Objective
Due to EU regulations, egg producers have to ensure that effective measures are taken to control Salmonella and other zoonotic agents. Moreover, housing in conventional battery cages is prohibited from 2012. Currently, there is limited information on the proportion of eggs contaminated and the level of contamination, with zoonotic pathogens, in relation to the different conventional and alternative housing systems.
The proposed project will collect and analyse EU-wide data evaluating the effect of the housing system on egg contamination by zoonotic agents, in order to predict the potential risk to the consumer of the move to more welfare-friendly laying hen housing systems. This will be done by risk assessment studies using EFSA monitoring data, in combination with new data derived from cross-sectional and longitudinal studies in flocks housed in different housing systems.
These risk assessment studies will cover all potential zoonotic agents, antibiotic resistance gene transmission and residues. Furthermore, standardized experimental infection models with Salmonella will be used to directly assess the effect of the housing system on colonization of the gut and internal organs, including reproductive tissues, on spread of a Salmonella infection within a group of laying hens, and on egg contamination.
The underlying mechanisms of possible differences in prevalence of zoonotic agents in the different housing systems will be investigated by analysing stress responses, the composition of the microbiota and immune competence, in hens housed in different housing systems, both in experimental setups as in the field. To control zoonotic agents in the alternative housing systems, the project will propose simple and cost-effective measures such as steering gut flora composition towards a protective flora by changing feed composition. Also vector control, in particular red mites, and optimalisation of the housing system design are key issues.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology microbiomes
- medical and health sciences health sciences public health epidemiology zoonosis
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy drug resistance antibiotic resistance
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP6-2005-FOOD-4-B
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
GENT
Belgium
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.