♦ 12 December 2011 ♦ The inter-laboratory test for SAD Bern titration is now under progress. Thirteen/fourteen participants laboratories are involved. The objective of this study is to compare intra and inter laboratory variability on such techniques. Results from the laboratories are expected before 28 November 2011.

♦ 12 December 2011 ♦ An inter-laboratory test for rabies diagnosis will be held in April 2012. Four techniques will be tested on a panel of 10 samples: FAT (Fluorescent Antibody Test), RTCIT (Rabies Tissue Culture Infection Test) Conventional RT-PCR Real-Time RT-PCR Laboratories willing to participate in the test should contact the EURL. Non-EU countries may be asked to produce specific administrative documents (import license, etc.). Full information can be provided on request. Caution! Registration deadline: 23 December 2011.

♦ 30 September 2011 ♦ Every year, the National Reference Laboratories of each Member State meet under the impulse of the EURL. This day of exchange and sharing promotes discussions on the rabies advancement on a European level, as well as improvement and harmonization of the techniques used for its follow up. A regards as the European rabies epidemiological situation and the new oral vaccination programmes, the EURL enlarged the 2011 meeting to Western Balkan countries and Norway. This meeting held on 21st September gathered 55 scientific experts from 29 laboratories and two European Institutions (European Commission and European Food Safety Authority). The work day was divided in 3 sessions: The first one was dedicated to the statement on rabies control in wildlife within participating countries, the second one to the advances in rabies diagnostic techniques and oral vaccination control, and the last one to the progress in rabies molecular epidemiology. Posters and presentations of the meeting will soon be available on this website.

♦ 30 September 2011 ♦ A collaborative study to compare the performance of anti-rabies diagnosis is actually under progress. Twelve voluntary NRL are taking part in this test. Panels were sent on 12 September and results are expected for 10 October.

♦ 30 May 2011 ♦ Registration for the 4th workshop for rabies is open now. Four sessions are planned during this meeting: Rabies diagnosis - Advances in molecular biology Techniques relative to oral vaccination control Epidemiology New this year! Each laboratory will have to make a presentation on one of the above topic. An abstract of the presentation has to be sent with the registration form. European Taiex countries can attend the meeting under specific conditions. Participants can register using the registration form and sending their abstract (see instructions) before 30 June 2011.

♦ 17 January 2011 ♦ The EURL implements an annual review of the analysis related to rabies diagnosis and follow-up of oral vaccination performed throughout NRLs. The goal is to estimate and monitor the amount of tests performed at Community level. This works is done according to the regulation (EC) N°737/2008 specifying that the EURL has the duty to collect and collate the data and the results of test carried out in the Community. A questionnaire to collect 2010 data has been sent to each NRL on 12th January 2011. Back of the result is expected before the 14th February 2011. An annual summary report will be then produced and sent to participants.

♦ 15 December 2010 ♦ The inter-laboratory test for rabies diagnosis will be held in March 2011. Laboratories willing to participate in the test should contact the EURL. Non-EU countries may be asked to produce specific administrative documents (import license, etc.). Full information can be provided on request.

♦ 15 December 2010 ♦ The EURL has offered to develop a database recording epidemiological information on rabies strains including the corresponding Genbank sequence accession number. Linking Genbank numbers to this database will avoid the duplication of information and prevent redundancies for the NRLs since the GenBank database is a appropriate and useful tool already used for the publication, research and analysis of sequences. The advantage of the EURL's sequence database is that it will make epidemiological information related to this sequence available. A data-collection form is now available. Please participate actively in the deployment of this database by filling out the form for each of your new positive cases!  

♦ 15 December 2010 ♦ Thirteen countries participated to the Inter-laboratory trial on tetracycline detection in red fox teeth. Results are currently under analysis.

♦ 25 October 2010 ♦ The third workshop of the Rabies EURL took place on 22 and 23 September 2010 in Nancy, France. 38 participants from 20 National Reference Laboratories of the European Union and two European organisations (the European Commission and EFSA) attended the meeting. On the agenda: statement on 2010 activities, work programme for 2011, Inter-laboratory tests, diagnosis harmonisation procedures and Member State presentations on topical rabies subjects. 23 September was spent visiting the new BSL3 building in Malzéville and the Atton experimental station of the Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife.