Name of disease (or topic) for which you are a designated OIE Reference
Laboratory:
Address of laboratory
Leptospirosis
Veterinary Sciences Division, AFBI, Stoney
Road, Stormont, Belfast, BT4 3SD, United
Kingdom
Tel.:
Fax: e-mail address: website:
+44(0)2890525667
+44(0)2890519432 oieleptoinfo@afbini.gov.uk
bill.ellis@afbini.gov.uk http://www.afbini.gov.uk/index/services/servicesdiagnostic-and-analytical/leptospirosis.htm
Name (including Title) of Head of
Laboratory (Responsible Official):
Currently being filled. Refer to Dr S.
Kennedy, CEO AFBI
Name (including Title and Position) of OIE
Reference Expert:
Dr W. A. Ellis
31/01/2013 Date of submission to the OIE
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2012
1

OIE RL for « Leptospirosis» – « W. A. Ellis » – « United Kingdom »
Test recommended by the OIE Total number of test performed last year
Indirect diagnostic tests
MAT
ELISA
Cross Agglutination Absorption
Mab Agglutination
Nationally
5847
3156
60
Internationally
18
45
Direct diagnostic tests
Culture
FA
PCR real time (LipL32)
Nationally
53
1083
200
Internationally
3
PCR for Speciation(SecY) 20
REA 35 15
2. Did your laboratory produce or store imported standard reference reagents officially recognised by the OIE or other international bodies? x Yes No
3. Did your laboratory supply standard reference reagents to OIE Member Countries? x Yes No
4.
Type of reagent available
Leptospira serovars
Immunofluorescenc e conjugate
Related diagnostic test
MAT
Leptospira antisera
MAT control sera
Direct FA
Produced/ stored
8700 ml
160 ml
100
Amount supplied nationally
(ml, mg)
8000 ml
30 ml
20ml
Amount supplied internationally
(ml, mg)
300 ml
80 ml
5 ml
Name of recipient OIE
Member
Countries and of institutions
Republic of
Ireland. Dept of
Agriculture –Vet
Lab.,
Backweston
Republic of
Ireland. Dept of
Agriculture –Vet
Lab.,
Backweston
Thailand. National
Institute of
Animal Health,
Bangkok
Did your laboratory produce diagnostic reagents other than the OIE-approved standard reference reagents? x Yes
5. Did your laboratory produce vaccines? x No
2
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2012

OIE RL for « Leptospirosis» – « W. A. Ellis » – « United Kingdom »
6.
7.
8.
Did your laboratory supply vaccines to OIE Member Countries? x No
Did your laboratory develop new diagnostic methods validated according to OIE Standards for the designated pathogen or disease? x Yes
Did your laboratory develop new vaccines according to OIE Standards for the designated pathogen or disease? x No
Name of the new test or diagnostic method or vaccine developed
Description and References (Publication, website, etc.)
9.
Leptospira serovar Hardjo capture ELISA for use in sheep
In preparation
Did your laboratory carry out diagnostic testing for other OIE Member Countries? x Yes No
Name of OIE
Member Country seeking assistance
Denmark
France
Date
(dd/mm)
March
May
No. samples received for provision of diagnostic support
(i.e. from surveillance campaign)
No. samples received for provision of confirmatory diagnoses
3
15
10. Did your laboratory provide expert advice in technical consultancies on the request of an OIE
Member Country?
X Yes No
Name of the OIE Member Country receiving a technical consultancy
Thailand. National Institute of Animal
Health, Bangkok
Japan, National Institute of Infectious
Disease
Kuwait, PAAF Veterinary Laboratory
Republic of Ireland, Veterinary Lab,
Backweston
India, Central Military Veterinary
Laboratory
Purpose
Surveillance of animal leptospirosis
Supply of Leptospira DNA
Diagnosis of leptospirosis in zoo animals
MAT testing
Surveillance of animal leptospirosis
How the advice was provided
In loco and remote assistance
Remote assistance
Remote assistance
In loco and remote assistance
In loco
Commercial Vaccine Manufacturers, in
Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain,
USA and Brazil
Serovars for inclusion in novel vaccines etc In loco and remote assistance
11. Did your laboratory participate in international scientific studies in collaboration with OIE Member
Countries other than the own? x Yes No
Annual reports of OIE Reference Laboratories, 2012
3

OIE RL for « Leptospirosis» – « W. A. Ellis » – « United Kingdom »
Title of the study Duration Purpose of the study
Partners
(Institutions)
OIE Member Countries involved other than your country
Japan Variations in Leptospira
Hardjo genome
Epidemiology and pathogenesis of Hardjo
Japan, National
Institute of
Infectious Disease
Epidemiological importance of rodents as reservoirs of Leptospira in Maronesa cattle farms in Tras-os-Montes region
10 years Identification of rodent hosts for Leptospira
Universitide de Trasos-Montes e Alto
Douro, Vila Real
Portugal
12. Did your Laboratory collect epizootiological data relevant to international disease control?
X Yes
13. Did your laboratory disseminate epizootiological data that had been processed and analysed?
X Yes
14. 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: ................. 2 b) International conferences: .............................................. 10 c) National conferences: ...................................................... 0 d) Other: ............................................................................... 1 book chapter
15. Did your laboratory provide scientific and technical training to laboratory personnel from other OIE
Member Countries? x Yes a) Technical visits: ................................................................ 1 b) Seminars: ......................................................................... c) Hands-on training courses: .............................................. 2 d) Internships (>1 month): ...................................................
Type of technical training provided (a, b, c or d) a c
Country of origin of the expert(s) provided with training
India
Thailand
No. participants from the corresponding country
1
2
16. Does your laboratory have a Quality Management System certified according to an International
Standard? x Yes
Quality management system adopted
ISO 9001 and ISO 17025
4
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2012

