The OIE was formed in response to an outbreak of which disease?

• A. Rinderpest
• B. Foot-and-Mouth Disease
• C. Rift Valley Fever
• D. Classical Swine Fever

Answer: (A)

This item tests knowledge of why the international animal health body was created. The organization was formed in the early 20th century in response to major livestock disease outbreaks that disrupted trade and threatened food security, with rinderpest being the most influential trigger. Rinderpest caused severe cattle losses across borders, highlighting the need for a centralized body to coordinate surveillance, reporting, and control measures internationally. That historical impetus led to the establishment of the Office International des Epizooties in 1924 (now the World Organisation for Animal Health). The other diseases listed have been significant in their own right, but they did not precipitate the founding of the organization.