Project will focus on emerging Campylobacteraceae looking at the development of routine isolation and detection methods which will allow effective screening of samples in outbreak situations
Oxoid announces its participation in Campycheck, a shared-cost three year project within the EU Fifth Framework 'Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources' programme, entitled 'Improved physiological, immunological and molecular tools for the recovery and identification of emerging Campylobacteraceae in the food and water chain' (QLK1 CT 2002 02201).
Current epidemiological statistics show that Campylobacter jejuni is the major cause of human gastroenteritis with between 400 -500 million cases of diarrhoea per year attributed to this organism.
In addition to gastroenteritis more serious conditions are associated with C jejuni - it can also cause Guillain-Barre syndrome (which can result in paralysis and death) as well as reactive arthritis.
Transmission of the pathogen can occur by ingestion of faecally-contaminated food or water or by direct contact with contaminated surfaces. Contaminated drinking and surface water, poultry, pig, sheep and cattle meat, unpasteurised milk and salads have all been implicated in Campylobacter jejuni outbreaks.
The Campycheck project will focus on emerging Campylobacteraceae looking at the development of routine isolation and detection methods which will allow effective screening of samples in outbreak situations. Epidemiological data on the micro-organisms will be generated that will be essential to the instigation of effective control measures for food and water.
A risk assessment model for emerging Campylobacteraceae in food and water will be generated which will be a major benefit to both the food and water industries and public health bodies alike.
The Campycheck research project's aim is to address the limitations of current isolation and identification methods.
It also aims to establish the prevalence of these micro-organisms in patient and animal faeces and the food and water chain in Europe, USA and South Africa.
The Oxoid Campycheck project team is led by Peter Stephens, R and D manager.
"I am delighted that Oxoid is involved in this important project that aims to develop routine methods for isolation, detection and typing of emerging Campylobacteraceae from food, water, environmental and clinical specimens", says Stephens.
"As well as proving invaluable in epidemiological studies the new methods will also allow us to look at the survival of these pathogens in the food chain and examine issues that affect pathogenicity and virulence. We also expect that practical strategies for control of the pathogen in the food and the water industry will be developed during the course of the project," he concludes.
Campycheck is co-ordinated by the University of Southampton, UK.
The project brings together European, South African and American veterinary, food and biomedical specialists working in academia, research institutions and the food industry.
