Laboratory diagnosis of PPRV & LSDV

Cost:   The tuition fee for the course is £2,000.  Once a place on the course has been confirmed, delegates will be required to pay a deposit of £1,000.  Please note, we will only consider refunding this deposit upon proof of inability to attend the course due to ill health or visa denial - official documentation will be required (eg doctor's letter, Home Office communication etc).

Duration:  The course will run for 2 weeks:  30 November - 9 December 2020.

Accommodation:  The Pirbright Institute has access to basic accommodation in shared houses at an additional cost of £30 per night (excluding food).  The number of rooms is however limited and availability is on a first come first served basis and cannot therefore be guaranteed.  The alternative is for course delegates to use local Bed & Breakfast accommodation which we can help them to organise.

Biosecurity:  The laboratory operates at BSL3 containment level and delegates will be expected to adhere to tight biosecurity regulations, including a strict three day quarantine period and a shower upon exiting the laboratories daily. Further information will be provided.

Application deadline:  28 August 2020 (please note that places are limited).

In order for delegates to benefit as much as possible from this training course, and to ensure their Health and Safety in the high containment facilities (BSL3) at The Pirbright Institute, all applicants are required to be able to demonstrate their ability in English language.  Where English is not the first language, a formal qualification is required. The standard is set as an overall IELTS score of 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in listening, reading and speaking and no less than 5.5 in writing.  Alternative qualifications at a similar level are acceptable, e.g. TOEFL, CEF.  If you do not hold a formal English language qualification, we may be able to conduct a free online English language test and Skype interview if required, in order to ascertain English language ability. Please email lynda.moore@pirbright.ac.uk before applying if you require further information.

Participants requiring a visa to enter the UK will need a full business visa.

The course will provide a thorough understanding of current diagnostic techniques for PPRV and LSDV, including discussions regarding QA and sample management. In addition, the course will discuss the aetiology, clinical signs and pathology, immunity, epidemiology and control. The course will be delivered through a series of seminars, practical demonstrations and hands-on practical work in the BSL3  laboratory. The course will offer a thorough understanding of the work undertaken in a diagnostic laboratory which is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 within the BBSRC National Virology Centre: The Plowright Building (high containment).

Topics to be discussed include:

Virus isolation – PPRV:  Isolation of PPRV on cell culture.  

Diagnostic tests – PPRV:  PPRV Antibody detection ELISA; Serum neutralisation test; Manual nucleic acid extraction; Real-time RT-PCR; F gene RT-PCR; F gene nucleotide sequencing and lineage determination.

Virus isolation – LSDV:  Isolation of LSDV on cell culture.  

Diagnostic tests – LSDV:  Antibody detection ELISA; Serum neutralisation test; Plaque reduction neutralisation test; Manual nucleic acid extraction; Real-time PCR; Capripox differential Real-Time PCR; Vaccine/wildtype differentiation (DIVA Real-time PCR); RP30 gene nucleotide sequencing.

Course material (USB stick and/or on-line) containing seminars and standard operating procedures will be provided at the end of the course.

The training course will be hosted by the Non Vesicular Reference Laboratories (NVRL), led by Dr Carrie Batten.

The OIE, FAO and national reference laboratories for PPRV and the OIE reference laboratory for LSDV form a part of the NVRL at Pirbright.

The Pirbright Institute was heavily involved in the global eradication of rinderpest virus (RPV) and has used this experience to build a strong research program into PPRV. The OIE expert for PPRV, Dr Michael Baron, and other research leaders will present their most current findings and discuss the implications for disease control.

The Pirbright Institute leads the EU Horizon 2020 project – addressing the dual emerging threats of African swine fever and lumpy skin disease in Europe.  (DEFEND) and has an active LSDV research program led by the OIE expert for LSDV Dr Pip Beard.

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To apply please email your completed Application form to external.training@pirbright.ac.uk by 28 August 2020.