From 25^th to 27^th Sep 2024, the 19^th WOAH/FAO FMD Reference Laboratory Network Annual Meeting, hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), was held at FAO headquarters. Over 70 participants attended the meeting both virtually and in person, including representatives from FAO, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (EuFMD), the World Reference Laboratory for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (WRLFMD), 16 WOAH/FAO foot-and-mouth disease reference laboratories, and 5 observer country laboratories. Invited by Dr. Donald King, Head of the World Reference Laboratory for Foot-and-Mouth Disease, Professor Zheng Haixue, Director of the Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, and Dr. Dang Wen participated the meeting as representatives from China's National Foot-and-Mouth Disease Reference Laboratory and engaged in work-related exchanges.

Professor Donald King, Head of the World Reference Laboratory for Foot-and-Mouth Disease, provided a detailed report on the global foot-and-mouth disease situation in 2024, epidemiological changes, pathogen distribution characteristics, recent outbreak cases, and control measures. Representatives from various countries reported on their respective on foot-and-mouth disease prevention and control efforts. The conference discussed topics such as vaccine banks, vaccine matching tests, post-immunization monitoring, sample transportation, and the OpenFMD antigen database, providing detailed reference data for countries to control cross-border transmission of foot-and-mouth disease. Professor Zheng Haixue presented on China's foot-and-mouth disease situation in 2024, epidemiological changes, disease control and eradication efforts, as well as achievements in basic research on foot-and-mouth disease in Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute (LVRI). He also proposed further strengthening international cooperation and exchange between LVRI and neighboring countries in the field of foot-and-mouth disease prevention, control technologies, and research, as well as promoting the dissemination of results. This initiative, aimed at accelerating global foot-and-mouth disease control and eradication as China's contribution, received unanimous approval from participating organizations and representatives.

The National Foot-and-Mouth Disease Reference Laboratory, based at LVRI, has conducted comprehensive and systematic prevention, control, and research work in areas such as foot-and-mouth disease epidemiological surveillance, development of new diagnostic technologies, and efficient vaccine design & development. Significant progress has been made, playing a crucial technically supporting role in China's foot-and-mouth disease control and eradication. This has led to the elimination of type Asia1, 5 years of immunization without outbreaks for type A, and effective control of type O. Technical assistance was also provided to Mongolia, Nepal, and Myanmar, earning recognition and praise from peer laboratories and experts from various countries attending the meeting.