Introduction
Swine influenza is a highly contagious respiratory disease in pigs caused by influenza A viruses (swIAV), leading to significant production losses. The intensification of pork production systems and the unrestricted movement of livestock across borders contribute to the virus’s spread in Europe. New variants, some with zoonotic potential, are continually emerging. Recent human pandemics have underscored the zoonotic and reverse zoonotic risks of swine influenza, posing threats to both animal and public health. Despite these challenges, surveillance of swine influenza in Europe remains limited and fragmented. The available and forthcoming swIAV genome sequence data are critical for understanding the virus’s spread in Europe; however, genome surveillance is inadequate in some European countries due to the lack of standardized procedures.
Understanding the dynamics of swIAV spread between European countries is essential for designing effective biosecurity measures to curb it´s transmission. Therefore, building capacity in swIAV-related laboratories across Europe is crucial. This will enable research groups to analyze swIAV sequence data in a standardized manner, facilitating collaboration and phylogenetic comparisons between countries. Training School Details WG 1 (Strengthen the capability in Europe for the identification and characterization of swine influenza A virus) is organizing a training school to implement next generation sequencing (NGS) using Nanopore technology for diagnosis of swine influenza A viruses (swIAV). The ultimate aim is to enhance the detection and characterization capabilities of swIAV circulating across Europe. The main details are presented in table 1.
Table 1 Main informational details for the WG1, Training School
| Training Scope | Application of next generation sequencing (NGS) using Nanopore technology for characterization of swine influenza A viruses |
| Date | 23rd to 25th September 2024 |
| Duration | 3 training days |
| Location | School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greek |
| No of trainees | 15 |
| Scientific Coordination |  Dr Sasan Fereidouni (University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna) Dr Annika Graaf-Rau (Helmholtz-Institute for One Health, Greifswald) Dr Konstantinos Papageorgiou (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Veterinary Medicine) |
| Application Coordination | Dr Dimitrios Papadopoulos (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Veterinary Medicine) |
This training school is essential to:
Practical training on application of next generation sequencing (NGS) using Nanopore technology for swIAV characterization
Foster knowledge in early career scientists
Encourage and support swIAV characterization in countries that usually do not use NGS to enhance swIAV genome surveillance of ESFLU member countries
Profile of the candidates
Young scientists with research interest focused on swine influenza A virus
Technical personnel affiliated in diagnostic laboratories (up to 30% of the total number of trainees)
Be part of (swine) IAV surveillance team at national level or willing tobuild up a laboratory with (swine) IAV diagnostics
Have experience in laboratory work
Registration
For on-site participation, candidates are requested to provide a full curriculum vitae including a publications list and a one-page motivation letter. All applications for the training school must be submitted via email to the Training Grants Coordinator of the Action, Dr Papadopoulos Dimitrios (depapado@auth.gr), with subject ESFLU Training School 23-25 Sept.
All applications will be equally evaluated. Gender, geography, career stage and qualifications of the applicant and their match to the WG1 objectives will be taken into consideration when evaluating the proposals.
Deadline for applications submission is the 23th of August 2024 (5 pm, CET).
Expenses Reimbursement
Trainers and trainees will receive a daily allowance for each day and will be reimbursed for the travel expenses according to the COST travel reimbursement rules1.
1 COST-094-21-Annotated-Rules-for-COST-Actions-Level-C-V1.3.pdf
