- Refinement of diagnostic test methods for Johne’s disease in deer
- Examination of pasteurised milk for the presence of viable Mycobacterium paratuberculosis
- Determination of the prevalence of paramyxovirus serotypes 2, 3 and 5 in caged birds, wild birds and poultry in New Zealand
- Development of HandiRISK, software to standardise and semi-automate import risk analysis
- Validation of bluetongue PCR test
- Determining the relationship of amplicons of European Foul Brood (EFB) PCR to the bacterial fauna of New Zealand bees
- Development and validation of a serological assay for the detection of hydatid (Echinococcus granulosus) cysts in animals
- Risk assessment and management methodologies
6. Maintaining agricultural security
This category provides information which will assist in developing and implementing policies which help to protect New Zealand’s agricultural industries, excluding horticulture, from the adverse effects of introduced pests and diseases. Key components of New Zealand’s agricultural security system include:
- Border protection to prevent the introduction of exotic pests and diseases. The tools of border protection include New Zealand’s import policies for animals and animal products, screening of incoming aircraft, vessels, and passengers for risk goods, quarantine facilities, and inspection of mail and imported cargo.
- Animal disease surveillance to detect, as early as possible, any unwanted disease or pest that does enter New Zealand. The primary tools of the surveillance system are veterinary practitioners and animal health diagnostic laboratories.
- Exotic disease and pest response to provide an initial investigation and containment of disease. To be effective, this system has to possess an expert exotic disease diagnostic capability, both in the field and laboratory, as well as a cadre of highly trained personnel capable of swiftly executing specific containment procedures.
There are two principal areas requiring research:
- Developing diagnostic capability for diseases exotic to New Zealand. New Zealand currently has no diagnostic tests, or a very limited range, available to detect any of the 15 most serious internationally listed diseases (e.g. foot and mouth disease). There are many other (numbering in the hundreds) exotic animal diseases and pests for which diagnostic capability could be required in future.
- Impact studies for developing "safe" import policies for animals and their products. As a signatory to the World Trade Organisation Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement (WTO:SPS), New Zealand must be able defend with technically sound arguments the import barriers we raise. This requires a transparent, internationally acceptable, risk analysis process. There is an expanding need for data in this area as trade liberalisation opens our markets to new suppliers.
| Programme Title: | Refinement of diagnostic test methods for Johne’s disease in deer |
| Programme Leader: | Dr Geoff de Lisle |
| Institution: | AgResearch, Wallaceville |
| Programme Goal: | To develop better methods for the isolation and identification of "ovine" and "bovine" types of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis. |
Description:
Refine and standardise a PCR test that can distinguish "ovine" strains of M. paratuberculosis from "bovine" types of this organism. Adapt a commercial mycobacterial culture system (MGIT) for culturing "ovine" and "bovine" types of M. paratuberculosis by utilising both tissue samples from which M. paratuberculosis has been previously isolated as well as tissue samples that were positive on IS900 PCR but negative on routine culture.
| Programme Title: | Examination of pasteurised milk for the presence of viable Mycobacterium paratuberculosis |
| Programme Leader: | Dr Geoff de Lisle |
| Institution: | AgResearch, Wallaceville |
| Programme Goal: | To provide information to ensure the public that pasteurised milk used for local consumption and for manufacturing dairy products in New Zealand is free of viable, M. paratuberculosis, a possible human pathogen or, if viable M. paratuberculosis are present in pasteurised milk in New Zealand, to determine the pasteurisation conditions necessary to kill the bacilli. |
| Objective 3 | Objectives 1 & 2 were completed in 1997/98 |
| Objective Title: | Survival of M. paratuberculosis following pasteurisation. |
| Research Leader: | L E Pearce |
Description:
Raw milk from 20 herds known to be infected with Johne’s disease, and raw milk from selected disease-free herds that have been inoculated with representative strains of M. paratuberculosis at levels established from the results of Objective 2, will be processed through the NZDRI plant. The conditions will be adjusted to follow exactly normal commercial practice in New Zealand, namely homogenisation, indirect heating by PHE (plate heated exchanger), and conditions of measured turbulent flow over 15 seconds holding time at 72°C. Samples from a total of 21 runs will be evaluated, by culture and PCR, before and after pasteurisation.
| Programme Goal: | To determine the paramyxovirus (serotypes 2, 3 and 5) health status of caged birds, wild birds and poultry in New Zealand. This will assist in decision-making with regard to importation requirements as well as to provide technically sustainable assurances for our trading partners regarding these viruses. |
Details of this project are being negotiated and a contract will be let once these have been finalised. This is a continuation of the programme commenced in 1997/98 and will be carried out by the new business derived from the restructured MAF Quality Management.
