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FTAA.ngag/inf/63
August 12, 2003

Original: Spanish
Translation: FTAA Secretariat

FTAA – NEGOTIATING GROUP ON AGRICULTURE

NICARAGUA

SPECIFIC PROJECT PROFILE WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE HEMISPHERIC
COOPERATION PROGRAM: TRAINING OF PROFESSIONALS AND TECHNICIANS IN
VETERINARY DIAGNOSTICS AND FOOD-BORNE DISEASES (FBDS), INCLUDING MODERN
METHODOLOGIES AND PROCESSES TO DETECT AND IDENTIFY FBDS AND ILLNESSES IN
DOMESTIC ANIMALS

  1. Project Title

    Training of Professionals and Technicians in veterinary diagnostics and food-borne diseases (FBDs), including modern methodologies and processes to detect and identify FBDs and illnesses in domestic animals.

  2. Background

    Since 1973, animal health laboratories have been performing tests based on national and international technical standards, in accordance with the conventional animal disease diagnostic methods certified by the OIE, the FDA, and other agencies. By the eighties and nineties, these laboratories had only set up parasitology and serology facilities for some diseases. The Central Laboratory was located on campus at the Central American University (Spanish acronym UCA), pursuant to an agreement with MAGFOR, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. With funding from the Inter-American Development Bank in 1995, the laboratory was moved to its current location on the premises of the General Agricultural Protection and Health Administration and provided with more modern equipment, culture media, and sufficient laboratory reactive agents and inputs to perform, both centrally and regionally, every technique required to efficiently serve all cattle, horse, sheep, goat, and pig breeders in Nicaragua. By the seventies, eighties, and part of the nineties, close to 7,200 lab tests were performed. This figure had increased 100 percent by 1995. Currently, up to 45,000 tests are performed annually. Services are provided to animal importers and exporters; domestic producers of animal products and byproducts; cattle breeders; institutions involved with our activities, and centers engaged in related studies.

    Conventional methods such as cultures, McMaster chambers, Baermann funnels, and biochemical testing are generally used to isolate and identify bacteria, parasites, and viruses, as well as food-borne diseases. In virology, the comparative method is often used with chicken embryos and some cell lines, and key morphological structures are accordingly dissected to obtain a diagnosis. This makes it necessary to implement modern rapid tests such as PCR, molecular probes, and DNA identification to meet the demands of domestic and international trade in animals and animal products and byproducts.

  3. Rationale

    At the Animal Health Laboratories of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Nicaragua, technicians test samples by employing conventional methods that have been in use for at least one decade. The conventional process is believed to be effective, although it requires an average of three to ten days to obtain the results. The trade globalization processes in which Nicaragua is involved require quick and effective solutions. Conventional testing for diagnosing animal diseases and food-borne diseases (FDBs), though reliable, is slow, which ultimately makes imported animal products and byproducts more expensive. Rapid diagnostic testing would greatly diminish the turnaround time of lab results, and products sold locally would be much healthier.

    The climate in Nicaragua's land borders is extremely hot, which directly affects the state of imported and/or exported animals. Many quarantine ports lack sufficient space to serve the public adequately. Besides countless restrictions in terms of infrastructure and staff in each port, waiting up to eight days to obtain laboratory results further compounds the problem.

  4. Purpose of Project

    1. General

      Train technicians performing zoosanitary diagnostics in modern testing and identification techniques for animal diseases and food-borne diseases (FBDs).

    2. Specific

      • Train microbiology professionals and technicians in modern diagnostic techniques that will allow emerging pathogenic microorganisms to be identified. 
      • Train virology professionals and technicians in detecting animal diseases through PCR testing and molecular probes.
      • Train parasitology professionals and technicians in [detecting] and identifying gastrointestinal parasites, ectoparasites, and hemoparasites through DNA testing and other types of rapid procedures.
      • Train immunoserology professionals and techniques in detecting animal diseases through PCR testing, immunoenzymatic assays (ELISA) and other types of rapid procedures.
      • Train food professionals and technicians in detecting and identifying food-borne diseases (FBDs), through rapid and conventional testing.

    3. Inputs: Resources required for the project

      • North or South American laboratory where DNA and PCR tests, molecular probes, and other rapid tests are performed to detect veterinary diseases and food-borne diseases.
         
      • Training facilities for eight individuals
        - Eight airline tickets (US$ 5,600.00)
        - Per diems for eight trainees (for one month each). (US$ 28,000.00)

      • Purchase of equipment and basic reactives to perform tests in Nicaragua after training is completed (US$ 175,800.00)

    4. Results expected

      • Nicaragua’s animal health laboratory technicians detect and identify animal diseases in a maximum period of eight (8) to twelve (12) hours.

      • Cattle breeders, importers, and exporters will benefit, as well as Nicaraguans in general, who will ultimately purchase disease-free animals and better quality food products. 

      • Faster turnaround of diagnostic results.
 
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