[relayed from OIE and IVDC websites] The 87th General Session of the World Assembly of National Delegates of the OIE has been held from 26 to 31 May 2019, bringing together representatives of 182 OIE Members and observers from international organisations that have signed an official agreement with the OIE, as well as other international and regional organisations and invited guests.  China Institute of Veterinary Drug Control（abbreviated as IVDC) is designated as OIE Reference Laboratory for Brucellosis. This institute is derived from the Institute of Veterinary Biomedicine of Ministry of Agriculture of Central Government that was found in 1952. IVDC is affiliated to MARA（Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs) and is a national institute responsible for evaluation and inspection of veterinary drugs.

The EURL for Listeria monocytogenes participated to the IAFP Europe symposium on food safety organised 24-26 Avril 2019 in Nantes, France. During the plenary opening conference, Benjamin Félix as invited participant, presented the description of the EURL for Lm participated to the investigation of nine multi-country outbreak investigations in collaboration with the NRLs, EFSA and ECDC. These investigations were conducted using whole genome sequencing methods. The EURL was in charge of data centralisation, analysis and data production in support of the NRLs. Abstract and slide show available hereafter.  

We are pleased to transmit you an update from EC/JRC regarding the 3 Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) on SEA in cheese powder (IRMM-359a-c). Their certificates have now been updated with ELISA-based quantitative values derived from a collaboration with our laboratory, in particular. These values have been included in the section "additional material information" of the certificates. A short reference to this work was added to the certification report (addendum in page 5). Please see: https://crm.jrc.ec.europa.eu/p/q/359/IRMM-359-CHEESE-POWDER-SEA/IRMM-359 This information is important for the ones of you using these CRMs as well as for the national networks you coordinate.

“NeuroPaTick” (Neuro – Neurophysiology, Pa – Pathogens, Tick – Tick) is a new area in tick research established for the first time in the UMR-BIPAR (Anses, ENVA, INRA). This research direction merges the innovative approaches examining the interaction of tick neuropeptide signaling system with the pathogens entering tick body. Specifically, we hypothesize that pathogen benefit from manipulation of tick neuropeptidome to ensure their survival, dissemination, reproduction and transmission. Our approach aims to uncover for the first time the vulnerable spots in tick physiology, subsequently leading to the development of better control measures of these medically important arthropods and the pathogens they transfer. Besides the common research direction NeuroPaTick group investigates multiple fascinating aspects of tick  biology and their interactions with the fluctuating environments.

Discover the new presentation of the site EURL Residues.

We are delighted to inform you that  ISO 20976-1 : 2019 “Microbiology of the food chain -- Requirements and guidelines for conducting challenge tests of food and feed products -- Part 1: Challenge tests to study growth potential, lag time and maximum growth rate”  is now published ! You can find it on the ISO web site at the following address : https://www.iso.org/standard/69673.html. The time has come now  for us  to set up the revision of  the “EURL Lm Technical Guidance Document  for conducting shelf-life studies on Listeria monocytogenes in ready to eat foods – Version 3 of 6 June 2014 – Amendment 1 of 21 February 2019 .lom

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.

Bertrand LOMBARD, as EURL Lm representative, presented the amendment to the EURL Lm Technical Guidance Document on shelf-life studies at the meeting of the EC Standing Committee on plants, animals, food and feed (PAFF)-Section Biological Safety of the Food Chain, held in Brussels on 11 February 2019. This amendment, modifying the temperature profile to conduct challenge tests, has been unanimously adopted by the EU Member States. The amended version is available on the front page of the EURL Lm website, section Guidance documents.

Bertrand LOMBARD, as EURL Lm representative, has been invited by ECDC (Johanna TAKKINEN, on the picture, at new ECDC offices) to participate to the annual meeting of the microbiologists of the Food, Water-borne Disease and Zoonosis Network (6 February afternoon) and of the whole network (microbiologists from the national public health laboratories as well as epidemiologists from the national surveillance institutes, 7-8 February), see the programmes, enclosed. This meeting, very well organised by Johanna and her team, gathered around 100 participants and took place in Stockholm. I have listened interesting presentations, fruitful exchanges took place and Lm was given a prominent place with several presentations. This is only food-borne bacterium for whom a WGS-based surveillance has been settled.