MDHHS BOL is an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory for food testing thereby supporting statewide food borne outbreak investigations and participating FERN surveillance and surge exercises. Considering fresh produce as a potential vehicle for human cyclosporiasis, BOL would like to increase the capability for the detection of Cyclospora oocysts in food products. There are currently no validated molecular methods to facilitate linking human illness to each other, to food vehicles, or their sources. Therefore, cyclosporiasis outbreak investigations rely primarily on parasitic diagnosis and epidemiologic data. Objectives: ? To develop MDHHS BOL capacity and capability for detecting Cyclospora oocysts in human food produce by PCR. ? Significantly enhance the laboratory capacity for detecting Cyclospora in the event of outbreak investigations, ongoing surveillance, and source tracking. MDHHS would assist FDA in special events in testing for Cyclospora.
Comprehensive surveillance activities are essential for the detection of bacterial and parasitic pathogens in food products, has a tremendous impact in developing public health strategies thereby implementing remedial action for food borne illness across the State of Michigan. MDHHS BOL will therefore support FDA with surveillance activities of food borne pathogens. This project will support MDHHS BOL to develop the capacity and capability for detecting Cyclospora in human food products and would increase the laboratory ability to detect Cyclospora in the event of an outbreak. MDHHS BOL would also be able to assist FDA in special events in testing for Cyclospora.
