BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ITS APPLICATION TO VETERINARY SCIENCE

Summary: A questionnaire was sent to the 29 Member Countries of the OIE Regional Commission for the Americas and information and comments were received from the Delegates of 21 Member Countries. The questionnaire covered aspects relating to the application of biotechnology to animal health, especially prevention-related issues, including: the development and production of medicinal products and vaccines; the use of metabolic modifiers, probiotics and prebiotics; advanced veterinary diagnostic methods; immunocastration and other applications. The questionnaire also covered the aspects of regulations and public perceptions. The report analyses the situation in the countries of the region in relation to the state of the art in these technologies worldwide, revealing that modern biotechnology-based technologies offer huge potential for the production of vaccines, medicinal products and other veterinary products. The development and use of these technologies is concentrated in a few countries of the region, while in others they are still not in widespread use. This creates the need to publicise and provide training in these technologies, for which suitable development conditions exist in a number of countries in the region. It is also necessary to foster the establishment of a comprehensive and effective regulatory framework for the safe use of these technologies from the dual standpoint o