Report of the WOAH Working Group on Wildlife – June 2022

Summary
The Working Group on Wildlife (the ‘Working Group’) met, from 14 to 17 June 2022, at the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Headquarters in Paris, France and was chaired by Dr William Karesh.
The Working Group addressed its role in supporting the WOAH Wildlife Health Framework, wildlife disease reporting, WOAH wildlife partnerships (including with the Wildlife Disease Association and International Whaling Commission), the facilitation of sample shipment (in the context of CITES), strengthening WOAH wildlife networks, and several specific disease topics.
To support WOAH’s core mission of transparency, the Working Group was advised on how the Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) system could be used to follow disease events in wildlife and was updated on the “Quick Win Project” (the Quick Win Project allows Members to continue to report diseases in wildlife to the WOAH, whilst WOAH reviews and considers a long term strategy for wildlife disease reporting). The Working Group advanced a draft paper on possible mechanisms to support Members to manage events affecting wildlife.
The Working Group made suggestions on the format and agenda for the WOAH Session at the Wildlife Disease Association Conference (July 2022 in USA) and made recommendations for a future collaboration between WOAH and WDA. The Working Group discussed options and potential benefits of WOAH organizing a side event during CITES CoP-19 meeting to brief delegates of parties on the need to facilitate the rapid international movement of diagnostic specimens and suggested some way to forward on this issue.
WOAH has recruited a Wildlife Network Coordinator and the Working Group discussed and suggested recommendations for setting up a network of Collaborating Centres working on wildlife and for strengthening the existing network of WOAH National Focal Points for Wildlife.
The Working Group was updated on the Wildlife Health framework and made recommendations for its implementation. The Working Group agreed to be involved and provide strategic vision of the Wildlife Health Framework, including a range of activities falling under different WOAH departments.
Finally, the Working Group addressed three additional topics: monkeypox, Multi-party Trust Fund for biodiversity and health and avian influenza.