Like that of humans, the health of animals is likely to be threatened by various pathogenic agents (bacteria, viruses, parasites), some of which can also affect human health (zoonoses). By striving to improve animal health, ANSES contributes to the protection of public health and veterinary public health. It contributes to the sanitary quality of food products, ensures vigilance on emerging risks for humans and participates in the security of food supplies and the good economic health of the sectors.
The Agency contributes to preventing and controlling dominant and emerging animal diseases affecting farms or wildlife (echinococcosis, avian influenza, tuberculosis, Schmallenberg, etc.).
Whether these diseases are:
- directly transmissible to humans (rabies, Q fever, etc.) or through food (BSE, listeriosis, salmonellosis, etc.);
- or specific to animals (foot-and-mouth disease, swine fever, bluetongue, certain livestock diseases with high economic impact such as piglet wasting disease, etc.).
Through its research and internal expertise, as well as via collective expert appraisal that it recently set up in the Risk Assessment Department, ANSES also participates in protection and welfare of animals.
In terms of animal feed, the Agency assesses the health and nutritional risks, the benefits of the products used, the treatment processes and the risks associated with foodstuffs of animal origin intended for human consumption.
Via the National Agency for Veterinary Medicinal Products, ANSES monitors and assesses the quality and efficacy of veterinary medicinal products and studies their safety with respect to animals, humans and the environment.
Learn regarding animal diseases
Within its laboratories, ANSES studies pathogens. It analyzes the causes of the appearance and spread of pathogenic agents within farms, from domestic animals or from possible reservoirs among wild species, and which can be favored by a rearing conditions and feeding. She also studies host/pathogen relationships and the mechanisms of the transgression of the species barrier of pathogens. Within the risk assessment department and via collective expertise, it also assesses the risks associated with animal diseases, for the production sectors and for public health.
Better control animal diseases
Thanks to its research and reference laboratories, ANSES is developing diagnostic tools that make it possible in particular to monitor the appearance and spread of diseases. It develops means of prevention such as vaccines and seeks alternative methods of treatment by improving knowledge of the risk factors often linked to the conditions of breeding and herd management;
Key figures
- 7 specialized laboratories in an animal sector carry out research. Reference laboratories for several diseases, they provide scientific and technical support to national, European Union or international authorities;
- several groups of experts, either a hundred scientists different disciplines assess the risks associated with animal diseases and veterinary drugs;
- 1 reference laboratory for residues of veterinary medicinal products participates in monitoring the proper use of veterinary medicinal products and antimicrobial resistance;
- 1 National Agency for Veterinary Medicinal Products, health police authority, controls, authorizes and evaluates veterinary medicinal products, while contributing to the development of numerous regulatory and technical texts;
- Finally, ANSES is the host or actor of a twenty networks epidemiological surveillance and is a founding member and a key player in the National platform for epidemiological surveillance in animal health
