A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the ESCMID Study Group for Veterinary Microbiology (ESGVM), the European College of Veterinary Microbiology (ECVM) and the European Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (EAVLD) has been approved by the executive committees of the three organisations.
Although ECVM, ESGVM and EAVLD have distinct remits within the veterinary microbiology profession, through this initiative they have established common educational and professional goals as well as a road map for achieving these goals. The MoU has identified six main areas for collaboration between the three organisation as follows:
- standardisation of methods and procedures in veterinary diagnostic microbiology;
- antimicrobial stewardship and best infection control practices in veterinary medicine;
- training of ECVM-certified specialists in veterinary microbiology;
- communication and training on prevention and control of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in animals;
- training and scientific collaboration with human medical colleagues using a One Health approach;
- joint organization of scientific congresses in the field of veterinary microbiology in Europe.
Recently, a joint ESCMID/ECVM/EALVD committee was established including representatives of each organisation: Luca Guardabasi for ESGVM, Dorina Timofte for ECVM and Heather Graham for EAVLD. The joint committee will meet four times/year to establish and drive the strategies for implementation of the MoU goals. We are confident that this collaborative approach will both benefit veterinary microbiology as a profession in Europe and have a global impact.
