METAWATER PROJECT
Lessons learned for improving the safety of irrigation water in Europe
Tuesday, 10.10.2017
In the EU, agriculture is one of the three important water using sectors and in some Member States agricultural water consumption may represent up to 80% of the total water use. An EC Directive on irrigation water does not yet exist despite that such waters may have an important impact on human health, if the irrigated vegetables and fruits are contaminated with pathogenic microbes. Fresh leafy vegetables, sprouts, fruits and other ready-to-eat vegetables can pose a serious health problem, if their production, harvesting, storage and distribution are not closely controlled. Frequently gastroenteric diseases have been associated with the consumption of food-borne pathogens. However, often diarrhea cases are of unknown etiology and this can be due to the limitation of the classical isolation methods used in clinical microbiology.
In the international project MetaWater global scale tools were developed for the rapid evaluation of the role of pathogens as water contaminants and the identification of existing, new and emerging water-borne microbiological risks characterizing viruses, emerging pathogenic bacteria (including antibiotic-resistant bacteria), protozoa and cyanobacterial toxins in waste water, fresh water, reclaimed water, drinking water treatment plants and distribution systems. Current metagenomics and molecular technologies were improved by improving sample treatment and developing new bioinformatic tools. The results obtained in the project, which will be presented and discussed in the workshop, will have important practical aspects related to the advanced awareness of emerging pathogens in water, evidence based review of regulations, water-safety controls in water industry, risk assessment and the implications for implementation of Water Safety Plans.
Workshop Venue
Big Lecture Hall,
Pfarrstr. 3
85038 Munich,
Germany
Organisation and Registration
Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority
Secretariat Hygiene
Veterinärstraße 2
85764 Oberschleißheim
Tel.: +49 9131 6808-5236
Fax: +49 9131 6808-5458
E-Mail: hygiene@lgl.bayern.de