OIE Reference Laboratory Reports Activities in 2011
Name of disease (or topic) for Rinderpest which you are a designated OIE and Reference Laboratory: Peste des Petits Ruminants
Address of laboratory: Institute for Animal Health Ash Road Pirbright Woking UNITED KINGDOM
Tel.: +44 (0)1483 232441
Fax: +44 (0)1483 232448
e-mail address:
website: www.iah.ac.uk
Name (including Title and Dr David Paton Position) of Head of Laboratory Director of Science (Responsible Official):
Name (including Title and Dr Michael Baron Position) of OIE Reference Expert:
Name (including Title and Drs Carrie Batten and Michael Baron Position) of writer of this report
(if different from above):
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011 1 Rinderpest and Peste des petits ruminants
Part I: Summary of general activities related to the disease
1. Test(s) in use/or available for the specified disease/topic at your laboratory
Test For Specificity Total
Rinderpest C-ELISA Antibody Rinderpest 347 *
PPRV C-ELISA Antibody PPR 278
PPR real time RT-PCR Antigen PPR 26 * C-ELISA performed for commercial companies. These are not diagnostic samples.
2. Production and distribution of diagnostic reagents
Amount supplied nationally Amount supplied to other Type of reagent (including for own use) countries
Rinderpest hyperimmune antisera 5ml to Kuwait
Rinderpest antigen 5ml to Kuwait
PPRV Nig75/1 virus, PPRV ivory Spain coast
RPV C-ELISA kit 1 x kit 1 x kit Brazil, 1 x kit Korea
PPRV ex Dorcas, PPRV IBRI Netherlands strains
Part II: Activities specifically related to the mandate of OIE Reference Laboratories
3. International harmonisation and standardisation of methods for diagnostic testing or the production and testing of vaccines
a) Establishment and maintenance of a network with other OIE Reference Laboratories designated for the same pathogen or disease and organisation of regular inter-laboratory proficiency testing to ensure comparability of results
b) Organisation of inter-laboratory proficiency testing with laboratories other than OIE Reference Laboratories for the same pathogens and diseases to ensure equivalence of results
A RPV real time RT-PCR assay has been implemented according to a USDA protocol and is available for use if required.
IAH-P participated in an RPV proficiency test distributed by USDA. All results were as expected.
The PPRV real time RT-PCR assay has been validated and is accredited to ISO17025.
4. Preparation and supply of international reference standards for diagnostic tests or vaccines
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IAH-P currently has enough RPV stock reagents for 125 x 5000 ELISA test kits.
In an attempt to re distribute the PPRV C-ELISA, staff at IAH have been working on a protocol for the inactivation of PPRV. This has been successful and currently a protocol is being developed to use this inactivated PPRV antigen in a C-ELISA format. It is hoped this assay will be validated in the early stages of 2012 and will be commercially available from June 2012.
ELISA kits have been sent out to Brazil and Korea.
Rinderpest hyperimmune antisera and antigen was supplied Kuwait for use in AGID.
5. Research and development of new procedures for diagnosis and control
Real Time PCR-based Diagnostic Assays: With a view to increasing the throughput of diagnostic assays and making them less prone to cross-contamination, real time RT-PCR assays have been implemented for RPV using a protocol supplied by USDA.
PPRV Real Time assays: The assay has been accredited to ISO17025 and, in doing so, the reference laboratory generated extensive validation data which led to the assay being published in the Journal of Virological Methods1.
The assay is highly sensitive and detects approximately 10 copies of RNA per reaction. It detects all four lineages of PPRV and does not cross react with other morbiliviruses.
The assay has been commercialized by laboratoire service international (LSI), France.
PPRV cELISA assay: A new project to create a biosafe antigen (with no involvement of whole PPRV virus), funded by BBSRC, was successful in proving the principle, and IAH is continuing the fund the optimization and scale-up of the technique with a view to commercialization in 2013-14.
A project to create a DIVA vaccine against PPRV involving the creation and testing of recombinant adenovirus and fowlpox viruses expressing PPRV antigens, initiated in Nov 2010, has progressed. The recombinant viruses have been prepared and initial tests of immunogenicity carried out showing strong induction of neutralizing antibody. Further trials in 2012 will involve testing the effects of addition of cytokine adjuvants on the immunogenicity of the vaccine candidates before challenge-testing the most immunogenic vaccine.
6. Collection, analysis and dissemination of epizootiological data relevant to international disease control
A collection of 100 wildlife sera (77 Buffalo, 23 Gazelle) was received from Tanzania to determine the seroprevalance of PPRV in these species. All samples were negative.
No positive RT-PCR samples have been received this year, thus no virus isolation or genome sequencing has occurred.
