♦ 01 July 2015 ♦ A total of 45 laboratories participated to the 2015 inter-laboratory test for rabies diagnosis. Results should now all be sent back and online questionnaires filled out. The data will be analysed during the summer and the report released during the autumn.  

♦ 06 July 2015 ♦ The Virology section is one of the five sections of the Animal Health Laboratory (AHL) at Veterinary Services of Cyprus. It is accredited since March 2008 to the terms of the ELOT EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005 Standard by  the Hellenic Accreditation System (ESYD) and Cyprus Accreditation Body (CYSAB). History of rabies and methods In 1930, two Rabies positive incidents were investigated in imported dogs under quarantine. Since then Rabies has never been diagnosed in domestic animals and wildlife or in humans on the island. Nevertheless, wild carnivores that are found dead, stray dogs caught crossing or roaming along the buffer zone, imported animals dying during the quarantine period or animals with symptoms consistent with rabies infection are always investigated using the methods of FAT and RT-PCR. Rabies team The rabies team is consisted of Dr. Apostolos Mazeris (DVM, PhD and head of the Virology section of AHL), Dr. Vasiliki Christodoulou (DVM, PhD) and 3 laboratory technicians:  Maria Nicolaou, Fotini Nicolaou, and Yiota Panayi working on rabies diagnosis and prevention.  

♦ 01 July 2015 ♦ The EURL informed most of you in the course of June that Fujirebio conjugate and also Millipore anti-rabies conjugates, were in shortage in the US and that you could meet difficulties to purchase Millipore product to replace the Fujirebio conjugate. We are pleased to inform you that the Fujirebio conjugate is now available again. We invite the laboratories to check the working dilution of this new batch to possibly adapt it in order to guarantee a satisfactory detection sensitivity. In case you have questions or meet some problems, you should contact the EURL.  

♦ 17 June 2015 ♦ The EURL will organize in 2016 a proficiency test based on the rabies antibody detection in wildlife samples. The main objective of this proficiency test will be to have an overview of the performances of the techniques and protocols undertaken by the NRLs to titrate rabies antibodies in wildlife samples. Considering the number of different techniques in use in Europe (cell neutralisation tests and ELISAs), the ultimate objective for the coming years would be to try to get a better harmonisation of results obtained by the NRLs within the European Union Member States. To be able to plan the proficiency test organization and to define properly the panel of samples to be tested and how it will be proceeded in term of financial repartition (depending on the number of labs involved), the EURL sent in June 2015 a call for interest to the NRLs from EU-MS. Any Non-EU NRL that would also be interested in participating to such a proficiency test should contact the EURL.  

