PROCINORTE will train scientists and regulators from Mexico, Canada and the US on molecular techniques to diagnose influenza viruses on animals

San José, Costa Rica, December 5, 2011 (IICA). The Animal Health Task Force of PROCINORTE composed from researchers from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), the Agricultural Research Service (ARS/USDA) and the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales Agrícolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP) will hold the “Influenza A Virus Molecular Diagnostic Techniques Workshop” in Winnipeg, Canada, 6 - 9 December 2011.

The workshop is being organized by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), focal point of the Animal Health Task Force in that country, and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

The objectives of this workshop are:

1. To share experiences, information and hands-on approaches about molecular diagnostic techniques used for influenza A virus infections by Canada, US and Mexico. 
2. To identify best practices for the molecular laboratory diagnosis of influenza A virus. 
3. To discuss virus isolation and characterization methods. 
4. To discuss possible harmonization of laboratory diagnostic tests used by the three countries for influenza A virus infections.

Regulators from CFIA, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection service (APHIS/USDA) and the Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria (SENASICA, Mexico) will also participate to share their perspectives on how to harmonize laboratory tools to diagnose animal viruses of economic importance.

This event will take place at CFIA’s National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, which houses the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, and is also a hub of the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance Network and the Canadian Public Health Laboratory Network.

This initiative follows the successful pH1N1 and Animal Influenza Workshop in Ames in 2010 in which researchers and regulatory agencies in the three countries identified joint actions to deal with animal diseases and other emergencies at the trilateral level.

IICA supports this initiative as part of PROCINORTE’S Strategic Plan to strengthen government-led collaboration in agricultural research that can lead to policy-guidance and contribute to problem-solving to support agricultural trade between the three member countries.

For more information, contact: 
phenriquez@iicawash.org