The Newcastle disease thermostable vaccine laboratory workshop was held at the Central Vaccine Laboratory, Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department, at Yangon, Myanmar from 30th September to 8th October 1998. There were sixteen participants drawn from the central and regional laboratories of the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department, the Veterinary Medicine Plant and the Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science. The educational objectives of the course are included in the annex. These objectives were met through eight days of demonstration, discussion, collaboration and practice. Participants indicated a high level of satisfaction with the workshop. The following summary of recommendations has been made with the hope that the skills and enthusiasm of the workshop participants are utilized to implement the aim of sustainable local production of thermostable Newcastle disease vaccine.
· The I2 working seed produced during the workshop and stored at the Central Vaccine Laboratory be used to produce vaccine at this laboratory. This vaccine be stored as a wet vaccine at -20°C and be tested and used for vaccination trials to establish its efficacy for use for vaccination of village chickens in Myanmar.
· The Veterinary Assay Laboratory to carry out their standard efficacy and quality control testing on this wet L vaccine. Funding be made available to upgrade chicken housing facilities at this laboratory to enable comparative trials of Komarov, F strain, imported Newcastle disease vaccine and I2 vaccines. This trial should include contact birds in each group, monitoring of serum by HI test and contact challenge using a local velogenic field isolate.
· The supply of a one multichannel and two single channel pipettes, reagent troughs and v-bottom microtitre plates to each of the Regional Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories at Mandalay, Taungi and Pathein.
· Funding to support the Regional Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Mandalay to carry out village vaccination trials using I2 vaccine.
· Funding to supply basic materials to the Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Yezin to support research using I2 vaccine
· Appointment of a person to coordinate the Newcastle disease vaccine work, support for a six monthly newsletter.
· Consideration to be given to asking Ms Sally Grimes, the Division of Veterinary Pathology and Anatomy, University of Queensland, to order on behalf of FAO, laboratory materials in Australia for delivery to Myanmar by airfreight. This could be an efficient and cost effective means of supplying items such as pipettes which are not available in Myanmar.
· Participants be encouraged to write to Professor Peter Spradbrow, Division of Veterinary Pathology and Anatomy, University of Queensland with any queries regarding the production or testing of the I2 Newcastle disease vaccine and for advice about publishing their results.
