Aims: To evaluate the conformity of the results obtained by the European Union (EU) National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) for the identification of Tropilaelaps spp. by morphological examination

Modalities: Ring test consisting of sending a unique panel of samples, successively to each participating laboratory.

Requirements for participation: 

Due to logistical constraints, this comparative laboratory test (CLT) is only open to EU NRLs, which have not participated in the two previous campaigns.

NRLs from non-EU countries may also participate, depending on feasibility.

Comparative laboratory test (CLT) methods:

EURL procedure:  morphological identification of Tropilaelaps spp. (adult form)

This method is also published in the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Manual.

Matrix: Microscopic slides (specimens mounted in Hoyer medium).

Provisional Agenda:

Registration: January 2024

CLT period: From March to December 2024.

The EU RL for Bee Health held its 13^th annual workshop on 10^th October 2023 in Sophia Antipolis (France) after three years remotely. All participants were particularly happy to meet in person. Informal discussions were intense and the EU RL leaders had to kindly interrupt long coffee breaks to resume the annual workshop.

The participants had the pleasure to listen to two presentations of NRLs’ activities and the current honey bee health status in Estonia by Merle Kuus (Representative of the Estonian NRL) and in Lithuania by Tatjana Ščavlinskaja (representative of the Lithuanian NRL).

Franco Mutinelli, head of the Italian NRL, presented a state of play of the occurrence and surveillance of SHB in Southern Italy.  This year, Fayçal Meziani from the French Ministry of Agriculture presented the detection of small hive beetle in La Réunion island (France) in July 2022 and the action plan undertaken by the competent authorities. The French NRL presented the technical and scientific support provided to the competent authorities following the detection (Stéphanie FRANCO and Véronique DUQUESNE – respectively head and deputy head of the French NRL).

The EU RL also presented new information on the dissemination of Tropilaelaps over the world and focused on the feedbacks of the comparative laboratory test organised in 2022 and 2023 on Tropilaelaps mite identification by morphological methods. The workshop ended by the presentation of the EU RL activities during the last period and the work perspectives.

We warmly thank all the speakers for their interesting presentations and all the contributors for the fruitful discussions.

Documents and presentations of the workshop can be found here for the NRL network.

Objective: to evaluate the conformity of the results obtained by the participating laboratories for the detection of Paenibacillus larvae / Melissococcus plutonius, agents of American/European foulbrood.

Methods evaluated:

• Microscopy
• Conventional and/or real time PCR
• Culture

Matrix: Crushed bee larvae

Provisional agenda:

• Registration deadline: 20/08/2023
• Availability of samples to be tested:  September 2023

Requirements for participation: NRLs and official laboratories from EU Member States. NRLs from third countries (depending on the feasibility). Please contact the EU RL for more information.

Note:

We inform you that registration is now possible using the online platform LEILA (Reference of the ILPT: PLMP23EU)