♦ 04 April 2016 ♦  National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute (NFVRAI), Vilnius, Lithuania Lithuanian National Reference Laboratory for Rabies   Introduction of Lithuania in Rabies Reference Laboratory National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute (NFVRAI) is the National Reference Laboratory for Rabies. Virology Unit operates in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. The main laboratory routine activities are connected with rabies surveillance and monitoring programmes. NFVRAI informs the State Food and Veterinary Service on the number and results of investigations pursuant to the established procedure. Address: J. Kairiukscio str.10, LT-08409 Vilnius E-mail: nmvrvi@vet.lt Website: www.nmvrvi.lt/en   NFVRAI director: Dr. Gediminas Pridotkas (e-mail: gpridotkas@vet.lt) Accreditation   Since 2003 till 2015 year our Virology Unit  has been accredited by the Deutsche Akkreditieungsstelle GmbH (DAkkS), and since 2015 of May has been accredited by the Lithuanian National Accreditation Bureau (NAB) according to ISO/IEC 17025 standard for rabies serology FAVN, ELISA for rabies diagnostics FAT, RTCIT, RT-PCR and vaccine bait titration also OTC determination. The NFVRAI is also an EU approved laboratory for serological testing regarding rabies in dogs, cats and ferrets in the frame of pets travel since 2005. Virology Unit The Virology Unit is located in specialized facilities for investigation of viral diseases, which guarantees bio-safety requirements working with rabies viruses. Separate working area is arranged for investigation of rabies. The state-of-the-art equipment secures safe and high quality tests of rabies in cell culture and immunochemical testing.  Within the scope of its competence, the Unit submits proposals to various ministries and other state institutions. It is in close co-operation with of Veterinary Academy Lithuanian of the University of Health Sciences and the Center of Innovative Medicine on investigation of problems of key viral diseases. Staff The Head of Virology Unit is Dr. Ingrida Jaceviciene (e-mail: ijacevciene@vet.lt). We have two laboratory technicians and three researchers trained to work with the rabies FAT, RTCIT, FAVN, ELISA, diagnostic methods also OTC determination, baits titration. Staff present on 8 March 2016 - From right to left: Ingrida Jacevičienė, Živile Zakarauskaitė, Edita Sokolnikienė, Genuefa Kaženiauskienė, Danielė Bagdanavičiūtė, Justina Smagurauskaite, Elžbieta Gžybovskaja, Žymante Steponavičiūtė.   Document in .pdf version

♦ 01 April 2016 ♦   Laboratory The Virology Laboratory in Athens Veterinary Center has been involved in rabies diagnosis since 1951 and is the National Reference Laboratory for animal rabies in Greece from the beginning of 1979. The Virology Laboratory has been recently placed in the Department of Molecular Diagnostics, FMD, Virological, Ricketsial and Exotic Diseases, head of which is Dr Eleni Chondrokouki. It is responsible for rabies diagnosis in animals collected in the context of rabies passive and active surveillance programmes. The lab is also recognized by the European Commission as approved laboratory, since 2000, for the performance of rabies serological test (FAVN test) in the frame of regulation for non-commercial animal movements. The rabies laboratory team is composed of Dr Konstantia Tasioudi (DVM, MSc, PhD), Dr Peristera Iliadou (DVM, MSc), Dr Aikaterini Kirtzalidou (DVM, MSc, Phd) who joined the team last year and the technician Dimitrios Bakakos, who are mainly involved in rabies diagnosis. The phylogenetic analysis of the Greek rabies strains has been performed by Dr Eirini Agianniotaki (DVM, MPH, MSc Mol Med). Currently, there are also two veterinarians, Gerasimos Markantonatos (DVM, MSc), Dimos Papatheodorou (DVM) and one technician (Mrs Vassiliki Pani), who are recruited for the needs of the National Greek rabies programs and the related costs are co-financed both by the Greek State budget and the European Commission. Methods The following techniques are performed in our lab: •    Fluorescence antibody test (FAT) •    Molecular techniques (Real-time and Conventional PCR) •    Fluorescence Virus Neutralisation test (FAVN) •    ELISA for detection of rabies abs in active surveillance samples •    Tetracycline detection •    Age determination of foxes History of rabies in Greece Greece was a rabies free country since 1987, when the last case was reported in a dog. Up to 1987 rabies in Greece was mainly urban. Between 1971 and 1987, 248 domestic animal rabies cases were recorded, of which only 6 occurred between 1981 and 1987 (4). The wide compulsory vaccination of dogs as well as the control of stray dog population, were the two main measures that led to the elimination of rabies in Greece. Greece maintained the rabies free status for almost twenty five years, when the first rabies case was laboratory confirmed on 19 October, 2012 in a red fox in Palaiokastro village, found around 60 kilometers from the Albanian border (Prefecture of Kozani, Western Macedonia).   Current Situation of rabies in Greece In the recent outbreak, rabies cycle appears to be sylvatic, with the red fox as the main reservoir of the virus. From October 2012 until now, 48 rabies cases have been laboratory confirmed (40 red foxes, 5 dogs, 2 bovines and 1 cat). The last positive case was diagnosed in a red fox in the regional unit of Pella on May 2014. The number of rabies suspected animals investigated in the frame of passive surveillance in Greece, the period between January 2012 and December 2015, were 1761. In detail, 237 animals were tested in 2012, 587 in 2013, 410 in 2014 and 257 in 2015. The first ever oral vaccination campaign carried out in Greece was initiated on 11 October 2013 and until now there have been three autumn oral vaccination campaigns. The third one is in progress, it will be completed by the end of March 2016 and the next ORV campaign will take place during spring 2016. The implementation of oral vaccination campaigns of wildlife against rabies will be continued in the following years and along with a strengthened rabies passive surveillance programme, Greece could regain the rabies free status in the near future. Our recent rabies publications 1.    Korou LM et al. Evaluation of the first oral rabies vaccination campaign of the red foxes in Greece. Vaccine. 2016 Jan 2; 34(1):41-8. 2.    Tasioudi KE et al. Bovine rabies in Greece in 2013.Vet Rec. 2015 Dec 12;177(23):598. 3.    Tasioudi KE et al. Recurrence of animal rabies, Greece, 2012. Emerg Infect Dis. 2014 Feb;20(2):326-8. 4.    Tsiodras S  et al. Rabies in Greece; historical perspectives in view of the current re-emergence in wild and domestic animals. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2014 Nov-Dec;12 (6 Pt A):628-35. 5.    Tsiodras S et al. Re-emergence of animal rabies in northern Greece and subsequent human exposure, October 2012 - March 2013. Euro Surveill. 2013 May 2;18(18):20474.   .pdf version