7. Maintenance of a system of quality assurance, biosafety and biosecurity relevant to the pathogen and the disease concerned
The Non-vesicular reference laboratories, which include the OIE morbillivirus reference laboratory, are registered to ISO9001; the PPRV real time RT-PCR assay is accredited to ISO17025.
8. Provision of consultant expertise to OIE or to OIE Member Countries
IAH scientists contributed to the Risk Assessment on the possible release of rinderpest virus carried out by the
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Royal Veterinary College as well as ongoing discussions organized by FAO on the biosafety standards required for containment laboratories/vaccine production facilities. Chapters of the OIE Code on PPRV and RPV were reviewed as requested by OIE.
9. Provision of scientific and technical training to personnel from other OIE Member Countries
In May a BTV/PPRV and capripox training course was held at IAH Pirbright, three participants from two countries took part (Uganda and Russia). The course consisted of lectures, practical demonstrations and hands on practical work. Topics covered included BTV diagnosis, insect vector identification and molecular epidemiology.
An OIE twinning project started in October 2010 between IAH and NADDEC, Entebbe Uganda. The main focus of the project is PPR, Capripox and BTV diagnosis. The project supports exchange visits for training, equipment and consumables. On top of the twinning project the two labs put forward a proposal to the OIE for extra funds for equipment, consumables and refurbishment, as well as money to host a sample management workshop with the aim of facilitating collection of samples in the field and laboratory diagnosis at NADDEC. To date two members of NADDEC staff have attended the annual BTV/PPRV and Capripox training course at IAH and there have been two visits of staff from IAH to NADDEC to help set up PCR technologies.
Additionally, an IAH OIE twinning project with Biopharma, Morocco came to an end in December 2011 and in order to finish up the project two members of staff from Biopharma attended IAH for 10 days to receive training in PPRV sequencing. During their visit the N gene of the Moroccan PPRV strain was sequenced and plans for full genome sequencing are underway.
Carrie Batten, Michael Baron, Linda Dixon and Chris Oura attended and presented at the Workshop on exotic animal disease prevention and control, 7th-10th June 2011, Hainan, Haikou, China. The workshop was designed to increase awareness of exotic animal diseases, in particular ASFV and PPRV.
10. Provision of diagnostic testing facilities to other OIE Member Countries
Country Sample Species Assay for: rtRT- PCR
Uganda 20 x swabs Caprine /ovine PPRV Negative
Uganda 6 x tissues Caprine /ovine PPRV Negative
11. Organisation of international scientific meetings on behalf of OIE or other international bodies
None
12. Participation in international scientific collaborative studies
A collaborative project, funded by the UK Department for International Development and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, is underway. This project is to develop a DIVA vaccine and penside diagnostic tests for PPRV and is being carried out by scientists from IAH and from the National Animal Disease Diagnostics and Epidemiology Centre, Entebbe, Uganda with whom IAH is also twinned.
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13. Publication and dissemination of information relevant to the work of OIE (including list of scientific publications, internet publishing activities, presentations at international conferences)
Presentations at international conferences and meetings
Batten, C.A. Quality assurance and diagnosis. Workshop on exotic animal disease prevention and control, 7th-10th June 2011, Hainan, Haikou, China.
Baron, M. PPRV a candidate for eradication. Workshop on exotic animal disease prevention and control, 7 th-10th June 2011, Hainan, Haikou, China.
Baron, M.D. Control of interferon responses by morbilliviruses and nairoviruses , China Animal Health and Epidemiology Center, Qingdao, China
Baron, M.D. Control of interferon responses by morbilliviruses and nairoviruses, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Harbin, China
Scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals
1Carrie A. Batten, Ashley C Banyard, Donald P. King, Mark R. Henstock, Lorraine Edwards, Anna Sanders, Hubert Buczkowski, Chris C. L. Oura and Tom Barrett, 2011. A real-time RT-PCR assay for the specific detection of Peste des Petits Ruminants Virus. Journal of virological methods, 171, 401-404.
2Baron, M. D., S. Parida, and C. A. Oura. 2011. Peste des petits ruminants: a suitable candidate for eradication? Vet Rec 169:16-21
3Baron, M. D. 2011. Rinderpest and peste des petits ruminants viruses, p. 293-339. In S. K. Samal (ed.), The Biology of Paramyxoviruses. Caister Academic Press, Norfolk, UK
4M. De Nardi, S.M. Lamin Saleh, C. Batten, C. Oura, A. Di Nardo and D. Rossi. 2011. First evidence of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) virus circulation in Algeria (Sahrawi territories): virus lineage identification and organization of contingency plan. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases doi:10.1111/j.1865-1682.2011.01260.x
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