International collaborations help facilitate trade
Dr Joseph O'Keefe has been involved in
a number of international collaborations
to enhance biosecurity standards and
trade access.
The Animal Health Laboratory Team at the Wallaceville Investigation and Diagnostic Centre (IDC) has been collaborating in a number of international projects to help promote trade and protect biosecurity for both New Zealand and our trading partners.
Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR)
Wallaceville scientists have developed a new molecular test to ensure bovine semen exported from New Zealand meets EU requirements.
Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) is caused by a strain of herpes virus which is endemic in New Zealand and is not present in part of the EU, where bulls are maintained in isolation. Because of the expense and difficulties involved, bulls are not maintained in isolation here, but are vaccinated against the virus.
However, vaccination induces the production of antibody in bulls, so that blood tests cannot be used to determine whether or not the bulls have been infected with the live virus. Instead, virus isolation tests are conducted on bull semen to ensure no virus is present in the semen. In January 2005, the EU decided that, because of concerns raised by some researchers about the low sensitivity of virus isolation, all bovine semen had to come from antibody-negative (non-vaccinated) bulls. This puts the New Zealand export trade in jeopardy.
To overcome this, Dr Joseph O'Keefe and Dr Jianning Wang of IDC's Animal Health Laboratory, proposed an alternative diagnostic method. International acceptance of this method requires acceptance by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
They developed a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test which is twice as sensitive as virus isolation from semen.
"Our aim was to compile a validation dossier of detailed technical information that would persuade the OIE to accept the molecular test as suitable for trade in bovine semen," explains Dr O'Keefe. "The OIE had never accepted a real-time molecular test before, so this was all new."
For the real-time PCR to be validated, it needed to be developed in New Zealand first, and then tested in other laboratories to prove it was both repeatable and reproducible. This involved the collaboration of six laboratories from around the world. Two of these were OIE reference labs, one for IBR and one for molecular testing.
"Good collaboration is not just about science, it's about getting on with people," Dr O'Keefe continues. "We had to establish links with these laboratories early in the piece because we knew that a project like this was going to throw up challenges that required more than one laboratory to solve."
Dr O’Keefe visited the collaborating laboratories in February 2005. In June 2005 he and Dr Wang flew representatives from the laboratories to England where a two-day discussion was held to reach agreement on the technical details of the ring trial.
"The purpose of the ring trial is to show that the assay works when carried out by different people, in different laboratories, using different equipment. We developed a panel of known positive and negative samples which was sent blind to each of the labs," says Dr Wang.
Following the ring trial, representatives from each of the collaborating laboratories were flown to New Zealand to meet the project team and to review the results.
"All laboratories carry out tests differently, so we were very pleased with the result of the ring test as all six laboratories achieved the same results."
As Project Manager, Dr Wang presented the results of the project at the 7th International Congress of Veterinary Virology in Portugal where he also met with the President of the OIE Biological Standards Committee.
"He told me that all the experts who had reviewed the dossier appreciated the effort that we had put in," Dr Wang says.
Dr O'Keefe says the two-year project was partially funded by Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC), and that LIC had been very supportive of the work.
With the ring trial complete, the OIE Standards Commission has agreed to take the dossier to the next OIE meeting in May 2007.
"Once that happens we hope that the OIE will agree to recommend that the method is used internationally and that it is an acceptable method for trade," says Dr O'Keefe.
The final step will be to have the EU accept the assay as a method of testing for IBR.
"We’re hopeful this will happen, but we're really moving from the scientific realm to international negotiations stage now," Dr O'Keefe says.
Laboratory standards collaboration
IDC's Animal Health team is involved in a number of other international collaborations.
Dr O'Keefe is a member of the Subcommittee on Animal Health Laboratory Standards (SCAHLS). The group represents the activities of the veterinary laboratory network of Australia and New Zealand.
SCAHLS's primary goal is to facilitate the standardisation of technical methods across government, CSIRO, private and university animal health laboratories and monitor technical standards within these laboratories.
The committee seeks to sustain and improve the quality of livestock and livestock products and to assure market access through the application of best practice to veterinary laboratory services.
"Their aim is to get better validation and uniformity across laboratories," says Dr O'Keefe.
Being prepared for arboviruses
Earlier last year, as part of a cross-departmental project involving Biosecurity New Zealand, the Department of Conservation and Ministry of Health and collaborating laboratories (Investigation and Diagnostic Centres, Institute of Environmental Science and Research, New Zealand BioSecure Entomology Laboratory and Landcare Research), three scientists visited Sydney's West Mead Hospital Arbovirus Laboratory.
Aedes camptorhynchus (southern
saltmarsh mosquito), a vicious
biter of humans and one of the
vectors for the Ross River virus.
Photo: Mark Disbury, NZ Biosecure
Arboviruses are primarily transmitted by arthropod vectors such as ticks and mosquitoes, and include Ross River virus and West Nile virus. In Australia, tests are routinely carried out on humans and animals as well as hundreds of thousands of arthropods every year to determine whether they are vectors for arboviruses.
Although not currently present in New Zealand, with the increase in global warming, there is a possibility new vectors along with pathogenic arboviruses such as Ross River virus may eventually reach our shores. The establishment of new vectors and arboviruses in New Zealand could have detrimental effects on human health, agriculture and biodiversity.
The Sydney visit enabled New Zealand scientists to learn more about laboratory testing techniques and the steps New Zealand will need to take to prevent and manage future incursions.
"They talked to a range of experts in laboratories, the quarantine service, the Department of Primary Industries and the New South Wales Health Department," says Dr O'Keefe. "We now have a good idea of what steps we need to take and which tests need to be developed to protect New Zealand from arboviruses."
- Dr Joseph O'Keefe, Animal Health Laboratory Manager, Investigation and Diagnostic Centre, Wallaceville, phone 04 526 5600, joseph.o'keefe@maf.govt.nz
Return to:
Page last updated: 30 April 2008