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The NIAID research agenda in Food and Waterborne Diseases will be implemented at the direction of the Project Officer. This inter-disciplinary consortium will address food and waterborne pathogens (bacteria, viruses, and protozoa) included in the NIAID Category A, B, C priority organisms list.
NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The ability to quickly diagnose and treat food- and water-borne pathogens is of paramount importance. Foodborne illness is an ongoing major problem in the United States, which annually experiences approximately 76 million illnesses and 5,000 deaths due to foodborne pathogens. This research will play a critical role in protecting the country from bioterrorist threats. We have established a Microbiology and Botulism Research Unit (MBRU) as part of the Food & Waterborne Diseases Integrated Research Network (F&WD-IRN). There are five other units within this network, located throughout the country. A major focus of the MRU will be a Center of Botulinum Therapies Research and Development. We will work with the University of Massachusetts researchers on this portion of the contract, which will focus on developing ways to diagnose and treat botulism poisoning. <P>APPROACH: The Food & Waterborne Diseases Integrated Research Network (F&WD-IRN) will 1) develop and evaluate vaccines, therapeutics, rapid detection methods, 2) integrate human immunity with clinical research, 3) increase research and product development activities, and 4) include the ecology and microbiology of food- and water-borne diseases as well as drug resistant pathogens.