OIE Reference Laboratory Reports
Activities in 2012
Name of disease (or topic) for which you
are a designated OIE Reference
Laboratory:
Rabies
Address of laboratory
Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories
Agency, AHVLA Weybridge, Woodham
Lane, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15
3NB, United Kingdom
Tel.:
+44 (0)1932 357840
Fax:
+44 (0)1932 357239
e-mail address:
Tony.Fooks@ahvla.gsi.gov.uk
website:
www.defra.gov.uk/ahvla
Name (including Title) of Head of
Laboratory (Responsible Official):
Dr Anthony R. Fooks
Name (including Title and Position) of OIE
Reference Expert:
Dr Anthony R. Fooks
Date of submission to the OIE
31st January 2013
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2012
1
OIE RL for « Rabies » – « Dr Anthony R. Fooks » – « United Kingdom »
ToR: To use, promote and disseminate diagnostic methods validated according to OIE
Standards
Test recommended by the OIE
Total number of test performed last year
Indirect diagnostic tests
Nationally
Internationally
Fluorescent Antibody Virus Neutralisation Test
(FAVN)
0
5515 tests
Modified Fluorescent Antibody Virus
Neutralisation Test (mFAVN)
0
145
Direct diagnostic tests
Nationally
Internationally
Fluorescent Antibody Test (FAT)
<10*
473
Rabies Tissue Culture Infection Test (RTCIT)
<10*
312
Mouse Inoculation Test
1*
0
Real Time Taqman Assay
<50*
105
Reverse-transcriptase Polymerase Chain
Reaction (RT-PCR)
<10*
15
Sequencing
0
120
*No animal cases of rabies were recorded in the UK in 2012. One single case of imported human rabies was
recorded (UK ex. India).
ToR: To develop reference material in accordance with OIE requirements, and implement
and promote the application of OIE Standards.
To store and distribute to national laboratories biological reference products and any
other reagents used in the diagnosis and control of the designated pathogens or
disease.
2.
Did your laboratory produce or store imported standard reference reagents officially recognised by
the OIE or other international bodies?
Yes
3.
Did your laboratory supply standard reference reagents to OIE Member Countries?
Yes
4.
 No
 No
Did your laboratory produce diagnostic reagents other than the OIE-approved standard reference
reagents?
 Yes
5.
Did your laboratory produce vaccines?
Yes
6.
 No
Did your laboratory supply vaccines to OIE Member Countries?
Yes
2
No
 No
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2012
OIE RL for « Rabies » – « Dr Anthony R. Fooks » – « United Kingdom »
ToR: To develop, standardise and validate, according to OIE Standards, new procedures for
diagnosis and control of the designated pathogens or diseases
7.
Did your laboratory develop new diagnostic methods validated according to OIE Standards for the
designated pathogen or disease?
 No
Yes
8.
Did your laboratory develop new vaccines according to OIE Standards for the designated pathogen
or disease?
 No
Yes
ToR: To provide diagnostic testing facilities, and, where appropriate, scientific and
technical advice on disease control measures to OIE Member Countries
9.
Did your laboratory carry out diagnostic testing for other OIE Member Countries?
 Yes
No
Name of OIE
Member Country
seeking assistance
Date
(dd/mm)
No. samples received for
provision of diagnostic support
(i.e. from surveillance campaign)
No. samples received for
provision of confirmatory
diagnoses
Ethiopia
2012
Dog, Ethiopian Wolf and Jackal
Serum (n=15), Blood Clots (n=5)
0
Tanzania
2012
Brain samples from a variety of
wildlife and domestic species
(n=87).
0
Sri Lanka
2012
Brain samples (n=32)
0
South Africa
2012
RNA samples (n=18), from positive
African Civets
0
Grenada
2012
Serum (n=64), Brain samples from
Mongoose and Dog (n=134)
0
Ghana
2012
Bat samples: Swabs (n=258), Sera
(n=258), Blood clots (n=258).
0
Tanzania
2012
Saliva swabs in RNAlater (n=58),
Brain samples from bats (n=54),
blood clots (n=53), carcasses (n=3)
0
Ethiopia
2012
Dog Serum (n=200)
0
South Africa
2012
Dog RNA samples (n=6), 1 human
serum
0
Tanzania
2012
Wildlife and domestic
brain samples (n=94).
animal
0
Nepal
2012
Domestic animal brain samples
(n=28), and serum (n=32), and
human serum (n=8)
0
Spain
2012
Bat serum (n=145).
