Med-Vet-Net

Med-Vet-Net is the European Network of Excellence for Zoonoses research.

Additional recommended knowledge

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Zoonoses are diseases that are naturally transmitted from animals to man.

Med-Vet-Net's aim is to develop a network of excellence for the integration of veterinary, medical and food scientists, in the field of food safety, at the European Level, in order to improve research on the prevention and control of zoonoses, including food-borne diseases. The Network will also take into account the public health concerns of consumers and other stakeholders throughout the food chain.

The Network officially commenced on 1 September 2004. It is funded for five years by the European Union (EU) 6th Framework Programme, within the ‘Quality and Safety of Food’ Priority Area.

Thematic research areas

Experts appointed by each partner institute of Med-Vet-Net are involved in scientific research projects, which are organised into four thematic areas:

   * Epidemiology
   * Host—microbe interactions
   * Detection and control
   * Risk research 

There are currently around 20 active projects, which will be completed over the next 18 months.

Partners

Med-Vet-Net comprises 16 partners across Europe and over 300 scientists. The institutes involved consist of eight veterinary, seven public health institutes and one learned society from 10 European countries. All partner institutes have national reference laboratory-based responsibilities for the prevention and control of zoonoses.

   * (Denmark) Danish Technical University (DTU)
   * (Denmark) Statens Serum Institut (SSI)
   * (France) Agence française de sécurité sanitaire des aliments (AFSSA)
   * (Germany) Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR)
   * (Hungary) Veterinary Medical Research Institute (VMRI)
   * (Italy) Istituto Superiore di Sanita (ISS)
   * (NL) Central Institute for Animal Disease Control (CIDC)
   * (NL) Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheit en Milieu (RIVM)
   * (Poland) Panstwowy Zaklad Higieny (PZH)
   * (Spain) Complutense University Madrid (UCM)
   * (Spain) Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)
   * (Sweden) National Veterinary Institute (SVA)
   * (UK) Health Protection Agency (HPA)
   * (UK) Society for Applied Microbiology (SfAM)
   * (UK) Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA)

Med-Vet-Net is a member of CommNet.