OIE Collaborating Centre Reports
Activities in 2013
Title of Collaborating Centre:
Address of Collaborating Centre:
Foodborne Zoonotic Parasites
Centre for Foodborne and Animal Parasitology
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
116 Veterinary Road, Saskatoon, Sask. S7N2R3, Canada
Tel.:
1-306-385-7880
Fax:
1-306-385-7824
e-mail address:
website:
alvin.gajadhar@inspection.gc.ca
www.inspection.gc.ca
Name of Director of Institute
(Responsible Official):
Name (including Title and
Position) of Head of the
Collaborating Centre (formally
OIE Contact Point):
Dr. Alvin Gajadhar
Research Scientist and Head
Name (including Title and
Position) of writer of this report
(if different from above)
Dr.Alvin Gajadhar
Research Scientist and Head
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2013
1
Foodborne Zoonotic Parasites
Summary of activities specifically related to the mandate of
OIE Collaborating Centres
ToR:
To provide services to the OIE, in particular within the region, in the designated
specialty, in support of the implementation of OIE policies and, where required, seek for
collaboration with OIE Reference Laboratories
ToR:
To identify and maintain existing expertise, in particular within its region
1.
Activities as a centre of research, expertise, standardisation and dissemination of
techniques within the remit of the mandate given by the OIE
Disease control
Epidemiology, surveillance, risk assessment, modelling
Training, capacity building
Zoonoses
Wildlife
Avian diseases
Aquatic animal diseases
Animal welfare
Diagnosis, biotechnology and laboratory
Veterinary medicinal products
Vaccines
Food safety
Feed safety
Other (Name the category:
)
DIAGNOSIS, BIOTECHNOLOGY AND LABORATORY
Title of activity
Scope
Diagnostic activities for
Trichinella, C. bovis,
Cryptosporidium,
Cyclospora,
Toxoplasma, and
Sarcocystis
Samples of meat, serum, fruits and vegetables from various food safety
national monitoring programs were tested for zoonotic parasites . Method
employed include serological and molecular assays, as well as traditional
isolation and concentration method and microscopy.
Research projects to
develop and validate
diagnostic tests for
various zoonotic
parasites
Enhancement and validation of conventional PCR assay for Cyclospora
cayetanensis
Multiplex qPCR assay for the detection of Giardia and Cryptosporidium in
apple cider and bottled water
Improvement and validation of methods for the isolation of Cyclospora
oocysts from leafy greens and berries and development of proficiency
samples.
Development of multi-host species serological assay for the detection of
Toxoplasma gondii infection.
Expert consultation and
laboratory testing in
support of disease
investionations.
2
Follow-up on disease outbreaks and suspicious or positive results from
diagnostic testing for zoonotic parasites.
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2013
Foodborne Zoonotic Parasites
ToR:
To propose or develop methods and procedures that facilitate harmonisation of
international standards and guidelines applicable to the designated specialty
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
Proposal title
Scope/Content
Applicable area
ISO Standard
Methods for
Trichinella and
Cryptosporidium
ISO Sub-working group developed
SOP's for adoption as international
ISO standardmethods for
Trichinella in meat and
Cryptosporidium in fruits and
vegetables.
Surveillance and control of animal diseases
Consistency and
support of OIE
and Codex
guidelines on
Trichinella
In collaboration between OIE, FAO,
and WHO, guidelines were
developed to seamlessly support
control of Trichinella ant pre-and
post-harvest levels of pork
production.
Surveillance and control of animal diseases
ICT Guidelines for
control of
Trichinella
With support from OECD, an ICT
committee reviewed best practices
for the development of ICT control
guidelines, including serology and
risk assessment.
Surveillance and control of animal diseases
Food safety
Animal welfare
Food safety
Animal welfare
Food safety
Animal welfare
ToR:
To establish and maintain a network with other OIE Collaborating Centres designated
for the same specialty, and should the need arise, with Collaborating Centres in other
disciplines
ToR:
To carry out and/or coordinate scientific and technical studies in collaboration with
other centres, laboratories or organisations
3.
Did your Collaborating Centre maintain a network with other OIE Collaborating Centres
(CC), Reference Laboratories (RL), or organisations designated for the same specialty, to
coordinate scientific and technical studies?
Yes
Name of OIE
CC/RL/other
organisation(s)
No
Location
Region of
networking Centre
Purpose
International
Commission on
Trichinellosis
Remote
(international)
Africa
Americas
Asia and Pacific
Europe
Middle East
Develop quality assurance guidelines
for Trichinella serology and digestion
assay, including the use of proficiency
testing and assessing the competence
of analysts
OIE Collaborating Centre
for Foodborne Zoonotic
Parasites
Saskatoon,
Canada
Africa
Americas
Asia and Pacific
Europe
Middle East
Providing informal assistance to
national parasitology labs in France and
China to develop capacity and
application to be designated OIE CC for
Foodborne Zoonotic Parasites
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2013
3
Foodborne Zoonotic Parasites
4.
Did your Collaborating Centre maintain a network with other OIE Collaborating Centres,
Reference laboratories, or organisations in other disciplines, to coordinate scientific and
technical studies?
