Improving zoonoses detection in the Balkan region
During the past decades, the Western Balkan countries (WBCs) have suffered a series of conflicts and devastation which have allowed parasitic infections to re-emerge, posing a serious threat to public and animal health. The increasing human and animal interactions, coupled with travelling and migration, enhance the likelihood of zoonoses emergence. As a result, joint efforts at the international level are a prerequisite to control and eradicate parasitic zoonoses. Alongside that notion, the project ‘Reinforcement of the Serbian Centre for Parasitic Zoonoses’ (Serbparzoon) worked to reinforce the capacities of the Serbian Centre for Parasitic Zoonoses (SCPZ) at the Institute for Medical Research (IMR) in Belgrade. By doing so, the Institute would serve as a focal point for the surveillance and control of parasitic zoonoses in the Balkan region. The activities and results of SCPZ were promoted at the national, regional (WBCs) and European levels through educational leaflets, an open house day and regional conferences. Additionally, the Serbparzoon project presented its resources, achievements and partners in a workshop and at an international scientific conference focusing on the parasitic zoonoses of major significance in Southeast Europe. The conference brought together some of the most distinguished experts from the EU which provided current research on trichinellosis, toxoplasmosis and other vector-borne diseases. Further important activities of the project included continuous training of personnel on newly acquired equipment and epidemiology as well as acquisition and validation of molecular technologies and methodologies for zoonoses detection. The Serbparzoon project has contributed to the upgrade and reinforcement of facilities for zoonoses detection, while increasing awareness of the health threat posed by such infectious diseases. This is expected to reduce the spread of zoonoses and improve public and animal health in the Balkan region.