0
Annual reports of OIE Reference Laboratories, 2012
3
OIE RL for « Rabies » – « Dr Anthony R. Fooks » – « United Kingdom »
10.
Turkey
2012
Domestic and
samples (n=14).
wildlife
United Arab
Emirates
2012
Dog brain sample (n=1).
brain
0
0
Did your laboratory provide expert advice in technical consultancies on the request of an OIE
Member Country?
 Yes
No
Name of the OIE Member Country
receiving a technical consultancy
Purpose
How the advice was
provided
University of Texas Medical Branch,
USA
Development of a ferret model for rabies
treatment
Remote advice
ToR: To carry out and/or coordinate scientific and technical studies in collaboration with
other laboratories, centres or organisations
11.
Did your laboratory participate in international scientific studies in collaboration with OIE Member
Countries other than the own?
 Yes
No
Partners
(Institutions)
OIE Member Countries
involved other than
your country
Title of the study
Duration
Purpose of the study
The Blueprint for
Rabies Prevention
and Control: A
Novel Operational
Toolkit for Rabies
Elimination
3 years
The goal of the Rabies
Blueprint was to provide
relevant authorities and
personnel in rabies affected
areas with a standard
operating procedure
(‘Blueprint’) to develop their
own programs for preventing
human rabies through canine
rabies elimination and control
of wildlife rabies.
Partners for
Rabies
Prevention
Global
Model-Guided
Fieldwork: An
Integrative
Framework for
Wildlife Infectious
Disease
2 years
Multiple methodologies were
used to triangulate the causal
drivers of disease dynamics.
The MGF approach provided
the ideal framework for
fostering the multidisciplinary
effort required to understand
the mechanisms that drive the
dynamics of infection, and
ultimately inform prevention
and management efforts
necessary for wildlife
conservation, domestic animal
health, and public health.
CSU, USA; CDC,
USA; AHRL,
Australia
USA, Australia
4
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2012
OIE RL for « Rabies » – « Dr Anthony R. Fooks » – « United Kingdom »
A framework for
the study of
zoonotic disease
emergence and
its drivers:
spillover of bat
pathogens as a
case study.
2 years
Building upon our collective
experience of multidisciplinary
research and teaching
between theoreticians and
empiricists in ecology we have
proposed practical guidelines
to help with effective
integration among
mathematical modelling,
fieldwork and laboratory
work. We demonstrated that
mechanistic models, if
properly integrated in
research programmes, can
provide a framework for
holistic approaches to
complex biological systems.
Veterinary
Services, Ghana
and EcoHealth,
USA
Ghana, USA
ToR: To collect, process, analyse, publish and disseminate epizootiological data relevant to
the designated pathogens or diseases
12.
Did your Laboratory collect epizootiological data relevant to international disease control?
 Yes
13.
No
Did your laboratory disseminate epizootiological data that had been processed and analysed?
 Yes
14.
No
What method of dissemination of information is most often used by your laboratory?
(Indicate in the appropriate box the number by category)
a) .........................................................................................Articles published in peer-reviewed
journals: ...........................................................................
9
b) ........................................................................ International
.........................................................................................
1
conferences:
c) ........................................................................ National conferences:
d) ........................................................................ Other:
3
4
a) Scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals




Hayman, D.T.S., Fooks, A.R., Rowcliffe, M., Restif, O., Baker, K., Suu-Ire, R., Cunningham, A.A. and
J.L.N. Wood. (2012). Endemic Lagos bat virus infection in Straw-coloured fruit bats. Epidemiology
and Infection 140(12); 2163-72.
Marston, D.A., Horton, D.L., Ngeleja, C., Hampson, K., McElhinney, L.M., Banyard, A.C., Haydon, D.,
Cleaveland, S., Rupprecht, C.E., Bigambo, M., Fooks, A.R. and T. Lembo (2012). Ikoma Lyssavirus:
Highly Divergent Novel Lyssavirus in an African Civet. Emerging Infectious Diseases 18(4); 66467.