Yes
No
ToR:
To place expert consultants at the disposal of the OIE.
5.
Did your Collaborating Centre place expert consultants at the disposal of the OIE?
Yes
No
Name of expert
Kind of consultancy
Subject
Dr Alvin Gajadhar
Member of ad hoc group on
parasites
Draft Chapters of OIE AH Code for Trichinella,
C. bovis and Echinococcus spp.
Dr Alvin Gajadhar
Member of ISO sub-WG to
develop standard methods for
detection of Trichinella,
Cryptosporidium and Giardia
Draft ISO standatd methods, ensuring
consistency with methods in OIE Diagnostic
Manual
ToR:
To provide, within the designated specialty, scientific and technical training to personnel
from OIE Member Countries
6.
Did your Collaborating Centre provide scientific and technical training, within the remit of
the mandate given by the OIE, to personnel from OIE Member Countries?
Yes
No
If the answer is yes, please provide the total number of trained persons for each of the following
categories:
4
a)
Technical visits: ................................................................ 1
b)
Seminars: ......................................................................... 50
c)
Hands-on training courses: .............................................. 6
d)
Internships (>1 month): ................................................... 2
Type of technical
training provided
(a, b, c or d)
Content
Country of origin of the
expert(s) provided with
training
No. participants from
the corresponding
country
a
Toxoplasma serology and PCR
Canada
1
b
Workshop based training on control
of Trichinella and Toxoplasma
Multiple countries in
Europe and the Middle
East
>50
c
Training of lab analusts and
students on Trichinella digation
assay
Canada
6
d
Provided research collaboration and
training on various onging activities
related to foodborne zoonotic
parasites
France and Canada
2
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2013
Foodborne Zoonotic Parasites
ToR:
To organise and participate in scientific meetings and other activities on behalf of the
OIE
7.
Did your Collaborating Centre organise or participate in the organisation of scientific
meetings on behalf of the OIE?
Yes
National/
International
No
Title of event
Co-organiser
Date
(mm/yy)
International
Workshop to develop ICT
Guidelines for the
Control of Trichinella
ICT, OECD
May 2013
Berlin,
Germany
15
international
Regional Seminar for OIE
National Focal Points for
Animal Production Food
Safety
OIE, OIE-Middle
East Region
January
2014
Abu Dhabi,
UAE
60
Location
No.
Participants
ToR:
To collect, process, analyse, publish and disseminate data and information relevant to
the designated specialty
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
(Indicate in the appropriate box the number by category)
a)
Articles published in peer-reviewed journals: ................. 3
Lalonde L.F., Reyes J. & Gajadhar A.A. (2013). Application of a qPCR assay with melting curve analysis for
detection and diferentiation of protozoan oocysts in human fecal samples from Dominican Republic. Am. J.
Trop. Med. Hyg., 89: 982-898.
Al-Adhami B,H. & Gajadhar A.A. (2014). A new multi-host species indirect ELISA using protein A/G conjugate
doe detection of anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies with comparison to ELISA-IgG, agglutination assay and
Western Blot. Vet. Parasitology, 200, 66-73.
Elmore S.E., Lalonde L.F., Samelius G., Alisauskas R.T., Gajadhar A.A. & Jenkins E.J. (2013) Endoparasites in the
feces of arctic foxes in a terrestrial ecosystem in Canada. Int. J. Parasitology - Parasites and Wildlife, 2, 90-96.
b)
International conference presentations: ......................... 6
Considerations for developing a farm-to-plate risk -based approach to control Trichinella in domestic pigs. Joint
FAO-WHO working group. Geneva, Switzerland, 22-25 October, 2013.
Assessment of freezing and other sample conditions on the performance of digestion assay for the recovery of
Trichinella larvae. International Conference of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary
Parasitology, Perth Australia, 25-29 August, 2013.
Detection of Trichinella murrelli in an imported horse in Canada during routine certified testing for meat export.
International Conference of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology, Perth,
Australia, 25-29 August, 2013.
Accounting for detection probability improves Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence estimates in arctic foxes (In
collaboration with Univ of Saskatchewan). International Conference of the World Association for the
Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology, Perth, Australia, 25-29 August, 2013.
Best practices in documenting negligible risk for Trichinella. ICT Workshop sponsored by OECD, 14-15 May,
2013, Berlin, Germany.
Toxoplasmosis: general overview and strategies to prevent animal and human infections. Regional Seminar for
OIE National Focal Pointsfor Animal Production Food Safety, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 14-16 January,
2014.
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2013
5
Foodborne Zoonotic Parasites
c)
National conference presentations: ................................ 1
An occupancy modelling framework to guide tissue collection for Toxoplasma gondii testing in
wildlife (presented by Stacey Elmore, Univ of Sask.), Oct., 2013
d)
Other: ............................................................................... 1
(Provide website address or link to appropriate information)
FAO/WHO Summary risk profiles on Trichinella in meat and Cysticercus bovis in meat from
domesticcattle.
(http://www.who.int/foodsafety/micro/jemra/assessment/risk_profiles_trichinella_taenia_o
ct_2013.pdf)
_______________
6
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2013