Research Center for Zoonosis Control

Hokkaido University

History of Research Center

for Zoonosis Control 2014 ・Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (MEXT)

2012 • Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (JICA/JST)

2011 • Collaborating Centre for Zoonoses Control (WHO)

• Program for Leading Graduate Schools (JSPS)

2010 • Joint Usage / Research Center (MEXT)

• Leading-edge Research Infrastructure Program (JSPS)

• Japan Initiative for Global Research Network on Infectious Diseases (MEXT)

2009 • Strategic Basic Research Programs (JST)

2008 • Global COE program (JSPS)

• Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (JICA/JST)

2005 • Program of Founding Research Centers for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases (MEXT)

• Research Network for the Control of Infectious Diseases (MEXT)

• Establishment of “Research Center for Zoonosis Control” (MEXT)

2004 • World Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza (OIE)

2003 • The 21st Century COE program (JSPS)

• Presentation at the council on “Prevention and Control of Zoonoses-proposal of a national project”,

“Committee for Zoonosis” Council for Science and Technology Policy, (Cabinet Office)

1996 • Special Group Training Course in Diagnosis and Control of Rabies and Other Viral Zoonoses (JICA) -2000

WHO Collaborating Centre for Zoonoses Control, JPN-87

In 2010 Dec, Hiroshi Kida hosted the Regional

Workshop on Collaboration between Human and

Animal Health Sectors on Zoonoses Prevention and

Control, in which the members from World Health

Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture

Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and World

Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) got together for

the first time in the world.

In 2011 Nov, WHO designated the Hokkaido

University Research Center for Zoonosis Control as

the “WHO Collaborating Centre for Zoonoses Control”,

and Professor Kida became Head of the Center. The

inauguration ceremony and “the Regional Forum of

Collaborating/ Reference Centres on Emerging

Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses” was held in 2011

Dec.

Key activities and achievements in Research Centre for Zoonosis Control from 2012 to 2014

Since 2005, the Research Center for Zoonosis Control

had invited oversee researchers and risk managers,

and organized several training courses; training courses

of ecology, pathogenicity, and molecular biology of

influenza virus, filovirus, and rabies viruses, training

course for tuberculosis and influenza diagnosis

responding to a request from WHO. General zoonosis

and individual training courses with young researchers

were supported by Japan International Cooperation

Agency and other education funds. Adding to that, we

organized training course of genetic diagnosis in

leptospirosis in Philippines and of bioinformatics for

studies on zoonoses in Thailand.

The Research Center for Zoonosis Control has conducted

the global surveillance of influenza and tuberculosis and

released data through internet or scientific peer reviewed

paper. Pathogenicity, antigenicity, genetic information, and

yield in chicken embryo of influenza viruses have been

analyzed, databased and opened for Web site. In 2010,

isolation of H5N1 HPAI viruses through the surveillance

contributed to preparedness for subsequent HPAI

outbreaks in Japan.

Clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex

from humans, monkey, cattle, deer, lechwe and elephants

from Zambia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, the

Philippines and Thailand were collected in collaboration

with local researchers. These samples were analyzed

genotype and drug resistance-associated genes of the

strains.

The Research Center for Zoonosis Control was

registered into the WHO Global Outbreak Alert Network

(GOARN) and continued capacity buildings to provide

technical, material, and human resource to the outbreak

area in responding to emergency request.

Responding to urgent requests from Zambia

Government upon the outbreak of Ebola virus infection

in West Africa, 2014, we dispatched an expert of Ebola

virus for capacity building for Ebola virus infection

including establishment of emerging response guideline

for suspected case in Points of Entry and provision of

technical and material resources for diagnosis of Ebola

virus to University of Zambia

Responding to requests from Zambia Government upon

the outbreak of human anthrax followed by massive

deaths of wildlife along Zambezi Valley in 2012, we

dispatched experts of bacteriology and molecular

biology for follow-up studies to monitor environment

(soil and water) of the past epidemic sites and advise

the government on procedures of decontamination.

Prof Kida was invited as the Temporary Advisor to Asia-

Pacific Workshop on Multi-sectoral Collaboration for

Zoonoses Prevention and Control, 27-29, Kathmandu

Nepal. His expertise regarding control for emerging

infectious disease in Asia Pacific Region and zoonotic

influenza control was shared with a 120 participants from

public and animal health officials in Asia Pacific Region.

The Research Center for Zoonosis Control seconded one

staff to ESR/DSE/WPRO to contribute to provide the

technical expertise and facilitating the risk assessment for

zoonotic events in the WPRO.

Public Health Agency of Canada (WHO Collaborating Centre for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases Detection,

Diagnostics, Reference and Research, Winnipeg, Canada, CAN-22) on Ebola virus

Nagasaki University (WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Tropical and Emerging Virus

Diseases, Nagasaki, Japan, JPN-67) on Ebola virus

National Institute of Infectious Diseases (WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza,

Tokyo, Japan, JPN-64) on influenza.

