Several Sciensano departments are involved in:
- the identification of possible sources of contamination
- the diagnosis and typification of cases of shigellosis
- the detection and investigation of epidemics.
Analysis of human stools
The National Reference Center (NRC) for Shigella, within Sciensano’s Bacterial Diseases department, receives human samples from all the medical laboratories in Belgium.
The main task of the NRC is to ensure microbiological and epidemiological surveillance of human infections with Shigella. The aim of this surveillance is to detect epidemics as quickly as possible, and to map their origin and, in the long term, the spatial and temporal trends in the evolution of this bacterium.
Epidemiological support
When an epidemic is suspected, the NRC warns Sciensano’s Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases department and determines whether additional investigation is necessary. If this is the case, the relevant regional authorities are contacted, so that the medical and health inspectors can initiate a source investigation among the patients. Sciensano can provide support for this epidemiological research.
The various activities performed by Sciensano thus play a role in the detection, investigation and control of food-related epidemics, the implementation of prevention measures and evaluation of the measures taken to promote public health and consumer protection.