Training Course on Laboratory Techniques Successfully Held in Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan
Ganzi Prefecture, located in Sichuan Province, is an endemic area with the highest prevalence rate and most disease burden of echinococcosis in China. To enhance echinococcosis control, China CDC established a workstation for echinococcosis control in December 2015 in Ganzi Prefecture. To meet the needs of the field work on parasitic disease control, a training course on laboratory techniques was held on July 10-16, 2016 in Kangding, Ganzi Prefecture. Nine facilitators were invited from national and provincial institute of parasitic diseases and related companies. Over 70 professional personnel from Ganzi CDC and 18 technicians from county-level laboratories or clinics attended the training. The course covered laboratory biosafety and protection, echinococcosis detection and the practical application of new techniques, canine fecal antigen detection test principle and operation, tests for the intermediate, final host animal infected with hydatid, echinococcus discrimination, kato-katz technique and identification of common human worm eggs, malaria and microscopy method for protozoan. The trainees were divided into 4 groups and guided by 8 facilitators on practical laboratory techniques, with a focus on ELISA techniques for dog coproantigens, kato-katz technique and microscopy methods for larvae. The trainees were well engaged in the course and practicing actively, which met the ends of the needs and the satisfaction rate was as high as 99.52%.