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Elisabeth Rajala

Elisabeth Rajala

Presentation

 
I am a veterinarian and researcher focusing on food security in Sweden and globally, with particular emphasis on risks and management of foodborne and zoonotic infections within animal production. My research is conducted within the field of veterinary public health and aims to strengthen the safety, sustainability, and resilience of food systems. I also work on issues related to preparedness within animal production in relation to future societal challenges, as well as how waste management and environmental factors influence the risks of disease transmission.

Teaching

I am the course leader for the Food Safety course in the Veterinary Medicine programme (15 ECTS credits) and supervise degree projects and Master’s students.

Research

Research projects:

Mitigating the risk of African swine fever transmission from food waste to domestic pigs (2025-2027) (project leader)

Improving preparedness in Swedish livestock production for food security - a Ukrainian perspective (2024) (project leader).

Urban Livestock keeping and transforming food systems in global south (2024-2027) (PhD projekt, co-supervisor).

Exploring the dynamics of antimicrobial resistance in livestock production (2021-2024) (PhD project, co-supervisor).

One Health Initiative – Food safety interventions along pork value chain in Vietnam (2022-2025) (PhD project, co-supervisor).

Other: Programme director for the Sida-funded program Agriculture for Food Security 2030 (AgriFoSe2030).

Cooperation

Programme Director AgriFoSe2030

 

Selected publications

N Mammadova, P Levchenko, H Gröndal, S Sternberg Lewerin, E Rajala. Maintaining animal-source food production in conflict zones – lessons from Ukraine. Acta vet scand. 68, 4 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-025-00850-5

L Trang, V Hoffman, K Ambler, M Murphy, J Lindahl, E Rajala, S Lâm, S Boqvist, F Unger, H Nguyen-Viet. (2026) Pork safety across Vietnam's traditional markets: microbial contamination and vendor knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Prev Vet Med. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2025.106757 

B Ipara, DJ Otieno , W Oluoch-Kosura , AA Andago , M Jirström , H Mackay , F Fernqvist and E Rajala (2025). A farm typology approach for targeted policy responses: The case of pastoral and agro-pastoral households in West Pokot County, Kenya, Local Development & Society, DOI: 10.1080/26883597.2025.2544538

B Ipara, D Otieno , W Oluoch-Kosura , AA Andago , M Jirström , H Mackay , F Fernqvist and E Rajala (2025). Does production diversity support dietary diversity? Evidence from pastoral and agropastoral households in West Pokot County, Kenya. Original Research, Front. Sustain. Food Syst. - Nutrition and Sustainable Diets. Volume 9 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2025.1512272.

Ladyhina V, Rajala E, Sternberg-Lewerin S, Nazirzadeh L, Bongcam-Rudloff E, Dicksved J (2025). Methodological aspects of investigating the resistome in pig farm environments, Journal of Microbiological Methods,107103, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mimet.2025.107103.

Rajala, E., Gröndal, H., Eriksson, J. et al. Enhancing infection control practices and biosecurity plans on Swedish pig farms: insights, challenges, and strategies. Acta Vet Scand 66, 48 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-024-00771-9

Ladyhina, V., Sternberg-Lewerin, S., Andersson, L., & Rajala, E. (2024). Antimicrobial resistance among indicator Enterococcus faecium and Escherichia coli in Swedish pig farms. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, 66(1), 34.

Nagasha, J. I., Ocaido, M., Rajala, E., Abu-Hatab, A., & Chiwona-Karltun, L. (2024). Gender-based approaches for improving milk safety, value addition, and marketing among smallholder livestock farmers. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 8, 1392020.

Rajala E, Gröndal H, Sternberg-Lewerin S. The first outbreak of African swine fever in Sweden: a survey of pig farmers’ perceptions of information received, risks, biosecurity measures and future prospects. Acta vet scand.  (2023) 65:58

Rajala, E., Vogel, I., Sundin, A., Kongmanila, D., Nassuna-Musoke, M. G., et al. (2021). How can agricultural research translation projects targeting smallholder production systems be strengthened by using Theory of Change? Global Food Security, 28. 100475. DOI: 10.1016/j.gfs.2020.100475

Rajala E, Lee HS, Nguyen HN, Chu TTH, Hoang MS, Wieland B, Magnusson U (2021). Skewness in the literature on infectious livestock diseases in an emerging economy – the case of Vietnam. Animal Health Research Review. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1466252321000013.   

Atterby C, Osbjer K, Tepper V, Rajala E, Hernandez J, et al. (2019). Carriage of carbapenemase‐ and extended‐spectrum cephalosporinase‐producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in humans and livestock in rural Cambodia; gender and age differences and detection of blaOXA‐48 in humans. Zoonoses and public health. https://doi.org/10.1111/zph.12612.

Sonne C, Andersen‐Ranberg E, Rajala E, Agerholm JS, Bonefeld‐Jørgensen E et al (2018). Prevalence of antibodies against Brucella spp. in West Greenland polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and East Greenland muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus). Polar Biology https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-018-2307-4

Sonne C, Andersen-Ranberg E, Rajala E, Agerholm, Bonefeld-Jørgensen E et al. (2018) Seroprevalence for Brucella spp. in Baltic ringed seals (Phoca hispida) and East Greenland harp (Pagophilus groenlandicus) and hooded (Cystophora cristata) seals. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology. 198:14-18. doi: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2018.02.005.

Lindahl Rajala E, Hoffman T, Fretin D, Godfroid J, Sattorov N et al. (2017). Detection and characterization of Brucella spp. in bovine milk in small-scale urban and peri-urban farming in Tajikistan. Plos neglected tropical diseases. 2017 Mar 15;11(3):e0005367. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005367.

Rajala EL, Sattorov N, Boqvist S, Magnusson U. Bovine leptospirosis in urban and peri-urban dairy farming in low-income countries: a "One Health" issue? (2017). Acta Vet Scand. 2017 Dec 12;59(1):83. doi: 10.1186/s13028-017-0352-6.

Lindahl Rajala E, Grahn C, Ljung I, Sattorov N, Boqvist S, Magnusson U (2016). Prevalence and risk factors for Brucella seropositivity among sheep and goats in a peri-urban region of Tajikistan. Trop Anim Health Prod 48(3), 553-558.

Hoffman T, Rock K, Mugizi DR, Muradrasoli S, Lindahl-Rajala E et al. (2016). Molecular detection and characterization of Brucella species in raw informally marketed milk from Uganda. Infect Ecol Epidemiol. doi: 10.3402/iee.v6.32442.

Lindahl E, Sattorov N, Boqvist S, Magnusson U (2015). A study of knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to brucellosis among small-scale dairy farmers in an urban and peri-urban area of Tajikistan. PLoS One 10(2), doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0117318.

Lindahl E, Sattorov N, Boqvist S, Sattori I, Magnusson U (2014). Seropositivity and risk factors for Brucella in dairy cows in urban and peri-urban small-scale farming in Tajikistan. Tropical Animal Health and Production 46(3), 563-569.

Lindahl E, Boqvist S, Artursson K, Magnusson U (2011). A field-study on Leptospira seroprevalence in dairy cows in four geographical areas in Sweden. Acta Vet Scand. 2011 Oct 12;53:53. doi: 10.1186/1751-0147-53-53.


Contact

Lecturer at the Department of Animal Biosciences (HBIO); HBIO, Bacteriology, Virology, Food Safety and Veterinary Public Health
Telephone: +4618672036, +46738013356
Postal address:
Institutionen för husdjurens biovetenskaper (HBIO)
Box 7023
750 07 UPPSALA
Visiting address: Ulls väg 26, Uppsala