The DEFEND consortium will target two viral diseases of livestock which are emerging into Europe – African swine fever (ASF) and lumpy skin disease (LSD). African swine fever virus (ASFV) is the causative agent of ASF, a highly contagious disease of domestic pigs which causes a haemorrhagic syndrome with up to 100% mortality. ASF is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa and on the Italian island of Sardinia. In 2007 the disease was reported in Georgia. Since then it has spread to Russia, Ukraine, Poland and neighbouring countries. In 2017 outbreaks were reported in the Czech Republic and Romania. Wild boar are susceptible to ASFV and facilitate the continuing spread of the disease in Europe with regular spill-over into in-contact domestic pigs. The capripoxvirus Lumpy Skin Disease virus (LSDV) causes a classic systemic poxvirus disease in cattle and spreads rapidly in warm humid conditions, most likely due to insect-borne transmission. LSDV entered Europe, the Balkans and Caucasus for the first time in 2015. The ongoing epidemic has caused the deaths of thousands of cattle through mortality and eradication campaigns. ASFV and LSDV represent an immediate and serious threat to the pig and cattle industries in Europe and eastern and central Asia. The aim of the consortium is to control the growing LSD and ASF epidemics in Europe and neighbouring countries by understanding the drivers of LSDV and ASFV emergence, and generating research outputs which underpin novel diagnostic tools and vaccines and authenticate appropriate and rapid responses by decision-makers. A multi-actor approach will be incorporated as a central tenant of the project, with collaborations between experts from academia, industry, and government bodies including EU and non-EU partners from countries affected or threatened by ASF and LSD.

The One Health concept recognizes that the human health is tightly connected to the health of animals and the environment, i.e. that animal feed, human food, animal and human health, and environmental contamination are closely linked. These are the main focus of our European joint programme (EJP). One reference laboratory from the public health / medicine domain and one reference laboratory from the food / veterinary domain are associated within a network of 41 European laboratories and research centers, distributed in 19 participating member states, with the aim to reach significant advances in the fields of foodborne zoonoses (FBZ), antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and emerging threats (ET) within a global One Health approach. Most of these laboratories have reference responsibilities, representing a sustainable framework for an integrated research community. Consistent with the “Prevent-Detect-Respond” concept, the One Health EJP aims at reinforcing collaboration between institutes by enhancing transdisciplinary cooperation and integration of activities by means of dedicated Joint Research Projects, Joint Integrative Project and through education and training in the fields of FBZ, AMR and ET. While alignment and harmonization with on-going EC-funded research project will also be considered, deliverables from the EJP activities should feed the approach of evidence based risk assessment and therefore the management of risks by the competent national authorities. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to efficiently and regularly updated the dissemination of knowledge between the research community and major International and European stakeholders, national authorities and further afield. The One Health EJP will also develop sustainable programs and projects beyond the lifetime of the EJP, through the production of a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (2021-2030) and a European P2P One Health Cooperative Joint Initiative.