European experts have noted an increasing trend of listeriosis since 2008, but they highlight that the number of affected people stabilised from 2014 to 2015. Infections were mostly reported in people over 64 years of age. These are some of the findings of the latest annual report by EFSA and ECDC on zoonotic diseases, which also includes the latest trends on salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, and foodborne outbreaks in the European Union (published 16 December 2016). See the article published on Listeria (EFSA website).

♦ 16 January 2017 ♦ Next workshop for rabies will be held on 13 June, afternoon, and 14 June, morning in Budapest, Hungary. The rabies serology meeting will follow on 14 June, afternoon, and 15 June, full day at the same place. A mail of information has been sent to both networks. Laboratories from the serology network willing to present or share information about rabies serology (development of new tools, comparison of techniques, situation of your laboratory regarding rabies serology…) during the meeting should inform the serology team before 10th March 2017.  

♦ 09 January 2017 ♦ Registrations for the 2017 session of the inter laboratory test for rabies diagnosis are now closed. Forty-eight laboratories from all continents will participate to this annual trial, testing one or several diagnosis techniques (FAT, RTCIT, Conventional RT-PCR and Real Time RT-PCR). Requested documentation (fully filled in, initialled and stamp unilateral commitment and import license) must be sent to the EURL for rabies for finalisation of registration.  

♦ 19 December 2016 ♦ [Relayed from the Uppsala Universitat website] A new study has found rabies antibodies in the blood of bats in southern Sweden belonging to a certain species. The study is published by researchers at the Swedish Public Health Agency, the National Veterinary Institute, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the Zoonosis Centre at Uppsala University.   (…Read more)  

♦ 20 October 2016 ♦ [Relayed from GARC website – Article from Louise Taylor] Recently developed rapid immunodiagnostic tests for rabies diagnosis promise testing outside the laboratory, require virtually no equipment and minimal training, and produce a result in minutes. Such tests are available on the market now, but do they work? (…Read more)  

♦ 01 January 2017 ♦ The EURL for rabies team wishes you, your family, friends and colleagues a happy and prosperous Year 2017.  

Announcement of the 2017 AOAC-Europe International Conferences “LABS in a CRYSTAL BALL - New trends for multi-components analysis” scheduled March 2nd & 3rd, 2017 at Parque Científico de Barcelona.               This Symposium has now been cancelled.

The EU RL for Honeybee Health held its 1st. training on pesticide residue analyses on 11th. and 13th. October 2016. The training was dedicated to the harmonization of the analytical technique for the determination of neonicotinoid residues in beebread by LC-MS/MS. Two sessions were organized to allow people to handle in the laboratory. The programme consisted in carrying out an analytical technique from the preparation of samples (extraction, cleanup…) to quantitative determination by LC-MS/MS.  Presentations are available for members of the NRL network on the website.

The EU RL for Honeybee Health held its 6th. annual workshop on 4th. October 2016. Representatives from the Spanish NRL (Dr. Pilar Fernandez Somalo) and from the Czech NRL (MVDr. Martin Pijacek) were invited to present their activities and the honey bee health status in their respective countries. Participants exchanged on the small hive beetle infestation in Italy through the presentation of Dr. Franco Mutinelli (from the Italian NRL). Dr. Marc Schäfer (from the German NRL) presented an overview of the existing SHB detection and control strategies and Pr. Jeff Pettis (from USDA Bestville) presented the USA experience on SHB. The agenda also focused on the enhancement of diagnostic tools. Presentations are available for members of the network on the website.

♦ 25 December 2016 ♦ May the warmest wishes, happy thoughts and friendly greetings come at Christmas and stay with you all the year through! Merry Christmas to all of you!