Dear All,

I hope everyone is safe and sound considering the increasing number of COVID-19 cases almost everywhere. This newsletter contains various updates from ENOVAT, including from four of the working groups. We are now halfway through ENOVAT (believe it or not!), and we are doing pretty well in terms of attaining the goals we set. A few deliverables have been postponed, but in the big picture, we are well on track! Also, we managed to have a very nice meeting and training school in Padua back in August, and several other physical and online activities have taken place recently. Thanks to all who made this possible, especially the local organizers and hosts making visitors feel welcome.

Looking ahead, the next year will be quite busy for ENOVAT. WG1 will conduct a survey on the perception of treatment guidelines in small animal practice, and data for the completed microbiological diagnostics survey are to be analyzed shortly. WG2 will continue adding isolates to the strain database and use it for the creation of ECOFFs and maldi-tof ID criteria, WG3 will continue to work on clinical breakpoints, WG4 is busy creating no less than 7 practice guidelines (!), and WG5 continues to disseminate and communicate results and other information. Many people are working on these tasks, but extra hands will be needed. Therefore, please let me know, or contact WG leaders directly if you have some time to spare to assist in one or more tasks. Also, look out for requests for assistance in upcoming newsletters or mails – in many cases work may be accompanied by a grant and an exchange stay in another research environment. I especially encourage young researchers and people from ITC countries to seek these opportunities, but of course, everyone is more than welcome.

I really look forward to the next steps of ENOVAT and I hope to meet many of you, either physically (e.g. at the next large meeting in Thessaloniki May 12-13^th) or online.

Thanks for your contribution so far, and wishing everyone happy holidays and a prosperous 2022.

Best regards,

• Peter (Chair of ENOVAT)