From June 9–13, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Foreign Agricultural
Service led diagnostic training in Managua,
Nicaragua, for the national testing laboratories
of Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.
This training is part of a long-term capacity
building program under the Dominican
Republic–Central America–United States Free
Trade Agreement (CAFTA–DR). It is aimed at
strengthening national laboratories in
operational and testing methods to meet U.S. and
international standards. This program is funded
by the U.S. Agency for International Development
in support of CAFTA–DR and by the USDA
Emerging
Markets Program.
The participants
were the laboratory technicians from all the
CAFTA-DR countries that carry out this
laboratory work. This training is part of a
long-term capacity building program aimed to
strengthen CAFTA-DR and National laboratories in
operational and testing methods to meet U.S. and
international standards. Proficiency in disease
diagnostics is vital in maintaining a functional
animal health system, and ensures the
application of internationally-recognized
analytical methods and tests.
The
first two days were spent on proficiency testing
and lectures on the test procedures. In
addition, a one on one session was devoted to
each group to explain and discuss their
proficiency results. In this manner the
participants have a thorough understanding of
the test and its interpretation.
The last 2
days were spent for Poultry diagnosis covering
the 4 main poultry diseases (Avian Influenza,
New Castle disease, Infectious Laryngotracheitis,
Infectious Bronchitis, Lectures on Biosecurity
and Biosafety in the laboratories, samples
collection and transport, preparation of
reagents for use in the diagnostic testing and
the importance of serology in poultry
diagnosis.