Lab Matters Spring 2018 | Page 26

food safety

A New Beginning : PulseNet Middle East Reinvigorated

by Kristy Kubota , MPH , manager , PulseNet and Jeniffer Concepción-Acevedo , PhD , coordinator , PulseNet International , US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
In December 2006 , PulseNet Middle East ( PNME ) was established with the support of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ), the World Health Organization ’ s Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office ( EMRO ), APHL , the US Naval Medical Research Unit – No . 3 ( NARMU-3 ) and 13 member states coordinated by the Central Public Health Laboratory ( CPHL ) in Oman . PNME was established in part to support regional food safety plans which include molecular surveillance of foodborne diseases . But due to shifting priorities and political unrest in recent years , activities in the network had dwindled . In an effort to revitalize PulseNet activities in the region , APHL , CDC , EMRO , CPHL and participants from the American University of Beirut organized a workshop in Muscat , Oman February 13-15 , 2018 .
Relaunching a Network
Forty-three participants from 14 Middle Eastern countries attended the three-day workshop which served to prepare network laboratories for implementation of whole genome sequencing ( WGS ). Accomplishments during the workshop included selecting a steering committee , establishing a laboratory certification program , and discussing a strategic plan for updating the network ’ s Terms of Reference . Representatives from member states also shared current surveillance and outbreak activities for foodborne pathogens and challenges to integrating molecular subtyping methods , such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis ( PFGE ) and
WGS , to outbreak detection and response . Several public health laboratories in the region reported the capacity to perform WGS using IonTorrent sequencers .
Attendees learned that the food safety authority in Saudi Arabia is one of the few laboratories in the region with an Illumina MiSeq sequencer . It is working toward qualification as an FDA GenomeTrakr Laboratory through the Food and Drug Authority under the Ministry of Health . PulseNet has developed standard laboratory procedures for WGS of outbreak-causing bacteria like Listeria , Campylobacter , Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E . coli using the MiSeq sequencer , and is currently assessing the compatibility of different sequencing platforms .
Moving Forward
In the coming months , the PNME steering committee and member states will 1 ) develop a strategy and action plan to introduce WGS across the network and 2 ) create a training framework suited to the needs and capacities of laboratories in the region . It will also finalize the Terms of Reference for the PulseNet Middle East network .
CPHL will remain the coordinating center for PNME activities . It plans to establish programs for proficiency testing and sustainable certification , and will develop a communication platform to notify members of foodborne disease clusters and investigations in participating states . n
Member States Attending the Workshop
Bahrain Iraq Islamic Republic of Iran Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Libya Morocco Oman Pakistan Palestine Qatar Saudi Arabia Sudan United Arab Emirates
Participants attend the PulseNet Middle East Workshop in Muscat , Oman
DIGITAL EXTRA : Read more in the workshop report .
PulseNet International is a global laboratory network that works to identify foodborne infectious disease threats where they originate so they can be stopped before they spread to other countries . It is comprised of national , regional and sub-regional laboratory networks in Africa , Asia-Pacific , Canada , Europe , Latin America , the Caribbean , the Middle East and the US . Current priorities include implementation of standardized genotyping methods and delivery of real-time information to member networks .
24 LAB MATTERS Spring 2018
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