A suspicion of introduction of the small hive beetle (SHB) (Aethina tumida) through honey bee queen imports from Argentina was notified in France in April 2018. Following laboratory analyses, (see the Commission Regulation EU 206/2010) eggs suspected to be of A. tumida were indeed detected in the cages. Cages, accompanying attendants and packages were sent to the French National Reference Laboratory (NRL) at Anses Sophia Antipolis for identification. Identification of SHB species being not feasible on eggs, molecular analyses were conducted. Results for identification of A. tumida and A. mellifera were not conclusive due to the low quantity of genetic material available. Given the uncertainty of this suspicion and in order to prevent any risk, surveillance measures were put in place by the Directorate General for Food (DGAL), in the apiaries where queens were introduced and in the apiaries at the importer premises (23 apiaries in total); even though the expert opinion concluded to a nil to nearly nil probability of establishment of SHB in a French apiary (see in the references below the memorandum from the DGAL 07 May 2018 and ANSES scientific opinion of 3 May 2018). In all, 25 inspections were conducted on 916 colonies. Awareness campaigns were conducted intended for beekeeping organisations on the risk of introduction of SHB from risk areas and on the importance of queen cages and accompanying attendants’ control. It has to be noted that the importer had respected the Commission Regulation for import of bee queens from Third Countries. Indeed queens were transferred to new cages with new accompanying attendants before being introduced in new colonies. These actions had enabled to greatly reduce the risk of introduction. The French authorities took charge of this suspicion as soon as it was notified. The alert system set up in France showed its efficiency. The conclusions of all the inspections conducted in the apiaries where queens were introduced were satisfactory, meaning no clinical signs of SHB infestation. Subsequently, further analyses were conducted by the NRL to conclude on the nature of the eggs that were detected. A new molecular tool was used to amplify a mitochondrial gene (the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene). DNA was then sequenced. The results showed 99 % of identity of the sequences of the suspect sample with the sequence of the COI gene of Apis mellifera. The eggs found in queen cages were Apis mellifera’s eggs. Following this new information as well as the satisfactory results of the inspections, the surveillance measures set up by the DGAl were lifted at the end of July 2018. References: Memorandum from the DGAl n° DGAL/SDSPA/2018-373 of 07 May 2018 on the management of a suspicion of Aethina tumida following the inspection of honey bee queen cages imported from Argentina (in french) Opinion of ANSES n° 2018-SA-0107 of 3 May 2018 on the « risk of introduction and spread of Aethina tumida on the national territory following the discovery of suspect elements during the inspection of 1000 honey bee queen cages imported from Argentina » (in french) The World Animal Health Information Database (WAHIS) interface from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). http://www.oie.int/wahis_2/public/wahid.php/Wahidhome/Home. Webpage visited on October 04th. 2018.  

The 11th Workshop was held in Maisons-Alfort on 20 et 21st of September. A total of 28 countries including France were represented. Two invited speakers contributed to 2 major topics during the workshop: 1) Alexandre Fediaevsky (DG SANTE, Brussels) highlighted main steps on Animal Health Law implementation and consequences on Brucellosis surveillance and control in Europe ; 2) Sascha Al Dahouk (BfR, Berlin) presented updates on atypical Brucella and especially recent data relative to Amphibian isolates. Six National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) including France presented oral communications on brucellosis serological diagnosis in swine, Brucellosis in frogs and the Bulgarian representative described the Brucellosis situation and associated reference activities from his country. Many thanks to all contributors and participants! Many perspectives were discussed during both days to prepare the 2019-2020 Workprogramme, including reagents and standarisation of Brucella ovis diagnostic, new kits available for porcine brucellosis diagnostic, implementation of genomic tools and changes related to the future Anmal Health Law. Reports and presentations will be soon available on the website. Looking forward to working further together on these topics of comon interest ! The EURL team

We hope your summer period is going on nicely, with some time to rest! We are pleased to inform you that Marie-Christine SALVI is back to Anses since mid-July, with now a long-term contract.  She is in particular back in the EURL CPS & Lm teams, in charge of administrative and financial aspects. She is doing her best to proceed as soon as possible with the reimbursement of eligible participants to the 2018 workshops and training courses.

