EFSA recommendations on the prevention and reduction of animal diseases transmissible to humans (zoonoses)

The Opinion was prepared by EFSA’s Scientific Panels on Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ) and Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) in close co-operation with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) which provided input on the recommendations related to human data.

The two most commonly reported zoonotic diseases in 2004 were salmonellosis and campylobacteriosisaccounting for 192,703 and 183,961 reported cases respectively. According to the EFSA Opinion, the major sources of Salmonella are contaminated eggs and egg products and contaminated poultry meat. EFSA therefore supports the Community strategy of setting reduction targets for Salmonella in poultry[2]. Contaminated poultry meat is also a major source of Campylobacter and EFSA recommends that measures be taken along the poultry chain to reduce the prevalence The proportion of a population found to have a condition. of these bacteria.

Listeriosis which is a cause of severe disease in humans, accounted for the highest number of reported human fatalities (107 deaths) amongst the 11 zoonoses covered in the EFSA zoonoses report. EFSA recommends that good manufacture, handling and hygienic practices, as well as the HACCP A hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) is a system that identifies, evaluates and controls hazards to food safety. It is implemented by food businesses to ensure safe production, storage and transport of food.[3] hazard identification The first step in risk assessment, this involves the identification of biological, chemical, and physical agents capable of causing adverse health effects. approach be applied effectively by food manufacturers in order to decrease Listeria contamination levels in food.

Toxoplasmosis which can seriously affect the unborn child and immunocompromised individuals was the most frequently notified zoonotic disease caused by parasites. EFSA considers the disease to be under-detected and under-reported and recommends education campaigns targeted at vulnerable individuals addressing cooking and food hygiene practices, as well as the handling of cat litter.

Antimicrobial resistance The ability of microbes to grow in the presence of substances specifically designed to kill them; for example, some human infections are now resistant to antibiotics, raising concerns about their widespread use. in zoonotic bacteria found in food producing animals is identified in the Opinion as a public health concern. EFSA recommends the mandatory monitoring of the use of antimicrobial treatments in food producing animals and the implementation of risk communication measures targeted at farmers and veterinary practitioners stressing the importance of prudent use of antimicrobials in animals.

The Opinion also notes with concern the apparent higher incidence The number of new events occurring within a specified time period within a defined geographical area; for example, the number of flu cases per year in Europe. amongst young children of infection from Salmonella, verotoxin producing E.coli and Yersinia and EFSA identifies the need for further investigation into this trend.

The EFSA Opinion stresses the need for further clarification on the role of contaminated water in causing zoonotic diseases and foodborne outbreaks and identifies contaminated animal feed as an important route for introducing Salmonella into livestock.

According to the Opinion, rabies continues to pose a serious fatal human health risk in areas where rabies is present in wildlife. In endemic Consistently present in a population or region, whether dormant or active as measured by clinical tests. areas, EFSA recommends oral immunisation in the major wild reservoir species A subdivision of the genus, a species is a group of closely related and similar-looking organisms; for example, in the case of Homo sapiens (humans), the second part of the name (sapiens) represents the species. such as foxes and racoons through Community level co-ordinated actions as well as vaccination and registration and identification of domestic pets.

EFSA also recommends that at a general level the risk communication initiatives aiming at the improvement of food hygiene procedures and hygienic food handling be targeted at food operators, vulnerable groups in the population Community of humans, animals or plants from the same species., as well as the general public.

The Opinion also makes several recommendations for improving the EU monitoring and reporting system for zoonoses, amongst which the need for:

• a common strategy on data collection, monitoring and reporting as well as the improvement of harmonization of definitions,
• mandatory monitoring of antimicrobial usage in animals,
• distinguishing between infection acquired domestically or abroad when reporting human cases or outbreaks,
• inclusion of data on the origin of implicated food when reporting,
• improvement in the calculation of disease burden through use of approaches such as DALYs (Disability-Adjusted Life Years[4]) rather than solely reporting case numbers.

• Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ) and of the Scientific Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) on “Review of the Community Summary Report on Trends and Sources of Zoonoses, Zoonotic Agents and Antimicrobial Resistance in the European Union in 2004