Oak processionary Oak processionary The oak processionary "(Thaumetopoea processionea)" is a moth whose caterpillars can be found in oak forests. They are a human irritant because of their venomous setae (hairs), which can cause skin irritation and asthma. The moths are widely distributed in central and southern Europe, and are occasionally found as far north as Sweden. In the southern countries of Europe the populations are controlled by natural predators, but these predators do not exist in northern Europe. Their range is expanding northward, possibly or partly as a result of global warming. The moth now has an established population in the
Regional Animal Health Center for North Africa food safety. The idea of developing FAO-ECTAD/Regional Animal Health Centers (RAHC) was first launched during the International Conference on Avian and Human Influenza II, held at Beijing, China on January 2006. Under this initiative, FAO started developing RAHCs in all sensitive areas. The RAHC-NA covers up Maghreb countries: Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya, though most of its activities are also developed in coordination with Egypt. The RAHC-NA is also seeking to bring both Mediterranean shores into contact and encourage coordination and joint work between the countries of North Africa and Southern Europe through the Mediterranean Network for Animal Health