News Zoonoses
Staff denounces university over livestock farming statement
The Agrifacts Foundation (Staf) demands that the University of Twente amend a press release in which a link is made between intensive livestock farming and zoonoses. Otherwise, the organization will consider submitting a complaint to the VSNU, the enforcer of the integrity code for universities. According to the Staff, the statement has an activist character.
The press release, headlined: 'More risk of zoonosis in the Netherlands than we think', was posted January 8. In the press release, scientists from the Department of Psychology of Risk, Conflict and Security of the University of Twente sound the alarm. According to them, the Dutch are not sufficiently aware of the risk of diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans.
No proper substantiation
Marielle Stel, Psychology program director at the UT and one of the researchers involved, says, among other things: "Scientific research has previously shown that future zoonoses are lurking in the Netherlands. This is due to the way we deal with animals. Zoonoses arise there. where animals are kept close together in large numbers, such as in intensive livestock farming."
According to Staf, the statements in the report about intensive livestock farming and zoonoses cannot be linked to sound scientific substantiation. The underlying research has not been published, says Staf, and 'not even an article has been written yet'. "This means that the approach and quality of the work has not been assessed and approved by independent referees," said Staf. "In addition, the university was only prepared to release available underlying information after long questioning." Staf also criticizes the size of the research group and its representativeness. According to the foundation, 122 people were involved, 'mainly women and young people'.
'Activist character'
Staf believes that the press release has an activist character and makes a link with the membership of Stel of the Party for the Animals, which 'acts actively in the media about intensive livestock farming and zoonoses'.
University response
The University of Twente writes in a response to its website that a link has been made in previous published scientific studies between zoonoses and intensive livestock farming. "Of course, there is also a risk of zoonoses in the organic livestock sector," the university writes. According to the university, the approach and quality of the work were approved by the ethics committee and the findings were presented at a scientific conference. According to the university, it is incorrect that there were 122 participants, 'that was 167'. One of the three researchers is indeed a member of the Party for the Animals, but 'the research is obviously separate from the Party for the Animals', according to the university.
Linda van Eekeres
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