VITAL 1st Annual Consortium Meeting
Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
7th – 8th April 2008
Summary of Decisions
(Names in bold italics are responsible for specific actions)
Monday 7th
General Meeting
The Consortium Agreement (CA)
This is a legally binding agreement among Consortium members (but also other
parties , as applicable) intended to cover issues such as liabilities, governance,
financial administration, intellectual property, confidentiality and miscellaneous
matters. Remarks had been received from members on an initial draft. Further
comments were requested in order that a revised draft could be circulated as
soon as possible after this meeting (version 1.2 ATTACHED).
Any further comments to be returned as soon as possible to Nigel Cook (cc. Andy
Gilbert a.gilbert@csl.gov.uk). The Expert Stakeholders are included in the CA, as
‘Affiliated Entities’, so extending to them entitlement to confidentiality provisions
underpinning the exchange of such information associated with the project.
The final version of the CA will be settled and circulated for signature as soon as is
possible. This is particularly important so that the confidentiality provisions can be
applied to protect data (e.g. methodology – see Detection of adenoviruses below) of
use to the project but intended for imminent publication by its originator.
(Andy Gilbert)
The data-gathering workpackages WP2, WP3 and WP4
Task 2.1 (the preparatory phase) can be extended to 5 months. The final SOPs will be
sent out later in Month 1 (Wim van der Poel). Subsequently, each data-gathering
laboratory (DGL) should practice the method. In Months 3 – 4, there will be 2 ringtrial to allow each DGL to demonstrate competence in the method(s). The trials will
comprise:


The SOP for soft fruit, with adenovirus
The SOP for pork products, with adenovirus
UB will prepare and distribute defined adenovirus suspensions to each DGL (Rosina
Girones), by Month 3. The protocol for the ring trials will be prepared and sent out
by CSL (Nigel Cook / Martin D’Agostino) by Month 2.
It may not be possible to acquire all the sample types in WP2 (Production) from 1
farm, therefore it is not necessary for every try to obtain all the sample types. Each
DGL should obtain as many samples as possible within the defined total from the
types locally available.
WP5
For accurate data analysis, the DGL should send in raw data for samples as well as
controls. To this end, the WP5 leader will develop an excel-spreadsheet in which all
details of the data have to be included. Practicability of the spreadsheet will be
evaluated by each DGL with the ring trial data. Furthermore, it was stressed that the
detection protocols should not be modified once data collection has started. To be able
to compare the data sets and define background levels of (RT-)PCRs, it will be very
helpful for the analysers if the data-gathering labs print the screen from the real-time
PCR plots and send this with their results.
WP6
It would be beneficial to perform HACCP audits of the farms and processing plants
from where the data will be gathered. In these audits, critical control points will be
assessed and these CCPs will be the eventual points of sampling in WP2, WP3 and
WP4 (as opposed to the illustrative samplings points described in the protocol). This
may entail a visit to each farm before WP2 starts, and then a visit to each processing
plant before WP3 starts. Kris Willems to send an estimated cost of the T&S required
to Coordinator. If it is agreed that these visits are supported by VITAL, the T&S and
consumables allocations across the project will need to be reviewed. If it is
impractical to fund the visits, and alternative plan for defining the sampling points
will be devised.
Kris W will send out a questionnaire to each data-gathering laboratory regarding the
food production chains that they intend to analyse, and the location they plan to obtain
samples from.
WP7
The website will be available by the end of April.
The Symposium and workshops in 2010 will now be held in Patras, Greece.
The Expert Stakeholders
It was very much appreciated and encouraging that all the Expert Stakeholders
attended the meeting and made (or sent) a presentation on their company. Their
active and valuable participation contributed to the success of the meeting.
Internet Conferencing Facility
The moderator program has been distributed to the WP leaders. Most will still need
to purchase a webcam and microphone / headset before being able to use it. The
website will contain all instruction manuals etc and will also contain a schedule for
organisation of meetings using Netviewer. There will be a few practise sessions
organised by Martin D’Agostino.
Tuesday 8th
Detection Methodology Workshop
The TAG4 Methods
It was decided that we will not explicitly use the SOP which the TAG4 coordinator
David Lees has very kindly provided us. We will use the basic methods upon which
TAG 4 has devised their protocols, but the SOPs will be written especially for VITAL
(Wim van der Poel, David Rodriguez-Lazaro, Nigel Cook and Martin D’Agostino).
The VIROBATHE method for detection of viruses in waters
The columns and glass wool necessary to perform the procedure need to be obtained
from former VIROBATHE partners (Nigel Cook).
It may be possible to negotiate a special discount for VITAL for reagents required for
PCR etc. Martin D’Agostino will contact suppliers and inform the consortium in due
course.
Sample process controls
The choice of sample process control is between GM mengovirus and murine
norovirus. Wim van der Poel will send out information on the advantages and
disadvantages of each, and ballot the data-gathering laboratories regarding their
views.
Internal amplification controls will be constructed where necessary for each virus
target. David Rodriguez-Lazaro is considering the possibility of constructing an
unique plasmid including the sequences for all the IACs needed in the project. He
will contact the WP leaders and Rosina for information on the sequences shortly.
Detection of adenoviruses
Rosina considers that bovine polyomaviruses would be better indexes of fecal
contamination from bovine sources, than bovine adenoviruses. VITAL can adapt the
Workplan quite easily to allow this, it will just mean replacing primers for bovine
adenovirus with primers for bovine polyomaviruses.
Rosina can provide SOPs for the NPCR assays for porcine adenovirus and bovine
polyomavirus. Because the QPCR assays for porcine adenoviruses and bovine
polyomaviruses are under development in the UB laboratory and are not published
information, an agreement needs to be reached with the University of Barcelona to
allow the SOPs to be released to the project (Rosina Girones / Andy Gilbert).
Detection of HEV
An SOP for the QPCR-based method for detection of HEV in pork will be prepared
and circulated (Wim van der Poel).