Med-Vet-Net: A network of excellence

Map of Europe with MED-VET-NET member counties marked

VLA is one of the founding members of the network Med-Vet-Net. Within this network scientists from all over Europe come together to share and enhance their knowledge and skills, develop collaborative projects and present joint research.

Med-Vet-Net aims to improve research into the prevention and control of zoonoses for the benefit of public health.

What are Zoonoses?

Cattle

Zoonoses are diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Zoonotic diseases cause many of our most serious health problems. The European Union (EU) has recently identified 23 agents causing zoonotic diseases. These agents must be monitored in both human and animal populations by all Med-Vet-Net members. Food supply is an increasinlgy global industry and the microbiological safety of food is recognised as a major public health concern for the EU.

Research

The scientific research is organised into four main areas covering all aspects of zoonoses as defined by the European Zoonoses Directive:

  • Epidemiology
  • Host-microbe interections
  • Detection and control
  • Risk research

Over 75% of new and emerging infections are zoonoses and some of these have serious global consequences - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) for example.

In the first 18 months, 11 research workpackages will be funded on a wide range of topics. VLA is involved in most of these and will lead the workpackages on Lyssaviruses and Campylobacter virulence.

Zoonotic diseases have always represented a risk to humans but recent events have shown us that these risks can change as a result of:

  • global travel and international livestock trade
  • increasing encroachment of man and livestock into previously un-inhabited areas
  • increasing contact between man and exotic animals as pets
  • changes in livestock production including intensification
  • shifts in human eating and food preparation habits
  • mutations resulting in increased virulence of organisms
  • development of new transmission routes
  • increasingly susceptible human populations

The European Union, under the Sixth Framework Programme, has provided funding until 2009 to develop Med-Vet-Net.