Country Freedom Recognition

The evaluation of a country, or a region(s) or zone(s) within a country is reviewed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on a case-by-case basis and is dependent on factors such as the epidemiology of the disease for which the country is being evaluated, the geographical or physical barriers which are present in a particular country or zone within the country, surveillance used in relation to the disease of concern, and the veterinary infrastructure of that country.

The recognition of disease freedom by the CFIA is not solely dependent on the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) status or country self-determination. The CFIA utilizes risk assessment methodology in order to determine if a hazard is present in a country, and to evaluate the risk of transmission of that hazard resulting from the importation of animals, animal products or by-products. Please note that Canada accepts OIE country classification for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) risk categorization.

Sources of information

• Diseases listed in the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Terrestrial Animal Health Code
• World Animal Health Information Database (WAHID) Interface
• OIE disease report book and weekly reports to date
• Hazard lists developed by the Animal Health Risk Assessment Unit
• Past trade experience

Diseases of concern for international trade in Animals, Animal Products and By-Products

Transmissible diseases that have the potential for very serious and rapid spread, irrespective of national borders, that are of serious socio-economic or public health consequence, and that are of major importance in the international trade of animals and animal products include the following list. Choose the disease of interest to see which particular countries are officially recognized by Canada as being free from:

• African horse sickness
• African swine fever
• Classical swine fever (Hog cholera)
• Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia
• Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)
• Highly pathogenic avian influenza
• Lumpy skin disease
• Newcastle disease
• Peste des petits ruminants
• Rift valley fever
• Rinderpest
• Sheep pox and goat pox
• Swine vesicular disease
• Vesicular stomatitis

Country animal health status as evaluated by Canada

The following countries have been officially evaluated by Canada as free of certain diseases listed in the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code. Choose a country from the following list to see the diseases from which it has been recognized free by CFIA:

• Anguilla
• Antigua
• Argentina
• Aruba/Curaçao
• Australia
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• Bermuda
• Brazil
• British Virgin Islands
• Cayman Islands
• Chile
• Costa Rica
• Cuba
• Dominica
• European Community
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• Iceland
• Japan
• Mexico
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua
• Norway
• Panama
• Saba, St. Martin and Bonaire
• St. Eustatius
• St. Lucia
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines
• Switzerland
• United States of America
• Uruguay

Additional information can be found at:

• OIE official disease-free recognition procedures