Expert Tutors:
Prof Elizabeth Nagy - Szeged, Hungary
Dr Patrizia Spigaglia - Rome, Italy
Dr Matjaz Ocepek - Ljubljana, Slovenia
Dr Maja Rupnik - Maribor, Slovenia
Gabriela Terhes - Szeged, Hungary

Aim::
A 3-day course giving practical experience on the isolation and identification of Clostridium difficile from clinical material, determination of antibiotic resistance, use of molecular diagnostic methods and use of different molecular methods for typing.

Topics:
The role of anaerobes in the clinical laboratory - Current state of the disease - Culturing the organism - Checking Antibiotic resistance profiles - Antibiograms- DNA isolation for analysis and typing - Molecular detection of genes for typing and epidemiological purposes using both PCR and RT-PCR - Toxinotyping - Ribotyping

Schedule:
DAY 1: Monday 3 September 2007

• Arrival in Maribor
• 16.30 – 17.00: Lecture - The role of anaerobes in the clinical laboratory
  17.00 – 19.00: Practical work (culture, antibiotic resistance, DNA isolation)
  19.00 – 20.30: DINNER

DAY 2: Tuesday 4 September 2007

• 09.00 – 09.30: Lecture - Clostridium difficile: current update
  09.45 – 12.00: Practical work (molecular detection of resistance genes, direct detection with RT PCR)
  12.00 – 14.00 : LUNCH
  14.00 – 18.00: Practical work (analysis of antibiotic resistance genes, toxinotyping)
  19.00 – 20.30: DINNER

DAY 3: Wednesday 5 September 2007

• 09.00 – 12.00 : Practical work (antibiogram, toxinotyping, ribotyping)
  12.00 – 14.00 : LUNCH
  14.00 – 18.00: Practical work (toxinotyping, ribotyping)
  19.00 – 20.30: DINNER

DAY 4: Thursday 6 September 2007

• Departure

Accommodation and Travel:
Participants should arrive in Maribor on Monday 3 September, and depart on Thursday 6 September Room reservations will be made by the organisers.

All accommodation and meal costs will be met and paid for by the organisers.

Travel expenses will be reimbursed on production of original receipts*.
*- the average travel expenses are assumed to be 314 EURO

The closest airports are:
Maribor - Slovenia

Graz - Austria (a 45 minute drive from Maribor)

Ljubljana - Slovenia (a 90 minute drive from Maribor. There is a shuttle from Ljubljana airport to the Ljubljana main train station. From there you can take a train (2.30 h) to Maribor (Timetable).