAH is actively assessing available evidence and monitoring developments.

Swipe through our FAQs to explore what we know so far, what remains uncertain and how Veterinary Services can help monitor the situation: woah.org/en/shamonda-vi…

Preserving a family heritage that dates back to the year 1300 can mean upgrading to modern alternatives.

Farmers, like Oriol, are using real-time satellite data with solar-powered GPS collars to draw virtual boundaries and respond to changing environmental conditions directly from their pockets.

In this episode of Animals & Us, created with the BBC, we see how a farmer in Catalonia is continuing his family legacy through technology.