♦ 03 September 2015 ♦ Introduction of Finnish rabies reference laboratory Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira is the national reference laboratory for rabies. Veterinary Virology research unit operates in Helsinki, the capital of Finland. The head of unit is DVM, PhD Tuija Gadd. The rabies laboratory is run by DVM Tiina Nokireki. We have six laboratory technicians and eight researchers trained to work with rabies in our BSL-3 laboratory facilities.   Techniques Techniques we use are FAT, RTCIT and RT-PCR for virus detection and ELISA and FAVN for the detection of antibodies.   Accreditation The laboratory is accredited according to ISO17025: FAT, FAVN, ELISA and vaccine bait titration have been accredited and this fall also RTCIT will be included in the accreditation.   Routine We examine about 500 to 700 samples per year for virus detection and about 400 serological samples. Bait uptake tetracycline analysis of carnivores is done in our Oulu laboratory for wildlife.   Finland rabies status Finland has been rabies free since 1991, but we carry out vaccination of wildlife along the south-east border in order to prevent rabies re-occurrence and there is a bilateral agreement concerning creation and maintenance of a vaccination buffer zone with Russia in force. EBLV-2 has been detected in Finnish Daubenton’s bats and we carry out a scientific research project on EBLV-2 in collaboration with Helsinki University, Professor Liisa Sihvonen being one important fellow researcher working at the University.   Contact Dr. Tiina Nokireki:  tiina.nokireki@evira.fi Website: www.evira.fi             Photo: Staff present on 26.8.2015:     On the left: Tiina Nokireki, on the right: Tuija Gadd, in between: Liisa Sihvonen.     On the background, Tiina Peltonen, Laura London, Merja Hautala, Niina Tammiranta,   Marika Karlsson, Sari Kiuru and Riikka Holopainen.     Staff missing from the photo: Miia Jakava-Viljanen (not currently working at Evira), Anita Huovilainen,   Ulla-Maija Kokkonen and Arja Engblom.    

♦ 01 September 2015 ♦ The next edition of the workshop for rabies should be held in Strasbourg, Eastern France on 20 and 21 April 2016. A more detailed notification on schedule and venue will be released in the coming months. Please save the date to make sure that you will be coming to this major annual event!  

♦ 01 September 2015 ♦ The EURL for rabies team hopes that you all had a nice summer time and wishes you a good new semester after the summer break. Most of you probably already have a full agenda for the coming months… Best wishes to all of you!  

♦ 26 August 2015 ♦ (For authorized members only) To have access to the private part of the website, including workshop presentations and other documentation, you need to log in. To obtain your login, first open the “identify” window by clicking on the “identify” button situated on the top part of your screen, and then click on the “Create an account” option. Fill the form in with the requested information. If you are an authorized member and have not previously received the activation key code, please ask for it on rabies.eu-rl@anses.fr. The account will be validated prior to first use. When your account is activated, you will have full access to the website.  

♦ 30 July 2015 ♦ [Relayed from the EFSA website] In a scientific opinion updating a previous report on oral vaccination against rabies, experts from EFSA’s Animal Health and Welfare Panel identify rabies control strategies, regular vaccinations and good cooperation among neighbouring countries as key measures. The update can be found here.  

♦ 29 August 2015 ♦ [Relayed from Eurobats website] The Bat Night takes place every year since 1997 in more than 30 countries on the last full weekend of August. Nature conservation agencies and NGOs from across Europe pass on information to the public about the way bats live and their needs with presentations, exhibitions and bat walks, often offering the opportunity to listen to bat sounds with the support of ultrasound technology. The 19th International Bat Night will take place on 29-30 August 2015. If you organise a bat event it is possible to register it on the Eurobats web-site free of charge.  

♦ 30 July 2015 ♦ [Relayed from the Eurobats website] EUROBATS has developed guidelines for assessing potential impacts of wind turbines on bats and for planning, construction and operation of wind turbines in accordance with the ecological requirements of bat populations. A first version of the guidelines was published in 2008, having the primary purpose to raise awareness amongst developers and planners of the need to consider bats and their roosts, migration routes and foraging areas. A large amount of research has been carried out into the impacts of wind turbines on bats and the increased knowledge urged for this revision of the document. The revised guidelines are applicable to larger wind farm developments in urban as well as in rural areas, on the land as well as offshore. Some case studies were included to illustrate implementation of mitigation measures in some countries. The EUROBATS Publication Series deals with various aspects of bat conservation - sometimes reporting of the implementation of the EUROBATS Agreement in the Range States, sometimes providing guidance on the best ways to protect bats and their habitats.  

♦ 23 July 2015 ♦ An annual activity questionnaire was sent to all National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) to collect and collate data on methods used and results of tests carried out in the European Community in the frame of rabies control programmes (Commission regulations (EU) No.737/2008 and No.415/2013). This document reviews the 2014 analysis performed in 24 NRLs from the European Union and in 6 NRLs from third countries involved in a rabies control programme. It is now available online.

♦ 30 July 2015 ♦ New! The EURL for rabies newsletter now exists in .pdf format! Previous newsletters issues can be read in a printable version in the private part of the EURL for rabies website. To access the private part, please register.  

♦ 27 July 2015 ♦ The Laboratory for Rabies is one of the three laboratories in Czech Republic. Since July 2007 the Laboratory is recognized as a National Reference Laboratory for Rabies. The laboratory is also an EU approved laboratory for serological testing regarding rabies in dogs, cats and ferrets in the frame of pets travel since 2005. Main laboratory routine activities are connected with rabies surveillance and rabies monitoring programmes. The monitoring programme in Czech Republic is conducted as a part of the oral vaccination campaigns which has been finished in autumn 2009. The equipment is sufficient for routine diagnostic procedures (FAT and MIT). See details of the laboratory