Epizone - One Year On
Epizone (Epizootics Network of Excellence) is an international network comprising 18 scientific institutions of scientific excellence, focused on animal diseases including foot and mouth disease, avian influenza and classical swine fever. Its mission is to improve research on preparedness, prevention, detection and control of epizootic diseases through increased collaboration.
Nucleic acid extraction
Epizootic diseases have always been a risk for livestock in Europe and this risk is likely to be heightened due to intensified international trade, more movement of animals, global travel and increased contact between livestock and exotic diseases. The recent outbreak of Bluetongue virus is a good example.
VLA is an integral member of the network, which has now completed its first year, and is involved in many of the on-going projects. We are engaged on projects ranging from real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and DNA 'chip-based' diagnostics to vaccine development and host responses to infections.
Other topics include molecular epidemiology and risk assessment and the establishment of an on-line database for epizootic diseases for use as an early warning system.
VLA is leading a workpackage on pen-side-tests and progress has been made in four specific areas: lateral flow devices, surface plasmon resonance, RT-PCR's and loop mediated isothermal amplification on diseases such as avian influenza, foot and mouth disease and bovine viral diarrhoea disease virus. The use of pen-sidetests is considered to be of significant benefit as a tool for control measures where time may be limited, but confirmatory testing should be performed at a recognised reference laboratory.
The impact of environmental effects has also been looked at to identify potential new and emerging viruses and their vectors (midges, mosquitoes, ticks and flies) that could enter the EU due to climate change.
Epizone has provided coordination to reduce the risk on and transmission of epizootic diseases by sharing diagnostic methodologies, discussing new intervention methods and approaching epidemiology with an international philosophy. This has been evident from the quick response to the outbreak of Bluetongue in North West Europe and the provision of experts on African Swine Fever after its introduction into Russia.
