The faster we can react to outbreaks of disease, the sooner they can be contained. However, this rapid response is often not possible, especially in regions where the necessary laboratory infrastructure is not available or only sparsely available. The EU-wide One Health project MOBILISE is therefore developing a highly secure, mobile laboratory in which samples from humans, animals and the environment can be analysed. It is planned to be used in East Africa.
The mobile laboratory - a truck weighing over ten tonnes and nine metres long - is equipped with the capacities of a biological safety level 3 (BSL-3) laboratory. The truck is equipped with solar panels to enable energy-efficient operation and the self-sufficient use of diagnostic equipment. For rapid laboratory results, rapid tests for West Nile virus or Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus are being developed that can deliver results in minutes. PCR analysis takes a few hours. And there is also the option of whole genome sequencing, where local laboratory analysts can also be supported by international experts in evaluating the results via an online platform. "It is incredibly important to be able to react quickly to such disease outbreaks in affected regions," said Friedrich Schmoll, Head of Business Unit at AGES Animal Health, emphasising the benefits of mobile laboratories.
The prototype is being extensively trialled in the field by national authorities and first responders in Austria, Germany, Greece and East Africa. AGES is conducting extensive tests and trialling the potential uses of the mobile laboratory at the AGES site in Mödling. "As the One Health organisation in Austria, we look after the health of humans, animals, plants and the environment 365 days a year. The One Health approach is of crucial importance for the management of infectious diseases," emphasised AGES Managing Director Johannes Pleiner-Duxneuner at the presentation of the mobile laboratory in Mödling.
With the help of mobile laboratories, pathogens can be identified quickly and disease outbreaks reported to the relevant authorities in a timely manner. "Cooperation between the veterinary authorities and laboratories is of central importance for the protection of animal health, food safety and public health," says Florian Fellinger, Group Head of Consumer Health and Veterinary Services at the Ministry of Health.
Other project partners in this project, which is funded by the EU under Horizon Europe, are the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (project leader), the Austrian Institute of Technology, EXUS, the Friedrich Loeffler Institute, the Red Cross Romania, Beia Consult International, MDSC Systems OÜ and the National Public Health Organisation Greece.