Un, H., Eskiizmirliler, S., Ünal, N., Freuling, C., Johnson, N., Fooks, A.R., Müller, T., Vos, A. and O.
Aylan. (2012). Oral vaccination of foxes against rabies in Turkey between 2008 and 2010.
Berliner und Münchener Tierärztliche Wochenschrift 125; 200–208.
Marston, D., Ellis, R., Horton, D., Kuzmin, I., Wise, E., McElhinney, L., Banyard, A., Ngeleja, C., Keyyu,
J., Cleaveland, S., Lembo, T., Rupprecht, C. and A.R. Fooks (2012). Complete Genomic Sequence
of Ikoma Lyssavirus. Journal of Virology 86(18); 10242-3.
Annual reports of OIE Reference Laboratories, 2012
5
OIE RL for « Rabies » – « Dr Anthony R. Fooks » – « United Kingdom »





McElhinney, L.M., Marston, D.A., Leech, S., Freuling, C., van der Poel, W.H.M., Echevarria, J.,
Vázquez-Moron, S., Horton, D., Müller, T., and A.R. Fooks (2012). Molecular Epidemiology of Bat
Lyssaviruses in Europe. Zoonoses and Public Health. doi: 10.1111/zph.12003.
Brunker K, Hampson K, Horton DL, Biek R. Integrating the landscape epidemiology and genetics of
RNA viruses: rabies in domestic dogs as a model. Parasitology. 2012 Dec;139(14):1899-913. doi:
10.1017/S003118201200090X. Epub 2012 Jul 20.
Müller, T., Demetriou, P., Moynagh, J., Cliquet, F., Fooks, A.R., Conraths, F.J., Mettenleiter, T.C. and C.
Freuling (2012), Rabies elimination in Europe – a success story. Compendium of the OIE Global
Conference on Rabies Control, (Eds: Fooks A.R. and T. Müller), pp. 31-45.
Schatz J., Fooks, A.R., McElhinney, L., Horton, D.L., Echevarria, J., Vázquez-Moron, S., Kooi, E.A.,
Rasmussen, T.B., Müller, T., and C. Freuling (2012). Bat rabies surveillance in Europe. Zoonoses
and Public Health doi: 10.1111/zph.12002.
Aznar, J.C., Vazquez-Moron, S., Marston, D., Juste, J., Ibáñez, C., Berciano, J.M., Salsamendi E,
Aihartza J, Banyard AC, McElhinney L, Fooks, A.R. and J. Echevarria (2012). Detection of
Rhabdovirus viral RNA in oropharyngeal swabs and ectoparasites of Spanish bats. Journal of
General Virology 94; 69-75.
b) Presentations at international conferences

RAPIDD Small Mammals Reservoirs Working Group Meeting, Ft. Collins, Colorado, USA
c) Presentations at National conferences



RAPIDD Small Mammals Reservoirs Working Group Meeting, Cambridge, UK
Society for General Microbiology, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, UK
d) Other communications




Freuling, C.M., Muller, T., Marston, D., Fooks, A.R., Rupprecht, C.E. and I. Kuzmin (2012). Updates on
the diversity of the lyssavirus genus. Rabies Bulletin Europe 35(4); 8-10.
Johnson, N., M. Hannatleh, M. and A. Muhaidat. (2012). Rabies in Jordan. Rabies Bulletin Europe
36(2); 7-8.
McElhinney, L.M., Setzkorn, C., Marston, D., Freuling, C.M., Muller, T. and A.R. Fooks (2012).
Lyssavirus Sequence Database. Rabies Bulletin Europe 36(2); 9-11.
Healy, D.M., Banyard, A.C. and A.R. Fooks. (2012) Chapter 58 - Rhabdoviruses. In: ‘Medical
Microbiology – A Guide to Microbial Infections: Pathogenesis, immunity, laboratory investigation and
control’ 18th Edition, (D. Greenwood, M. Barer, R. Slack and W. Irving, Eds), Published by Churchill
Livingstone (Elsevier); pp. 594 – 602.
ToR: To provide scientific and technical training for personnel from OIE Member Countries
To recommend the prescribed and alternative tests or vaccines as OIE Standards
15.
