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Food safety, diagnosis and control of animal diseases in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Transcaucasia

OIE Collaborating Centre Reports

Activities in 2012

Summary of activities specifically related to the mandate of
OIE Collaborating Centres

1.  Activities as a centre of research, expertise, standardisation and dissemination of techniques within the remit of the mandate given by the OIE

1a) Diagnostic researches of biological material from animals and birds

In 2012 year our Center had carried out analyses for identification of causative agents of different bacterial, fungus, parasitic diseases of laboratory and domestic animals. Pathological material and corpses were investigated by different laboratory methods. In 2012 year was investigated 5102 different pathological materials (organs, smears, excrements, urine, blood, milk, sperm) from agricultural, domestic, laboratory animals and birds, including parenchymal organs – 648, smears and scrapes – 2112, excrements – 2172, biological liquids (blood, urine, milk, sperm) – 170. Center had carried out 192 patologo-anatomic researches. In total Center had carried out 6805 different researches.

1b) Diagnosis and surveillance of infectious diseases of the animals and birds

In last year our Center had carried out analyses for identification of causative agents of different infectious diseases of animals and birds (from poultry farms, cattle-ranchs, fur-farms, animal nurseries).

The Centre has carried out monitoring for SPF animals nurseries since 2003. In 2012 year 39 of 14 lines laboratory SPF animals (mice, rats, hamsters) were tested. 195 samples of parenchymatous organs (lungs, heart, liver, spleen, kidneys) and smears from nasal cavity were investigated. In 192 samples bacterial and fungal microflora wasn’t detected, Klebsiella pneumonia was isolated from parenchymatous organs and nasal cavity of two mice line С57Black6 and one rat line Wistar. Staphylococcus auerus, Staphylococcus intermedius and Staphylococcus sciuri were isolated from intestinal tract in most investigated lines. In 3 rats’s lines (Wistar, CD and WKY) and 4 mice’s line (MRL, NZW, BALB/C, С57Black6) Klebsiella pneumoniae was isolated from intestinal tract. Enterococcus faecalis - in mice's lines NZW, BALB/C, C57B16 and in rats’ lines Wistar, CD and WKY, Proteus mirabilis – in mice's line Nu/Nu.

Therefore monitoring of microbiological animal status revealed the contamination laboratory animals by pathogenic and opportunist pathogenic microorganisms on a large scale, consequently it is necessary to improve conditions of SPF animals maintenance and feed safety control.

1c) Determination of the intensity of antirabic immunity and the efficiency of domestic carnivore's vaccination

In connection with absence of pronounced tendency to decreasing the incidence of rabies the prevention methods must be improved. The control of efficiency of vaccination allows breaking links in the epizootic chain and prevents the epizootic process evolution. Therefore European Parliament has issued the directive №998/2003 according to which animals (dog, cat, polecat) imported in EU-countries must be tested for antirabic antibodies presence.

The antirabic immunity was estimated on the bases of determination the level of virus neutralizing antirabic antibodies in the serum of animal blood using the FAVN technique.

The Center had been accredited by AFSSA NANCY in 2005 and was included to the list of rabies testing authorized laboratories located on the net site:

http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/liveanimals/pets/approval_en.htm#member_states.

In 2012 the Center had confirmed the international accreditation by Anses NANCY (France).

In the period since January 2012 till December 2012 the Centre had tested 555 animals (dogs and cats of different breeds). Among the tested animals 66 animals had the average antibody titer below the 0,5 IU/ml value that was 11,9% of total animals quantity and these animals had been vaccinated repeatedly.

1d) State monitoring the presence of unintended and undesirable substances in imported feeds and validation of the declared content of individual raw-materials used in the formulation.

The Center is carried out state monitoring the presence of unintended and undesirable substances in imported feeds and feed additives. Imported feeds are analyzed to exclude adulteration with contamination of ruminant (cattle and small cattle) tissue; chicken tissue, pork tissue, soybean or maize ingredients.

For prevention of animal prione diseases spreading EU country have interdicted feeds for cattle which contained bone meal from mammal’s origin. Developed PCR test systems "BIG” and "PZ-KOM" allow to reveal ruminant (cattle and small cattle) and mink tissues in feeds and prevent spreading of animal prione diseases in Russia.

In accordance with directive N13-5-1/1239 16.11.2000 “About quality control of fish flour” had issued by Russian Ministry of Agriculture, the state control of fish flour import had been started in the Centre. PCR test system “CHIS” for chicken and swine DNA identification has been used to disclose falsification of fish flour with chicken and pork tissue.

In accordance with the directive N 26 1801.2002 issued in Russia all imported feeds must tested on GMO presence. Feeds which contain registered in Russia transgenic line are subjected to obligatory state registration. The Center are authorized for carrying out state control of feeds (GMO detection; identification of the specific transgenic events; quantitative determination of the relative content of GM soybean/maize DNA to total soybean/maize DNA) and pre-registration trial of feeds contained GMO. In 2005 FSI VGNKI had been assessed and certified by “UKAS” as meeting the requirements of ISO 9001:2000 for the activities “Qualitative and quantitative determination and identification of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in agricultural products, feedstuff, feed additives and food; exclusion of products adulteration”, the Center confirmed the certificate of accordance with international standard ISO 9001:2000.

In 2012 the Center took part in FEPAS researches (GMO detection, detection Listeria monocytogenes in soft cheese and detection Vibrio parahaemolyticus in fish) for the purpose of accreditation according the requirements of ISO 17025.

1e) Monitoring the presence of unintended and undesirable substances in foods. Food safety control.

The Center has carried out monitoring the presence of unintended and undesirable substances in food.

In 2012 the Center had tested 1813 samples of foodstuff (foods and farm products, including meat, poultry, milk, eggs, fish products and other food products) from 38 countries.

As result, 354 xenobiotics were identified in 343 samples. From them, β-agonists 187, antibiotics of the tetracycline group were detected in 80 investigated samples (4,4%), nitrofuran metabolites – in 41 (2,2%) investigated samples. Toxic elements – 22 (1,2%). Сoccidiostatics, amphenicols, triphenylmethane dyes and arsenic-containing growth stimulants were determined less than one percent.

In 2012 52 samples of foodstuff have been analyzed for the presence of unintended microorganisms (Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella sp., Staphilococcus aureus, Candida, Escherichia сoli, Yersinia enterocolitica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and etc.), from which 22 sample (42,3 %) was rejected. Salmonella sp. (including Salmonella infantis, Salmonella hamburg, Salmonella California) was detected in 19 investigated samples (86,4%), Coliforms were detected in 2 samples (9,1%). In 5 investigated samples (22,7%) the Quantity of Mesophilic Aerobic and Facultative Anaerobic Microorganisms (QMAFAnM) was increased.

Number of investigated samples included chickens (40 carcasses) of the domestic production, which have been analyzed for detection the presence of Salmonella in accordance with “The project to assessing the presence of salmonella in raw poultry meat”, developed by the Society of Consumer Protection of Russian Federation. Samples were taken at different points of retail trade. Analysis for the presence of salmonella was carried out in accordance with the methods recommended by WHO, with the use of swabs from whole carcasses of birds. Pathogenic salmonella was isolated from 19 samples (47,5%), mainly from group C (Salmonella infantis - 93,3%, Salmonella hamburg – 3,3%, Salmonella California – 3,3%).