Zoonosis Centre

What is the Zoonosis Centre?

The function of the Zoonosis Centre is to ensure the effective and continuous collaboration between surveillance and research activities in monitoring and preventing infectious diseases that spread between animals and people. The Centre coordinates the monitoring of zoonoses, foodborne outbreaks, and antimicrobial resistance as well as compiles the results. The monitoring results and additional information on the prevalence of zoonoses in Finland are summarized on this site. 

The Zoonosis Directive of the European Parliament requires that the Member States ensure co-operation related to zoonoses, foodborne outbreaks and antimicrobial resistance between veterinary, food safety, and healthcare authorities. Finland’s co-operation body is the Zoonosis Centre, which was established in 2007.

The Zoonosis Centre is a network consisting of experts from the Finnish Food Authority and the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). The monitoring of zoonoses, foodborne outbreaks and antimicrobial resistance is co-ordinated through the Zoonosis Centre, and it organises information gathering and publishing of monitoring results. The Centre also participates in outbreak investigations, communications concerning zoonoses and related training activities.

The Centre acts as a national contact point with international zoonosis experts. The key contact points in the EU are the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The Zoonosis Centre participates in the planning, gathering of material and reporting in jointly agreed zoonosis monitoring projects in the EU.

The Zoonosis Centre carries out co-operation, among others, with the Nordic zoonosis centres.

More information 

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

The Swedish Zoonosis Centre (SVA)

The Norwegian Veterinary Institute (NVI)

The Danish National Food Institute (DTU)