On December 16 to 22, 2023 the experts from St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute Svetlana Egorova, Deputy Director for Innovation- Head of pathogen identification laboratory; Daria Neronskaya, researcher of pathogen identification laboratory; Irina Derevyanchenko researcher of medical bacteriology laboratories; Alexandrina Volobueva payed a visit to the laboratory of experimental virology at the National Institute of Public Health of Burundi (INSP).
The purpose of the scientific visit was to conduct a training seminar on the topic “Food borne diseases: epidemiology, detection of bacterial pathogens in food (Salmonella, Shigella, E, coli, Campylobacter, Listeria)” upon conducting extraterritorial monitoring of infectious threats within the framework of the “Sanitary Shield” Federal Project.
During the work, an introductory meeting was held with INSP Director, Dr. Joseph Nyandwi, at which the daily plan for joint laboratory work within the framework of the seminar was approved. In addition to delivering lectures and practical laboratory sessions, the experts estimated the INSP's ability to conduct microbiological testing of food samples. It is concluded that the Institute posesses the necessary laboratory facilities, equipment and qualified personnel and is capable of carrying out this type of research however it needs to be provided with consumables, media and reagents.