Preface content

Non-Vesicular Reference Laboratory

Our group

NVRL group members pictures in front of brick wall with Bull muralThe Non-Vesicular Reference Laboratory Group brings together all the reference laboratories working on non-vesicular diseases at Pirbright. These diseases include bluetongue (BT), African horse sickness, African swine fever, peste des petits ruminants, rinderpest (which was declared eradicated in May 2011), lumpy skin disease, sheep pox and goat pox.

These Reference Laboratories provide an essential diagnostic and advice service to the UK Government (Defra), United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

The group was instrumental in diagnosing the first ever incursion of BT into northern Europe in 2006, the first outbreak of BT in England in September 2007 and the first outbreak of African swine fever in Georgia in 2007.

Our research

As arboviruses (arthropod borne viruses) are present in the blood of infected animals, the group uses blood samples to detect both antibody to the virus and the virus itself. Antibodies to most arboviruses can be detected with an ELISA test, and confirmed using a serum neutralisation test. These tests do not detect the actual virus, only the animal’s immune response to it, and cannot differentiate between infected and vaccinated animals.

The presence of viruses are detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to test for the genetic material of the virus in the submitted sample. When the serotype or lineage of the virus needs to be determined, it can be done using a series of serotype-specific PCR tests or genome sequencing, and can be confirmed by virus neutralisation tests.

The group also carries out applied research related to the development and validation of new diagnostic assays and vaccines, as well as the epidemiology and control of the exotic non-vesicular viruses within its portfolio. The group works very closely with the African Swine Fever Virus GroupOrbivirus Research Group, Large DNA Viruses Group and the Entomology Group.

Our impact

As part of its commitment to the FAO and OIE the Non-Vesicular Reference Laboratory group organises scientific and technical training. Each year the Non-Vesicular Reference Laboratories run a training course allowing scientists to improve their knowledge of exotic virus diseases and provide training in the principles and applications of more modern biotechnology (and thus extend their laboratory’s diagnostic capabilities).

The Non-Vesicular Reference Laboratories, as the parent institute,  have completed OIE-funded laboratory twinning projects with reference laboratories in both Morocco and Uganda. They are currently undertaking another project with Tanzania. The aim of these twinning projects is to upgrade the diagnostic capabilities of the national reference labs in these countries in selected diseases, so that they can eventually gain OIE reference laboratory status.

Partners

Group members

Tuppurainen E, Oura C (2014)

Veterinary Record 175 (12) , 300-301
Publisher’s version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/vr.g5808
Lubinga J C, Clift S J, Tuppurainen E S M, Stoltsz W H, Babiuk S, Coetzer J A W, Venter E H (2014)

Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases 5 (2) , 113-120
Lubinga J C, Tuppurainen E S M, Coetzer J A W, Stoltsz W H, Venter E H (2014)

Experimental and Applied Acarology 62 (1) , 77-90
Lubinga J C, Tuppurainen E S M, Coetzer J A W, Stoltsz W H, Venter E H (2014)

Experimental and Applied Acarology 62 (1) , 67-75
Baron J, Fishbourne E, Couacy-Hyman E, Abubakar M, Jones B A, Frost L, Herbert R, Chibssa T R, van't Klooster G, Afzal M, Ayebazibwe C, Toye P, Bashiruddin J, Baron M D (2014)

Transboundary and Emerging Diseases 61 (5) , 390–396

Pages

Trim content

® The Pirbright Institute 2024 | A company limited by guarantee, registered in England no. 559784. The Institute is also a registered charity.