Provision of (emergency) confirmatory laboratory services to FAO member countries

• detection of zoonotic agents along the food chain like Campylobacter coli et jejuni, Salmonella spp., Yersinia enterocolitica, E. coli, Clostridium perfringens , Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas, Bacillus cereus, Yeasts and moulds, etc.
• serotyping and genotyping of Salmonella spp. strains

 

Contributing to the improvement of disease diagnostic capability of national and regional laboratories in FAO member countries

The following examples may elucidate the work being done within this framework:

The case of the Master Programme in Veterinary Public Health (MVPH)

Up to the6^th Joint MVPH Programme 2013 - 2015 of Freie Universität Berlin and Chiang Mai University in Thailand every master student carried out a laboratory-based field study in his/ her home country. Within this academic requirement of home country studies the diagnostic laboratory work was usually done in the respective `home´ lab. In some studies preliminary results obtained there were complemented by more advanced tests and assays at the Institute of Food Safety and Hygiene within the context of the FAO Reference Centre for VPH at Freie Universität Berlin.
Outcomes of these master studies can be found under https://vphcap.vet.cmu.ac.th/thesis.html.

After this Joint Programme ended, the Veterinary Public Health Centre for Asia Pacific (VPHCAP) (since 2019: Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety Centre for Asia Pacific) of the Veterinary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Chiang Mai University, Thailand perpetuated the Master Education in Veterinary Public Health with the 7^th and 8^th delivery of the programme. Now the master students are residing during the courses at Chiang Mai.

Furthermore, the VPHCAP improved and updated its capacity: Salmonella serotyping for the Master Studies had been done for years by the FU VPH Panel only, now having been taken over by the VPHCAP.

During the Global Health Institute (GHI) - - regularly delivered every summer since 2015 - - at the Faculty in Chiang Mai members of the FAO Reference Centre VPH Berlin (Prof. Alter, Dr. Baumann, Dr. Langkabel, PD Dr. Tenhagen (BfR), and colleagues) were presenting papers, offering workshops and acting as chairmen). Furthermore, this annual opportunity is used to deliver modules within the Master Programme VPH.

Joint scientific projects between VPHCAP at Chiang Mai and FAO Reference Centre for VPH at Berlin are still going on.

 

(“Sandwich” and other) Master studies, PhD/ Doctoral projects

• Individual projects (lab based) are funded by different institutions. Presently, the following scientists are working at the following institutes as members of the FAO Centre for VPH:

o China (Mrs. Meng Lu supervised by Prof. Alter) under Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC)

• Master studies (MS) with Mozambique [Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) Maputo] supervised by Prof. Dos Anjos, Dr. Moiane, Prof. Macuamule and co-supervised by Prof. Meemken, Dr. Baumann, Prof. Alter, Prof. Thöne-Reineke, Prof. Rösler in the framework of the UFISAMO project:

o MS 1: “Influence of the environment on keeping broiler chickens and the prevalence of Salmonella and Escherichia coli” by Mr. Ermelindo José

o MS 2: “Evaluation of welfare in broiler chickens in peri-urban areas of Maputo” by Mr. Eduardo Tembe

o MS 3: “Meat Hygiene at slaughterhouse level” by Mr. Jose Passe

o MS 4: “Meat Hygiene at informal market level” by Mrs. Noemia Mugabe (successfully defended in 2020)

o MS 5: “Analysing antimicrobial residues in broiler meat at informal market level and developing good practices for personnel at informal markets regarding animal welfare and food safety” by Mr. Noe Chicuate

 

Professional development and capacity building

Integrated and ongoing:

• Joint Master in Veterinary Public Health (MVPH) with Chiang Mai University in Thailand

See the respective website: https://vphcap.vet.cmu.ac.th/thesis.html

 

Annual Conference at the Institute of Food Safety and Food Hygiene

Every year, the Working Group Meat Hygiene organises a scientific conference on "Meat and Poultry Meat Hygiene".

Themes covered included, among others:

• Performance of inspection of specific food animals with regard to zoonoses, notifiable diseases as well as animal health and animal welfare aspects
• Practical application of national and the EU legislation
• The Food Chain: prevailing agents and biosecurity measures
• Handling of livestock and limits of livestock production
• Animal welfare during transport and slaughter

Contributions are published as proceeding volumes and can be obtained from the Institute of Food Safety and Food Hygiene, Working Group Meat Hygiene (WE08).