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EC-US COOPERATION IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF ANIMALS

State of ProgressState of Progress

EC-US Task Force meeting 19-20 July 2006

Isabel Mínguez & Laurent Bochereau (EC)Cyril Gay, Ronald Green & Steven Kappes (USDA)

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Outline- Rationale- Workshop Brussels June 2004- Transatlantic Cooperation on Zoonoses- International Efforts on Avian Influenza- Preparation of the Workshop 2006- Further Cooperation Opportunities

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Rationale

Infectious diseasesMajor cause of deaths in humansMajor economic losses in domestic animalsMajor cause of wildlife destructionMajor impact on developing countries and poverty

Emerging and re-emerging in the last 20-30 yearsHIV/AIDSMarburg/EbolaDengue, Nipah, HantaSARS, monkey poxBSEFMD, BT, AICholera, AMR

Multiple causes for emerging infectious diseasesdemography, mobility, technological changes, environmental pollution, global warming, ….

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What is the current status with infectious diseases and what is the future going to hold?Do we know what really cause disease?What is the basis for host-pathogen specificityand why some pathogens cross into otherspecies?What would we need to know to predict the emergence and re-emergence of a disease?What do we need to know to coordinate efforts on these topics between the EC and the US?

EC-US Workshop on Emerging Diseases in Men and Animals (June 2004)

Issues Addressed

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EC-US Workshop on Emerging Diseases in Men and Animals (June 2004)

Recommendations Scientific Areas

Ecology of infectious diseasesVaccinesDiagnosticsBiosafetySurveillanceModeling

Cross-cutting Issues

InterdisciplinarityInfrastructure

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EU-US SAFEFOODSpecific Support Action

Objective– Develop a transatlantic strategic alliance between zoonoses

research networks (surveillance, epidemiology, microbial ecology, control/intervention)

Networks: – MED-VET-NET (EC)– FSRRN (USDA-CSREES)

Activities– Workshops– Exchanges– Dissemination

MED-VET-NET16 EU institutes

EU-US SAFEFOOD

FSRRN9 US universities

ARS

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Expert Scientific Exchange Programme

●●●Expert Scientific Exchange Programme

An opportunity for European scientist working in the area of microbial food safety to visit US laboratories. The Expert Scientific Exchange programme invites up to 20 European foodborne safety scientists from throughout Europe to apply for travel grants to visit research laboratories in the US and Canada in order to ensure technology transfer, and promote collaboration of expertise sharing. The selection of candidates will be based on joint expressed interest between the Med-Vet-Net and FSSRN networks. The programme covers the areas: ‘Epidemiology and risk attribution’, ‘microbial ecology’, ‘detection’ and ‘control and intervention’. Application procedure: 1. Please visit the Food Safety Research & Response Network website (www.fsrrn.net) to identify an FSRRN laboratory and make direct contact with an investigator. 2. Discuss the opportunities for cooperative research and training. 3. Jointly submit and application (please, see the application form for more details). The application should be submitted at least three months prior to the first date of the visit. The duration of an expert scientific exchange visit is not restricted but will normally be 3-14 days. The host institution may be able to provide housing, which would provide the opportunity for the exchange programme to be extended; we strongly encourage applicants to search for such opportunities. Participating institutions in The US and Canada: Contact information of more than 90 researchers in The US and Canada are available at the Food Safety Research & Response Network website (www.fsrrn.net).

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AI context : evolving epidemiologicalsituation Asian H5N1 crisis

Unprecedented spreadPublic health, Risk of pandemia, Migratory birdsMany unknowns

Needs for – Increase knowledge– Improved diagnostics– Improved/new vaccines– Different control measures– International cooperation

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A Dedicated Call for Proposals: SSP-5B INFLUENZA

Specific Tasks

1. Sustainable management of Europe’s natural resources (AVIAN INFLUENZA)

New and more environment friendly production methods to improve animal health and welfare including research

on animal diseases (…) and development of marker vaccines

Recommendations of EFSA, FAO, OIE & WHO

Agreed by DG SANCO

Indicative budget: 10 m€

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A Dedicated Call for Proposals: SSP-5B INFLUENZA

Specific Tasks1. Sustainable management of Europe’s

natural resources (AVIAN INFLUENZA)

New and more environment friendly production methods to improve animal health and welfare including research on animal diseases

(…) and development of marker vaccines

• Influenza vaccine development for avian species (STREP)

• Improved diagnosis and early warning systems (STREP)

• Ecology and pathogenesis of avian influenza infections (STREP)

• Migratory birds (STREP/CA)

• AI virus survival (STREP)

• Reinforcement of the Community and national reference laboratories network for avian influenza (CA)

• Transfer of technology and training particularly for INCO target countries (CA or SSA)

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European Funding Opportunities

FP7 funding

- Theme 1: Health- Theme 2: Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology

- Sustainable management/production of biological resources=> Wildlife reservoirs of pathogens, Targeted diseases, Neglected zoonoses, - ERC, training/mobility

Relevant Technology Platforms:

Global Animal HealthInnovative Medicines

Standing Committe on Agricultural Research

Working Group on Animal Health

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Animal Health ResearchMajor Initiatives (1)

Component 1: Biodefense Research– Problem Statement 1A: Foreign Animal Diseases– Problem Statement 1B: Emerging diseases

Component 2: Genetic and Biological Determinants of Disease Susceptibility– Problem Statement 2A: Mastitis– Problem Statement 2B: Avian Tumor Viruses– Problem Statement 2C: Mucosal Diseases of

Livestock and Poultry Component 3: Countermeasures to Prevent and Control Zoonotic Diseases– Problem Statement 3A: Brucellosis– Problem Statement 3B: Leptospirosis– Problem Statement 3C: Tuberculosis

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Component 4: Countermeasures to Prevent and Control Respiratory Diseases– Problem Statement 4A: Ruminant Respiratory Diseases– Problem Statement 4B: Porcine Respiratory Diseases– Problem Statement 4C: Poultry Respiratory Diseases

Component 5: Countermeasures to Prevent and Control Reproductive and Neonatal Diseases– Problem Statement 5A: Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD)– Problem Statement 5B: Neosporosis– Problem Statement 5C: Reproductive Health of the

Dairy CowComponent 6: Countermeasures to Prevent and Control Enteric Diseases– Problem Statement 6A: Johne’s Disease– Problem Statement 6B: Enteric Diseases of Poultry

Animal Health ResearchMajor Initiatives (2)

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Component 7: Countermeasures to Prevent and Control Parasitic Diseases– Problem Statement 7A: Drug Resistant

Gastrointestinal (GI) Parasitic Diseases– Problem Statement 7B: Hemoparasitic Diseases

Component 8: Countermeasures to Prevent and Control Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies– Scrapie– Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)– Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)

Animal Health ResearchMajor Initiatives (3)

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EC-US Workshop on Advances in Immunology and Vaccine Discovery

National Animal Disease Center (NADC)Ames, Iowa 12-13 December 2006

Objective: to explore state of the art and researchcooperation opportunities at the interface betweenimmunology and vaccinologyThemes:

– Mechanisms of pathogen immune evasion– Innate immunity– Mucosal immunity– Immunogenetics– Comparative immunology– Genomics

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Two keynote speakers and two speakers per themeAnimal and human worldsDescription of research approach and explanation how the knowledge might be translated into a viable vaccine paradigm through use of molecular techniques

Approach

For each theme, identify:– Gaps that can addressed by research– Steps that must be taken to adress these gaps

Expected Outcomes

EC-US Workshop on Advances in Immunology and Vaccine Discovery