The need to combat animal diseases on a global level led to the creation of the International Office of Epizootics thanks to the International Agreement signed on January 25, 1924. In May 2003, the Office became the World Organization for Animal Health but kept its historical acronym OIE. The OIE is the intergovernmental organization responsible for improving animal health in the world. The standards established by the Organization are recognized as global references by the World Trade Organization (WTO). In 2018, the OIE has 182 Member Countries, maintains permanent contacts with nearly 75 other international and regional organizations and has Regional and sub-regional Representations on all continents.