The EURL team is part of the Unit for Bacterial Zoonoses at the Laboratory for Animal Health. This laboratory is located in Maisons-Alfort on the campus of the Alfort National Veterinary School (ENVA), from which it originated. Founded in 1901, it was the world's first laboratory designed to control infectious and contagious animal diseases. The Laboratory for Animal Health also has a site in Normandy devoted to equine diseases. It has 140 employees grouped into five main units and four contracted units (USC) that cover all spheres of animal health infectiology.

The team carries out applied research focusing on Brucellosis sp., Burkholderia mallei & pseudomallei, Chlamydia, Mycobacterium sp., Bacillus anthracis; vector-borne zoonotic bacteria such as Francisella tularensis:

• Development of tools for phenotypic or molecular differentiation of bacterial strains to enable more precise epidemiological monitoring of outbreaks and the establishment of links between animal outbreaks and human cases;
• Towards "One Health" approaches designed for studying interactions between pathogens, host species and the environment. Several projects are dedicated to wildlife surveillance and the role of different species in pathogen transmission. Others focus on the presence and persistence in the environment, particularly in water bodies, with the option of investigating pathogen survival in amoebae.
• Application of new high-throughput technologies to reference activities (in particular molecular typing of strains; design of chips for multi-pathogen detection or differential diagnosis) and research (phylogeographical approaches; studies of virulence genes or genes involved in survival; modelling work associated with transmission pathways). Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is the biotechnological revolution of recent years, and enables large quantities of genomes to be sequenced in record time and at a more affordable price.
• Epidemiological studies in production livestock in order to validate diagnostic and/or screening tools, and in wildlife and/or vectors for health surveillance, identification of reservoir populations and/or victims of bacterial infections, working with other ANSES laboratories and other organisations;

texte

The EURL for Brucellosis provides diagnostic services for the confirmation or negation of disease and for strain characterisation. The front-line diagnostic assays are accredited to ISO/IEC 17025.

In addition to testing for Brucellosis, the laboratory provides diagnosis for contagious epididymitis.

Bacteriology & Molecular Biology
All Species	Culture of specimens and isolation of Brucella spp except  B. ovis	D260
All Species	PCR detection of Brucella spp.	D261
All Species	Culture of specimens, isolation and PCR detection of Brucella spp.	D262
All Species	Culture of specimens and isolation of B.ovis	D263
All Species	Identification and typing of Brucella spp (OIE Manual)	D270
All Species	SNPs based identification (HRM PCR, sequencing)

Immunoserology

• Serological research for bovine brucellosis by milk ELISA
• Serological research for bovine brucellosis by Milk Ring Test
• Serological research for bovine brucellosis by ELISA serum
• Serological research for bovine brucellosis by Complement Fixation Test
• Serological research for brucellosis by Rose Bengal Test
• Serological research for brucellosis by ELISA multi species
• Serological research for Brucella canis Brucellosis by seroagglutination in tubes
• Serological research for Brucella canis Brucellosis by Laminar Flow Immuno-Chromatographic Assay
• Serological research for Ovine Contagious Epididymitis by Complement Fixation Test
• Serological research for Ovine Contagious Epididymitis by ELISA

The EURL organizes annual inter-laboratory proficiency test(s) for the NRLs. The objective of these ring-trials is to assess brucellosis diagnosic methods troughout the EU.

In this section, ILPT reports are available for downloading below (reports are sorted out by year and topic, serology or bacteriology).

2013 serology - milk 

2013 bacteriology - molecular methods

2012 serology - serum

2011 serology milk

EURL team : Bacterial Zoonoses Unit at ANSES’s Animal Health Laboratory

Our team has extensive expertise in broad areas covering the activities of Reference (serological and bacteriological diagnosis of brucellosis in domestic animals and wildlife, inter-laboratory proficiency trial organization...), as well as Research, including molecular biology and bioinformatics. This team is part of the Bacterial Zoonoses Unit at ANSES’s Animal Health Laboratory located at Maisons-Alfort. This laboratory carries out critical missions for France and Europe in the field of animal health and public health and is characterised by its strength as a reference laboratory in bacteria zoonoses as anthrax, brucellosis, glanders, tuberculosis and tularemia.

In addition, our laboratory, as Reference Laboratory and the European Union (EU-RL), OIE and FAO Reference Centres for animal brucellosis, is strongly familiar with the training of French and foreigner scientist and technical staff, as well as in the management of international research projects.

How to contact us ?

Postal address : 

Anses - Laboratory for Animal Health,

Bacterial Zoonoses Unit, European Reference Laboratory for brucellosis
14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie
94706 Maisons-Alfort Cedex
FRANCE
Tel: +33(0)1 49 77 46 23

mailto : eurl.brucellosis@anses.fr

Sample delivery address :

Anses - Laboratory for Animal Health, 

Bacterial Zoonoses Unit, European Reference Laboratory for brucellosis

22 rue Pierre et Marie Curie
94706 Maisons-Alfort Cedex
FRANCE
Tel: +33(0)1 49 77 46 23