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Environmental monitoring of food and waterborne parasites (PARASITE_HUNTER)

Principal Investigator: Ivana Klun

 

Project team members:

Duško Ćirović, Oliver Tošković, Aleksandra Penezić, Stanislav Simin, Aleksandra Uzelac, Vladimir Ćirković, Dragana Miličić, Nikola Betić, Neda Bogdanović, Ilija Pantelić

Project number: 2424

Project duration: 2024-2026

 

Lead institution:

Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade

Collaborating institutions:

Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade; Faculty of Philosophy; University of Belgrade; Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad; Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology

 

Abstract:

Background: The increasing prevalence of food and waterborne parasitoses in humans and animals in Europe calls for the need for holistic surveillance to detect emerging threats and identify reservoirs of infection, so that public health authorities can be alerted in a timely manner. Systematic monitoring programs for most of the parasites which cause these diseases do not exist and most parasitoses are not notifiable, thus it is upon the scientific community to gather evidence of these silent epidemics, raise awareness and advocate for innovative and improved food safety measures to reduce disease burden.

Novelty: PARASITE_HUNTER aims to incorporate One Health principles in food safety, with a strong emphasis on environmental matrices, as the 21st century is characterized by significantly perturbed ecosystems due to anthropogenic disturbances. The impact of ecosystem health and wildlife on food safety will be evaluated and communication with stakeholders will be established.

Methods: Standardized parasitological methods [sedimentation, (Mini)FLOTAC] and validated molecular techniques (multiplex qPCR, nested PCR) will be applied to detect, quantify, and assess viability (staining and in vitro culture) of food and waterborne parasites (FWP) of public health significance in various human and animal foods, water and soil in which the food is produced.

Impact: This project aims to establish a data driven surveillance framework for FWP to improve food safety beyond the current standard by including monitoring of vulnerable groups (humans and animals) not covered by the current food safety legislation. Stakeholders will be engaged through questionnaires to assess the level of awareness regarding FWP and help draft a white paper with proposals to reduce/control the FWP burden.

Expected results: A sustainable, state of the art FWP surveillance program for timely identification of emerging threats to public health, and stakeholder approved measures to improve food safety.

Тип пројекта:

National Projects

Worm Profiler: Surveillance and population genetics of Echinococcus in Serbia

Project leader: Aleksandra Uzelac

 

Project collaborators:

Katarina Breka, Jelena Karanović, Nikola Betić, Milica Kuručki, Tijana Kukurić

Project number: 10841

Duration of the project: 2024-2026

 

Leading Institution:

Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade

COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS:
Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade; Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, University of Belgrade; Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology; Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad

 

Description of the project:

Analysis of the population genetics of Echinococcus is an ongoing effort in some parts of Europe, while the Balkans represent a significant knowledge gap. This project proposes to comprehensively survey the entire transmission cycle consisting of intermediate and definitive animal hosts and the environment using sample processing and analytical methods which have been standardized, validated and harmonized at the EU level to obtain high quality population genetics data via mitochondrial gene (cox1 and nad1) sequencing and characterization of the EmsB microsatellite from single eggs, larvae and adults. Specifically, this approach allows for the survey of as of yet underexplored reservoirs with a potentially high transmission capacity to humans. The population genetics data along with GPS coordinates of identified infected hosts will be systematized and graphically displayed through an interactive bioinformatics database, WormProfiler, to help identify transmission foci and ultimately model transmission dynamics. WormProfiler’s user interface will be specifically tailored to veterinarians and physicians, who are key stakeholders for transmission prevention, in order to facilitate education of the public and raise awareness of echinococcosis. Ultimately, the project’s goal is to create a software supported framework for systematic surveillance of Echinococcus to aid in the development of targeted transmission control actions to reduce echinococcosis case burden.

Тип пројекта:

National Projects

Toxoplasmosis in HSC transplant recipients: how to improve prevention at a reasonable cost?

Project leader : from the Serbian side: Dr. Olgica Đurković-Đaković, from the French side: Prof. Florence Robert-Gangneux

Project collaborators:

dr Tijana Štajner, dr Jelena Srbljanović, Neda Bauman, Aleksandra Uzelac

Project number:

Duration of the project: January 2018 – December 2019

Leading Institution:

Description of the project:

Diagnosis and monitoring of reactivated toxoplasmosis (RT) in HSCT recipients was introduced into the transplantation practice in Serbia in 2013 (cooperation of the Mother and Child Health Care Institute and the NRL for toxoplasmosis). Despite its many benefits, clinical experience with this approach to control T. gondii infection in HSCT patients has also revealed gaps including diagnostic challenges pertinent for decisions on treatment, and lack of consensus on the frequency and duration of blood sample monitoring by qPCR after HSCT, respective of clinical setting and administration of prophylaxis. Thus, the goal of the proposed project is to, after standardization and harmonization of the qPCR protocol in both partner laboratories, identify subgroups of patients (according to the clinical setting, type of prophylaxis etc.) at the highest risk of RT, that would benefit the most from systematic PCR monitoring, with the final outcome to devise a cost-effective alternative for the prevention of RT after HSCT.

