Research Agreement on Zoonoses

In March 2006 a general research agreement on zoonoses was signed by the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG). The objective of this agreement is to improve, by scientific research, the prevention, diagnosis and therapy of zoonotic infections of men and animals on a long-term basis.
 

The zoonoses research agreement consists of two elements:

1. Federal research funding
   1. BMBF funding activities for zoonotic infectious diseases (zoonoses research networks)
   2. National Research Platform for Zoonoses
2. Immediate Action Programme for Influenza Research
    

The agreement provides a framework for research on the following zoonoses:

• Chlamydial infections
• Food-borne infections
           Campylobacter spp.
           Salmonella spp.
           Escherichia coli
           Yersinia enterocolitica
           Yersinia pseudotuberculosis
• Infections with Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis
• Influenza
• Lyssavirus infections
• Q fever
• Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
• Staphylococcus aureus/MRSA
• Toxoplasmosis
• Vibrio infections

From 2007 until 2010 the following zoonoses were investigated within the framework of this agreement:

• Arbovirus infections
           Tick-borne meningoencephalitis (TBE)
           West-Nile Virus (WNV)

   

• Botulism