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FOOD-2004-T5.4.6.10


Development of improved tools
for detection of paratuberculosis in
livestock, M. paratuberculosis in food
and for the risk of human exposure

Objectives

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Strategic objective:

The overall strategic objective of this research project is to generate new tools for the diagnosis and detection of M. paratuberculosis (Mptb) in animals and animal products; to improve methods for elimination of Mptb from foodstuffs; and to define the risks associated with Mptb and its potential role in Crohn's disease.

Main objectives:

These objectives are listed in the order of their importance to the project, as outlined in the Guide for proposers.

  • To develop and standardize new reagents and protocols for the diagnosis of paratuberculosis and the detection of Mptb. This will involve identification and characterization of novel antigens and diagnostic tools to allow improved diagnosis of paratuberculosis in livestock and detection of Mptb in faeces, milk, blood and tissues.
  • To apply a novel comparative approach using cattle which are Mptb-infected or sensitized with environmental organisms to select specific antigens for immunological testing. It will also be an objective to optimise application of such tests in terms of associations between immune parameters and pathology and in terms of maximising test sensitivity using immunological potentiation.
  • To develop improved processing and manufacturing parameters for milk and dairy products to achieve improved inactivation of Mptb and to standardize culture and molecular methods for the detection/isolation/recovery of Mptb from dairy matrices.
  • To define economically optimal control strategies for bovine paratuberculosis by application of generic population modelling frameworks capable of following Mptb dynamics in EU livestock systems. The risk of Mptb being present in retail foods will also be assessed qualitatively and quantitatively.
  • To investigate the contribution of Mptb to the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease through immunological screening of patients and application of novel tools to establish if Mptb strains infecting humans with Crohn's disease are ignificantly divergent from Mptb strains causing disease in animals.
  • To ensure maximum benefit from the work of this project, it will also be a primary objective to initiate and maintain a proactive information dissemination programme aimed at all relevant stakeholders, including consumers, producers and policy makers.

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