ABSTRACT
A number of factors, including poverty, increased food trade, and changes in food production and food preservation methods have over recent decades resulted in an increased foodborne disease burden and significant potential of global spread of pathogens through food. The One Health concept is a worldwide strategy for expanding interdisciplinary collaborations and communications in all aspects of healthcare for humans, animals, and the environment. Surveillance is a key component of preparedness for the spread and development of infectious diseases, and is needed at the global level to monitor trends in endemic diseases. The introduction of next generation DNA sequencing (NGS) methodology in all relevant labs holds the potential of a simple one-size-fits-all tool for characterization of microorganisms, again relevant for framing food microbiology within a One Health paradigm. Global Microbial Identifier (GMI) is an initiative open to anyone interested in and attempting to develop synergistic solutions for the different issues at hand.
