For the last five years the Med-Vet-Net Network of Excellence has been funded under the European Union’s 6th Framework Programme within the Quality and Safety of Food priority area. The Network started its activities on 1 September 2004, and the closing date for scientific activities is 31 August 2009. This date has now been extended by two months, until 31 October 2009, but without any additional funding.

The oral presentations provided the opportunity to learn about recent progress of research in the epidemiology fields, both within and in Med‑Vet‑Net teams and also out of the Network. Nine abstracts were selected out of 27 submitted for the Epidemiology Session.

The first two presentations were dealing with a new emerging resistance gene family called methylases. Methylases are conferring high level resistance to aminoglycosides. Both studies presented were output from WP29.

The scientific progress made in recent years in the area of risk research was illustrated by the oral session on Friday 5 June, which encompassed a variety of topics.

Four presentations were made on Host-Pathogen Interactions on Saturday 6 June at 09.30.

Chairing a session of “General Interest” presentations is always difficult because of the lack of a cohesive theme but this in no way detracted from the pleasure of the variety of topics covered and the quality of the presentations. The first session was held on Friday 5 June, 09.30 and the second session on Saturday 6 June at 09.30.

The future development and sustainability of the WILDLIST headed the agenda at the final meeting of the WiREDZ special interest group (SIG) in Budapest late last year.