♦ 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!

♦ 13 December 2016 ♦ Contrarily to what had been previously announced, both the next workshop for rabies and the rabies serology meeting will not be held in Spain. Dates remain unchanged: 13-14 June for workshop for rabies and 14-15 June for the rabies serology meeting. Please accept our apologies for this change of destination beyond our will. We are currently working on another destination that should be announced very soon.    

♦ 09 December 2016 ♦ Further to the last inter laboratory test for rabies diagnosis, the EURL for rabies is currently conducting a satisfaction survey. The aim of this survey is to have direct feedback from the participant laboratories in order to improve the process on communication, proficiency test items, deadlines, final report and any other areas. Participant laboratories should have received a web link by email for that purpose: do not hesitate to give your opinion! Thank you to all the labs that already answered the survey.