PulseNet Europe
PulseNet Europe is the molecular surveillance network for food-borne infections in Europe. It is an internationally unique network that - in addition to public health laboratories - has institutions from the veterinary and food sector as equal participants.
The main aim in PulseNet Europe is to establish real-time linked surveil-lance database system to detect infection clusters and investigate outbreaks of Salmonella, verocytotoxigenic E. coli (VTEC) and Listeria monocytogenes.
The structure of the PulseNet Europe database is built in the BioNumerics server/client format and the on-line database server is at the Health Protection Agency, Colindale, England.
The good quality of PFGE profiles which will be uploaded to the central database and uniform naming are very important. Therefore, the six PulseNet Europe curators have been chosen. They will take care of the central database, perform the naming and confirmation of the PFGE profiles submitted by partners and perform central cluster detection of all pathogens at regular intervals and alerts PulseNet Europe partners of detected clusters throug communication system.
This web-based central PulseNet Europe database makes possible for partners to submit the generated and analysed PFGE data directly via the web. This will also enable the partners to have direct access to the database and compare their PFGE data to the data that are stored in the database. The direct access will ensure a uniform naming of PFGE-subtypes in all participating countries, provide portable data and make it easy for partners to check their own data when alerts of infections clusters are posted on the PulseNet Europe communication forum.
The direct access to comparable typing data for isolates from human infections as well as food and animals will significantly improve the surveillance and trace-back of food-borne infections at national, European and international level. Furthermore, international clusters of food-borne infections that have too few cases in each country to be detected by the National surveillance systems will be detected through central PulseNet Europe surveillance systems.
The data will be comparable internationally through PulseNet International (PulseNet Asia-Pacific region, PulseNet Canada, PulseNet Latin America and PulseNet USA) which gives the project a global aspect.
At the moment, PulseNet Europe receives funding as a work package in the FP6 network of excellence MedVetNet, a virtual European Zoonosis Centre.
Current Objectives
- To establish real-time linked surveillance system to detect disease clusters and investigate outbreaks of Salmonella, verocytotoxigenic E. coli (VTEC) and Listeria monocytogenes
- Set up a central database
- Training of curators
- Establish a rapid communication system (PNE forum)
- Set up Quality Assurance system
- Prepare Memorandum of Understanding with PulseNet International