ODIN Project - Tanzania.

Orientation and Training Workshop
National Public Health Laboratory
9th to 11st September 2024

The ODIN Tanzania workshop aimed to introduce the team to the ODIN project, train them on microbiology protocols, and pilot sample collection and processing.

Day 1 focused on orienting participants to the ODIN project, which seeks to enhance environmental surveillance for outbreak-prone pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Africa. The trainees were introduced to the project’s goals, global partners, and implementation roadmap in Tanzania, Burkina Faso, and DRC. Institutional roles, including the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) and National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), were outlined.

Day 2 covered microbiology protocols and procedures. The ODIN Microbiology Handbook (draft version-2) was presented, detailing biosafety measures, sample collection and handling, culture-based analyses, molecular workflows (qPCR, metagenomics), whole genome sequencing, and data management in the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). Participants piloted sample collection from seven locations—Msasani, Msimbazi, Mabibo, Buguruni, Vingunguti, Pugu/Kigogo, and Shekilango—yielding 12 samples (7 wastewater, 3 clean water, 2 soil).

Day 3 focused on microbiological sample processing. Ten water samples were analyzed using NPHL’s existing SOPs for identifying Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella Typhi, E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Enterococci. Methods used included MALDI-TOF MS for bacterial identification, DDST for ESBL detection, carbapenemase detection using antibiotic susceptibility discs, and serotyping for toxigenic V. cholerae.

Future sampling will follow the Polio Program schedule, occurring every third week of the month, with sewage samples collected between 07:30–08:30 AM to capture peak flow.