UK Lists Five Priorities for Hepatitis and Norovirus Research
The results of a scientific workshop on foodborne illness have been published in Summary Report of Joint Scientific Workshop on Foodborne Viruses, a paper by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The workshop was a joint venture with the UK Food Standards Agency.
The workshop, held in February 2016, assembled experts in the areas of academia, food, human health, government regulation with a special focus on the food processing industry, and veterinary health. The purpose of bringing these groups together was to clarify what is already known about foodborne viruses, given the increasing number of outbreaks that have taken place recently. The workshop focused narrowly on hepatitis A, norovirus, and hepatitis E--all of which are of great concern in the European Union. The experts were able to pinpoint knowledge gaps, identifying where additional research is needed to improve rates of foodborne illness.