Applications are now open for the first ONWARD Advanced Training School on ratHEV Diagnostics, Serology, Sequencing and Genomic Interpretation, which will take place in Córdoba, Spain, from 9 to 11 September 2026.
Rat hepatitis E virus (ratHEV) has moved from being considered an animal virus to being recognised as an emerging zoonotic cause of hepatitis in humans. Human cases have already been reported in Europe, yet the real burden of infection remains unclear. One major reason is that diagnostic capacity is still highly uneven: PCR approaches are not harmonised, serology remains difficult to interpret because of cross-reactivity, and many centres still lack practical experience with ratHEV-specific workflows.
This is exactly the gap that ONWARD wants to address. As Europe’s first COST Action dedicated to zoonotic hepeviruses, ONWARD was created to strengthen preparedness, harmonise approaches and build practical capacity across human, animal and public health sectors. This Training School is one of the first concrete steps in that effort. It is designed not as a theoretical meeting, but as a hands-on response to a real diagnostic need.
Over three days, participants will work through the main milestones of current ratHEV laboratory practice: serology and confirmatory assays, qPCR workflows, Sanger sequence interpretation, genotype/subtype assignment, and NGS dataset analysis and interpretation. The aim is to help young researchers move from general interest in ratHEV to a much more operational understanding of how this virus is investigated and interpreted in practice.
The training school is aimed at Young Researchers and Innovators (YRIs) involved in zoonotic hepevirus diagnosis, surveillance or translational implementation. Basic PCR experience is required, but no previous hands-on experience with ratHEV-specific assays is needed. Importantly, 20 of the 24 available seats will be funded, so for selected applicants this is a genuine opportunity to receive advanced training free of charge following evaluation.
The application period is open from 5 June to 3 July 2026. If you are working in hepatitis E, zoonotic virology, molecular diagnostics or One Health surveillance, this is a very good opportunity to gain practical exposure to one of the fastest-evolving areas in the field.
Full programme, eligibility criteria and application details are available on the ONWARD website: https://hev-onward.eu/trainingschool/
