OIE Reference Laboratory Reports
Activities in 2011
Name of disease (or topic) for
which you are a designated OIE
Reference Laboratory:
Address of laboratory:
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut
Naumburger Str. 96a
07743 Jena
GERMANY
Tel.:
0049 (0)3641 8042200
Fax:
0049 (0)3641 804228
e-mail address:
website:
Name (including Title and
Position) of Head of Laboratory
(Responsible Official):
Name (including Title and
Position) of OIE Reference
Expert:
Name (including Title and
Position) of writer of this report
(if different from above):
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
Glanders
Heinrich.Neubauer@fli.bund.de
http://www.fli.bund.de/
Prof. Dr Heinrich Neubauer
Head of the Institute of Bacterial Infections
and Zoonoses
Prof. Dr Heinrich Neubauer
Prof. Dr Heinrich Neubauer and Dr Mandy
Elschner, Head of the NRL Glanders
Germany
1
Glanders
Part I: Summary of general activities related to the disease
Germany is officially free of glanders in solipeds. The main task of the National and OIE- Reference Laboratory (OIERL) is support in diagnosis of glanders in solipeds and to offer training courses in diagnosis of glanders for scientists
and technicians from Germany and abroad. Research and routine diagnostic work is embedded in a special working
group dealing with biosafety level 3 bacteria.
1.
Test(s) in use/or available for the specified disease/topic at your laboratory
In our laboratory, the following tests are used on a routine basis: bacteriological identification, PCR, real-time
PCR, CFT and Immunoblot. For research, additional methods have been established: Pulsfield-GE, FISH
technique, Raman microscopy, DNA sequencing.
2.
Test
For
Specificity
Total
CFT
Antibody
Burkholderia mallei/pseudomallei
1578
Immunoblot
Antibody
Burkholderia mallei/pseudomallei
612
PCR
Antigen
Burkholderia mallei/ pseudomallei
659
Bacteriological isolation
Antigen
Burkholderia mallei
12
Production and distribution of diagnostic reagents
Our laboratory is producing antigen, positive and negative control sera for serodiagnosis of glanders. Generally,
we have encouraged a private company to produce and supply Glanders antigens and control sera for diagnosis.
Furthermore, we provide DNA as positive control for DNA detection methods. Furthermore, we produce and
provide LPS preparations as antigen for immunoblot technique.
Amount supplied nationally
(including for own use)
Amount supplied to
other countries
CFT and immunoblot control positive and
negative serum B. mallei
5 ml
5 ml
PCR control DNA of B.mallei
1 µg
3 x 1µg
PCR control DNA of B.pseudomallei
1 µg
3 x 1µg
LPS of B.mallei for immunoblot
22,5 ml
4 ml
Type of reagent
Part II: Activities specifically related to the mandate
of OIE Reference Laboratories
3.
International harmonisation and standardisation of methods for diagnostic testing or the
production and testing of vaccines
a)
Establishment and maintenance of a network with other OIE Reference Laboratories
designated for the same pathogen or disease and organisation of regular inter-laboratory
proficiency testing to ensure comparability of results
–
2
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
Glanders
b)
Organisation of inter-laboratory proficiency testing with laboratories other than OIE
Reference Laboratories for the same pathogens and diseases to ensure equivalence of
results
The laboratory participated in the following trials:
 VETQAS CFT ring trial organized by VLA Weybridge
 Trial on the detection of highly pathogenic agents inclusive B.mallei/pseudomallei organised by RobertKoch-Institute, Berlin, Germany (EU-project EQADeBa)
 ANSES Glanders ring trial, organised by EU-Reference Laboratory for Glanders
4.
Preparation and supply of international reference standards for diagnostic tests or vaccines
B.mallei - positive and negative control serum; DNA and LPS from B. mallei and B. pseudomallei strains was
prepared and provided to other laboratories.
5.
Research and development of new procedures for diagnosis and control
A Westernblot assay was established in our lab and evaluation of this method with field sera was done. This test
showed the same sensitivity but higher specificity than the CFT and seems to be suitable as confirmation test for
serology.
A PhD student from Pakistan evaluated the available serological methods and commercially available antigens for
glanders and compared their usefulness in surveillance and control of glanders in endemic and non-endemic
regions.
A project is running to evaluate the use of Raman spectroscopy for direct diagnosis of B. mallei in samples.
6.
Collection, analysis and dissemination of epizootiological data relevant to international disease
control
–
7.
Maintenance of a system of quality assurance, biosafety and biosecurity relevant to the
pathogen and the disease concerned
The whole institute (FLI) is accredited according to ISO 17025-2005 and fulfils the biosecurity and biosafety
regulations.
8.
9.
Provision of consultant expertise to OIE or to OIE Member Countries

One PHD student from the University of Veterinary & Animal Science, Lahore, Pakistan is working in the
field of “Molecular Identification and seroepidemiology of Glanders”.

Each one person from Lebanon, Ukraine and Hungary were trained in methods of detection of glanders.

Dr Elschner and Peggy Marten were invited by VLA Weybridge, UK to give support in establishment of
immunoblot for glanders in the VLA laboratory.
Provision of scientific and technical training to personnel from other OIE Member Countries
One PHD student from the University of Veterinary & Animal Science, Lahore, Pakistan is working in the field of
“Molecular Identification and seroepidemiology of Glanders”.
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
3
Glanders
Each one person from Lebanon, Ukraine and Hungary were trained in methods of detection of glanders.
Dr. Elschner and Peggy Marten were invited by VLA Weybridge, UK to give support in establishment of
immunoblot for glanders in the laboratory.
10. Provision of diagnostic testing facilities to other OIE Member Countries
We received samples for confirmatory testing from Syria, Brazil, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iran, Switzerland, Belgium,
and Lebanon. The results were sent to the respective countries.
11. Organisation of international scientific meetings on behalf of OIE or other international bodies
–
12. Participation in international scientific collaborative studies
–
13. Publication and dissemination of information relevant to the work of OIE (including list of
scientific publications, internet publishing activities, presentations at international conferences)

Scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals
Elschner, M. C., Holger, C., Scholz, M., Peggy, M., Rassbach, A., Dietzsch, M., Melzer, F., Schmoock, G., De
Assis Santana, V.L., De Souza, M. M., Wernery, R., Werner,Y. U. & Neubauer, H. (2011) Use of a Western blot
technique for the serodiagnosis of glanders. BMC Veterinary Research 7, 4.
Ralf M. Hagen; Hagen Frickmann, Mandy Elschner, Falk Melzer, Heinrich Neubauer, Yves P. Gauthier, Paul
Racze, Sven Poppert Rapid identification of Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei by fluorescence
in situ hybridization (FISH) from culture and paraffin-embedded tissue samples International Journal of Medical
Microbiology 2011 Nov;301(7):585-90.
I. Khan, L. H. Wieler, F. Melzer, M. Gwida, V. L. de. A. Santana, M. M. A. de Souza, M. Saqib, M. C. Elschner,
and H. Neubauer, Comparative evaluation of three commercially available complement fixation test antigens for
the diagnosis of glanders. 2011 Veterinary Record doi:10.1136/vr.d5410
Neubauer H. Diagnostic assays for glanders. Vet Rec. 2011 Dec 17; 169(25):663-4.

Other communications
Mandy Elschner:
Glanders – Glanders Workshop, Recife, Brazil
Mandy Elschner:
Use of Westernblot in serodiagnosis of glanders, Conference of EU-Refererence
Laboratory for Glanders, November 2011, Paris
Heinrich Neubauer:
Glanders - Conference of EU-Refererence Laboratory for Glanders, November 2011,
Paris
_______________
4
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011