Partner 14: Veterinary Faculty, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique (EMU)
Role, qualification and experience
The Veterinary Faculty is one of the Faculties from Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique. Staff members involved on this project are from the area of microbiology, parasitology, pathology, food hygiene and the Centre of Biotechnology recently established in coordination with the faculties of Medicine, Biology and Agronomy and also Masters students. In Mozambique a number of zoonotic diseases such as tuberculosis, rabies, brucelosis, cysticercosis tripanossomosis, toxoplasmosis and Rift Valley fever are frequently reported and considered extremely important, making the country a suitable location for research in this area.
The Veterinary Faculty of the Eduardo Mondlane University has been involved in research and other activities in the area of zoonoses in collaboration with the Medical Faculty and animal and human health authorities. Presently, the faculty has established the serodiagnosis of cysticercosis (Ab-ELISA) that is being used in the study of cases of human epilepsy. Serosurveys for toxoplasmosis have been conducted in sheep, goats, pigs and dogs in several regions of Mozambique. A recombinant protein was recently cloned and purified with the ultimate goal of developing a diagnostic assay for Rift Valley fever. Regarding tuberculosis, the role of apoptosis in bovine, the assessment of ?-interferon assay for diagnosis and the molecular typing of Mycobacterium strains are the main research lines.
The Faculty intends to be a national reference institution in Zoonosis Research. To reach this aim the faculty has applied and received a grant SAREC for a large collaborative programme on zoonosis reaserach with 3 institutions from Mozambique and 3 from Sweden, coordinated by the Karolinska Institute. This together with the participation in the Cysticercosis working group of Eastern and Southern Africa are examples of the faculty experience in collaborative research. The Faculty is in process of establishing a Masters course with 3 specialization areas: Animal Health, Laboratory diagnosis and Veterinary Public Health. The start of this course in 2009 will increase the number of junior researchers available to conduct the activities of the proposed research application.
Scientific leader
S.M.S. Afonso (F), DVM, MSc is lecturer in veterinary parasitology. Working with helminthes and member of Cysticercosis Working Group of Eastern and Southern and Africa (CWGESA)
Key personnel
A. Machado (F), DVM, MSc, senior researcher with 15 years of experience in Hygiene and Public Health.
L.Neves (M), DVM, PhD., associate professor with 20 years of experience in parasitology and molecular biology. Actually is head of Preclinical Department at Veterinary Faculty and Dean of Eduardo Mondlane Biotechnology Centre
J.M. Fafetine (M), DVM, MSc, senior researcher with more than 15 years of experience in Microbiology.