camcon-eu

Welcome to CamCon

CamCon was a research project lasting from May 2010 to April 2015. The main outputs from CamCon are presented here.

A collection of educational material about Campylobacter and biosecurity:

Best Practice Manual

Draft Certification Program

E-learning Program

Unfortunately, the links below are no longer available due to technical challenges.

  • Publications

    Peer reviewed papers

     

    Chapters in books

    Presentations and Posters

  • Other deliverables

    Deliverables other than the learning material and publications:

    WP1 – Epidemiology

    WP2 – Intervention strategies

    WP3 – Diagnostic tools

    WP4 – Risk assessment and economy

    WP5 – From science to industry

    WP6 – Management

  • Project description

    CamCon aimed to improve the control of Campylobacter in primary poultry production in various parts of Europe and thereby enable the production of “low-risk broilers”. The project placed great emphasis on ensuring rapid and effective dissemination of scientific achievements to end-users, in particular the EU poultry industry.

    The consortium consisted of 10 partners from seven countries representing various parts of Europe.

    The scientific work was organized in five Work Packages

    WP1 - Epidemiology aimed at improving the understanding of the epidemiology of Campylobacter in the context of housed broiler production and quantify the role of risk factors in different regions of the EU. It considered the role of different subtypes of Campylobacter, seasonal and geographical variation in colonization as well as within and between flock and house transmission of the bacteria.

    WP2 - Intervention strategies focused on the effect of biosecurity and fly screens in two very different countries/geographical areas. This WP also included research on two intervention strategies with more long-term possibilities for utilization; phage therapy and vaccination.

    WP3 - Diagnostic tools aimed to implement efficient, inexpensive and rapid methods for semi-continuous detection, strain identification and quantification of Campylobacter at farm level.

    WP4 - Risk assessment and economics aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the interventions studied in WP2. The WP combined data from the epidemiological studies in WP1 and data from the intervention studies in WP2 with quantitative microbiological risk assessment and economic analysis.

    WP5 - From science to industry aimed to facilitate rapid transfer of new science-generated knowledge to practical solutions for the poultry industry, with the ultimate aim of reducing the growing burden of Campylobacter-associated illness on the population, within the EU society, and beyond. The strategy for meeting this objective was to develop novel web-based and tailor-made education and E-learning programmes targeted to poultry farmers and farm personnel.

  • Partners

    Norwegian Veterinary Institute (NVI), Norway

    The Norwegian Veterinary Institute (NVI) is a national biomedical research institute in the fields of animal health, fish health and food safety, whose primary function is supply of independent research-based advisory support to the governing authorities. Preparedness, diagnostics, surveillance and monitoring, reference- and scientific advisory functions, and risk assessment are the most important areas of operation. The NVI has approximately 330 employees and has its central laboratory in Oslo, with five regional laboratories located along the coast.

    Technical University of Denmark (DTU)

    DTU FOOD is a research institute at the Technical University of Denmark with approximately 330 employees. Activities include research, scientifically based risk assessments, advisory services as well as diagnostic and analytical services to Danish and international authorities and industry. The institute is the focal point of EFSA and is part of the national food safety contingency plan and the national reference laboratory for microbial food safety.

    Liverpool University (ULIV), UK

    The National Centre for Zoonosis Research (NCZR) is hosted by ULIV and is a combined venture of the universities of Liverpool and Lancaster, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency and is a hub for collaborative research across the UK and further afield. The Centre, as the hub of a dynamic network, undertakes world-class research into zoonotic infections, including work on Campylobacter in broilers and Salmonella in layers. A particular interest is how production environments affect the resistance of chickens to the pathogens and how the nature of the host-pathogen interaction is influenced by host stress responses and/or endemic disease.

    University Utrecht (UU), The Netherlands

    Utrecht University is a research university comprising of seven faculties which collectively span the entire academic spectrum in teaching and research. The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Utrecht University is the only veterinary school in the Netherlands. There are about 1000 employees and about 800 students.

    Dianova (DIA), Denmark

    Dianova is a separate limited company owned by the Technical University of Denmark. Dianova’s objectives are promoting and supporting innovative and commercial services of food safety and veterinary science. Dianova sells and markets services on behalf of the National Food Institute and the National Veterinary Institute, as well as sourcing other specialists and services outside the institutes for specific tasks and assignments.

    Central Veterinary Institute of Wageningen UR (CVI-LEI), The Netherlands

    CVI is an institute of animal science and health and is a market oriented research institute covering the entire animal production chain. CVI is a part of Wageningen University and Research Centre and has approximately 280 highly qualified personnel that carry out research leading to practical solutions to complex issues and conducts strategic and applied veterinary, zootechnic and biomedical research. CVI represents Stichting DLO as partner in this project, thereby including LEI(-WUR) as a participant.

    University of Newcastle upon Tyne (UNEW), UK

    The Centre for Life Sciences Modelling group is found with in the Institute for Research and Sustainability at University of Newcastle upon Tyne. The group comprises some 12 staff and postgraduate students whose prime interest is developing modelling approaches for investigating the structure and dynamics of temporally and spatially heterogeneous biological systems. The group focuses on modelling the epidemiology of wildlife, livestock and human disease.

    University of Minho (UMinho), Portugal

    The Centre of Biological Engineering (CEB) is one of the R&D units of the UMinho. This research centre covers the fields of Food and Environmental Biotechnology as well as Chemical and Biomedical Engineering. CEB has a great and long experience in fermentation technology, bioseparation processes and microbial physiology. Researchers participating in this project are from BioPSE and Phage groups. These groups possess the technological means and knowledge to optimise bacteriophage production and purification.

    Research Centre on Animal Health – CreSA (CSA), Spain

    The Foundation Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) is a private foundation created in 1999 for conducting research on animal health. The CReSA unites the human potential for research in animal health and takes advantage of a new technologically advanced building, with level-3 bio-containment (BSL3) for conducting research with all livestock species, grouping efforts and pooling new resources in this field. Research and development programmes within the animal health field, diagnostics, surveillance, monitoring, and scientific advisory functions are among the main activities of our Centre.

    National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Poland

    The National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) is a national agricultural research institute in the fields of animal health, fish health and food safety, whose primary function is supply of independent research-based advisory support to the governing authorities. Preparedness, diagnostics, surveillance and monitoring, reference- and scientific advisory functions, and risk assessment are the most important areas of operation. The NVRI has approximately 490 employees and has its central laboratory in Pulawy, with two branches located in Bydgoszcz (Departments of Mastitis and Horse diseases) and in Zdunska Wola (Department of Food and Mouth Disease).

  • Contact

    Project coordinator 

    Merete Hofshagen, Norwegian Veterinary Institute 
    E-mail: merete.hofshagen@vetinst.no

    WP leaders

    WP1: Epidemiology
    Nicola Williams, Liverpool University (ULIV)  
    E-mail: njwillms@liverpool.ac.uk

    WP2: Intervention strategies
    Jaap Wagenaar, Utrecht University
    E-mail: j.wagenaar@uu.nl

    WP3: Diagnostic tools
    Mathilde Josefsen, Denmark Technical University (DTU)
    E-mail: mhjo@food.dtu.dk

    WP4: Risk assessment and economics
    Maarten Nauta, Denmark Technical University (DTU)  
    E-mail: maana@food.dtu.dk

    WP5: From science to industry
    Mogens Madsen, Dianova  
    E-mail: mogma@dianova.dk