Challenges to and advancements of the official veterinary service of the Federal District, Brazil.

Animal diseases can be both a precursor to social instability and a result of social instability. For disease outbreaks to be prevented or even quickly controlled, an efficient and well-structured veterinary service is fundamental. The monitoring of the efficiency of an official veterinary service (OVS) by official audits is a condition for the progress of an efficient way to control and eradicate diseases.