The French Platform for Animal Health Surveillance (ESA Platform) 

Was created at the end of 2011 and is led by France’s Directorate General for Food (known by its French initials DGAl). It ensures the coordination and proper functioning of epidemiological surveillance systems in animal health at the national scale. Since 2013, the platform has added international epidemic intelligence to its priorities, focussing on the early detection and monitoring of exotic and new diseases.

To achieve this, work has been initiated on:

• integrating epidemiological and bio-informatic knowledge and expertise,
• enhancing partnerships with regional networks for animal health
• and in particular offering innovative methods for health monitoring.

The objective is to design, implement and coordinate an epidemic intelligence system based on existing information sources. This system will identify signals relating to risk factors for the introduction or emergence of known or unknown health hazards. It will then filter significant signals, validate them, analyse them and ultimately provide insightful information to the ESA Platform.

As part of this work, the VSI team is developing data collection and analysis tools such as a web-based automatic monitoring tool (PADI-web) and an interactive multi-disease map.

Furthermore, in collaboration with the members of the international monitoring group and the support of national experts, the unit is participating in writing news items and brief articles on the platform’s website.

It also a participant in the ANSES and DGAI 'Bulletin Épidémiologique (epidemiological bulletin).

Video presentation ESA Platform

(upcoming)