We hope your summer period is going on nicely, with some time to rest! We are pleased to inform you that Marie-Christine SALVI is back to Anses since mid-July, with now a long-term contract.  She is in particular back in the EURL CPS & Lm teams, in charge of administrative and financial aspects. She is doing her best to proceed as soon as possible with the reimbursement of eligible participants to the 2018 workshops and training courses.

We are pleased to inform you that the revision of EURL Lm Guidance document on the competence of laboratories implementing shelf-life studies (Version 2 – 7 May 2018) has been adopted by EC Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (PAFF Committee) at its meeting of 3 May 2018. This document is now available on our homepage or link hereafter.

♦ 20 July 2018 ♦ Summer is here in Europe and its holiday time for many of you…We wish you a nice summer time! Happy holidays!

♦ 13-14 June 2018 ♦ The 10th annual meeting organized by the EURL for rabies was held on 13th and 14th June in the premises of the brand new Belgian laboratory "Sciensano" in Uccles, near Brussels, Belgium. Fifty-three scientists from European Member States and neighboring countries as well as personalities from official institutions met for a day of exchanges on rabies. Presentations and discussions focused on the epidemiology of rabies in Europe and in bordering countries as well as on techniques relating to rabies diagnosis, with, as every year, a specific presentation analyzing the results and performances of the laboratories during the inter-laboratory tests from the previous year. The international institutions (European Commission, OIE and Taiex) have also presented interesting perspectives as regards the programs for the elimination of the disease in wildlife in 2020 in Europe, and 2030 for human rabies in the world – some ambitious objectives for which mandated laboratories (by the OIE, WHO and/or FAO) will be encouraged to participate actively. A practical example developed in West and Central Africa was also presented by Dr. Jakob Zinsstag from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute of Basel, Switzerland, who was invited as a guest of honor. The meeting has been very successful thank to all of you who participated to this important event! Presentations are available on the restricted part (members only) of the EURL website.

♦ 24 July 2018 ♦ The very first EURL for rabies newsletter was sent to the EURL network on March 2015. This newsletter, which was first intended for EU MS NRLs, was soon available to a larger audience, such as the bordering country laboratories, official international institutions, NGOs, etc… The provided information focuses mainly on rabies in Europe and in the Mediterranean Basin as well as on innovation in research and tool development, and more recently on rabies serology. From 45 recipients at the beginning, the EURL for rabies newsletter is now dispatched to nearly 200 scientists and interested persons all over the world! Thank you for the growing interest you all showed to this letter. However, today’s newsletter should be the last one for 2018. Next issue should be issue beginning of next year.  

♦ 17 May 2018 ♦ [Relayed from freepatentsonline.com website] Described herein is a method of identifying a monoclonal antibody (or antigen-binding fragment thereof) that specifically binds a plurality of lyssaviruses for use in post-exposure rabies prophylaxis or in the treatment of clinical rabies. The method includes using a naive antibody phage display library to screen for phage clones that bind whole recombinant rabies virus or cells expressing glycoprotein from multiple lyssaviruses (such as RABV, MOKV and WCBV) and/or specifically bind recombinant glycoprotein from different lyssaviruses.  [Read more…]  

♦ 24 May 2018 ♦ [Relayed from the OIE website] The 86th OIE General Session was the occasion to give OIE Member Countries, an overview of the global animal health situation, as well as to analyse trends in the evolution of priority terrestrial and aquatic animal diseases. In addition, new disease status were officially recognised for 10 countries. One of the key missions of the OIE is to ensure transparency of the global animal health situation, including zoonoses. The situation of global animal health was presented to the Assembly based on the reports submitted to the OIE by Member as well as non-member Countries between 1 January 2017 and 6 May 2018. Particular attention was paid to specific [Read more…]