Introduction
Swine influenza is a highly contagious respiratory disease in pigs caused by influenza A viruses (swIAV). It contributes significantly to production losses and poses risks to both animal and public health. The intensification of pork production systems and free livestock movement across borders fosters the spread of swIAV in Europe. New variants – including those with zoonotic potential – emerge continuously. Recent human pandemics have underscored the zoonotic and reverse-zoonotic risks of swine influenza. Despite its impact, swine influenza surveillance across Europe remains limited and fragmented. Disease awareness is often low, diagnostic protocols are not harmonized, standardized procedures are lacking, and vaccine coverage is inconsistent. Strengthening capacity in surveillance and virus characterization is therefore critical to improving preparedness and response.
Training School
Working Group 1 (WG 1) -Strengthen the capability in Europe for the identification and characterization of swine influenza A virus – is pleased to announce a Training School on Antigenic Cartography of influenza viruses.
This course will provide participants with hands-on knowledge and skills to implement key steps in antigenic cartography, including:
- Selection of viruses and preparation of antisera,
- Performing antigen-antibody tests such as serum neutralization and hemagglutinin inhibition (HI) tests
- Mathematical and analytical approaches for antigenic cartography
- Construction of the Antigenic Map
- Antigenic Clustering
- Visualization and interpretation of antigenic maps
The training will combine theory with practical sessions, aiming to harmonize methodologies across Europe. The main informational details are presented in table 1.
Table 1 Main informational details for the WG1, Training School
| Training Scope | Antigenic Cartography of Influenza A viruses |
| Date | 6th to 8th October 2025 |
| Duration | 3 training days |
| Location | Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (FLI) Insel-Riems, Greifswald Germany |
| 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 Anja Globig (Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald) |
| Application Coordination | Dr Dimitrios Papadopoulos (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki) |
Profile of the candidates
▪ Preferred early-career scientists, diagnosticians, and laboratory personnel working in the field of(swine) influenza A virus
▪ Have experience in laboratory work
▪ Minimum master’s degree
Registration
For on-site participation, candidates are requested to provide a full curriculum including 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 6th -8th Oct. 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 15th of Sep 2025.
Expenses Reimbursement
Selected trainees will receive a Daily allowance for each day and will be reimbursed for the travel expenses according to the COST travel reimbursement rules.
