Improved animal disease diagnostics and control in Israel : EU Twinning Project at Kimron Veterinary Institute completed

On 21st November the closing event for the successful EU Twinning Project „Strengthening of Israeli veterinary diagnostic capacities“ will be held at the Koret Veterinary Hospital in Beit Dagan. After a duration of 21 months, the project partners from Israel, Germany and the Netherlands look back on a successful project: the capacities of the KVI in epidemiology and diagnostics have been strengthened considerably. In particular, quality assurance in the laboratories has been adapted effectively to international standards. The network of relationships, self-conception and interplay between private laboratories and the National Reference Laboratories of the MS has been introduced to the Israeli stakeholders (KVI and Ministry of Health and to the private lab operators ways how to adapt to the legal framework of the EU governing diagnostics and the supervision of these private laboratories have been introduced.. Furthermore, practical support was provided, e.g. in a large outbreak of Salmonella in poultry holdings in January 2016. The EU supported the Twinning Project with 1,030,000 Euro.