Food-Borne Zoonotic Parasites
OIE Collaborating Centre Reports
Activities in 2012
Title of Collaborating Centre: / Food-borne Zoonotic ParasitesAddress of Collaborating Centre: / Centre for Food-borne and Animal Parasitology
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
116 Veterinary Road, Saskatoon, Sask., S7N 2R3
Canada
Tel.: / 1-306-975-5344
Fax: / 1-306-975-5711
e-mail address: /
website:
Name of Director of Institute (Responsible Official): / Dr Alvin A. Gajadhar
Name (including Title and Position) of Head of the Collaborating Centre (formally OIE Contact Point): / Dr Alvin A. Gajadhar, Research Scientist and Section Head
Name (including Title and Position) of writer of this report
(if different from above) / Dr Alvin A. Gajadhar, Research Scientist and Section Head
Summary of activities specifically related to the mandate of
OIE Collaborating Centres
1. Activities as a centre of research, expertise, standardisation and dissemination of techniques within the remit of the mandate given by the OIE
Standardization, validation, and implementation of various molecular assays for the detection and identification of various food-borne protozoan parasites, including Cryptosporidiun, Giardia, Cyclospora, Toxoplasma and Sarcocystis in environmental samples and food products.
Experimental studies to determine freeze tolerance characteristics of Trichinella T5 in naturally infected meat.
Ongoing proficiency sample exchanges with the ANSES Laboratory for Animal Health, Masons-Alfort, France.
2. Proposal or development of any procedure that will facilitate harmonisation of international regulations applicable to the surveillance and control of animal diseases, food safety or animal welfare
Development of international guidelines and recommendations for quality assurance in Trichinella digestion testing programs
Evaluation of a standard multiplex PCR as an alternative to the digestion assay for the detection and identification of Trichinella in meat.
Evaluation of the digestion assay performance in detecting Trichinella larvae in naturally infected meat.
3. Networking
a) Maintenance of a network with other OIE Collaborating Centres designated for the same specialty, and
Inter-laboratory ring trial for quality assurance and standardization of ES-antigen production for Trichinella ELISA
b) Should the need arise, maintenance of a network with Collaborating Centres in other disciplines
Maintain contact and cooperation with the CC for wildlife disease surveillance and monitoring, epidemiology and management.
4. Placement of expert consultants at the disposal of the OIE
Participating member of OIE ad hoc Group on Zoonotic Parasites. Revision of Trichinellosis Chapter 8.13 of OIE Terrestrial Code to address comments of Member Countries and to ensure complementary standards for OIE and Codex Alimentarius Commission
Represent the OIE on the ISO Working Group (ISO/TC 34/SC 9/WG6 subgroup Trichinella) to establish a standard ISO method for Trichinella digestion assay.
Review of the Trichinellosis Chapter of the OIE Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals to ensure currency.
5. Provision of scientific and technical training, within the remit of the mandate given by the OIE, to personnel from OIE Member Countries
Scientific guidance and technical advice provided remotely to scientists and post-graduate students on molecular assays for the detection of various food-borne zoonotic parasites.
Provided a visiting scientist six-months of laboratory training on various traditional and molecular methods for diagnostics and research related to food-borne parasites including Trichinella, Toxoplasma, and Sarcocystis.
6. Organisation of scientific meetings on behalf of the OIE
Nil
7. Coordination of scientific and technical studies in collaboration with other laboratories, organisations or collaborating centres
International ring trial to standardize the production, quality and performance of Trichinella spiralis ES-antigens in ELISA serology
Organization of an OECD-sponsored international workshop on Best Practices in Documenting Negligible Risk for Trichinella in pork.
Documentation of recently developed ICT guidelines and recommendations for quality assurance in Trichinella digestion testing programs
Coordination of an international collaborative research study to validate a new detection method for protozoan zoonotic food-borne parasites in two Member Countries.
Continued collaborative work with the ANSES Laboratory for Animal Health, Masons-Alfort, France to evaluate the use of proficiency samples for Trichinella digestion tests under field conditions.
8. Publication and dissemination of any information within the remit of the mandate given by the OIE that may be useful to Member Countries of the OIE
On-site visit to an Asian OIE Member Country to a) develop international research collaboration on parasitic zoonoses, and b) chair a session and deliver a lead presentation in an International Symposium on One Health: Way Forward to Challenges in Food Safety and Zoonoses in the 21st Century
Two scientific meeting presentations on new developments in food-borne and animal parasitology.
ICT recommendations and guidelines on quality assurance in digestion testing programs for Trichinella; 48 pp. http://trichinellosis.org/Guidelines.html
Forbes, L.B., Parker, S.E., Gajadhar, A.A. 2012. Performance of commercial ELISA and agglutination test kits for the detection of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in serum and muscle fluid of swine infected with 100, 300, 500 or 1000 oocysts. Vet Parasitology 190: 362-367.
Gutierrez-Exposito, D., Ortega-Mora, L.M., Gajadhar, A.A., Garcia-Lunar, P., Dubey, J.P., Alvarez-Garcia, G. Serological evidence of Besnoitia spp infection in Canadian wild ruminants and strong cross-reaction between Besnoitia besnoiti and Besnoitia tarandi. Vet Parasitology 190: 19-28.
Scandrett, W.B., Haines, D.M., Parker, S.E., Robinson, Y., Forbes, L.B., Gajadhar, A.A., Brandt, J., Geerts, S., Dorny, P. 2011. Validation of an immunohistochemical assay for bovine cysticercosis. Vet. Parasitology 186: 301-311.
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Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2012 3