♦ 05 May 2015 ♦ Since 2002 the Austrian NRL for Rabies is settled in the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Institute for Veterinary Disease Control (www.ages.at), the former Federal Institute for Veterinary Disease Control. Tasks Our main task area is processing of diagnostic samples. We are the only laboratory in Austria performing diagnostic examinations on rabies; antigen- as well as antibody detection. Staff and outbreak management Members of three departments are involved in all these examinations. Therefore, in case of a rabies outbreak, enough trained staff will be available.   Pathology Center East Mödling FAT, Immunohistochemistry, Collecting and preparing the samples for the departments of Virology and Molecular Biology. Department for Virology RTCIT, FAVN (Pet travel scheme as well as human samples), Bait titration, Tetracyclin detection, ELISA for antibody detection in foxes. Department for Molecular Biology Real-Time RT-PCR, Conventional RT-PCR, DNA sequencing, Phylogenetic analysis. Rapid and sensitive procedure in case of human ante mortem diagnosis, Sequencing for genotyping and epidemiological analysis of positive samples. All methods are accredited according ISO 17025 since 2004. For the examination of “high risk animals” e.g. clinical suspect illegal imported pets a journal service of a veterinarian and a technician on call is organized over the year. We work in close cooperation with the advisory board for human rabies of AGES, especially concerning human ante mortem diagnosis or recommendation of vaccination. In case of an outbreak of rabies, the Federal Ministry of Health is responsible for organization of oral vaccination campaigns of foxes and compensation of hunters, representation of Austria in the EC and billing the co-financing of the EU. Rabies eradication in Austria At the beginning of the 1990s Austria started a very efficient concerted campaign of oral vaccination of foxes (ORV) Fig.1. Fig.1. During these campaigns, two cases of vaccine associated rabies were diagnosed. 2004   The last case of human rabies in Austria was diagnosed. A young Austrian man was bitten by a rabid dog in Morocco. 2008   Austria declared free from rabies. 2010   Austria switched to sampling plan for monitoring the success of the ORV: four adult foxes/km² from rabies free areas and eight adult foxes from vaccination areas have to be examined, additional Tetracycline detection and ELISA to proof the success of ORV were done. In the years before much more foxes were examined. 2013   Due to the good epidemic situation in the neighbour states, ORV was suspended and only indicator animals (foxes, badgers, raccoons and raccoon dogs, found death or victims of road traffic), clinical suspect animals and animals with human exposure were examined (ca. 350/year) During all these years samples from animals submitted for rabies diagnostics, were sampled for other scientific issues e.g. “Presence of Trichinella sp. in the Austrian fox population”, Distribution of Echinococcus multilocularis in the Austrian fox population. Publications Krause, R., Bagó, Z., Revilla-Fernández, S., Loitsch, A., Allerberger, F., Kaufmann, P., Smolle, K.H., Brunner, G., Krejs, G.J. (2005): Travel-associated human rabies in an Austrian man. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 11, 719 – 721. Bagó, Z., Revilla-Fernández, S., Allerberger, F., Krause, R. (2005): Value of immunohistochemistry for rapid ante mortem rabies diagnostics. Letter to the editor. Int. J. Infect. Dis. 9, 351 – 352. Strauss, R., Gränz, A., Wassermann-Neuhold, M., Krause, R., Bagó, Z., Revilla Fernández, S., Simón-Soria, F.S., Echevarría, J.E., Popow-Kraupp, T., Allerberger, F., Schönbauer, M., Hrabcik, H. (2005): A case of travel-related rabies in Austria, September 2004. Eurosurveillance 10, 225 – 226. Fischer M., Wernike K., Freuling C.M., Mü ller T., Aylan O., Brochier B., Cliquet F., Vázquez-Morón S., Hostnik P., Huovilainen A., Isaksson M, Kooi E.A., Mooney J., Turcitu M., Rasmussen T.B., Revilla-Fernández S., Smreczak M, Fooks A.R., Marston D.A., Beer M., Hoffmann B. (2013): Step Forward in Molecular Diagnostics of Lyssaviruses – Results of a Ring Trial among European Laboratories. PLOS ONE, Volume 8 | Issue 3 | e58372 Mcelhinney L.M., Marston D., Johnson N.,Black C., Matouch O., Lalosevic D., Stankov S., Must K., Smreczak M., Zmudzinski J.F., Botvinkin A., Aylan O., Vanek E., Cliquet F., M...

♦ 05 May 2015 ♦ [Relayed from the OIE] The 2015 edition of the “OIE from A to Z” is already available. As usual, the “OIE A-Z 2015” can be found online, directly from the homepage of the OIE website. This new edition presents several novelties which will greatly facilitate your work as decision-makers in the field of animal health and welfare. All the chapters have been updated, and numerous interactive documents and links have been added. We invite you to explore this dedicated website and to discover its different chapters: •    The general presentation of the Organisation and the role of the representatives of its 180 Member Countries; •    The Veterinary Services and their role in matters of animal health, public health and animal welfare; •    The OIE standards applicable in matters of animal health, including zoonosis; •    The OIE’s World Animal Health Information System: WAHIS/WAHID; •    The official disease statuses of Member Countries with respect to several priority animal diseases; •    The OIE’s global scientific network, the central core that enables the OIE to remain at the forefront of world veterinary scientific expertise and successfully carry out its key missions; •    The OIE Publications chapter, which includes normative texts, serial publications and the proceedings of international conferences, aimed at informing public debate and policy development worldwide.

