♦ 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.