Sciensano & Zoonoses

Epidemiological surveillance

Sciensano’s Epidemiology of Infectious diseases service, along with the service of Coordination of veterinary activities, is responsible for the epidemiological surveillance of several zoonotic diseases in respectively humans and in animals. For this purpose, Sciensano collects data through different surveillance systems, which allow to:

• describe the occurrence of the diseases in Belgium
• follow-up trends over time
• and identify possible risk factors for infection.

More information is available by disease under ‘Health topics A-Z’. 

Laboratory diagnosis

• The National Reference Centre, coordinated by the Zoonotic bacterial diseases unit, is responsible for the diagnosis of Brucellosis in humans and animals as well as Q fever in humans (in consortium with the Tropical Medicine institute) and animals. The unit hosts several Reference Laboratories and serves as first-line and reference diagnosis for other rare zoonotic diseases including tularemia, anthrax and melioidosis) in both animals and humans and participates in different research projects.
• The National Reference Centre, coordinated by Sciensano’s Viral diseases service, is responsible for the diagnosis of rabies in humans and animals. Thanks to continuous vigilance and surveillance, our rabies Centre and Laboratory guarantee the rabies-free status of Belgium.
• The National Reference Centre, coordinated by Sciensano’s Viral diseases service, is responsible for the diagnosis of hepatitis virus E (genotypes 3 and 4) in humans.
• The National Reference Centre, coordinated by Sciensano’s Viral diseases service, is responsible for the diagnosis of animal influenza viruses (e.g. avian or swine flu) in humans.
• The National Reference Laboratory Avian influenza is responsible for the diagnosis and surveillance of influenza viruses in poultry, wild birds and wild mammalian species.