Training course on the Liquid Phase Blocking ELISA technique for FMD Serology,Gaborone-Botswana

Following up on a first training course on serological tests for the detection of antibodies to FMD organized by the SADC FMD project in 2009, the FAO ECTAD together with Botswana Vaccine Institute and Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, is organizing a training course on the use of the Liquid Phase Blocking ELISA (LPBE). The protocol for this test has now been standardized for the use by all SADC Central Veterinary laboratories of countries that are intending to engage in Post Vaccination Sero-monitoring (PVM) for FMD. This will lead to a better understanding of protective immunity in different geographical regions within SADC. This in turn, will allow for the establishment of more appropriate vaccination strategies and programmes, leading to more economical FMD control.