OIE RL for « Leptospirosis» – « W. A. Ellis » – « United Kingdom »
17. Is your laboratory accredited by an international accreditation body? x Yes
Test for which your laboratory is accredited
ELISA
Accreditation body
UKAS (ISO17025)
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) x Yes
19. Did your laboratory organise scientific meetings on behalf of the OIE? x No
20. Did your laboratory participate in scientific meetings on behalf of the OIE? x No
21. Did your laboratory exchange information with other OIE Reference Laboratories designated for the same pathogen or disease? x Yes
22. 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? x No
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? x No
24. Did your laboratory organise or participate in inter-laboratory proficiency tests with laboratories other than OIE Reference Laboratories for the same disease? x Yes
Purpose for inter-laboratory test comparisons 1
No. participating laboratories
Participating OIE Member
Countries
MAT QA >40
25. Did your laboratory place expert consultants at the disposal of the OIE?
>40
X Yes
Annual reports of OIE Reference Laboratories, 2012
5

Kind of consultancy
OIE RL for « Leptospirosis» – « W. A. Ellis » – « United Kingdom »
Co-ordination (and writing)(W. A. Ellis) of:
OIE MANUAL OF DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND
VACCINES FOR TERRESTRIAL ANIMALS :
Chapter 2.1.9 – Leptospirosis
Location web
Subject (facultative )
Updating and revision of the 2008 chapter
LIST OF PUBLICATIONS ETC.
Papers
ARENT, Z., ANDREWS, S., ADAMAMA-MORAITOU, K., GILMORE, C., PARADALI, D., ELLIS W.A. (2012)
Emergence of novel serovars of Leptospira: need for adjusting vaccination policies for dogs. Epidemiology and
Infection (In press: DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0950268812002087 ).
PAIVA-CARDOSO, M N, ARENT, Z., GILMORE, C., HARTSKEERL, R. & ELLIS, W.A. (2013) Altodouro, a new
Leptospira serovar of the Pomona serogroup isolated from rodents in northern Portugal. Infection, Genetics
and Evolution 13, 211-21 (electronic version available Nov 2012).
Book chapters :
ELLIS, W. A. (2012) Leptospirosis. In “Diseases of Swine”, Wiley and Sons pp 770 – 778.
Congress presentations:
ARENT, Z., GILMORE C., MACKIE D. & ELLIS W. A. (2012) Leptospirosis in sheep: isolation of Leptospires from the genital tract. Proceedings of European meeting of leptospirosis, Eurolepto 2012, Dubrovnik, Croatia.
ARENT, Z., FRIZZELL, C., GILMORE, C. & ELLIS, W. A. (2012) Development of biphasic culture medium containing charcoal for the isolation of Leptospires. Proceedings of European meeting of leptospirosis,
Eurolepto 2012, Dubrovnik, Croatia.
ARENT, Z., GILMORE C. & ELLIS W. A. (2012) Lipopolysaccharide-capture ELISA for the detection of
Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar Hardjo in sheep. Proceedings of the 2 nd Congress of the European
Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (EAVLD), Kazimierz Dolny, Poland.
ARENT Z., FRIZZELL, C., GILMORE, C. & ELLIS, W. A. (2012) Development and Validation of real-time PCR assay for the detection of Leptospra borgpetersenii serovar Hardjo in urine and kidney. Proceedings of the 2 nd
Congress of the European Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (EAVLD), Kazimierz Dolny,
Poland.
ARENT Z., GILMORE C., MALONE F. (2012) Leptospirosis in sheep: infection in aborted foetuses . Proceedings of the AVTRW (Irish region) 46 th Annual Scientific Meeting, Ireland.
ARENT Z., GILMORE C., ELLIS W. (2012) Comparison of PCR assays and traditional techniques for the diagnosis of bovine leptospirosis. Proceedings of the AVTRW (Irish region) 46 th Annual Scientific Meeting, Ireland.
ELLIS, W. A. (2012) Challenges in Animal Leptospirosis. Keynote lecture, Proceedings of European meeting of leptospirosis, Eurolepto 2012, Dubrovnik, Croatia.
ELLIS, W. A. (2012) :
1) Canine Leptospirosis in the UK
2) Canine Leptospirosis : The diagnostic dilemma
6
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2012

OIE RL for « Leptospirosis» – « W. A. Ellis » – « United Kingdom »
Key opinion leader meeting, 18-19 May 2012, Hotel International, Dusseldof, Gemany.
ELLIS, W. A. (2012) Canine Leptospirosis in Europe : Time for a change. Novibac Symposium, 16th November
2012, Zeist, Netherlands
_______________
Annual reports of OIE Reference Laboratories, 2012
7