Development of PCR-test systems for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus detection on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Project Status: 3 Approved without Funding
Duration in months: 24 months
Objective
Avian influenza, which refers to influenza “type A” isolates that predominantly infect birds, has enormous genetic diversity, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. The severe forms are referred to as “highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI. HPAI is an extremely dangerous viral infection, and the persistence of the virus and unpredictability of mutation demand continuous study of the virus in certain regions and particularly at the intersection of the migration routes of wild migrating birds. The territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan is diverse, and passing through it are the migration routes of wild birds, including routes from regions whose birds are A-susceptible. The pathogen of this disease is capable of fully paralyzing a country's economy and, most important, presents mortal danger to humans. That is why all public health and veterinary science institutions of states in which this disease has been found and of countries thus far free of the infection are so carefully monitoring for the presence of this disease.
Large science centers and laboratories in many countries of the world are currently performing research to study the avian influenza virus pathogen and to create effective means for the diagnosis and prophylaxis of this infection. However, the level of urgency of the struggle against this highly pathogenic influenza virus remains extremely high to this day.
Plans call for the performance of the project to result in the development of modern methods for the diagnosis of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 that are based on classical PCR (reverse transcriptase PCR) and real-time PCR and a powerful new multiplex flow cytometry method called MOL-PCR.
Specific primers and probes will be designed on the basis of the data of the nucleotide sequence of the genomes of strains of the HPAI virus isolated in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as the data from the international GenBank.
New isolates of the H5N1 avian influenza virus are expected to be found in infection foci in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan during the performance of the project
Project implementation will result in the creation of diagnostic test-systems based on classical PCR and real-time PCR, as well as the creation of multiplexed flow cytometry method that will provide high throughput and low cost assays with the ability to discriminate among subtypes. Such information will make it possible to rapidly identify highly pathogenic influenza virus and make management decisions in a more timely manner.
