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Background
Zoonoses, i.e. infectious diseases that are transmitted between animals and humans, represent a large proportion of emerging or re-emerging diseases worldwide, including in Europe. Closer interactions between wildlife and human populations, climate change and high connectivity, among others, promote their establishment and spread. The implementation of national and pan-European surveillance networks is thus essential for early warning of emerging threats.
Objectives
The main objective of this multi-annual EU-funded project is to support the Member States in setting up or scaling up surveillance programs for priority diseases, including avian and swine influenza, West Nile fever, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis. Through targeted surveillance in animals and the environment, the program aims to provide early detection of introduction, increasing transmission, expansion of the geographic range of vectors or the pathogens.
The OH4Surveillance consortium (see Figure below) is collaborating to develop common approaches and synergies for the surveillance of priority pathogens.
Luxembourg’s contribution
The Clinical and Applied Virology group of the LIH has embraced research and surveillance of zoonotic pathogens under a One Health approach over the past two decades, thus contributing long-standing expertise of infectious disease surveillance in humans, animals and the environment.
Together with the Administration Luxembourgeoise vétérinaire et alimentaire (ALVA), they will focus on tick-borne diseases and expand ongoing surveillance activities for avian and swine influenza as well as West Nile virus.
Collaborations with the Musée National d’Histoire Naturelle, the Centre de Soins pour la faune sauvage from Natür&Emwelt as well as the Administration de la Nature et des Forêts and the Fédération St-Hubert des chasseurs du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg are foreseen.
Partners
Disclaimer
This project is co-funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No. 101132473.
Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or HaDEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
