EURL for public health in the field of "high risk, emerging and zoonotic bacterial pathogens"

As the human population is confronted with emerging and re-emerging infectious pathogens that can cause serious cross-border outbreaks, the EU Reference Laboratory (EURL) for Public Health in the field of "high risk, emerging and zoonotic bacterial pathogens", operating under the guidance of the ECDC, aims to strengthen national expert laboratories' capacities and to support a uniform surveillance, notification and reporting of diseases or the causative bacterial agents. By promoting good practice and alignment on diagnostics in the network member laboratories, an efficient, rapid and coordinated response according to the ECDC surveillance reporting system will be enhanced. This EURL contributes to the sustainable implementation of the Regulation (EU) 2022/2371 on serious cross-border threats to health and the repealing Decision No 1082/2013/EU, Article 15. To ensure efficiency and to avoid duplication of efforts, the EURL will actively collaborate with other EURLs and relevant initiatives within the European public health framework. This EURL covers emerging and zoonotic risk group (RG) 3 bacteria - Bacillus anthracis (anthrax), Yersinia pestis (plague), Francisella tularensis (tularemia), Brucella spp. (brucellosis), Burkholderia mallei (glanders), Burkholderia pseudomallei (melioidosis), Coxiella burnetii (Q fever), Rickettsia spp. (rickettsiosis) - as well as RG 2 bacteria - Borrelia spp. (borreliosis) and Leptospira spp. (leptospirosis). External quality assessment, sharing of reference materials, as well as appropriate training and twinning activities will ensure best laboratory responsiveness, diagnostics and bio-risk management, while fostering alignment of approaches on a voluntary basis. During outbreak situations and in case of unusual occurrences, the EURL will provide information (including pathogen characteristics), guidance, and support to the ECDC contributing to ECDC risk assessments.