Zoonoses

It is etched in our collective memory. In 2019, the virus named COVID-19 broke out and caused the entire world to 'shut down' for two years. Many people fell ill and died from the effects of this Coronavirus, and many still suffer from post-Covid symptoms ('Long COVID') as a result of an infection. The coronavirus is an example of a zoonosis, an infectious disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans.

Another example of a zoonosis that has caused much suffering in the Netherlands is Q fever. The Q fever bacteria are transmitted from infected dairy goats, sheep, or cattle to humans through the air or environment. Between 2007 and 2010, tens of thousands of Dutch people were infected with this disease, often without noticing it. However, people can also become seriously ill, with chronic Q fever or death as a result.

In addition to Q fever and COVID-19, there have been more zoonotic outbreaks in the Netherlands this century, such as the livestock-related MRSA outbreak on pig and calf farms in 2007 and the Avian Influenza in 2003. The latter zoonosis still poses a threat to the health of animals and humans in 2025 and is closely monitored.

Video in Dutch: In April 2024, Professor Arjan Stegeman and Judith van den Brand, head of the Dutch Wildlife Health Center (DWHC), were featured in a Nieuwsuur report about the danger of Avian Influenza.

Watch the entire Nieuwsuur broadcast (in Dutch), including the segment on Avian Influenza (starting at 22:52)

Detect, prevent, and combat

Because we live closely together with millions of animals and people in the Netherlands, the risk of infection by zoonoses is high. It is therefore vital that we work together to detect, prevent, and combat outbreaks. From this need, the national Zoonoses Structure was established in 2011. This is a consultation structure in which various experts from across the country come together to timely detect, assess, and combat zoonoses that pose a risk to the health of animals and humans.

Explanation of the national Zoonoses Structure (PDF)

How do we contribute to the prevention, control, and detection of zoonoses?

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University is one of the partners in the Zoonoses Structure. Additionally, we provide education on zoonoses to students and colleagues working in human healthcare, such as general practitioners and specialists. To better understand how we can prevent and control future infections, we conduct research on various zoonoses and the environments in which these diseases can jump from animals to humans.

Read the story: What are we doing to arm ourselves against pathogens?

Zoonoses Surveillance Meeting

An important link within the Zoonoses Structure is the Zoonoses Surveillance Meeting. In this consultation, veterinarians, doctors, and researchers (experts from the veterinary and human sectors) come together every month to assess zoonotic signals from across the country and, if necessary, take measures to prevent infection or further spread.

Collaboration between veterinary and human parties ensures effective control of zoonoses

Infographic about the Zoonoses Surveillance Meeting
Infographic of the Zoonoses Surveillance Meeting. Physicians, farmers, veterinarians, and forest rangers notice signals from all over the Netherlands and pass them on to the Zoonoses Surveillance Meeting. This leads to measures.

Participants in the Zoonoses Surveillance Meeting

The Zoonoses Surveillance Meeting consists of experts from: the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), the Municipal Health Services (GGD), the Incident and Crisis Center (NVIC) and the Vector Monitoring Center of the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR), the Animal Health Service (Royal GD), the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University (FD), the Dutch Wildlife Health Centre (DWHC), and the Erasmus Medical Center (Erasmus MC).

Experts from Veterinary Medicine

Experts Els Broens (head of the Veterinary Microbiological Diagnostic Center) and Judith van de Brand (head of the Dutch Wildlife Health Centre) participate monthly in the Zoonoses Signaling Consultation from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Professor Arjan Stegeman is the chairman of the Expert Group on Animal Diseases. In the event of a (threatening) outbreak of a zoonosis, he also serves as the vice-chairman of the Outbreak Management Team Zoonoses (OMT-Z).

What is circulating among pets in our country?

Analyst Anky Schoormans (left) and microbiologist Els Broens look at a so-called antibiogram together, which they use to determine the susceptibility of a bacterium to different antibiotics.

Experts from the Veterinary Microbiological Diagnostic Center (VMDC) examine materials such as blood, urine, and feces from pets (sent by veterinarians) for pathogens. They detect trends and monitor which zoonoses occur. Additionally, they track the number of infections in pets caused by bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics. Veterinarians can call or email with questions and concerns about potential zoonosis suspicions in patients.

Read the story: "It’s always important to stay alert"

Research on zoonoses

Researchers from Veterinary Medicine study zoonoses from various perspectives. They look at, for example:
 

  • Zoonoses that occur in different animal species and environments, such as pets, livestock farms, or 'in the wild'.

  • The characteristics of the pathogens themselves.

  • Measures that can ensure there is no or less transmission of pathogens from animals to humans.

Examples of research:

During the coronavirus pandemic, Vetscience, the magazine of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, focused on zoonoses and emerging infectious diseases.

Read the Vetscience on: Combating diseases plaguing humans and animals (PDF)

Our experts