The Workshop on Diagnosis of Rinderpest, organized jointly by the Veterinary Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Secretariat, is being held here in Tehran. The four-day workshop was inaugurated on 8 December 2002. During the workshop, the veterinarian experts and officials from ECO Member States Afghanistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan will present their country reports on diagnostic programs in force and the latest status of Rinderpest in their respective countries and exchange views and experiences on diagnosis of some other important livestock diseases.

The participants will also examine the special programs on laboratory work in the fields of rinderpest diagnostic methods, distinctive diagnosis of Rinderpest from the other mucous diseases, virus isolation and the methods of rinderpest vaccine production at the Central Veterinary Laboratory of the Veterinary Organization and Razi Institute. As part of the Workshop, the participants will also visit the Iranian Dairy Industries Company.

Findings and recommendations of this event will be submitted to ECO Regional Planning Council to be held in February 2003.