The University of Melbourne, Department of Microbiology and Immunology

( WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza) on influenza

Research Institute of Tuberculosis (RIT) (WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference, Research and Training on

Tuberculosis) on tuberculosis.

Training on zoonoses and capacity

building for Member States

Data collection and dissemination of

information related to zoonoses

Collaboration or interaction with other WHO CC in the context of the ongoing

activities to zoonoses control

Isolates from water birds (69 combinations)

Reassortants generated in the lab (75 combinations)

Activities for establishment/improvement/maintenance of

Biobank of influenza virus strains have been continued

and their genetic information that will be used as

references for the diagnosis, surveillance, and vaccine

preparation. Influenza virus isolates of 75 combinations of

the HA and NA subtypes have been isolated from fecal

samples of ducks in surveillance studies. So far, 69 other

combinations have been generated by the genetic

reassortment procedure in chicken embryos. Thus, 2,000

non-pathogenic avian influenza viruses of all 144

combinations of the HA and NA subtypes have been

stocked. The database is open for sharing the genetic

information and biological materials for research and

development of vaccines and diagnostic use for the control

of animal and human influenza.

(http://virusdb.czc.hokudai.ac.jp/index.html)

Enhancement of surveillance and laboratory diagnosis for priority zoonoses and

application for disease control

Support Member States in developing

and implementing zoonoses control in

line with APSED Support WHO in Member States in

outbreak investigation on potential

zoonoses

Advanced and Comprehensive

Studies on Zoonosis Control

Advanced lecture on One Health

with invited speakers from US CDC

and FAO.

In 2012, Core Curriculum for

Zoonosis Control were held

with collaborations of JICA.

A total of 26 trainees from

20 countries joined the

curriculum and not only

Japanese researchers but

also WHO and OIE were

invited as trainers.

To facilitate the rapid diagnosis at the outbreak point in the field, antigen detection diagnosis kits based on Loop-

Medicated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) methods were developed to diagnose avian influenza virus infection with

subtype H5 and H7N9, tuberculosis, leptospirosis, and African trypanosomiasis and introduced into the field in endemic

areas. The PCR methods for diagnosis of anthrax and rabies were developed, and introduced into Zambia and

Zimbabwe. Ebola virus antigen detection assay using monoclonal antibodies to the Ebola virus and ELISA system to

detect anti-filovirus antibodies were developed to diagnose the filovirus infection.

Development and application of diagnostic tools for Member States

Developed method

Marburgvirus Ebolavirus

existing method

Improvement of filovirus detection

The diagnosis method to detect the RNA of

Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus was developed.

It was revealed that this method is available

for diagnosis using blood serum samples.

Comparison of nested PCR and RT-

LAMP for rabies virus detection

The LAMP kit for tuberculosis was developed

and were introduced into Zambia

Contribution of Hokkaido University Research

Center for Zoonosis Control in control of zoonoses

Anti-microbial resistant

tuberculosis

(China)

Avian influenza

(Mongolia)

Rabies, Tuberculosis

(Sri Lanka）

Tuberculosis

(Nepal, Bangladesh,

Myanmar）

Surveillance and Research collaboration for

hemorrhagic fever, tuberculosis, AMR, and

capacity building for leptospirosis

(Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia)

Global surveillance for emerging

diseases in Hokudai Center for

Zoonosis Control in Zambia

(Zambia）

WHO Western Pacific Regional Office

(Philippines)

OIE-FAO

OIE-FAO Reference Laboratories for Avian Influenza (designated in Jun., 2004）

WHO Collaborating Centre for Zoonoses Control (designated in Nov., 2011)

WHO

Avian influenza

(Russia)

Protozoan

diseases

(Ghana, Sudan） Collaboration with

Southern African Centre

for Infectious Disease

(SACIDS：five countries）Leprosy

(Mexico)

Research and EducationLaboratory Invitation of Leading Researchers Unit

Research collaboration for

tick-borne infectious diseases

(UK, Netherland Belgium)

Genome analysis

of protozoa

(Malaysia)

Research collaboration for Filo

virus infections

(Canada）

Research collaboration for

tuberculosis and filo virus infections

(South Africa）

Tuberculosis

(Egypt)

Rabies, Anthrax

(Zimbabwe）

Research collaboration

for influenza, filo, and

Phlebo viruses

(USA）

The Research Center for Zoonosis Control has established the global network for research collaboration, capacity

development, and education support. We established the Hokudai Center for Zoonosis Control in Zambia as a

research base contributing to clarify the ecology of zoonoses by intensive surveillance in animal populations, and

technical and educational inputs for zoonoses control not only in Zambia but also in African countries. Our

contribution is not limited into the Asian countries but also worldwide, including African countries.