Emma Snary, the APHA Lead of the WOAH Collaborating Centre for Risk Analysis & Modelling, visited the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale (IZS) Abruzzo e Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy on the 21^st November 2024 with a delegation of scientists from the Animal and Plant Health Agency, UK. 

The bilateral meeting discussed scientific collaboration and partnerships in supporting international One Health activities with a focus on animal and plant health, including zoonoses.  IZS Teramo are a WOAH Collaborating Centre for Epidemiology, Modelling and Surveillance and therefore we were keen to strengthen the connection between our collaborating centres. We shared examples of current activity within the two organisations, including spatial risk modelling, surveillance activities and mathematical modelling as applied to a variety of animal diseases.   We also had a tour of the sequencing laboratory and data centre.  

Due to the connectivity between our collaborating centres, APHA, IZS and the Royal Veterinary College hope for future engagement through joint activities. Areas of potential collaboration included the use of Earth Observation data to predict hotspots for vector-borne disease outbreaks, epidemiology, and risk modelling. A strong emphasis from this joint meeting was in working together on international biosecurity programmes that focus on providing technical assistance for capability-building in countries throughout Africa.  APHA hopes to host a return visit to APHA Weybridge in the following year.