During the fourth stage of the Project of European Regional Development Fund “1.1.1.2. “Post-doctoral research aid” “One Health” multidisciplinary approaches for epidemiology and prevention of selected parasitic zoonosis (OMEPPAZ), (1.1.1.2/VIAA/1/16/204)” senior researcher Dr. boil. Gunita Deksne were implementing following actions:

1) Analyses to detect Cryptosporidium spp. in humans with typical clinical signs. and Giradia duodenalis co-antigen, as well as ongoing seroepidemiological studies in target human groups on the presence of specific antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii and Echinococcus spp. have been performed. Work has been started fins the correlation between the presence of specific Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in wild boar as a food product and the presence of the parasite in the cells.

2) To improve knowledge about molecular diagnostic methods for diagnostics of various food parasitic pathogens, postdoctoral student Gunita Deksne participated in the international training “Application of Molecular Methods in Diagnosis of Food Parasitic Pathogens” organized within COST action FA1408 “European Network for Foodborne Parasites in Europe” (EURO-FBP) At the Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia in the period from September 17th to 20th. In total, the event was attended by four experienced lecturers (Karin Troell, Sweden; Kristin Elwin, UK; Marco Lalle, Italy; Gereon Schares, Germany) and 20 participants from a total of 15 European Union and its immediate neighbors.

3) The postdoctoral research was presented within the meeting-conference of the Latvian Association of Preventive Medicine on September 21st this year, and the postdoctoral research and its initial results were popularized to the general public on September 28, 2008 at “Night of Science 2018”.

4) One of the tasks of postdoctoral research is to establish a Center of Excellence as an open laboratory that will operate in accordance with good laboratory practice and provide a platform for knowledge and technology transfer. As part of this exercise, training was provided to experts from the Veterinary and Food Laboratory in Tartu, Estonia, from 25th to 27th of September to transfer knowledge on the essential foodborne parasitic pathogen Cryptosporidium spp. and Echinococcus spp. diagnostic methods in samples of animal origin.

Cooperation authority is State Education Development Agency. The duration of the project is 36 months. The total cost of the project is EUR 133 806, 85% of which is financed by the European Regional Development Fund.

Publication dated 18.10.2018.