ADAFSA Reference Centre for Camel Diseases leads UAE to global prominence in camel health research on World Camel Day

Al Etihad

22-06-2025

22 June 2025 17:25
ABU DHABI (WAM)In celebration of World Camel Day on June 22, 2025, global attention turns to the historical, economic and cultural significance of camels—especially within the Middle East and Gulf region. This annual event aligns with global efforts to advance veterinary care for camels, strengthen biosecurity, and sustain the camel-rearing sector, which is vital to food security.Abu Dhabi and the UAE have affirmed their leadership in this domain through the ADAFSA Reference Centre for Camel Diseases, officially recognised by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) in May 2022 as the first centre of its kind dedicated to camel health.On this occasion, ADAFSA announced that the Centre has delivered a landmark series of scientific achievements, establishing approximately 200 advanced laboratory assays, processing over 300,000 camel samples, and providing more than one million diagnosis services—highlighting its advanced diagnostic capabilities and readiness to address disease outbreaks and emergencies. The Centre has performed whole-genome sequencing on 50 pathogens to identify virulent strains, enabling authorities to implement targeted disease control measures. It has also submitted 47 new genomic sequences to a global gene bank, reinforcing the UAE's position in camel disease research.In a groundbreaking discovery, the Centre's experts became the first globally to detect the Wesselsbron virus (WSLV) in clinical and post-mortem samples from Ethiopian camels—a breakthrough that may explain mysterious camel fatalities over the past two decades.These findings were unveiled at the 26th African Regional Conference of WOAH, attended by senior officials and international delegates, further enhancing the Centre's and UAE's reputation in epidemiological diagnostics and global biosecurity.Equipped with cutting-edge molecular biology, full-genome sequencing, and bioinformatics platforms, the Centre supports early detection of infectious agents and provides diagnostic advisory services to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Yemen, Iraq, Jordan, and other nations engaged in camel husbandry.To bolster its role, the Centre has launched the UAE's first biobank following global standards, storing over one million biological specimens, including reference material and specialised cells for camel and other animal disease diagnostics. The biobank supports the development of diagnostic reagents and kits, informs early-warning vaccine research, safeguards genetic diversity, and facilitates future disease preparedness research.The Centre also leads a regional capacity-building initiative by delivering annual proficiency testing programmes, aligned with ISO/IEC 17025 standards, involving 33 regional and international laboratories from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Sudan, Jordan, Syria, and Italy. Additionally, it has organised over 20 training workshops and lectures for veterinarians, students, and researchers, and participated in more than 45 scientific conferences nationally and internationally. Its experts serve on WOAH technical committees, offering guidance on camel diseases such as trypanosomiasis, reinforcing its leadership in setting global biosecurity standards.ADAFSA has also developed the Camel Health Network for the Middle East ("CAMNET"), a platform for collaboration across the Gulf, Jordan, Yemen, and Iraq. CAMNET has trained over 500 personnel to enhance regional veterinary laboratory quality. The Centre produced educational kits covering pathological anatomy, parasitology, and bacteriology, distributed to member countries to support veterinary education and field diagnostics.The Centre has introduced the world's first proficiency-testing scheme for small ruminant pox virus assays in camels, in partnership with France's reference laboratory (CIRAD), and obtained the global ISO/IEC 17043:2023 accreditation—the first organisation globally to achieve this in camel disease testing.Asma Abdi Mohamed, Director of the Biosecurity Affairs Division at ADAFSA, underlined that the Reference Centre represents a realisation of UAE leadership's vision to preserve cultural heritage and bolsters food security through state-of-the-art science. She emphasised: 'We are proud that the UAE is the first nation in the world to host a WOAH‑accredited centre dedicated to camel diseases, underlining our global leadership in veterinary diagnostics and biosecurity.'She added that the centre plays a vital role in strengthening regional and international cooperation and supports the UAE's efforts in achieving food security and safeguarding animal resources. This aligns with the UAE's strategic vision for sustainable development.She noted that the UAE and Abu Dhabi took the initiative to adopt the Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases' proposal during meetings held in Abu Dhabi and Italy in 2014–2015, which called for the establishment of a regional centre specialising in camel diseases in the Middle East. This initiative aimed to bridge knowledge gaps, enhance diagnostic capabilities, conduct epidemiological research, and facilitate knowledge transfer.In May 2022, these efforts culminated in the official recognition of the Collaborating Centre for Camel Diseases by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), making it the world's first specialised centre of its kind, headquartered in Abu Dhabi, and providing diagnostic and advisory services regionally and globally.Abdi confirmed that the centre is equipped with the latest diagnostic technologies, including advanced molecular biology tools, full and partial genome sequencing, bioinformatics, and facilities for cultivating high-risk pathogens. It also houses a biobank and camel-specific pathological anatomy capabilities, allowing for the collection of high-quality laboratory specimens.This infrastructure supports early detection and identification of novel, emerging, or epidemic pathogens—strengthening national biosecurity and food safety systems and enhancing the country's emergency preparedness and response capacity.In line with the One Health approach, Abdi pointed out the centre's pivotal role in combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR), through antibiotic susceptibility testing and contributions to peer-reviewed scientific publications on AMR. It also manages a dedicated biobank of resistant microbial isolates. The centre conducts annual awareness campaigns and participates in global partnerships, such as the UAE–UK Biosecurity Alliance, further strengthening its position as a strategic partner in advancing global health.She also highlighted the centre's strong track record in global scientific research, having published over 30 papers in leading peer-reviewed journals. The centre has issued an atlas and a specialised reference book on camel diseases and established the Camel Health Network for the Middle East (CAMNET) to foster regional cooperation and training.
To date, over 500 trainees from countries in the region have benefitted. Among its most notable contributions, the centre made a groundbreaking discovery by identifying the Wesselsbron virus as a potential cause of mysterious camel deaths in Ethiopia—further affirming the UAE's global leadership in diagnostics and biosecurity.