Veterinary Research Institute (VRI), Czech Republic

 

Food and Feed Safety Department, Mycobacteriology Unit

VRI is well established research institute (with 240 employee) which covers a broad range of subjects of veterinary medicine including infectious diseases of viral and bacterial origin, immunology, genetic mapping of the pig genome, food and feed hygiene, toxicology, pharmacology and animal reproduction. The Mycobacteriology Unit (Head Assoc. Prof. Ivo Pavlik) has been involved in mycobacteriology research for more than 40 years and is well experienced in this topic of research. In particular, the work has resulted in the elimination of bovine tuberculosis in the Czech Republic in 1968 and the following disappearance of M. bovis infection in domestic animals. In 1998 was developed and established the National Control Program against paratuberculosis and from 2002 I. Pavlik is a Head of OIE Reference Laboratory for Paratuberculosis.

 

VRI will contribute for the development of PCR, nested-PCR, real time PCR, quantitative PCR, RFLP, and other typing techniques for Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). During the IP the presence and impact of MAP in milk and meat products will be studied. Resuscitation and enrichment methods for detection L-forms and spheroplasts will be developed. Scientifically, the group will contribute with expertise within the field of MAP.

 

Key persons for PathogenCombat

The Mycobacteriology Unit and OIE Reference Laboratory are headed by Assoc. Prof. I. Pavlik (involved in WP1, WP4, WP6, WP12) who has 15 years experience in mycobacteriology research at VRI. Research obtained valuable information on the epidemiology and status of paratuberculosis in herds of ruminants, avian tuberculosis in cattle and bird and in swine herds and developed control programs against these important diseases. Current area of interests include development of intravital diagnosis of MAP and other mycobacterial diseases including PCR techniques for the identification of different mycobacterial species, DNA based typing of isolates of MAP and other members of M. avium species: M. a. avium, M. a. hominissuis, M. a. silvaticum, and M. intracellulare. The research team currently comprises four graduated scientists: I. Pavlik will co-ordinate the research work.

 

Milan Bartos (involved in WP1, WP4, WP6, WP12) who graduated in 1987 from the Faculty of Science of Masaryk‘s University Brno (Czech Republic) in molecular biology and will contribute for the development of molecular biology detection and typing techniques. V. Beran (involved in WP1, WP4, WP6, WP12) graduated at 2002 from Faculty of Science of Masaryk’s University Brno (Czech Republic). He will develop the techniques for the resuscitation of MAP.

 

M. Moravkova (involved in WP1, WP4, WP6, WP12) graduated at 2003 from Faculty of Science of Masaryk’s University Brno (Czech Republic) and will be involved in molecular biology detection and typing techniques. Another two graduate scientists are requested to undertake the upgrading and evaluation of the bacteriological and molecular biology techniques in the proposed project.