One Health

The One Health approach is based on an understanding that there is a connection between human health, animal health, and our environment. A One Health approach is important in the context of surveillance, diagnostics, outbreak investigations, and risk assessment, as many infectious diseases are zoonoses – they can affect both humans and animals. Pathogens with antimicrobial resistance can spread between the environment, animals, and humans. Climate change, including the occurrence of extreme weather events, can lead to increased spread of several infectious diseases, including vector-borne diseases. Environmental samples, such as wastewater samples, can be relevant elements in integrated One Health surveillance.

In short, for infectious disease surveillance and risk assessment, it is essential to collaborate across disciplines.

One Health is, however, also an important approach, because there are many similarities between the disease processes in animals and humans. Through time, researchers have learned a lot from each other by studying similarities and differences between diseases in different species. 

Finally, there is a number of advantages for an institute like SSI in applying the same technological platforms and training employees to analyse samples from animals and humans – all in an accredited diagnostic set up. The collaboration provides synergies, and therefore we can undertake a more efficient disease preparedness with a One Health approach than if the infectious disease preparedness were divided into narrower disciplines.

The DANMAP collaboration is responsible for the surveillance of antibiotic consumption and occurrence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in animals, food and humans. DANMAP was initiated in 1995; it has since on an annual basis published a comprehensive report that in detail describes results from every year as well as development within antibiotic consumption and resistance over the past 10 to 20 years. DANMAP has thus contributed significantly to the establishment and development of the systems needed for AMR surveillance. It also plays an important role as the basis for the development of national guidelines and risk management of AMR and is often referred to as one of the major One Health initiatives in Denmark and internationally.

Partners: DTU FOOD and SSI. 

More information 

Contact:
Head of unit Anders Rhod Larsen

Diseases that affect both humans and animals – zoonoses – cannot be controlled or prevented within a single sector. Assessments, expert knowledge, and collaborations across sectors are necessary. SSI participates in KOZO that undertakes this function in Denmark. KOZO meets monthly and as needed, to discuss current zoonotic disease outbreaks and infectious threats from both human and animal health perspectives. A shared risk understanding is formed, after which communication and response can be coordinated.

Contact:
Head of Function Pikka Jokelainen
Lasse Skafte Vestergaard

SSI conduct surveillance of influenza virus in both animals and humans. This covers surveillance of circulating influenza viruses in swine, birds and humans, including detection of notifiable influenza virus in both animals (e.g. avian influenza subtypes H5 and H7) and humans (e.g. zoonotic transmission).

Partners: The surveillance is performed in close collaboration with national (SST, FVST) and international authorities (WHO, ECDC, OIE).

More information:

• Influenzanyt (in Danish)
• Nationale Influenza Center (in Danish)
• Influenzaovervågning generelt (in Danish)

Contact:
Head of unit Ramona Trebbien
Senior scientist Charlotte Hjulsager

Surveillance of psittacosis is performed as a collaboration between Statens Serum Institut/Danish Veterinary Consortium and the Danish Agency for Patient Safety. Psittacosis is a zoonosis caused by Chlamydia psittaci transmitted from infected birds. 

Partners: The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, University of Copenhagen, The Danish Patient Safety Authority.

More information:

• Ornitose (SSI) (in Danish)
• Ornitose (FVST) (in Danish)

Contact:
Senior scientist Søren Anker Uldum
Senior scientist Øystein Angen
Head of unit Randi Føns Petersen
Epidemiologist Charlotte Kjelsø

SSI is a part of a close collaboration between the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and the National Food Institute at the Technical University of Denmark in coordinating food- and waterborne outbreaks in Denmark. The collaboration is formalized in The Central Outbreak Management Group (COMG) with representatives from the above-mentioned institutions. COMG meets weekly, monitors the incidence of human gastrointestinal infections, and compare to findings of pathogens in food and feed.

More information:

• Ongoing outbreaks (in Danish)
• Annual Report on Zoonoses in Denmark (DTU)

Contact:
Microbiologist Susanne Schjørring
Epidemiologist Luise Müller

SSIs VUA-BIO has a class III facility, which can be made available in for One Health purposes, e.g. a health emergency situation. 

SSIs VUA-PAV has an up- and downstream production facility. This facility can be used for manufacture of vaccines for animals for One Health purposes. The facility is class C with LAF zone and contains a tunnel autoclave. The facility can also be used for production of vaccines for human use. The facility does not contain a sterile filling facility (this is performed externally).

More information about VUAs pilot plant

Contact:
Charlotte Green Jensen