Animal health, environment and food safety

Human health and environmental protection are among the priorities in the EU. To achieve these goals, the concern for food safety and animal health is crucial. Modern animal breeding, changing eating habits and food industry, climate change, globalisation and market requirements and dimnishing economic conditions in most parts of Europe can negatively affect the provision of these goods. It is increasingly difficult to control endemic diseases and new diseases, previously unknown in Europe, are recognized. Sections within program Animal health, Food safety and Environment are closely linked and follow the same concept ''Animals and Humans = One health". Within Animal Health we will study diseases of domestic and wild animals to gain better understanding of pathogens affecting society and to contribute to reducing the economic loss and prevent pathogen transmission from animals to humans. The pathogens develop new ways of transmissions and survival strategies, as a result of continuous adaptation to the host or the environment and development of new diagnostic methods is crucial for successful control. Another aim is to introduce new approaches and to expand applicability of already implemented molecular epidemiological methods for identifying new and dangerous pathogens. We will study the pathogenesis to ensure human and animal health and animal welfare, rational use of veterinary drugs and reduce economic loss. Studies within Animal health will supplement the studies within Food safety and Environment with the investigations of various contaminants in the environment and toxins in food, feed and animal tissues. To ensure food and feed safety, the main objective will be to reduce the contaminant levels, veterinary drug residues and microorganisms that contaminate food/feed within production stages and may affect human and animal health. We will study the mechanisms of mycotoxins action in order to improve the understanding of their role in food chain and to evaluate a potential use for medical and pharmaceutical purposes. Recently, there has been an increase of reported human viral diseases. Therefore, we will try to identify links between food as a possible source of infection for humans and the role of livestock and pet animals as a primary source of pathogens for humans. Within Environment we will study the environmental impacts on animal health, well-being and productivity. In biological matrices, we will assess the burden of various toxins and their metabolites, drugs and other contaminants. We will conduct a pharmacokinetic study of anti-parasitic drugs, to evaluate their elimination from the organism, to determine the concentration in the environment and to assess the risk for the environment. We will identify environmental and other risk factors for development of malignancies. To contribute to sustainable rural development we will study grazing conditions and the genetic structure characterisations of indigenous breeds, which are the result of genotype-environment interactions.

Research in comparative genomics of some bacterial pathogens (MRSA and C. difficile) from humans and animals will be an original and globally important contribution to science. Such extensive epidemiological studies on pathogen transmission between animal species and humans will be one of the first studies of its kind not only in our country, but also in a wider area. Results may lead to major changes in the understanding of the microbe relationship to animal infection and to guidelines changes for the protection of human health. With the development of new methods for the detection of pathogens and optimization and validation of some existing methods we will significantly contribute to the standardization and improvement of diagnostic procedures, which are important for improving detection and comparability of the results on international level. Slovenia will be, upon successful completion of the program, among the first countries that will have a complete overview of the incidence and characteristics of some strains of pathogens from livestock animals and humans. These strain characteristics will be important for the creation of international databases, which will help shape strategies and outbreak researches of zoonotic infections in humans. Our work on this project will also contribute to the international exchange of knowledge and to the promotion of Slovenian science. We will development new and optimize existing analytical methods for determination of microorganisms, harmful substances and veterinary drugs residues in feed, animals, food of animal origin and environment. Data on the occurrence of microorganisms and other harmful substances in Slovenia from the mentioned samples, as well as their impact on animal health, will greatly influence understandings of the current situation and the planning of future research. Some of these substances will be used for physiological, pharmacological and toxicological in vitro experiments on isolated samples from laboratory animals and the results will help understand their mechanisms of action, their effects and role in animal health. In the environmental section we will study the effects of environmental factors on the formation and development of diseases, especially tumors, in different and also endangered animal species and with that; we will contribute new findings on knowledge of the etiology of the disease processes. By making risk assessments we will highlight factors that pose a risk for the emergence and development of the disease, and propose best solutions to prevent them. The knowledge of human, animal and environmental exposure to environmental pollutants (bisphenol A) and their toxicity will contribute scientifically to the understanding and assessment of health risk, which has been a long time goal for European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in the framework of the Scientific Council of the Agency for materials in contact with food, enzymes, flavourings and processing aids (CEF). Research on the mechanisms and effects of the degradation of harmful substances in the biological chain will contribute to optimal and safe disposal of these substances in the environment. We expect that food decontamination system with atmospheric cold plasma will be faster and more efficient than other comparable systems in the world. Planned research on biocidal efficacy of bioactive coating (titanium submicron coatings) based on previous results in the food industry showed a maintain efficacy against microorganisms on different surfaces (Stainless steel, PE, PVC). By genotype studies of indigenous breeds, which are specifically adapted to their environment, we will introduce new scientific approaches, mostly genomics. We will explain their genetic structure and genetic characterization, which are the result of the interaction between genotype and the environment.

The assurance of animal health, food safety and unpolluted environment is essential for public health and thus for the prevention of economic losses caused by human and animal diseases. Under existing conditions with the treasury already being heavily loaded, all activities aiming for more efficient prevention and early diagnostics are all the more important. Timely detection of the identity and characteristics of agents causing zoonoses and other diseases of animals, mainly the economically important, emerging and vector-borne, is thus of great importance for the efficient prevention of their incidence and spreading. In a wider European context, the management of certain infectious diseases is a common goal without which the free exchange of goods could not be imagined. Knowing the identity and characteristics of disease agents enables planning and implementation of effective epizootiological measures for disease control, which is reflected in smaller animal losses and lower risk for human infections. The emergence of extra resistant strains of some bacterial species in animals is particularly important for the protection of human health. Discovering the prevalence of infections caused by these pathogens among the farmed animals would enable determination of the risk level for humans which commonly come into close contact with animals, e.g. breeders, animal caretakers and veterinarians, in addition also for consumers. Data on the resistance of pathogens to antimicrobial agents would be particularly important for the establishment of databases supporting formulation of the uniform strategies for monitoring and prevention of growing resistance against antimicrobials. Also, data would serve to produce guidelines for the rational use of antimicrobials in intensive breeding. A reduced use of antimicrobials would contribute to safer food for humans. In addition, a continuous control and monitoring of pollutants, microorganisms and veterinary drug residues in forages and foodstuffs is also important for the assurance of safe food. Decreasing infections in animals affects the food-production economy and increases the international competitive position of Slovenian livestock production which has been under great pressure. One of the priorities is also to intensify the connection between research institutions and industry to enable economic growth and recovery from recession. Transfer of results from the research, which would be carefully planned in collaboration with users from the industry and with the clear aim of solving the current urgent problems, would help increasing the quality and visibility of the Slovenian economy. With the implementation of research results from the field of agriculture, a downward trend of livestock animals could be halted, impacting the development of rural areas and the protection of natural and cultural heritage in the long run. Burden on the environment and possible impact on the human and animal health can indirectly be monitored by biomonitoring. Some of the indicators of environmental and other factors involved in the formation of different types of tumors are neoplasmas, representing an important research tool for assessing the environmental burden. Determination of risk factors for the development of certain types of neoplasmas brings positive economic effects due to lower financial expenses for medical treatment.  Ecotoxicological studies are an integral part of documentation for the registration of new drugs and the basis for understanding the harmful effects of toxic substances on living organisms. They would contribute to increasing the safety of medication use and biocides, which are mainly used in mass treatment of a large number of animals in one place, and to knowledge on the effects of certain toxic substances that are commonly encountered. Research would also allow the identification, proper evaluation and prevention of contamination of feed, animals and foodstuffs of ani