Objectives
Objectives
ICONZ will be carried out over 5 years and has a number of complementary strands for addressing the main objectives of the FP7-KBBE-2007-1-3-09 topic. The overall strategic objective of ICONZ is to improve human and animal health, alleviate poverty and contribute to the millennium goals. To achieve this, a number of actions are required to ensure that the current position regarding neglected zoonoses in terms of the burdens on communities and relevant research are understood. Building on this knowledge, new technologies and research outcomes should be utilised to improve the control of neglected zoonoses by developing improved tools and identifying the situations in which they can be employed. All of this must be communicated to stakeholder, and particularly policy advisors of affected countries.
The proposal has been designed with interrelated work packages to address the requirements of the FP7 call. The objectives are:-
1. To map global research into neglected zoonoses;
2. To obtain knowledge and information on the neglected zoonoses in terms of disease, epidemiology and burdens. This requires systematic collection of data on disease prevalence supported by studies to estimate their dual burden on people and on livestock, quantify under-reporting and identify communities and groups at risk;
3. To improve and develop control tools for the neglected zoonoses by identifying gaps and investing in the development of new tools needed to effectively control these diseases;
4. To improve and develop integrated control and prevention strategies promoting the concept of 'one health'. This involves dealing with health problems in people, their livestock and other domestic and wild animals they depend on for their livelihoods through the development of integrated 'intervention packages';
5. To promote intersectoral collaboration in the control of neglected zoonoses;
6. To empower women in decision making related to control of neglected zoonoses in livestock through messaging cognisant of traditional knowledge and appropriate to the economic, sociological and cultural contexts of affected communities;
7. To transfer technologies and build capacity in developing countries to control neglected zoonoses; and
8. To ensure maximum benefit from the project by a pro-active programme of dissemination aimed at all relevant stakeholders especially by raising the profile of the neglected zoonotic diseases both internationally and within affected countries
Activities/expected results
Activities (Work Package 4)
1. Stakeholder workshop in collaboration with WP3, to identify the currently available control tools, to assess the gaps and to identify new tools to be developed or existing tools to be improved. Attended by all relevant ICONZ partners and stakeholders from ICPC countries (policy makers, veterinary services, farmers etc.) (P2).
2. Based on the outcome of T4.1 research will be carried out to develop new and improved tools. Preliminary partner consultation has identified a list of tools to be improved or to be developed, which will be discussed and refined at the above mentioned workshop.
o Anthrax & brucellosis: quality assurance of local vaccines; Brucella ID and typing kit (P1,8,12,15,18)
o Tuberculosis: interferon gamma test, lateral flow immunochromatography& chip for fast screening (P6,9, 14, 18)
o Echinococcosis: ELISA antibody detection in sheep, recombinant vaccine against E. granulosus in dogs (P5,13)
o Leishmaniasis: rK39 immunochromatographic test (P2, 4, 13, 16)
o Rabies: direct rapid immunohistochemical test (P 1, 4, 18)
o Cysticercosis: pen-side test for detection of pigs with viable cysticerci , assessment of the efficacy and safety
of oxfendazole, diagnostic test for taeniosis (P2,3, 9,14, 18, 19)
o Trypanosomiasis (T.b.rhodesiense): ScreenTape™ electrophoresis system for classical PCR, adaptation of existing PCR techniques to LAMP (Loop-mediated isothermal amplification)(P1,16,21).
3. New and improved control tools will be validated under field conditions within the case studies in appropriate ICPCs, planned in the work packages 5 to 8. Successful new tools will be introduced for uptake in the local diagnostic reference laboratories in the ICPCs (P2,13,14,15,16,18,19).
Expected results (WP 4)
1 A catalogue of currently available tools for each of the listed NZ as outputs from workshop, including gaps in availability. For each of the available disease control tools detailed information will be given on its suitability for different conditions prevailing in endemic developing countries (M12).
2 The following new or improved control tools (validated under laboratory conditions) will be available (this list is a preliminary list to be adapted according to outcome of T4.1) (M24-36).
o Anthrax and brucellosis: quality assurance system for locally produced vaccines implemented (M36); Brucella
field identification and typing kit (M24).
o Tuberculosis: interferon gamma test, lateral flow immunochromatography and chip for fast screening (M36)
o Echinococcosis: ELISA for AB detection in sheep (M24), recombinant E. granulosus vaccine for dogs (M36)
o Rabies: direct rapid immunohistochemical test (M24).
o Cysticercosis: pen-side test for detection of pigs with viable cysticerci (M36), efficacy and safety of
oxfendazole assessed (M36), diagnostic test for taeniosis (M36).
o Trypanosomiasis (T.b.rhodesiense): existing PCR techniques adapted to LAMP format (Loop-mediated
isothermal amplification) (M24) and ScreenTape™ electrophoresis system developed (M24).
3 Field validated control tools for neglected zoonoses available (M60).
