So far it has been a very enriching journey 🚢, full of interactions, plans and developments. We started our network with 76 members from 25 countries and completed our first year with 151 members from 30 countries 👩👩👧👦.
This first year was highly dedicated to structuring the network and gathering experts virtually and physically, with the launch meeting in Brussels on the 7th November, our first annual meeting in Barcelona in April 2023 and a laboratory training in Deventer in September 2023. Numerous virtual meetings have been held on diverse topics in which ESFLU has committed to work. Five scientists visited laboratories to learn about techniques. ESFLU also ran a survey on swine flu surveillance across Europe and a literature review on swine vaccine efficacy. We had our first collection of swine flu virus sequences and the harvest was excellent, with about 1750 sequences from 250 strains shared by 16 countries. A selection of these sequences is to be shared with the global animal flu network, OFFLU this year. In this second year of the network, we expect more results, more people trained in laboratory methods and phylogenetics and to deliver scientific communications and a first version of guidelines on how to better prevent and control swine flu on farms. We will hold our annual meeting as well as smaller meetings on laboratory procedures, socio-anthropology needs for swine flu, and the zoonotic impact of swine flu 🐷 .
Gwen Dauphin, ESFLU chair
