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Experts from China, the European Union (EU) and FAO have shared their latest knowledge on laboratory diagnostics and vaccine development. Working together to capture the latest techniques, tools and understanding, the top scientists gathered in Shanghai on 17 October to link the most up-to-date information with future strategies for improved control of transboundary animal diseases.
The event was organized within the recently established LinkTADs research consortium, which aims to coordinate research on animal disease control (i.e. epidemiology and laboratory diagnostics) between the EU and China through the organization of events, webinars, study visits, exchanges and a virtual platform.
Highlights included:
- what the sequencing of vector-borne viruses, coronaviruses and novel bat viruses can reveal about virus origins and how it may impact vaccine development;
- how to choose laboratory diagnostic strategies and tools for brucellosis diagnoses;
- what promising results from efforts to develop a recombinant reverse genetic vaccine could mean for rabies control in China;
- an update on the current epidemiological surveys for bovine tuberculosis;
- how to integrate ecological and epidemiological methods into animal disease investigations;
- the status of efforts to produce an effective and safe vaccine against African swine fever (ASF) virus;
- the challenges that China may face regarding the prevention, detection and response process to ASF;
- the enhanced pathogenicity of a new pseudorabies virus emerging in China and the promising results of a newly developed gene-deleted vaccine;
- an overview of the different technologies available for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome diagnosis and how to chose which to use;
- the state of the art and different uses of field diagnostics;
- the use of viral metagenomics in the identification of diarrhea of unknown cause in pigs in China;
- and two laboratory tools developed by FAO to aid laboratories: the laboratory mapping tool and the genetic module.
Through research consortiums like LinkTADs, FAO works with countries, academia and other partners to share knowledge and develop common solutions for improved disease control in order to safeguard food security, livelihoods and trade.
Monday December 1, 2014/ FAO.
http://www.fao.org
