Our institute is partner of the research consortium PAC-Campy: Preventing and combating Campylobacter infections: on track towards a One Health approach. Our task is to carry out a risk intervention model. The project runs from 2017 to 2023 and is funded be the Federal ministry for education and research BMBF.

Campylobacteriosis is an important human health issue in developed country where contaminated broiler chicken meat is assumed to be the major source of human infection. This disease is responsible for economic and life comfort loses in infected humans. In this work, we aim to develop a risk assessment modelling approach to investigate risk factors in the food chain process of broiler chicken that may lead to human infection by campylobacter and assess the efficacy of control interventions to decrease campylobacteriosis in human.

First, we will develop a “from the farm to the fork” risk assessment model accounting for all the process in the food chain in which Campylobacter could contaminate broiler chicken meat. This model will help to better understand the processes and risk factors leading to human campylobacteriosis in Germany.

Then, the developed model will be used to assess the efficacy of different control measures in decreasing campylobacter infection in human. The cost-effectiveness of non-biosecurity control measures will be investigated to help decision makers in controlling this disease.

Our project partners are:

• Freie Universität Berlin (head of consortium Prof. Thomas Alter, Institute for Food Hygiene)
• Federal Institute for Risk Assessment
• Robert-Koch Institute
• Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority
• University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover
• Charité - Universitry Medicine Berlin
• Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nuremberg
• Lohmann & Co. AG