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COUNTRY FOOD SAFETY
The food-borne parasites Trichinella nativa, Toxoplasma gondii, and Anisakis simplex are significant Arctic human zoonoses; endemic to some regions and directly related to the consumption of country foods. Many Northerners remain reliant on wildlife as a source of food, financial income and cultural identity and are demanding programs which will provide greater security in the safety of country foods and programs that ensure the long-term sustainability of wildlife populations. Changing climatic conditions are predicted to alter wildlife habitat, facilitate the northward migration of wildlife diseases and parasites, and alter contaminant cycling and fate; all of which have the potential to detrimentally affect the health and long term sustainability of wildlife populations and ultimately the source and safety of country foods (ACIA 2004; Boonstra 2004; Derocher et al. 2003; Harvell et al., 2002; Hoberg et al., 2002; Kutz et al. 2004; Lie et al. 2004 & 2005). Adequate baseline data (benchmarks) regarding the current health conditions of wildlife (including zoonotic pathogens) is therefore urgently needed for the assessment and prediction of wildlife health impacts resulting from the cumulative impacts of multiple stressors associated with climate change and exposure to anthropogenic contaminants. Issues regarding potential impacts to Arctic wildlife health and the safety of country foods are complex and will require an integrated approach from a wide range of scientific and social disciplines. The work outlined in this proposal will integrate well in a supportive manner with other IPY proposals (710, 742, 364, 261- Canadian #, and 231) focussed on wildlife health and social aspects. During 2007 to 2009 we propose the following: Overall objectives – 1. Document distribution and abundance of Trichinella nativa, Toxoplasma gondii, and Anisakis simplex in Arctic/subarctic wildlife. 2. Develop community capacity for ongoing detection and monitoring of above zoonotic pathogens through the development of a community-based testing program in order to provide Northerners rapid information regarding the safety of harvested country foods. This program will build upon other currently existing initiatives such as the Nunavik and Nunavut Trichinellosis Prevention Programs with the purpose enhancing the science, and broadening the present scope of services and capacity building within the communities. Once this framework is established it will be expanded to monitoring a variety of biological ‘indicators’ in various wildlife species in order to begin the process of establishing baseline benchmarks regarding wildlife health by engaging local hunters from selected communities to report on general health indices (i.e., body condition, behavior, pathogen observations). The collection of wildlife health indices will be modeled after the Nunavut Wildlife Health Assessment project and the Shatu Community based monitoring program which have been administered by investigators of this current proposal. 3. Facilitate the collection of wildlife samples for other researchers outside of this project. It is recognized that the collective impact of multiple IPY research request to northern communities will present a daunting task to local Hunter and Trapper Organizations / Associations within Canada, and similar organizations in other circumpolar locations. We propose to help avoid duplication of sampling effort by working in a liaison manner with the local hunter organization and northern communities for which we have already established a measure of familiarity and trust. Summary provided by http://classic.ipy.org/development/eoi/proposal-details.php?id=186