Did your laboratory provide scientific and technical training to laboratory personnel from other OIE
Member Countries?
 Yes
No
a) .........................................................................................Technical visits: 7
b) .........................................................................................Seminars:
c) .........................................................................................Hands-on training courses:
1
d) .........................................................................................Internships (>1 month):
6
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2012
OIE RL for « Rabies » – « Dr Anthony R. Fooks » – « United Kingdom »
Type of technical training
provided (a, b, c or d)
Country of origin of the expert(s)
provided with training
No. participants from the
corresponding country
a
Republic of South Africa
1
a
Grenada
1
a and c
Tajikistan
4
a
Denmark
1
ToR: To maintain a system of quality assurance, biosafety and biosecurity relevant for the
pathogen and the disease concerned
16.
Does your laboratory have a Quality Management System certified according to an International
Standard?
 Yes
No
Quality management system adopted
The laboratory facilities are UKAS accredited to BS EN ISO 17025:2005 (Lab Nos. 0941 and
1769) for an extensive range of tests supported by proficiency testing accredited to ISO/IEC
Guide 43-1 1997 (Lab No. 0004).
AHVLA is certificated to BS EN ISO 9001:2008 by Lloyds Register Quality Assurance for 'the
provision of a range of specialist veterinary scientific services and products to the Government
and other interested parties worldwide (Certificate No. LRQ 4001392).
AHVLA complies with the Joint Code of Practice for Research projects, Joint Code of Practice for
Veterinary Activities (including Surveillance) and Good Clinical Veterinary Practice quality
standards for clinical studies.
17.
Is your laboratory accredited by an international accreditation body?
 Yes
No
Test for which your laboratory is accredited
Accreditation body
Fluorescent Antibody Test (FAT)
UKAS
Rabies Tissue Culture Infection Test (RTCIT)
UKAS
Mouse Inoculation Test
UKAS
Real Time Taqman Assay
UKAS
Reverse-transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR)
UKAS
Sequencing
UKAS
Fluorescent Antibody Virus Neutralisation Test (FAVN)
UKAS
18. Does your laboratory maintain a “biorisk management system” for the pathogen and the disease
concerned? (See Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals 2012, Chapter 1.1.3 or
Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals 2012, Chapter 1.1.1)
 Yes
No
ToR: To organise and participate in scientific meetings on behalf of the OIE
Annual reports of OIE Reference Laboratories, 2012
7
OIE RL for « Rabies » – « Dr Anthony R. Fooks » – « United Kingdom »
19.
Did your laboratory organise scientific meetings on behalf of the OIE?
 No
Yes
20.
Did your laboratory participate in scientific meetings on behalf of the OIE?
 Yes
Title of event
No
Date
(mm/yy)
Location
Role (speaker, presenting
poster, short
communications)
Title of the work
presented
Partners in Rabies
Prevention
05/12
Banna, Italy
None
N/A
WHO Expert
Consultation on
Rabies
09/12
Geneva,
Switzerland
None
N/A
ToR: To establish and maintain a network with other OIE Reference Laboratories
designated for the same pathogen or disease and organise regular inter-laboratory
proficiency testing to ensure comparability of results
21.
Did your laboratory exchange information with other OIE Reference Laboratories designated for the
same pathogen or disease?
 Yes
22.
No
Was your laboratory involved in maintaining a network with OIE Reference Laboratories designated
for the same pathogen or disease by organising or participating in proficiency tests?
 Yes
No
Purpose of the proficiency tests:
(validation of a diagnostic protocol:
specify the test; quality control of
vaccines: specify the vaccine type, etc.)
Role of your
Reference Laboratory
(organiser/
participant)
No.
participants
Participating OIE Ref.
Labs/ organising OIE
Ref. Lab.
Inter-laboratory ring trial for rabies pseudotype
neutralization assay
Organiser
2
Germany
Canada /
UK
Participation in inter-laboratory trial of direct
rabies immunohistochemical test (dRIT)
Participant
6
UK
Germany
Canada
South Africa
China /
USA
Annual international rabies serology
proficiency scheme
Participant
5
UK
Germany
Canada
South Africa /
France
8
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2012
OIE RL for « Rabies » – « Dr Anthony R. Fooks » – « United Kingdom »
Annual
international
rabies
diagnosis
proficiency scheme (FAT, RTCIT and PCR)
Participant
5
UK
Germany
Canada
South Africa /
France
23.