Тип пројекта:

International Projects

Horizon FrAmework for ClInicaL trIal participants’ daTA reutilization for a fully Transparent and Ethical ecosystem

Project leader : Dr Luca Pani

Project collaborators: Olgica Djurković-Djaković, Ivana Klun

Project number: 101034366

Duration of the project: January 2022 – December 2025

Leading Institution: Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE), Italy

Description of the project:

FACILITATE is a project built on a patient-centred, data-driven, technological platform where dynamic consent allows the returning of clinical trial data to study participants within a GDPR compliant and approved ethical framework. FACILITATE starts-off by providing clear rules in a trusted ethical, legal and regulatory ecosystem before engaging patients as data generators. This avoids the current situation where clinical data are siloed in separate repositories without any possibility to be used beyond their original single-sided purpose. FACILITATE will provide the technological solutions to comply with GDPR in medical research by building on the empowered stakeholders’ willingness to share and re-use their data. The FACILITATE Consortium was constituted by drawing from a broad range of capacities to tackle the ambitious challenges related to future clinical trials, such as preventive, long-term and real-world evidence trials. The Consortium takes an innovative approach to the data return to study participants by asking them what they need to be implemented to feel in a trusted ecosystem. This requires all Consortium participants to leverage on their existing networks to bring together stakeholders at all levels in the decision-making chain, including patients, healthcare professionals, software designers, clinical trials repositories processors and controllers, ethicists, lawyers and other active regulators. Having obtained a dynamic consent on the data portability FACILITATE will re-use and cross-reference them with those contained in other repositories including RWE data captured across multiple settings and devices. FACILITATE will last 4 years and will participate in the extended Pilot on Open Research Data of Horizon 2020. Its strategy represents a unique and innovative opportunity for medicines drug development and regulation to better understand the clinics of diseases, and to evaluate the effectiveness of products in the healthcare system.

Тип пројекта:

International Projects

Relationship between sero-prevalence in the main livestock species and presence of Toxoplasma gondii in meat

Project leader: Dr Joke van der Giessen

Project collaborators:

Olgica Djurković-Djaković, Ivana Klun, Aleksandra Nikolić, Branko Bobić, Aleksandra Uzelac, Irena Rajnpreht

Project number: GP/EFSA/BIOHAZ/2013/01

Duration of the project: November 2013 – November 2015

Leading Institution: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), The Netherlands

Description of the project:

The overall goal of project was to gain information and knowledge on the presence (and viability) of T. gondii cysts in meat and other edible tissues in main meat‐producing animals, and its relationship with T. gondii seroprevalence in animals by carrying out an extensive literature search and review of available data on the subject, as well as performing experimental studies on T. gondii in meat‐producing livestock species in the EU in order to assess the relationship between indirect detection methods (antibody detection), and direct detection methods of infective cysts in meat and other edible tissues (by bio‐assay).

Тип пројекта:

International Projects

Goat-parasite interactions: from knowledge to control

Project leader: Dr Smaragda Sotiraki

Project collaborators:

Olgica Djurković-Djaković (member of the management committee of the action), Ivana Klun, Tijana Štajner, Vitomir Djokić

Project number: FA0805

Duration of the project: April 2009 – January 2014.

Leading Institution: NAGREF Veterinary Research Institute, NAGREF Campus, Thermi 57001, Thessaloniki, Greece

Description of the project:

The main objective of the Action was to advance our knowledge on various aspects of goats’ parasitology and health management towards a better understanding of the different components explaining the specificities of goat-parasite interactions as well as to develop sustainable strategies to control parasitic diseases in goats.

Тип пројекта:

Cost

Toxoplasmosis in HSC transplant recipients: how to improve prevention at a reasonable cost?

Project leader:

from the Serbian side: Dr. Olgica Đurković-Đaković, from the French side: Prof. Florence Robert-Gangneux

Project collaborators:

dr Tijana Štajner, dr Jelena Srbljanović, Neda Bauman, Aleksandra Uzelac

Project number: /

Duration of the project: January 2018 – December 2019

Leading Institution: /

Description of the project:

Diagnosis and monitoring of reactivated toxoplasmosis (RT) in HSCT recipients was introduced into the transplantation practice in Serbia in 2013 (cooperation of the Mother and Child Health Care Institute and the NRL for toxoplasmosis). Despite its many benefits, clinical experience with this approach to control T. gondii infection in HSCT patients has also revealed gaps including diagnostic challenges pertinent for decisions on treatment, and lack of consensus on the frequency and duration of blood sample monitoring by qPCR after HSCT, respective of clinical setting and administration of prophylaxis. Thus, the goal of the proposed project is to, after standardization and harmonization of the qPCR protocol in both partner laboratories, identify subgroups of patients (according to the clinical setting, type of prophylaxis etc.) at the highest risk of RT, that would benefit the most from systematic PCR monitoring, with the final outcome to devise a cost-effective alternative for the prevention of RT after HSCT.

Тип пројекта:

International Projects
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