♦ 06 April 2017 ♦

[Relayed from promedmail.org] “The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) is launching [April 2017] an ambitious modernization project of its World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS). WAHIS is the OIE internet-based computer system that processes data on animal diseases in real-time from Member Countries and some non-Member Countries and territories and then informs the international community through its Interface. Ten years after it was launched and 4 years after major upgrades, the demands on the WAHIS information system have outgrown its capacity. Consequently the OIE is in the process of developing a new system (WAHIS+). In order to ensure the new WAHIS+ meets the needs of our stakeholders, we are seeking input from people and organizations using animal health data through the completion of a voluntary survey "Building the new WAHIS+ together", available in English, French and Spanish. The goal of this survey is to determine users' needs regarding data access and display, as well as to provide suggestions for the new WAHIS+.” Read more on promedmail.org

 

♦ 01 April 2017 ♦

OIE provides some infographics on rabies figures and actions that could be implemented to fight against rabies. These infographics are interactive and can be a good source of information to inform general public or aliment your presentations. See on the OIE website the English version and the French version of the “No more deaths from rabies” document: By clicking on the cross in front of each item, additional information appears. Do not hesitate to widely promote these smart tools to your rabies contacts and regularly consult the rabies portail of the OIE website as other infographics and posters are available (eg: vaccines)
 

♦ 07 April 2017 ♦

The latest issue of the EuroReference online magazine (issue 2) was released last March and is now available online. EuroReference is an online magazine published in English. Its mission is to facilitate the dissemination and sharing of information among all referencing stakeholders at European level. In this issue, you can find the various information, among which the article “New regulation on official controls: what changes for official laboratories?” that can be of use for your work. In order to be sure not to miss any issue of this interesting newsletter, do not hesitate to subscribe online.

♦ 20 March 2017 ♦

Registration for both meetings in Budapest is close to end now. Remember deadline is 30th March 2017. Should you intend to attend one or both meeting(s), do not to forget to register online following the link provided in the e-mailed sent to the networks. If you do not find the link, please ask us using rabies.eu-rl@anses.fr. Laboratories from the serology network willing to present or share information about rabies serology (development of new tools, comparison of techniques, situation of the laboratory regarding rabies serology…) during the meeting should contact the serology team.
 

♦ 20 March 2017 ♦

If you registered for the 2017 session of the inter laboratory test for rabies diagnosis, please check that all needed documents have been sent to the EURL for rabies in order to validate your participation. Remember that it is necessary to send before the launch of the test the original document of the unilateral commitment back to our team, and, if needed, an import permit delivered by your official administration.
 

♦ 17 February 2017 ♦

The WHO/ Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases released on 17 February a report on human rabies 2016 updates. [Relayed from who website] “The report updates the epidemiological information on dog-transmitted rabies, discuss the changing needs from surveillance when approaching elimination and data sources for rabies in animals; it outlines new sources and recent developments towards more complete rabies data and calls for active participation of countries in these processes. Countries are also invited to actively participate in the global effort to strengthen the evidence-base on rabies to inform policy, build awareness and forecast vaccine resources for control and elimination programmes.” Read more…
 

♦ 16 January 2017 ♦

Next workshop for rabies will be held on 13 June, afternoon, and 14 June, morning in Budapest, Hungary. The rabies serology meeting will follow on 14 June, afternoon, and 15 June, full day at the same place. A mail of information has been sent to both networks. Laboratories from the serology network willing to present or share information about rabies serology (development of new tools, comparison of techniques, situation of your laboratory regarding rabies serology…) during the meeting should inform the serology team before 10th March 2017.
 

♦ 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)