Did your laboratory collaborate with other OIE Reference Laboratories for the same disease
on scientific research projects for the diagnosis or control of the pathogen of interest?
 Yes
No
Name(s) of relevant OIE
Reference Laboratories
Title of the project or contact
Scope
The Blueprint for Rabies
Prevention and Control: A
Novel Operational Toolkit for
Rabies Elimination
This blueprint brought together all
relevant information into one accessible
document to make the design of rabies
management programs easier globally,
both in areas where rabies is endemic or
has been re-introduced.
OIE RL for Rabies in Canada
and OIE RL for Rabies in USA
OIE RL for Rabies in France and
OIE RL for Rabies in Germany
Ikoma Lyssavirus: Highly
Divergent Novel Lyssavirus in
an African Civet
Reported the whole-genome sequence of
a novel lyssavirus from an African civet
(Civettictis civetta) in Tanzania.
OIE RL for Rabies in USA
Molecular Epidemiology of
Bat Lyssaviruses in Europe
Demonstrated host specific relationships,
particularly for EBLV-1 where more host
variation has been observed.
OIE RL for Rabies in Germany
A quantitative release
assessment for the noncommercial movement of
companion animals: risk of
rabies re-introduction to the
United Kingdom
The risks associated with the changes to
the UK pet travel scheme to the European
Union pet movement policy were
predicted to increase when less than
100% compliance was assumed.
OIE RL for Rabies in Germany
Molecular tools for rabies
diagnosis in animals
Proposed that a validated PCR-based test
should be considered by the OIE as an
alternative test for rabies and included in
the OIE Manual of Diagnostic Tests.
OIE RL for Rabies in Canada
and OIE RL for Rabies in USA
OIE RL for Rabies in France and
OIE RL for Rabies in Germany
and OIE RL for Rabies in China
OIE RL for Rabies in South
Africa
Oral vaccination of foxes
against rabies in Turkey
between 2008 and 2010
Proposed that political and financial
support is secured to extend oral
vaccination where infected foxes remain.
OIE RL for Rabies in Germany
Rabies elimination in Europe
– a success story
Proposed that the maintenance of a
rabies free status is maintained by
avoiding reintroduction of the disease by
measures which include implementation
of the pet travel scheme, risk-based
surveillance and establishment of cordon
sanitaire along borders to rabies endemic
regions.
OIE RL for Rabies in Canada
and OIE RL for Rabies in France
Annual reports of OIE Reference Laboratories, 2012
9
OIE RL for « Rabies » – « Dr Anthony R. Fooks » – « United Kingdom »
Current state of bat rabies
surveillance in Europe
Provided an assessment of bat rabies
surveillance data in Europe.
OIE RL for Rabies in Germany
2nd Tripartite Anglo / Franco /
German Rabies Workshop
Knowledge sharing
OIE RL for Rabies in Germany
ToR: To organise inter-laboratory proficiency testing with laboratories other than OIE
Reference Laboratories for the same pathogens and diseases to ensure equivalence of
results.
24.
Did your laboratory organise or participate in inter-laboratory proficiency tests with
laboratories other than OIE Reference Laboratories for the same disease?
 Yes
No
Purpose for inter-laboratory test comparisons1
No. participating
laboratories
Participating OIE Member
Countries
National rabies serology proficiency scheme
1
UK
ToR: To place expert consultants at the disposal of the OIE
25.
Did your laboratory place expert consultants at the disposal of the OIE?
 Yes
No
Kind of consultancy
Location
Subject (facultative )
Ad hoc
Paris, France
Expert Group on Rabies Vaccine
Quality
Selection Committee
Paris, France
OIE international call for tender
relating to the establishment of a
Rabies Vaccine Bank in Asia
Reviewer
Paris, France
Manual of Diagnostic Tests and
Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals
OIE Publications
Co-editor
Paris, France
OIE Publications
Compendium of the OIE Global
Conference on Rabies Control
_______________
1
10
See Interlaboratory test comparisons in: Laboratory Proficiency Testing at:
www.oie.int/en/our-scientific-expertise/reference-laboratories/proficiency-testing see point 1.3
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2012