Zoonoses and Emerging Livestock Systems programme launched

by IDReC

IDReC researcher Dr Jackie Benschop attended the launch of the international research programme on Zoonoses and Emerging Livestock Systems (ZELS) in Tanzania last week. The initiative is funded through the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Research Councils UK (RCUK) and the Wellcome Trust.

IDReC researchers are involved in key research projects as part of the research programme that aims to investigate and mitigate disease risks and economic impacts associated with zoonoses in emerging livestock systems in Africa and Asia. Researchers from IDReC are collaborating with the University of Glasgow (UK), which is leading three projects within this research programme, together with partners in Tanzania, UK, USA.

The three projects include:

“Social, Economic and Environmental Drivers in Tanzania (SEEDZ)”

“Molecular Epidemiology of Brucellosis in Northern Tanzania”

“Hazards Associated with Zoonotic Enteric Pathogens in Emerging Livestock Meat Pathways (HAZEL)”

Dr Jackie Benschop and other IDReC researchers are involved in the third project HAZEL, which aims to develop a robust understanding of how zoonotic enteric pathogens flow through the meat chain in Tanzania and to use this information to develop improved food safety policies.

The project will establish which meats are most likely to be contaminated with Campylobacter or Salmonella, where contamination occurs in the meat supply chain, and how the meat supply chain is organized and perceived by farmers, processors, retailers and consumers


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