Mission

Help developing countries towards sustainable food production by identifying production losses due to E. coli, improve detection of these problems, by determining and monitoring the incidence, identify emerging problems, and by elaborating and evaluating strategies for control of E. coli disease in food animals.

Help developing and industrialized countries to identify animal reservoirs of foodborn disease due to E. coli and to reduce the risk to human health of contact with these animals and consumption of the food or water contaminated by these animals, enable accurate differentiation from other causes of enteric disease, so can instigate or evaluate the appropriate treatment and control measures.

The principal mandate of the OIE reference laboratory for Escherichia coli (EcL) is:

• to function as a centre of expertise and standardisation for pathogenic Escherichia coli and associated disease;
• to collaborate with OIE laboratories for diagnostic and control of E. coli and associated disease;
• to develop or evaluate new procedures for diagnosis and control of E. coli and associated disease;
• to gather, process, analyse and disseminate E. coli epizootiological data;
• to place expert consultants at the disposal of OIE;
• to publish and disseminate information on E. coli for member Countries of OIE.