The study is a subproject of the EU's SAFEFOOD ERAs CampEc-Net project (Foodborne zoonoses - Campylobacter and E. coli - a network project). The project consists of five subprojects divided among 21 European countries. The principal co-ordinator is Merete Hofshagen (Norwegian Zoonosis Centre). Subproject 4 maps food- and environment-related sources for campylobacters and monthly variations in the occurrence of campylobacters in humans. Gathered data are used to examine the possibility of calculating the proportions of the various infection sources with the help of statistical/mathematical models. For this purpose, existing data from Finland and other countries are collected, the usefulness of information is evaluated and test models are then constructed. This mapping is a prerequisite so that cost-effective risk management measures can be chosen.
Campylobacters are the most common cause of intestinal infections in Finland. Some 3,000 to 4,000 people each year contract campylobacteriosis. Campylobacters are present especially in poultry meat, unpasteurised milk and contaminated water for household consumption. The campylobacter epidemics that have occurred in Finland have mostly been major epidemics caused by contaminated drinking water, with hundreds of people affected by the disease, or minor epidemics caused by insufficiently cooked poultry meat, with not more than a few dozen people affected by the disease. The bulk of cases are sporadic infections.
Research group
Jukka Ranta (Evira)
Terhi Virtanen (Evira)
Dmitri Matjushin (Evira)
Markku Kuusi (National Public Health Institute)
Elisa Huovinen (National Public Health Institute)
Timetable
2007 - 2008
Funding
Evira, SAFEFOODERA, Tekes, Finnish Food and Drink Industries' Federation
Publications
Ranta J, Tuominen P, Siekkinen K-M, Mikkelä A. Bayesian Methods in Food Safety Risk Assessment, Hierarchical Models and Markov Chain Monte Carlo. 2 - 5.6.2011, Greece.
Hofshagen, M., Wassenaar, T., Urdahl, A.M., Havelaar, A., Ranta, J., Kosmider, R., Grahek-Ogden, D.
Technical report. CampEc-NET, 2008 (pdf, 1327 kb)