♦ 04 July 2016 ♦

The annual online activity questionnaire was submitted to all National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) early 2016 to collect and collate data on methods used and results of tests carried out in the Community in the frame of rabies control programmes (Commission regulations (EU) N° 737/2008 and N°415/2013). This document reviews the 2015 analysis performed in 27 NRLs from the European Union and in 7 NRLs from third countries involved in a rabies control programme. The report is available n the private part of the EURL for rabies website for private members only.
 

♦ 01 July 2016 ♦

The inter-laboratory test for rabies diagnosis is now over. A total of 54 laboratories, including 28 non-EUMS laboratories participated to the 2016 session of the test. This year the test was composed of a panel of 10 samples to be tested with the chosen technique(s) (FAT, RTCIT, Conventional and/or Real Time RT-PCR) and a corresponding online technical questionnaire for each tested technique. The report should be available in autumn 2016. In the meantime, participants will receive an online satisfaction questionnaire regarding this test.
 

♦ 16 June 2016 ♦

Despite the unfortunate Alsatian weather of the day, the annual Workshop for Rabies was a frank success. Forty-five rabies European scientists attended the meeting in the European Capital City of Strasbourg, leading to constructive exchanges on rabies. Additionally to the representative of the European Commission, Pedro Rosado Martin (G5 Unit of EC DG Santé), the EURL team was pleased to welcome for the first time speakers from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and from the French Directorate General for Food (DGAl).

The analysis of the results of inter-laboratory tests for rabies diagnosis organized in 2015 by the EURL for rabies was, as usual, presented with an open discussion on the subject. The EURL for rabies also presented on one hand a performance study of disinfectants used in the context of molecular biology techniques, and on the other hand the progress of the study on the evaluation methods of Real Time RT-PCR.

The Balkan region was in the spotlight this year, and several laboratories attended the meeting (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Kosovo, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia) as well as other eastward countries such as Moldova, Ukraine and Turkey. Each of them presented both the rabies situation and the rabies programmes in progress in their country.

Presentations are available on the EURL for rabies website for private members only.

Next workshop for rabies will be organized in June 2017 in Spain, together with the meeting of the EURL for rabies serology.

♦ 05 July 2016 ♦

[Taken form the homepage of the Euroreference website]

“The first issue of Euroreference (Journal of Reference) was launched in June 2009 as a free online AFSSA publication in both French and English. The original aim was to facilitate the dissemination of information about refe¬rence activities among stakeholders both at national and European levels. The topics covered included all scientific and technical aspects of analytical methods and their role in surveillance plans and reference-related regulatory issues. As a common forum for members of reference laboratory networks and all the players concerned, it was geared to National and European Reference Laboratories, animal health and food safety diagnostic laboratories, Ministries and decision-makers, directors of institutions, etc. The AFSSA/ ANSES Editorial board was rapidly joined by representatives of CODA-CER¬VA (Belgium), ISS (Italy) then PIWET (Poland).” The new of EuroReference is “co-edited by CODA-CERVA (Belgium), ANSES and SCL (France), BfR and FLI (Germany), ISS, IZSAM and IZSLER (Italy), PIWET (Poland), APHA and FERA (UK) in addition to the EPPO.” A .pdf version of EuroReference can be downloaded on the website.
 

♦ 01 June 2016 ♦

Forty-five participants from the EC Member States and eastern bordering countries as well as international institutions such as FAO, the European Commission and the French Ministry of Agriculture (DGAl) will attend next workshop for for rabies that will be held on 16th June in Strasbourg, France. The provisional agenda has been sent to all participants and is also available on the EURL website (private part only). It includes a discussion on the results of the inter-laboratory tests of rabies diagnosis organised by the EURL in 2015, some key points of the rabies laboratory activities, and an overview of the significant rabies events that occurred in 2015 as well as a focus on the rabies situation in the Balkans and Eastward countries.
 

♦ 30 May 2016 ♦

Samples for this year Inter-laboratory test for rabies were sent on Monday 30 May. The test is composed of a panel of 10 samples to be tested with the chosen technique(s) (FAT, RTCIT, Conventional and/or Real Time RT-PCR) as well as a corresponding online technical questionnaire for each tested technique. Results from participating laboratories have to be sent to the EURL for rabies and online technical questionnaires should be answered before 30 June 2016. A satisfaction questionnaire will be sent after the test to all participants. The report on this test should be issued in October 2016.
 

♦ 04 April 2016 ♦

Latvian National Reference Laboratory
Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR (Institute BIOR) - Rīga, Latvia

The Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR (Institute BIOR) is the National Reference Laboratory for rabies in Latvia. The Institute BIOR consists of three laboratories situated in Riga (Animal Diseases Diagnostic Laboratory, Laboratory of Food and Environmental Investigations and Medical Microbiology Laboratory) and three Regional laboratories.
Two Divisions of Animal Diseases Diagnostic Laboratory (ADDL) deal with rabies diagnostics and Monitoring of ORV: Virology Division and Pathology Division.

Rabies team

Staff present on 01.04.2016: From the left: Daina Čavare (M.Sc.), Ņina Baranovska, Irina Kaļiņičenko (M.Sc.), Ludmila Soboļeva. On the background: Ieva Rodze(M.Sc.), Zita Muižniece (Dr.biol.) and Svetlana Cvetkova (M.Sc.). Staff missing from the photo: Marianna Dobroštana (PhD student), Veronika Buboviča (Dr.biol.), Jūlija Trofimova (M.Sc.), Marija Bazanova (veterinarian) and Inga Pigiņka-Vjačeslavova (PhD student).

The head of ADDL is Ieva Rodze who coordinates all work for rabies diagnostic in the Laboratory and provides for cooperation with Food and Veterinary Service on rabies surveillance.
Rabies specific diagnostics are carried out mainly in Virology Division. Head of Division is Marianna Dobroštana. In these activities six senior experts and two laboratory technicians from Virology Division are involved.
Two senior experts from Pathology Division perform necroscopy and tetracycline detection in teeth.


Rabies technique

Laboratory techniques used for diagnostic tests in frame of passive surveillance is FAT, RTCIT and conventional hn-RT-PCR (P.R. Heaton et al., 1997), virus genotype sequence analysis.
Serological tests used for vaccination control are FAVN and ELISA.
ORV campaign control is performed by bait titration, serological tests by ELISA (sero-conversion detected by Ab-ELISA) and luminescent microscopy (for tetracycline detection in teeth).
The laboratory is accredited according to ISO 17025 and all rabies laboratory techniques used in BIOR have been accredited.


Latvia rabies status

Latvia has been approved free of rabies since 2015, but vaccination is still carried out close to Latvia’s border with Russia and Belorussia.
Now our main task is monitoring of efficiency of ORV, therefore we examine about 1200 samples (from foxes and racoon dogs) per year. In frame of passive surveillance we examine 200 to 300 samples for virus detection and about 200 serological tests for pet international movement per year.

Since 2013 research work has been started for investigation of rabies status in bat population, that is the subject of our colleague Marianna Dobroštana’s PhD studies.


Contact

Responsible expert - Dr.Zita Muižniece: zita.muizniece@bior.lv
Virology Division
Animal Diseases Diagnostic Laboratory
Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR
Lejupes iela 3, Rīga, LV-1076, LATVIA
Website: www.bior.lv

Document in .pdf version