Literature review on the main existing structures and systematic/academic initiatives for surveillance in the EU for zoonoses in the environment and the methods for surveillance of pathogens in the environment

Abstract

A small proportion of disease surveillance programs target environment compartment, and in the EU these are restricted to few countries. The present report is composed of two literature reviews (i) on the main existing structures and systematic/academic initiatives for surveillance in the EU for zoonoses in the environment, and (ii) on the methods for pathogen surveillance in the environment. Concerning (i), it is noteworthy that the most frequently reported objective was to evaluate control and eradication strategies and following trends of zoonosis. However, detecting new pathogens or unusual epidemiological events were scarcely reported as objectives, as well as demonstrating freedom from a particular pathogen, despite the big potential that environmental sampling and testing techniques have recently demonstrated for these purposes. Few of the pathogens prioritised by EFSA were represented in this literature review, indicating the potential of environmental techniques to be applied to a larger extent to detect relevant transboundary and (re)emergent zoonoses. The preferred environmental sample was water, followed by biological material (included faecal material) and vectors (mosquitoes). To a much lesser extent, soil, and other matrices were used. Regarding (ii) the pathogen detection and identification methods were divided into: conventional (culture and biochemistry‐based, and immunology‐based); molecular methods (nucleic acid‐based methods); biosensor‐based (new) and others. A large percentage of available assays for the detection and surveillance of pathogens in the environment focuses on hazards that are not among those pre‐selected by EFSA. Therefore, there is a need for development of new, untested, methods for surveillance of listed pathogens of higher epidemiological importance. Less disturbed areas, natural and wild environments are less covered by environmental sampling techniques than urban and farm environments and should therefore receive higher attention since they may hold undiscovered and potentially epidemiologically significant hazards and hosts. In general, molecular methods, namely the nucleic‐acid based methods, are the ones more commonly and widely used for pathogen detection in environmental samples, and can be developed for virtually any organism, given a sufficient effort to identify specific DNA/RNA sequences unique to the target organism. The usefulness and appropriateness of different environmental matrices for detecting specific pathogens or for specific purposes are discussed and recommendations are provided.

Coordinated surveillance system under the One Health approach for cross‐border pathogens that threaten the Union – options for sustainable surveillance strategies for priority pathogens

“…Furthermore, recent reports by the ENETWILD‐consortium (2022a, b) described and mapped the main existing structures and systematic initiatives, for surveillance of zoonoses (transboundary, emerging and re‐emerging) in domestic animals and wildlife in the EU. The analysis of a questionnaire distributed to MSs about official surveillance programmes ( ENETWILD ‐consortium et al, 2022c) revealed that the integration between sectors is not generalised, which is a necessary step to develop OH surveillance for multi‐host transboundary zoonotic pathogens.…”

“…The Enetwild consortium has carried out literature reviews on worldwide surveillance systems targeting transboundary zoonotic and emerging diseases within the holistic One‐Health perspective (Enetwild consortium et al, 2022a), and on the main existing structures and systematic/academic initiatives for surveillance in the EU for zoonoses in the environment and the methods for surveillance of pathogens in the environment (Enetwild consortium et al, 2022b), which were consulted by the Working Group (WG) during the assessment process.…”

Nanomaterials-Integrated Electrochemical Biosensors as Pioneering Solutions for Zoonotic Disease Diagnosis

“…16 Alves et al observations provide a modern perspective on sensor technology for zoonotic diseases in Europe, with an emphasis on research done in Portugal. 87 In the European context, biosensors can be utilized to detect zoonotic illnesses.…”

Non-invasive surveillance of shared pathogens in the Eurasian brown bear (Ursus arctos) human interface

“…The survey of elusive species, such as the brown bear, has largely been favored by the development of non-invasive genetic material monitoring, such as feces or sponges [ [17] , [18] , [19] , [20] , [21] ], without the need to capture or disturb them [ 18 ]. This sampling approach allows to explore ecosystem-level processes such as host-pathogen relationships, making possible the early detection of pathogens and the identification of hotspots for disease transmission [ 19 , 20 , 22 ].…”