LRUE Fièvre Aphteuse
The European Union Reference Laboratory organises Proficiency Tests (PTs) on detection and typing of Foot-and-Mouth disease virus in accordance with the Regulation (EU) No 2017/625.
PT panels for FMDV and SVDV detection are established for virus isolation, RT-PCR, Antigen-ELISA and VP1 sequencing. PT panels for FMD antibody detection are established for FMDV NSP antibodies, FMDV SP antibodies and SVDV antibodies detection by ELISAs or/and virus neutralisation test.
The proficiency test (PT) for FMD virus and SVD virus and antibody detection is organised annually. All EU national reference laboratories (NRLs) and other official laboratories of the network are invited to participate.
The European Union Reference Laboratory yearly organizes a workshop, especially intended for the EU national reference laboratories (NRLs) and other official laboratories of the network.
The purpose of these workshops is to inform the participants about the activities of the EURL, to present and discuss the results of the PT, to present and discuss scientific research projects and to exchange information on EU legislation, methods and other relevant subjects.
Registration to the next workshopThe EURL for FMD, among other missions, gathers data and information on the methods of diagnosis and differential diagnosis used in the different National Laboratories.
A list of methods inspired by the WOAH official methods is available on this website.
The EURL for FMD supports the functions of National Laboratories by storing and supplying reagents and materials for use in diagnosis of foot-and-mouth disease such as virus and/or inactivated antigens, standardised sera, cell lines and other reference reagents.
A list of reagents and material is available on this website.
The European Union Reference Laboratory organizes each year trainings specifically intended for the EU national reference laboratories (NRLs) and other official laboratories of the network.
The purpose of these sessions is to implement the further training of experts in laboratory diagnosis with the goal to harmonize the diagnostic techniques at the European and International levels.
Opening of EURL FMD website
Welcome to the website of the European Union Reference Laboratory for foot-and-mouth disease (EURL FMD).
The consortium between ANSES (France) and Sciensano (Belgium) is designated as the European Union Reference Laboratory for foot-and-mouth disease.
You will find on the site all the activities of the EURL and information related to FMD. It is accessible to all members of the network. Thank you for registering to have access to the private area.
Foot-and-mouth Disease
Summary
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease affecting domesticated and wild cloven-hooved animals. FMD, a significant threat in terms of animal health, is one of the priority infectious diseases notifiable to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). It is the most economically important disease affecting livestock. The disease is characterized by fever, lameness and the appearance of vesicular lesions in the mouth, on the tongue and on the muzzle, feet and sometimes on the teats. The responsible virus, foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), is an Aphthovirus belonging to family Picornaviridae. There are seven FMDVs immunologically distinct serotypes (O, A, Asia 1, C, SAT 1, SAT 2 and SAT 3) with multiple subtypes within each serotype.
The disease is endemic in Africa, Middle-East, South-Asia and in Venezuela in South-America. Europe is free of FMD. However, disease-free countries are not immune to incursions of the disease from neighbouring or even distant infected countries. FMD may cause devastating economic losses for the affected country due to high costs for disease control and international trade embargoes.
To face this threat, a global control strategy was initiated in 2009 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the WOAH, as part of the "Global Framework for the Progressive Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases" signed by the two partners in 2004. This global control strategy against foot-and-mouth disease is regarded as an international priority.