♦ 15 February 2018 ♦ The usual call to fill the annual questionnaires related to rabies tests performed in the Rabies NRLs is now ongoing. This survey has to be answered online. All European Union NRL have received the link by now and should answer the questionnaire before end of March. This survey allows the EURL to ensure the continuous monitoring of rabies test results carried out into the Community. Thanks again you for your cooperation!  

♦ 05 February 2018 ♦ If not done yet, please save the date for next workshop for rabies that will be held on 13 June afternoon and 14 June 2018 morning in the Uccle campus (ex-CERVA), near Brussels in Belgium. All details of this 10th edition including registration, instructions and hotel booking, will be sent to invited laboratories by e-mail. Last year was exceptional because we opened this workshop to an international participation thanks to the consecutive organization of the rabies serology meeting. Please, take note that unfortunately, contrarily to last year, this meeting will be dedicated to UE and bordering NRL laboratories only.

♦ 15 February 2018 ♦ Please be aware that an updated version of the Inter-laboratory test for tetracycline determination on teeth 2017 report is now online in the private part of the website. The report has been amended by an annex presenting a subsequent analysis performed with a participant laboratory.  

♦ 01 January 2018 ♦ The EURL for rabies team wishes you, your family, friends and colleagues a happy and prosperous New Year. May 2018 turn all your dreams into reality and all your efforts into great achievements.  

♦ 18 January 2018 ♦ During workshop for rabies 2017 in Budapest, decision was taken to change the usual rhythm of the inter-laboratory test for rabies diagnosis. There will be no FAT, RTCIT, Conventional RT-PCR, nor Real Time RT-PCR test in 2018. Depending on the years other tests might be proposed by the EURL for rabies.  

♦ 18 January 2018 ♦ Although exact date and place remain to be confirmed at the moment, please note in your agenda that next workshop for rabies will be held in June 2018 in Brussels. A message will be sent to EU NRLs as well as concerned bordering labs to give more information when date and exact place will be determined.    

♦ 12 December 2017 ♦ The report of the inter-laboratory comparison on tetracycline and age determination in red fox teeth is now online (private part only). The fourth inter-laboratory session has revealed that 92% of participating laboratories presented 100% concordant results in the tetracycline detection test. Considering the age determination of the samples, 69% of the laboratories estimated concordant age class on the whole panel. Both TTC detection and age estimation have revealed the best results ever obtained in such inter-laboratory comparison! These results demonstrate a constant high level of performance of the laboratories in the detection of tetracycline and a high improvement in age determination. For the few remaining discordant results some points are discussed in the discussion section of the report.  

♦ 18 January 2018 ♦ According to the European regulation 2010/436/EU, Anses-Nancy organized once a year in April a rabies serology inter-laboratory test. The participation in the rabies serology proficiency allows successful laboratories to be approved by the European Commission for the serological testing in the context of the international movements of pets. Last year, seventy-two laboratories successfully passed the rabies serology inter-laboratory test. Registration for the 2018 test is now ongoing. Should your laboratory be interested in participating to it, please contact rabies.serology.eu-rl@anses.fr for information and conditions. Deadline for registration is on 2nd February 2018.  

♦ 12 December 2017 ♦ [Relayed from www.efsa.europa.eu website] “This report of the European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control presents the results of the zoonoses monitoring activities carried out in 2016 in 37 European countries (28 Member States (MS) and nine non-MS). […] The report further summarises trends and sources for bovine tuberculosis, brucellosis, trichinellosis, echinococcosis, toxoplasmosis, rabies, Q fever, West Nile fever and tularaemia.” Rabies can be found in chapter 11, and is subdivided in “Surveillance and monitoring of rabies in the EU” (11.2), “Data analyses” (11.3), “Results” ((11.4) and “Discussion” (11.5), followed by an interesting link section “Related projects and internet sources” (11.6).  

♦ 20 December 2017 ♦ Anses publishes each month an online newsletter in English covering some recent news on its activities. Main subjects in the last edition deal with: “Facilitating the marketing of biocontrol plant protection products”, “Food supplements containing spirulina: the importance of choosing trustworthy supply channels”, “H2020 One Health EJP Kick-off meeting”, “Visit the new website of the CIQUAL French Food composition table”, International conference “The impact of global change on the emergence of plant diseases and pests in Europe” and “ANSES 2016 Annual Reports”. The last issue can be read online following this link.