Frozen corn is the likely source of an outbreak of Listeria monocytogeneswhich has affected five EU Member States (Austria, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) since 2015. This is the conclusion of a rapid outbreak assessment published today by EFSA and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). As of 8 March 2018, 32 cases including six deaths had been reported.  

♦ 12 February 2018 ♦ [Relayed from GARC website] In 2016, WHO, OIE, FAO, and many NGOs released a framework to achieve the joint goal of eliminating dog-mediated human rabies by 2030. But the goal requires overcoming substantial challenges. Dog-rabies endemic countries are at different stages in their control efforts; most countries have to overcome important hurdles […].Drawing from multiple datasets […], researchers at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) roughly estimated the resources needed to achieve the elimination of dog-mediated human rabies deaths by 2030, […]. Their aim was to describe the global rabies situation, highlighting some of the main challenges that may complicate elimination efforts in a consistent framework, the Global Dog Rabies Elimination Pathway (GDREP). The GDREP focuses of four key factors that determine [read more…]  

♦ 31 January 2018 ♦ [Relayed from WHO website] “The new WHO recommendations for rabies immunization supersede the 2010 WHO position on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for rabies. These updated recommendations are based on new evidence and directed by public health needs that are cost-, dose- and time-sparing, while assuring safety and clinical effectiveness. In addition, new guidance on prudent use of rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) is provided. The […] sections summarize the main points of the updated WHO position as endorsed by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization (SAGE) at its meeting in October 2017. The full version of the WHO position on rabies vaccines and immunoglobulins will be published in the Weekly Epidemiological Record in April 2018. (Read more…)”. Read le document.

♦  12 March 2018 ♦ [Relayed from the Euroreference website] This journal is “now co-edited by several EU member state institutions dealing with reference laboratory activities in animal and plant health or food and drinking water safety as well as by EPPO.” The “aim is to convert Euroreference to a truly European journal, thus strengthening the network of EU laboratories working in these sectors and consolidate EU efficiency, by facilitating the dissemination of information about reference activities among stakeholders at European level.” Issue 3 of the journal can be downloaded here.

♦ 26 January 2018 ♦ [Relayed from www.efsa.europa.eu website] “This reporting manual provides guidance for reporting on zoonoses and zoonotic agents in animals, food and feed under the framework of Directive 2003/99/EC and also on the reporting of other pathogenic microbiological agents in food. The objective is to harmonise and streamline reporting by Member States (MSs) to ensure that the data collected are relevant and easy to analyse at the European Union (EU) level. This manual covers all the zoonoses and zoonotic agents included under the current data collection system run by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Detailed instructions are provided on reporting data in both table and text form. […] The instructions given are related to the description of the sampling and monitoring schemes applied, as well as analysing the results in the national reports. […]”. Rabies part can be found in chapter “5.11. Rabies in animals” page 57 of the manual.  

♦ 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.