title: Review of Participatory Epidemiology Practices in Animal Health (1980-2015) and Future Practice Directions.
abstract: In this study we combined an inventory of the major applications, geographic regions and diseases covered by participatory epidemiology (PE) activities in the field of animal health since 1980, together with an email discussion forum with PE practitioners from different regions of the world. The inventory included the search of peer-reviewed papers, master and technical reports, conference proceedings, manuals, training materials and projects. The search resulted in a low number of PE activity results until the year 2000, followed by a considerable increase (especially from 2012). Most of the identified activities were implemented in Africa and Asia, and focused on surveillance, disease survey and prioritization, and disease control. Seventy-nine PE practitioners working predominantly in Africa, Asia and Europe (29, 22 and 18 respectively) contributed to the email discussion forum. They proposed various modifications to the existing PE definition and discussed different issues related to the applicatoin of PE, its institutionalization for use in policy development, as well as the priorities for future development. The need to increase the number of PE trained people together with some methodological developments and the application of this methodology in developed countries, were some of the points highlighted during the forum. These factors stress the importance of further developing PE as a useful approach for engaging communities in addressing animal and related public health risks.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, UAB, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.|UAB, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA-UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Allepuz
authors.affiliation: Animal Production and Health Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Vialle delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Katinka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: de Balogh
authors.affiliation: Animal Production and Health Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Vialle delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aguanno
authors.affiliation: Animal Production and Health Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Vialle delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heilmann
authors.affiliation: Animal Production and Health Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Vialle delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Beltran-Alcrudo
mesh_terms: D000820:Animal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000818:Animals; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance / Q000662:veterinary*