Key research themes
1. How can risk-based approaches optimize veterinary surveillance systems given resource constraints?
This theme focuses on the development and implementation of risk-based surveillance methods in veterinary epidemiology to prioritize surveillance resources efficiently. It addresses the challenge of increasing demand for surveillance amid limited human and financial resources by applying risk analysis principles that integrate the probability and consequences of disease events. Clear definitions and frameworks are sought to guide surveillance design, targeting, and resource allocation to maximize benefit-cost ratios while maintaining effective disease detection and control.
2. What are the core competencies required for effective field veterinary epidemiology training to strengthen animal health systems globally?
This theme addresses the identification and harmonization of essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes that veterinarians need for field epidemiology roles, including disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, and preparedness. Given the increased global demand for epidemiologically skilled veterinary personnel, establishing standardized competency frameworks aims to guide curriculum development, ensure workforce capacity building, and ultimately enhance the effectiveness of veterinary services at frontline and intermediate levels in diverse settings.
3. How do companion animals contribute to zoonotic disease transmission and what roles do veterinary professionals play in parasite and pathogen surveillance for global health?
This theme examines the epidemiology and control of zoonotic diseases and parasitic infections associated with companion and free-ranging animals, emphasizing disease spread through animal relocation and human-animal interactions. It investigates surveillance gaps, owner awareness, and vector-borne disease risk, highlighting the critical role of veterinary practitioners in early detection, public education, and interdisciplinary cooperation under the One Health approach to reduce zoonotic disease transmission.
4. What molecular epidemiological evidence exists for the zoonotic transmission and resistance profiles of multidrug-resistant pathogens at the human-domestic animal interface?
This theme explores the genetic characterization, resistance mechanisms, and clonal relationships of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens isolated from both humans and domestic animals. It evaluates how close human-animal contact promotes interspecies transmission of resistant strains, underscoring the importance of integrated molecular surveillance using genotyping tools like multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to track dissemination, inform cross-sectoral control strategies, and support One Health antimicrobial stewardship.
5. What is the role of veterinary public health and surveillance in managing emerging zoonotic pandemics, including SARS-CoV-2, from a One Health perspective?
This theme investigates the veterinary profession's contribution to managing zoonotic disease emergence and transmission, highlighting the importance of integrated multisectoral approaches to disease surveillance, diagnostic support, and outbreak response. It examines companion and wild animal susceptibility to zoonotic viruses, the epidemiological complexities of spillover events, and the implementation of coordinated One Health strategies to predict, detect, and control pandemics impacting human and animal health.
6. How does integrating community knowledge, cultural practices, and intersectoral collaboration strengthen rabies control in endemic regions?
This theme addresses the social and systemic dimensions of rabies control, focusing on the role of community knowledge, attitudes, vaccination practices, and multisectoral coordination under the One Health approach. It highlights how cultural acceptability, community engagement, resource constraints, and technological tools impact vaccination coverage, surveillance, and health communication in high-risk areas, thereby informing tailored strategies for sustainable rabies elimination.