Food Safety Authority of Ireland

Human Food/Waterborne Disease Surveillance -

Zoonoses

Introduction to zoonoses

Zoonoses are diseases and infections which are naturally transmittable between vertebrate animals and man (World Health Organization). They include a wide variety of disease types (parasitic, fungal, bacterial and viral) that differ both clinically and epidemiologically. The fundamental reason why these diseases are grouped together is that successful control strategies require combined multi-disciplinary and multi-agency efforts. Transmission can occur as a result of direct contact with infected animals, animal tissue and their urine and faeces e.g. anthrax or brucellosis, or through infected insect vectors e.g. schistomosomiasis, or by the consumption of contaminated water and food e.g. salmonellosis.

The zoonoses which cause major concern are those transmitted through food and water and are responsible for the majority of reported and unreported foodborne illnesses. Modern food production methods and widespread distribution of food products mean that high numbers of people can be potentially exposed to pathogens from a single source. The most common of these diseases include salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, and more recently, verotoxin producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) infection.

Notifications of agents of zoonotic disease

Under the Infectious Diseases Regulations, 1981 (as amended), medical practitioners and clinical directors of diagnostic laboratories are required to transmit written or electronic notification of cases of infectious disease to the chief medical officer in the Department of Health and Children. These are forwarded by the HSE areas to the HPSC that then collates, analyses and reports on the data.

Listed below is a summary of notifications of agents of zoonotic disease, however full reports can be found on the HPSC website: www.hpsc.ie

Reports relating to zoonoses

The FSAI, in collaboration with DAF and the HPSC publish annual reports on zoonoses in Ireland . The reports bring together the results of thousands of tests carried out on nationwide samples of food and feed, as well as tests on material of animal or human origin, in an effort to determine the pattern and extent of infection by zoonotic pathogens transmitted to humans from animals.

Zoonotic Tuberculosis and Food Safety (2008) PDF 920kb

Report on Zoonoses in Ireland, 2005 PDF 1.2mb

Report on Zoonoses in Ireland, 2004 PDF 1.2mb

Report on Zoonoses in Ireland, 2002 & 2003 PDF 1.5mb

Report on Zoonoses in Ireland 2001 & 2002 PDF 340kb

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Community Summary Reports on Trends and Sources of Zoonoses, Zoonotic Agents and Antimicrobial Resistance in the European Union.

Community Summary Reports:

2006

2005

2004

Back to top