Centre for Food-borne, Environmental and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases

What is the Centre for Food-borne, Environmental and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases responsible for?

The Centre for Food-borne, Environmental and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases assesses the risk and reduces the impact of infectious diseases in Canada and internationally that can be spread to humans through contaminated food or water, or through contact with infected animals or the environment.

In addition to the goal of improving public health, we also assess the financial, social and economic cost of these infectious diseases to Canadians. Our work helps governments at the federal, provincial/territorial and local levels to develop policies and programs by providing evidence-based recommendations.

On a global level, we work with international partners such as the World Health Organization, the Pan American Health Organization, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, to help reduce the threat of emerging infectious diseases.

What are the main activities of the Centre for Food-borne, Environmental and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases?

Our main activities involve:

• Collecting, analyzing and sharing information on known or newly emerging enteric (affecting the digestive system), zoonotic (spread through contact with animals), and human prion diseases (e.g. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease), as well as antibiotic resistant enteric bacteria, in order to reduce the risk of disease transmission
• Investigating the incidence, distribution and prevention of enteric diseases, such as salmonellosis and E. coli infection, through targeted research activities.
• Managing Canada's response to enteric disease outbreaks that span more than one province or territory or involve another country, through investigation and coordination.
• Improving Canada's food safety system and developing national guidelines for reducing the risk of enteric diseases and minimizing future food-borne illness outbreaks.
• Developing tools to identify, predict and adapt to the impact of climate change on existing and emerging disease patterns.
• Understanding the links between human, animal and ecosystem health (One Health).
• Providing travel health information and recommendations to protect the health of the Canadian population while they travel internationally, and to support health professionals who care for them.
• Supporting federal government initiatives for the migrant population related to public health.

Related Links

Food-borne and Waterborne Disease Surveillance & Targeted Studies

• National Enteric Surveillance Program (NESP)
• Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (CIPARS)
• FoodNet Canada
• National Studies on Acute Gastrointestinal Illness (NSAGI)

Food Safety & Food-borne Disease-related information

• Foodborne Illness Outbreak Response Protocol
• Weight of Evidence: Factors to Consider for Appropriate and Timely Action in a Food-borne Illness Outbreak Investigation
• Food Safety Portal
• Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education
• National Single Day Food Consumption Report

Environment and Health

• Environmental Public Health and Climate Change
• One Health
  • One World One Health Meeting 2009
  • One Health Global Network web portal
• Climate change
  • Health Canada
  • Environment Canada
  • Natural Resources Canada
• National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health
• Environmental and Workplace Health: Health Canada

Zoonoses

• Lyme Disease
• West Nile Virus Monitor

Human Prion Diseases

• Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance System

Travel Health

• Travel Health

• Information for Travel Health Professionals
• Yellow Fever Vaccination Centres in Canada