Synergy between public health and veterinary services to deliver human and animal health interventions in rural low income settings.

x Guidelines for surveillance combined with performance indicators—the World Health Organization's pioneering work was taken as a model. x Molecular characterisation of viruses had a seminal effect on both epidemiological understanding and the conduct of eradication programmes. Designation of a world reference laboratory, hosted by the UK Institute for Animal Health, was invaluable. Conclusions Much has been learnt since the start of GREP that merits consideration when mounting control or eradi-cation efforts for human or animal diseases. Whether other diseases will follow for eradication or be singled out for progressive control in geographically defined areas, as are foot and mouth disease and classical swine fever in Latin America, depends largely on the outcome of the global rinderpest eradication programme and the attitude of the international community towards funding such endeavours. There is no shortage of candidates, and new ones constantly arise. Medical and veterinary epidemic disease control is becoming a single continuum. The recent zoonotic Rift Valley fever, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Hendra virus or Nipah virus, and avian influenza indicate that we need to move on from separate human and veterinary scenarios. Global eradication of rinderpest. Background paper prepared for the FAO expert consultation on the strategy for global rind-erpest eradication. The detection of antibodies against peste des petits ruminants virus in cattle, sheep and goats and the possible implications for rinderpest control programmes. Use of rinderpest vaccine in international programmes for the control and eradication of rinderpest. In: Pastoret PP, Barrett T, eds. Elsevier biology of animal infections. Volume 2. Rinderpest and peste des petits ruminants. Oxford: Elsevier (in press). 8 Roeder PL, Taylor WP, Rweyemamu MMR. Rinderpest in the 20th and 21st centuries. In: Pastoret PP, Barrett T, eds. Biology of animal infections. Volume 2. Rinderpest and peste des petits ruminants. Oxford: Elsevier (in press). 9 Plowright W, Ferris RD. Studies with rinderpest virus in tissue culture. The use of attenuated culture virus as a vaccine for cattle.erpest surveillance performance monitoring using quantifiable indicators. Rural African communities, especially those that are nomadic, often have poor access to health care. Collaboration with other services could help improve coverage Livestock contribute to the livelihood of at least 70% of the worlds' rural poor. 1 In arid and semi-arid ecosystems of sub-Saharan Africa, livestock holders (mobile or settled pastoralists and agro-pastoralists) use vast grazing lands and residuals of crops that otherwise could not be used productively. 2 Yet, they …