ISCIII, Institute of Health Carlos III

The Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Institute of Health Carlos III, ISCIII) is the main Public Research Entity funding, managing and carrying out biomedical research in Spain. The ISCIII reports directly to the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and in operational terms to both this Ministry and to the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality.

Within the ISCIII, the National Centre of Epidemiology (CNE) works with the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality on the national network for epidemiological surveillance (RENAVE), carries out mortality and morbidity studies of hospital patients, studies outbreaks of infection going beyond Autonomous Community level, conducts surveillance of environmental epidemiology and cancer, and publishes a weekly epidemiological bulletin.

Carmen Varela, PhD in Pharmacy, specialist in Microbiology and MS in field epidemiology, is the leader of the specific agreement related to the determination of the incidence and epidemiological characteristics of ciguatera cases in Europe. She is working as epidemiologist at the CNE since 2002, currently leading the surveillance of food and water borne diseases. She has participated in two EU projects and one Joint Action, funded by DG-SANTE. She is the National Focal Point (acting as alternate) for food and waterborne diseases for the European Centre for Prevention and Control of Diseases (ECDC).

 

Elena Vanessa Martínez works at the National Centre of Epidemiology in Spain as responsible of the National surveillance system of infectious diseases database (mandatory disease and outbreaks) and she works in the surveillance of food and water-borne disease team.