Food and water borne illness represents a significant health threat for Canadians. In addition to the short and long-term health effects of such illnesses, there is also a substantial cost to the Canadian economy in terms of work days lost and the potential impact of a contamination incident on international trade. These points have been well illustrated, in Canada, by outbreaks of water contamination such as occurred in Walkerton, by numerous food borne outbreaks, and more recently by the finding of a single cow with bovine spongioform encephalitis (BSE), better known as 'mad cow disease'. It has been estimated that over 200 known diseases are caused by food and/or water borne transmission of pathogens or their toxins. In reality, this number is likely much higher as the causative agent is often never identified. Because of changing patterns in demographics, globalization, emerging pathogens and antimicrobial use in agriculture, food and/or water borne illness is likely to become an increasing problem. In order to best protect our food and water supplies, strategic national food and water safety policies need to be developed that are flexible enough to respond to changing conditions and that are based on the latest scientific evidence.
Prior to the creation of CIHR a series of opportunities workshops were funded to provide research recommendations in priority areas likely to be of interest to the newly created Institutes. One of these, led by Dr Brett Finlay of the University of British Columbia, focused on the microbial contamination of food and water, and the use of antimicrobials in agriculture. Based on the recommendations coming out of this workshop, III took a leadership position in the development of multiple partnerships with both the government and private sector to coordinate a national research agenda on microbiologically safe food and water. The result was the creation of the 18-member Canadian Research Coalition for Safe Food and Water [ HTML | PDF (136 KB) | Help ]. The Coalition members are listed below.
Members of the Canadian Research Coalition for Safe Food and Water
Aquanet
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Canadian Agri-Food Research Council
Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance
Canadian Bacterial Diseases Network
Canadian Cattlemen's Association
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Canadian Pork Council
Canadian Veterinary Medical Association
Canadian Water Network
Chicken Farmers Of Canada
Dairy Farmers of Canada
Environment Canada
Genome Canada
Health Canada
National Research Council of Canada
Natural Science and Engineering Research Council
In May 2002, following a series of meetings, the Coalition launched its first request for applications (RFA), a Needs, Gaps Opportunities Assessment (NGOA), funded by III, the Canadian Water Network and NSERC. The NGOA RFA was intended to generate a series of environmental scans of current research activity in Canada and abroad, combined with evidence based recommendations on the most urgent areas of research to pursue and the most effective strategies for knowledge translation in this field. The one funded project, led by Dr. Mansell Griffiths of the University of Guelph, produced a comprehensive document entitled "Microbial Risk Assessment as a Foundation for Informed Decision Making" [ PDF (3 MB) | Help ] released in March 2004.
In December 2002, the five federal department members of the Coalition, Agiculture and Agri-food Canada, Environment Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Health Canada and the National Research Council formed a partnership with III to launch the second RFA entitled "Microbial Contamination of Food and Water and Antimicrobial Resistance in the Food Chain - Phase II - Establishing a Framework" One of the primary goals of this RFA was to promote the formation of new research teams, or to expand existing teams, in which academic and federal government funded researchers would combine their skills and resources in order to more efficiently and effectively address important research questions.
The Institute of Infection and Immunity and partners held an Application Development Workshop on Dec. 11, 2002, in Ottawa, Ont., in support of the phase II RFA. The workshop convened researchers from federal and academic sectors across Canada, and facilitated opportunities for discussion of mutual research interests, while representatives from the CIHR Research Portfolio and Programs divisions were on hand to discuss the RFA process.
This initiative achieved its goal of bringing together excellent researchers from two very different worlds - university and government research laboratories. From the 24 full applications received, 7 were funded in February 2004. Each of the 7 teams is comprised of a mix of university and government scientists from a total of 10 universities and 5 different government departments. The projects are summarized in table below.
Funded Teams for Microbial Contamination of Food and Water and Antimicrobial Resistance in the Food Chain - Phase II - Establishing a Framework Competition
| Team Lead | Host Institution | Title of Project |
|---|---|---|
| Cashman, Neil R | University of British Columbia |
The Canadian Prion Disease Network: Meeting the Challenge |
| Isaac-Renton, Judith L | University of British Columbia |
Safe Drinking Water Through Source Surveillance:Assessing impacts of environmental factors and microbial contamination of watersheds on community health |
| Karmali, Mohamed A | University of Guelph | Comparative pathogenesis and public health significance of verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli serotypes |
| Louie, Marie | Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre | Prospective multi-province surveillance for antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli in drinking and recreational source waters: Impact on humans and the environment. |
| Mazumder, Asit | University of Victoria | Source tracking and environmental determinants of coliform bacteria in source water under various land-use in British Columbia |
| Sad, Subash | University of Ottawa | Modulation of immunity and development of therapeutics against Salmonella |
| Taylor, Diane E | University of Alberta | Pathogenesis and antibiotic resistance in campylobacter |
The Safe Food and Water Initiative, led by III, is one of the best examples of the role of the CIHR Institutes in changing the nature of collaborative research through partnership. By combining the expertise and experience of researchers from diverse backgrounds, it has been possible to create new research teams that span the country and combine the strengths of both university and government environments. Innovative teams of excellent researchers such as those funded in this initiative add new perspective in addressing research problems, and translating research into action by facilitating the uptake of results by government policy makers, setting an example for other countries, striving to achieve the same goal.
One excellent example of the outstanding research in this area is that of a team of investigaors led by Dr Brett Finlay of the University of British Columbia and funded in part by CIHR who have developed a vaccine that could significantly reduce human disease associated with E.coli outbreaks. The vaccine, when given to cattle, significantly reduces the level of E.coli O157 shedding into the environment.
The creation and continued management of the Coalition by III serves as another example of organizational excellence. In October 2003, the Coalition held its third annual meeting to update members on the progress of the Safe Food and Water Initiative and to plan for future projects. To our knowledge, this is the only group of its kind that has so many diverse member organizations working towards a common research goal in the area of food and water safety. It is an excellent vehicle for the coordination of research and the setting of a national research agenda.
As part of a broader education and outreach program, III is a major supporter of a travelling museum exhibit, with a working title of "Food for Health", currently being developed by the Canada Agriculture Museum. III was instrumental in developing the partnership of sponsors for this exhibit which include four CIHR Institutes and seven members of the Canadian Research Coalition for Safe Food and Water. During 2003-2004, work began on the project brief and the interpretive plan. The exhibit is scheduled to open at the Canada Agriculture Museum in Ottawa in March 2006 and over the following four years will travel to many venues across Canada, including Canada's major agricultural fairs. It will serve as an educational outreach tool that will reach millions of children and their families across Canada with information and practical advice on food safety and the links between diet, exercise and susceptibility to chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
For more information about the Microbiologically Safe Food and Water Initiative, see the following articles:
A Partnership for Safe Food and Water
Canadian Research Coalition for Safe Food and Water
