♦ 01 April 2016 ♦

Laboratories which have registered for the annual rabies serology proficiency test for 2016 dedicated to the FAVN test (Fluorescent Antibody Virus Neutralization) and/or the RFFIT (Rapid Fluorescent Focus Inhibition Test) will receive the test panel soon now, as it be sent last week of April. A successful participation to the rabies serology proficiency allows laboratories to be approved by the European Commission for the serological testing in the context of the international movements of pets. For more information on this test, please contact the laboratory.
 

♦ 01 April 2016 ♦

The panels for the annual rabies diagnostic inter-laboratory test will be sent on 30 May 2016. 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. Participating laboratories which have not sent import permit nor the unilateral commitment yet should sent it/them to the EURL for rabies as soon as possible.
 

♦ 01 April 2016 ♦

If you are from a NRL from EU Member States and have not answer to the annual overview of test performed in the NRLs, it is still time to do it! The questionnaire has to be answered online, and laboratories get a printable summary of the declared data at the end of the test for their records. As usual, this investigation will result in a report in the same mood as the previous years. If your laboratory is concerned by this survey, you must have received the link to the questionnaire. If not, contact the EURL for rabies. Deadline is postponed to 15 April 2016.
 

♦ 03 December 2015 ♦

[Relayed from OIE website – 4 December] OIE and CITES signed recently an agreement to deepen the collaboration between the two organisations. This agreement provides a formal foundation for expanded communication, cooperation and collaboration in order to protect CITES-listed species and conserve biodiversity by ensuring the efficient implementation of surveillance and disease control measures needed to protect animal and human health worldwide. Rabies, Ebola haemorrhagic fever, West Nile Fever, Avian influenza, Brucellosis, Foot and mouth disease: these are only a few examples of well-known, emerging, or re-emerging diseases that are originally found or circulated in wildlife and which potentially have (… Read more).
 

♦ 10 November 2015 ♦

[Relayed from FAO website – 10 November] FAO and GARC have agreed to collaborate on the following: encourage the development and implementation of national and regional rabies control and elimination strategies; promote national rabies surveillance systems, including transparency/notification, and rabies control or elimination strategies in line with international standards; advocate for more involvement of national and local authorities in rabies control, in particular Ministries of Agriculture and veterinary services; promote World Rabies Day activities through their respective networks, including communication strategies related to it. (…Read more)
 

♦ 10-11 December 2015 ♦

[Relayed from OIE & WHO websites] A new framework to eliminate human rabies and save tens of thousands of lives each year has been launched by WHO, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Global Alliance for the Control of Rabies (GARC). The framework calls for 3 key actions - making human vaccines and antibodies affordable, ensuring people who get bitten receive prompt treatment, and mass dog vaccinations to tackle the disease at its source. Read more on the official meeting website, and the press releases on: WHO website, OIE website, and FAO website.
 

♦ 04 January 2016 ♦

[Relayed from the GARC website] Many of us invest time and resources in vaccinating dogs against rabies. We know this will not only protect dogs but also the people they live amongst. There are many examples of studies reporting vaccination of dogs to be a highly effective method of protecting public health, but do you have evidence from your own work? Many of us also invest in managing the dog population in other ways, such as limiting reproduction or persuading and supporting owners to provide greater care and oversight to their dogs. But how do you know if these activities are impacting dogs and their communities in the way you hoped? In short; how do we know our hard work is making a difference? (… See the guide)
 

♦ 04 January 2016 ♦

As every year, the EURL for rabies will organize a rabies diagnostic inter-laboratory test in 2016. This year, the test will be performed on a unique panel of 10 samples using at least one of the following techniques: FAT (Fluorescent Antibody Test), RTCIT (Rabies Tissue Culture Infection Test), Conventional RT-PCR and/or Real-Time RT-PCR. The test is composed of the panel to be tested with the chosen technique(s) as well as a corresponding online technical questionnaire for each tested technique. Registration is opened until 15 January 2016. Should you wish to register for the 2016 test, please contact the EURL for rabies for more information.
 

♦ 04 January 2016 ♦

The workshop for rabies 2016, initially forecasted for 20-21 April, has been postponed to 16 June. This year, contrary to the last times, the meeting will be held over one single day. The meeting place will be in Strasbourg town-centre, France. The agenda will include 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. Should you wish to attend this meeting, please contahttps://sites.anses.fr/en/minisite/rabies/contactct the EURL for rabies for more information.