WHO practical course on influenza virology took place November 25–29 at the RII. The course was attended by specialists of national influenza laboratories from Belarus, Moldova, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The event was overseen by Dr. Dmitriy Pereyaslov from WHO/Europe and Prof. Anna Sominina, chief of the National Influenza Centre at the RII, and included theoretical lectures and a practical part, carried out by RII’s Nadezhda Konovalova, Tatiana Gudkova, Daria Danilenko, Elisaveta Smorodintseva, Alexandra Prokopets and Mikhail Eropkin. The trainees studied MDCK culturing, specimen collection and transportation, influenza isolation and identification, antigenic analysis and cartography.
Upon completion of the course all trainees received WHO certificates.