♦ 21 March 2016 ♦ The report of the Rabies Global Conference held last 10-11 December 2015 in Geneva, Switzerland, is now available online. This meeting was organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and supported by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC). You can find the report either on the OIE website or the WHO website. The conference report ends with a poster “The five pillars of rabies elimination (STOP-R)”, detailing the importance of close collaborations between the 5 main fields of action which are socio-cultural, technical, organization, political and resources. See the poster…  

♦ 01 April 2016 ♦ Laboratories which have registered for the annual rabies serology proficiency test for 2016 dedicated to the FAVN test (Fluorescent Antibody Virus Neutralization) and/or the RFFIT (Rapid Fluorescent Focus Inhibition Test) will receive the test panel soon now, as it be sent last week of April. A successful participation to the rabies serology proficiency allows laboratories to be approved by the European Commission for the serological testing in the context of the international movements of pets. For more information on this test, please contact the laboratory.  

♦ 01 April 2016 ♦ The panels for the annual rabies diagnostic inter-laboratory test will be sent on 30 May 2016. The test is composed of a panel of 10 samples to be tested with the chosen technique(s) (FAT, RTCIT, Conventional and/or Real Time RT-PCR) as well as a corresponding online technical questionnaire for each tested technique. Participating laboratories which have not sent import permit nor the unilateral commitment yet should sent it/them to the EURL for rabies as soon as possible.  

♦ 01 April 2016 ♦ If you are from a NRL from EU Member States and have not answer to the annual overview of test performed in the NRLs, it is still time to do it! The questionnaire has to be answered online, and laboratories get a printable summary of the declared data at the end of the test for their records. As usual, this investigation will result in a report in the same mood as the previous years. If your laboratory is concerned by this survey, you must have received the link to the questionnaire. If not, contact the EURL for rabies. Deadline is postponed to 15 April 2016.  

An updated version of the guidelines for the surveillance of Aethina tumida infestation is now available in free access here. This document has been updated by the EURL in collaboration with the NRLs from Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Germany and United Kingdom considering the feedbacks from the surveillance in Italy. We thank all the people who participated to the writing of these guidelines.

  The first occurrence of the small hive beetle has been observed in Sao Paulo, Brazil on 1st. March 2015. The beetle was suspected in 46 bee hives. Beetle specimens were sent to the University of São Paulo for taxonomic identification on May 2015. Preliminary results were communicated to the official veterinary service on December 2015. Beetles were sent to the Biological Institute of São Paulo which confirmed the entomological identification of Aethina tumida on 16th February 2016 in one hive. The main measures applied were quarantine and surveillance within protection zone.  The source of the outbreak is unknown for the moment. Epidemiological investigations are on-going within a 20km radius of the location of the first infested hive. Adult beetle specimens from an apiary in a neighboring municipality have been sent for identification. Meetings with beekeeper associations and industries were carried out to communicate on the SHB detection, spread and control measures to implement. More information can be found on the OIE website.

Note prepared by the EU RL for Bee Health (Laboratory of  Anses Sophia Antipolis)   Updated news (29th December 2015)   This article will no longer be updated. A new article on the surveillance of Aethina tumida in Italy in 2016 has been created here.   To see the details of the outbreaks observed in 2014 and the state of play of the situation early 2015, please click here.       

One proficiency-test will be organized by the EU RL in 2016. It will follow the proficiency test performed in 2015 and it will aim at evaluating the specificity of the real-time RT-PCR method for the detection and quantification of the chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) in bees. More information related to the time schedule will come soon.