| Programme Title: | Development of HandiRISK, software to standardise and semi-automate import risk analysis |
| Programme Leader: | Professor Roger Morris |
| Institution: | Massey University |
| Programme Goal: | To develop a standardised and statistically robust approach to risk analysis, through the development and field testing of a software product, HandiRISK. This is a continuation of the programme commenced in 1997/98. |
Objective 1
| Objective Title: | Develop and test HandiRISK software |
| Research Leader: | Professor Roger Morris |
Description:
Develop HandiRISK as a complete software product for use by veterinarians and others involved in import risk analysis. A prototype has so far been developed to demonstrate the approach, using a sample analysis conducted by Sam Beckett. This will be developed into a full software package which will use expert system technology to structure the analysis. The user will be asked a sequence of questions, which will progressively formulate a risk analysis model suited to the particular problem.
Initial development of HandiRISK will focus on importation of genetic material as an example, but once principles have been established it will be expanded to cover a wider spectrum of potential imports,. Once the risk analysis procedure has been defined, structured and documented within HandiRISK, the analysis will be carried out in the software or by transfer of the process to an analytical software tool such as @Risk.
Results including sensitivity analysis will then be collated and recorded in standard form in HandiRISK, and both brief and comprehensive reports will be prepared within the software, and sorted for future reference and possible re-analysis. Printed copies will be made available for distribution.
| Programme Title: | Validation of bluetongue PCR test |
| Programme Leader: | Dr Kok-Mun Tham |
| Institution: |
| Programme Goal: | To validate a PCR test for diagnosing the exotic disease bluetongue. |
Description:
The bluetongue virus (BTV) PCR test developed at the Wallaceville Central Animal Health Laboratory (CAHL) will be validated using bloods collected from sheep experimentally infected with BTV pre- and post- inoculation. Post mortem samples such as spleen, lymph nodes and heart will also be collected for PCR testings.
| Programme Title: | Determining the relationship of amplicons of European Foul Brood (EFB) PCR to the bacterial fauna of New Zealand bees |
| Programme Leader: | Dr Kok-Mun Tham |
| Institution: |
| Programme Goal: | To clarify the relationship of the non-specific amplicons with the bacterial fauna of the honey bee using molecular techniques such as PCR assay, cycle sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, thus confirming that NZ is free of Melissococcus pluton, the causative organism of EFB. |
Objective 1
| Objective Title: | Genetic analysis of EFB PCR amplicons |
Description:
To determine the genetic relatedness of the non-specific amplicons of EFB PCR with the bee bacterial fauna using advanced molecular techniques such as PCR, cycle sequencing and gene sequence analysis.
| Programme Title: | Development and validation of a serological assay for the detection of hydatid (Echinococcus granulosus) cysts in animals |
| Programme Leader: | Dr Michael Reichel |
| Institution: | MAF Quality Management |
| Programme Goal: | To develop a screening test to detect hydatid disease in imported livestock. |
Objective 1
| Objective Title: | An ELISA for E. granulosus in intermediate hosts |
| Research Leader: | Dr Michael Reichel |
Description:
Develop an ELISA test that could be used to test imported animals for the presence or absence of cysts of E. granulosus. This serological test should be highly sensitive and be used as an initial screening test.
| Programme Title: | Risk assessment and management methodologies |
| Programme Leader: | Dr Stuart MacDiarmid |
| Institution: | MAF Regulatory Authority |
| Program Goal: | A continuation of the programme commenced in 1997/98 to develop specific technically sound risk analysis methodologies which will provide a solid foundation upon which to base New Zealand’s agricultural security policies for the next decade. This work is funded through the Science Envelope Fund administered by MoRST. |
Objective 1
| Objective Title: | Development of a risk analysis methodology for animal health |
| Research Leader: | Noel Murray |
Description:
To develop a methodology for:
- technically sound import health standards;
- surveillance programmes; and
- exotic disease responses for livestock, avian species, aquatic species and meat and dairy products.
Objective 2
| Objective Title: | Revision of the OIE International Animal Health Code chapter on import risk analysis |
| Research Leader: | Noel Murray |
Description:
To establish a basis for a revision of the OIE International Animal Health Code chapter on import risk analysis.
Objective 3
| Objective Title: | Publication and dissemination of the results at the completion of the project. |
| Research Leader: | Noel Murray |
Description:
This purpose of this objective will be to:
- Publish the results of the project in refereed journals as a means of establishing the foundation literature of animal health risk analysis.
- Conduct a seminar for other government agencies with an interest in risk analysis, such as members of the Biosecurity Council.
- Present the results at an appropriate international conference.
Contact for Enquiries
Farm Monitoring Programme Manager
Monitoring and Evaluation
MAF Policy
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0623
Fax: +64 4 894 0741
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