♦ 16 June 2016 ♦ Despite the unfortunate Alsatian weather of the day, the annual Workshop for Rabies was a frank success. Forty-five rabies European scientists attended the meeting in the European Capital City of Strasbourg, leading to constructive exchanges on rabies. Additionally to the representative of the European Commission, Pedro Rosado Martin (G5 Unit of EC DG Santé), the EURL team was pleased to welcome for the first time speakers from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and from the French Directorate General for Food (DGAl). The analysis of the results of inter-laboratory tests for rabies diagnosis organized in 2015 by the EURL for rabies was, as usual, presented with an open discussion on the subject. The EURL for rabies also presented on one hand a performance study of disinfectants used in the context of molecular biology techniques, and on the other hand the progress of the study on the evaluation methods of Real Time RT-PCR. The Balkan region was in the spotlight this year, and several laboratories attended the meeting (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Kosovo, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia) as well as other eastward countries such as Moldova, Ukraine and Turkey. Each of them presented both the rabies situation and the rabies programmes in progress in their country. Presentations are available on the EURL for rabies website for private members only. Next workshop for rabies will be organized in June 2017 in Spain, together with the meeting of the EURL for rabies serology.  

♦ 05 July 2016 ♦ [Taken form the homepage of the Euroreference website] “The first issue of Euroreference (Journal of Reference) was launched in June 2009 as a free online AFSSA publication in both French and English. The original aim was to facilitate the dissemination of information about refe¬rence activities among stakeholders both at national and European levels. The topics covered included all scientific and technical aspects of analytical methods and their role in surveillance plans and reference-related regulatory issues. As a common forum for members of reference laboratory networks and all the players concerned, it was geared to National and European Reference Laboratories, animal health and food safety diagnostic laboratories, Ministries and decision-makers, directors of institutions, etc. The AFSSA/ ANSES Editorial board was rapidly joined by representatives of CODA-CER¬VA (Belgium), ISS (Italy) then PIWET (Poland).” The new of EuroReference is “co-edited by CODA-CERVA (Belgium), ANSES and SCL (France), BfR and FLI (Germany), ISS, IZSAM and IZSLER (Italy), PIWET (Poland), APHA and FERA (UK) in addition to the EPPO.” A .pdf version of EuroReference can be downloaded on the website.  

♦ 01 June 2016 ♦ Forty-five participants from the EC Member States and eastern bordering countries as well as international institutions such as FAO, the European Commission and the French Ministry of Agriculture (DGAl) will attend next workshop for for rabies that will be held on 16th June in Strasbourg, France. The provisional agenda has been sent to all participants and is also available on the EURL website (private part only). It includes a discussion on the results of the inter-laboratory tests of rabies diagnosis organised by the EURL in 2015, some key points of the rabies laboratory activities, and an overview of the significant rabies events that occurred in 2015 as well as a focus on the rabies situation in the Balkans and Eastward countries.  

♦ 30 May 2016 ♦ Samples for this year Inter-laboratory test for rabies were sent on Monday 30 May. 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. Results from participating laboratories have to be sent to the EURL for rabies and online technical questionnaires should be answered before 30 June 2016. A satisfaction questionnaire will be sent after the test to all participants. The report on this test should be issued in October 2016.  

♦ 04 April 2016 ♦ Latvian National Reference Laboratory Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR (Institute BIOR) - Rīga, Latvia The Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR (Institute BIOR) is the National Reference Laboratory for rabies in Latvia. The Institute BIOR consists of three laboratories situated in Riga (Animal Diseases Diagnostic Laboratory, Laboratory of Food and Environmental Investigations and Medical Microbiology Laboratory) and three Regional laboratories. Two Divisions of Animal Diseases Diagnostic Laboratory (ADDL) deal with rabies diagnostics and Monitoring of ORV: Virology Division and Pathology Division. Rabies team Staff present on 01.04.2016: From the left: Daina Čavare (M.Sc.), Ņina Baranovska, Irina Kaļiņičenko (M.Sc.), Ludmila Soboļeva. On the background: Ieva Rodze(M.Sc.), Zita Muižniece (Dr.biol.) and Svetlana Cvetkova (M.Sc.). Staff missing from the photo: Marianna Dobroštana (PhD student), Veronika Buboviča (Dr.biol.), Jūlija Trofimova (M.Sc.), Marija Bazanova (veterinarian) and Inga Pigiņka-Vjačeslavova (PhD student). The head of ADDL is Ieva Rodze who coordinates all work for rabies diagnostic in the Laboratory and provides for cooperation with Food and Veterinary Service on rabies surveillance. Rabies specific diagnostics are carried out mainly in Virology Division. Head of Division is Marianna Dobroštana. In these activities six senior experts and two laboratory technicians from Virology Division are involved. Two senior experts from Pathology Division perform necroscopy and tetracycline detection in teeth. Rabies technique Laboratory techniques used for diagnostic tests in frame of passive surveillance is FAT, RTCIT and conventional hn-RT-PCR (P.R. Heaton et al., 1997), virus genotype sequence analysis. Serological tests used for vaccination control are FAVN and ELISA. ORV campaign control is performed by bait titration, serological tests by ELISA (sero-conversion detected by Ab-ELISA) and luminescent microscopy (for tetracycline detection in teeth). The laboratory is accredited according to ISO 17025 and all rabies laboratory techniques used in BIOR have been accredited. Latvia rabies status Latvia has been approved free of rabies since 2015, but vaccination is still carried out close to Latvia’s border with Russia and Belorussia. Now our main task is monitoring of efficiency of ORV, therefore we examine about 1200 samples (from foxes and racoon dogs) per year. In frame of passive surveillance we examine 200 to 300 samples for virus detection and about 200 serological tests for pet international movement per year. Since 2013 research work has been started for investigation of rabies status in bat population, that is the subject of our colleague Marianna Dobroštana’s PhD studies. Contact Responsible expert - Dr.Zita Muižniece: zita.muizniece@bior.lv Virology Division Animal Diseases Diagnostic Laboratory Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR Lejupes iela 3, Rīga, LV-1076, LATVIA Website: www.bior.lv   Document in .pdf version  

♦ 29 February 2016 ♦ Every year, the EURL is in charge of elaborating a technical report detailing all rabies activities undertaken and their outputs in the frame of the regulations No 737/2008 and 415/2013. The issue for 2016 (report on year 2015) has just been released and is now online on the EURL for rabies website. Consultation is for members of the EURL network only (restricted access).  

♦ 01 September 2016 ♦ From 1st September 2016, a new model of animal health certificate for pets movements into an EU Member State will have to be used by EU approved Laboratories, in order to avoid further forgery laboratory reports on the results of the rabies antibody titration test following the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/561 of 11 April 2016 amending Annex IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 as regards the model of animal health certificate for dogs, cats and ferrets moved into a Member State from a territory or a third country for non-commercial purposes.  

♦ 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…