♦ 22 May 2015 ♦ Congratulations to Latvia! The Self-declaration by Latvia of freedom from rabies submitted to the OIE on 8 December 2014 by Dr Maris Balodis, Delegate of Latvia to the OIE, Director General, Chief Veterinary Officer, Food and Veterinary Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Riga was recently published on the OIE bulletin No.2015-1. Latvia established a surveillance and eradication programme in wildlife and domestic animals as well as preventive measures (compulsory vaccination of domestic animals, oral vaccination of wildlife and information campaigns). The country has not reported any rabies cases during the past two years and then complies to the conditions to be considered a rabies-free country in accordance with Article 8.12.3. of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code (2014). Related OIE bulletin pages can be consulted here. Congratulations for the hard work done all this latter years!  

♦ 1st June 2015 ♦ A panel of 9 brain samples was sent on 1st June to 47 participating laboratories. Please do not forget to send back your results before 1st July and to fill in the online technical questionnaires. Should you encounter any problems with the reception of the parcel or with the application of the test, do not hesitate to contact us. We wish you all a good test!  

♦ 27-28 May 2015 ♦ The rabies EURL annual meeting gathered a total of 52 people. Many thanks and all our gratitude to our colleagues from the Croatian Veterinary Institute and to the Veterinary and Food Safety Directorate who made this event possible and successful. We also would like to warmly thank the European Commission and TAIEX for their support for travel and accommodation, as well as all the attendants and speakers for their contribution in this annual date. A Croatian veterinary newspaper article dedicated to this workshop is available here. This meeting gave the opportunity of many exchanges between attendants. As usual, a booklet with the abstracts of the talks was provided to every participant. All presentations will be soon on line in the restricted access part of the website. A photo souvenir is available here. Attendants eligible for the EC financial support have to send their original documents before 12 June.

♦ 03 April 2015 ♦ The Laboratory for Rabies is one of the three laboratories in the department of virology at Croatian Veterinary Institute. Since 2011 Laboratory is recognized as a National Reference Laboratory for Rabies. The laboratory is also a EU approved laboratory for serological testing regarding rabies in dogs, cats and ferrets in the frame of pets travel. Main laboratory routine activities are connected with rabies surveillance and rabies monitoring programs. Monitoring program is conducted as a part of oral vaccination campaigns which has been started in 2011. During 2014 around 1000 samples have been tested as a part of surveillance program and around 3000 samples as part of monitoring program. The last rabies positive case has been recorded in February 2014.   Methods In laboratory the following methods are used: o Fluorescence antibody test (FAT), o Fluorescence virus neutralisation test (FAVN), o Tissue culture infective test (TCIT), o Molecular techniques (RT-PCR and QRT-PCR), o Complete genome sequencing, o OTC determination, o Age determination o Baits titration. FAT and FAVN methods are accredited according to ISO17025.   Fields of research Laboratory Research activities are mainly connected with rabies particularly in the field of Rabies epidemiology and diagnostic techniques. Recently, the research regarding stem cells and viral metagenomic were ongoing.     Staff The Laboratory represented by six agents is headed by Dr Tomislav Bedeković: Ivana Lojkić, Scientist; PhD in molecular biology, Deputy Head Nina Krešić, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Ivana Šimić, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine; Ines Ugrin, Technician Mirjana Frljužec, Technician Recent rabies publication: Bedeković, T., Lemo N, Lojkić I, Mihaljević Z, Jungić A, Cvetnić Z, Cač Z, Hostnik P. (2013). Modification of the fluorescent antibody virus neutralisation test - elimination of the cytotoxic effect for the detection of rabies virus neutralising antibodies. Journal of Virological Methods.  189, 204-208. Lojkić, Ivana; Bedeković, Tomislav; Čač, Željko; Lemo, Nina; Cvetnić, Željko (2013). Clinical rabies in cattle imported into Croatia. Veterinary record. 172, 22-23. Lojkić, Ivana; Čač, Željko; Bedeković, Tomislav; Lemo, Nina; Brstilo, Mate; Müller, Thomas; Freuling, Conrad M. (2012). Diversity of currently circulating rabies virus strains in Croatia. Berliner und Münchener tierärztliche Wochenschrift. 125, 249-254.