Mapping food surveillance chains through different sectors

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Epidemiology
• Public Health Surveillance
• Food Safety Science

Background:

• European nations are prioritizing integrated disease surveillance through a One Health (OH) framework.
• The One Health European Joint Programme (OH-EJP) aims to strengthen cross-sectoral collaboration.
• Existing surveillance systems in animal health, food safety, and public health require comprehensive evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and map existing disease surveillance chains across animal health, food safety, and public health sectors in Europe.
• To evaluate the effectiveness and identify challenges of current surveillance methodologies.
• To develop and test a adaptable mapping template for visualizing and integrating OH surveillance components.

Main Methods:

• Utilized questionnaires to gather data on existing surveillance chains within the OH-EJP framework.
• Developed and implemented a mapping template to visualize surveillance information.
• Analyzed two case studies: Salmonella surveillance in French pork, and Listeria monocytogenes surveillance in Norwegian dairy.

Main Results:

• Successfully mapped surveillance components, revealing interconnections and gaps.
• Identified advantages and drawbacks of the questionnaire and mapping methodology.
• Demonstrated the utility of the mapping template through real-world case studies.

Conclusions:

• Mapping disease surveillance systems is crucial for understanding component relationships and fostering OH integration.
• The developed mapping template offers a flexible tool adaptable to various surveillance contexts.
• Strengthening disease surveillance from a One Health perspective requires systematic evaluation and integration of existing systems.